2018-19 NBA Thread

[33anda3rd]

As soon as Kyrie's current contract is up they can make the move.

There are two things swaying what happens, and they are two things that virtually ensure Davis will finish this year in a Pelicans jersey:
1. Kyrie's deal expiring and Boston getting into the fray. I guarantee you Ainge has already talked to whichever football guy or widow/owner or powerless GM is taking calls in NO to say "Look, you know who's got assets and I can talk in the summer."

2. Who gets Zion. Is it the Suns? No deal. Brown won't re-sign there, Suns won't make that deal. Is it the Bulls? No deal. Brown won't re-sign there, Bulls won't trade Zion for a year of Brow. Cleveland? No deal, they're not putting Brow with Sexton and the remains of Kevin Love. This is all about the Knicks, they're the only team that could get the 1-1 pick and be able to move it for Brown with a legit chance of re-upping him. This will be clear the day the lottery is drawn, May 14, so they won't run a risk of trading the Knicks for the #3 pick and getting Cam or RJ or Morant.

BTW Ja Morant is going to make a hell of a #2 pick for someone.

[thrill]

If I'm the Pelicans I hold them hostage for Kristaps and Kevin Knox. Screw the picks. Get your own lottery pick and try for Zion.

[33anda3rd]

Trae Young had the line of the season last night telling reporters the draft-night trade that swapped him and Doncic "Worked out for both teams."

One team got the best rookie since...David Robinson? The other got Trae Young. This is like Olden Polynice saying "yeah, the Bulls traded me for Pippen but look how it worked out so good for everybody." Polynice was a nice player. Averaged a double-double for a few years. Pippen was a HOFer, which is where Doncic is headed.

[MrCrowesGarden]

If I'm the Pelicans I hold them hostage for Kristaps and Kevin Knox. Screw the picks. Get your own lottery pick and try for Zion.

Step 1 (right now): Offer AD and filler for Porzingis, Knox, and the pick, risking wherever it lands.
Step 2: If they say no, offer some more expirings for their long term salaries and another pick to help clear the decks for free agency.
Step 3: if they say no, we’ll talk again this summer.

[33anda3rd]

They wouldn't offer for Porzingis right now, he's a 7-footer coming off an ACL tear and that, more often than not, doesn't end very well.

The flip side to this is the Knicks value 5 years of Zion and the chance to keep him under a bird rights supermax deal more than they value a year of Davis and the chance to extend him.

[thrill]

I'm definitely impressed with how deftly LeBron is tampering with players like Kawhi and AD in his quest to turn chicken [expletive] into chicken salad.

[33anda3rd]

Me personally, I would not trade 4 years of Zion for Davis. Maybe I'd trade him in a a sign-and-trade where I get 4 years of Curry coming back, or KD, or AD or Giannis. But there is no way on earth I would trade 4 years of Zion at an affordable price for a one-year rental of anyone. Even if I were OKC and one year of AD could mean a title, I'd just take Zion. I'd have said the same about Doncic last year at this time, no one in the 2017 draft, and no one in the 2016 draft.

Zion is going to be someone's franchise. He's arguably the most popular, most hyped, most talented college basketball player since Anthony Davis himself. And he is probably more hyped than Davis. 25PPG in the ACC while shooting 70% from the field is porno.

This is part of why I think Davis could end up in LA.

[Socnorb11]

Denver has far better assets than the Lakers, and they'd be instant title contenders with AD. It's not worth it if he's not willing to sign an extension, though.

Denver prob doesn't have the assets. They don't need a C, they have the best passing big man in the history of the league who is, IMO, as valuable as Davis today. RPM backs that up, they're almost identical. (Side note: Jokic's second half last night was a masterpiece in leading a team to a win.) They don't have future draft picks to trade, they can't package their backcourt depth to overload the frontcourt esp since that backcourt depth has a lot to do with their success this year.

Denver could offer up a package of G. Harris, Will Barton, MPJ and Juancho, and probably not miss a beat. In fact, with Isaiah Thomas due to be healthy any day now, the backcourt depth could become cumbersome very quickly. Jokic dishing to Brow and the Blue Arrow would be damn near unstoppable. It's a Big Three that probably trumps even Golden State's. However, knowing almost for certain that Davis isn't staying in Denver probably makes it not worth it for the Nuggets.


Outside of Zion, I think draft picks are over-valued. This year's draft is one of the weakest in memory, and picks in general are a bit of a crap shoot (you've shown several good examples of mucked-up draft picks).

[MrCrowesGarden]

I don't think the Pelicans do a deal with Denver without Murray.

That said, I don't think the Nuggets do the deal either.

[Socnorb11]

I don't think the Pelicans do a deal with Denver without Murray.

That said, I don't think the Nuggets do the deal either.

That's perfectly fair. To be honest, they probably shouldn't. A. Davis is probably LITERALLY the best player in the league. If I'm building a team, I'm pretty sure I'd take him first.

I'm not sure if any other teams can offer a player with Murray's upside either though. Their problem is a limited market (because of Davis' impending free agency and almost certainty to land with the Lakers).