2018-19 NBA Thread

[MrCrowesGarden]

The hardest of passes.

When you have a chance to parlay the best big in the league for 4 pieces of trash and a mediocre pick, you gotta do it, man.

Somewhere on some Lakers chatroom site like this some nerd is like "SEE YOU GUYS!!! I AM TELLING YOU MAGIC READS MY POSTS!!!!!!"

Read the replies to that tweet.

[33anda3rd]

The hardest of passes.

When you have a chance to parlay the best big in the league for 4 pieces of trash and a mediocre pick, you gotta do it, man.

Somewhere on some Lakers chatroom site like this some nerd is like "SEE YOU GUYS!!! I AM TELLING YOU MAGIC READS MY POSTS!!!!!!"

Read the replies to that tweet.

I couldn't possibly bear doing that. Lakers fans are the worst. People on here gripe about Cubs fans but Lakers fans my god. I met this woman a few months ago as the season was starting and was like "It's awesome you guys got the GOAT now" and she's like "LeBron?" kinda like in disagreement and I thought she'd then say what any self-respecting NBA fan who disagrees would say, "I prefer Jordan", but she said "Kobe was the GOAT" and I always forget that Lakers fans are so delusional that they think a guy who was never even once in his career even the best player in the league for that single year is the actual GOAT.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Yeah, I don't think any player gets called the GOAT more that isn't in any sport besides Kobe. Maybe the Yankees and Jeter, but I still don't think it's to that same level.

[33anda3rd]

This Denver - Houston game is incredible.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Woj says the Lakers first offer was Kuzma, Lonzo, Rondo, Beasley and a first. Holy [expletive] that’s awful.

[Socnorb11]

For Anthony Davis, that's an insulting offer, really.

The Lakers could offer damn near their entire team, (sans Lebron), and it still wouldn't excite me. They went 35-47 last year without Lebron. Who wants that junk? Their draft picks aren't worth a helluva lot either.

[33anda3rd]

If Kristaps for a year = two first round picks, swapping enough blah veterans to clear enough cap space to sign two max players, and a guy who is a freakish athlete and was a top-10 pick less than two years ago, then the Lakers don't have enough to get Davis. Virtually no one has enough to get Davis.

What happens if Davis doesn't get dealt this year, and then the teams with a ton of extra picks--ATL, BK, BOS, NYK, PHI, SAC--all decide that it's not worth giving up 2 first-rounders plus more for a guy who will just be a one-year rental, and Davis then stays in NO for another year? That can't be the outcome he wants.

[MrCrowesGarden]

I don’t think it’ll come to that. I could be wrong but I really believe Ainge wants him and will give New Orleans what it wants.

My guess is Tatum, Brown and a small pick load or Tatum and a bigger pick load.

[33anda3rd]

I don’t think it’ll come to that. I could be wrong but I really believe Ainge wants him and will give New Orleans what it wants.

My guess is Tatum, Brown and a small pick load or Tatum and a bigger pick load.

I think Boston will have to really examine that trade, and will have to have a LOT of confidence that Davis stays. Check out their contracts situation.

This year they stand to lose Kyrie, Theis, Baynes, Marcus Morris. That's their best player and all their depth at the 4 and 5. (This assumes Horford picks up his player option b/c no one else is giving Horford $30MM.) Rozier could go as a RFA if someone makes him an offer the Cs can't match.

Next year they lose Horford and they have to start paying Jaylen Brown.

They need those draft picks to address a lot of the depth that they're losing. Plus they're a bit crippled by $30MM+ for a bench player in Hayward.

To make move for AD I feel like they have to be sure Kyrie will stay, they have to be sure they can maintain some depth*, and they have to be sure AD and Kyrie, two ball-dominant players, will be able to operate together.

*Re depth, a lot of people talk about how important it is to have 2-3 superstars to win. There's a lot of truth there but teams also have to be deep. Denver is winning because when Murray or Harris or Barton misses time, Craig or Beasley or Morris steps up and contributes. When the whole team is healthy there is no big letdown from the 2nd unit. You can say that of the Dubs teams who have had Livingston and Iggy on the 2nd unit. The Raptors right now with VanVleet, Delon, Monroe, OG Anunoby. This is part of the reason I think the Bucks might be an easy out in the 2nd round--Ilyasova and Tony Snell and George Hill are a soft 2nd unit.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Still don't think that's enough to move AD now. Sending out Solo's salary in an AD trade is also kind of superfluous (I'd rather just keep him now and ditch him next year than attach him as some reason to reduce the value of an AD trade), and most importantly, that deal would require the Pelicans to clear four roster spots, which isn't so easy. Frazier and Clark would be two, but they aren't just going to give up Jahlil Okafor for nothing.