The thing is why would you want to trade Whiteside, now this is assuming he keeps it up from last year(I think he will) if he does is he really worth any amount of draft picks? His play last year was amazing it's so hard to find those guys.
Yes, his play was amazing. No argument from me. I love the guy. And I don't want to trade him. But I also completely understand Riley's thinking. He may be very wary of paying Whiteside a max. Maybe he just sees this as being a better shot to win while Wade cans till play.
I could see the heat trying to sell whiteside while his value is sky high. They might see him as a mental midget, plus could be scared of what he would turn into with a max contract. No one wants to get Bynumed.
Okay, my mind is blown. I can't even say I fully understand how this would work line-up-wise and/or if it's even smart depth-wise, but g*d damn Riley makes the off-season exciting! Regardless of whether he pulls it off or not, he's the greatest GM who's ever lived! When James left I stated that it was a poor basketball decision and his leaving Riley was a big part of why I believed that. James traded the power of Riley and Miami to think of, lure and pull off deals like this for the power of Gilbert, Cleveland and James to do the same. This is one of those Riley is playing chess while everybody else is playing checkers moments.
I guess I'll just say that I think Whiteside is the better player atm, I might be crazy but so were his numbers last year, that said the question is will it continue, I think yes but it's hard to know for sure, but if it does I think he keeps it up for a long time past when bosh and lma are here. On the other hand who knows what Riles is thinking, maybe it's even crazier then we think , no one does BIG like he does.
They obviously must know something about Whiteside that we can't see. Maybe he's a problem in the locker room.
I dont think it has anything to do with Bosh. portland isnt doing sign and trade without Whiteside being included.
I think to the extent this pertain to Whiteside at all is that Riley would rather use a max slot for a proven LMA then save it for a volatile high risk/high reward Whiteside or a longshot pipe dream of Durant. And also, if we can get away without trading Whiteside, and have him a 6th man, then we will be in the ECF and have a damn good chance of beating Cleveland. We'll figure out what we need to figure out in 2016.
Portland really has no choice in the matter. They have already lost LMA for nothing. With us, they can get back useful players who are also expiring contracts. Why wouldn't they do it? They have no leverage or power. They can't S&T Aldridge anywhere else without his consent
They can suck a duck, they can lose Aldridge for nothing or get chalmers, birdman, mcroberts. They are in no position to be picky
One really enticing thing would just rolling out a huge good damn lineup there, lma bosh and whiteside, no idea if it would work but man I kinda would like to see that. Also could there be another reason for this? This basically requires a S&T and LMA to want to be here, maybe it's to show wade the level of thinking the heat do and how Reily can get into a room with anyone? Feels like a longshot out of no where.
Also, I'm not counting out the possibility that Riley has trades lined up to create straight cap space
First of all, I'm not sure this would be a S&T. That would actually make signing Wade difficult because you couldn't go above the apron. But if it is, if you're Portland, and your choice is lose LA for nothing, or get back some decent role players and expiring contracts, which do you choose?
They have leverage as in theyre not going to take in contracts and just tell Aldridge to sign outright wherever he wants to go. Why the heck would they take chalmers, deng, and bird in their payroll? Just let Aldridge sign wherever he wants to go and spend money elsewhere. There has to be an incentive for them to do a sign annd trade and Whiteside would be it.
They have to field a team. And those guys keep them somewhat competitive around Lillard for a year. Seriously, if they keep Robin Lopez, you have him, Ed Davis, Deng, Chalmers, Lillard. That's not first pick in the draft bad.
You all are kidding yourselves if you think those 3 players and McRoberts is enough incentive to take those contracts... Why would they want them? It makes no sense. Whiteside would be the only reason they say yes.
It baffles me that people undervalue McRoberts. He's on a great deal and is a good player. Charlotte missed him badly this last year. Other than that, the other guys are expiring contracts and guys that can help a team next year. Remember when the Cavs took meaningless draft picks in exchange for LeBron James? You take what you can get sometimes.
S&T involving Bosh? I hate to say that seems like it would make the most sense no?(honestly this whole thing is kinda crazy) not saying they should,will, or are even thinking it but it makes a ton of sense in some ways.
If LMA picks Miami then it doesn't really matter what Portland wants. Do you think Cleveland wanted to do the sign and trade they did to give us James? Once James made his choice, their choice was something or nothing.
Well, the only difference is that LeBron and Bosh could've signed with us into cap space. Here that's not the case, but the overall point is the same. You guys aren't considering that Portland has already lost LMA. He's gone. Now you can get something that's actually halfway decent for your trouble. Why not?
Also, can I go back and delete my post where I questioned whether LMA was actually that good and worth all this fuss? LOL
You know they don't have to send all of Deng, Chalmers, Birdman and McBob to Portland. For instance, they can send Chalmers and Bird to Cleveland for Haywood and then package Haywood , Deng and McBob to Portland, maybe even thrown Napier in there.
But would Riley go into this thing without a plan? I doubt he'd be banking on a S & T unless he knows it could happen. Or he knows he can move salary to sign him outright?
Mike Ortiz Jr. @xOrtiz4x 41m41 minutes ago Sources: LaMarcus Aldridge instigated meeting with Miami, which is why Pat Riley is flying to Los Angeles to him Dunno how legit this guy is but if true that is interesting.
Some one on RealGM made a good point (which is unusual). This meeting is important because even if we don't get LMA this proves to Wade and to everyone else that Pat Riley can get a meeting with anyone he wants, no matter the circumstance. Anyone who thinks we won't get a shot at Durant next year if we don't sign LMA is a fool.
Pat Rileys reaction when someone in the Heats offices yelled out "Aldridge called.........he wants to meet with US!"
Bobby Marks a former NBA exec just tweeted "The ultimate sign of respect is when the top free agent on the market meets with you when you have no cap space" That's what this is about. It doesn't matter that LeBron left. Pat Riley is still Pat Riley and the Heat is still the Heat. In players minds, we are right there with the Spurs, etc. So suck it again LeBron
Does this answer CK's question about whether or not players consider Miami a place to go and win despite them not making the playoffs last season?