Things change but as someone who followed the Kawhi saga in depth the entire time the one big thing was Kawhi's desire to be in LA. With the family ties there I doubt that's changed. Maybe the year in Toronto has opened his eyes to other possibilities, but I suspect LA is still the no1 target. Maybe he can be convinced the Clippers are non-starters and he needs to be with a winning team, and maybe the Lakers can't afford him - those would open up other locations, but I doubt the Knicks are in play. So Brooklyn, maybe.... but I would put the best odds on an LA team for now.
Knicks and Nets for Leonard is very unlikely IMO. Go back home and play in a different conference than the Raptors, or leave a championship team just to goto NY and have to beat them in the playoffs. It looks odd going with the latter, but I guess anything is possible. Still calling it very unlikely. Raptors or Clippers.
I don't really have much regard for the recruiting status. Recruiting status gives you KPJ. I'll take Jarrett Culver all day.
I think it's relevant when you're talking about only a year of college experience. It's not the end-all-be-all, but it gives you a part of the picture. As for KPJ, his recruiting status doesn't elevate him, really. He was the 28th ranked player. He wasn't even a McDonals All-American. That doesn't suggest one and done lottery pick. Langford, on the other hand, was the 7th ranked player in his class, and the #2 SG behind RJ Barrett.
Silly season is well underway.... -Al Horford opting out -Kyrie has ghosted the C's (yes, suffer you miserable celtics fans ) -Knicks working out Darius Garland (guessing thats in case of a trade down?) -Rondae Hollis Jefferson is garnering a lot of FA interest -Kawhi may sign a 2 yr deal so he can get the 10 yr max in 2 years. - Pels are exploring a trade up for RJ...Knicks need to put a kabosh on that and just swap slots and make sure they get the 2nd best player in this draft. Draft day cant get here soon enough. Knicks need RJ
Also knicks rejected hawks offer of 8 and 10 for 3. Hawks still looking at trade up with Pelicans at 4, supposedly offering same package.
If the Knicks like Culver as much as it had been reported, they should be able to get a pretty good return to swap 3 and 4. I think it would be a mistake for them to move back, though, because I think the drop off is significant. I know you don't want a PG, but if the Pels jumped you for RJ, I'd be more than happy taking Morant. I'd then see what I could get for Ntilakina and/or Smith. I don't know how the Hawks thought that was a viable offer for the 3rd pick in a draft with 3 top level players. If they do trade down, I actually like Garland quite a bit. I think he's massively underrated. The Celtics stuff is truly entertaining. I hope it turns out as bad as possible for them and they're forced to give Horford a huge deal. Interesting on Kawhi. If the Heat stand pat, they're going to have a fortune to spend in two summers.
You dont have to convince me on Culver...if RJ is gone id rather go Culver or Reddish then a PG. To me I like Coby White more then Morant or Garland who both have knee issues. But taking a Pg for NYK is silly with 2 top 10 Pg selections on the roster and no one in this draft who was as good a prospect coming out as either Smith or Ntilikina. Atlanta is in good shape. As it stands they coukd walk out of this draft with 2 good players, but yes i agree, the top 3 are being hyped and pushed so it would need to be more imo.
No way I'd trade #4 for #8 and #10. This isn't the NFL. I don't want to draft three guys in the first round. We also have 2 second round picks. That's 5 rookies? No thanks. I'd like to package #4 + Ingram for a guy like Myles Turner but I doubt that will happen. Or #4 + Ingram and Ball for Beal. But that won't happen either. Apparently, Alvin Gentry loves Lonzo. If we end up picking (and keeping) #4, I really don't know who we should pick, but we should definitely take the best guy available, regardless of position.
There’s a growing belief that Hassan Whiteside will ask for a trade when he officially opts in according to Tim Reynolds.
How confident are you that BC is gone by 13? Would you give anything up for him once picks 8-10 roll around? If he wants out as bad as we want him out, he won’t opt in.
I’d love to see you guys somehow get to 2 and snag RJ or Ja. Y’all would be much watch basketball if Zion doesn’t make y’all that already.
I think the value is him being an expiring contract. You can trade a lot of long term cap commitments for cap space next summer. I still don't know that I think it's likely that they find a trade partner, but if he goes, it would probably be mostly because he's an expiring contract. That being said, there are some teams that might have some interest in trying him out for a year. There are some teams he'd fit well with.
Thanks. I trust David Griffin. I don’t think I’ve trusted my favorite team’s personnel chief since Jimmy Johnson.
Actually if the knicks strike out in FA, I would take that contract for a year if i got an unprotected pick with it.
At 4 looking at your teams cornerstone players (so to speak) you should go Culver or Hunter....Reddish if you flip Ingram. Assuming Ingram stays that leaves a foundation thats not half bad... PG Lonzo/Jrue SG Culver or Hunter SF Ingram PF Zion C ???
Jimmy Butler is starting to get on my nerves. He has been posting all these pictures and clips of him in Houston for about a week straight. You staying, or nah?
Jimmy Butler was born in Tomball (Houston Suburb). Wouldnt be surprised if he still has ties to the area or a residence. To be frank, his toughness and competitiveness would serve yall well
Jrue is better at the 2. A backcourt of Lonzo and Jrue is easily the best defensive backcourt in the league. Even so, I would not shy away from drafting Culver or Garland at #4. If we draft a guard at #4, he can come along slowly off the bench. If he develops, great. I don't believe in drafting for need in the NBA. There are too many top-5 pick busts. PG-Lonzo/Rookie/Frank Jackson SG-Jrue/Josh Hart/Etuan Moore SF-Ingram/Kenrich Williams PF- ZION/Christian Wood C - Okafor and a bunch of stiffs who can rebound and bang down low so ZION can do his thing. I'm very high on Christian Wood and Kenrich Williams. They balled out down the stretch last year. I like all our young guys and am PSYCHED for this upcoming season.
Yeah, he's from here. He has never went on a Houston pic/video spree like this before. He is playing with Rockets fans' emotions. He's a free agent and he knows we need him. He posted this a day after Steven A Smith went on TV and said Harden is recruiting Jimmy. Playing these Instagram games this week with us is getting on my nerves. Don't be out here getting our hopes up.
Celtics insiders are saying it may be a backdoor deal with the Rockets causing him to opt out. Please don't let the Rockets give this old dude 4 years. Hell, I wouldn't give him 2.
I don’t know enough about trades and assets and stuff to know the answer to that question. The Heat have no 2nd round pick and i don’t know if they even have another 2nd rounder this century from the sound of it. I certainly don’t think you trade like a Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, or Bam Adebayo just to move up to like 8 or 10. I think you just sit tight and take the pick.
That’s That’s what we’ve (people paying great attention to the details of this story since Saturday) been saying all this time. Pelicans Twitter has been squaking about this for a few days now. Griffin bet on the incompetence of the Lakers. It is in our best interest to sabotage them on details Pelinka is ignorant of!!!! The ultimate revenge!
Hahahahaha Lakers/Lebron/Klutch. AD is a sucker. They want him to forfeit $4 million because PELINKA DOESNT UNDERSTAND THE SALARY CAP!!!!
No hes not. Hes in his age 33 season. Hes more likely to get a 4 year deal taking him through his age 37 season then a 4 year deal next year taking him through age 38. If he gets a 4 year deal worth a 100m i think thats a better contract then he would have gotten next year. And at that point sure hed lose 5m next year but hed guarantee himself an additional 70m.
Why are you talking like a Canadian lol He’s in his age 33 season eh, and if he doesn’t secure a 4 year deal, he may just return to university.
Who the hell is crazy enough to give him 4 years 100 million... i think hes overestimating his market just like David West did at one point..
Tim Hardaway got 72m for 4 years. Timofey Mozgov got 64m for 4 years. Al Horford is a good player even if hes older. Those guys and so many others...not so much. If you dont think hes getting a 4 year deal, you havent been paying attention to how silly NBA GMs are when they have cash to blow.
One other note on Horford... I haven’t seen anyone make the connection yet in the media but KD did try and recruit Horford to OKC before Horford signed with Boston in 2015. Wouldn’t surprise me if Horford and KD ended up Knicks...