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NBA Offseason 2020: Things Are Boylen Over

HarleyQuinn

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That's the kind of thing that just baffles me about the NBA... and I get it's a star-driven league and you only have so many spots but Minnesota drafted Culver just last year with the 6th Pick! That was a lottery pick player and they are potentially throwing him away for another "lottery pick" draft selection? To me, that kind of shit just renders the NBA Draft completely meaningless and why I don't care much about it if players are being moved a year or two later before they can even develop.

It'd be like NFL teams selecting a QB or RB or WR at 5 and then trading him the very next season (Josh Rosen is the obvious exception), only to try and trade back up to a high pick to take that same position.
 

Baby Shoes

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Rumblings that Victor Oladipo wanted out and was openly asking other team's players in front of his teammates last year.
Yeah, they said he was unhappy there while he was out injured. The only trade partner I’ve really heard was the Celtics for Gordon Hayward, since Pacers want him. Which I don’t like that fit for Boston. Oladipo’s best option is a team like Indiana where he can be the focus and they can be a mid level Eastern Conference playoff team.
 

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That's the kind of thing that just baffles me about the NBA... and I get it's a star-driven league and you only have so many spots but Minnesota drafted Culver just last year with the 6th Pick! That was a lottery pick player and they are potentially throwing him away for another "lottery pick" draft selection? To me, that kind of shit just renders the NBA Draft completely meaningless and why I don't care much about it if players are being moved a year or two later before they can even develop.

It'd be like NFL teams selecting a QB or RB or WR at 5 and then trading him the very next season (Josh Rosen is the obvious exception), only to try and trade back up to a high pick to take that same position.
It is strange because I was reading the other day that Wolves are overthinking this pick because they have regrets moving up to get Culver last year (They swapped their 11th pick of Cameron Johnson and Dario Saric to the Suns for him). It was very shortly after that these rumors popped up.

Celtics interest in moving up is supposedly RJ Hampton but again, Hampto, Oladipo, those are solid pieces that don’t make sense for their roster as assembled.
 

HarleyQuinn

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It is strange because I was reading the other day that Wolves are overthinking this pick because they have regrets moving up to get Culver last year (They swapped their 11th pick of Cameron Johnson and Dario Saric to the Suns for him). It was very shortly after that these rumors popped up.

Celtics interest in moving up is supposedly RJ Hampton but again, Hampto, Oladipo, those are solid pieces that don’t make sense for their roster as assembled.
Yeah, I've heard those Celtics + Hampton rumors a lot.

It feels like a lot of these NBA teams 'chase' the hot new shiny player and trade assets/a guy they just drafted to do so. Thus they end up being cellar dwellers or middle of the road franchises for years because they don't have a core to build around... because they don't keep guys around for 3-4 seasons. Look at the Clippers where they'd dump guys after 1-3 seasons in the mid-2010s when they had Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Jordan and never gave that team real consistent depth through their draft picks.

It'd be like the Lakers dumping Vlade Divac after 1 or 2 seasons to get a high pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. Then dealing Eddie Jones after a year for a 1st Round pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. They may not be superstar talent but they can be very valuable depth to help deepen a team making playoff pushes.
 

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Well @HarleyQuinn , now I’m seeing a rumor that the Celtics are trying to move up for the earlier lottery pick to then trade that pick to the Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. Which again, I like Holiday but I don’t see where he fits with the current Celtics roster.
 

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Apparently the Spurs might be trading DeRozan. And what do you know Pop likes Kuzma and wants him. DeRozan is gonna have to shoot from 3 much more though for that to work.
 

alfdogg

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I saw a couple weeks or so back that the Pacers and Bucks were talking about an Oladipo trade but I guess nothing came of it. That would have been more ideal for Vic I think, because as much as I like him I don't think he can be the #1 guy on a contending team. But Giannis/Vic/Middleton is a combination that could go places.

As for the Pacers, I don't really think Brogdon is that much of a dropoff (if any) at this point from Vic. This is probably the best chance to try to move him. Brogdon/Sabonis/Warren/Myles is not the worst core you could have depending on what return Vic might bring. It's not a championship team by any stretch but it's not like that seems to be a top priority for the Simons
 

King Kamala

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Well @HarleyQuinn , now I’m seeing a rumor that the Celtics are trying to move up for the earlier lottery pick to then trade that pick to the Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. Which again, I like Holiday but I don’t see where he fits with the current Celtics roster.
The Celtics fans proposing Jrue for Kemba trades don’t deserve happiness.

Congratulations to Russell Westbrook for replacing Melo two years ago for the Greatest NBA Player Ever to be completely undesirable to the rest of the NBA.
 

909

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People are cracking on the Knicks for wanting Westbrook, but let's face it

They ain't signing any superstar in free agency. At the current trajectory they're on I would say never. They gotta do some things to change that.
They can't draft.
They haven't made the playoffs in mad long.

Anything they give up ain't gonna be shit anyway. At least this way they finally make the playoffs for once and have a better chance of signing some role players.
 

Broward83

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I don't even know what to say about what's going on in Houston. Fertitta wanted the team and kept saying "I'll pay for a championship! I'll go over the tax for a winner!" but never going over that limit and treating the organization as just another property like his casinos or restaurants. He's going to tank the value of the property and wind up selling it at what I would assume will be within the next few years because it isn't generating the cash he wants.

Harden and Westbrook are probably gone if not before the season, shortly there in. I don't know if it was Fertitta or Morey that has pissed off Ariza or whomever else, but there's a lot of resentment that I'm sure has bled into how players perceive the franchise.

I am not optimistic about this season on the whole.
 

King Kamala

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Good trade for the Rockets. I'd be fascinated to see Harden and KD try and see if they can get things right 10 years later except with Kyrie instead of Russ. My strong gut feeling is that it would go horribly.
 

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I think Harden and Kyrie would be a mess unless one or both do a major overhaul of their play.

I personally feel LeVert and Allen were the two Nets screwed most by Brooklyn’s pursuit of current superstars. Those two would be solid pieces to start a rebuild with.
 

Brocklock

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I probably will be wrong, but Kevin Durant hasn't played a NBA game in a year and a half, is 32 now, and might not be the same guy anymore either. This could end up not great. I don't see how Harden and Kyrie coexist at all.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Avery Bradley is reportedly switching agents and he is considering declining his player option with the Lakers for the 2020-21 season.

 

alfdogg

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He reportedly was getting shit on privately for not joining the team in the bubble. He's even talked about not being sure if he would accept his ring if one was offered
 

909

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We also have the 4/40 MLE and there's been some heavy rumors about signing Ibaka with it. The Lakers will repeat if they do that.
 

Baby Shoes

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Part of me is surprised the All-Star game would get cut because I’m pretty sure there are guys that have incentives tied to making the All-Star team but it is the most logical thing to consolidate and part of the spectacle is the live event, which at best would be done in low capacity.

Actually, I think this was the year Charlotte was supposed to get the game back after losing it a few years ago.
 

Brocklock

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Reports are out that the Bulls are very interested in trading for a veteran guard. I think CP3 rejoining Billy D might happen. It makes the draft pretty wide open for them unless this is a smoke screen cause I thought they were gonna draft a guard like LaMelo or Killian Hayes.

It also sounds like they are looking into trading LaVine and teams are interested. My god, is it exciting having a front office willing to take some risks.
 
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