NBA Offseason Thread 2010

[gd]

So after Lakers chased after Raja Bell it looks like he will be signing with the Jazz. I am not sure on the terms and conditions tho. That signing to me puzzled me tho. Why would Bell sign with the Jazz, does he hate Kobe that much? Utah are in position from 2-6 in the western conference with the roster they have now and he chooses them over the Lakers who are favourites the win it. Doesn't he want to win a championship?

The Lakers may be the better team, but he's going to get significantly more playing time and money in Utah, so it does make a lot of sense, for him at least. Especially with the possible lockout next year, which is a big issue, a lot of guys are worried about making sure they get paid when they can. Good signing for Utah as well as Bell's like a better, but 10 years older, version of Wes Matthews.

Also Shannon Brown looks like he is going to resign for the Lakers after they couldn't get Bell. I like it as Brown has quick hands and brings great energy of the bench. Not a bad shooter as well.

I like Brown. Great athlete and solid bench guy. I was a little surprised his minutes dropped so much in the playoffs last year. He'll likely play the same role this year though with the Lakers being more or less the same team.

In other news Luis Scola signed a 5 year 47 million dollar contract with the Rockets. Very good decision by the rockets, Scola is a tough player and is good down low. Got him for just the right about of money to.

Big for the Rockets to keep him. He may have been overpaid a little because he was the best guy left on the market, but Houston really needs big guys and he played well last year. A starting 5 of Brooks, K. Martin, Ariza, Scola, and Yao could do some damage in the West.

The Clippers might be pursuing Tracy McGrady.

Poor McGrady. He hasn't been the same since the knee problems and likely never will be. If he still thinks he's a star, this is a bad signing for the Clips. However, if they can get him for cheap and he understands he's just going to come of the bench and be a role player, he could help them a little bit.

Barring some unforseen occurrence, Utah is not going to win the West. Have they done good things during the offseason? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean they can win. They may not be 20 win but they definately aren't going to be champs anytime soon. See, while he may not be some vetern who's made a lot money, he's at the stage in his career where he needs to go to a serious contender to win a title. Utah is not beating LA. Period. Haven't done it before, won't now. The way I see, he's still a classy guy even if he decided to go to LA. Better opportunity.

Utah is going to be very good. More than likely a 50 win team. However, they're actually worse than last year as Boozer/Korver/Matthews is a better trio than Jefferson/Bell/Hayward, which is essentially what they've done this offseason. A team that got swept in the 2nd round that hasn't improved at all since then isn't winning the title.

So there is some pause about what the new owners will bring. Will they be committed to winning? Are they all about the bottom line? Time will tell. But Cohan out is a good thing. Now hope is they let go of Nelson and the other front office guys and start their own regime. We will see how things go from here, but things are looking up.

I've heard good things about the new owners. Hopefully they'll be able to turn around this mess of a franchise.

 

[Khalifa]

You act like Bell is a former superstar who has made tons of money throughout his career. The most money he has ever made in any given season was 5.25 million.

Well for me and this is just my opinion I think 5 mill is a good amount. I mean getting paid 1 mill each year is bloody fantastic. Why do you need 120 Million over 6 years, what are you going to do with all that money? Unless your like want to buy a team. But I think that he has got his fair amount of money and it's now time to win a ring

I didn't say that they would win the West. Not this year at least, but they are still a very good team and could compete in a year or two if they keep on improving.

Nah I really dont see them competing in the next couple years either. I mean who is to even say D Will will stay with the team, he was a bit unhappy with Ronnie getting traded (weren't we all). Sure he has a good relationship with Jerry Sloan, but I am sure he could do so much better in terms of teams.

So basically every single veteran player who has never won a title should go to either the Lakers or Heat?

Nope but when you have got your money, you should look for the team that has the best chance of winning a championship. Isn't that why you come to the NBA or any sport. To win the whole dam thing. Not money?

Miami wanted Bell too and he didn't go there either. The fact is that only ONE team wins a title every year. Does LA have a better opportunity then most teams? Sure, but they aren't a lock by any means to win it all again. An aging Celtics team took them to 7 games this last year and while the Lakers are basically the same team, other teams have vastly improved.

Just thought I might add, Bynum wasn't healthy and we now have Blake. We might not have Farmar, but Blake is good enough. Odom will step up to.

Veterans in the past have gone to teams just to win titles and have failed. Grant Hill went to Phoenix and couldn't even make the finals. Antonio McDyess went to the Pistons the year after they won it all and then lost in the finals one year and the East finals the next three. McDyess then tried again going to San Antonio and failed. Barkley failed going to Houston, Malone failed joining the Super Lakers in 2004, and the list goes on. There are tons of things that go into a decision of where to play and Bell made the decision that he felt was best for him.

Phoenix weren't a true contender, especially in the West. Mcdyess just got unlucky. He did the right thing going to the Pistons tho. Barkely, Pippen and Hakeem never had chemistry. You cant win a title without that. Back to Mcdyess tho. Would you of rather him gone to a lesser team for a extra or 2? Would you think of it being better for his career? Of course your not always going to win a title. But if you put yourself in a position to win it with the best team to offer you a deal then thats all you can do until you play some games.

This year, no. But in the next year or two it's possible. The Jazz are a very young team. Deron Williams is 26, Al Jefferson is 25, Millsap is 25, Kirilenko is 29, and they have room to improve a lot as a team. The Lakers will soon be on the decline. Kobe turns 32 in August, Gasol is 30, Artest turns 31 in November, D Fish turns 36 in August, and their one great young player in Andrew Bynum has been injury prone. not saying it will happen but it is very possible.

D-will is a superstar, Al Jefferson great pick up, Millsap is undersized at his possie and isnt fast enough for the 3 spot and Kirilenko is jsut all over the joint, except for last year.

Kobe is still a superstar. Gasol one of the best if not the best skilled offensive players in the league for a big man. Artest well you can count him out for being good, I think he will do shit this yera. Bynum can get licked as well if he gets injured again,. We still have a very solid Bench. Utahs is ifish.

 

[Big Sexy]

Well for me and this is just my opinion I think 5 mill is a good amount. I mean getting paid 1 mill each year is bloody fantastic. Why do you need 120 Million over 6 years, what are you going to do with all that money? Unless your like want to buy a team. But I think that he has got his fair amount of money and it's now time to win a ring

Money was just one of the reasons he went to Utah and it wasn't even the biggest reason. When you have a chance to make your life better and your kids life better and your kid's kids lives better then you want to earn what you believe you deserve.

Nah I really dont see them competing in the next couple years either. I mean who is to even say D Will will stay with the team, he was a bit unhappy with Ronnie getting traded (weren't we all). Sure he has a good relationship with Jerry Sloan, but I am sure he could do so much better in terms of teams.

He WAS unhappy but the trade for Jefferson and signing of Bell were two moves that turned that around.

Nope but when you have got your money, you should look for the team that has the best chance of winning a championship. Isn't that why you come to the NBA or any sport. To win the whole dam thing. Not money?

Like I said multiple times there are many reasons that go into decisions. Also like I said he is in a place that can still compete and has a chance to really improve in the next couple years. Taking everything into consideration he felt Utah was the best spot for him.

Just thought I might add, Bynum wasn't healthy and we now have Blake. We might not have Farmar, but Blake is good enough. Odom will step up to.

That's now 3 straight years that Bynum has not been healthy in the playoffs. What leads you to believe he will be healthy next year? The Lakers did not get better this off season. That's not a bad thing because they are still one of the best teams in the NBA but it is a fact.

Phoenix weren't a true contender, especially in the West. Mcdyess just got unlucky. He did the right thing going to the Pistons tho. Barkely, Pippen and Hakeem never had chemistry. You cant win a title without that. Back to Mcdyess tho. Would you of rather him gone to a lesser team for a extra or 2? Would you think of it being better for his career? Of course your not always going to win a title. But if you put yourself in a position to win it with the best team to offer you a deal then thats all you can do until you play some games.

You are completely missing my point. I'm saying that nothing is guaranteed. Guys have signed minimum deals to win a title before and more often then not they end up failing. Why should Bell sign a smaller deal for a team he doesn't necessarily want to go to just for a CHANCE to win a title?

D-will is a superstar, Al Jefferson great pick up, Millsap is undersized at his possie and isnt fast enough for the 3 spot and Kirilenko is jsut all over the joint, except for last year.

Al Jefferson is finally back to where he was before his knee surgery and could potentially be better then Boozer. The fact that Millsap is undersized has never stopped him from contributing in a big way before and won't in the future either. Kirilenko has fallen off a bit the last few years but he still plays tremendous defense. He and Bell both on the floor provides the Jazz with two shut down defenders.

Kobe is still a superstar. Gasol one of the best if not the best skilled offensive players in the league for a big man. Artest well you can count him out for being good, I think he will do shit this yera. Bynum can get licked as well if he gets injured again,. We still have a very solid Bench. Utahs is ifish.

Like I said earlier the Lakers are the better team this year but that could change in a year or two. All of the Lakers big name guys, outside of the injury prone Bynum, are over 30 years old. Not to mention the fact that Phil Jackson is gone after this year.

 

[Khalifa]

Money was just one of the reasons he went to Utah and it wasn't even the biggest reason. When you have a chance to make your life better and your kids life better and your kid's kids lives better then you want to earn what you believe you deserve.

Now when you put it like that, it makes sense. However I am sure if he signed a 1.8 million dollar deal or whatever it was from Lakers for 1 year and you fail to win a championship you can still get enough money from another club. Yes he had a good relationship with the coach, I know what your saying with that. They gave him the time to show what he has got to offer in the NBA but just because you have a good relationship with the coach and you think UTAH is a better place doesn't mean you HAVE to sign there. I am sure there is lots of good places around LA way and even from Miami, I would love to live in Miami. And what if his kid is good enough to make it to college wouldn't they want to be as close to him as possible? I am sure he wouldn't go to Utah.

He WAS unhappy but the trade for Jefferson and signing of Bell were two moves that turned that around.

Yeah well lets prayer for all the Utah fans that he isn't thinking abotu resigning for another club.

That's now 3 straight years that Bynum has not been healthy in the playoffs. What leads you to believe he will be healthy next year? The Lakers did not get better this off season. That's not a bad thing because they are still one of the best teams in the NBA but it is a fact.

Well people have had lots of injuries e.g Grant Hill and came back and play almost every regular season game plus the playoffs.

You are completely missing my point. I'm saying that nothing is guaranteed. Guys have signed minimum deals to win a title before and more often then not they end up failing. Why should Bell sign a smaller deal for a team he doesn't necessarily want to go to just for a CHANCE to win a title?

I am getting your point. Of course there is nothing guaranteed, nothign will every be guarnteed in the NBA. But how much will it hurt your legacy knowing that you chose money over a chance at a NBA title.

Al Jefferson is finally back to where he was before his knee surgery and could potentially be better then Boozer. The fact that Millsap is undersized has never stopped him from contributing in a big way before and won't in the future either. Kirilenko has fallen off a bit the last few years but he still plays tremendous defense. He and Bell both on the floor provides the Jazz with two shut down defenders.

In my opinion Jefferson is better than Boozer, and he will help Utah alot. It may not have stopped Mislap alot, but it is definately harder. He will never be a consistent 10+ rebounding guy, altho he does have some tricks up his sleave on offence.


In other news Brad Miller signed a 3 year 15 million dollar contract with the Houston Rockets. I think this is a greta signing for the Rockets, someone to back up Yao in Miller who can knock down the 3 and also play some d.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Just read that Matt Barnes has agreed to sign with the Toronto Raptors for 2 years/~$10 million. Apparently, the Raptors will have to sign and trade for him since they spent most of their mid-level exception on Linus Kleiza. I'm a little confused about this signing mainly because I didn't see this coming at all. I had heard of other teams expressing interest, but not the Raptors. With this though, the Raptors are building some quality depth. Let's look at the roster:

PG - Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks
SG - Leandro Barbosa, Demar DeRozan, Marco Bellinelli, Sonny Weems
SF - Matt Barnes, Linus Kleiza
PF/C - Amir Johnson, Andrea Bargnani, Ed Davis, Solomon Alabi, Reggie Evans, Joey Dorsey

That's a lot of SG and PF/C so some players are going to miss out on playing time. Here's how I think the lineup will look like.

Starting Lineup (Bench):
PG - Jarrett Jack (Jose Calderon)
SG - Leandro Barbosa (Demar DeRozan)
SF - Linus Kleiza (Matt Barnes, Sonny Weems)
PF - Ed Davis (Amir Johnson, Reggie Evans)
C - Andrea Bargnani (Solomon Alabi)

That leaves Bellinelli, Banks, and Dorsey. If the Raptors can find a trade for both Bellinelli and Banks, they'll jump on it and take it. They still need a true center so they can move Bargnani to his true postion, PF, but for now he's stuck at C. Ed Davis and Amir Johnson are the future at PF, but if Bargnani does move there it takes minutes away from those guys. They have a ton of depth at both ends of the court and I'm very curious as to how the lineups and minutes will work out.

 

[gd]

Kleiza is a solid scorer, but he's taken money away from a possible Barnes signing. It looks like all involved, especially Barnes and his agent, have really fucked up on the details. It's going to have to be something like a 3 year $6 million contract for the Magic to trade him, which obviously is less appealing for him. I'm sure there's someway around it though, maybe a third team?

At this point, the Raptors roster looks pretty atrocious. Probably something like a 25 win team. Calderon's big contract is really killing them. Perphaps if Bargnani starts playing like a man and Davis breaks out they'll have a chance, but he's likely still a few years away. Same with DeRozan and Weems. They're not looking like they'll be anywhere near contention this year. Signing guys like Amir Johnson to a 34 million dollar contract certainly didn't help things.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Kleiza is a solid scorer, but he's taken money away from a possible Barnes signing. It looks like all involved, especially Barnes and his agent, have really fucked up on the details. It's going to have to be something like a 3 year $6 million contract for the Magic to trade him, which obviously is less appealing for him. I'm sure there's someway around it though, maybe a third team?

At this point, the Raptors roster looks pretty atrocious. Probably something like a 25 win team. Calderon's big contract is really killing them. Perphaps if Bargnani starts playing like a man and Davis breaks out they'll have a chance, but he's likely still a few years away. Same with DeRozan and Weems. They're not looking like they'll be anywhere near contention this year. Signing guys like Amir Johnson to a 34 million dollar contract certainly didn't help things.

Regarding Barnes: looks like another transaction going sour for the Raptors. Hopefully something can be worked out because it seems like Barnes wants to play here and Toronto could use people like that. He's also a good defender which is also something Toronto sorely needs.

As for the Raptors, I'm not expecting much from them this season. If they start the season as is right now, they're not going to win many games. However, if Bargnani can reach his potential now that he's the top guy it should help. Davis was a good pick for the Raps and hopefully he can develop this season into a dependable PF. I believe the Raptors are still trying to trade Calderon and they should find a suitor. I like their depth on the wing, but they are going to struggle in the post. No true center and Bargnani is only adequate at rebounding and shot-blocking. If they can get help at center, I think they can compete with some of the teams in the weak East, but it's not looking too promising.

 

[Big Sexy]

The Heat's roster is really starting to take shape and it looks like there's only a couple spots left that they need to fill. They are looking to sign a third point guard and also a veteran scorer. Currently they have Mario Chalmers and are close to resigning Carlos Arroyo so that gives them two at the point.

A couple guys they are looking at for the third spot are former Heat point guard Jason Williams and also John Lucas III. I've always liked Lucas but since he entered the league in 2005 he has only been able to stay on a roster for one season (2006-2007 with the Rockets). He has bounced around in the D-League and overseas and has always put up good numbers. He was on the Heat's pre season roster last year and wouldn't be bad as a third point. Jason Williams came out of retirement last year and played well as a back up for the Magic. If he ends up returning to Miami then I could actually see him competing for the starting spot at some point.

As far as veteran scorers go, guys like Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, and Penny Hardaway have shown interest but the Heat haven't shown that the feeling is mutual. The two guys they are targeting are Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Finley. For his first 13 years in the league Stackhouse was a double digit point per game scorer every year. Two years ago that run stopped as he only played in 10 games but then last year he had a nice half season run in Milwaukee and helped them reach the playoffs.

Michael Finley had a similar run to Stackhouse's. Double digit point per game scorer for most of his career but over the last few years he has slowed down. This last year he had a short, uneventful run in Boston. Finley is a little bit older at 37 then Stackhouse who is 35 but either one would be a solid veteran addition to an already stacked team.

 

[Big Sexy]

I think they can compete with some of the teams in the weak East, but it's not looking too promising.

The thing is that the East isn't very weak anymore. Even last year only one team made the playoffs with less then 44 wins. An argument can easily be made the top 4 or 5 teams in the East are better then the top teams in the West. Miami is the favorites to win the East with their super team. Orlando isn't going anywhere, the Celtics still have another year left before their roster starts collecting medicare, the Hawks are bringing everyone back from a 53 win team, and the Bulls may be the most well rounded team in the entire conference.

After that you still have a young, improving Milwaukee team that definitely got better in the offseason. You also have an improving Charlotte team and a New York Knicks team that I think will surprise a lot of people and make the playoffs. Even teams like Detroit, Washington, and New Jersey should be vastly improved from last year. So while most teams in the East improved, the Raptors got a lot worse.

 

[gd]

I doubt the heat could get Jason Williams. He's surely more than a minimum guy, isn't he? I'd rather have Stackhouse than Finley, who is beyond washed up at this point. They still don't really have the big center to protect the rim, unless you count Maglore, which I certainly don't.

In unrelated news, the Hawks seem to be the only team interested in Shaq, who wants to play on a contender, get significant playing time, and have a salaray over the $5.8 million mid level exception. Apparently the Hawks are only willing to offer 2 million a year. I'm guessing they'll work out something in between.

Also, Richard Jefferson seems to be close to resigning with the Spurs, but will likely make far less than the approximately 15 million he was supposed to make this year before opting out. He's certainly talented, but just didn't fit well with San Antonio's system last year.

 

[Khalifa]

Yes with Shaq, I don't know what the go is. He wont get significant playing time, and I highly doubt he will get over 5.8 million a year. Hawks have wisely backed out of the situation ssaying they don't want to have him . Maybe Shaq could go back to heat? I highly doubt it tho.

Richard Jefferson, I think he did the right thing opting out of his final year of the contract even tho he was getting 15 million. He wasn't running well in the Spurs system and thought he could get some decent money from another team. Obviously not the case and he will soon wash into a forgetable player because he went into a bad team for himself.

Talking about forgettable talents, what about A.I? Is he with Philly or not? T-mac as well, I feel really bad for these guys, such greta players in there prime and nobody wants them now, I couldn't imagine a worst feeling.

 

[mrbooker]

the problems with guys like A.I. and Tracy isnt that they cant play its that teams that suck rather let there young players loss games and hope that out of the pile of young players one of them become really good. Tracy got injured which was unfortunate to me he is a MAJOR xfactor lets say he doesnt have the speed anymore, he still has above average handles and the ability to shoot off the dribble and spot up shoot at 6'8.

As for A.I. the man avg 17pts and 5ast for the pistons who were TERRIBLE while still shooting above.400Fg% last year 14pts and 4 ast shooting above .400Fg% how he doesnt have a job. Hell Mo williams avg 15pts and 5ast this season and the cavs any other team will be happy to have him.

I get Mo is a spot up shooter and can knock it down but it makes no sense for A.I. not to be on a team with the amount of mediocore teams with mediocore scorers.

Also the best thing the heat could have done was get Mike Miller he is going to make that squad unstoppable also look for during the playoffs or mide season the heat line up to be

Pg lebron
Sg wade
Sf Miller
Pf Bosh
C magilore/Big Z
Mainy all the teams that can give the heat competition can all eat the heats weak spots alive rondo will eat chalmers.. pause.. same with derick rose... nelson and howard... with this line up i dont see how the heat could loss if they learn how to play as a team

 

[Big Sexy]

As for A.I. the man avg 17pts and 5ast for the pistons who were TERRIBLE while still shooting above.400Fg% last year 14pts and 4 ast shooting above .400Fg% how he doesnt have a job.

The Pistons went to 6 straight East Finals, went to 2 NBA Finals, and won a title. They then made ONE change and that was getting AI for Chauncey. Iverson WAS THE REASON the Pistons became a bad team. He bitched and moaned, wouldn't come off the bench, and put up the worst numbers of his career. He doesn't have a job because he has failed to realize that he isn't superman anymore. He can't go out and carry a team on his back. If he would just accept a role as a sixth man and actually go out and perform instead of whining about it then he would most definitely have a job right now.

 

[gd]

Ya, it'll be very difficult for guys like T-Mac and AI to get a job somewhere now. They've been superstars their whole careers. They don't know any other way to play. Now that they aren't as talented, they either have to learn to accept a lesser role, ala Gary Payton or 06, or else there's no room for them anywhere.

The Heat haven't shown any interest in either of these guys and they wouldn't be able to pay them hardly anything. T-Mac to the Clips seems pretty likely at this point. I think there's a chance they make it work. However, I don't know where AI ends up. I think he still has another couple of years left in him, but he just doesn't fit anywhere at the moment and the disaster that was last season certainly doesn't help his case.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Big report coming out of New Orleans: Chris Paul has demanded a trade to either the Knicks, Lakers, or Magic and wants out before the season begins. The source says that Paul wants to do what James did and play with a superstar. He doesn't want his momentum to stop. Sources also say that the Knicks brought in assets to build a package to acquire a superstar, including the pieces they got from Golden State for David Lee. If he gets his way, don't expect Paul to start the season in New Orleans.

What do you guys think about this? If it's true, I can totally see him going to the Knicks. It was rumoured that Paul and Stoudemire were gonna play together in New York and then try to bring Anthony next season, so this may be the second step in that plan. If the Knicks do get Paul, that's a great move and makes Stoudemire that much more valuable since you saw what he can do with a great PG (Nash).

 

[Big Sexy]

Big report coming out of New Orleans: Chris Paul has demanded a trade to either the Knicks, Lakers, or Magic and wants out before the season begins. The source says that Paul wants to do what James did and play with a superstar. He doesn't want his momentum to stop. Sources also say that the Knicks brought in assets to build a package to acquire a superstar, including the pieces they got from Golden State for David Lee. If he gets his way, don't expect Paul to start the season in New Orleans.

What do you guys think about this? If it's true, I can totally see him going to the Knicks. It was rumoured that Paul and Stoudemire were gonna play together in New York and then try to bring Anthony next season, so this may be the second step in that plan. If the Knicks do get Paul, that's a great move and makes Stoudemire that much more valuable since you saw what he can do with a great PG (Nash).

I've seen the story on CBS sports but haven't seen it confirmed anywhere else. If he did demand a trade and those are the three choices then they are all possibilities.

LA- Basically a straight up trade could be made with Bynum and most likely multiple draft picks going to the Hornets for Paul. Bynum only has 2 years left so if he does become more injury prone then he already is it wouldn't affect them too long, however, I'd like to think New Orleans would like a lot more in return. Unless Bynum reached his full potential it wouldn't be anywhere near a fair trade.

Orlando- They could offer Jameer Nelson and the expiring contracts of Pietrus and Ryan Anderson for Paul. This gives New Orleans some cap relief after this next year (Peja's deal is also up after this year) and they get a good player in return with Nelson.

Knicks- New York could offer the expiring contract of Eddy Curry and also send two good young players in Wilson Chandler and Anthony Randolph, who both also happen to have expiring contracts so if they don't pan out in New Orleans then they will be gone after next year. This deal provides them with the most cap relief and a good return as far as young talent goes.

 

[Khalifa]

Yeah this would be a big move for the Knicks. But honestly who can they trade for him. Maybe they might keep Randolph from the Warriors and trade the other 2. But yeah. I can actually see him going to Magic as well. Imagine him and Howard. Paul has the 3 point range as well so Howard can kick it out and New Orleans may just want to send him out so maybe Rashard Lewis could get traded to them seeing as the Hornets don't have a true Small forward anymore. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

Big Sexy, for some reason I can't quote your last post, so just imagine that I did.

Everything on here looks to to be spot on in terms of overall cap space and expiring contracts, but I do ask you the following;

-It doesn't seem to me that the Lakers would be willing to part with Bynum just yet. He's still good for around 13 and 10 off the bench and those numbers are difficult to replace at the post position. Health-wise, I COMPLETELY agree with you, however, I don't see NOLA parting with their best player for an injury prone Bynum and some draft picks. They're going to want, either salary relief, additional players, or a third team to sweeten the pot.

Additionally, I don't see the Knicks being an appealing option for Paul until something comes out regarding 'Melo's intentions. As of right now, Paul is playing on a team that has come closer to the NBA finals than the Knicks have in almost 2 decades. Even with Amar'e and Paul I still believe that the Knicks are no better than a 7 or 8 seed.

Orlando is the best option for both NOLA and Orlando. Nelson and Paul are roughly the same size, but Paul is less injury prone, if you couple that package with Pietrus and Anderson as you suggest, I think NOLA might not view it as poorly as an injury prone Bynum. Especially since trading to LA gives Paul away to their own Conference, whereas, shipping him to Orlando, makes him Bosh, Wade, and LeBron's problem.

 

[Big Sexy]

-It doesn't seem to me that the Lakers would be willing to part with Bynum just yet. He's still good for around 13 and 10 off the bench and those numbers are difficult to replace at the post position. Health-wise, I COMPLETELY agree with you, however, I don't see NOLA parting with their best player for an injury prone Bynum and some draft picks. They're going to want, either salary relief, additional players, or a third team to sweeten the pot.

It's tough to replace but if I was GM and got offered Paul for Bynum straight up, I would take it in a heartbeat. More recent reports on the situation however are suggesting that LA is not really an option and that Dallas and Portland are more likely scenarios. CP3 and Dirk together in Dallas could make them the favorites to win the West. At the very least they would be on par with the Lakers.

Additionally, I don't see the Knicks being an appealing option for Paul until something comes out regarding 'Melo's intentions. As of right now, Paul is playing on a team that has come closer to the NBA finals than the Knicks have in almost 2 decades. Even with Amar'e and Paul I still believe that the Knicks are no better than a 7 or 8 seed.

I think that the Knicks right now even without Melo and CP3 are a 7 or 8 seed. If you add CP3 even while losing Randolph and Chandler I'd see them moving up and being as high as maybe a 3 seed depending on how well he and Amare meshed together.

Orlando is the best option for both NOLA and Orlando. Nelson and Paul are roughly the same size, but Paul is less injury prone, if you couple that package with Pietrus and Anderson as you suggest, I think NOLA might not view it as poorly as an injury prone Bynum. Especially since trading to LA gives Paul away to their own Conference, whereas, shipping him to Orlando, makes him Bosh, Wade, and LeBron's problem.

Orlando would love this trade and I think it would be a better situation for Paul but I'm not sure if NO would take it. They could get a good player back in Nelson and some cap relief after this next year with the expiring contracts but the Knicks offer would be a lot better for them. The Knicks give them more cap relief with Eddy Curry's expiring contract and the potential to get a couple guys who could turn into very good players in Wilson Chandler and Anthony Randolph. Plus, like I said, if either Randolph or Chandler don't pan out or fit in they could also be gone at the end of the year.

 

[gd]

It appears the 4 teams Paul wants to go to are the Knicks, Magic, Blazers, or Mavs. The thing is, I don't see him moving, at least not yet. There really is no way any of those teams can come up with an offer that the Hornets would be willing to take. The Magic probably would have the best chance, but it'd just be more of a salary dump with NO including Okafor in the deal and gettig back guys like Gortat, Carter, and Jameer, who they wouldn't really need as they'd have Collison at the point.

Paul should've went public earlier in the offseason when teams had more flexibility. He would've had plenty of more options. Like I said, I don't see him moving right now as there's not gonna be any great deals for the Hornets out there and I don't think they're willing to hold a full scale fire sale yet.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

It appears the 4 teams Paul wants to go to are the Knicks, Magic, Blazers, or Mavs. The thing is, I don't see him moving, at least not yet. There really is no way any of those teams can come up with an offer that the Hornets would be willing to take. The Magic probably would have the best chance, but it'd just be more of a salary dump with NO including Okafor in the deal and gettig back guys like Gortat, Carter, and Jameer, who they wouldn't really need as they'd have Collison at the point.

Paul should've went public earlier in the offseason when teams had more flexibility. He would've had plenty of more options. Like I said, I don't see him moving right now as there's not gonna be any great deals for the Hornets out there and I don't think they're willing to hold a full scale fire sale yet.

Yeah, this is kind of a late bitching by Paul. I love that he "had no interest" in moving prior to "the decision," but now he's all about it. If I were NOLA, I'd hold him ransom until the last possible moment to ensure that I could get the most for him. Teams have, for the most part, settled into what they want to be for next season at this point. NOLA should hang onto him for a year, let these teams see how their free agent moves have panned out for them, and then shop him around.

 

[Big Sexy]

The Lakers made a couple solid signings yesterday. After losing out on Raja Bell they ended up getting Matt Barnes instead. While Bell would have given the Lakers three shut down defenders, Barnes isn't exactly a slouch on defense. I wouldn't say he is a shut down defender but he is a very good defender. He can also rebound well for his position and can knock down open threes. He'll be a good back up for Ron Artest.

They also signed veteran center Theo Ratliff. Josh Powell signed in the ATL and DJ Mbenga is expected to sign elsewhere so they needed some depth up front. Ratliff, even at 37, is still a good defender and rebounder and will fit in well in the Lakers big man rotation. Rookie second round pick Derrick Caracter should also get some minutes as he was very impressive in the Summer League.

 

[Khalifa]

Yeah boy. I am really happy Lakers signed Barnes. He may not be the defensive player that Bell is but he is youngre and better on the offensive end. He could take more minutes than what Bell could of taken and will also be a nice needed backup for Ron Artest. I cant believe Powell signed with Atlanta. I mean he is a good prospect but he isn't good enough to back up Horford or Smith with alot of minutes.

In other news New York said they will trade anyone bar STAT to get Paul. Conspiracy maybe?

 

[gd]

Great signing for the Lakers, obviously. Another really good defender and decent enough shooter. Just want you want coming off the bench. He'll be able to help limit Kobe's minutes througout the regular season. Ratliff is an improvement as well, although I'm sure everyone is an improvement of DJ Mbenga.

In other news New York said they will trade anyone bar STAT to get Paul. Conspiracy maybe?

Or maybe they just don't care about the rest of the roster? Regardless, I doubt they'll be able to get him anyway. You'd think they'd need to give up more than Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas, Curry's expiring and all the GS guys in exchange for Paul and some bad contracts, which is all they'll be able to do considering they have no first round picks until 2030. Like I said, no one out there has the assets and the cap room to give NO a can't refuse offer.

 

[jmt225]

If I'm Chris Paul I want to go to Dallas and no place else.

Fuck New York. If he thinks he's in a mess in New Orleans, then he has no clue what's awaiting for him in New York, especially since the Knicks would have to trade half their roster to acquire him. Both Paul and Stoudemire are great players, but they won't be able to compete with the upper echelon of the East all by themselves, especially when you consider how injury prone they've been.

The Magic would be a good fit for him, but I think they don't need Paul. They're pretty much set at the point guard position.

And the Blazers would be an interesting fit, but I think Paul has much more of a chance to win in Dallas than he does Portland. With the squad and coaching they have Dallas, Chris Paul would automatically put them in the "2nd best team in the West" category at the beginning of the season. Assuming Dallas would only have to give up names like Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and maybe Shawn Marion or Caron Butler... that would still leave them with Paul, Nowitzki, Marion or Butler, and solid role players such as DeShawn Stevenson, Tyson Chandler, and Brendan Haywood. That's a great team if you ask me, and a team that could easily compete with the Lakers to take the West.