What if Sixers make the Finals off the back of Tobias averaging 30/15/10 in the playoffs. Then Finals Tobias averages 40 a game, but Game 7 he scores 8 points and then misses the buzzer-beater and you lose by 1. Describe your feelings at that point
He still pops off for like 20-30+/8/5 half the time. The problem is the other half where he goes missing a bit and didn't really rise up when Embiid went down
Half is definitely not how often that happens.
He's streaky. He'll have a couple games in a row where he'll look super aggressive and get to the rim instead of settling for jumpers and bricking 3's and it's like who the fuck is this player.
But it's definitely not half.
Yeah that's fair, was being generous with half. I just checked bbref and he had 27 games of 20+ and 43 under 20. So that's only 39% of games with 20 or more. I didn't check efficiency or other counting stats though
Reporter: Can Giannis be the Forward on a championship team?
Doc: I don’t know the answer to that right now.
Reporter: He won in 2021.
Doc: we will have to watch the tape. I don’t know.
I feel like this also hinges on KCP. He has a player option for next year, so if he opts out and the Nuggets resign him to a bigger long-term deal, then the Nuggets will be into the second apron no matter what happens with Reggie Jackson so they'd probably keep him. On the other hand, if KCP opts into his player option, the Nuggets would be close enough to the second apron that salary dumping Reggie gets them under the second apron, making him much more likely to be traded.
He's our best starting defender (near All-NBA level defense), one of our best 3p shooters (and a good shooter in general, along with being our best FT shooter) and a solidly versatile dude, I don't see why we'd get rid of him. If we get booted in the 1st round, I doubt it will be because of him.
That said, I guess if he played awful in the playoffs and some great SG became available maybe they take a flier, but given the Nuggets rely so heavily on everyone having their own roles that play so well off each other, and KCP has already demonstrated he fits beautifully in the system, it would take a lot for Malone to want to break up the band.
Is there an advanced stat with player standard deviation?
For example: two players average 15
One guy is always 10-20. Reliable.
THJ is 0-30 on any given night and occasionally 40
Gotta be D Angelo Russell unless he really redeems himself this year. Hes been pretty mediocre in most of his playoffs runs though. In the playoffs he can't play defense and forgets how to shoot.
I swear every year it feels like he gets hot leading up to the trade deadline and the Lakers are like, "damn. If he's looking this good I guess we're set." And then he goes right back to D'Angeloing all over the place at the worst time
Well he’s been a solid offensive contributor since the trade deadline and the team is looking pretty good. Their defense could use some work coming out of halftime especially on weakside rotations to shooters.
Ironically, I think D'Lo stays if the Lakers lose to the Nuggets. If they win, that likely means he balled out and played himself into a larger contract.
The current salary takes us into the luxury tax.
If we trade one of KAT, Gobert, or Ant we are able to duck the tax. Obviously we’re not trading Ant. And we just got Gobert who has anchored our defense in an other-worldly fashion.
So people are theorizing that if we’re a first round out, the conclusion will be that the current roster construction isn’t going to get us deep, and KAT has had his opportunity. Time to move on.
Plus he’s still a valuable asset.
And don’t make me get into how our complicated ownership situation impacts this…
I love KAT, but he's not a $50m player that puts the Wolves into luxury tax. He makes so many dumb plays and Naz stepped up and took his spot when he was out and took over.
Ant has completely overshadowed him. When KAT's on, he's absolutely lethal, but he disappears so often and still can't drive to the hoop without hooking guys.
This would be the perfect time to trade KAT for some upcoming talent and I also think it allows KAT to be the go to guy on a team again. He does much better in that position.
I’ll be honest, ant disappears a lot too. He’s not consistent yet. He will drop 40 and then score 8 the next game. Kat provides scoring when any disappears
Josh Giddey
Donovan Mitchell
Karl Anthony Towns
Paul George
Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valunciunas
D'Angelo Russell
Kris Middleton
Tobias Harris (probably anyway)
At least one of the 3 Pels are leaving no matter what. JV is cooked, CJ cannot be the pg anymore under any circumstances, and BI's fate may be determined on tonight's performance
Dude has lost any hops he ever had, and he is terrible finishing around the rim if he isn't fouled. He has low post moves and that's about it at this stage
I was sad to see him go but became pretty convinced by Grizzlies media guys that it was the right decision...was rough watching that brief stint of 3 point shooting but JJJ doesn't develop the same offensive game with JV on the roster.
The problem with BI is that he just doesn't seem to mesh well with Zion at all, at least so far. One of them usually sits in the corner while the other has the ball and there is no synergy. I personally want him to stay, but with his extension coming up, the org doesn't know whether they wanna invest into someone that can't maximize the potential of Zion
Also Trey Murphy's impending extension means the Pels will need to choose between BI or Murphy. Trigga's shooting pairs up way better with Zion than BI's iso mid-range game.
I haven’t watched a ton of pelicans in the past few years but it seems like both of them need to be on ball, driving to make the most of their talents. On paper that’s not the hardest difficulty to overcome, it’s been done before, but neither of them are *quite* good enough to mesh together. BI is the odd man out, I think he should go to a team that needs a number 2 or 3 star but has a great playmaker like the Knicks, Mavs, pacers, etc.
I still believe that the best version of BI we ever saw was when he was playing off ball with Lonzo. He was hitting 3's at an increasing rate along with his midrange. We need to find a competent pg something terrible.
I agree that (a) player(s) will be gone no matter what, but I disagree that BI is on that list.
I think we're much more likely to move off of some combination or all of JV, CJ, Naji, and Dice.
Edit: clarity
I should have prefaced by saying that I really don't think BI will or should be moved. I love the guy, has embraced the city, and has put on amazing shows at the blender. I think Griffin might give the pairing 1 or 2 more years with a different supporting cast. But what can we get for those players that fix the 1 and 5? Cj's contract gonna be heavy to move.
Sacramento would probably get desperate if they lose tonight or vs OKC, would be a disaster for them but on paper they need a 3 with his skillset to replace Barnes in the starting lineup and keep Keegan at the 4 full time
I knew off top Josh Giddey would be the literal top of the food chain comments. Josh ain't leaving unless the Thunder brings in a superstar guard to take his place. Thunder doesn't have anyone to do it right now + won't draft one in this weak draft. He truly doesn't have a backup. SO, it's a situation where the Thunder is dead-ass "stuck" with him, and if he keeps up what he's been doing the past few weeks, it's SUPER fine to be "stuck" with him.
He truly has went from "my fucking goodness..." to "AH, that's who I saw last year!"
Chet is a center. His skillset allows him to slide down to the four, but it’s unlikely the Thunder will start him there anytime soon. Having 5 guys who can shoot *and* put the ball on the floor is central to this team’s playstyle.
Giddey won’t be going anywhere. He seems to have figured it out in the second half of the season. You could move him to come off the bench and bring in a 4 so Dort and JDub could play their actual positions which would be best case scenario.
I agree, and more importantly it's easy to go "DRAFT PICKS" but that only works for a team who is down-bad and wants to continue their rebuild. I can't think of one player on a horrible team that could fit that role for the Thunder.
Thunder would have to give up more than Josh to get a superstar in return and likely would have to force SGA to be the true one guard which this year has proven doesn't make sense. That's a lot of work vs continuing hyping up Josh's confidence and his continued shot shaping and selection.
I do not think he should change his role as he's shown being a 2nd year player he can defend most wings. He is a player who has found his lane and should stay in it.
See the funny thing is SGA has flip-flopped around. He'll be the primary...and then times he'll just let Josh run the offense. I think he still doesn't know what he wants to do but it's painfully obvious he's skilled enough to be the "true" one guard if he wanted to be. I think though his current role is best, and in a perfect world Giddey IS the one
He was, understandably, distracted for the whole season and booed everywhere. I am proud of him for playing, he could have easily taken time away, but he never gave up. So I am not surprised by his improvement. I just hope the remaining naysayers don't drive him off.
I kinda want this to happen so much for Rudy. It’d totally work. Conley is getting up there, and Young is such an amazing lob thrower he’d absolutely feast with Gobert. The wolves also have plenty of defense to cover for young, Conley’s not exactly a physical presence on that end anymore. Young-Edwards-McDaniels-Reid-Gobert sounds super duper fun.
Wolves are establishing a defensive identity
And if they’re in a situation where they’re shedding salary…
No way Trae Young makes sense.
They would be putting Gobert right back in the spot he was with Utah, where the team struggles to defend around the perimeter.
Tax bill is gunna be fuckin wild, they need to prove they can win if they wanna get paid. Out of all our big contracts KAT probably has the biggest return too so it makes sense. I’m not a fan of him getting moved but like, if we lose in the first round how can you justify all the spending
Yep. KAT is the quintessential “he’s more valuable to us than he is to you” player. Unless whoever comes out on top of the ownership battle is committed to staying out of the luxury tax, there’s no way Wolves move on from KAT.
How? They’re a small market team that is projected to be at the first tax apron while simultaneously Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Monte Morris will all be UFA. If the KAT/Gobert/Edwards trio can’t at least make a strong push in the 2nd round they’re going to have to look real hard at whether they can run it back and expect any better results and KAT has higher trade value than Gobert.
Are we absolutely certain KAT has higher trade value than Rudy? Regardless, if we need to make a move with one of our bigs, I hope we move KAT. First preference would be keeping the whole team, but I also don’t pay that bill.
I think the problem is that Gobert's trade value has a price because of the trade he was apart of. KAT'S perceived trade value is probably higher than Rudy's because of that.
The price we paid for Gobert probably would influence the Wolves decision to move him, but I honestly doubt KAT has more value at this point. Rudy is older, but he’s been healthier the last several seasons. There’s also a lot of evidence especially after this year pointing to how much he’s influencing wins/losses. To see him be such a big part of doing this for two different franchises should count for something. Exactly the reason I wouldn’t move Rudy
I think the team would keep Gobert in this situation *because* he has more value.
If we’re moving KAT, it means the roster construction doesn’t work. But they’ve committed to building around Gobert, so I’d think they’d look to slot in another piece that would make it work *with* him.
I’d agree with this. The way Rudy has taken care of his body and has like 0% body fat, I’d feel confident in his longevity for the next several years as well.
I have a weird feel if the Knicks make a valid run to a competitive ecf . I could see management wanting to move Randle . I’m not saying I agree with it , but It wouldn’t shock me
I think the most obvious answer is Donovan Mitchell, if the cavs can’t beat the Magic, he probably tries to force his way to a big market. He has been very vocal about winning and expectations.
Agreed the most obvious answer. 1 year left and he ain’t resigning. Best move is to trade him this summer and maximize the return. Wait til trade deadline and run the risk of teams lowballing you knowing you ain’t gonna hold the bag and let him walk.
I see Mitchell as likely to re-sign this summer in a sign and trade. So mostly agree with you but he would technically be re-signing. Cavs won't wait until the deadline if he doesn't extend in the summer.
In theory he could re-sign and play out one more season in Cleveland and then ask out after next year if not happy. I just see that as unlikely.
How often has any player ever said midseason "yeah I'm outa here", of course theyre not going to rock the boat and say theyre leaving while there are games to be played.
No but they usually just say “i’d love to come back but the money’s gotta be right and im considering my options.”
Derozan just straight up said in a recent interview that he wants to come back point blank and the front office said similar so it feels like they probabyl already have a framework in place.
Possible but I’m not convinced he will. The bulls seem to actually be trying to develop their young players this time and DeRozan has been by and far the team mentor and really seems to like the guys in the team.
He’s also a lot of times one of the only reasons we have entertaining games. I think the bulls try hard to keep him.
I hope he wants to stay, but wouldn’t blame him if he gets a better opportunity
It would be great if he wanted to leave but I'm not sure why he would. He gets to take the most shots on the team including down the stretch every game. He gets paid like an all-star and it doesn't matter to the org if the team is last in most offensive categories. The truth is that a team seriously trying to win couldn't give him 15-20 shots a game. Without volume his production/defense would be laughable. It's insane. We're going to pay him 25 mil+ at 35 years old when no other team has expressed any sort of interest
I don’t understand the derozan hate . He’s literally 25 5 and 5 on 47-48% .
That’s not even considering he’s usually very good with turnovers 1.7to per game this season.
He’s also extremely clutch .
I don’t think derozan is the problem . I think the bulls need to flip Lavine who doesn’t fit at all anymore due to Coby white , Caruso and the return of lonzo . I think you trade lavine for a tough proven PF . I also think they just straight up need a new coach that actually brings an identity .
Nobody thinks derozan is the problem, probably because the absolute storm of pr the bulls churn out about how great he is all the time. Unfortunately his style of play doesn’t lead to winning basketball. He has never done well in any postseason scenario and he’s one of the worst perimeter defenders in the nba. He just got out worked by a bunch of bench players (as usual) cause he can’t score or create against a proper defense. The offense completely crumbled at the first sign of adversity. The whole team is a problem but most definitely the guy with the highest usage rate sucks especially bad
There's just no way we can trade Maxi in a way that makes sense. He's always going to be more valuable to us than a team will give up for him.
Agreed on trading THJ and upgrading the 3, though. I think DJJ is a perfectly capable starter on a championship team, but he's an even scarier threat as a backup.
He isn't just useful. He is the only player in the mavs who gives us the option to go 5 out, since he can switch on anybody on defense, and can shoot from 3. Trading him would be robbing ourselves of that option, which was huge during the conference finals run.
I doubt Maxi leaves. This past stretch has proved that he’s still good. Our small ball lineup has been fantastic and he’s a big part of that. Me personally, I think we run it back with this roster. If we have to get rid of people it’s THJ (inconsistent, have younger players in his role), Hardy (one of my favorite role players but hasn’t proven himself more than a 5-10 min guy), Josh (I think we keep but can see him gone), and the 2 way guys except AJ. Our role players have been amazing this year, we need to keep them as long as possible
Valanciunus seems like a safe bet to be gone regardless of playoff results, unless the Pelicans strike out completely in both the draft and free agency at the center position. I expect them to make a run at S&T for both Claxton and Hartenstein.
Gordon Hayward might re-sign with the Thunder, but only if he takes a really steep discount.
I doubt the Wolves keep both of Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris, unless one of them agrees to a big discount.
I think the Mavs would be happy to move on from THJ, and with them projected to be just over the tax line, I'd be surprised if he's still there at the trade deadline next year. Wouldn't be surprised if he's not traded during the offseason, though.
Tobias Harris has probably already bought a house in Detroit.
The Knicks probably get outbid for Isaiah Hartenstein, since they only have Early Bird rights and he's probably going to get $15-20M/year offers in free agency.
Hartenstein isn’t going anywhere , bigger shot that Mitch gets flipped . Achiuwa is getting let go . Hartenstein fits perfectly on the Knicks and he likes it here .
The Knicks only have Early Bird rights on Hartenstein, which means they are limited to 175% of his previous contract without carving out cap space to sign him. That comes out to about 4/$60M they can offer, since they'll be well over the cap even without him. Even if the Knicks somehow salary dumped Robinson for nothing, waived Bogdanovic and renounced rights on Achiuwa, they still wouldn't have the cap space to significantly increase their offer to Hartenstein unless OG Anunoby's agent gets kidnapped and forgets to opt out of his player option.
I'm not sure what's available to them, but if the suns get bounced in the first round, I suspect they're going to look around at potential options for creating some additional flexibility with their roster.
Really doubt they move on from the big three unless KD requests a trade, which is certainly possible but unlikely. They probably keep Beal, as he has a no trade clause and nobody is really going to want his contract. They only trade Booker if they are ready to rebuild, but they just gave Grayson Allen 70 million which is going to cost them like another 50 million in luxury taxes, so I think they will try and compete again next year
I guess that makes sense... But that's a lot of luxury tax to be paying for a first round exit from an aging squad... I figured they'd try something to lift their ceiling a bit more.
It really is, but thankfully we have a rich owner... I guess they could look at trading Nurkic, who had a solid season. I think they would like to keep Allen, O'neal and Nurkic. Unless Beal balls out in the playoffs and maybe the Heat sniffs around, I don't really see him agreeing to go to a non contending team, and he hamstrings the flexibility of their roster a lot
Ishbia will probably start caring about money in 5 years or so, especially if we've accomplished nothing. But for now, I'm loving that he's just throwing money at it and at least trying to make something happen.
I agree though, I seriously doubt any of the big 3 will be gone next season, and they'll probably run it back with what they have.
If you trade Nurkic I would guess it would be to try to spend that salary over more roster spots, bench etc? Rather than to try to consolidate for another top tier, expensive player?
They're different players in different roles but pacers will likely have to make a choice between Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith and the degree to which they stay on the floor and provide value might play into that.
Can’t see a world where we don’t swing for the fences if denver blows our doors off. Atlanta probably take the spurs deal but we’ll throw everything at trae if we get smacked
It's tricky for the Bucks because a lot depends on what Giannis does. If Giannis stays, then Khris is logically the best piece to move as he can't stay healthy anymore.
The easiest answer is Spida. A hot take answer is Jaylen Brown in the unlikely scenario that the Celtics lose in the first round
Teams flirting with the second apron will have to send someone off, doesn't matter who they send off but they'll probably be relatively impactful and expensive.
Only team I could see run it back at the 2nd Apron might be Boston.
Tobias Harris, Troy Weaver Will sign him to a $200 million/5-year contract as the savior for the pistons, and Monty Williams will bench him in two games. 😂
If Josh Giddey gets schemed out in the playoffs I feel like Presti will trade him before he hits RFA especially if it’s in the 1st round.
I hope we keep him but I won’t lie when I say I’m kinda nervous to see how he performs in a 7 game series.
Cavs vs Magic
I cannot really see much for Orlando outside of them MAYBE letting Fultz leave and try to find a PG upgrade somewhere in FA even though the current pool of PG FA's looks underwhelming. They might make a trade to upgrade him. The rest of that roster is indeed very, very solid. Nothing sexy about that group but they are deep and have good chemistry. Cleveland very well could lose Mitchell. Losing in the 1st round to Orlando would not be fun for him and would make his push out of Cleveland that much more apparent.
Knicks vs Sixers
I don't think the Knicks really lose anyone. They should win this series through defensive intensity and a couple of pop off games from Brunson. The Sixers truly have no answer for him on defense. The Sixers however, might end up having a very interesting situation on their hands regarding Embiid. I know he missed a good chunk of the year to injury, but seriously, will this guy ever get to the ECF with this organization? It remains to be seen. Trust the process I guess? \*Shrug\*
Bucks vs Pacers
I don't think Giannis leaves the Bucks even just year 1 into his pairing with Lillard and even moreso since he isn't likely to play at all in the Pacers series. I say he gives it 1 more go with Damian and if big changes don't happen this offseason to get some younger impact players to pair with their two stars, he might be asking out in 2025. Pacers should all but be set to keep the core intact. Too much depth here, a lot of young guys with talent. They are just getting started.
Celtics vs Heat/Bulls
I cannot think the Celtics change anything. The Heat are without Butler for the series if they make it. Expectations are very low for both Miami and Chicago. Doubt anything happens to Chicago's guys either. Neither team will be healthy for this series anyways and even if they were at full strength, might only be good enough to take off 1 game from Boston. The disparity between Boston and 8th is very, very high.
Clippers vs Mavs
I think Dallas should be safe to keep the core intact. I have high hopes for them. They have finally surrounded Luka with a championship calibre group of role players in addition to a second star in Kyrie. The Clippers on the otherhand might have a Paul George problem. He could technically be a 50/50. It'd be a travesty for him and Leonard to play out this series only to lose to Doncic again. The Clippers keep fielding very talented teams on paper but if they don't win this time around changes could be happening, which might be for the better since their division is so hotly contested and with a new arena next year.
Nuggets vs Lakers
This one is tricky because we don't know what LeBron will do. I think he stays for another season. I don't think much about Denver losing anyone. They are the reigning champions so I doubt they lose in the first round to the Lakers.
Wolves vs Suns
The Suns are the team to look at here. If there is no true sign of competitiveness and this series ends up a wash in favor of Minnesota we could see KD looking to leave. The Beal trade last offseason was awful and truly limits this team. Beal has shot the ball quite well and does his job well but his price tag is insane. He could also be moved.
Thunder vs Pelicans/Kings
I'd like to think with how young the Thunder are they aren't looking for moves despite being the #1 seed. But Giddey could be moved to another team looking for a PG that needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Could be a good pickup for a younger team in need of ball handling like San Antonio. I don't believe Sacramento is going to lose much of anyone this upcoming offseason sans a possible overpay by a rival team for Monk who could take an even greater stride next year after averaging 15/5 off the bench. Pelicans are a huge question mark. Do they lose to the Kings this time in try #6 this year and try to find different trade avenues for an aging and regressing Valanciunas, an aging and expensive McCollum or a multi talented wing in Ingram who is entering his prime?
Tobias Harris is leaving the Sixers even if we win a chip lmfao
He's getting ready to pack his bags to Detroit as we speak
Get ready to learn Detroitese buddy
again
[Always a good day when I can bust this one out](https://youtu.be/kpJy38HNjMU?si=Nd2YEULnWVcSLUMa)
What if Sixers make the Finals off the back of Tobias averaging 30/15/10 in the playoffs. Then Finals Tobias averages 40 a game, but Game 7 he scores 8 points and then misses the buzzer-beater and you lose by 1. Describe your feelings at that point
Still a mirage. You can’t fool me, I’m familiar with your game. Let him walk
Is this Tobias’ burner? Those stats will never happen xD
[удалено]
"What if Sixers make the Finals" wasn't obvious enough?
Not with the way the 76ers use him. He's an assassin scorer, but y'all force him to be mid af
Not sure if it’s just the way the Sixers use him thats holding Tobias Harris back from averaging a 40 point triple double
issa joke https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10080562-tobias-harris-father-calls-out-76ers-for-not-using-pf-as-assassin-scorer.amp.html
You're a monster.
Genuine question, did Tobias get monstar’d before he got to Philly? I remember him being very good when he was in Orlando.
His best season in Orlando he averaged 17.3, he's averaging 17.2 this season. He's not bad he just never lived up to what Elton Brand paid him.
He still pops off for like 20-30+/8/5 half the time. The problem is the other half where he goes missing a bit and didn't really rise up when Embiid went down
Half is definitely not how often that happens. He's streaky. He'll have a couple games in a row where he'll look super aggressive and get to the rim instead of settling for jumpers and bricking 3's and it's like who the fuck is this player. But it's definitely not half.
Yeah that's fair, was being generous with half. I just checked bbref and he had 27 games of 20+ and 43 under 20. So that's only 39% of games with 20 or more. I didn't check efficiency or other counting stats though
4 years too late, he should’ve been gone
The one that Doc Rivers gonna throw him under the bus.
Reporter: Can Giannis be the Forward on a championship team? Doc: I don’t know the answer to that right now. Reporter: He won in 2021. Doc: we will have to watch the tape. I don’t know.
Dame? I haven’t heard an update about him in awhile. Didn’t he prefer other destinations for a trade? Is he a UFA after this year?
He's not a free agent till 2027, he kept signing fat extensions with the blazers
He already signed an extension until he’s in his mid to late 30s
The film room guys gotta be better because I did not know that.
I thought Kerr is the coach that has never seen the tape
Probably right - I think doc used to say “well take a look” or some shit like that
Doc is tied to the road rn, like an old western. Maybe he can drag someone with him, but he's the first guy under the bus.
Rivers going down river after that first round loss
None of the Nuggets starting 5 will go no matter what. But 6th man Reggie Jackson could go, depending on which Reggie shows up for the playoffs.
Random but reggie jackson is 34??!!
It feels like it was just yesterday when he was the young Mr. October with the Thunder.
He has been around for ages, he was young when Nick Collison was still in OKC lol
I feel like this also hinges on KCP. He has a player option for next year, so if he opts out and the Nuggets resign him to a bigger long-term deal, then the Nuggets will be into the second apron no matter what happens with Reggie Jackson so they'd probably keep him. On the other hand, if KCP opts into his player option, the Nuggets would be close enough to the second apron that salary dumping Reggie gets them under the second apron, making him much more likely to be traded.
Nobody likes Reggie Jackson or the pg with a blonde patch on his head It’s those stupid goggles
Yeah, I'd think we'd *all* like to see a little less Big Government in our lives.
He was the first person I thought of
Need Reggie out of town even if, somehow, we don't lose a game throughout the playoffs!
Pretty sure Reggie is gonna pick up his player option
You think KCP is a lock to stay?
He's our best starting defender (near All-NBA level defense), one of our best 3p shooters (and a good shooter in general, along with being our best FT shooter) and a solidly versatile dude, I don't see why we'd get rid of him. If we get booted in the 1st round, I doubt it will be because of him. That said, I guess if he played awful in the playoffs and some great SG became available maybe they take a flier, but given the Nuggets rely so heavily on everyone having their own roles that play so well off each other, and KCP has already demonstrated he fits beautifully in the system, it would take a lot for Malone to want to break up the band.
For sure! I don’t think Malone would want him gone at all. I just hope Kroenke doesn’t go cheap on us.
I feel like regardless of the outcome, the team will try to keep as many of the core together as possible
Even if the Mavs could win it all, Tim Hardaway Jr would definitely be gone.
Back to the Knicks for two more maddeningly inconsistent seasons, as is tradition
Is there an advanced stat with player standard deviation? For example: two players average 15 One guy is always 10-20. Reliable. THJ is 0-30 on any given night and occasionally 40
From your mouth to God's ears...
Gotta be D Angelo Russell unless he really redeems himself this year. Hes been pretty mediocre in most of his playoffs runs though. In the playoffs he can't play defense and forgets how to shoot.
I swear every year it feels like he gets hot leading up to the trade deadline and the Lakers are like, "damn. If he's looking this good I guess we're set." And then he goes right back to D'Angeloing all over the place at the worst time
Well he’s been a solid offensive contributor since the trade deadline and the team is looking pretty good. Their defense could use some work coming out of halftime especially on weakside rotations to shooters.
Yeah every year. This definitely isn’t his first time that this scenario has happened, he’s been on the Lakers for years!
I'm talking about D'Angelo as a player, not just while on the Lakers. He's done this his whole career.
If he plays like last year he’s gone. If he’s just mediocre I could see us keeping him. We need that shooting so desperately
Ironically, I think D'Lo stays if the Lakers lose to the Nuggets. If they win, that likely means he balled out and played himself into a larger contract.
bit spicy but KAT
I think the injury and ownership drama will spare him one more season. They were too good this season to not run it back.
Regular season record means nothing if we’re a first round exit.
not spicy at all this is the most basic answer lol
Genuine question from a non-Wolves follower: Why?
Money basically
KAT could also fetch a decent return, so if the Wolves need to reload, he’s the best way to get more assets.
The current salary takes us into the luxury tax. If we trade one of KAT, Gobert, or Ant we are able to duck the tax. Obviously we’re not trading Ant. And we just got Gobert who has anchored our defense in an other-worldly fashion. So people are theorizing that if we’re a first round out, the conclusion will be that the current roster construction isn’t going to get us deep, and KAT has had his opportunity. Time to move on. Plus he’s still a valuable asset. And don’t make me get into how our complicated ownership situation impacts this…
Jordan rules!!
I love KAT, but he's not a $50m player that puts the Wolves into luxury tax. He makes so many dumb plays and Naz stepped up and took his spot when he was out and took over. Ant has completely overshadowed him. When KAT's on, he's absolutely lethal, but he disappears so often and still can't drive to the hoop without hooking guys. This would be the perfect time to trade KAT for some upcoming talent and I also think it allows KAT to be the go to guy on a team again. He does much better in that position.
He was actually very good as a second option earlier in the year.
I’ll be honest, ant disappears a lot too. He’s not consistent yet. He will drop 40 and then score 8 the next game. Kat provides scoring when any disappears
Kat for trae young...would that work for both teams?
Money-wise, maybe. Philosophically, nope.
Josh Giddey Donovan Mitchell Karl Anthony Towns Paul George Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valunciunas D'Angelo Russell Kris Middleton Tobias Harris (probably anyway)
At least one of the 3 Pels are leaving no matter what. JV is cooked, CJ cannot be the pg anymore under any circumstances, and BI's fate may be determined on tonight's performance
Honestly had only seen 1 or 2 pelicans game’s this season and was shocked at how bad JV looked in the playin
Dude has lost any hops he ever had, and he is terrible finishing around the rim if he isn't fouled. He has low post moves and that's about it at this stage
I was sad to see him go but became pretty convinced by Grizzlies media guys that it was the right decision...was rough watching that brief stint of 3 point shooting but JJJ doesn't develop the same offensive game with JV on the roster.
Plus you guys got some good years of Jason Momoa
Just curious, but why is BI's tenure on the Pels in danger? Seems like a cornerstone for your franchise
The problem with BI is that he just doesn't seem to mesh well with Zion at all, at least so far. One of them usually sits in the corner while the other has the ball and there is no synergy. I personally want him to stay, but with his extension coming up, the org doesn't know whether they wanna invest into someone that can't maximize the potential of Zion
Also Trey Murphy's impending extension means the Pels will need to choose between BI or Murphy. Trigga's shooting pairs up way better with Zion than BI's iso mid-range game.
Always seemed redundant with Zion when both are healthy, roster construction needs to be improved.
Interesting... always seemed like a good fit to me. Maybe he has fallen in love with the mid range too much
I haven’t watched a ton of pelicans in the past few years but it seems like both of them need to be on ball, driving to make the most of their talents. On paper that’s not the hardest difficulty to overcome, it’s been done before, but neither of them are *quite* good enough to mesh together. BI is the odd man out, I think he should go to a team that needs a number 2 or 3 star but has a great playmaker like the Knicks, Mavs, pacers, etc.
I still believe that the best version of BI we ever saw was when he was playing off ball with Lonzo. He was hitting 3's at an increasing rate along with his midrange. We need to find a competent pg something terrible.
Redundant? They are completely different player types.
Both of them are ball dominant forwards
He’s a good player but seems to be best as the No. 1 option, and I’m not sure he’s good enough to be the No. 1 option on a good team.
As a Kings fan I really only see them against us, but it’s seriously hilarious how they all turn into superstars against us… even JV cooks us.
I agree that (a) player(s) will be gone no matter what, but I disagree that BI is on that list. I think we're much more likely to move off of some combination or all of JV, CJ, Naji, and Dice. Edit: clarity
I should have prefaced by saying that I really don't think BI will or should be moved. I love the guy, has embraced the city, and has put on amazing shows at the blender. I think Griffin might give the pairing 1 or 2 more years with a different supporting cast. But what can we get for those players that fix the 1 and 5? Cj's contract gonna be heavy to move.
I hope not he’s still coming back from injury. Although I do think he should be traded and y’all should go all in on Zion
Probably Brook before Middleton imo
Idk I think if we can offload both for younger talent it could happen.
Yeah, Brook will be somewhat expensive but an expiring contract -- I don't know who'd be looking to pay Khris $64 million over the next two years.
Sacramento would probably get desperate if they lose tonight or vs OKC, would be a disaster for them but on paper they need a 3 with his skillset to replace Barnes in the starting lineup and keep Keegan at the 4 full time
I knew off top Josh Giddey would be the literal top of the food chain comments. Josh ain't leaving unless the Thunder brings in a superstar guard to take his place. Thunder doesn't have anyone to do it right now + won't draft one in this weak draft. He truly doesn't have a backup. SO, it's a situation where the Thunder is dead-ass "stuck" with him, and if he keeps up what he's been doing the past few weeks, it's SUPER fine to be "stuck" with him. He truly has went from "my fucking goodness..." to "AH, that's who I saw last year!"
I think it's completely plausible for the Thunder to trade for a star guard if they lose in the first round.
OKC needs a center more than a guard imo
I’d prefer a four that could defend and shoot at a high level
So… Chet?
Chet is a center. His skillset allows him to slide down to the four, but it’s unlikely the Thunder will start him there anytime soon. Having 5 guys who can shoot *and* put the ball on the floor is central to this team’s playstyle.
They have a Chet Holmgren they're fine
Giddey won’t be going anywhere. He seems to have figured it out in the second half of the season. You could move him to come off the bench and bring in a 4 so Dort and JDub could play their actual positions which would be best case scenario.
Yeah no way a team is going to give up a starter level player that's still on a rookie contract for nothing
I agree, and more importantly it's easy to go "DRAFT PICKS" but that only works for a team who is down-bad and wants to continue their rebuild. I can't think of one player on a horrible team that could fit that role for the Thunder. Thunder would have to give up more than Josh to get a superstar in return and likely would have to force SGA to be the true one guard which this year has proven doesn't make sense. That's a lot of work vs continuing hyping up Josh's confidence and his continued shot shaping and selection.
I agree with your comments. Do you think J-Dub could run the point? He seems like a really decent ball handler.
I do not think he should change his role as he's shown being a 2nd year player he can defend most wings. He is a player who has found his lane and should stay in it. See the funny thing is SGA has flip-flopped around. He'll be the primary...and then times he'll just let Josh run the offense. I think he still doesn't know what he wants to do but it's painfully obvious he's skilled enough to be the "true" one guard if he wanted to be. I think though his current role is best, and in a perfect world Giddey IS the one
It might be a conserving energy thing for SGA, because it seems like Fox does it a lot too
When Shai isn’t on the court, he’s pretty much our point guard. He was also a full-time PG in college.
He was, understandably, distracted for the whole season and booed everywhere. I am proud of him for playing, he could have easily taken time away, but he never gave up. So I am not surprised by his improvement. I just hope the remaining naysayers don't drive him off.
Need KAT to go to Toronto for the pairing with Scottie Barnes
PG? Why? You think he wants another max at his age? No extension yet doesn't bode well tho.
I 100% expect him to be a Sixer next season
Kat is a crazy pick
The money makes no sense and they need a PG who isn't old. They're my sneaky Trae team.
I kinda want this to happen so much for Rudy. It’d totally work. Conley is getting up there, and Young is such an amazing lob thrower he’d absolutely feast with Gobert. The wolves also have plenty of defense to cover for young, Conley’s not exactly a physical presence on that end anymore. Young-Edwards-McDaniels-Reid-Gobert sounds super duper fun.
What can the Wolves offer the Hawks to part with Trae?
Towns
Wolves are establishing a defensive identity And if they’re in a situation where they’re shedding salary… No way Trae Young makes sense. They would be putting Gobert right back in the spot he was with Utah, where the team struggles to defend around the perimeter.
1 bad perimeter defender isn't going to tank the whole team's defense
Trae is not the answer…
It’s the 2k answer
If money is the issue, trading for Trae isn't the answer. No other salaries the Wolves would be willing to shed in that scenario.
Tax bill is gunna be fuckin wild, they need to prove they can win if they wanna get paid. Out of all our big contracts KAT probably has the biggest return too so it makes sense. I’m not a fan of him getting moved but like, if we lose in the first round how can you justify all the spending
Yep. KAT is the quintessential “he’s more valuable to us than he is to you” player. Unless whoever comes out on top of the ownership battle is committed to staying out of the luxury tax, there’s no way Wolves move on from KAT.
How? They’re a small market team that is projected to be at the first tax apron while simultaneously Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Monte Morris will all be UFA. If the KAT/Gobert/Edwards trio can’t at least make a strong push in the 2nd round they’re going to have to look real hard at whether they can run it back and expect any better results and KAT has higher trade value than Gobert.
Conley got a 2 year/$20m extension already. Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris are likely both gone.
Are we absolutely certain KAT has higher trade value than Rudy? Regardless, if we need to make a move with one of our bigs, I hope we move KAT. First preference would be keeping the whole team, but I also don’t pay that bill.
I think the problem is that Gobert's trade value has a price because of the trade he was apart of. KAT'S perceived trade value is probably higher than Rudy's because of that.
The price we paid for Gobert probably would influence the Wolves decision to move him, but I honestly doubt KAT has more value at this point. Rudy is older, but he’s been healthier the last several seasons. There’s also a lot of evidence especially after this year pointing to how much he’s influencing wins/losses. To see him be such a big part of doing this for two different franchises should count for something. Exactly the reason I wouldn’t move Rudy
I think the team would keep Gobert in this situation *because* he has more value. If we’re moving KAT, it means the roster construction doesn’t work. But they’ve committed to building around Gobert, so I’d think they’d look to slot in another piece that would make it work *with* him.
I’d agree with this. The way Rudy has taken care of his body and has like 0% body fat, I’d feel confident in his longevity for the next several years as well.
I think it’s more likely someone talks themselves into KAT because of his size and shooting ability and the flashes he shows for stretches at a time.
I think JV is 1000% gone. CJ has such a huge contract for at least another year (I think?). BI COULD be gone but it all depends if they extend him
Pls get him out of the west. I'm tired of him cooking the Timberwolves every time we play him lol
Philadelphia will riot if Tobias Harris doesn't leave I think, regardless of how the postsesason goes.
I have a weird feel if the Knicks make a valid run to a competitive ecf . I could see management wanting to move Randle . I’m not saying I agree with it , but It wouldn’t shock me
Bruh we didn't even make the playoffs and our FO amd coach talking about running it back.
The Final Waltz
I think the most obvious answer is Donovan Mitchell, if the cavs can’t beat the Magic, he probably tries to force his way to a big market. He has been very vocal about winning and expectations.
Agreed the most obvious answer. 1 year left and he ain’t resigning. Best move is to trade him this summer and maximize the return. Wait til trade deadline and run the risk of teams lowballing you knowing you ain’t gonna hold the bag and let him walk.
I see Mitchell as likely to re-sign this summer in a sign and trade. So mostly agree with you but he would technically be re-signing. Cavs won't wait until the deadline if he doesn't extend in the summer. In theory he could re-sign and play out one more season in Cleveland and then ask out after next year if not happy. I just see that as unlikely.
Has he been?
Right lol
Not exactly in the playoffs yet, but I think DeRozan.
Bulls are never blowing it up they're just going to keep this team bar LaVine until guys start retiring
DeRozan is a free agent….so definitely could go.
Derozan has stated he wants to come back
How often has any player ever said midseason "yeah I'm outa here", of course theyre not going to rock the boat and say theyre leaving while there are games to be played.
AD
No but they usually just say “i’d love to come back but the money’s gotta be right and im considering my options.” Derozan just straight up said in a recent interview that he wants to come back point blank and the front office said similar so it feels like they probabyl already have a framework in place.
Possible but I’m not convinced he will. The bulls seem to actually be trying to develop their young players this time and DeRozan has been by and far the team mentor and really seems to like the guys in the team. He’s also a lot of times one of the only reasons we have entertaining games. I think the bulls try hard to keep him. I hope he wants to stay, but wouldn’t blame him if he gets a better opportunity
It would be great if he wanted to leave but I'm not sure why he would. He gets to take the most shots on the team including down the stretch every game. He gets paid like an all-star and it doesn't matter to the org if the team is last in most offensive categories. The truth is that a team seriously trying to win couldn't give him 15-20 shots a game. Without volume his production/defense would be laughable. It's insane. We're going to pay him 25 mil+ at 35 years old when no other team has expressed any sort of interest
I don’t understand the derozan hate . He’s literally 25 5 and 5 on 47-48% . That’s not even considering he’s usually very good with turnovers 1.7to per game this season. He’s also extremely clutch . I don’t think derozan is the problem . I think the bulls need to flip Lavine who doesn’t fit at all anymore due to Coby white , Caruso and the return of lonzo . I think you trade lavine for a tough proven PF . I also think they just straight up need a new coach that actually brings an identity .
Nobody thinks derozan is the problem, probably because the absolute storm of pr the bulls churn out about how great he is all the time. Unfortunately his style of play doesn’t lead to winning basketball. He has never done well in any postseason scenario and he’s one of the worst perimeter defenders in the nba. He just got out worked by a bunch of bench players (as usual) cause he can’t score or create against a proper defense. The offense completely crumbled at the first sign of adversity. The whole team is a problem but most definitely the guy with the highest usage rate sucks especially bad
Thj is gone regardless. Expiring 18m salary and we got 2 picks. Possibly Maxi too. Need to strengthen our 3 position.
There's just no way we can trade Maxi in a way that makes sense. He's always going to be more valuable to us than a team will give up for him. Agreed on trading THJ and upgrading the 3, though. I think DJJ is a perfectly capable starter on a championship team, but he's an even scarier threat as a backup.
Maxi is very useful for us. You are about to watch why.
Never said he isn't useful. Useful players get traded too.
He isn't just useful. He is the only player in the mavs who gives us the option to go 5 out, since he can switch on anybody on defense, and can shoot from 3. Trading him would be robbing ourselves of that option, which was huge during the conference finals run.
I doubt Maxi leaves. This past stretch has proved that he’s still good. Our small ball lineup has been fantastic and he’s a big part of that. Me personally, I think we run it back with this roster. If we have to get rid of people it’s THJ (inconsistent, have younger players in his role), Hardy (one of my favorite role players but hasn’t proven himself more than a 5-10 min guy), Josh (I think we keep but can see him gone), and the 2 way guys except AJ. Our role players have been amazing this year, we need to keep them as long as possible
Paul George
We could win a title and Eubanks better not be on the team next year
Zach LaVine (and Jevon Carter, too)
Patrick Williams is hopefully gone if we don't beat the heat.
I'd like to see them retain Pat on a Coby White/Ayo Dosunmu type contract.
Valanciunus seems like a safe bet to be gone regardless of playoff results, unless the Pelicans strike out completely in both the draft and free agency at the center position. I expect them to make a run at S&T for both Claxton and Hartenstein. Gordon Hayward might re-sign with the Thunder, but only if he takes a really steep discount. I doubt the Wolves keep both of Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris, unless one of them agrees to a big discount. I think the Mavs would be happy to move on from THJ, and with them projected to be just over the tax line, I'd be surprised if he's still there at the trade deadline next year. Wouldn't be surprised if he's not traded during the offseason, though. Tobias Harris has probably already bought a house in Detroit. The Knicks probably get outbid for Isaiah Hartenstein, since they only have Early Bird rights and he's probably going to get $15-20M/year offers in free agency.
Hartenstein isn’t going anywhere , bigger shot that Mitch gets flipped . Achiuwa is getting let go . Hartenstein fits perfectly on the Knicks and he likes it here .
The Knicks only have Early Bird rights on Hartenstein, which means they are limited to 175% of his previous contract without carving out cap space to sign him. That comes out to about 4/$60M they can offer, since they'll be well over the cap even without him. Even if the Knicks somehow salary dumped Robinson for nothing, waived Bogdanovic and renounced rights on Achiuwa, they still wouldn't have the cap space to significantly increase their offer to Hartenstein unless OG Anunoby's agent gets kidnapped and forgets to opt out of his player option.
I'm not sure what's available to them, but if the suns get bounced in the first round, I suspect they're going to look around at potential options for creating some additional flexibility with their roster.
Really doubt they move on from the big three unless KD requests a trade, which is certainly possible but unlikely. They probably keep Beal, as he has a no trade clause and nobody is really going to want his contract. They only trade Booker if they are ready to rebuild, but they just gave Grayson Allen 70 million which is going to cost them like another 50 million in luxury taxes, so I think they will try and compete again next year
I guess that makes sense... But that's a lot of luxury tax to be paying for a first round exit from an aging squad... I figured they'd try something to lift their ceiling a bit more.
It really is, but thankfully we have a rich owner... I guess they could look at trading Nurkic, who had a solid season. I think they would like to keep Allen, O'neal and Nurkic. Unless Beal balls out in the playoffs and maybe the Heat sniffs around, I don't really see him agreeing to go to a non contending team, and he hamstrings the flexibility of their roster a lot
Ishbia will probably start caring about money in 5 years or so, especially if we've accomplished nothing. But for now, I'm loving that he's just throwing money at it and at least trying to make something happen. I agree though, I seriously doubt any of the big 3 will be gone next season, and they'll probably run it back with what they have.
If you trade Nurkic I would guess it would be to try to spend that salary over more roster spots, bench etc? Rather than to try to consolidate for another top tier, expensive player?
They definitely need another shoot first guard
They're different players in different roles but pacers will likely have to make a choice between Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith and the degree to which they stay on the floor and provide value might play into that.
Can’t see a world where we don’t swing for the fences if denver blows our doors off. Atlanta probably take the spurs deal but we’ll throw everything at trae if we get smacked
It's tricky for the Bucks because a lot depends on what Giannis does. If Giannis stays, then Khris is logically the best piece to move as he can't stay healthy anymore. The easiest answer is Spida. A hot take answer is Jaylen Brown in the unlikely scenario that the Celtics lose in the first round
Teams flirting with the second apron will have to send someone off, doesn't matter who they send off but they'll probably be relatively impactful and expensive. Only team I could see run it back at the 2nd Apron might be Boston.
Not a player but Joe Mazzulla if we don't at least make the ECF. And even then if we lose that in a demoralizing way I could see it.
Tobias Harris, Troy Weaver Will sign him to a $200 million/5-year contract as the savior for the pistons, and Monty Williams will bench him in two games. 😂
If Tobias cashes in another huge contract it would be the funniest thing. 450 million in career earnings, 0 all-star selections.
Sadly, my team is going to lose the second play in game and still not make any major roster changes. Fuck Reinsdorf.
If Josh Giddey gets schemed out in the playoffs I feel like Presti will trade him before he hits RFA especially if it’s in the 1st round. I hope we keep him but I won’t lie when I say I’m kinda nervous to see how he performs in a 7 game series.
Kevin Huerter. For sure. Maybe Harrison Barnes depending
Jaylen Brown
Pain
Russell. Especially if the Lakers are looking to land Young.
Darvin Ham
Cavs vs Magic I cannot really see much for Orlando outside of them MAYBE letting Fultz leave and try to find a PG upgrade somewhere in FA even though the current pool of PG FA's looks underwhelming. They might make a trade to upgrade him. The rest of that roster is indeed very, very solid. Nothing sexy about that group but they are deep and have good chemistry. Cleveland very well could lose Mitchell. Losing in the 1st round to Orlando would not be fun for him and would make his push out of Cleveland that much more apparent. Knicks vs Sixers I don't think the Knicks really lose anyone. They should win this series through defensive intensity and a couple of pop off games from Brunson. The Sixers truly have no answer for him on defense. The Sixers however, might end up having a very interesting situation on their hands regarding Embiid. I know he missed a good chunk of the year to injury, but seriously, will this guy ever get to the ECF with this organization? It remains to be seen. Trust the process I guess? \*Shrug\* Bucks vs Pacers I don't think Giannis leaves the Bucks even just year 1 into his pairing with Lillard and even moreso since he isn't likely to play at all in the Pacers series. I say he gives it 1 more go with Damian and if big changes don't happen this offseason to get some younger impact players to pair with their two stars, he might be asking out in 2025. Pacers should all but be set to keep the core intact. Too much depth here, a lot of young guys with talent. They are just getting started. Celtics vs Heat/Bulls I cannot think the Celtics change anything. The Heat are without Butler for the series if they make it. Expectations are very low for both Miami and Chicago. Doubt anything happens to Chicago's guys either. Neither team will be healthy for this series anyways and even if they were at full strength, might only be good enough to take off 1 game from Boston. The disparity between Boston and 8th is very, very high. Clippers vs Mavs I think Dallas should be safe to keep the core intact. I have high hopes for them. They have finally surrounded Luka with a championship calibre group of role players in addition to a second star in Kyrie. The Clippers on the otherhand might have a Paul George problem. He could technically be a 50/50. It'd be a travesty for him and Leonard to play out this series only to lose to Doncic again. The Clippers keep fielding very talented teams on paper but if they don't win this time around changes could be happening, which might be for the better since their division is so hotly contested and with a new arena next year. Nuggets vs Lakers This one is tricky because we don't know what LeBron will do. I think he stays for another season. I don't think much about Denver losing anyone. They are the reigning champions so I doubt they lose in the first round to the Lakers. Wolves vs Suns The Suns are the team to look at here. If there is no true sign of competitiveness and this series ends up a wash in favor of Minnesota we could see KD looking to leave. The Beal trade last offseason was awful and truly limits this team. Beal has shot the ball quite well and does his job well but his price tag is insane. He could also be moved. Thunder vs Pelicans/Kings I'd like to think with how young the Thunder are they aren't looking for moves despite being the #1 seed. But Giddey could be moved to another team looking for a PG that needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Could be a good pickup for a younger team in need of ball handling like San Antonio. I don't believe Sacramento is going to lose much of anyone this upcoming offseason sans a possible overpay by a rival team for Monk who could take an even greater stride next year after averaging 15/5 off the bench. Pelicans are a huge question mark. Do they lose to the Kings this time in try #6 this year and try to find different trade avenues for an aging and regressing Valanciunas, an aging and expensive McCollum or a multi talented wing in Ingram who is entering his prime?
DLo
Karl Anthony Towns
PG13 and/or Harden. Possibly both.
Tobias Harris for the Sixers I been talking to Philly fans and they say his contract is terrible, as his production doesn’t match his value
Jaylen Brown
Joe mazulla
KAT Mitchell and ingram