While I would obviously prefer my favorite team to rip off 5 (or more!) straight titles, I think it's probably a little more interesting that a number of teams in both conferences seem to have a legit chance each of the last few years.

I'm amazed that I didn't remember who the betting favorite was at the start of the playoffs last year. Wonder if that's just me having bad memory/short attention span or if that others wouldn't remember as well.

Golden State was 10-1 at the start of the playoffs but ended up favored in each round.

What happens with Trae Young? Traded this summer?

Hawks can't reasonably rebuild because of the Murray trade, right?

I've been a lifelong Trae skeptic. That conference finals appearance always looked like a fluke, and seems to have really screwed up the franchise's path, as fools' gold.

What happens with Trae Young? Traded this summer?

You always fire the coach before you trade the star.

I would guess you bring in D'Antoni?

You always fire the coach before you trade the star.

I would guess you bring in D'Antoni?

Well they did that once already but you're probably right.

I like all the Hawks pieces, they just haven't gelled. Trae - DeJuante - Hunter - Collins - Capela are all legitimate starters. Okongwu is Capela 2.0, Bogdanovich can play, AJ Griffin looks like a rotation piece.

The rumblings down here have all been about Trae: he's a coach killer, a poor leader, a bad teammate. But the fact is, despite being able to get any shot he wants (and he does, he's #2 in the league in shot attempts), he's below-average efficiency and an absolute liability on defense. Those might just be two fatal flaws for this team.

Side note, I would have really liked for them to keep Huerter rather than Bogdanovich. Huerter is just as good, cheaper (although salaries are much closer now), and matches Atlanta's timeline better. And they need to move on from Collins, he's played the good soldier, but I think he's partially checked out after 2 years of trade rumors.

To be fair, the Hawks starting five has been quite good when they've actually been able to be on the court together (+13.9 net rating). The main issues IMO have been health, lack of bench depth, and arguably coaching.

Not going into the luxury tax (a common theme with mid-market teams) has really hurt the bench. Having to trade Huerter, losing Wright/Gallinari and replacing them with Holidays...ugh. Bogi also hasn't been great since the knee issues, turning from passable on defense into a sieve. AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson have shown promise, but McMillan doesn't like relying on youngsters. So when Trae is out, the team suffers.

That said, the offense has been cooking lately (2nd in the NBA over the past 10 games). Murray is playing better and better as he and Trae learn to work off each other.

It's been a disappointing season, but like the TWolves, I think it's too early to give up on the Hawks just yet.

Breaking: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The franchise has been informed that Irving prefers to move on ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline – or will leave in free agency in July.

WTF?

Edit: Maybe the more appropriate acronym here is LOL

I will be glad to see him leave Brooklyn, though I am curious what a Kyrie trade looks like. Did he talk to LeBron?

Yeah, going to the Lakers is the only thing I could see him thinking about here? Not that I should try to guess what Kyrie Irving is thinking about.

Edit: KD and Russ reunited?

It's been a disappointing season, but like the TWolves, I think it's too early to give up on the Hawks just yet.

Hey, the Wolves have won a fair number of games this year (among the leaders for 2023). Now they just have to keep it up, get KAT healthy, and ... PROFIT!

Does DLo + Naz Reid for Irving make any sense at all for either team? I don't think so, but according to the machine it works.

I go do actual work for 20 minutes and DRAMA starts up!

D'Angelo Russell was a feel-good story for the Atkinson-era Nets. Wonder what Jacque Vaughn thought of him.

D'Angelo Russell was a feel-good story for the Atkinson-era Nets. Wonder what Jacque Vaughn thought of him.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES

lolol

If I were the Nets, I would have a sign up that says, "It has been __ days since the last Kyrie crisis."

The Nets are quite a reality TV show. And doing OK in the standings.

Just when you thought crap had calmed down Brooklyn.
Jeez... Kyrie is kinda the Kanye of the NBA, isn't he.

The main issues IMO have been health, lack of bench depth, and arguably coaching.

There's no arguably.

The rumblings down here have all been about Trae: he's a coach killer, a poor leader, a bad teammate. But the fact is, despite being able to get any shot he wants (and he does, he's #2 in the league in shot attempts), he's below-average efficiency and an absolute liability on defense. Those might just be two fatal flaws for this team.

Dealing Huerter versus Bogdan was a pretty big self-own, given that health is a skill. (I've always liked Huerter but Bogdan is better when healthy.) That said, Huerter was never going to be this good for the Hawks, given that they never put him in a position where he was allowed to do more of the things that he can do competently to well on the court.

Collins - I wonder what percentage is checked out versus the team not trusting him/utilizing him properly (bit of both, I'd guess). Ugh, what a waste.

---

Kyrie is ... he's something!

That said, Huerter was never going to be this good for the Hawks, given that they never put him in a position where he was allowed to do more of the things that he can do competently to well on the court.

Ehhh ... I think Diet Klay is the easiest kind of player to use. Again, this is why you just fire the coach.

I think the Hawks' error was thinking of shooting as a category you can simply have "enough" of, as opposed to something you can keep adding.

Who says no?

Reading between the lines of the Shams report, the Nets offered Kyrie "an extension with guarantee stipulations" and that seems to have snowballed into this situation. One wonders what team would be willing to give up value to get Kyrie at this point, and how much Brooklyn thinks they need in return, presumably to keep KD given how that all played out this offseason. Wild, though, that if Kyrie forces his way out, he'll have now dismantled three successive teams, all with semi-plausible championship aspirations. Takes real dedication to the ego to be a liability despite his skillset.

Who says no?

ESPN Trade Machine links no longer work for me (takes me to the tool, not the deal). So, I don't know.

I also don't know who would want to trade for Kyrie. I don't think the Nets care if he says he's not coming back. They can either call his bluff or let him walk. He does have a lot of on-court value for the rest of this year, and a lot of negative PR value. So a team that trades for him is one that needs to make a big upgrade, and the cost of not doing so is more than the risk of getting chaos from Kyrie.

Hawks? Collins + Justin Holiday works
Heat? Lowry + a minimum salary

I think the Lakers, Clippers, Heat, and Mavs will all call the Nets today. They might be the only ones.

I understand that this question is typically a subjective one, but Dillon Brooks is objectively the least likable player in the NBA, right?

Kyrie saying, "don't forget about me".

I've liked Memphis for a while: they always have lunchpail guys like Gasol and Conley and Steven Adams. Ja is incredible. Desmond Bane is a very skilled and handsome man. Great uniforms. But Brooks has the potential to self-destruct this team, through antics like this, and he takes way too many (bad) shots on the court.

ESPN Sources: Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving has not shared a list of preferred teams, but he has maintained an interest in the Lakers. LA is expected to be among the teams that’ll explore a possible trade with the Nets.

Kyrie will turn down deals to LA and Miami because they are "Too Jewy" for his taste.
Dallas is more in line with his mindset.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks have emerged as potential suitors for Brooklyn Nets All-Star starter Kyrie Irving, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

Chris Paul's contract would take major assets attached with it, no? Nets may as well tell Kyrie to #### off if they don't actually get an offer they like.

Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans could again team up in this deal for salary purposes. Like Russell, Dinwiddie had a generally happy experience in Brooklyn.

This Kyrie thing is just delightful, I love it.

I don't think the Heat are dumb enough to mess with him. Could see the Mavs? Not sure about the Clippers, I don't have any sense of if they're feeling desperate (I think they should be feeling desperate given how poorly this has all worked out, but there's desperate and then there's trade for Kyrie desperate).

My guess is we get no trade and he sits the rest of the season, I just don't see the Nets being able to get much value (why would the Lakers offer anything other than Westbrook's contract to get a guy who is about to be a free agent and is, to put it mildly, extremely unreliable).

All that aside, LeBron/Kyrie/a healthy Davis would be a very, very good offensive trio.

Chris Paul's contract would take major assets attached with it, no?

In a deal for Kyrie Irving? I'd do that straight-up in a heartbeat if I was Brooklyn* but I don't know why Phoenix would.

* The Suns would have to add Saric or someone to make the salaries work.

Who has cap space to sign Kyrie this offseason? Houston, San Antonio, Detroit, and Utah, at a guess? I don't see any as serious threats to Brooklyn, so I suspect this will play out like KD's demand unless Phoenix, LA, or Dallas decides to pay a real price to get him. No one is accusing Kyrie of being media savvy these days, but he has the exact same bad leverage he did this offseason, we'll see if any suitors are more willing to pay for him.

Is Kyrie willing to play alongside Luka? I find that hard to fathom, from a ball-dominance point of view.

In a deal for Kyrie Irving? I'd do that straight-up in a heartbeat if I was Brooklyn* but I don't know why Phoenix would.

I'd rather just sit Kyrie the rest of the year and lose him than have to take CP3 at $60M over the next 2 seasons.

Hey, the Wolves have won a fair number of games this year (among the leaders for 2023).

Yeah, that's kinda my point. After the TWolves lost 6 in a row in December, most declared them dead in the water and the Gobert trade a disaster. Not saying the TWolves are world beaters, but they've certainly improved lately. I remember Zach Lowe at the start of the year saying to give the Trae/Murray pairing some time to figure it out.

As for Huerter, the Hawks needed to get under the tax somehow according to owner Ressler's wishes. Interest in Bogi was minimal coming off the knee surgery, and Huerter got a 1st rounder back, so they made the deal. I get it. But the Hawks have certainly missed his outside shooting. On the flip side, it was difficult to play Huerter and Trae at the same time because of their lack of defense.

Trae's defense has actually been better this year (28th percentile EPM, -1.5 RAPTOR). I mean, it's still pretty bad, but he is trying harder on that end. His physical limitations make it difficult. I kinda wonder if his improved effort on defense has hurt his offense a bit because he's expending more energy. But like Murray, Trae has shot better of late after a terrible start to the season.

As of right now, the Hawks are in perfect balance: a 26-26 record, scoring 6,057 points and allowing 6,057 points. We'll see what happens going forward.

I'd rather just sit Kyrie the rest of the year and lose him than have to take CP3 at $60M over the next 2 seasons.

Brooklyn doesn't have cap space either way. You let him walk, you lose him for nothing — and if he really sits the rest of this year, you're (probably) punting a season in which Kevin Durant is playing like an MVP candidate. Not to mention that, despite his bad start to the year, a diminished Paul might still be better than Irving.

$30m isn't what it used to be — if this list can be trusted, Paul is currently the 42nd-highest paid player in the NBA, with small raises coming in the next two seasons.

There's no way Brooklyn takes back CP without getting assets back.

Chris Paul has had a great career, but he is toast.

Well, you guys have both probably watched him more than I have, so maybe I'm just wrong about this. I know he's not what he used to be, but still seems to be a positive player (albeit possibly not for long).

To LAL: Irving, DeRozan
To BRK: Vucevic, Caruso
To CHI: Westbrook, Walker, 2 LAL first, 1 BRK first

It also works with Vooch to LAL and DeMar to BRK

Dumb fight in MN last night. The heck?

Dumb fight in MN last night. The heck?

Wretched night for the BBTF NBA Thread & we had a fight. After several fake trades, Der-K came charging down hallway at Moses. Der-k got to the sign-on screen & multiple failed password attempts prevented Moses from replying. The foul-mouthed insults hurled were loud & impressive.

***

That trade in 342 is somehow bad for all teams.

Do the Lakers basically have to trade Westbrook? If he leaves in free agency/they don't re-sign him, does that cap space disappear?

oooh, piece'a candy:

Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
A new name in the Sixers rumor mill: Jarred Vanderbilt, an ultra-versatile defender said to be a "leading target" in trade talks: phillyvoice.com/nba-trade-rumo…

Do the Lakers basically have to trade Westbrook? If he leaves in free agency/they don't re-sign him, does that cap space disappear?

Yes and no.

If his cap hold expires, the Lakers would be a cap space team, but only with approx 30mm of space, not 48.

So some of it expires, but not all of it.

Sources tell @TheAthletic that the LA Clippers have made a strong offer to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving, and that head coach Tyronn Lue is open to coaching Irving again after the two won a championship with Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

I'm laughing to myself every time the bottom line on the sports on my tv scrolls to the Nets game and it says "Irving - Out (Calf)".

So I get that the actual text of that tweet is, "Lakers, you better include both the picks or we'll take something else," but I don't see how the Clippers can possibly make a compelling deal?

The matching salary has to be two to three of:

Powell: 16.7 for 4 years
Reggie Jackson: 11.2 for this year only
John Wall: 6.4 for 2 years
Marcus Morris: 16.3 for 2 years
Luke Kennard: 14.4 for 3 years

IMO, basically all of those guys fail the Nene test, of whether they would receive that much on the open market. John Wall is dead money, and the other guys are all overpaid to one degree or another.

They already owe picks to OKC through 2026, and swaps in 25. So they can offer one unprotected first, in 2028.

That is not that great of an offer, unless you think that Powell, Kennard or Morris have value.

Middleton's back, baby. Back!

I think Powell, Kennard, and Morris have value. Maybe not quite worth their contracts, but they can be in a contender's rotation. I like Kennard the most, if you can shoot 45% from 3 at decent volume, the floor is high. He's also the youngest and cheapest.

Delaware Blue Coats @blue_coats
OFFICIAL: The Delaware Blue Coats acquire the returning player rights to Bruno Caboclo, Matt Mooney, Shabazz Napier, and Jahlil Okafor from the Mexico City Capitanes in exchange for the rights to Skylar Mays, Justin Robinson, and Raphiael Putney.

we're getting the band back together.

To tship's point in 350, it seems like it just has to be a three (or more, I guess) team deal, because none of the salary matching seems like it would interest the Nets. I think Kennard is fine, but they don't have any use for him unless they can move Harris or Curry. With Dallas, Hardaway and Bertans are two of the worst contracts in the league. Taking on Westbrook seems like a great way to make Durant more unhappy. Like I don't really think the Nets have much leverage here, but most of these deals are worse than just doing nothing.

Three team with Russell and Reid heading to Brooklyn, Irving to LAC and the pupu platter to Minnesota?

Before Irving's latest instance of taking himself hostage, we were just about to have a great talk on subjects rarely discussed here:

1) the strange 1975-1980 time in pro basketball history after Kareem gets traded to LA and before Magic joins him there, during which ABA talent is folded into the NBA by either complete franchise or via dispersal draft; and

2) ####-talking the ####-talking Grizzlies now that they've lost seven of eight (following an 11-game win streak, by the way, so perfect timing).

I came of age as a pro hoops fan in Denver in the early 70s -- my family had season tickets to the Rockets and kept them when the name changed to Nuggets -- then moved to Portland in the summer of 1978, just as the Rip City dynasty tripped over a stack of x-ray charts. So, with the "wisdom" of several decades past, it's safe to say that the era of #1 should be characterized as dual failures to surround Kareem and then Dr J with sufficient championship talent, being as they were the very best by far of that time period. There are lots of reasons for this, and let's do discuss them. The outcomes were that there was uncommon diversity among league champions. Yes, Boston squeezed two more titles out of its Havlicek/Cowens/White core, just barely, and Washington finally put together a decent squad around Unseld and Hayes. The mad genius that was Dr Jack Ramsay is another quack in the box if Portland doesn't get Maurice Lucas, and the Supes well I think history has been hard enough upon them. Let's just say that peak Gus Williams would have been very playable in the Association's current era. Also, if you don't love Lenny Wilkens and Downtown Freddie Brown, you're a soul-less monster. Could the Supes or the Bullets or the end-of-the-line Celtics been this successful in any other decade?

As for Memphis, we all like what we like. Grizzlies fans like a winning team, like most fans, but unlike any NBA town, Memphis is the pro-wrestling-est of fanbases. Grit & Grind was ugly as hell to watch but my goodness, it resonated in that city and still does; I type this as a long-time resident. Dillon Brooks is obviously the illegitimate love-child of Tony Allen (with way too much shooting latitude) and Ric Flair, and what he did to Mitchell the other night is absolutely not OK. This version of the Grizz plays defense by deflection like a weird lab experiment, and it seems to be working? With side-effects, yes, but largely it is working. I don't know if it's sustainable. I agree Morant is exciting and bouncier than any player I can recall, and I agree he's one body blow away from being less of both.

Genuine super-teams are fascinating and, when everything is clicking, are really amazing to see. I prefer a league where more teams have actual championship aspirations, though, and so I miss the second half of the 70s. A lot. It is historically astonishing to witness LeBron's and Curry's potency last this long. I would have figured Giannis would have O'Brien Trophies for cufflinks by now, and more besides, but here we are. Rosters are volatile, many superstars are shall we say mercurial in their affections, and yet the roads to NBA titles still go through LeBron and Curry. In a league with this many teams and this much player movement, that should be impossible... right?

Three team with Russell and Reid heading to Brooklyn, Irving to LAC and the pupu platter to Minnesota?

Why on Earth would MN do that? They are trying to win this year and still have the hope of KAT returning and adding to their pretty good success since the calendar flipped over to 2023.

Why on Earth would MN do that?

If they know they're going to lose Russell for nothing? I don't know. I'm just spitballing here!

I do think that if they can get DLo to resign for like 25MM/yr for a few years, he's a pretty good backcourt partner for Ant, if Ant continues to play heavily on the ball. Not perfect (you'd like some man defence), but better than they're likely to get any other way.

The only reason I'd want them to pay up for Reid (who is a great story and a good player, for what he is) is if they're going to move Towns in the offseason.

To tship's point in 350, it seems like it just has to be a three (or more, I guess) team deal, because none of the salary matching seems like it would interest the Nets. I think Kennard is fine, but they don't have any use for him unless they can move Harris or Curry. With Dallas, Hardaway and Bertans are two of the worst contracts in the league. Taking on Westbrook seems like a great way to make Durant more unhappy. Like I don't really think the Nets have much leverage here, but most of these deals are worse than just doing nothing.

The Nets preferences are sort of irrational.

You cannot trade Kyrie and become a contender. Kyrie's value on the court (when he feels like playing) exceeds his value in trade by a fairly large margin. So whatever you get will make your team worse. If the Nets were ever a contender this season, it was only barely. It's not like the Nets have a ton of excess greatness.

So if you trade Kyrie, you should be open to tearing down completely, including trading Durant. If you do that, your trade packages should be focused on future value and getting out of the tax. The Dallas package or the Lakers package have all the value focused on the draft. The Lakers package helps you clean up your books by including Harris.

So it's really unclear what the Nets will do. They appear to actually be done with Kyrie enough to trade him, but they seem to be deluded enough to think that they can stay contenders. At some point, either before the trade deadline or this offseason, or even later, someone on the Nets will realize that it's over and they need to move on.

I am not saying I know what they should do with Reid and DLo, it is tough to balance value this year with losing them for nothing, or getting something with some future value, but really hurting this year.

I don't know that there is a good balance, but if they do semi-punt this year by trading DLO and/or Reid the bare minimum they need is pieces that fit the team better, even if they net lose value in the trade. At a minimum, they need someone who can do some playmaking and some perimeter defense to pair with Ant.

Irving to Mavs, per Chris Haynes: "The Nets will receive Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and multiple second-round picks."

I am pleased to see Irving leave Brooklyn.

I think that’s decent business from the Nets honestly.

Looking foreword to the Doncic trade watch in about 12 months!

Luka-Irving has some real comic potential. He may be glad the front office got another star, and the FO may have felt desperate to do something to appease him, but... a clash at some point seems sort of inevitable, no? And he's not exactly subtle when he's displeased.

Edit: Per Woj, "The Lakers and Nets had several conversations on a potential deal, but Nets preferred Mavs' package -- getting back a point guard and wing to plug in now plus the future picks."

I’m not sure this even moves the needle for me thinking about Dallas in the playoffs? Do they employ a wing defender?

Right now, a thousand TV producers are trying to secure the rights to a Mark Cuban and Kyrie Irving reality show.

Beyond the obvious roster/defense questions in Dallas, Kyrie ruffled feathers in Boston with how he talked about himself and the younger stars. Luka is a different thing entirely, but does Irving learn from his past mistakes?

At first blush I agree this seems decent business for Brooklyn to get off of Kyrie for some current roster talent Vaughn can use and a pick that could be good if Dallas implodes.

Sending Kyrie to the city where JFK got assassinated opens up all kinds of avenues for him to do some exciting research

I wonder what this means for Durant. He very quickly went from Harden and Irving to being the lone star player.

You would figure this was either done with KD's (presumably fed-up) blessing or as a precursor to blowing it all up, but we will see. The package suggests the former, but who knows.

Ok. Uh, well... I think I know why the Mavs did this, but it's going to blow up on them.

This is better than the Lakers deal, I think, and gives them a slightly better chance on trying to convince KD not to demand a trade again. But I bet KD demands a trade after the season again.

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Warriors say Curry suffered partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane as well as a contusions to his lower left leg. Possible timetable in coming days.

Ok. Uh, well... I think I know why the Mavs did this, but it's going to blow up on them.

I can't imagine this trade working out for Dallas, at all. At. All.

I wonder what this means for Durant. He very quickly went from Harden and Irving to being the lone star player.

The Lakers should trade Westbrook for Durant.

I can see one way in which this trade works out for Dallas.

Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Kyrie Irving extension talks are expected to be put off until this summer. He is eligible for a 2-year extension now and a 4-year deal in the summer.

If the Mavs-Kyrie union doesn’t continue, Dallas will have close to max salary cap space this summer.

I admit I am confused. Of all the stars the Mavs could in theory have gotten, Irving seems about the least useful possible for them. This is a follow-up from the disastrous handling of Brunson, right?

I have to admit it is nice to see another team screw up.

I am admittedly out on Irving, and while it's clear that Kidd learned something in LA, I also detest him, so I'm hoping this ends in a horrible swamp of toxicity, except, also, I want Luka to succeed. So maybe he'll get the hell out of there?

Even ignoring the Irving factor, just from a talent on the floor perspective, it doesn't seem like Irving and Luka are all that synergistic. I mean, yes, I expect the offense will score, but not that much better, and defense matters too.

I might just not be understanding it though. Lack of imagination or something.

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a running mate for Luka who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be valuable?

Steph Noh's take on the deal.

I am admittedly out on Irving, and while it's clear that Kidd learned something in LA, I also detest him, so I'm hoping this ends in a horrible swamp of toxicity, except, also, I want Luka to succeed. So maybe he'll get the hell out of there?

Whoa whoa whoa we're just leaving Cuban out of this?

Whoa whoa whoa we're just leaving Cuban out of this?

yeah, he's made one hell of a heel turn over the last ~10+ years.

Brian Geltzeiler @BGeltzNBA
It was just pointed out to me that by trading for a 2029 1st round pick, the Nets ostensibly got a 13 year old as part of their return for Irving

Even ignoring the Irving factor, just from a talent on the floor perspective, it doesn't seem like Irving and Luka are all that synergistic.

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a running mate for Luka who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be valuable?

I think so far in Luka's career, he's had the most synergy with Brunson and Dinwiddie. Kyrie is sort of a better version of those guys (on offense, significantly worse on defense). It kind of makes sense on the court to me.

This is better than the Lakers deal, I think, and gives them a slightly better chance on trying to convince KD not to demand a trade again. But I bet KD demands a trade after the season again.

Is it? I mean, it's better players. That's not really what the Nets should care about tho.

I'm of the opinion that "What if Dirk Nowitzki turned out to be a bust?" is one of the more interesting what ifs in NBA history, mainly because a surprising amount of Cuban's reputation depends on that not happening.

I hate this deal for the Mavs.

I don't mind it so much on the court. Against high level defense you need more than 1 guy who can dribble and Dinwiddie isn't good enough to count for this. But Kyrie can't help himself. I don't know that I think he's a bad person, but he just can't help himself. He's not a stable human being.

Nets would do well to tear it down, but won't. But I'd be inclined to deal everyone but Simmons that you can get positive value for. Then try to rehab Simmons' value and deal him next year. I don't blame them for doing this. Every franchise would have given the keys to Kyrie and Durant. Harden deal I think I was a bit critical of, but they were clearly the best team in the NBA that year. It just didn't work, and it's time to rebuild.

I think Cuban's rep is mostly around him seeming like a young, more in touch, more progressive owner than a bunch of old white #######. I think between letting Nash go, the Dampier contract, and many more things they don't seem to really know what they're doing.

Aside from basketball ops, where Dallas has been consistently good for almost 20 years, the Mavs are an excellently run organization just from the perspective of getting basics of sports management right. They do a great job selling tickets, taking care of fans and improving the season ticket holder experience.

I don't care for the frat bro culture, but Cuban is still among the better NBA owners. There are so, so many shitty owners.

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a running mate for Luka who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be valuable?


Problem with this is that you really can't be a star level player if you're not good at having the ball in your hands. So there is inevitably going to be overlap on top teams.

I’m not sure this even moves the needle for me thinking about Dallas in the playoffs? Do they employ a wing defender?


Reggie Bullock's pretty good. I don't watch enough to know if Josh Green is good defensively, but he seems like he probably is ready for a bigger role, which this consolidation does.

There is obviously considerable skill overlap with Doncic and Irving, but that was also true to a significant degree with James and Irving. The best guy to pair with Doncic among Top-20 players would probably be Davis, but that is a non-starter at the moment.

So, as usual I am kind of a defender of on-court Irving. Off-court Irving--different story and obviously those issues would affect extending him, and beyond that, he misses time in general. But I am not as down on this for Dallas as some here appear to be.

Yes and no.

If his cap hold expires, the Lakers would be a cap space team, but only with approx 30mm of space, not 48

I do not think that Pelinka will do anything major before the deadline. Nunn/Hachimura was a reasonable move to balance the roster. The vibe/rumors have been that Pelinka wants to try to bring in Lillard, Beal, or LaVine during the off-season once Westbrook is off the books and that he has been trying to sell James and Davis on that. Of course, with Irving back in the West, James will have plenty to say the next few days, I am sure.

Aside from basketball ops, where Dallas has been consistently good for almost 20 years, the Mavs are an excellently run organization just from the perspective of getting basics of sports management right. They do a great job selling tickets, taking care of fans and improving the season ticket holder experience.

ehhhhh...

Interviews with more than a dozen former and current Mavericks employees in different departments, conducted during a months-long SPORTS ILLUSTRATED investigation, paint a picture of a corporate culture rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior: alleged public fondling by the team president; outright domestic assault by a high-profile member of the Mavs.com staff; unsupportive or even intimidating responses from superiors who heard complaints of inappropriate behavior from their employees; even an employee who openly watched pornography at his desk

I think Cuban's rep is mostly around him seeming like a young, more in touch, more progressive owner than a bunch of old white #######. I think between letting Nash go, the Dampier contract, and many more things they don't seem to really know what they're doing.

when he first bought the mavs, he installed lazyboy recliners and LED televisions in the locker room. how can anyone hate on that?

then, he made buying the cubs his white whale, only to get blackballed by bud selig because that cryptkeeping used car salesman didn't want that kind of free spending owner in his ownership ranks. again, how could anyone hate on that?

it wasn't just 'teh feels' that made people like cuban. he was a fan who wore his heart on his sleeve, and he was doing what any other fan would have wanted to do if they had backslid into billions of dollars.


but then, to paraphrase jefferson: anyone who isn't liberal at 20 lacks heart; anyone who isn't conservative at 40 lacks a viagra prescription.

Is it? I mean, it's better players. That's not really what the Nets should care about tho.

It absolutely is what should they care about. They have KD now. They should be doing everything they can to keep him and win, in that order. It's insane to me to suggest a team with KD should want to stockpile picks 5+ years away. I've always pushed back on the championship or bust extreme viewpoint, and this is just way too far.

Now, it's very possible that KD was already going to want out. And if the Nets knew that, then maybe that changes their calculus a bit. Even then, I still say this deal is better than the Lakers one - and not just I don't believe that the Lakers will consistently be bad enough to make those lottery tickets that valuable - I would still rather have Dinwiddie/DFS on their deals that Russ on his.

It absolutely is what should they care about. They have KD now. They should be doing everything they can to keep him and win, in that order. It's insane to me to suggest a team with KD should want to stockpile picks 5+ years away. I've always pushed back on the championship or bust extreme viewpoint, and this is just way too far.

KD is 34 years old, and has averaged playing 61% of his team's games over the last three years. That's not even counting the year he completely missed.

He averages 50 games a year. You simply cannot build a contender around the idea that Kevin Durant is the sole star. This fantasy that you'll somehow make a run with just KD from the bottom half of the bracket is just that: a fantasy.

Now, it's very possible that KD was already going to want out.

This is the other part of it. Durant already asked for a trade. Why would he want to stay? To play with Spencer Dinwiddie and Ben Simmons?

I'm with Moses, I don't see it as any sort of fait accompli that Brooklyn should tear it down. They still have an ok roster around an MVP candidate who is under contract for several seasons yet. If it goes to #### over the rest of the season they can still trade KD with three more years on his contract this offseason. Unless KD is willing to blow up things like Kyrie in a way he hasn't so far, I don't think there's any way they don't at least play out the season with him. (It is, of course, as we've all gestured at variously, intensely interesting but unknowable where KD is about the Kyrie situation.) The Nets have some extra picks, are they done trading? Unless the goal is 100% championship or bust, why not see how good you can be around KD for now, knowing that you can still flip him in a half year or year if it doesn't work?

I don't have a problem with trying to win with injury prone KD. The issue is that their 2nd best player would be the worst 2nd best player to win a title in NBA history. Their 3rd best player would be the worst 3rd best player to win a title in NBA history. Their 4th best player...

And then they have no draft capital to make moves. They don't have cap space. I guess pitch me a trade that gets them another star that can get them back to contender status. Maybe you can squint and say a deal of a few of their good role players for Ayton and Paul could have them dangerous this year. But I don't think so. Not to beat 2 of Philly, Milwaukee, Boston. Hell, they may have to beat all 3 of those teams.

Watching what the Nets will do over the next few days will be interesting. Obviously, there's the KD situation, but beyond that, will Finney-Smith take Royce O'Neale's minutes? Will one of them get traded before the deadline for more shooting?

Brooklyn is one team I could see try to get Nikola Vučević, though I don't get the sense the Bulls are trading him.

LeBron James @KingJames
Maybe It’s Me

It absolutely is what should they care about. They have KD now. They should be doing everything they can to keep him and win, in that order. It's insane to me to suggest a team with KD should want to stockpile picks 5+ years away. I've always pushed back on the championship or bust extreme viewpoint, and this is just way too far.

As a non-basketball fan, can someone explain why a 2029 1st is considered an important trade piece? I've always read that in the NFL, every year in the future makes the draft choice lose a round. For example, a 1st next year is considered equivalent value to a 2nd this year. So how can a draft pick in 6 years be worth much?

As a non-basketball fan, can someone explain why a 2029 1st is considered an important trade piece? I've always read that in the NFL, every year in the future makes the draft choice lose a round. For example, a 1st next year is considered equivalent value to a 2nd this year. So how can a draft pick in 6 years be worth much?


Others can maybe explain this better, but the value of picks in the NBA is very heavily weighted towards the top 1-4 picks, with each pick after 1 or 2 having a big drop in expected quality. So you want them further out, because it increases the variance and the likelihood you get that really high pick, since fortunes can change quickly.

In the NFL, it feels like you can get good productive players who can often help contribute pretty quickly with the first like 100 picks. The NBA is also much more of a star-driven game - having the best player on the court goes a much longer way to make you favored to win the game in the NBA vs. NFL. So if you're trading for first round picks, you want to maximize that.

Also, I feel like the "year further out, add a round" doesn't really make sense on its face - the #16 pick is the #16 regardless of year (excepting fluctuations in draft classes). I feel like the Patriots really exploited that during their dynasty. I feel like the only reason you're adding a round, or at least the main one, is it's a win now to save your job mentality, which creates big market inefficiencies if people are ready to exploit that.