2018-19 NBA Thread

That did not take long...

 

Well, that escalated quickly.

Great move for Dallas.

Great move for the Knicks if they can actually sign someone this offseason, when they can clear room for two max deals. The KD & Kyrie rumors will be crazy. They're the Knicks so I assume they'll screw it up.

This is going to be an all-time great offseason.

 

I love the Knicks going forward with the assumption max players will be lining up to take their money. Keep fucking that chicken, Mr. Dolan.

 

I always hear small-market teams have a hard time getting FAs - but it doesn't explain why so few go to New York or Atlanta. I'd stay away from the Knicks as long as Dolan is owner - his track record is terrible.

 

FAs don't have to go to NY to get paid. And, who needs the media aggravation?

 

People love to frame it as big-market versus small-market and it's not that at all. It's good organization versus bad organization -- and it helps a ton if the good organization is in a cool city.

The Knicks and Nets are in the biggest market and can't sign anyone. The Lakers were toxic for years -- LaMarcus Aldridge famously blew 'em off when he went to San Antonio -- and the Clippers have never attracted anyone. Chicago can't attract people. Atlanta can't.

Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City have had more success than those teams.

 

Market means next to nothing anymore. Miami and Orlando theoretically have a small advantage because no state income tax means more money for players.

The Bulls are fucked as long as the Reinsdorfs own the team, so forever basically.

 

The Knicks best chance at a marquee free agent like Durant was just keeping Porziņģis, which probably could have attracted one. Now, they're basically back to square one, because there isn't anyone else on that roster that you can even squint and go, "Well, he could be an All-NBA talent." The fact that the main return for this deal would be offloading some awful contracts suggests that this is more Dolan being awful and/or cheap, than a good, legitimate basketball deal.

ETA: Also, this is the worst timing possible to deal him, since he's injured. Contrast that with even the Pelicans, who are willing to at least play a bit of hardball with Davis, or the Spurs, who extracted an All-Star and an interesting young big for Leonard.

 

Porzingis wasn't going to attract a big FA if he was telling everyone he wanted to leave. Now, Durant can pick a running partner (Kyrie, Lillard), to go with Knox, Smith, 2 picks - 1 of them potentially very high, an extra pick in the future, and whoever among Robinson, Vonleh, Trier, Ntilikina, Mudiay, Dotson etc. could be a role player on a good team (I listed in order of likelihood IMO).

 

That's certainly what the Knicks are banking on and I can't blame them. It's probably their best hope.

They still need to convince people to sign for a team owned and operated by James Dolan. History would suggest that's going to be an uphill battle.

 

It depends on your definition of what a high pick is. Because I don't think either of them will be in the lottery