2020-2021 NBA Regular Season thread

Other moves so far, per ESPN:

- Aaron Gordon is (reportedly) finally free from the Magic, going with Gary Clark to Denver, for a protected first round pick, Gary Harris and R.J. Hampton. Seems like a fair swap for both sides - Gordon has tons of potential, but never really seemed to hit it in Orlando, with coaches there continually changing his position and playing time. Magic got enough interesting stuff coming back. For Denver, Gordon seems like he has the length and quickness to match-up with some of the wings they'll meet in the playoffs.

- Also Orlando: Evan Fournier to the Celtics for a pair of second round picks. Fournier is in the final year of his contract, so it is essentially a rental for Boston. I don't think Fournier is awesome or anything, but he does provide some scoring punch that Boston has been missing in their second unit. It's fine, but probably short of what Ainge was hoping to do with the huge trade exception.

- Raptors trade Norman Powell to the Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. I'm guessing one or both of the Trent / Hood deals end before Powell's, and as a result the Raptors get some cap relief and the Blazers get a marginally better player.

- Sixers, Thunder and Knicks all swap some junk around. The Sixers end up with George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis, the Knicks get Terrence Ferguson, and the Thunder get junk and picks (Austin Rivers, Tony Bradley, two 2nds). Hill seems like a nice guy to have for the playoffs.

- Detroit ships out Delon Wright to the Kings for Cory Joseph and two second round picks. Wright can play a bit more than Joseph (outside of Toronto), but both these teams suck so I don't care do u.

- Nuggets acquire JAVALE MCGEE in return for Isaiah Hartenstein (to make the salaries work), and two second round picks. (McGee was playing for Cleveland, if you want to do some midseason Who He Play For?) Depth move, fine price, nothing to see here.

- Kings send Nemanja Bjelica to the Heat, for Maurice Harkless and Chris Silva. Your shit for my shit swap.

- Same thing with the Bulls sending Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison to the Wizards for Troy Brown Jr. and Moritz Wagner.

 

OPJ is an expiring contract, and WCJ has NEVER been healthy and was benched when he was healthy. And the picks will be protected if they win the lottery and at least 10th this year if they don't. I don't think the Bulls gave up all that much for someone who's averaging 24-10. No Bull has ever averaged that in a season.

 

How many Garys are there in the NBA and did they all get traded today?

 

I don't think OPJ has value, yeah, but even if he and WCJ are a zero, I think the picks are a good amount to give up.

 

If either of the picks (all but certain to be lower than 10 unless the Bulls go in the shitter in two years) ends up being close to as good as Vucevic, I'll be floored. They'll be cheaper than him for a few years, so at least there's that.

 

I think the Celtics have Fournier's Bird rights, FWIW.

I love that you typed JAVALE MCGEE.

Time to hear about all the "almost" trades the Celtics would have made

 

Oladipo to the Heat.

 

Worst kept secret was that he wanted to go there badly. Initial report is Avery Bradley, Kelly Oleynick and a draft swap are going to Houston. As a Celtics fan now living in Houston, what a delight for me to be able to root on two of their legends!

 

Is there a WNBA player could make an NBA roster without reference to putting a woman on an NBA team?

 

Are you drunk?

 

Why do you do this?

 

The real parts of the NBA season (in normal years)
Pre-season (all games played before Christmas)
Disgruntlement season (when players and coaches get shipped out)
Load management season (when players develop "injuries" once their playoff spot is assured).
The Playoffs.