NBA Off-Season

Hearing about "sought-after" FA wing players who come off the bench and provide "valuable minutes" makes me laugh. People think their middle of the pack team will be vaulted to title contention because a top team has a guy come off the bench and score 10-15 points in a crucial playoff game doesn't mean he can take your sorry-ass team to the playoffs.

 

After passing on Jaden Ivey

 

The Kings are one of those teams an agent uses to say, "Well, the Kings really want this guy, you're going to have to up your offer." The Kings believe they really have a chance and get excited, only to find out they never really had a shot. Again.

 

kings do kingly things

 

Trevor Ariza, for 34 straight years, seems to have been sought after as if he were the Ark of the Covenant. For what reason, I’ve never understood.

 

I actually love those types of NBA players - journeymen who come up big in the post-season - they are players you want to grab for a playoff run at the trade deadline, not sign to a four-year deal. See also, the Lefty-One-Out-GuY in baseball.

 

Ariza is one of those long wings who can hit a 3, who seemingly now play until their late 30s. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the version of this player would be a rugged PF who could hit an 18-footer, like Charles Oakley or Antonio Davis. Ariza, Iggy, probably another couple guys I'm forgetting - they can still come in for five to 10 minutes and not embarrass themselves.

Overnight news... The Mitten (Payton II) is headed to Portland for 3 years, $28M. Seems slightly rich to me, but with his defensive skill, he's always going to have value in a trade.

Booker, Morant, Jokic, Beal and KAT all signed max or near-max extensions.

Lakers sign Lonnie Walker IV for their $6.5M midlevel.

 

Lillard, Simons, Payton, Hart, Nurkic, Sharpe, Grant. They could use some bigs.

 

I prefer the Heat’s method of developing these guys off the bargain bin in the D-League and then flipping them for real assets or letting them walk when they get expensive.

Too bad they didn’t do that with Duncan Robinson…

 

Ariza also has a very movable contract
He was a Piston for about 10 minutes a couple of years ago

 

It was his wife

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