2021-22 NBA Off-season Thread

cheech13

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Is Paul George thinking about moving if hes looking at waiting until he is 32 to play again with 32 year old Kawhi?
Not sure it matters since he’s under contract for four more years and can’t even be traded until December anyways.
 

ElUno20

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Not sure it matters since he’s under contract for four more years and can’t even be traded until December anyways.
Yeah they'll give it 1 more run. But i dont trust Kawhi's health at all. This was the year for the title and it slipped away.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Could Ben Simmons counter by demanding a trade to specific teams? Not sure he has that kind of pull.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Could Ben Simmons counter by demanding a trade to specific teams? Not sure he has that kind of pull.
Ask yourself.....does Rich Paul have that kind of pull?

I’m sure there are limitations since Simmons is now viewed by many as a reclamation project and/or a player who has regressed but I’m sure Paul is able to pick and choose the teams he’s negotiating deals with.
 

lexrageorge

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Ask yourself.....does Rich Paul have that kind of pull?

I’m sure there are limitations since Simmons is now viewed by many as a reclamation project and/or a player who has regressed but I’m sure Paul is able to pick and choose the teams he’s negotiating deals with.
I don't see how Rich Paul can counter the rather negative view that many GMs would have about Ben Simmons' game. The player matters; so does the agent, but the agent's impact is going to be on the margins.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I don't see how Rich Paul can counter the rather negative view that many GMs would have about Ben Simmons' game. The player matters; so does the agent, but the agent's impact is going to be on the margins.
When it comes to trades and a player looking to move to as advantageous destination as possible with the team on the same mindset the agent is the one actively working the GM’s looking to get deals done that fit the Sixers parameters. I want the most connected agent in the game being the guy on the phones/texts.
 

chilidawg

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I don't see how Rich Paul can counter the rather negative view that many GMs would have about Ben Simmons' game. The player matters; so does the agent, but the agent's impact is going to be on the margins.
Do GM's really view him that negatively? I know SOSH and the media do, but is there anything beyond rumor stage that GM's feel that way?
 

terrynever

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Leigh Montville’s new book about the 1969 Celtics-Lakers championship series is now available. Leigh writes it from the perspective of his 25-year-old self, Celtics beat writer, but of course the book captures every odd detail Leigh could see that other scribes never thought about. Plus, it’s the last title for Bill Russell, his last battle against Wilt, and so much more.

View: https://www.amazon.com/Tall-Men-Short-Shorts-Reporter/dp/0385545193/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13WEIG8LDT71C&dchild=1&keywords=leigh+montville&qid=1626306594&s=books&sprefix=Leigh%2Cstripbooks%2C164&sr=1-1
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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If the Blazers are trying to get Lillard to force a trade, they seem to be doing a great job. Olshey ramming this through and telling people to effectively "deal with it" might have worked 20 years ago. Not now it seems.
 

HomeRunBaker

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If the Blazers are trying to get Lillard to force a trade, they seem to be doing a great job. Olshey ramming this through and telling people to effectively "deal with it" might have worked 20 years ago. Not now it seems.
This story is either going to go fade away and Billups will be ok or it will gain momentum and the Blazers will be forced to terminate him. There is no middle ground on this one. The next week is going to be interesting.
 

Swedgin

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This story is either going to go fade away and Billups will be ok or it will gain momentum and the Blazers will be forced to terminate him. There is no middle ground on this one. The next week is going to be interesting.
While not exactly a middle ground, there is the just wait it out approach. Eventually new revelations stop and the story dies out. It does not go away, but it becomes "baked in the cake." See Cuomo or Ralph Northam.

The key differences between those politicians and Billups 1) no one had with the ability to fire those guys/they had to take themselves out and 2) Portland has to be responsive to advertisers/sponsors.
 

TripleOT

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Unless Jane Doe steps up to add more fuel to this, Billups should survive it. The prosecutor is on record saying he believes Billups and that Billups did not rape Jane Doe. Doe and her attorney may not be commenting due to terms of the settlement agreement. Billups will eventually have to do a press conference and elaborate on the specifics of the incident, and make his case of his innocence in the court of public opinion.

A multi billion dollar corporation saying “We’re not going to discuss this anymore” isn’t going to quell this controversy.
 

Cesar Crespo

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How could they even hire Billups? We were all discussing how it wouldn't fly in Boston. Why would it fly anywhere?

I'm also surprised Antoine didn't comment. He sued Mercer and Billups over this.
 

HomeRunBaker

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How could they even hire Billups? We were all discussing how it wouldn't fly in Boston. Why would it fly anywhere?
1. No charges agaiant Billups.
2. No evidence against Billups.
3. The prosecutor even said he believes Billups.
4. No other history (that I know of) of any other incident to show this is his character.

Yet he should be barred from working ever again?

What a country!!
 
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cheech13

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The thing about Billups is that it isn’t a new story. It was news when it happened in 1997 and nothing additional has really come to light since. He had an entire NBA career, broadcasting roles and a job as an Assistant Coach. Why is it now supposed to preclude him from getting work?
 

HowBoutDemSox

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I think the angle getting more play right now is that the Blazers claim to have done a thorough and professional diligence on the situation but didn’t contact the accuser or her attorneys. That makes the organization look bad, as if they were sweeping it under the rug despite claiming to have taken it seriously, especially with their lack of transparency about their process, what it entailed, who conducted it, what information did they seek beyond what’s in the public record, what their specific finding were, who they talked to, how long it lasted, etc. And that lack of real process and transparency makes it harder to pass any king of judgment on Billups one way or the other, but the default inference is to be skeptical of the side that says “nothing to see here!” but isn’t being terribly forthcoming on why we should believe them, despite that side holding all the cards.
 

TheRooster

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Is a private firm contacting the accuser in a situation like this common? Per the previous post, over 20+ years no one else found him un-hireable and now the Blazers are supposed to dive into allegations the authorities chose not to act on?
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Is a private firm contacting the accuser in a situation like this common? Per the previous post, over 20+ years no one else found him un-hireable and now the Blazers are supposed to dive into allegations the authorities chose not to act on?
If they had said “these are 20+ years old allegations that did not result in criminal charges at the time, we see no reason to reopen that past chapter” then, well, ok, that would have been one thing. We could judge them on how we feel about that approach, I’m sure people will have different reactions.

But they didn’t say that. They claimed to have done a full independent investigation:
“With Chauncey’s support, his encouragement, we not only conducted our traditional background check after offering him the position, we also commissioned an independent investigation into the incident in question in 1997,” Olshey said. “The findings of that incident corroborated Chauncey’s recollection of the events, that nothing non-consensual happened. We stand by Chauncey.”

Who conducted the investigation? Whom did they talk to? What information was gathered to reach that conclusion?

“You’re just going to have to take our word that we hired an experienced firm that ran an investigation that gave us the results we’ve already discussed,” said Olshey, who called the answers to those questions “proprietary.”
So the “it happened 20+ years ago” isn’t their defense here.

I don’t do these kind of investigations so I can’t comment on if contacting the accuser is standard, but I’d be shocked if it wasn’t standard for someone actually trying to ascertain the truth of a situation (especially when they supposedly have Billups’ support for the investigation, so any NDA from a civil settlement wouldn’t be an issue). But more to the point, their lack of transparency is again working against them. If it’s not standard, just say they didn’t because it’s not standard, and then professionals in that field can chime in and comment. But by not giving any indication of what they did or didn’t do, and then bad facts for the thoroughness of the investigation come out, it makes me less inclined to believe them or take their position as made in good faith.
 

djbayko

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Is a private firm contacting the accuser in a situation like this common? Per the previous post, over 20+ years no one else found him un-hireable and now the Blazers are supposed to dive into allegations the authorities chose not to act on?
Yeah, it seems like this could cause more harm than good - including for the alleged victim, who may or may not have spent the last 24 years trying to forget the whole ordeal. Why should she have to be put through it again just because some team wants to?

While it is possible that the Blazers barely investigated, or didn't at all, I'm not sold on the idea that digging up a few related parties they didn't contact really proves anything. Who DID they contact and what did they have to offer? Of course, we can't know that because the Blazers aren't talking.
 

cheech13

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Not saying the Blazers did or did not act appropriately, but the local media has the knives out for Olshey and will leave no stone unturned if it makes him look bad. At this point I’d be surprised if he made it through the season as GM.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Wait! This is real? Someone please tell me that this is from The Onion so I can believe in humanity again.
 

128

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Wait! This is real? Someone please tell me that this is from The Onion so I can believe in humanity again.
I'm starting to get the trainwreck-unfolding-in-slow-motion vibe from the Billups saga in Portland.
 

Cellar-Door

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Is a private firm contacting the accuser in a situation like this common? Per the previous post, over 20+ years no one else found him un-hireable and now the Blazers are supposed to dive into allegations the authorities chose not to act on?
If you're investigating a sexual assault allegation in which there was a settlement out of court and you don't contact the lawyers for the accuser you aren't doing an investigation.
The Blazers could have gone 5 paths on this:
1. said "he was never charged, he hasn't been accused since, we chose to hire him"
2. Say, we were aware of the settlement and accusations, we were still comfortable based on what we knew too hire him anyway
3. Do a thorough investigation, and based on that hire him or not
4. Tell the truth "we don't give a shit if he's a rapist he's famous and Olshey's pick.
5. What they did, pay a guy so they could say they did an investigation, but then not really do a real investigation.

They chose 5, and are rightly getting roasted for it.
 

BigSoxFan

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He has almost 150k followers. Not on the Woj/Shams level, but still an insider.
Sounds good. Seems to be some real smoke here given the Billups fiasco. Going to be very interesting to see what happens. Sure Philly will be coming hard with a Simmons package.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Henry Abbott is reporting that Damian Lillard will be requesting a trade in the coming days.

https://www.truehoop.com/p/about-that-time
Ok so Lillard is now a Sixer. What do the Sixers include with Simmons......Seth Curry and a couple 1st rounders?

This is actually intriguing to the Blazers with Simons getting a larger role while adding another shooter who would seem to lose his minutes in Philly with Lillard there.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Lillard is not a Sixer. He is a Blazer. There have been reports in our local news that the Warriors will pursue Lillard if he becomes available. If that is true - and you have to believe there will be other compelling packages from other teams - Lillard is nowhere near a Sixer.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Lillard is not a Sixer. He is a Blazer. There have been reports in our local news that the Warriors will pursue Lillard if he becomes available. If that is true - and you have to believe there will be other compelling packages from other teams - Lillard is nowhere near a Sixer.
The Warriors have 7 & 14 along with Wiseman. Is that enough to offset 4 years control of a 25-yr old All-Star? I’d love to get Jaden Springer at 14 if I’m the Blazers though.
 

cheech13

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Ok so Lillard is now a Sixer. What do the Sixers include with Simmons......Seth Curry and a couple 1st rounders?

This is actually intriguing to the Blazers with Simons getting a larger role while adding another shooter who would seem to lose his minutes in Philly with Lillard there.
Sixers would have to offer Simmons, Maxey, Thybulle and multiple first round picks. Still think the Warriors could beat that package.
 

Kliq

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Haha, Dame on the Warriors would be so glorious. I'd love to see it; they would be so gimmicky but in such a delightful way. Imagine the defense having to guard two guys basically anytime they are inside half-court? Steph warps defenses on his own, throw in Dame and Klay might make 60% of this threes.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The Warriors have 7 & 14 along with Wiseman. Is that enough to offset 4 years control of a 25-yr old All-Star? I’d love to get Jaden Springer at 14 if I’m the Blazers though.
You and many others have been rightly focused on a swap between the 76ers and Blazers. It makes a lot of sense for both sides though I don't think people understand how much Lillard means in Portland. Simmons, with all of his flaws, would not be going to the most ideal situation and that may be a factor. Frankly, if Portland were taking the long view - and I am not sure I want Olshey making this trade if I own that team - they are probably better off getting a package of picks and younger players versus trying to retool on the fly. They will have a difficult time replacing Lillard's production and its not clear what the end goal is even if they get close.
 

Dduncan6er

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If the Sixers wouldn't give up Maxey in a deal for Harden, why would he be on the table for a deal for Lillard? Is it just to make it easier to move Simmons?
 

Cellar-Door

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It is amazing to me that the Blazers didn't fire Olshey, just baffling. He's not a particularly good GM, and the idea that you come out of this season and let him declare it a coach problem when Dame has been dropping hints for weeks that the roster has consistently been not good enough (it hasn't been) is wild. Now you have Olshey claiming the roster is good, hiring his guy for coach despite bad PR, botching the PR as badly as possible, doubling down on how everyone should just trust him based on his decades of mediocrity.... just dumb.
 

PedroKsBambino

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He would be a great fit on MIA.


Herro, sign and traded Robinson, Achiuwa, Iguodala (to make the money work), picks
Reasonable offer, though if I am Olshey I have to figure out whether I'm in full rebuild mode or trying to semi-compete after the trade. This is a good example of a "play it halfway" trade that I don't think is wise (they should probably blow it up if they trade Dame unless it's for a Simmons-type) but is definitely possible. I guess if there are enough picks in it you are also getting rebuild potential, though from Miami's perspective that starts to be a big price