I mean they have to try and win games. Their long term future is gross. Conley gives them more defense (Russell is/was god awful) and they get him for another year.
NBA Trade Deadline Thread
- Thread starter moondog80
- Start date
Oh wow. This could be a thread. Using the Top 5FA signed by an organization, what is the worst team.
Control and economics make sense. The skillset is a fit too.
The thing with Conley is that he is old, injury prone and is showing signs of decline in a league that punishes players of his profile as they age. He is still a very good passer so maybe this unlocks more than just Edwards . But it feels more like hope than a strategy.
Counterpoint is that The Athletic's Zach Harper gives Tim Connelly an A minus for the trade. So maybe its a huge upgrade.
San Antonio has to be up there. They signed guys like Avery Johnson and Bruce Bowen but don’t think they’ve ever signed a marquee FA, unless you count an old Dominique.
Malik Rose was a good role player for them I believe he was a low-level FA signing early in his career.
The Lakers did fine because:
1. Westbrook stinks
2. They managed to protect their 1st round pick top 4
3. Their roster is so bad that DLo, Beasley, and Vanderbilt are somewhat useful
Given the options after the Kyrie trade, I would say it's a solid move for them but let's not pretend they got anyone particularly good.
1. Westbrook stinks
2. They managed to protect their 1st round pick top 4
3. Their roster is so bad that DLo, Beasley, and Vanderbilt are somewhat useful
Given the options after the Kyrie trade, I would say it's a solid move for them but let's not pretend they got anyone particularly good.
KOC is in love with himself and how smart he is. I'm sure he'll be on Simmons pod talking for 3 hours about this trade
Agreed, the hand wringing here is a bit much. It's not quite deck chairs on the titanic, but they need Lebron to stay motivated and productive and they need AD healthy and aggressive. Nothing that happened today changes that, at this point they'll be fortunate to finish 7th or 8th and get 2 shots at the play in. A significant chunk of their improvement today has to be addition by subtraction with Westbrook, but DAR is one of those guys who never seems like he'll be a useful piece on a good team.
I'm really curious to see how hard Lebron pushes himself now that he's got the record. It was baffling seeing him sit out at the end of what was a very important game for them.
Conley is also a great fit for MIN... yes he's getting old, but he's better than Russell, and more importantly he's an adult who can run an offense and lead a team that is loaded with fragile guys. I mean, their best run came because Pat Bev was a leader... and Pat Bev is a kinda terrible leader... but compared to the rest of the basketcases on that roster at least he wasn't scared of the moment.
The best thing the Lakers did today is figure out a way to play terrible players less often. This is certainly helpful, but also entirely self inflicted.
The guys they got are not that good, but have a pretty high WAPL (Wins Above Previous Laker)
View: https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1623560395557376002?s=20&t=cYctvsBn3oRd9CNxXZDToQ
Well, didn't see that coming.
*edit - Woj with some details:
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623560288170815494?s=20&t=cYctvsBn3oRd9CNxXZDToQ
Well, didn't see that coming.
*edit - Woj with some details:
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623560288170815494?s=20&t=cYctvsBn3oRd9CNxXZDToQ
Because of Pau Gasol's ugly face and Kobe Bryant's ugly soul, friend. And because Lakers fans. I have had a lot of bad nights because of the Lakers, one far worse than the others. Only the Heat come close.It amazes me how much hatred there is for the Lakers. I get it, they were a great and hated rival in the 80's. Why the need to hang on to that anger though? Let it go friends
And Magic Johnson's career still echoes in today's NBA, as Lebron James' contract can tell you.
Edit: holy fuck, Durant to Phoenix? For 4 firsts and a swap? Goddamn, Joseph Tsai settling all the family business. That deal is in-Tsain.
It would be more than a bit amusing if the Nets miss out on the next version of Brown/Tatum because they traded for less than one full season of Harden.
Counterpoint: LAL had exactly two bullets left in the chamber to improve around LBJ and AD and they just used one bullet on.... D'Angelo Russell. Those draft picks are some of the most prized assets in the trade market— and while LA did well to keep 1-4 protection on the one they dealt, they can't trade the "what if it turns out to be 1-4?" equity. It's off the market now.
I think if Westbrook hadn't forced the issue, they would have been better off dealing one or both of those picks for somebody who could conceivably be the 3rd banana on a contending team (or at least fringe contender).
I don't think those picks are anywhere near as prized as you think, they're valued the same as any other far future 1sts.
They got 3 legitimate NBA rotation players for Russ and one protected pick... that's really good. They weren't getting a star, with 2 picks and expiring, there just isn't the market.
On top of that, getting Russell back is actually big, because he's a much better use of a contract next offseason than Russ, the Lakers can't really afford to let that salary slot lapse, staying over the cap is more valuable.
I don't agree with the bolded— they still have one of the worst 5-10 year horizons in the league, even granting their satanic ability to attract marquee free agent talent — but the point about contracts is a good one.
Edit: this analysis by Zack Kram captures both sides of the argument pretty fairly:
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I think he’s overstating the difference between role players and better players who would still be role players on a LeBron/AD team. Russell has the offensive firepower to carry the team on nights he has it going as well which provides value as LeBron/AD get a night of lower usage. They didn’t have that with Schroder/Beverly.
Yes, that’s why this is a good play for them. Unlike others, I like this for Utah and Minnesota as well. The backstop on the draft pick is weak but sending a top four protected first would have fans around here screaming from the rooftops (just look at the response to last years trade!) Minnesota breaks up a useless tag team and snags some veteran leadership for basically nothing. They still aren’t good but that was due to previous moves not this one.
This appears to be an up-to-date summary of whose future picks are going where.
https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
I don’t know if we’ll look back on these heady days as the time when teams forgot about the value of draft picks, or the time when teams realized that when draftees are getting paid at age 22-23, picks outside the top 5 or so don’t really matter.
https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
I don’t know if we’ll look back on these heady days as the time when teams forgot about the value of draft picks, or the time when teams realized that when draftees are getting paid at age 22-23, picks outside the top 5 or so don’t really matter.
Minnesota needs to change the locks on Connelly's doors.
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/JPrice_25/status/1623513225794064384
View: https://mobile.twitter.com/JPrice_25/status/1623513225794064384
To be fair Connelly had nothing to do with the Wiggins and Kuminga part of this
Have we discussed the Poeltl deal? What is up with Toronto? They trying to compete this year or do they just like Poeltl?
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623560288170815494?s=46&t=oslZ3O-CoMyxeh9p0axE2A
View: https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623560288170815494?s=46&t=oslZ3O-CoMyxeh9p0axE2A
When Ant leaves for a big market they are done for a decade or more. And they aren’t good enough now.
I think the calculus is basically this: they nearly have a top-ten offense, but their defense is thoroughly mediocre for a team that's stacked with long, athletic defenders. Basically they have no one who is a dedicated and good rim protector. Poeltl gives them a guy who can protect the rim while the long, young guys run around harassing ballhandlers and wings.
It's a good bet to make them more competitive, and if they resign him, they have a nice defensive centerpiece for the future.
They were already underperforming their NRTG, fwiw (theirs is .8+, good for 13th in the league).
Well no exclusive rights since he's a UFA and an extension makes no sense for him, but yeah they did it for his Bird rights. They badly need a C going forward, they like him, he was there before, and they have no real avenue to cap space so they have to trade for him to offer a deal.
And Utah and Portland seemingly tanking. Unless OKC steps up big and Wolves hold on they are going to at least get 10 seed. Barring an injury to one or both of the two big guns of course.
Robb is reporting that TOR's 1R pick is protected 1-6 and that Cs offered Gallo, PP, and multiple 2nd round picks, which was turned down: https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/02/spurs-declined-celtics-trade-offer-for-jakob-poeltl-that-included-second-round-picks-players.html.
At that price, I guess TOR really has to re-sign Poeltl. That puts him in the driver's seat.
It'd be malpractice if they weren't. In no world should next year's 9th man (at best) who hasn't played a single minute for the team be untouchable when they are a legit title contender now.
That’s gotta be frustrating to Pritchard. Let’s see if his agent is worth a damn and gets a deal done at a place where he can get minutes.
Gallo + PP to the Pistons for Burks could make some sense.
With Cade out, they're playing CoJo significant minutes, & he doesn't seem like a particular fit in their long-term plans.