NBA off-season changes

[CanadianSteve]

What changes, free agent signings, etc., do you foresee for your team? There should be some interesting signings and trades this off-season.

I suppose Kobe is the biggest name free agent, but his court case has to be dealt with first.

My Raptors need a big man, and maybe a point guard, but first they have to hire a new General Manager.

 

[El Coconuto]

Ok, now I've been saying this about my team for the better part of the last year. We need to trade Tracy McGrady whilst he's still on contract. We can't afford to make the same mistake we did with Shaq and just let him leave as a free agent. We need some form of return. Tracy has said he's 90% sure of what he wants to do and has expressed that he would be interested in playing for the Los Angelas Laker (may he burn in the depths of hell if he goes there) or the San Antonio Spurs. Add to that, the fact that he has stated he won't stick around for the rebuilding process and I don't think we have a choice.

In my opinion, we take Emeka Okafor in the draft and trade Tracy McGrady for either Ray Allen or Steve Francis (both of whom have expressed interest in the trade).

Wouldn't it make more sense for us to just trade for Kobe knowing he doesn't want to stay in LA?

 

[thewizard1o1]

I Nuggets are in pretty good shape, Camby looks like comming back and after the season he had last year that is a good thing. We will look to draft a player who can come in and play straight away at the 4. In the FA market we will be after a 2 to take over from VO, maybe Q Rich or Ginobili, but i doubt Kiki will be overpaying them.

We already have a good young core with Miller, Melo, Nene. And i hope Skita can come on even more with another off season under his belt(just has no confidence at all at the moment).

I doubt Kobe will be interested in Denver with the troubles he has had in the area.

 

[thewizard1o1]

El C and others take a look at this....

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/sportstoryS0602MAGIC.htm

Like any of them?

 

[raz]

i want him to end up with the spurs to deny the lakers more championships

 

[half]

i don't think miami will be able to do anything until jones and grant come off contract. oooh well

 

[CanadianSteve]

I was interested in ther first part of the Florida today article:

The top overall pick in the NBA Draft has been traded just twice in the 19 years since the lottery was started to determine the draft order. Pat Williams, now the senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, was in the middle of both of those controversial moves.

In 1986, Williams was general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, and he made the final call on a trade that sent Brad Daugherty to Cleveland for Roy Hinson and $700,000. Good for Williams he was off to Orlando a day later to start up the expansion Magic because that trade proved to be disastrous for the Sixers.

"We had the best record in the NBA from 1976 to '86, we won an NBA championship and we made it to several finals," Williams joked, "and to this day the question I still get when I go back to Philadelphia is, 'What were you guys thinking with that trade?' "

Williams was with the Magic in 1993, the year Orlando sent the top overall pick (Chris Webber) to Golden State for the No. 3 pick (Penny Hardaway) and three future first-rounders. Williams said fans still argue with him that the Magic made the wrong move that night.

The trade of the pick that became Brad Daugherty for Roy Hinson was a disaster. The Sixers could have had a front line of Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and a young Daugherty. They still had bobby Jones and Dr. J then. They would have remained an Eastern power to rival the Celtics in the later 80s, instead of falling behind as they did.

The other move, trading Webber to get Penny, I think was pretty good. Penny was a star right away, one of the best players in the late 90s before he got hurt. If the Magic could have kept Shaq and Penny stay heathy, they could have been a great team for a long time.

 

[Sportsjock]

I think Kobe might leave LA , and the team being spoken about is actually Denver ( ironically )

I'd love to see Isiah Thomas in the front office of the Knicks do some more major wheeling and dealing to get Kobe into a Knicks #8 jersey.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I dont really have a set team...i just support certain players... I used to be a HUGE Golden State Warriors fan back in the days of Tim Hardaway, Latrell Sprewell, Chris Webber, Chris Mullin etc. With Hardaway being my fav. First Webber and Owens get traded for Tom Gugilotta and someone else from Miami....then my fav Hardaway goes to Miami..SO i start supporting them then he leaves lol...With poor old Zo having to retire. Im getting back into supporting the Heat now cos of Wade..that kid's amazing!!! pity they got eliminated by the Pacers...but the experience will do him well. I also like the Raptors cos of Vince...and the Pistons are really starting to grow on me after these playoffs....RIP!

So yeah Orlando's got the first pic with Clippers #2. Im in agreeance with coconuto up there...they need to get rid of McGrady..the guys a cancer to the team..his ego is even bigger than Kobe's ...and thats saying something.

 

[thewizard1o1]

The Kobe to Denver rumors were pretty big about 2-3 months ago but have died down quite a bit since then...

 

[El Coconuto]

Assuming all our stars had've stayed healthy, and we were able to hold onto them our starting lineup would've been:

PG. Penny Hardaway
SG. Tracy Mgrady
SF. Grant Hill
PF. Ben Wallace
C. Shaquille O'neal

Man, we could've had a good team. Bah! :twisted: I should consider applying for the gm job in Orlando 8)

And wizard thanks for that link, I thought it was very interesting. I would look at these options, if any:

The deal: Orlando's No. 1 pick to Memphis for center Pau Gasol.

The deal: Orlando's No. 1 pick and Juwan Howard to Chicago for center Tyson Chandler and point guard Kirk Hinrich.

Then again, there's bound to be more available on the market. We'll see how it pans out.

 

[thewizard1o1]

EL C if the Magic still had Shaq and Penny they wouldn't have been able to Sign either Hill nor McGrady(No Cap room). Also wasn't Wallace part of the deal that brought Hill to Orlando?

 

[CanadianSteve]

True, wizard. I was about to say all that till I read your post. It's a nice dream team to think about though El C.

 

[CanadianSteve]

True, wizard. I was about to say all that till I read your post. It's a nice dream team to think about though El C.

 

[thewizard1o1]

Then again, there's bound to be more available on the market. We'll see how it pans out.

I still see Houston as the most likely place for McGrady to be traded too, maybe something like Francis/Jackson and Badiana for tmac would be a pretty good deal value wise for Orlando.
[/quote]

 

[El Coconuto]

Most likely, but not most convenient...