NBA Off-Season / Summer 2010

[Tiger Hawk]

Yeah I remember reading something about that a while ago as well. Whilst you could somewhat justify waiting to offer KD a new contract after the new CBA - obviously makes sense financially - not sure you really want to risk ticking off your marquee player if you're Sam Presti just to save a few bob. Durant said last week he was looking forward to signing the extension this summer so he clearly wants to get it done and dusted.

Jeff Green on the other hand, well he's a nice player but you can live with ticking him off.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

Arenas to the Magic?

A person with knowledge of the Magic’s plans said a trade for Gilbert Arenas, the one-time superstar whose reputation took a massive hit with his gun suspension last season, remains a “definite possibility.” Smith has a good relationship with Arenas, but a stumbling block could be the fact that Howard has questions about whether Arenas would fit in. If Howard gets the answers he’s looking for, there could be legs to the Arenas-to-Orlando scenario.

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/22848009?source=rss_blogs_NBA

 

[Big Mick]

That'd be great for the Magic.

Say what you want about Arenas, he is a decent young player and will mesh well with that Magic team and could be their missing link.

I'd rather go to the Bulls considering the pieces they already have.

Think about it, you already have Rose, Noah and Deng while Deng isn't a world beater he is already decent.

Stephen A Smith said today that James and Bosh were a done deal in Miami...yeah that's a great fit. I don't see it. I don't see James not being the #1 shooting option in Miami and with that I don't think he'll go there.

I think Miami end up with Bosh and Joe Johnson.

I'd like Chicago to get James and Stoudamire and sign J.J. Redick on a MLE.

What a team that'd be then!

C - Noah
PF - Stoudamire
SF - James
PG - Rose
SG - Reddick
6th Man - Deng - In the mould of Glen Davis / Lamar Odem

Then get 1 or 2 more little pieces to play off the bench...maybe a Nathan Jawai or even someone like a Pat Mills to back up Rose who is a similar player...high energy speedy guard who can make plays. While it seems like I just want Aussies with them because that'd be awesome for them, it'd be great for that team as they would be great compliments for the players there.

 

[ByRd]

If Arenas does go to the Magic, i think it would be for Carter/Nelson, i like Arenas as a player and if he can stay on the court, then the best is yet to come.

Also, i cant see Wade/James/Bosh all on the same team, there are so many things flying around so we just gotta wait and see what happens.

 

[McLovin]

edit lol

 

[Tiger Hawk]

The issue with Arenas isn't so much about his gun suspension, it's about him clearly not being the player he once was pre his numerous injuries. I don't believe he's worth both Nelson and Carter.

 

[Special K]

He is not worth Nelson (cheapish contract) let alone Nelson AND Carter... Carters expiring deal could come in handy at the deadline or they could keep it and get some room to breath under the lux tax. Arenas was one of my favs but I just don't like the fit in Orlando nor does it make any sense. His contract is terrible and that was before the gun incident. I really don't see how they can turn a negative asset into a positive asset.

Also no way Reddick gets the whole MLE.

 

[Ridders]

I'm not sure whether Reddick is worth the full MLE, but he's probably going to get it. Just too much money around and not enough players.

If Arenas is moved, it'll prove that there is no such thing as a untradable contract. You'd have to be a desperate team to be willing to take on that deal.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

I actually think he's worth the MLE based on his play last season (his best in the league), but I'm not sure who's going to offer it to him.

The only team that I think makes sense is Boston. Ray Allen probably won't be back, and even if he is they're set to lose a lot of guard depth with Tony Allen, Marquis Daniels & Nate Robinson also off contract. He's also perfect for that situation, running off their screens, only concern would be a pretty badly undersized backcourt.

I'm sure though with Sheed looking set to retire Boston will use the MLE to target another big man cause they're pretty thin up front.

 

[Special K]

Kyle Korver is making 4 mil and I'd much prefer him to Reddick. I doubt someone throws the whole MLE at him(If Isiah was around maybe lol) ... If they do then wow! Artest and Sheed got the whole MLE last year and I know teams have more cap room this year and Reddick can shoot but given the uncertainty of the cap do you really want to pay Reddick 5 mill + ?

I think he stays in Orlando though. Is he a restricted FA?

 

[Tiger Hawk]

Korver's a better shooter (well he was last year although his historical numbers aren't that significantly better), but other than they're about even. Redick though is 3 years younger and has improved every year, and I think there's reason to believe he still has improvement in him (particularly around his ball-handling). I think Korver has reached his potential and he's much more of a known quantity.

You're right though, they're similar players and it just comes down to team's needs. I think you can justify playing Redick around 20 minutes a game, not so much Korver. Felt the Magic played better during the playoffs with Redick on the court instead of Carter tbh.

And he's a restricted FA. My personal belief is the Magic will match any offer for him, as long as it comes in at or under the MLE. They will definitely try to trade Gortat, maybe Bass and Carter as well.

 

[Ridders]

Seems as though the Free Agent Summit may have happened after all

A modified version of the ballyhooed free-agent summit that was initially suggested and then downplayed by Dwyane Wade has indeed taken place, ESPN.com has learned.

Sources close to the situation said Monday night that three of the biggest names in basketball -- Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James -- met over the weekend in Miami to seriously discuss their futures, with a focus on the increasingly plausible possibility of those three teaming up with Wade's Heat.

Yet sources with knowledge of the meeting stressed to ESPN.com that James, while clearly intrigued by the possibility of forming a star-studded Miami trio with Wade and Bosh, has not yet committed to leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for South Beach.

One source did label Miami as the new frontrunner to land James in a package deal with Bosh and a re-signed Wade but also cautioned that James was "non-committal" with the start of free agency fast approaching.

Sources said James remains committed to fielding free-agent pitches from several teams when free agency officially opens Thursday at 12:01 a.m. ET, with the Chicago Bulls continuing to rank as a highly appealing destination and a return to Cleveland still figuring prominently in his thinking and with the Dallas Mavericks looming as an intriguing outsider.

The Miami Herald reported Tuesday on its website that two Wade representatives deny that the meeting took place, saying that Wade was in Chicago all weekend. Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the three players were initially drawn to Miami in conjunction with an annual two-day party and golf tournament hosted by DJ Irie -- who serves as the Heat's official team DJ -- and were seen Saturday in Miami.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5338472

Shattered that Darko didn't get an invite.

 

[Ridders]

Nets clear cap space. Wizards again using their cap space to acquire assets. Not a bad plan tbh.

The New Jersey Nets traded Yi Jianlian to the Washington Wizards for Quinton Ross on Tuesday.

The Nets sent the Wizards $3 million to complete the deal and also received the Wizards' trade exception, according to league sources.

The move allows the Nets to clear another $3 million in cap space to spend on free agency this summer.

Yi is scheduled to make $4 million next season. Ross is set to make $1.1 million. The Nets should now have roughly $30 million in cap space to spend after the move, according to sources.

They will have to clear even more cap space, however, to sign two free agents to league-maximum deals. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others are projected to earn $16.6 million in first-year salaries. So a team would need $33.14 million under the cap to sign two max-contract free agents. The Nets are close, but they aren't there yet.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5340026

 

[Tiger Hawk]

The Heat and James Jones have agreed to a buy-out, reducing his cap number from $4.65m to $1.5m. They would still need to move Michael Beasley (or use him in a sign-and-trade) to get 3 max free agents.

One thing about my earlier list, it didn't take into account cap holds for each team, so I'll update that later. Mostly affects teams like the Heat & Knicks with hardly any players under contract.

 

[Nth-Qld-Raider]

That is the best move the Nets have made in years, Yi is sh#t to be honest.

Well that must mean they will get a PF, my guess is Carlos Boozer.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

Paul Pierce is going to opt out of his contract, and Nowitzki has also confirmed he will be opting out. Whilst it's unlikely either of those guys will leave their teams, what a bumper crop of free agents! My personal ranking of top free agents:

1a. LeBron James
1b. Dwyane Wade
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Amare Stoudemire
5. Chris Bosh
6. Paul Pierce
7. David Lee
8. Carlos Boozer
9. Rudy Gay
10. Joe Johnson
11. Shaq
12. Ray Allen

and plenty of other quality players as well - Brendan Haywood, John Salmons, Mike Miller & All Harrington to name a few, Tyson Chandler if he opts out. Might not be stars, but at the right price they would be valuable role players.

Mike Miller is a personal fav of mine, terrific all around player and I hope he lands on a contender this year (something he's stated he wants).

 

[Ridders]

I'd put Bosh ahead of Dirk and Amare, but apart from that, agree with your rankings. It's understandable why guys like Pierce and Dirk would opt out now.

That is the best move the Nets have made in years, Yi is sh#t to be honest.

Well that must mean they will get a PF, my guess is Carlos Boozer.

Well they did just draft Favours, so maybe this opens up more playing time for him?

 

[Nth-Qld-Raider]

yeah i thought of that Ridders, but i haven't seen Favors play, just a few highlights, he does look pretty good, so im not sure how many minutes he'll get in his rookie year.

If they can get a PF like Boozer or Amare, and maybe Rudy Gay as well they should be good.

Does free agent start tomorrow afternoon here.

 

[McLovin]

Can this thing hurry up and get here already...

 

[Ridders]

I'd imagine this means that Pierce will almost certainly re-sign with the Celtics

Doc Rivers says he's returning to coach the Boston Celtics for a seventh season.

"I'm coming back," he said in a text message, The Boston Globe reported. "I want another crack at it with this group."

Rivers, who guided the Celtics to the 2010 NBA Finals and led the franchise to its 17th NBA championship in 2008, has one more year remaining on his contract.

"Doc is excited to come back and coach our team next year," Danny Ainge, the Celtics' president of basketball operations, told ESPN.com. "He feels rejuvenated about coaching this group next season." Ainge declined to get into details of Rivers' contract situation. Ainge said last week that he wanted Rivers to take a week to decide after the emotionally-draining Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, but remained confident Rivers would return.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5343264