Locker room talk: rolling basketball thread

[Leo]

wouldn't surprise me if the Nets deal Kyrie at this point too. think of the talent they could get for those two, and get a fresh start.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

Agent: Durant has requested trade from Nets

Kevin Durant has requested a trade from Brooklyn, his business manager told ESPN, but the Nets are not buoyed to honoring any of KD's preferred destinations and plan to make a deal that allows them the greatest return of assets, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

@padraig (u.s.) @linebaugh @suspended

lmao jesus fucking christ

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

I mean, I get it

a roster that got swept in 1rd + Ben Simmons is not inspiring, esp w/Kryie possibly sliding into John Wall (but plus all Kyrie's nonsense) territory.

but in terms of legacy and perception - only bc he seems to care so much about it - he'd almost certainly be better off staying in Brooklyn

any titles he hypothetically wins in Miami or Phx won't be his, they'll be Jimmy Butler's or Chris Paul/Booker/Ayton's

 

[Leo]

Also, if any team can manage to fuck up this opportunity, it's the Nets. $20 says they'll end up with a half-dozen average players and draft picks that don't pan out.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

Also, if any team can manage to fuck up this opportunity, it's the Nets. $20 says they'll end up with a half-dozen average players and draft picks that don't pan out.

that's what almost always happens with superstar trades tho

it's almost impossible to get equivalent value back on a Kevin Durant bc in the NBA the sum of lesser players never equals a single great player

when was the last time a team traded a superstar - one still playing like a superstar - and got back even close to equivalent value?

sometimes it works out for the receiving team and sometimes it doesn't, but the trading team pretty much always gets shunted into rebuilding mode

 

[Leo]

I just have the sense that the Nets will work tirelessly to find a way to end up with less than most teams would.

 

[Leo]

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

I just have the sense that the Nets will work tirelessly to find a way to end up with less than most teams would.

that may be true. I think they'd get a solid return on Durant, even if it's still just 0.65 or whatever on the dollar.

long-term contract and his game should continue to age well so he'll probably be worth that contract (at least in NBA terms) for at least most of it

Kyrie is a lot less clear. I was obv being hyperbolic above in re John Wall, Kyrie is still an All-Star level player, when he plays.

but he has so much baggage he just had to pick up his player option bc no one besides Rob Pelinka (which...) was willing to give him a long-term contract

I can't remember that ever happening with another clear All-Star still in his prime

he's a good risk to take on that one-year deal if you have the cap space but not if you pay too much for the privilege of taking that risk

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

and Ben Simmons would be finally be embrace his inner Westbrook and put up crazy stats on a terrible team

without worrying about the pressure of actually trying to win anything or getting schemed off the court in the playoffs

 

[line b]

nets went from potentially the greatest collection of offensive talent in league history to ben simmons in the matter of a year. cursed franchise

 

[Leo]

@linebaugh how do you feel about Brunson leaving?

 

[line b]

its a bummer. I dont think the team will be any worse with the additions of Wood and hardaway returning from injury but I was looking forward to the team being better and Id say the ceiling on the upcoming season has lowered.

more than that though its just awful asset management on the mavs part. thats actually worse than losing brunson. Could have signed him for an extension around 12 million earlier in the year which would have been an amazing piece for the front office to manuever with, and even at his inflated value now hes still a tradeable asset as you can always move young guys that can give you 20 a game in the playoffs. Instead we lose him for nothing and due to the cap rules cant even use that money to fill his spot. We essentially just lit a 20 million dollar pile of cash on fire with nothing to show for it. Right now Finney Smith is our only valuable asset and he's not good enough to be the center peice of a block buster trade and hes so valuable to us that he's not worth letting go unless we are getting back an all nba level player, so a catch 22 there.

So barring the very unexpected the mavs path to buidling a team thats an on-paper top level contender is wait until we have cap space and our picks back in two years and make moves in free agency. Which probably was the plan even if we kept brunson but I was looking forward to being a real dark horse championship candidate until that point which I dont think is really the case anymore.

 

[Leo]

maybe they'll sign KD. (haha)

 

[luka]

not just exciting but beautiful. if you allow a certain degree of cupping and travelling the game becomes more fluent and lovely

 

[luka]

a basic up down motion is unlovely and also comical

 

[Leo]

cupping

it's called palming.

 

[luka]

Who cares

 

[Leo]

you, apparently.

 

[IdleRich]

that's what almost always happens with superstar trades tho

it's almost impossible to get equivalent value back on a Kevin Durant bc in the NBA the sum of lesser players never equals a single great player

when was the last time a team traded a superstar - one still playing like a superstar - and got back even close to equivalent value?

Basketball seems (even) more about stars than other equivalent sports. I guess cos you only 5 in the game at a time, a great player is a big proportion of the team.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

more than that though its just awful asset management on the mavs part. thats actually worse than losing brunson.

how do you think he'll do as a top dog? or I guess co-top dogs with Randle

he's undoubtedly a good player and I like his game but he's also 6'1" w/o top-level athleticism or a Donovan Mitchell-type giant wingspin

a Brunson/Randle/Barrett core is pretty uninspiring - like a 7 or 8 seed at best

but presumably the point is to establish a level of consistency and basic competence to be able to attract marquee player in a year or two

I agree the Mavs are basically stuck in a holding pattern until they reset on draft picks and cap space

Too bad cos a Doncic/Durant pairing would be perfect and instantly make yall A-level contenders