Official 2016 NBA Off Season Thread!

[Phoenix86]

Heh, totally. Hate that shit.

Reading it's two years for $54.3 Million.

KT

Player option for the second year, sleezy as fuck.

 

[cyclohexane]

The biggest difference between what LeBron did and Durant did is that when LeBron was with Cleveland, it was literally just him and no one else. Everyone else sucked and the only reason he left is because it's a horribly run organization and they were never going to go anywhere. He made the right decision there.

Durant has been in a good place and a fairly good team that did something good these playoffs. They still had a chance next season to be up there. He could have stayed and they still had a chance to knock off GSW but he left for them. Much worse than what LeBron did.

No. Lebrun scheduled a TV special just say FU to Cleveland. KD just switched teams, no drama. He doesn't own the billionaire owners a damn thing. It's called free agency for a reason.

 

[Capt Caveman]

The biggest difference between what LeBron did and Durant did is that when LeBron was with Cleveland, it was literally just him and no one else. Everyone else sucked and the only reason he left is because it's a horribly run organization and they were never going to go anywhere. He made the right decision there.

Durant has been in a good place and a fairly good team that did something good these playoffs. They still had a chance next season to be up there. He could have stayed and they still had a chance to knock off GSW but he left for them. Much worse than what LeBron did.

Yeah, the Cavs were going nowhere til after LeBron left and they sucked bad enough to draft Irving and Thompson.

Durant was on the cusp of going to the Finals with the Thunder and being a sore loser, he goes to the team that he lost to. If the Warriors don't win it next year, they will have to decide between Durant or Curry to keep as they both will be free agents and I believe will only have the money to keep one of them.

Should have stayed with the Thunder for one more year or gone to Boston. He still would have been the man and both teams would be contenders.

 

[Fingolfin269]

This one is even more hilarious than Lebron's from a competitive standpoint. OKC just choked in the playoffs against GS so Durant decides the best course of action is to just go play for them? Hah.

 

[zerocool84]

No. Lebrun scheduled a TV special just say FU to Cleveland. KD just switched teams, no drama. He doesn't own the billionaire owners a damn thing. It's called free agency for a reason.

Very different like I said. LeBron on the Cavs were a sorry franchise altogether. Obviously look what happened when LeBron left, horrible horrible team. OKC still had a chance next season to beat GSW and make it to the Finals. Durant left a very good team. When LeBron left, they were a crappy team with him on it and off it. They only went anywhere because of LeBron. Of course he doesn't own anybody anything. It's the same thing for someone leaving their company for the best company in their field but he was already so close to beating that top company already.

 

[Miramonti]

Smart move for Durant. This is as smart as James going to the Heat.

What a b!tch. This is worse. James attempted to assemble a super-team with his buddy (and succeeded), after getting little support from his current team/management. Durant is now joining a super-team that already has an mvp and three allstars, who is his adversary and just caused him and Westbrook to choke in the conference finals, after being up 3-1. They also won a championship last year already.

And this is the next stage of his development? BS. The warriors will be less dependent on him than the thunder were in every aspect of his game. Perhaps he was tired of the pressure, who knows, but this is the end of the Durant legacy afaic (at least for the next two years.)

 

[zerocool84]

I have a question though, didn't the NBA kill the Chris Paul trade because it would be unfair? How is this fair?

I know one is a trade and one is a free agent signing but still.

 

[Eymar]

I have a question though, didn't the NBA kill the Chris Paul trade because it would be unfair? How is this fair?

I know one is a trade and one is a free agent signing but still.

NBA actually ran\owned the Hornets while it had no owner for some reason so nixed trade as owner.

 

[Adrenaline]

No. Lebrun scheduled a TV special just say FU to Cleveland. KD just switched teams, no drama. He doesn't own the billionaire owners a damn thing. It's called free agency for a reason.

LeBron raised three million for charity with his tv special. He tried recruiting Bosh to Cleveland. LeBron knew if he wasn't going to get Bosh to Cleveland, LeBron was going to Miami. Bosh said he was not moving to Cleveland. LeBron was gone then.

 

[UncleWai]

Presti overplayed his hand and got shafted. I think OKC knew their chance to resign Durant was slim when they decided to trade Ibaka for younger players. They had their chance to trade Westbrook when he still had some trade value. Now that's two all stars gone in one year. OKC will be bottom dwelling for a long time, that's payback for stealing our team.

 

[zerocool84]

In other news, Spurs picked up Pau Gasol which leads many to believe that Duncan is retiring as he should. They still had a great season but I definitely wouldn't blame him for retiring at all at this point.

 

[stlc8tr]

Durant was on the cusp of going to the Finals with the Thunder and being a sore loser, he goes to the team that he lost to. If the Warriors don't win it next year, they will have to decide between Durant or Curry to keep as they both will be free agents and I believe will only have the money to keep one of them.

Uh, no. Do you really think that the Warriors would clear that much cap space just to have a one-year rental on Durant? They plan on signing having Curry and Durant around for a few more years.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/new...gency-golden-state/1pjr53ldjp74d1lj455zv9tn8o

Durant said that this was a basketball decision and the fact that he chose to leave OKC means that he left something like $30M on the table as well as getting slapped with a huge increase in income taxes (CA has a 13% top rate).

 

[Bird222]

GSW undefeated? :ninja:

 

[vi edit]

Right...so GS got punched in the mouth by Cleveland and a physical team with a paint presence. They couldn't win on 3PT shooting alone. The *OBVIOUS* answer is to double down on more jump shooting crappy defenders.

 

[vi edit]

GSW undefeated? :ninja:

Will be another regular season princess and get bounced when it counts. Their bench will be more shallow and they have no bigs to speak of. This is unlike Miami where Bosh had a post presence, and they role playing bigs like Haslam, Birdman, Joel Anthony and Battier.

They are still going to get outrebounded and pushed around when a team wants to.

 

[Red Storm]

Right...so GS got punched in the mouth by Cleveland and a physical team with a paint presence. They couldn't win on 3PT shooting alone. The *OBVIOUS* answer is to double down on more jump shooting crappy defenders.

Huh? Replace Barnes with all his open bricks with KD and they would have definitely won the title. KD also plays serviceable defense too because of his length.

I see nothing wrong with the Warriors trying to recruit him, but I really lost a lot of respect for Durant over this. As your team's best player, you don't jump ship from a contender to another contender, especially the ones that just beat you. He's the last superstar I ever expected to do a move like this, so that's disappointing on a competitive front. From a pure basketball & financial success standpoint I guess I get it, but this is definitely taking the easy road which I didn't expect from a guy like Durant.

As a Laker fan I don't really care though, we've got a youth movement going so today's contenders don't matter to me. I'm more worried about what the Timberwolves will become in a few more years.

Edit: Here's what Durant said after Lebron joined Wade and Bosh in Miami:

"Now everybody wants to play for the Heat and Lakers? Let's get back to being competitive and go at these peoples!"

That's why I never expected him to actually join the Warriors. Come on KD...

 

[Bird222]

Right...so GS got punched in the mouth by Cleveland and a physical team with a paint presence. They couldn't win on 3PT shooting alone. The *OBVIOUS* answer is to double down on more jump shooting crappy defenders.

I was just joking above. Yeah, I agree with this. I think they need a physical guy in the paint. Maybe it's just about making money (of course it is), it should draw a lot of viewership.

 

[Miramonti]

Zaza Pechulia signs with warriors. He's more petulant than a worthy physical presence.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Uh, no. Do you really think that the Warriors would clear that much cap space just to have a one-year rental on Durant? They plan on signing having Curry and Durant around for a few more years.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/new...gency-golden-state/1pjr53ldjp74d1lj455zv9tn8o

Durant said that this was a basketball decision and the fact that he chose to leave OKC means that he left something like $30M on the table as well as getting slapped with a huge increase in income taxes (CA has a 13% top rate).

And the article doesn't cover the fact that Curry is an unrestricted free agent after this coming season which means they won't have the money to pay both Curry and Durant max money.

 

[WT]

GSW undefeated? :ninja:

They said the same thing about the 03-04 Lakers and that team, while they placed 1st in the division, had no chemistry, and also had old age catch up with them.

 

[manly]

And the article doesn't cover the fact that Curry is an unrestricted free agent after this coming season which means they won't have the money to pay both Curry and Durant max money.

The NBA has a soft cap. Dubs will have Bird rights on both players, and can blow past the cap to max each of them. They also have owners determined to win, with very deep pockets to pay the current roster for the next few years or longer.

 

[Red Storm]

They said the same thing about the 03-04 Lakers and that team, while they placed 1st in the division, had no chemistry, and also had old age catch up with them.

Completely different situations. With the Lakers you had two past their prime players in Payton and Malone. This Warrior team is 4 players (Curry, Thompson, Durant, and Green) all in the prime of their careers.

And the article doesn't cover the fact that Curry is an unrestricted free agent after this coming season which means they won't have the money to pay both Curry and Durant max money.

They can go over the cap to sign their own guys back, which is probably what will happen.

 

[manly]

Welp, Mark Cuban's stupidity knows no bounds, the Mavs have agreed to take in Bogut...so that looks to be a done deal.

They can't keep Ezeli and warriors have already renounced his rights so he's an UFA now.

Curry's due for next year, so expect Livingston/Iggy + rookies to be up on the chopping block if Durant is staying. This Durant deal could literally cripple the warriors if they don't win the championship.

My point was this is much lower risk than lavishing Barnes with a max deal, and paying that bum Ezeli.

The Dubs won't have the legendary depth of last season, but with the huge spike in the cap they can max both Curry and KD in 2017, and fill out the bench with low rent veterans. Superstars could leave a few million on the table if they wanted to.

 

[Red Storm]

Losing Barnes was a blessing for them. LOL at the Mavs for giving him $94 million dollars! The most expensive wide open bricks in league history come next season.

 

[stlc8tr]

And the article doesn't cover the fact that Curry is an unrestricted free agent after this coming season which means they won't have the money to pay both Curry and Durant max money.

As other have mentioned, they have Bird rights on Curry (not on Durant though since he's new) so they can offer max contracts to both players. The cap is jumping to something like $107M next year so there is a ton of cash available. As I mentioned, do you really think the Warriors didn't think this through? Give them some credit.

My point was this is much lower risk than lavishing Barnes with a max deal, and paying that bum Ezeli.

The Dubs won't have the legendary depth of last season, but with the huge spike in the cap they can max both Curry and KD in 2017, and fill out the bench with low rent veterans. Superstars could leave a few million on the table if they wanted to.

Klay is signed through 2018-2019 while Draymond is signed through 2019-2020. That should mean that the core 4 players will be available for at least the next 3 years (assuming they re-sign both Curry and Durant).