NBA Thread

[Orgfiller]

We basically already have a JJ Redick in Matt Thomas, I'm not sure he's worth giving up anything to acquire tbh. He's old and is a leaky faucet on defense.

[Dr. Dinger]

We basically already have a JJ Redick in Matt Thomas, I'm not sure he's worth giving up anything to acquire tbh. He's old and is a leaky faucet on defense.

 

Matt Thomas is really just a spot-up shooter from what I’ve seen so far, and just as porous on defence. JJ is lethal all around the arc and can run pin downs and get his shot off with an inch of space. He’s basically what you hope Thomas could be in a best case scenario. Importantly though, he’s an expiring contract which rids of us Norm’s money and he’s got a ton of big game experience.

[Orgfiller]

Matt Thomas is really just a spot-up shooter from what I’ve seen so far, and just as porous on defence. JJ is lethal all around the arc and can run pin downs and get his shot off with an inch of space. He’s basically what you hope Thomas could be in a best case scenario. Importantly though, he’s an expiring contract which rids of us Norm’s money and he’s got a ton of big game experience.

 

Yeah I agree with you on all points you made, I'm just not sure Redick is that much of an improvement for our rotation even if we could use the outside shooting, and while Norm's contract is pretty bad I don't think we'd have to tack on to it to get rid of him.

[Dr. Dinger]

Redick has another year after this.

 

But I would do Powell for Bogdanovic too. Bogdanovic is about 38% but can initiate the offence as well.

 

Sorry, I should have said “Redick will be off the books in time to throw money at Giannis.” Which Norm will not.

[glory]

Even if a team offers a player with an additional year (expiring after 2020-21), they'll take it for Powell. They want to have a shot, even if it's a shot in the dark, at Giannis. Powell's deal is through 2021-22, which eats into the cap space for Giannis. They'd trade Powell in a second for anyone who expires a year before he does. Even if it's Redick's corpse, they'd do it. Don't think Masai will trade another pick, though. At least not to get rid of Powell. If it's for a real upgrade, then maybe, but even then we will need some cheap players on the roster two years from now if that cap space is going to come in handy.

[Spanky99]

You guys are like a wild pack, lol.

 

Eastern Finals?

[Krylian]

Pascal Siakam might actually win Most Improved Player two years in a row.

 

Has that ever happened?

[Dr. Dinger]

Nein.

[Laika]

I will never understand basketball trades.

 

Normal Powell seems like a replacement level player and he makes guaranteed money. Why would any team trade for him?

 

Is the theory just that some other team might be willing to trade a more expensive player for him so that they save a few million dollars over the next few years?

 

Ex., someone might trade a player who makes $38M total between this season and next season for Norm who makes like $30M over the next three seasons.

[jaysblue]

Some trade target ideas, assuming these teams continue to fall out of contention and the Raptors continue to impress with strong play from Siakam/Lowry/FVV/OG.

 

Bogdan Bogdanovic for Norm Powell + future Top 20 protected 1st

Lamarcus Aldridge for Gasol or Ibaka + Top 10 protected 1st

Danilo Gallinari for Ibaka + a Top 10 protected 1st

JJ Redick for Norm Powell + 2nd rd pick

 

The main idea here would be to add either a dead-eye 3PT shooter or a big man who can create offense without adding a big salary that extends beyond next season. Shedding Powell's $10M salary for 2021 would also be considerably beneficial to us while he still holds some upside for small market rebuilding teams who can't attract marquee free agents.

 

Would love Bogdanovic, Aldridge or Gallinari if they were available.

[Dr. Dinger]

@Laika

 

Not exactly. The main thing with the NBA salary cap is that trades have to be (roughly) equal in current-year salary, irrespective of future year salaries. There are many exceptions to this and it's convoluted, but that's the main driver. Because Norm has a salary that is about 1/2 to 1/3 of a good (ie max contract) player, guys with contracts like Norm are essential when you want to trade for a superstar, because the young guys you have to add (who actually are good and have value) don't have salaries that can make the trade work.

 

Also paramount in NBA trades is the concept of expiring contracts, because teams want to shed salary at specific times in order to create cap space to chase their target free agents. Teams who are in the middle and rebuilding don't mind taking on a guy like Norm because they can collect extra draft picks along with him for shorter contracts (eg. Redick, Bogdanovic) and then he can align better with when they want to free up salary and/or he can be a salary ballast trade chip when they want to take their swing on a major trade for a superstar (eg. Anthony Davis). There's also the fact that Norm is a viable rotation player with some plausible upside. All of that is to say that he doesn't have tremendous trade value in a vacuum, but his contract size and length makes him a trade chip for teams in specific scenarios.

[jaysblue]

I feel the window on Giannis is closing. The downside of having so many breakout players. Max contracts for all!

 

This is a good team, better than the DeRozan teams. But not a championship team. So if you're happy with 50-55 win seasons, some playoff round wins and maybe a fluky finals appearance, we are good!

 

OG isn't getting a max contract just yet. Lowry if he stays around after 2020/2021 will take a pay cut for sure. VanVleet will get a big raise next season though.

 

If Masai is still in Toronto, the Raptors have a good chance at signing Giannis. If the Bucks don't win a Championship in the next two seasons, he's out of Milwaukee for sure.

[Frag]

OG isn't getting a max contract just yet. Lowry if he stays around after 2020/2021 will take a pay cut for sure. VanVleet will get a big raise next season though.

 

If Masai is still in Toronto, the Raptors have a good chance at signing Giannis. If the Bucks don't win a Championship in the next two seasons, he's out of Milwaukee for sure.

 

I do get a Tavares vibe with Giannis, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

[jaysguy44]

I do get a Tavares vibe with Giannis, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

 

I mean, those are 2 very different situations...

 

1.Giannis isn't from the Toronto area, Tavares is.

2.Giannis is a top three player in the world,

Tavares isn't even close.

3.The Bucks don't suck, the Islanders did.

 

 

Giannis is staying in Milwaukee.

[Dick_Pole]

OG isn't getting a max contract just yet. Lowry if he stays around after 2020/2021 will take a pay cut for sure. VanVleet will get a big raise next season though.

 

If Masai is still in Toronto, the Raptors have a good chance at signing Giannis. If the Bucks don't win a Championship in the next two seasons, he's out of Milwaukee for sure.

 

Ujiri has been phenomenal but his biggest blemish was signing DeRozan to the max contract. It's one of my triggers thinking he's going to be liberal with the money when it comes to signing homegrown players. Though he did well with Lowry this off-season. The year is still young and if OG continues to progress you can't rule it out. As much as I like FVV, I think he's playing about as good as he's ever going to get and his time at the apex won't last forever. I can see a substantial overpay there.

 

Though I suppose Ujiri already knows the likelihood of recruiting Giannis here, tampering rules aside. If he knows he's got a good shot, he already has a plan to work him into the payroll.

[Spanky99]

Good read on the Raptors defense against Superstars...

 

https://ca.nba.com/news/toronto-raptors-slowing-down-all-stars-2019-damian-lillard-kawhi-leonard/1t370k334c60t1uki1cf75ihce

[Orgfiller]

Norm is such an enigma. All of a sudden he starts off this game aggressive and making shots.

[Orgfiller]

And then he has consecutive brainless plays lol.

[Spanky99]

Are the Raptors a trade or two away from having another shot to reach the EF, or Finals, Org/fellas ?

[Spanky99]

What, that was sick!

[Spanky99]

Huge Basket FVV!!!

 

Pascal??? It's over...

[Spanky99]

Game Over... so how you guys rank the trip?

[Abomination]

Well, Pascal still needs to work on some things. Those were horrible decisions down the stretch.

 

Can't complain one little bit about this road trip though.

[Dr. Dinger]

Serious question: can Marc Gasol dunk?

[Abomination]

Serious question: can Marc Gasol dunk?

 

I'm not sure he can even jump. That does stop him from biting on fakes though.

[Orgfiller]

Serious question: can Marc Gasol dunk?

 

Yeah he dunked once this season. At this point in his career though he's so unathletic and his legs must be so spent that it's probably better that he doesn't try for his own sake.

[Orgfiller]

Lol @ Norm missing an open layup in transition. He can be insanely frustrating even when he's playing well.

[Abomination]

Lol @ Norm missing an open layup in transition. He can be insanely frustrating even when he's playing well.

 

It's incredible how bad he is at layups. He needs to start just trying to dunk everything near the rim or something, because the layups aren't working.

[Orgfiller]

It's incredible how bad he is at layups. He needs to start just trying to dunk everything near the rim or something, because the layups aren't working.

 

Yeah, and don't even get me started on him attempting to finish with his left hand lol.

[Orgfiller]

Lmao Gasol passing up the open putback layup to OG right behind him. The guy is addicted to passing.