The Suns not letting their young players get minutes when they are about to have to redo their entire roster next season is wild. There isn't a worse run franchise in the league right now.
I don’t much have a problem with that. The Spurs are flat out tanking. Some bad juju coming their way.
I don't have a problem with it but I think it's stupid. Why not let your young guys play? Beal isn't even going to be on the team next season.
What is "moving on" ..... when they don't control any their own draft assets until 2032. That Beal contract is a complete disaster, probably makes your situation worse stretching it. I'm beginning to think they need to forget about their own draft picks - they are a sunk cost. Trade all their talent for the best draft picks they can get and bottom out anyway - in the two years remaining on Beal's contract. Maybe they can accumulate 4-5-6 picks with their current talent? Then go into 2027/28 with a clean cap and whatever young talent they manage to find with other team's draft picks between now and then & go after a big name FA or two.
I think mock drafts are kinda irrelevant nowadays. So many young players became high rating due to all paid systems since their middle school years. Even looking at recent drafts we actually see many talented player goes much later and many busts are coming out of top 10.
Lakers is gonna sit their starters vs Portland and the Kings will have to play their best against the Suns to secure homecourt in the play-in. There is still hope for #9 pick.
stupid Spurs. good reminder of why we hate that franchise. they'll get rewarded with Flagg no doubt as well.
I’m not so sure the Spurs get Cooper Flagg if this stuff is rigged. Wemby is going to be featured as the Alpha dog on the Spurs - the Great European Unicorn. I would think the NBA wants Cooper Flagg on the Nets, 76’ers, Raptor’s, Washington, Jazz, and even New Orleans…. I don’t see the NBA wanting him on Charlotte’s team - seems they are where players go to falter. Brooklyn would be salivating at the idea of Flagg being their star. But if this thing is rigged, and I was in control, I would not put Flagg on the Spurs. But if the Spurs did get Flagg, that would be formidable team for the next 15 - 20 years. Arg!!!!
Flagg is not a role player. If the Spurs got him you can't expect both Flagg and Wemby to be on the same team for more than two years at most. Flagg will eventually be his own feature and the league would prefer he goes to a team that needs one. I literally see Flagg for the Jazz, but I also could see New Orleans jumping up to #1 in the lottery. Zion may soon be out the door as he is guaranteed only 20% of his salary next year ($8 mil) after missing over half the season. But I also don't like how the Pelicans continue to get #1 picks and do nothing with them.
I would think the league wants to see Dallas get Flagg just as a make good for that shady Luka deal - financially, the metro area is actually larger than Houston and it has a significantly larger TV market size(Dallas has nearly 3mil, Houston has just over 2.5mil)...or Chicago has an even larger population and TV market size but it feels like Flagg being the one to save a fanbase furious after the Luka trade would be setting up a Luka/Flagg rivalry for the next decade. When people talk about things that viewers tune into - it's when there is a rivalry between two huge markets. The Wemby thing made sense for the Spurs because France was already a fan of San Antonio - effectively there is some quantity of Spurs fans who followed Parker and Diaw and only know SA so they are adding to an existing fanbase in France who add to their market size(albeit in a different market)....and let's be real - the NBA has long term aspirations to move into international markets and growing NBA fans in France is definitely on that roadmap because of how easy it is to get to Paris from virtually anywhere in Europe making it a logical hub.
Tomorrow: Portland beats the Lakers’ bench and Sacramento beats Phoenix. We finish in a tie with Portland for the 9th lotto spot . Go forthwith and speak this into existence.
I agree that, if it's rigged, they'll want Cooper to be the star of his team. That actually means we should be at the top of the list you just rattled off. We don't yet have a #1 guy, and he'd instantly be on a contender. But I don't think it's actually rigged.
I am at peace with the 10th pick. There are a lot of studs in this draft, especially since Reed Sheppard has shown he has the backup pg on lock we can focus on other positions. Right now my short list is Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Carter Bryant and Thomas Sorber. Aside from Maluach all of these guys are lesser rated prospects and should be available 10th or earlier. I am still super high on Fleming. If his 7'4 wingspan is true Rox should lock him up immediately. Carter Bryant is a bit on the raw side but plays like Cam Whitmore with a winner attitude. He is 6'8 and athletic like Whitmore but has a high bball IQ, takes defense seriously and is willing to make passes. Sorber is prob too high at 10th but we still someone to groom as the Adams successor. I guess Collin Murray Boyles is also intriguing as a Julius Randle but with defense and not selfish AF...he is a defensive savant like Amen, might be crazy to put him under Ime Udoka we could have an insanely good defensive 2nd unit with Jabari/CMB/Tari/Amen/Reed.
