[2.0]Cyberex, paging Cyberex...

It might be their goal, but doesn't mean they'll get it. I think the returns for both Butler and George were considered very underwhelming last summer, relative to expectations, because no one would bid highly for a player they were concerned could ultimately leave them for no compensation. (That said, the PG return ended up being better for Indiana than most thought based on Oladipo's rise.)

We'll see what happens here, but it's possible Butler could limit his market to where the HOU package is realistic if he's unwilling to give assurances. Let's see what happens after the Finals ends and whether his agent leaks any more stories.

 

I don't care if Clint goes to the Lakers. Let them max him out. He isn't that good. I don't think the Lakers will do that though. PG is almost certainly going to go there. Lebron is less likely to join them. If Kawhi is healthy, Pops will keep him. If Cousins goes there, it's not going to be easy pickings for Magic Johnson and his team. They will be good, but I doubt if they will be a real contender unless Lebron joins them.

 

Trust the process, Bima.

Hinkie's process worked in the long run, and I would trust Morey's version much more.

 

Dunn was coming off a rookie season in which he averaged 3.8 points on 37% shooting. LaVine is entering Year 5, doesn't grade out well defensively, and isn't a particularly good shooter. It's not terrible, it's just not overwhelming. And keep in mind that was for a Jimmy Butler with two years of team control left... this would be for a Jimmy Butler entering his final year.

I agree that Eric Gordon, a middling veteran, and one or two future picks/prospects isn't a salivating return. But if Butler and his agent want to play dirty, it's not unfathomable with Butler entering his final year. Particularly with how Thibs seems to value veterans more than most.

 

That might be true in some instances. I think he obviously hears Lakers-slanted info, given his connection there, and all of that passes through a prism.

But I appreciate it when he gives us off-season tidbits to nibble. Otherwise I would go hongry. Not "hungry." H o n g r y. Like, real hungry.

 

If the owner decides Capela isn't worth 20 M, he won't be in Houston. I don't think he is worth more than 12-14 M max.

 

The only thing I've heard (not an insider btw, just stuff ive picked up from realgm/reddit) was that Minny loathes the Wiggins contract. He's not living up to it and its a lot of money.

I happen to like Wiggy. He's youthful, energetic and can ball. His range and defense happen to be rather poor though. He's so young though I think he can still develop. He's only 23. So if we have a puncher's chance at Jimmy Buckets, I would test the waters on Wiggins as well. Could be a smokescreen either way. I don't know what it would take to get either of them but you definitely put feelers out either way. Can a player be traded with the 5 year extension attached like that? NBA Trade machine shows it can be. But yeah Wiggins is 23 and would be under team control until he's 28? Sign me up. This is a small ball league anyways.

Also Nerlens Noel is a cheap pick up we should be looking at. You can pitch to him, "You hate Dallas, we hate Dallas. Together lets bloody them 4 times a year".

 

Jimmy's Midrange Game!

Diversify!

http://nbasavant.com/player.php?player_id=202710

 

You're suggesting we trade for Wiggins aka the worst contract in the league... ??



Some of the sh*t I read on here man...

 

38%? Nope.

http://nbasavant.com/player.php?player_id=101108
THIS is the mid-range game that allows to happen in Houston.

 

Right, the pain will start in 3 years if we're lucky. At that point there's no way CP3 is a consistently good, consistently health player anymore and Lebron HAS to decline at some point. Harden will be an early 30s player with bad defense and the roster will be pretty rigid.

 

5 years 146.5 M is mind boggling. It's one of the worst contracts in the NBA. The worst in my opinion is Ryan's.

 

What, are you kidding?

Jimmy standing at the mid-range. D'Antoni standing aside with hand near face, observing, index finger touching upper lip. Finally, he walks forward:

"Jimmy! Just a second." Puts hands on Jimmy's shoulders, walks him slowly backward six paces. "There we go. Try it from there."

 

This is like our own resident insider though. We're getting Deandre! Paul George! Lebron! Maybe even Durant!

 

In another thread started today by He-Who-Sall-Not-Be-Named, he claims we could probably get Nerlens Noel on a vet minimum contract. This is the same guy who 10 months ago turned down a 4-year/$70M offer from the Mavs. I realize his stock dropped this year, but something tells me getting him on the cheap is going to be next to impossible. He's only 23 and put up 11/8 in his second NBA season, close to what Capela did in his third. Since then he's spent the last two years in unfavorable situations. Not saying Nerlens deserves anything near what Clint is gonna get, but I'm betting he'll be offered something more than a cheap contract.

 

You guys are so ridiculous when it comes to telling our players how they should act. Capela is a young guy and a professional basketball player coming off a badass season - yes, he's going to think he is a good player that could maybe do even more with more touches and focus on offense. It doesn't mean he's complaining to the front office, asking to get traded, or trying to go to an other team - he's just not completely against the idea if the Rockets don't want to give him a max.

What, you expect a 24 year-old to commit to being Harden/CP3's b**** for life? How dare he even think he could succeed without Harden/CP3, if he doesn't take less money to be their sidekick he is obviously a nutcase!!!

 

Hate to break it to you guys, but CP3 is still an all star level player in 2023, just like Stockton was at his age. The main difference is that he will have a couple rings by then.

 

I think what we realize is that Tilman isn't going to go crazy with the tax for say 5 years.

And there are thresholds within the tax where the dollars get more punitive. Every few million could be the difference between whether we are able to add an MLE player in year 2 of this hypothetical experiment.

I'm in the camp that isn't sure a Harden/Paul/Lebron/Capela combo is actually going to beat the Warriors (not enough shooting) so we will need to put shooters around that. In year 2 is Tilman going to spend another $5 million plus the luxury tax multipliers? At some point it will get to be too much. That's why you hope to save every dollar on every contract here. It adds up.

 

Yeah, I'm not saying a return of Eric Gordon isn't about what they could get, but more that they shouldn't be trading Jimmy Butler for those types of returns even given he's in the last year of his contract.

Run with Butler again, hope he stays healthy, hope KAT and Wiggins improve and they can make the 2nd round.

 

Nobody likes the Wiggins contract because Wiggins is not good at basketball