Re: NBA Draft & Offseason Thread

[Sammy Sofa]

WICKED BUTT SEX SLAM.

[ChiCubsFan]

Nate Robinson!

[Banedon]

So apparently Kevin Love broke his hand doing knuckle pushups.

[SouthSideRyan]

So apparently Kevin Love broke his hand doing knuckle pushups.

 

He didn't realize he wasn't supposed to do clap push ups with them.

[Banedon]

David Stern, a key force in the NBA's growth, will retire as commissioner on Feb. 1, 2014, 30 years to the day he took the job. Adam Silver will replace him.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8550645/david-stern-announce-retire-2014-sources-say

[Smack]

HI HO SILVER! *clap* *clap* *clapclapclap*

[shnsajax]

How will the NBA draft be decided going forward?

[Cubswin11]

Has a player, in any sport, ever come out and said they likely will need to have surgery after a season before that season has started and they plan on playing to start the season?

 

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8559067/deron-williams-brooklyn-nets-says-need-offseason-surgery-ankle

[SpongeWorthy]

holy f okc traded harden??

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--thunder-trade-james-harden-to-rockets-27481909.html

[USSoccer]

What the crap is OKC thinking?

[Guest]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded James Harden, Daequan Cook, Lazar Hayward and Cole Aldrich to the Houston Rockets for Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin and future draft picks, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

 

From ESPN. Holy crap.

[Guest]

They must have panicked after negotiations broke down.

[CubColtPacer]

What the crap is OKC thinking?

 

They can't pay him. So they'd rather get 80 or 90 cents on the dollar now then risk losing him next year. It will hurt them this year, but having those extra picks will help keep their pipeline going to keep building behind Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka. It's unfortunate that the Thunder become the first casualty of the new luxury tax system. Hopefully the rules against sign and trades by luxury tax teams and other similar rules that go into place next season will start slowing down the big markets as well.

[Guest]

The Thunder offered Harden $55.5 million over four years -- $4.5 million less than the max deal Harden coveted and will get from the Rockets, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

 

Really, OKC? You couldn't pony up an extra $1M per year? I know this would have affected the salary cap and them paying a luxury tax so it would be more than just $1M, but still.

[USSoccer]

What the crap is OKC thinking?

 

They can't pay him. So they'd rather get 80 or 90 cents on the dollar now then risk losing him next year. It will hurt them this year, but having those extra picks will help keep their pipeline going to keep building behind Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka. It's unfortunate that the Thunder become the first casualty of the new luxury tax system. Hopefully the rules against sign and trades by luxury tax teams and other similar rules that go into place next season will start slowing down the big markets as well.

 

Would the luxury tax penalties have been that onerous over the life of the contract? I thought I read somewhere that, though, high, they were well within OKC's ability to pay.

[Guest]

I think this will turn out really well for the Thunder in the end. My intuition is that Harden without a Top 5 player around him isn't quite the player we think of now. Martin is a nice volume scorer and Lamb may not be any worse than Harden after some seasoning. Several picks is a nice plus as well.

[bcl412]

I feel like they are overreacting to his shitty finals.

[USSoccer]

I think this will turn out really well for the Thunder in the end. My intuition is that Harden without a Top 5 player around him isn't quite the player we think of now. Martin is a nice volume scorer and Lamb may not be any worse than Harden after some seasoning. Several picks is a nice plus as well.

 

As always, TT makes reasoned points to counter my initial reaction to things.

 

Upon further thought, you're probably right, especially about Harden's true level.

[UMFan83]

I don't know. I'll admit I havent watched enough of Harden to make a educated evaluation of him, but I have seen him be able to take over games at times. I thought the general consensus was that Harden was being held back from greatness due to being the 3rd option behind Durant and Westbrook. I guess we'll see.

[Guest]

Even in the best case scenario though, you're relying on Lamb + Martin to be what you got from Harden this year. While the NBA game makes that easier than we might think at first glance, it's still at least an immediate half-step back to take steps forward in future years. Harden's defense is the thing I'd be most worried about right now, there will be plenty of capable guys to take shots with the roster as it is now.

[Guest]

I think this will turn out really well for the Thunder in the end. My intuition is that Harden without a Top 5 player around him isn't quite the player we think of now. Martin is a nice volume scorer and Lamb may not be any worse than Harden after some seasoning. Several picks is a nice plus as well.

 

I'm not sure how great Harden will be without Durant but I always got the impression he wasn't that great off the dribble so I think you might be right. Also, I really like Lamb.

[CubColtPacer]

What the crap is OKC thinking?

 

They can't pay him. So they'd rather get 80 or 90 cents on the dollar now then risk losing him next year. It will hurt them this year, but having those extra picks will help keep their pipeline going to keep building behind Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka. It's unfortunate that the Thunder become the first casualty of the new luxury tax system. Hopefully the rules against sign and trades by luxury tax teams and other similar rules that go into place next season will start slowing down the big markets as well.

 

Would the luxury tax penalties have been that onerous over the life of the contract? I thought I read somewhere that, though, high, they were well within OKC's ability to pay.

 

There really isn't enough known about their revenues and the rest of the plan to hazard much of a guess on that. They would have been in the luxury tax for sure with Perkins and quite possibly without him (either by having to pay him through amnesty or finding a way to dump him), that much is certain. They've at least claimed they couldn't do that, and now it looks like they really meant it.

[Guest]

i'm curious to hear imb's thoughts on this.

 

it seems like it was inevitable that he would be gone, but that package seems a little underwhelming. i'd have kept him around at least until the deadline.

[Cubswin11]

I think OKC got a decent return given the circumstances of knowing Harden was all but gone. I don't know if Harden is a guy that you bring in the be "The Guy" that the Rockets assume he is by making this trade. I think he needs the right kind of players around him to succeed. IMO he isn't a guy you bring in that makes everyone around him better and can just take on the load of scoring 20+ a night.

[DivineBovine]

The Thunder offered Harden $55.5 million over four years -- $4.5 million less than the max deal Harden coveted and will get from the Rockets, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

 

Really, OKC? You couldn't pony up an extra $1M per year? I know this would have affected the salary cap and them paying a luxury tax so it would be more than just $1M, but still.

 

 

Harden is overrated. He plays with two guys way better than him that make him look good. No way he's worth a max deal, or 4.5 million less for that matter. OKC is making a very smart decision.