NBA 2018-2019 Season

[JasonM]

6 minutes ago, Pooker said:

So the Lakers currently have 6 players under contract, after the deal with the Pelicans. If the deal is completed the first week of July, Davis has a trade kicker that increases his salary. That will leave the Lakers with $25 million to finish signing their team. If the deal is completed the last week of July, the trade kicker doesn't happen, and the Lakers have just enough to sign one more max player, then go into the luxury tax to finish signing their team.

Absolute craziness that a team can even put itself into that kind of position. I'm sure the Lakers don't mind going into the luxury tax, especially if they some how manage to win another title in the next three or so years (doubtful) but it really leaves them in a bad position after Lebron decides he is done there.

Remember teams only get one Mid-Level Exception to use, i'm not sure if it's in use right now, but a team can't go over the salary cap signing players off of free agency if they don't have bird rights (which means their last team before their contract ended had to be the Lakers)

So if they get a max deal, they will have to give everyone minimum contracts or trade for players with bird rights which will allow them to extend them over the salary cap.

So basically, if they do the trade trick and sign Kawhi, they'll be fucked in actually putting a team together. AKA, another year of signing rejects and ring chasing veterans that won't actually add much in the way of flexibility and youth to the team that they so desperately need right now.

The last thing the Lakers need is MORE Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee type players on the team, or lord forbid they sign Jimmer Fredette because they'll be utterly desperate for players to not just pad the roster, but give them shooters. Because at this point, their best two shooters will be Kyle Kuzma and Anthony Davis, and maybe Kawhi if he signs.

[Chris2K]

It kinda reminds me of how I used to play Fantasy Football, spending all my budget on two of three good players and filling the rest with players from Wigan or Hull. I didn't win much.

[livid]

So 6 + 2-to-3 players using their cap space and MLE. That's your rotation there. I don't see the problem? If you have to rely on anybody beyond that you're in trouble anyways. 

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

This Raptors parade is absolutely insane.

[Pooker]

1 hour ago, livid said:

So 6 + 2-to-3 players using their cap space and MLE. That's your rotation there. I don't see the problem? If you have to rely on anybody beyond that you're in trouble anyways. 

Pretty sure that the NBA requires a team to have 12 players on a roster, at least. I know teams have had less dress for a game, but always have at least 12 players under contract.

And disregarding that, 3 of the players currently under contract haven't played much, if any at all, NBA basketball. 

So, basically, if they managed to sign another max contract, you're looking at a roster of LeBron James (doesn't like playing full seasons, is getting older), Anthony Davis, whoever they sign for the max, Kyle Kuzma, and a bunch of scrubs/nobody. Sorry, but that team isn't doing anything in this league. And that's a problem for the Lakers.

Edit: Got curious after posting so I looked it up, the NBA requires a minimum of 13 players to be under contract. So you're looking at signing 7 more players using very little cap space and the MLE. 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Pooker

[livid]

My point is that NBA rotations are typically 9-10 players so as long as they reach that threshold they'll be fine. The guys they sign on minimum deals to fill out the bench shouldn't be relied upon as heavily as the first 9 on the roster so in reality, the situation isn't as dire as you're saying it is. Especially because they will have plenty interest from vets looking to ring chase. 

If you have to rely on the 12th guy on the team to play major minutes, you have bigger problems than how the roster was assembled. 

[Pooker]

Oh, I agree with that point, 100%. My point is, that if they insist on going after another max player, they won't have the cap space to even fill out a 9-10 player rotation, let alone get to the 13 players the NBA requires. And if they don't go after another max player, you're looking at a team of LeBron/Davis/Kuzma and a bunch of ring chasing vets and scrubs. And they won't be any better off this year then they were last year.

[KJE]

1 hour ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

This Raptors parade is absolutely insane.

Did you go?

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

1 hour ago, KJE said:

Did you go?

Yes, for a bit. The route was right near my office. I didn't get to the speeches or anything. I would have had to camp out since like 9AM to do that. 

[Krabby]

17 minutes ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Yes, for a bit. The route was right near my office. I didn't get to the speeches or anything. I would have had to camp out since like 9AM to do that. 

Sounds like there was an active shooter situation? 😢

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

10 minutes ago, JMarushin said:

Sounds like there was an active shooter situation? 😢

Yeah, apparently two people were shot. Two people are in custody.

 

[Krabby]

6 minutes ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Yeah, apparently two people were shot. Two people are in custody.

 

Just ridiculous :/

[Lineker]

Just saw on the news over here about the shooting. Holy shit - you expect that in America, but not Canada.

[Pooker]

The Jazz have traded Jae Crowder, Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, the 23rd pick, and a future first to the Grizzlies for Mike Conley.

[Krabby]

1 hour ago, Pooker said:

The Jazz have traded Jae Crowder, Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, the 23rd pick, and a future first to the Grizzlies for Mike Conley.

Kyle Korver: The Josh McCown of the NBA

[The Buscher]

Kyrie rumored to be heavily leaning towards the Nets.
Kawhi said to be deciding between the Raptors and Clippers.

lol Knicks

[Meacon Keaton]

I didn’t think we had a shot at Kawhi, ever. He wants West Coast so I figured it had to be an LA team or stay put and compete for another title in Toronto.

The Kyrie news stinks, though.

[JasonM]

3 hours ago, Pooker said:

The Jazz have traded Jae Crowder, Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver, the 23rd pick, and a future first to the Grizzlies for Mike Conley.

I assume that this pretty much spells the end for Ricky Rubio on the Jazz, because I don't see Mike Conley fitting well as a Shooting Guard or Ricky Rubio being any good without the ball in his hand (seeing he's not a prolific scorer).

Wondering how they'll deal him, because I doubt Rubio would be interested in riding the bench since he could probably find a few teams that would put him into the lineup for his playmaking and defense.

[Pooker]

Rubio is a free agent. Jazz management told him a few weeks ago that he wasn't a priority this summer.

[The Buscher]

3 hours ago, Meacon said:

I didn’t think we had a shot at Kawhi, ever. He wants West Coast so I figured it had to be an LA team or stay put and compete for another title in Toronto.

The Kyrie news stinks, though.

I didn’t think we had a shot either.  But the fact that the two superstars available seemingly aren’t even considering the Knicks just sums up the state of the last 20 years.

A potentially fun 2019-20 now appears doomed to another tank job, hoping Barrett pans out and possibly throwing big money at KD coming off of a year of rehab.