Topic: 2019 NBA Pre-Season - page 1149. (Read 920538 times)

Before, I think too that firing Vogel is a good move but is that really considered as one of the solutions for the Lakers' mess last season?

My answer is NO. The team struck with injuries and poor adjustment last season. That's the thing that I can't blame on their coach. Not saying Westbrook is good but since he already has experience playing a season for the Lakers, I can expect him to make some good adjustments next season.

There's no need for the Lakers to actually get another big package in exchange for Westbrook. It's another chemistry building again which the Lakers suck.
Keep everything on the core and just revamp the bench. Give it a season more before considering breaking again the core players. The cycle will just never stop.

Durant is definitely a step up and they would immediatley become the favorites if they got him for Ayton and some picks or role players.  I think going forward though this would hurt their chances as keeping a young core together and they'd see an exodus of talent for better pay in the years to come.  With Durant you're going all in on winning a championship now while CP3 can still play at a high level.  You know if they don't win immediately Durant will be looking for his next stop.

Plus Durant is a great defender when he wants to, add in the great defense cp3 also has, that team would be great in defense as well. I am not saying that Suns would get Durant, would be very very hard to get Durant without giving up Booker and we all know they won't give up Booker. So what they have is bunch of role players that are semi-decent and some picks, thats about it. If Nets agree to that, they would be a bad team for sure, but they would at least have "something" instead of nothing. In that case, both the amazing passing of CP3 and defense, on top of amazing scoring of Durant and Defense, added with Booker scoring bunch of points as well along with them? That team is an instant championship team, I would put them as the favorites to win a title right away if they have that trio.

Have to disagree.  Durant with cp3 finding him in his spots.  Could be the best year Durant ever had on a team.  Durant can create his own but with a maestro giving him extra looks in the right spot, I need to see them paired.  Durant is a huge step up.  Imagine the room book will get with Durant out there too.  Could be video gamish.

Yep, the Lakers made the right decision by terminating Vogel's contract as he clearly didn't handle well with the team last season. At the same time, Darvin Ham as the new head coach of the Lakers doesn't inspire hope, and I don't expect the Lakers will be able to achieve any success with him. The problem is that Ham has no experience as a head coach because he has only worked as an assistant coach until now.

Yeah, it puts Phoenix Suns in tough spot, but I really can't blame De Andre Ayton, he was becoming no so significant to the team as he once was and during the playoffs it was pretty evident that sometimes for things to workout well for the Suns he needed to be on the bench, no player would of Ayton's caliber would like that.  I however don't see Durant as step up for them either, I mean no disrespect to his abilities or work ethics but we all also know he influential he can be within that squad and that could have quite an effect on the chemistry they've built over the past 2-3 years.

Not yet settled unless it comes from officially that they won't do the trade anymore. I haven't seen any news yet but most of them are all about its interest for taking KD and also allowing first picks just for him.

This is a big trade that they do ask and if an interested team really wants him, they'll just going to offer something that cannot be declined or hard to decline trade.

I think it's not about anything about the performance of DeAndre Ayton. It's clear in the locker room that Ayton and the Suns management aren't on good terms for long that's why it lead for considering Ayton to be traded. Prior to the 2021-22 season, the Suns think that Ayton is not in the tier of Luka Doncic and Trae Young that's why a max contract has not been offered to him. Since the Suns choked and got upset by the Dallas Mavericks last playoffs, that push more the consideration of trading Ayton to other players.

The Kevin Durant to Phoenix trade will not work and is not possible. Brooklyn Nets won't be satisfied to just receive Ayton in return. It should also involve other Suns' key players. If that's the only offer that Suns will do, then it's better for the Nets to just keep Durant and work on his current contract even if the latter will not play. In the first place, Durant will violate the terms and will take the consequences if he does that. If only Durant didn't accept the contract extension last season, he should be free to do whatever he wants.

He made a mistake. That's the problem when a superstar feels they are entitled to do everything. I hope Durant will be kept by the Nets and they will not get a good trade package. Durant should feel the effect of what he did. Agreeing to max contract then asking to be traded, what a joke by him. Nets even have good words for him when that sign happened thinking Durant will build a legacy on the team.

I agree, surely that was a slap to the management after what they done for Durant and he should stop these nonsense while trying use his freedom to opt out from the Nets. He should learn that he was also a part of the mistake last season because he was also not there to help the team as he was injured, if he wasn't injured that time, he could've at least avoided the situation where the team was swept in the 1st round and I bet Harden is still in the Nets.

Ya, this is bad news for Phoenix. I think it basically gives them 2 days to get Durant or else they have nothing to offer. Ayton was one of the main factors in the run to the Finals for them and they might end up losing him for nothing. This is going to set them back quite a bit. They are terrible at managing their picks. Just a reminder that they could have had DeAaron Fox & Luka Doncic and instead those two picks wound them up with nothing (or maybe Durant, we’ll see.)

KD cited the Miami Heat as one of the teams he would like to be traded to. The Heat will then want to seize all opportunities. But if Miami and Brooklyn are to agree on a trade, a third team must be involved in the deal. This complicates things. Because Adebayo and Simmons cannot play in the same team due to their contract type. I think there will be a solution to this. I think KD will go to the Heat this season.

Shots fired:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34242899/phoenix-suns-deandre-ayton-signing-4-year-131m-maximum-contract-offer-sheet-indiana-pacers-agents-say

Pacers sign him to a max sheet.  Now Suns hands are tied.  Let him him go for nothing or sign him to max and not be able to use him in a Durant deal.  2 days tick tock Phoenix.  Should be interesting to see what happens here.  

I don't think they'll need to give up much to get Kyrie.  I think mostly it will be some worthless draft picks (busts happen even at the #1 spot) and getting rid of Westbrook's contract, which is the #1 reason to make the trade.

Interestingly, the Lakers seem to be hedging their Kyrie bet, or maybe just trying to apply some pressure to Brooklyn.  Today the talk is that they're looking to sign Patrick Beverly.  I can't imagine that they would do this if they're picking up Kyrie, but maybe...  More likely to me is that they're showing Brooklyn they have other options.

They already rid of their coach, Vogel so that is a good move already. And obviously, Westbrook is not a fit for them, so that too will be the best move for their franchise and we can say that it was a wrong trade for them witt Washington. The Warriors has raised the bar already not just in the West, but the whole NBA. So the Lakers will have to adjust, not sure about getting Kyrie or Durant though is a good idea as well as they will have to give out a lot of their players.

Indeed! Every avid fan of the NBA had surely know what Durant wants and that is too seek the ring, clearly he didn't requested a trade to the #1 seed in both conference namely Heats and Suns if he just wanted a team where he can do some more lifting. Durant wanted a team that will increase his chance to get the championship next season but the Nets can't just let him have his way because they also wanted an all-star caliber in-exchange.

I can see that Durant will still be wearing the same jersey this coming season, most teams are already full packed and if not, they cannot give what the Nets wanted in return.

Yes, this not really new because LeBron also asked the same thing last year and that is to have Westbrook to their team. Now LeBron is asking again to the management to have Irving in the team that's why the management is trying to have a trade for the Nets so that they can also free up Westbrook.
These things are still rumors until now but it is also saying that the Lakers is really convincing the Nets to give Irving, they are somehow close to having a deal.

Obviously the first thing the Lakers need to do is rid themselves of Russell Westbrook's contract.  That has to be the #1 thing.  It's probably difficult for them to work with the Nets because the Nets don't want Westbrook and Durant on the same roster.  Imagine all the talk on sports broadcasts...  I don't believe they want that distraction, so they're trying to do a Durant deal first.  They're willing to give Kyrie away to get rid of his attitude, so obviously they need to focus on Durant first.  That's the trade piece they want to maximize.  I think doing a Westbrook deal first takes a little of their leverage away from Durant talks, as the league knows the Nets won't want those two playing together.

That is what the Nets is trying to do but the Lakers are more interested to get Kyrie Irving rather than Kevin Durant because the latter's trade is much more complicated as it means that the Lakers need to free 2 or 3 players for Durant; whereas if the Lakers get Irving in exchange for Westbrook.

It's too unfortunate for the Nets because they had to come up with this situation because their 2 all-star player wanted to move out after the Nets had done for this two. Back to the Lakers, I believe LBJ is pressuring the management to get Irving though than Durant because the King was vocal that he's still upset with Westbrook.

Read for more: https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-07-11/what-rival-scouts-executives-think-about-lakers-roster

I agree and I wish they will come up with something as soon as they can.
NBA became Hollywood as this players became artists that are becoming dramatic when their emotions are poked.
One solution that I could think of is the status of each player after they are hired. RFA, FA, Bird, and so on.. It must be changed because players found a hole in that. (maybe their agents)
Even some NBA fans are confused of how it happens that a player that was just signed can request for a trade. (Not talking about KD)

Their contract only seems good for players and that's all that it matters because they cannot be enslaved by the team when the time comes their no longer feel welcome anymore. That's why when Zion Williamson was not playing and rumors came out that he is getting fat and not getting some workout he usually does when he was healthy, the New Orleans Pelicans doesn't scold him or anything because they are completely aware the guy will request for trade when his peaceful place became toxic. The teams know about this before they finalize the player's contract. is just they wanted to gamble because if things work out, it will mean huge money for them.