The NBA Offseason Thread

[Guest]

Now they're even worse.

 

Only the JV could pull off such a feat.

[alfdogg 0]

Mickael Pietrus has agreed to sign with the Magic, for "almost all" of the MLE, per ESPN.

 

I don't know what's going to happen with Igoudala, but Philadelphia is looking strong for now in the East. Possibly good enough to grab homecourt in the first round.

[Ripper 0]

L.A. Times is also reporting that Maggette has signed with the Golden State Warriors for deal worth around 50 million

 

Way to address that hole at the PG.

 

And they still don't have deals for Monta Ellis and Andres Biedrens. But hey!!! They have another SG/SF!!!!

 

I tell ya, some of these teams fuckups are making me feel better about hte Suns and the hawks offseasons...not much, but some.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

As someone who doesn't know all that much about basketball...could someone tell me what the Mid Level Exception is?

[Bored 0]

They'll lock up Ellis and Biedrins, no worries there, but not that this makes this any less of stupid move by the Warriors. Funny a few days ago I was reading an article on BasketballProspectus.com that said basically the last thing they should do is sign someone like Maggette in a futile attempt to win now. Whoops!

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

I tell ya, some of these teams fuckups are making me feel better about hte Suns and the hawks offseasons...not much, but some.

 

Don't worry, there's still plenty of time for the Hawks to totally mishandle the Josh Smith situation.

[Guest]

As someone who doesn't know all that much about basketball...could someone tell me what the Mid Level Exception is?

 

A team is allowed to sign one player to a contract equal to the average NBA salary, even if the team is over the salary cap already, or if the signing would put them over the cap. This is known as the Mid-level exception. The Mid-Level Exception for the 2007-08 NBA season is $5.36 million. Only teams that are over the Salary Cap can use the mid-level exception to sign free agents. The MLE as it is often called is $5.8 million for the 2008-09 NBA regular season.

 

 

from wiki, of course.

[MrRant 0]

Carney has a future if he can learn to defend. Calvin Booth is still in the league much to the suprise of everyone...including Calvin Booth. That guy turned ONE FUCKING LAYUP into a huge contract. Fuck Jerome James, this guy made it big.

 

 

I have no idea how the Sonics managed to have both of these guys on their team.

[Dangerous A 0]

The Clippers should be forced to no longer be an NBA franchise. Just a disastrous offseason if Brand does indeed leave.

 

The Clippers should just move to Seattle and takeover the Sonics. Still won't matter because Sterling and Baylor will be there fucking things up to no end.

[Ketamine Disaster 0]

Per ESPN, Brand is officially a 76er.

 

http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3479059

 

Well, shit.

[Fökai 0]

L.A. Times is also reporting that Maggette has signed with the Golden State Warriors for deal worth around 50 million

 

Way to address that hole at the PG.

They have no starter and no backup. Why start now?

 

RE: Brand.

 

I wouldn't be too pissed as a Clips fan with Brand's departure - Thornton had a strong rookie season and he would've been wasted with another year at the quasi-SF/PF/6th man. That said, losing Maggette after Brand is huge. Thornton would've been a great compliment to either guy that stayed, whether it was Thornton/Brand or Maggette/Thornton in the starting line-up. Now he's screwed, and the Clips' cap situation is screwed too. With the remaining cap space that the Clips now have, who else is out there to get? Deng? Josh Smith? Sterling has to know he has the inside track on signing Smith before today's signings. I think all would be forgiven if he does.

 

And Turiaf just signed an offer sheet with the Warriors. 4 years/$17 million. And $10 mil a year for a guy (Maggette) who was willing to sign with teams for the mid-level exception. Holy shit, Chris Mullin is fucking insane.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Josh Smith is in L.A. and will meet with the Clippers later in the day.

 

I'm pretty sure that Josh Smith will sign an offer sheet from the Clippers by the end of the day.

[Ripper 0]

Yeah, and thankfully they are dealing with Sterling who will not make it a max contract and the hawks can match.

 

In other news, Brandon Jennings and his hi-top fade are heading to Europe for a year instead of playing for Arizona. Great decision by this kid. Hopefully it will bring about some change from the dumbass rules the NBA has now or causes a mass exodus to the Euros for kids that should have been lottery picks.

 

And I am noticing how all the stories are playing it up like he is going because he couldn't make his SAT scores, despite the fact that he actually passed the test, but had to retake because the NCAA said there was too big of a jump from the first time and second time he took it.

[Steviekick 0]

I would have rather seen Smith wind up in Philadelphia, but since they went with Brand, I would rather see Smith return to Atlanta.

[Ripper 0]

Dude...what the fuck is golden state doing?

 

They have offered Ronny Turiaf a 4 year 17 million dollar contract. Once again, they are doing all this BEFORE they resign Monta and Andries Biedriens. If I am not confused, because he was as second round pick, they can't go over the cap to resign Monta (I think this is how they lost Gilbert...they weren't able to just give him a big contract or something like that).

 

Who's in the draft that they are shooting for because this team isn't going to win 10 games at this point.

 

Not counting the free agents, so far the team is:

 

Brandon Wright

Al Harrington

Stephen Jackson

Corey Maggette

CJ Watson

Marco belinelli

Anthony Randolf

Kosta Perovic

 

 

Thats it. Even if everything goes to plan, you basically add Monta Ellis, Ronny Turiaf and Andries Biedrins to that mix. That still isn't a 30 win team.

[Steviekick 0]

That's going to be one awful team. I guess they really want Monta to be a point guard.

[Guest]

Pretty sure we're not matching that offer...

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

They have offered Ronny Turiaf a 4 year 17 million dollar contract. Once again, they are doing all this BEFORE they resign Monta and Andries Biedriens. If I am not confused, because he was as second round pick, they can't go over the cap to resign Monta (I think this is how they lost Gilbert...they weren't able to just give him a big contract or something like that).

 

I think you are right about Monta Ellis and the second round pick rule, but even after the Maggette and Turiaf signings the Warriors should be under the cap. The Clippers are going to blow their wad on an offer sheet to Smith or Okafor. That leaves Memphis as the only team who could steal Ellis away, and I think we all know that's not happening.

 

Anyways, I'm not ready to make one of those statements declaring a shift in the balance of power, but the bottom of the Western Conference is going to be putrid next year. The Clippers, Sonics/Barons, Grizzlies, Wolves, Kings and Warriors are going to be terrible. Those are probably the six worst teams in the league heading into next year.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Not counting the free agents, so far the team is:

 

Brandon Wright

Al Harrington

Stephen Jackson

Corey Maggette

CJ Watson

Marco belinelli

Anthony Randolf

Kosta Perovic

 

 

Thats it. Even if everything goes to plan, you basically add Monta Ellis, Ronny Turiaf and Andries Biedrins to that mix. That still isn't a 30 win team.

Yikes...

 

So will Donnie Nelson quit, or get fired midway through the season?

[alfdogg 0]

James Jones will sign with Miami at 5 yrs/$22 million, per the Miami Herald.

[Guest Vitamin X]

[Just John 0]

Well, I thought the Clips had a chance to shake up the West next year, but now they look like they´ll be pretty mediocre. I don´t see them being completely terrible with Baron, Kaman, and Thornton in the lineup, but their playoff hopes are slim.

 

Golden State went from a fun team with potential to an absolute mess really fast. They´re certainly the biggest losers of the off season so far, and they´ve made so many bad moves, it might be hard to top them at all.

 

Even though it´s early, Philly seems like the biggest winner right now. Any time you add a 20/10 guy to your roster, you´re looking at a big improvement. Plus, Brand will add a veteran leader presence as well, which is something the Sixers need with all their young talent.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Sixers say they will have a conference at 5 to announce a "major player announcement".

 

With announcing the signing of Brand hopefully Stefanski also announces the resigning of Iguodala.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I think the Sixers might take Detroit's place in the East soon. They were surprisingly good last year, this just makes them better.

[Ripper 0]

I think they should trade Iggy while people still seem to think he is a good player. Or convince him to go back to the shut down defender he was his rookie year and stop thinking he is a superstar. because, you know...he isn't.

 

If they added a shooter that can play D at that position (like Anthony Parker who is gone or Kieth Bogans or a Deshawn Stevenson) this team would be ALOT better. As is, I think they have a chance to be very good. With Dalembert and Brand they will have one of the better shotblocking front courts in the NBA, they have a great point guard and Thaddus Young is going to be a good player. Downside is that they sacraficed some depth at the wings to add brand, and they still have to resign Louis Williams or they are going to have depth problems at the point/Shooting guard position.

[Brett Favre 0]

I dunno man. Iggy averaged like 20 a game without much of a jumper (which he is improving). He's a good player.

[Ripper 0]

He takes about 20 bad shots a game, has said "Fuck that defense shit" much like Paul Pierce did after a few years in Boston, still takes 4 threes a game for some fuckign reason, whines when he doesn't get the ball, whines when the team loses (despite him going 4-60 in the game), constantly leaves his teammates watching as they were thinking they were about to run a play and Andre says "Watch me score this!"

 

He is one of those players that will throw a bullet pass from 2 feet away from a guy to his shoes and then make faces and yell at the guy for not catching it. I need a guy willing to pat himself on the chest and say "My Bad" even when it isn't his fault sometimes. I hate those fuckers that ALWAYS pretend its everyone else.

 

No, i am not a Iggy fan. He is a guy that can be a damn good player on a horrible team. he however can't be a damn good player on a good team unless he takes a step back and sees that he isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread. They have a great point guard that alot of times goes ridiculous amounts of time without the ball because their SG wants to go against the world. I have watched dalembert get great post position right under the basket and get waved away by a dribbling Iggy.

 

He freakin annoys me watching him play, then once or twice a week he goes ape shit and plays the way he should play and I forget how much I dislike his game. Then he reminds me one game later.

[bob_barron 0]

I'm watching Summer League Basketball.

 

Is that a new level of sad?

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

So Andrew Bogut is getting a 5-year, $72 million extension. Really? I know he's improving a bit year by year, but $14 million/year?

 

I feel like Michael Bluth talking about Ann. Him?

[alfdogg 0]

I've been hearing on the radio people comparing the Elton Brand stuff to what Carlos Boozer did to the Cavs a few years ago. Difference is, while it is sort of odd that he would leave after seemingly opting out to allow them room to sign Davis, Brand did have the right to opt out of his contract. Boozer was still on his rookie deal, and it was the team that held the option there. They had apparently worked out a handshake deal or something, where the team would let Boozer out and then sign him to a long-term deal, and then Boozer turned around and took a bigger offer from the Jazz. Which I've never really thought less of him for, but I guess I can see why people would. I just don't think Boozer and Brand are the same situation.