hootie249

Yeah remember to keep the eye on the prize. We just want to win. We need better guard play, period. Look at the Nets, still winning with all those injuries. Because they took a chance on Russell and it's working out. Remember 2 months ago you guys didn't want to lose anyone for Russell? Ok lets have some fun. Let's say we traded any one player from our team 2 months ago for Russell. Doesn't matter your choice. If Russell was here, hitting 4th quarter shots, putting up 30 point games and we were winning just a little bit more, how would you feel? Doesn't matter who was gone if everyone else left was playing better and we knew we had a point guard the next 4 years. I'm not even trying to be specific about Russell, just using him as an example because half the board didn't want him a month ago. Not if we had to lose something. Everybody is afraid of losing something from a team that really has nothing. If Russell were traded to us 40 days ago, or whenever it was when they extended Dinwiddie, i couldn't care which person on the Magic went the other way. Because right now we would be a more well rounded team. That's the goal. Get better, have a real team. The whole point of my rant are the people not wanting Conley or Jrue. If we can finally start winning, take a chance, do something. Nobody is untouchable on this team. Not one player, if we get better.

People need to get over the fear of trading people because of the Harris and Oladipo trades. Trades and free agency are the way most teams get better. Luck in the draft is the other way, we had our chance. The Harris trade was the one that was hasty, we needed a point guard and Skiles didn't like Tobias. The Dipo trade is just a tragedy, mostly because he would have been a good face of the franchise. Don't judge it in this situation, it was a mistake then everyone knew it, the media, the league, the fans. It doesn't count. Use those two players as examples. They were both traded to other teams. One team got better, one didn't but did acquire an all-star. Players are currency, use them to get better or more well rounded. Trades themselves are not bad, making the wrong trade is bad. We have to start being the winner, the team who makes a few good small moves, before the big one.

Yeah but they could only trade him to a team that was planning on keeping him. That is not a disaster, nobody on this team has proven anything, especially a rookie. I can understand thinking he is going to be good, and i believe he is, but he is a project. Maybe it's Bamba who doesn't fit our timeline. What if he isn't even decent until his 3rd year. If your all in on Bamba then you should be rooting for us to trade everyone and lose for the draft. Heck we should have traded Gordon because he is ready to win now, not 2 years from now.

If one month ago, Bamba was in play for DSj and we didn't pull the trigger......shame on our franchise. I'm tired of projects, even if our management drafted Giannis.

Point is we have looked incredibly stupid going all the way back to Shaq. Tracy turning into a HOF and making the right pick with Dwight saved us. Saved us from looking even worse. We made the finals because Stan was let go in Miami and he was a great coach, poor Gm, but great coach.

Picking this time to point out it's not just the losing. Starting with the Fran Vazquez pick, straight through the Rashard Lewis overpay and the Stan Van press conference, we looked like a dysfunctional franchise. The last six years solidified our bottom tier standing. Dwightmare,Skiles,Oladipo trade,Eraserboard gate. We need a franchise reset. I left off a ton of drama and mistakes as well. It's really deep.

Well, Bulls,Suns,Cavs easily have the title. Only Lebron being from Ohio saved them. All three of them had much better options and screwed it up. Same with New York.

The only thing i can think of is Rozier being a RFA is difficult to include in a trade. Turning into a draft pick and a player that can be waived or used to match salaries is a plus? So Simmons and the OKC pick, because that would help Boston more then trying to do some messed up sign and trade with Rozier.

Sarcasm, love it. On another note what would be a realistic trade for Rozier? After his slow start they are playing him alot more lately. Showcasing him?

Good news everyone! When i pressed the mock lottery button on NBA Tankathon, we moved up 1 in 6 times!

Conley to Doc. "I'm your huckleberry!"

I don't know man, with the amount of tanking we are about to see, i'm not even sure our pick will get us Garland. Without injuries i see our pick being from 9-12.

Lol i just pulled up the espn trade machine, it already has the players moved! That was quick. Who really hates Fournier? Now is the time to trade him to the Mavs for Harrison Barnes. This way Dallas can take one more step to having an all white european line-up.

I know that's happened in the past but not this time. I can easily see Jimmy Butler and Kemba Walker wanting to go to NY. And Kemba and Tobias are not turning down max money to go home. However i'm sure that's the fallback plan.

Burke is also small and turnover prone.

So whats the best case for the Knicks? They get the number 1 pick and take Zion? Sign Kyrie and Durant? Worst case they get Reddish and Sign Kemba and Tobias. Maybe something unexpected like they trade for CP and sign Jimmy Buckets?

LOL! One of these things is not like the others.

Ok, last stupid trade Idea till Monday. Would you do this trade for Conley if we offered our top 4 protected pick and they accepted. http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y7nvtshq This is us trying to make the playoffs this year with possible roster spots open for any waived players. This assumes Grizzlies trade Gasol as well and plan on doing full tank next two years.

He is saying we do not have a winning culture. There is a-lot of money out there, our guys are unrestricted.

I think we do nothing. I feel the current regime is more about playing it safe. Trading away our current All-star would be a bad PR move. Trading away our pick would look real bad if we miss the playoffs. Imagine if that same pick moves up in the lotto. Since we took too long to upgrade our guard position, i think they stay put. Small chance we trade away Simmons or Ross, in that order. The only way we trade away the pick is if we are getting Jrue or Conley. And even then only if we are keeping Vuch,Gordon and Isaac. This is the mindset i see in current management. Just my humble opinion. I picked Bamba as the possible trade chip because if they care more about appearances, keeping an all-star looks better then a rookie.

After seeing the cap hold for Vucevic and Ross it's hard to see a trade without getting back garbage in return, from capped out teams. Checking the free agent list there will be a pretty big market for both. Vucevic is the top center easy, Ross is very high up the list of shooting guards. Lots of money i can see about 2-3 teams for each of them willing to overpay.

Good info, i'll have to find an article about the whole league though. Look how big Vucevic's cap hold is, we will not be able to get a decent free agent unless we renounce it. Found a good look at the whole league. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/2019/

Anyone pay for Espn insider? They have an article up about teams cap space this summer. Was wondering if they could check it out.

It really doesn't matter anymore. I figure the one thing they would crave would be another possible lotto pick.3 weeks ago i was excited about acquiring a pg and making a run at .500 and the playoffs. Now, i'm starting to feel the allure of a lotto pick. I think at this point i would be upset if we gave up our pick and didn't make the playoffs. Really bad luck in close losses, plus we waited to long to make a move. I'm really torn right now, a month ago i could not give a damn about that pick. I think i would still do it for either Russell or DSJ. Obviously Russell is out so unless it's DSJ i say stand pat.

Worth it, his contract runs out same time as Mozgov and Fournier. If he helped our team develop, totally worth it.