NBA 2018 Off Season Thread

[Hiromi]

2017-18 season has come to a close
Golden State Warriors are you champions
Draft is on June 21st at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, Phoenix Suns have the overall number 1 pick
Free Agency will officially open on July 1st

Let's kick it off with a bombshell
Kawhi Leonard officially wants out of San Antonio, his top trade target is LA. If Magic can pull that off I think that officially makes LA Lebron's number 1 target for free agency, they could also still realistically get Paul George even if they sign those two(dumping Luol Deng's contract is key)

This also will officially end San Antonio's run imo and likely trigger a full rebuild with Manu and Parker retiring, Pops is also reportedly unlikely to coach past 2020 and his Team USA commitment

The Kings apparently want to trade their number two pick

[Sacred Knight]

Make way for yet another superteam. For the most unbearable franchise in the league, at that. God this era of the NBA sucks so hard.

[Surf]

The summer of Kawhi.

[Hiromi]

NBA has apparently sent a memo to the teams saying the one and done rule might be changedbefore the 2021 season

[WestPhillyPunisher]

NBA has apparently sent a memo to the teams saying the one and done rule might be changedbefore the 2021 season

Is that when the current CBA ends? I’m not at all enamored with a return to the turbulent days of green behind the gills high schoolers going straight from their senior prom to NBA locker rooms.

[daBronzeBomma]

2017-18 season has come to a close
Golden State Warriors are you champions
Draft is on June 21st at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, Phoenix Suns have the overall number 1 pick
Free Agency will officially open on July 1st

Let's kick it off with a bombshell
Kawhi Leonard officially wants out of San Antonio, his top trade target is LA. If Magic can pull that off I think that officially makes LA Lebron's number 1 target for free agency, they could also still realistically get Paul George even if they sign those two(dumping Luol Deng's contract is key)

This also will officially end San Antonio's run imo and likely trigger a full rebuild with Manu and Parker retiring, Pops is also reportedly unlikely to coach past 2020 and his Team USA commitment

The Kings apparently want to trade their number two pick

It's always gratifying when someone else is willing to pick up the baton for you. Thanks, Hiromi!

The 2018 NBA Off-Season is on! And it looks like it's going to be a doozy!

I've long thought that the Basketball off-season was more exciting than the Baseball off-season. Yet the MLB off-season has the pretty sweet unofficial nickname "The Hot Stove" , while the NBA has none.

Well, no more.

I think we can come up with a worthy nickname for the endlessly entertaining Basketball Off-Season.

I'll go first.

I submit ... "The Cook Out".

I figure if the "Hot Stove" signifies their wintry off-season, the "Cook Out" can signify our summery one.

And the Cook Out is on fire!

Kahwi to the Lakers ... man, I clearly didn't know the guy as well as I thought I did (which can obviously be said for any celebrity from afar). Did not see him wanting that.

[Sacred Knight]

The potential good news about this Kawahi wanting to be trading thing is one, there's bad blood on both sides, and two, the Spurs are not a stupid organization. Chances at least pretty good with some reflection that the Spurs completely ignore his preferred destination and do what's best for them....trading him out of the conference.

[frankiedetroit]

Is that when the current CBA ends? I’m not at all enamored with a return to the turbulent days of green behind the gills high schoolers going straight from their senior prom to NBA locker rooms.

The CBA goes through 2023-24, but the sides can opt out in 2023.

I also didn't like high schoolers going straight to the pros. For one, it forever ended my lukewarm attraction to college basketball. What was the point of watching if the best players go to the pros? Secondly, other than LeBron, no other high schooler was really good right away. Yes, Amare won ROTY, but he wasn't that good. I hated having to watch them be scrubby for two or three years before becoming good. Far more 'one and done' guys have come in good right away.

[frankiedetroit]

The potential good news about this Kawahi wanting to be trading thing is one, there's bad blood on both sides, and two, the Spurs are not a stupid organization. Chances at least pretty good with some reflection that the Spurs completely ignore his preferred destination and do what's best for them....trading him out of the conference.

I'm a Laker fan and very much do not want Kawhi in LA. I was never a huge fan of his, and after this season, am really not a fan. (I cling to the option of changing my tune should he lead us to a title.)

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The CBA goes through 2023-24, but the sides can opt out in 2023.

I also didn't like high schoolers going straight to the pros. For one, it forever ended my lukewarm attraction to college basketball. What was the point of watching if the best players go to the pros? Secondly, other than LeBron, no other high schooler was really good right away. Yes, Amare won ROTY, but he wasn't that good. I hated having to watch them be scrubby for two or three years before becoming good. Far more 'one and done' guys have come in good right away.

Umm, I think you forgot about THIS kid....

[daBronzeBomma]

I've never understood the practice of a team acquiescing to a player who is still under contract (at least a full year left). If said contracted player demands to be traded and lists his preferred destination, I would hope the team ignores his trade demand outright, or at least strip some desperate team of assets so that said player is stuck in purgatory for the remainder of his contract.

Complete 180 for officially unrestricted free agents: THEY should do whatever the hell they can.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

I've never understood the practice of a team acquiescing to a player who is still under contract (at least a full year left). If said contracted player demands to be traded and lists his preferred destination, I would hope the team ignores his trade demand outright, or at least strip some desperate team of assets so that said player is stuck in purgatory for the remainder of his contract.

Complete 180 for officially unrestricted free agents: THEY should do whatever the hell they can.

Well stars are a premium and there isn’t a franchise tag so you kind of have to trade them or risk getting nothing. Also they can torpedo a bad trade by declaring they will never resign with said desperate team

[Hiromi]

I've never understood the practice of a team acquiescing to a player who is still under contract (at least a full year left). If said contracted player demands to be traded and lists his preferred destination, I would hope the team ignores his trade demand outright, or at least strip some desperate team of assets so that said player is stuck in purgatory for the remainder of his contract.

Complete 180 for officially unrestricted free agents: THEY should do whatever the hell they can.

A player with only one year left can threaten to leave whatever team's trying to get him the following year, which lowers his value since a team that's not actually competing isn't giving up assets for a one year rental, so he has some leverage

[BatmanJones]

I've never checked this forum. How wonderful that people are discussing the NBA here. My two favorite things in life are comic books and the Houston Rockets. And I've become close friends and collaborators with Rockets GM Daryl Morey, with whom I made a new musical having to do with basketball earlier this year. He's the greatest guy in person. No pretense, so down to earth, so generous.

I feel like he really earned exec of the year this year by building the only team in the league that could give GSW a challenge and we were one Chris Paul injury or 3 bad/missed foul calls away from advancing to the finals. It was heartbreaking to get so close when no one else can compete with them.

The consolation prize for Rockets fans is that a lot of top name free agents want to play here now because Rockets are generally considered to be just a key player or two away from beating the Warriors. And if anyone can make a miracle happen it's Morey.

Curious to know who folks here think have the best chance of breaking the Warrior dynasty. Obviously I have the Rockets as most likely and I also have them as most likely to land LeBron while somehow (through Morey magic) keeping a core of Harden, Paul, Capela though I fear we might have to lose Capela to make it work. I hope we don't. His improvement each year since he joined the Rockets has been astounding and he's only 23 years old. He embarrassed higher name centers in KAT and Gobert before having a less than stellar series against GSW. I love the guy though and hope he retires a Rocket.

[BatmanJones]

In case anyone is interested in the musical I made with Morey (he produced, I directed) here's the page with all the details. Scroll to the bottom for some stellar reviews including a really fun one from Shea Serrano who was there opening night as was Michael Lewis (Moneyball) who also loved it. We also had coach D'Antoni, Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, PJ Tucker, Ryan Anderson, and of course Daryl Morey in our opening night audience. Such a dream come true for this theatre-making Rockets fanatic.

https://catastrophictheatre.com/production/small-ball/