Berman says they are contemplating offering their remaining 2.8 to Shved but also considering others such as Butler and Green
- Bargnani will NOT be back
-Ledo has some guaranteed money owed this year and Jackson likes him with some backup 3 minutes
-Still want Smith but think he will get more than the 2.8 they can offer
-KP may not play summer league, this would be a bummer
Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis still hasnt decided if he will play for the Knicks summer league, according to multiple sources. The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, coming off a rugged Spanish League season with Sevilla, had been nursing hip tightness entering the NBA draft an injury that cut short his pre-draft workout with the Knicks.
is someone going to hire Kevin McHale to run another team?
As presently constituted, the ceiling is about a 6 seed. But it's another case of accumulating assets. Lee is a better asset than Wallace. Eventually, Ainge is going to make a big trade. The roster has a bit of a logjam in certain areas. It's about figuring out who they can get that is an upgrade. The moment of hoping for the number one pick has passed for this team.
Lee is an expiring contract in a year where the expiring has fallen off as an "asset". Lee is not an asset as he is gone in a year. Amir Johnson is more of an asset due to his extra year. But neither Lee not Johnson are significant improvements over Zeller, Sullinger, Bass, and Jerebko, at least not according to advanced numbers.
Out of all the teams below .500 in the east, the celtics are second only to the Nets in terms of teams that made the least amount of improvements. Pacers, Bucks, and Pistons have done more to improve upon last year, I wouldn't be surprised if the celtics missed out on the playoffs, which isn't really a bad thing for them.
Johnson and Lee bring different things to last year's crop of big men. For one, they are better rebounders and scorers in the paint. Guys like Olynyk, Bass and Jerebko are jump shooters.
While they haven't done much to improve, you have to look at the team from last year starting with the Rondo trade, particularly after the Isaiah Thomas trade. Once Thomas came aboard, the team went 20-11, and that was with Thomas getting hurt and missing 8 games. Guys like Crowder and Turner really stepped up. There's no superstar on the team. But there are many solid players. And, given the way they ended the year, there is hope that this is at least a .500 team. Don't underestimate Brad Stevens getting the most out of a roster.
they have one every other year, although other teams have swap rights. I think they begin controlling their own picks in 2019.
That's not to mention the picks they have coming from seemingly every other team over the next 3-4 years.
Johnson and Lee bring different things to last year's crop of big men. For one, they are better rebounders and scorers in the paint. Guys like Olynyk, Bass and Jerebko are jump shooters.
While they haven't done much to improve, you have to look at the team from last year starting with the Rondo trade, particularly after the Isaiah Thomas trade. Once Thomas came aboard, the team went 20-11, and that was with Thomas getting hurt and missing 8 games. Guys like Crowder and Turner really stepped up. There's no superstar on the team. But there are many solid players. And, given the way they ended the year, there is hope that this is at least a .500 team. Don't underestimate Brad Stevens getting the most out of a roster.
I have great respect for Stevens. But like the Rondo thing, you can say the same thing about Detroit sans Josh Smith and the Pacers with Hill and George injured. Pacers essentially added Ellis, Turner, Hill, and George to replace David West and Roy Hibbert (whose shenanigans on offense pretty much negated his defensive impact).
SVG got SVG-type players. They added the jump shooters that thrive in his system in Marcus Morris and Ilyasova, drafted Johnson and are getting Jennings back.
Bucks are pretty much adding Jabari Parker to their roster in addition to Monroe and Vasquez.
I won't even start an argument for the Knicks vsC's yet, as they admittedly have much to prove still. But they are adding a healthy Melo, Lopez, O'quinn, Afflalo, Grant, KP and Derrick Williams to a 17 win team. They upgraded every single position on the starting lineup and a few spots on the bench. I could just be a homer but I can easily see them hitting at least .500 as well.
As for David Lee, even if a team wanted him, they aren't getting anything of value for a guy making $15 million for half a season rental. Sullinger, Olynyk and Zeller aren't going to get back 1st rounders. None of these guys will fetch a Demarcus Cousins-level player.
Next years Nets pick doesn't look like it will be that high in the lottery, if it is at all. And while Lopez and T Young are far from NBA cornerstones, having them locked down for long term deals make it hard for a future Nets pick to fall in the top 10 in the foreseeable future.
It was really cute when the Celtics were accumulating all of these draft picks, but actually seeing what they are turning out to isn't as exciting as once thought to be. As the saying goes, Ainge is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. And while they aren't bad by any means, being mediocre is a terrible place to be. And its only a matter of a few years before Stevens is back in the NCAA.
that's not really a good thing and doesn't say much for their value as assets. If we're evaluating their roster, the most valuable asset is probably Isiah, but that's primarily due to his contract. Overall, I'd say their best asset is Stevens (I'm a big fan of his). But the roster seems like a jumbled group of spare parts and role players. And looking at who they could have drafted (Winslow), making the playoffs this year ended up hurting them.
I'm sorry, that roster isn't going to be .500. And the one thing the Celtics have over all of these other teams is great depth. They go 10 deep, easily, every night. That might not be a good thing. But in the long grind of a season, when inevitable injuries hit, they are well prepared to withstand them.
Anyway, it's July 7th. No way these teams look the same in 4 months.
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Congrats to @JasonSmith014 on your brand new contract with the @OrlandoMagic! Could not be more excited for you #PureMagic
New York free agent Jason Smith has agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million deal with the Orlando Magic, league source tells RealGM.
2016:
1st round-
Boston
Brooklyn
Minnesota
Dallas
2nd round-
Philadelphia
Dallas
Cleveland
Miami
2017:
1st round-
Boston
Memphis
2nd round-
Boston
Cleveland
Minnesota
LAC
2018:
1st round-
Boston
Brooklyn
2nd round-
Boston
Some of these are protected and some of these are subject to potential switches, but ridiculous how many picks they have lol.
Still has value for a team who's main goal should be avoiding the lottery at all costs. I agree on Shved.
True, but unfortunately we couldn't match $4.3M.
Grant, Galloway, KP, Melo, Lopez, Affalo, Early, O'Quinn, Calderon, Ledo, Williams, Greek, Galdikas, throw out an offer to Barton or bring bad Shved.
By then Stevens will be coaching IU.
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I'm sorry, that roster isn't going to be .500. And the one thing the Celtics have over all of these other teams is great depth. They go 10 deep, easily, every night. That might not be a good thing. But in the long grind of a season, when inevitable injuries hit, they are well prepared to withstand them.
Anyway, it's July 7th. No way these teams look the same in 4 months.
Melo has dragged a worse team talent-wise to 54 wins.
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I hope they can. They may get close.
Scoring was always going to be a major issue. The roster had no chance of looking good on paper in one off-season. I mean in the dream scenario where they picked 1st and added Towns and then signed DeAndre Jordan (or Monroe etc) the roster still would look pretty bad. This was always going to be a 2 year rebuild.
of course there are some who argue Ainge waited too long to trade them thereby reducing his return.
that's not the main goal, nor should it be.
Scoring was always going to be a major issue. The roster had no chance of looking good on paper in one off-season. I mean in the dream scenario where they picked 1st and added Towns and then signed DeAndre Jordan (or Monroe etc) the roster still would look pretty bad. This was always going to be a 2 year rebuild.
There's plenty to like about the potential future of the Knicks. But .500 is truly absurd. One of these years though, you're going to have to convince a star from another team to sign with you as a free agent. Not one since Amare.
I'd bet the over on 30 wins. Lakers are easily worse. Magic, Philly, Charlotte, Portland and maybe Denver (maybe not) are worse on paper.
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Still has value for a team who's main goal should be avoiding the lottery at all costs. I agree on Shved.
that's not the main goal, nor should it be.
What do you see as the main goal? This team isn't in any realistic way going anywhere this season. They're hoping they can be in the mix for the 8th seed.
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is the second worst in the league. Go look at this page of depth charts. I'd say that Philly is worse. But is there anyone else you can honestly say your are better than, on paper, for this upcoming season? Link - ( New Window )
I'd bet the over on 30 wins. Lakers are easily worse. Magic, Philly, Charlotte, Portland and maybe Denver (maybe not) are worse on paper.
I'll give you Portland. Charlotte has Kemba, MKG, Jefferson, Zeller, Batum. Orlando has Oladipo, Payton, Harris, Vucevic. LA has Russell, Clarkson, Kobe, Randle, Hibbert. I don't think the Knicks equal any of those, even though they have the best player amongst all those I just listed. They simply have nothing beyond Melo.
"not one since Amare" is a nonsense statement considering this summer was the only time they've had max cap room since then. And Melo forcing his way here is basically the same thing.
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a superstar. Pierce, Garnett and Rondo, at the time of those trades, were clearly not superstars.
of course there are some who argue Ainge waited too long to trade them thereby reducing his return.
Rondo, they waited. Him tearing his ACL hurt that process. With Pierce and Garnett, they were coming off a season where they took Miami to the brink in the ECF. They had to go for it one more time. And then Rondo tore his ACL that last season. So I can't fault Ainge for not trading them sooner. Garnett also fell off big time, much more than anyone would have expected.
developing the young players. If it costs them the playoffs, who cares. The draft pick is a sunk cost and means nothing to us now.
they didn't "have" to do anything. Good for them for pushing Miami, but what were you expecting the next season? For a bunch of declining players in their mid 30s to improve and beat the younger/better Heat who have the best player in the world? And Garnett's decline was actually very predictable given his age, mileage, and previous knee problems.
I don't hate the Knicks nearly as much as I hate the other biggest rivals to my favorite teams in other sports. I probably would if they were good. So let's come back to it in a few years.
Your evaluation of those guys, especially Smart, is way off though. You said earlier that Olynyk wouldn't fetch a first rounder? He would. Not a high one. But a first rounder, for sure. Marcus Smart is far more talented on offense than Tony Allen ever could have been. And "the Celtics don't have anything going for them in the future" is truly one of the most asinine statements I've ever read on BBI. They have a top young coach (who isn't leaving for Indiana or any other college team anytime soon), a bunch of young talent, a good GM and ownership situation, and a million draft picks. No, they won't be able to sign a marquee free agent, because no one wants to play in Boston. But they will trade for one. Maybe not this year. But that trade for a superstar is coming. And there is room for 2 max guys next year. You never know.
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In comment 12360404 Pego61 said:
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I'll give you Portland. Charlotte has Kemba, MKG, Jefferson, Zeller, Batum. Orlando has Oladipo, Payton, Harris, Vucevic. LA has Russell, Clarkson, Kobe, Randle, Hibbert. I don't think the Knicks equal any of those, even though they have the best player amongst all those I just listed. They simply have nothing beyond Melo.
LOL are you serious about the Lakers? Kobe hasn't been a productive player in 3 years and is coming off his second injured season. Clarkson's offense doesn't outweigh his defensive flaws yet. Randle and Russell are two defensive liabilities as rookies. Hibbert's defense does not make up for his offense. They aren't cracking 30 wins.
I tend to agree as many of those young guys they have expiring contracts soon. Once they become FA's and get a larger contract, they lose a large degree of their value.
You can say "What after Melo" and scoff at Lopez, Afflalo, Calderon, Porz, Grant and others all you want. But look where the .500 line was in the East last year. Milwaukee got there on pure defense (26th in offensive rating). Other than Knight (traded after 52 games), their top scorers were MCw (14.1), Middleton (13.4), and the Freak (12.7). Then look at 40-42 Boston. Boston's top 8 minutes leaders in order were: Avery Bradley, Evan Turner, Brandon Bass, Marcus Smart, Ty Zeller, Sully, and Olynyk, and Jae Crowder.
The talent bar for .500 in the East is low. Very low.