NBA Off-Season Discussion Thread

[V23]

lol Yeah, really.

BTW, John Wall said on Twitter that he's wearing #2 next year since he can't wear 11.

 

[zooz]

The Nets would win 4 championships in the next decade with LeBron to go with Lopez, Favors, and Harris.

 

[V23]

http://www.nba.com/freeagents/2010/

The free agent tracker.

 

[snipezo]

lol Yeah, really.

BTW, John Wall said on Twitter that he's wearing #2 next year since he can't wear 11.

Weird cuz he said he's wearing #3 on facebook.

 

[sheed]

97.1 The Ticket's Matt Dery has confirmed a Yahoo sports report that Joe Dumars did contact free agent Brendan Haywood after midnight.

 

[zooz]

OO wow big spender, a 30 year old bum

 

[Pugz]

The Trail Blazers were close to acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets last week, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The proposed deal had Portland sending Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick to New Orleans for Paul and Emeka Okafor.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower pulled the plug on the deal claiming that his owner wasn't ready to deal Paul.

New Orleans made a trade with Oklahoma City last week that got them under the luxury tax threshold, so they no longer have the financial pressure of dealing Paul.

Via ESPN

 

[Pugz]

The Pistons aren't expected to be major players in free agency, but could target center Brendan Haywood.

Haywood is an unrestricted free agent and may wait to sign a deal until after the dust settles and a majority of the major free agents sign.

Via Detroit News

 

[Pugz]

The Pistons aren't expected to be major players in free agency, but could target center Brendan Haywood.

Haywood is an unrestricted free agent and may wait to sign a deal until after the dust settles and a majority of the major free agents sign.

Via Detroit News

 

[V23]

I don't even want to think about Roy and CP3 on the same team lol.

 

[zooz]

Wow that would be a great move for Portland, Andre Miller is on the downside of his career ,Przybilla gets hurt too often, they would lose a little bit of young talent in Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick, but Paul and Emeka Okafor are excellent it would be very much worth it especially to go along with Aldridge and Camby. Plus, Hornets would benefit too since Collison and Thornton did a great job in Paul's absence, they would still have West who could help teach Aldrich for the future.

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

Wouldn't mind having Haywood on the team.

 

[Pugz]

id love to have brenden. also the hornets traded aldrich, correct? so he would be with west in NO. but that trade would been sick for portland.

 

[Pugz]

The Magic are quietly exploring sign-and-trade scenarios that would send out Vince Carter and his $17.3 million contract for next season, according to sources.

Orlando has been very active in their attempts to improve this offseason.

 

[Pugz]

Richard Jefferson would prefer to return to the New York area to play for the Knicks or Nets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Jefferson does not have a deal in place to remain with the Spurs.

Jefferson is hoping to secure a multi-year contract with an annual average of $8M to $10M.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo!

i wouldnt pay a penny over 6.5mill a year for rjeff

 

[VC15]

And the worst signing(s) of the day goes to....

Drew Gooden and Darko Milicic
Rudy Gay (not far behind)

 

[zooz]

And the worst signing(s) of the day goes to....

Drew Gooden and Darko Milicic
Rudy Gay (not far behind)

Darko is an NBA champion! lol :drunk:

 

[sheed]

i wouldnt pay a penny over 6.5mill a year for rjeff

Either would I. Hell, he doesn't deserve anything over the MLE really. As for Haywood, I would love to have him.

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:Mlive.com

11 players the Detroit Pistons could consider with the MLE

Perhaps you didn't hear, but NBA free agency is upon us. Right now, the sports world watches with bated breath to learn the destinations of superstars LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudamire, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson and others.

Of course, Detroit isn't in the running for any of those players. With over $50 million already committed to player salaries next season, the Pistons are left with only the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions to spend on players for next season.

If you're wondering what type of player the mid-level exception can land a team, look no further than the Milwaukee Bucks, who will reportedly sign forward Drew Gooden to a five-year, $32 million dollar contract.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 11 free agents (alphabetical order) the Pistons could consider with their limited funds.

Joel Anthony
Anthony is an elite shot-blocking center with solid defensive skills. The problem is, that's the extent of his skill set. Anthony averaged 1.4 blocks in only 16.5 minutes of action last season. He's a restricted free agent, but with the Heat focusing on landing multiple max-contract players, he might be available for under $2 million per season.

Matt Barnes
If Joe Dumars wants the Pistons to get back to their tough, scrappy roots, Barnes might be the answer. Last season with the Orlando Magic, Barnes blossomed from being just a hustle player into more of a defensive stopper. The small forward made $1.6 million with the Magic last season and is looking for a decent raise.

Barnes is fairly efficient in other areas of the game as well, including rebounding, where he averaged 5.5 last season. He's not a bad shooter either, posting a career-high 48.7 percent from the floor last season.

Udonis Haslem
Much like Gooden, Haslem would probably cost the full MLE. He would instantly provide the Pistons with a tough, rebounding power forward off the bench who has the ability to score both inside and outside.

Miami would love to bring Haslem back, but getting a new deal done there will be down the priority list behind signing big-name stars like Bosh and James. I suspect he'll wait to for Miami's situation to shake out, but if they can't afford him, he'd be an ideal pickup for the Pistons.

Brendan Haywood
You have to call and ask. Haywood is one of the few, true centers on the market worth a damn. Before being traded to Dallas at the trading deadline last season, the 7-footer was nearly averaging a double-double with 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds.

Odds are, the MLE won't be enough to land Haywood. At worse, he'll have the same offer from a few other teams, including Dallas, where he finished out last season.

Josh Howard
If the Pistons plan to move Tayshaun Prince, Howard could be a bargain replacement. He's coming off a torn ACL, which should impact the contract he can get on the open market.

When healthy, Howard has the ability to be a diverse scorer, both off the dribble and with a decent jump shot. He doesn't have elite range, but 34 percent on three balls is respectable.

Defensively, Howard has a good combination of size and speed that allows him to stay in front of most small forwards in the NBA.

Brad Miller
Could you imagine Miller lining up at center alongside Pistons rookie Greg Monroe at power forward? That duo would make up the best passing frontcourt in the NBA. Miller, an 11-year veteran, isn't a long-term answer, but could provide some depth and stability to the center position as the Pistons continue the rebuilding process.

The big concern is Miller's defense. It's never been called good, but it's taking a turn for the worse at this stage in his career. The Pistons already have enough defensive concerns in the paint, and Miller is likely to make the issue worse.

Jermaine O'Neal
Yeah, he once punched a Pistons fan in the face, but we were talking about Ron Artest coming to Detroit the past couple seasons, so why not O'Neal?

O'Neal used to be one of the better defensive players at his position, but age and injury have taken a toll. Still, he can adequately defend the position and give you some blocked shots to boot. His offensive production has also slipped, but he remains incredibly efficient, shooting a career best 52.9 percent from the floor in Miami last season.

The biggest drawback with O'Neal is durability. He managed to play 70 games with the Heat last year, which is solid, but it's the most action he's seen in the past six seasons. Despite the risk, the reward of a healthy O'Neal would definitely be worth it.

Travis Outlaw
Outlaw, is another potentially Prince replacement. He is extremely athletic with a decent jump shot and the ability to get to the free throw line around four times a game.
The knock on Outlaw is his selfishness. He's averaged less than an assist per game over his seven-year career, and could really struggle in the slow-paced, half-court set utilized by John Kuester.

Luis Scola
He's a restricted free agent and the Rockets are likely to match unless they can lure Bosh home to Texas. But if he does decide to sign with Houston, matching a contract offer for Scola becomes much more difficult for general manger Daryl Morey.

At 6-foot-9, Scola is a bit undersized for the frontcourt, but that didn't stop him from frequently starting at center for the Rockets. He has a solid post arsenal and is a tough rebounder with a nose for the basketball, averaging 8.6 boards last year. Defensively his size limits his effectiveness, but you know he'll give you everything he has on a nightly basis.

Hakim Warrick
Warrick is physically gifted, but hasn't really come close to maximizing his potential. In many ways, he's like Charlie Villanueva. A lanky, power forward, who has the ability to put up points in bunches, but is inconsistent in doing so. He doesn't have Villanueva's shooting range, but he does share his inability to adequately defend his position.
Now that I think about it, Dumars shouldn't even think about Warrick.

Shelden Williams
Williams has never lived up to the expectations that made him the fifth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He's never averaged 20 minutes per game of playing time in a season and will enter the 2010-11 campaign averaging a paltry 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds over his career.

Williams has a big body, measuring in at 6-foot-9 and 250 lbs, and he knows how to use it on the defensive end. He's also a solid rebounder, averaging over 10 rebounds per 40 minutes in his career. Williams was also very efficient on the offensive end for the Celtics this past season, shooting over 52 percent from the floor and 76.5 percent on free throws.

Williams won't cost much and could be a more reliable option off the bench than Kwame Brown or Chris Wilcox were last season on both ends of the court.

Shelden Williams SMFH

 

[sheed]

Toronto Raptors have reached agreement to sign center Amir Johnson to a five-year, $34 million deal, agent Kevin Bradbury tells Y! Sports.

Definitely a lot of money, this is a SMH deal. Almost $7 million a year...? Although, he is only 23 and if they lose Bosh without gaining a decent PF he would get a lot of playing time.