NBA offseason

It doesn't look like Sheed's going anywhere, and with Allan Houston hurt, it sure doesn't seem like any sign and trades are going to be possible... So basically, the 04-05 Knicks are going to look a lot like the 03-04 Knicks.

*Sigh*

Least I know were not going to trade for Keith Van Horn this offseason, that has to count for something

Gonna be an interesting off-season...

Allan Houston a Bobcat? Sounds great! Sure, the chances of that happening are ridiculously slim, but a fella can dream can't he?

Los Angeles Lakers:

Win or lose, you need depth on the bench. I say if Kobe decides to leave, although If i was a good GM i wouldnt allow him to, I say you sign and trade to New Jersey for K-mart and Richard Jefferson.

I would also turn back time to one of the 50 chances the Lakers had at signing PJ brown and sign him...or sign someone like Pj Brown.

Phil leaves = my biggest move as GM...Bring back Pat Riley. Bring him back to right the ship.

Heh, no way in hell do the Nets do that deal. None.

Sounds good to me.

Any ideas on if Iverson will stay in Philly? And if so, will they actually build a real team around him?

And anyone think Dallas will learn to play defense next season?

I don't think that'll ever happen.

I'm interested to see what the Kings do next year. I wanted Adleman out and try something new, but that aint going to happen. They'll probably end up with basically with the same squad as this year and put up another good fight, but unless Peja breaks out next year, it'll be a useless fight. Damn

Utah: Whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, resign Greg Ostertag. He's as big a waste of space as everybody else who has ever held that position for the team. Resign Gordon Giricek. Draft 2 big men with your 14 and 16 picks, preferrably Rafael Araujo (BYU) and that big Russian guy. Araujo is a bruiser and could play either the 4 or the 5 very well. The Russian is supposed to be very good, and he's really tall too. Depending on how steep the learning curve is for these two, the Jazz could have an amazing front line in a few years.

If anyone saw Araujo play against Syracuse in the NCAA's, you know that he has some game. I know Forth is a stiff, but being able to walk all over McNeil is pretty impressive. The guy looks like he has a shot of being a pretty good player.

I'm biased because Araujo is at my alma mater, but he is incredibly powerful. His biggest issue is foul trouble, but he really worked on getting that under control this last year. He's a smart player, and I really see him doing some damage in the NBA. I know he likes it here in Utah, so it would be good to see him go up the street instead of somewhere else.

Lakers need to get rid of Fox, Malone, Payton, and Russell. They have to get younger,, leaner, and faster. Throw George in there too.

That'd be an interesting move for Gary and the Pacers. I like it. Gonna be interesting to watch philly as well. Iverson watching the coach who wanted him to practice just won an NBA title. Must sting a bit.

Gary is set to make 5.4 million in LA...thats a big paycut to take to go to a team that still probably won't get him the title.

Although, I wouldnt blame him for leaving the impending shitstorm that is brewing in la right now.

He did for YEAR 1. He has an out clause in his two year deal, but what didn't become very apparent until the Lakers lost the finals was that his contract for year 2 has him slated to make 5.4 million.

He WILL NOT get tha tmoney anywhere else, period.

Is he even going to get that money from the Lakers?

It is in writing...so unless they plan on trading him, but who is going to take that contract now for an aging veteran who really shouldnt be starting anywhere.

i thought payton had a player option like malone did.

He does he does...payton signed a 2 year deal with the lakers. The first year he took the veteran exception or whatever, 1. some million.

The second year of his contract if he chooses to come back, he is slated to make 5.4 million.

He DOES have the ability to opt out of the contract right now though.

i say he will. he hated it there in la. the triangle offense doesn't fit his game at all but phil may leave so who know's.

Are there any buyout clauses? Yeeesh, paying Gary Payton $5.5 million next season just adds insult to injury.

The Celtics should package their 3 draft picks this year (throw in some of their so/so bench players) and trade for Shaq. Shaq with pierce makes the Celtics an instant contender in the east.

Being that this is the NBA offseason thread, I've got a question. Do draft picks have any value with regards to the cap?

Anyone heard the rumor about the Blazers trading Rahim for Kittles, someone else, and the Nets 1st rd pick?

This would give the Blazers three 1st rounders, but it's not a super deep draft this year it seems.

I heard on the radio a few moments ago that Payton will NOT opt out of his contract. Things just go from bad to worse in LA.

So package him with Kobe in a sign and trade. You have to get that cancer out of LA before you can hope to get a title again.

Did it go through or are we to wait til thursday?

I think its a good trade for either club.

they have to wait until mid july. something about the way francis's contract is done.

I like what the Rockets got as a fan, because now we'll get to see McGrady either put up or shut up with something on the line.

Hahahahahaha. Sounds like somebody has been playing too much fantasy basketball and forgot about reality. I'll give you all the crap on the end of my bench, and you give me the most dominant player in the game mmmmkay? Oh, and my crappy players I'm giving you will also have to have really high salaries to make up for the one I'm taking.

Did you just suggest riding Kobe out of town to get rid of Payton, or is Kobe the cancer you refer to?

The Lakers have bowed to every wish Kobe floated out there. If he leaves them now I'd be stunned. The thing that really blows is the Suns making so many moves to clear cap space and all they're really going to get out of it now is a weekend golf trip with Kobe while he pretends he's interested in their offer, and then overpaying Steve Nash and Mehmet Okur to come play here. Ugh.

Hahaha, a Celtics fan can dream right? Right?

damn the Celtics are god awful.

I love it, trust me. I went to college with a guy who was the biggest Celtic fan on the face of the earth (the leprechaun is tattooed to his shoulder) and thanks only to him I respect the franchise and the fans. That guy thought of trades 24 hours a day trying to improve his team, and would constantly talk to me about how great Eric Montross was.

I thought Ainge had the right idea dumping Walker as he's not worth the max and somebody was bound to give it to him. Unfortunately, Ainge took on other albatross salaries in order to make the deal work. If he got some worthwhile talent or people on the ends of their deals it would have been a good trade. As it stands, Pierce is going to have a very frustrating career.

Off the AP--

--Though Shaquille O'Neal has heard from numbers of Lakers fans who want him to stay in Los Angeles, the All-Star center insists he will not return to the team next season.

"Unfortunately, it has come to this. But I want the fans to know that it's not me," he told the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise in an interview Thursday.

O'Neal was referring to the Lakers' decision to split with coach Phil Jackson as well as to owner Jerry Buss' apparent preference for keeping Kobe Bryant over him.

O'Neal is scheduled to make $27.7 million next season and $30 million in 2006, and the Lakers have broken off negotiations over a contract extension, but Shaq told the newspaper that the financial issues took a backseat to the personnel decisions.

"They said it's about the money. It's not about the money," he said. "It's about honesty, and the honesty me and (former Lakers general manager) Jerry West had. That's been gone for four years now ... It ain't about the extension. Of course, that's what they are going to make it out to be."

O'Neal sees the current impasse as a problem stemming from the Lakers' management, who Shaq sees as having become too "fat" from years of winning to have the drive to win further.

While the Lakers could decide not to trade O'Neal, compelling him to return to the team for his ninth season, Shaq was adamant in his refusal to consider such an option.

"There ain't no ifs," he told the newspaper. "I want to play for a team that's willing to win."

For the Lakers' part, general manager Mitch Kupchak expressed his team's hope that O'Neal will return, but several team insiders told the Press-Enterprise that O'Neal will be traded, albeit likely not before mid-July.

In the days leading up to Thursday's NBA draft, there was considerable speculation that the Mavericks were making personnel moves designed to accumulate enough pieces to acquire Shaq. Dallas owner Mark Cuban confirmed to the paper that he had already contacted the Lakers about their star center, but he's not the only one, as a handful of teams apparently have expressed interest in acquiring the three-time NBA Finals MVP.

"We're going to listen to everybody," O'Neal agent Mike Parris said in a phone interview Thursday. "It's not just about putting a deal together. It's making sure the Lakers get something that they want (too)."

Parrish said O'Neal is not yet considering any particular teams.

While O'Neal seems to be welcoming a trade, he remains defiant in his belief that he makes the Lakers tick. When asked about Bryant's possible role in Jackson's departure and O'Neal's own impending move, the big man said, "I don't know. ... They say I'm getting older. Of course, I am.

"But can't nobody (mess) with me. I'm like toilet paper, Pampers and toothpaste. I'm definitely proven to be effective." ---

You know his best point was about how the franchise has been handled for the past 4 years. However I really don't buy it. Around the time of West's departure the only one who really seemed to be upset about it was Kobe Bryant. Now that Phil the Kobe locker is out is it any surprise Shaq wants to go? You see I remember the free wheeling hot shot Kobe was before Phil came around. Kobe singlehandedly got Del Harris fired. The Lakers got embarassed by an older Jazz team. Kobe threw up shot after shot that playoff series. Unfortunite for Harris because most of those shots were lousy. When Phil was hired I knew they'd win a title because Phil would reel in Kobe with the " This is how Michael would do this " mentality.

As soon as Phil was brought in Kobe had to tone down his antics. Play stricter more professional basketball and above all be more of a facilitator on the floor (meaning dump the ball to Shaq first and look to score second). My brother who has been a life long Lakers fan scoffed that summer when I said the Lakers would win a championship. That first year they did just that and won 2 more.

My point is this though Kobe is not that free wheeling 20 year old anymore. He plays smarter although *chuckles* he still at times has a bad shot selection. My point is this Phil never gave Kobe the keys to the offense and the team completely. Kobe is not the Jordan that mantle is Shaq's. Shaq showing his true colors cannot handle that Bryant is loved and respected more by not only the LA fans but the fans in general. He can't handle that he is generally overweight and doesn't get the foul calls he once did. He cannot handle that the once man child is an MVP who deserves to be no.1 on the team not no.2. He cannot humble himself and let Kobe be the main man on offense. Take that as you will. Its bullshit that its all Kupchak and Buss's fault though. Yeah Kupchak is no Jerry West but I sure didn't hear Shaq complain when Malone and Payton showed up. As a matter of fact I was hearing Jerry who around that time.

On top of it all Shaq believes he has 3 or 4 more years in him. Everyone has stated he has 2 tops. John Salley even said he plays one year than retires. That was a day after the finals. A lot has changed now and i'm pretty sure Shaq will play 2 years. The hilarious thing is he does want major cash from the Lakers. Why? He is paid top dollar already. I think maybe Shaq thinks that these Lakers are like the early 9ers of the 90's. Remember the way they would bring back Lott, Craig, Montana and sign them give them a few bucks and then let those old greats would retire with a press conference. While I think Shaq deserves to be given proper treatment by the Lakers I see nothing that is showing me he is getting shafted by them. Phil is gone and that meant Shaq wanted out. No " oh what about the fans? " or " Jerry Buss made me the highest paid player ever when I first came to LA years ago " its the " Well I don't like these moves I want out. ". Shaq has a limited playing career. Kobe does not (unless Kobe gets convicted) and quite simply the Lakers are doing what any sane franchise would. Invest in their best young star. The days of Shaquille O'Neal and the free throw brick are coming to an end. The one who seems to not get it and is flamethrowing some of his biggest fans is the big fella himself.

" But can't nobody (mess) with me. I'm like toilet paper, Pampers and toothpaste. I'm definitely proven to be effective. "

Wow Shaq amazingly said you've proven you're disposable. Swallow that if you can.

Shaq's words shed a lot of light on the situation. A slight positive is that its not about the money, or so he says. I do think shaq is getting the shaft as far as respect goes in the organization. But I do think he has 3-4 good years left in him. I agree with him there.

I don't think he can expect to make 30 mill for another 6 years though because it is going to cripple a team in the ending years of this new contract.

I totally agree that Kobe has matured, but if he still cant bring himself to play with shaq, then he still has some growing up to do. All I can say now, is that Shaq should leave if he truly feels the way he does. I love the man and what he did for the lakers, but he can still dominate somewhere else and the lakers should make a good trade for him.

Couple of interesting comments here locally.

Everyone always suspected where Shaq's loyalty lie, now its rightout there for everyone to see. In Shaq's eyes, it's the "Big Ego" all the way.

Maybe Larry Brown will retire so Phil Jackson can go jump on another ready-made championship team and win that coveted 10th ring.

5 guys played as a team without ego's in Detroit and won it all. 2 guys in LA could never drop their petty differences and the Lakers are paying for it right now.

Methinks you should be switching those two names around.

Touche!

At the time I thought Shaq was going to be the winner, not Kobe, so it was Payton who I was referring to. They could package him with Shaq though. Who knows, Kobe may still go in a sign and trade, to the Colorado State Correctional Facility Felons.

I think Payton's already said he's going to stay in LA, and now with Jackson and his triangle gone, chances are more than likely he'll remain.

I don't know what Dallas is going to throw at LA, but unless they cough up Nowitzki, Shaq ain't goin nowhere. But I figure what with Dallas' strong draft and the possibility of getting Shaq--they'll cough up Nowitzki.

my biggest surprise of this offseason is Kupchak's willingness to toss Shaq and keep Kobe. I thought for sure Kobe would end up in Memphis -- West's made no secret of wanting him, there's room in Memphis after some shuffling, and the connection between West and Kobe is definitely strong enough. I would have never thought that it was Shaq who was told that Kobe was irreplaceable. I'd have thought it was the other way around.

If Shaq demands a trade, then that puts the Mavs in a much stronger position, because the Lakers would at least get something from him, rather than having another disgruntled star hurting the team when they could have some other players.

With the Tmac deal done, that means Dalls and New Jersey are the only real contenders for shaq out there. I dont think New Jersey has the cap room unless they traded KIDD too, which i dont htink they would, but as a laker fan I salivate at the idea of Kenyon martin in purple and gold.

It is becoming more and more clear though, that the shaq trade will not happen just due to the money issue. He is slated to make 30 million and very few teams can pay that without trading a majority of their roster to match the salary. I think shaq is going to end up staying, and unless he is placated, he is going to put up a horrible season...or he could dominate to show off when he has the chance to be a free agent next year.