NBA '17

[MU82]

I'd have made the trade. But I respect those who feel differently. wades' explanation about why he wouldn't have done it is compelling.

If the goal is to win a championship - or at least to seriously contend for one - it's pretty easy to predict that this trade will have ended up helping neither team.

Maybe OKC will be a mediocrity as the trade deadline approaches next season and they'll send George to one of the teams wades named, and they'll get something back that's BETTER than what they gave up to get him. Or maybe not.

We'll see!

[GGGG]

Not really.  The context is with or without Paul George the outcome of next season, the only season they will have Paul George for, is more or less exactly the same.  Compete in, and possibly win, a first round series and then get completely overmatched in the second round.  So why in the world would you trade away assets when you're losing the asset you got in return for them in a year?

The only teams that should've considered trading for George were the Rockets, Spurs, Cavs, and Celtics if they landed Hayward.  If you aren't going to win a title, or at least make a serious run for one, with Paul George next year, it makes no sense at all to trade him.  And the Thunder are nowhere near on par with the Warriors, or even the Rockets or Spurs.

And Oladipo's $21M is going to be just fine 3 years from now.  You aren't paying attention to what's happening with player contracts if you think $21M for a good scoring guard is something that is going to hold a franchise back.  The guy is 25 and averages 16 and 4 for his career.  He had a 51% eFG% last year (for comparison, Russell Westbrook had an eFG% of 47% last year).

So what exactly would you do if you were OKC?

You have one of the best players in the league for one more year.  Do you trade him now?  During the year?  Hold onto him and hope he stays?

Or do you get better this year by acquiring George and hope that both stay?  And if it doesn't work, you have two assets to trade.

Victor Oladipo isn't the type of player you build around.  He's a complementary player and that's about it.

[🏀]

Wades, there aren't people in Oladipo's camp arguing for him as hard as you are.

[wadesworld]

Wades, there aren't people in Oladipo's camp arguing for him as hard as you are.

That just means that after the Thunder lose in the second round and Paul George is on his way to LA next year I can be the only person that can say, "I told you so," after Oladipo averages 20, 5, and 4 next year while shooting a better percentage than Russel Westbrook and Sabonas shows some big promise as a 21 year old stretch 4.

[reinko]

That just means that after the Thunder lose in the second round and Paul George is on his way to LA next year I can be the only person that can say, "I told you so," after Oladipo averages 20, 5, and 4 next year while shooting a better percentage than Russel Westbrook and Sabonas shows some big promise as a 21 year old stretch 4.

OK. Oladipo will of course average those career highs because he is playing on a dumpster fire of a team, where he will be the best player, which is actually quite sad.  Of course OKC will be better next year, but even if Paul George leaves after a year, where are the two franchises because of this trade?  OKC is likely out of the playoffs, and at absolute best Indy is sniffing a 6-8 seed, which is almost as bad, and some would argue worse.

OKC is taking a risk. OKC judged that if they could send an unproven rookie and a role player for a top 15 (top 10?) NBA talent, on the chance to resign him, is better than what they sent away.  Not too mention, Russy, your 2nd favorite player after LBJ is a free agent soon, so Presti is gambling that by bringing 2 All NBA talents together, even for season could blossom into something larger.

Obvi, only time will tell.

[GGGG]

That just means that after the Thunder lose in the second round and Paul George is on his way to LA next year I can be the only person that can say, "I told you so," after Oladipo averages 20, 5, and 4 next year while shooting a better percentage than Russel Westbrook and Sabonas shows some big promise as a 21 year old stretch 4.

You are correct.  If Oladipo and Sabonis turn out better than almost everyone else thinks they are, then you will be right.

[wadesworld]

OK. Oladipo will of course average those career highs because he is playing on a dumpster fire of a team, where he will be the best player, which is actually quite sad.  Of course OKC will be better next year, but even if Paul George leaves after a year, where are the two franchises because of this trade?  OKC is likely out of the playoffs, and at absolute best Indy is sniffing a 6-8 seed, which is almost as bad, and some would argue worse.

OKC is taking a risk. OKC judged that if they could send an unproven rookie and a role player for a top 15 (top 10?) NBA talent, on the chance to resign him, is better than what they sent away.  Not too mention, Russy, your 2nd favorite player after LBJ is a free agent soon, so Presti is gambling that by bringing 2 All NBA talents together, even for season could blossom into something larger.

Obvi, only time will tell.

He averaged 18, 4, and 4 as a second year player. It's not like he was an 8 and 4 guy last year either. He averaged 16 and 4 last year. I would hope Oladipo's career high numbers are still to come for him. 25 year old, 4th year basketball players sometimes improve their numbers. Especially when they get more touches.

If Presti thinks he can convince Paul George to skip out on heading home to SoCal in order to stay with his shoot first, second, and third PG in Oklahoma City, OK despite his openly stating his intentions to head back to sunny SoCal a number of times then more power to the guy. He has some supreme confidence in himself and the beautiful city of OKC I guess.

[reinko]

He averaged 18, 4, and 4 as a second year player. It's not like he was an 8 and 4 guy last year either. He averaged 16 and 4 last year. I would hope Oladipo's career high numbers are still to come for him. 25 year old, 4th year basketball players sometimes improve their numbers. Especially when they get more touches.

If Presti thinks he can convince Paul George to skip out on heading home to SoCal in order to stay with his shoot first, second, and third PG in Oklahoma City, OK despite his openly stating his intentions to head back to sunny SoCal a number of times then more power to the guy. He has some supreme confidence in himself and the beautiful city of OKC I guess.

You are much smarter than this, you know much more about the NBA than most on this board (myself included).

Don't take my word for it, literally take nearly all experts @ ESPN, the Ringer, the consensus @ NBAreddit, Deadspin, and just about everywhere else that the risk was worth it.  This is how risk, odds and probability work. Now, if in 14 months PG signs with the Lake show, does it make you right, and me /and the experts wrong?  In your head yes, but people are judging this on what could be.

Methinks you are just a contrarian by nature, or just have axes to grind against certain players.

Looking forward to watching some OKC games next year fo show.

[wadesworld]

You are much smarter than this, you know much more about the NBA than most on this board (myself included).

Don't take my word for it, literally take nearly all experts @ ESPN, the Ringer, the consensus @ NBAreddit, Deadspin, and just about everywhere else that the risk was worth it.  This is how risk, odds and probability work. Now, if in 14 months PG signs with the Lake show, does it make you right, and me /and the experts wrong?  In your head yes, but people are judging this on what could be.

Methinks you are just a contrarian by nature, or just have axes to grind against certain players.

Looking forward to watching some OKC games next year fo show.

Lol.  So if it happens exactly as I say it is going to happen I'm only right in my head.  Got it.  Now that makes some sense.

[reinko]

Lol.  So if it happens exactly as I say it is going to happen I'm only right in my head.  Got it.  Now that makes some sense.

OK, I'm now convinced you have zero knowledge of risk assessment. We can all move on.

[wadesworld]

OK, I'm now convinced you have zero knowledge of risk assessment. We can all move on.

Paul George and the Golden State Warriors make this one pretty simple. It's really not that hard. So I'm glad we can all move on.

[MUBurrow]

Paul George and the Golden State Warriors make this one pretty simple. It's really not that hard. So I'm glad we can all move on.

In your opinion, should any front offices outside of Golden State, Cleveland, Houston, San Antonio or Boston be trying to win the 2018 NBA championship?

[wadesworld]

In your opinion, should any front offices outside of Golden State, Cleveland, Houston, San Antonio or Boston be trying to win the 2018 NBA championship?

No.  I would be looking 2 years down the road.

[Silkk the Shaka]

In your opinion, should any front offices outside of Golden State, Cleveland, Houston, San Antonio or Boston be trying to win the 2018 NBA championship?

Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves

[wadesworld]

Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves

Lol.

[GGGG]

The Timberwolves aren't going to win it next year, but they are trying to set themselves up for a year or two down the road.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Lol.

JFB 4 MVP 2018!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Was hoping the Raptors would blow it up and start the rebuild now.  Would have cleared the path for the bucks to finish in the top half of the playoffs standings.  I wonder how well Lowry will be playing at the end of this contract.

[#UnleashSean]

You are much smarter than this, you know much more about the NBA than most on this board (myself included).

Don't take my word for it, literally take nearly all experts @ ESPN, the Ringer, the consensus @ NBAreddit, Deadspin, and just about everywhere else that the risk was worth it.  This is how risk, odds and probability work. Now, if in 14 months PG signs with the Lake show, does it make you right, and me /and the experts wrong?  In your head yes, but people are judging this on what could be.

Methinks you are just a contrarian by nature, or just have axes to grind against certain players.

Looking forward to watching some OKC games next year fo show.

Just a psa. None of those people are experts. If they were they would be in a team's front office.

[reinko]

Just a psa. None of those people are experts. If they were they would be in a team's front office.

Okay, apparently the entire sports journalism business is just bullcrap then, since the only opinions that matter are the people who work for teams. 

Also, still waiting to hear about the terms of our bet, that the Brewers will be out of contention by the ASG, with both the Cards and Cubs ahead of them.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Per Woj: Derrick Rose meeting with Bucks officials today.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MerrittsMustache]

If George stays after this season, it's a win for OKC. Even though it wouldn't make them a legit contender, it shows Westbrook that they're trying to build around him and he's more likely to stay long-term. Keep Westbrook and you keep an exciting player in OKC and keep fans in the seats. If PG wants to go to LA, you can try to work a sign-and-trade and potentially end up with a couple decent players from LA (Randle, Clarkson, etc). Sam Presti knows that George still doesn't put OKC all that close to being on GS's level.

There's this notion that NBA team are either true contenders or they should be tanking. However, there are a lot of teams out there who's front offices (and fans) would be more than happy perennially landing in that 2 to 5 seed range and hoping to make a run to the conference finals. Teams make money, fans get to experience more playoff basketball and everybody wins on some level. When the Bulls were good in the early 2010s, they were a fun team to watch and root for even though, deep down, Bulls fans knew they weren't getting past LeBron.

Sidenote: The Celtics do offer packages of picks but they want the picks so protected that it's not worth it for the potential trade partner (i.e. they were willing to include the Nets' 2017 pick for Butler in-season, but wanted the pick to be top 3 protected). After the fact, they then let it leak that Team A turned down a seemingly great deal with a bunch of 1st Rounders. The intent is to make Ainge look like he's going for it even though the deal isn't necessarily what it seems.

[cheebs09]

Per Woj: Derrick Rose meeting with Bucks officials today.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

The thought of getting out from under some bad contracts, only to sign Derrick Rose is depressing.

[GGGG]

The thought of getting out from under some bad contracts, only to sign Derrick Rose is depressing.

Depends on how much you pay him and for how long.

[MerrittsMustache]

The thought of getting out from under some bad contracts, only to sign Derrick Rose is depressing.

Eric Bledsoe is on the block in Phoenix and the Suns are looking for help at PF. Would Henson/ Teletovic/Hawes and a 1st Rounder be enough? That deal plus throw in Vaughn? Probably not. It could worth a call because I happen to think that Bledsoe would be a great fit with the Bucks and make them a top 3 team in the weakened East.