Real Deal

Uh oh. Dwight to Brooklyn will be 100% dead if this happens. EDIT: Add Houston to that list, also.

Nets want the deal done today, before Portland shoots an offer sheet at Lopez and screws it all up permanently. Right now, Brooklyn is meeting with Lopez and his agent, asking about an extension and/or a sign-and-trade (either now, or sometime this afternoon). Honestly, with Cleveland dropping out, I have no idea how this trade will get done THIS quickly.

Okay...now I have very little reason to believe Iguodala is staying.

It's still not that bad of a pick-up, but I would think the Heat should be digging for a big man before anyone else, especially with the Lakers picking up Steve Nash and, potentially, landing Dwight (who really knows, at this point). Lakers goggles aside, I really think LA has the best chance of beating Miami next season. I want to say OKC, but they aren't making enough changes, and unless Durant goes ballistic with a very-improved post game and defense, OKC is basically going to bring back the same team with slight improvements.

Might as well report it as a done deal...they are just working out the numbers now.

Atlanta with big, big changes.

The team was injured most of the year, including Kobe and Shaq. There was a point where Gary Payton was the only one available during games (out of the four). And, yet, that team still got into the NBA Finals.

If all teams are healthy, next season (and I'm going to go ahead and consider it April/May, and say that D-Rose is healthy), I would think the Nets are top four (MIA, BOS, CHI, BKN). Assuming Chicago gets into trouble early and ends up eliminated in the second round (let's just say they ended up snagging #4 or #5 seed, having to play Miami in the second), I think the Nets could make a series out of a Brooklyn/Boston match-up, and may get to the ECF's. Their first year together, I won't stick my neck out there and say they can beat the Heat, but again, it won't be a walk in the park if Dwight is 100%. Miami has absolutely nobody that can defend him, and with Williams, Johnson and Wallace all drawing defensive attention, it's pretty scary to think what happens to the likes of Anthony, Haslem and Bosh down low. Howard may not have Yao Ming's post moves, Bynum's back-to-the-basket game, or Gasol's jumper...but he's far too hard to contain when he's near the rim OR coming off of a screen and roll, and that's why he broke Wilt's free throw record against the Warriors (39 FT's) and has dropped 45 or so a few times. He has to be doubled or fouled if you're the Heat, no other way to stop him.

The Warriors are still willing to give up pieces to get him...doesn't really matter his opinion at that point, because GSW still think they can convince him to sign the extension before the end of the upcoming season. The only problem is, they aren't going to hand over Curry or anyone significant, and honestly, even though the Nets have a horrible deal on the table...it's probably better than the deal Golden State will put out there.

Even if it somehow works out, I can't believe the Gasol/Odom for CP3 trade was vetoed...yet, the Howard/Lopez deal is going to roll on through. I understand that Stern does not own the Magic, but yeah.

Didn't really think about this, but... It's a post from an Orlando Magic forum.

This is actually an interesting read, especially July 2nd and 3rd. http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8143205/nba-how-steve-nash-los-angeles-lakers-happened

LOL...Bill Simmons.

If Humphries kills this trade, I don't think the Nets fanbase will ever forgive him.

How big of a threat will the Nets be in the Eastern Conference? C - Dwight Howard | Reggie Evans PF - Earl Clark | Mirza Teletovic SF - Gerald Wallace SG - Joe Johnson | Jason Richardson PG - Deron Williams | Chris Duhon May not be an accurate depth chart (not really sure if Mirza will come in as a starter or what, I haven't seen him play recently and have no idea how good or bad he is), but still...

Those first-rounders from Brooklyn are going to be late firsts, and just two of them. The Clippers' pick will also be in the 20's. So, when the dust clears, you're essentially trading Howard for Brook Lopez' max contract and a stack of players you may not have (or that may not be in your rotation) 2-3 years from now.

Orlando fans are pissed off, hahaha damn. Some are on suicide watch over at that True Blue Nation site. They want Bynum, bad. Didn't hear them wanting Drew last summer, though.

So... Nets get Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark and Chris Duhon. Magic get Brook Lopez (S&T), Damian James, Sheldon Williams, Armon Johnson, Luke Walton, and three first-rounders (two from BKN and lottery-protected from LAC). Cavaliers get Kris Humphries (S&T), Quentin Richardson, Sundiata Gaines, a first-rounder from the Nets, and cash. Clippers receive MarShon Brooks. EDIT: Okay HUTCH, lol.

A small upgrade? I know you don't want to see the Lakers getting better, but I know you don't believe what you're saying, either. Sessions didn't do anything he was asked to do for us. He continued to settle for jumpers, slashed to the rim every now and then, and didn't consistently create for teammates. It was the one thing that would have put us over the hump. Bench scoring was a problem, but you can go all the way with a lackluster bench. Both OKC and Miami proved this (Harden was basically a starter), while the Spurs fell apart. Shane Battier came out of nowhere, and so did Mike Miller, and how many games (throughout the season) did you see them play that way? LA's primary focus was to land a PG. They tried to with CP3, they probably went after Deron Williams before he re-signed with the Nets, they went after Sessions during the season in hopes that he would make a difference, and now, they trade away future picks and their TPE for Steve Nash. I'm pretty sure the team knows what they need to put together another championship run. This franchise has won nearly 40% of the championships in the last 13 seasons. Creating shots will always be more significant than a three-point shot, and as it stands, Nash is also a better player than Ray Allen, a shooter that really can't do much of anything else at this point of his career. There's no way that Ray Allen transaction is more significant.

With what we'll be throwing at them on the defensive end, I doubt Griffin will be a liability out there. He's going to run the break, and that's where Team USA will dominate, anyway. These international teams are trying to play bigger, but they still won't be matching our athleticism. Dwight Howard would have been nice, but I can't say that Anthony Davis belongs on this team. I'm not saying he's a bust, but I'm also not going to say he's an all-star, either...because as it stands, he hasn't proven to be anything in the NBA.

Word is that Brook Lopez is going to get a max deal, also. What a dumb trade for the Magic.

No way. That's not saying the Lakers can beat the Heat next season, but Nash to LA was far, far better for us than Ray to Miami was to the Heat, considering just how bad we need a PG and how many scoring options we have now.

LOVED seeing Sonnen eat that knee. Peace out, Chael.

I had a gut feeling he would go to Miami...not surprised at all. Nice, though...I can't stand Ray Allen, didn't like him in Seattle, Milwaukee, Boston, and now I won't like him in Miami. I wonder if this means Mike Miller and James Jones are retiring, and how this will change Battier's minutes on the floor (at this point, I'm kind of wondering if I'd rather have Ray out there, since he lacks in the defensive apartment). He's going to get a LOT of open threes, though. I'm used to seeing him drill threes on a contested catch-and-shoot off of a ton of screens, so I'm curious to see how well he can hit them with nobody around, spotting up and just sitting there waiting (because he's going to be wide open).

Well, all of the argument (for my side) was based on me ignoring who was in the Hall right now. When you consider everyone in it, there's no question Nash belongs. But again, it also goes back to what I said about the MVP awards, too. Kevin Johnson put up better numbers (in my opinion) than Steve Nash...yet, he didn't get into the Hall. KJ had four consecutive seasons of 20/10 (or better), shooting around 50% most of his career...and when he did that (and he was in his ultimate prime), he didn't have Charles Barkley as a teammate (he did have guys like Tom Chambers, but he's no Barkley)...and yet, I don't think people even give a damn about him, or are even aware of what he did. That's just one example, really. It's stuff like that, honestly, that makes me debate all of this. ------------- With all of that said, though...back to the point: Nash, in a Suns jersey, is an enemy. Of course I don't like him when he's in Phoenix. However, in LA...I'm going to like the guy, unless he walks in with a shitty attitude (like Bynum has). With that said, though...that doesn't mean I'll change my opinion about him. He's still an awful defensive player, and he has yet to be successful in an offense that he doesn't necessarily dominate the ball in. Now, how will this all work out with Kobe, Drew and Gasol (or Howard, if he's here)? I have little doubt we'll struggle, but I rarely overrate players just because they are on my favorite team. Nash can most certainly put us over the top, though...not because he's a former MVP, but because he actually takes a massive load off of Kobe's shoulders when it comes to facilitating, and he's going to get our big men easy buckets. With each contributing player we rake in, teams apply less defensive pressure on Kobe...which means he lasts longer during games, during seasons, and during the rest of his career.