The Perpetual NBA Thread

[baiskee]

[QUOTE]I don't think kupchak coached in LA or any other team. After Del Harris, it was Kurt Rambis then PJ.[QUOTE]

yup...kupchak didn't coach the lakers..not a single game. naalala ko pa yan one game in the finals of 87-88 vs. the celtics... lagi natutumba...nag dabog pa nga kasi konting bangga lang sa kanya tumba ulit...lampa ata.

Originally posted by kimpOy
if i were the lakers ite-trade ko talaga yan si oneal,

last training camp walang lumabas sa bibig niyan kungdi contract extension...
and sa hindi nakaka alam yung existing contract niya is 3 years 90 million

overweight and injuries, an extension will eat away salary cap.

time to rebuild: with or without kobe
as detroit showed you dont need a superstar to win the o'brien trophy

same with me ser kimps... pero hahabulin ko din siguro is a legitimate center. hirap kasi walang malaking mama sa gitna. :D

[wulf]

hehe...ayaw nyo nyan?the nba just got more exciting & unpredictable?

[pajerokid]

This happens every year naman

read this thread from page one hehehehe

[wulf]

gr8 read =)

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...ns/take/040714

[ILuvDetailing]

There are two sides of the coin:

- There is only one Shaq in the world, he is irreplacable, you can't get equal quality back. Why just not retool the line-up and go for another title because Shaq has another good 2 to 3 years left in him.

- Trade Shaq now while he has high value. Theres a philosophy around the NBA that "it is better to trade a start player two years early rather than two years late". Shaq has worn out his welcome because of his poor conditioning and constant insistense of a contract extention which makes this trade inevitable. Get younger and rebuild and hope Kobe resigns.

Buttom line we won't know who got better of who after a couple of years. The Heat are banking on a rejuvinated O'neal getting in top shape and leading them to the playoffs and ultimately the championship. The Lakers are banking on Odom staying out of trouble and be Kobe's "Pippen" and one day leading them to a championship from the back court. Stay tuned. Can't wait for the NBA season to start

[theveed]

Fantasy Fallout: Shaq on the move
by Mike Harmon
July 14, 2004



Shaquille O'Neal is returning to Florida and the soap opera that was the Los Angeles Lakers will not be picked up for the coming fall season.

O'Neal has to be thrilled with this week's deal that sends him to the Heat in exchange for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick. No longer will he be subjected to the constant pounding at the hands of Tim Duncan, Yao Ming and Brad Miller. Instead, he'll be fronted by the likes of Jeff Foster, Chris Mihm and the once-imposing Dikembe Mutombo.



O'Neal
The move to the East buys Shaq another 2-3 years of dominance and the motivation needed to obliterate the opposition. Playing in the L.A. juggernaut didn't necessarily make him complacent, but certainly he wasn't as hungry as he was upon his arrival in '96.

For fantasy owners, O'Neal pops back to the top of the pack and brings up the value of rookie standout Dwyane Wade. Wade averaged 4.5 assists to go along with 16.3 points per game in his freshman campaign, which will be capped by an Olympic berth. Look for those assist totals to pop toward double-digits with the Diesel in the middle.

The other player in Miami who stands to benefit from O'Neal's presence in the paint is shooting guard Eddie Jones. He's not the dominator he was back when he last paired with Shaq, but this guy can still fill it up. Jones has averaged 17 points per game over his 10-year NBA career and he'll reap the rewards of the constant double-teams on O'Neal.



Odom
Lamar Odom has always been an intriguing player since his rookie year out of Rhode Island. Of course, he spent four years with the Clippers, whose marketing campaign should be changed to "It's Just a Matter of Time." Odom had the best year of his career with the Heat during the 2003-04 campaign, rolling to a 17.1 points per game scoring average and 9.7 boards per game. He immediately becomes one of the main offensive weapons with the Lakers, particularly if Kobe Bryant bolts (stay tuned).

Caron Butler regressed somewhat after an outstanding rookie season in 2002-03 (scoring average down five points per game). In a decimated Lakers' lineup, he'll have to share some time with Luke Walton. Since Walton's a better passer and a fan favorite for his hustle play, Butler will face less playing time at the outset of the season. But, that will be short-lived as the Lakers will need the more athletic Butler to run alongside Odom and Kareem Rush to ratchet the offense up a notch. With the demise of the triangle offense, Gary Payton will get to run the show his way - which means fast break opportunities for the youngsters on the wings.

Brian Grant will be tested with the move to the Western Conference. Undersized at the center position at 6'9", Grant will be counted on to neutralize heavy hitters Duncan, Yao and Nowitzki. He will be abused in the low post by these monsters, but for fantasy purposes, who cares? His scoring average will be helped somewhat by the pace of the Western Conference, but even at his best with the Sacramento Kings in 1995, he averaged only 14.4 points per game. With that said, given the fact that many fantasy leagues require two centers, you could do worse.

The impact of this deal will be clarified over the next several weeks as we await word on the whereabout of Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher. Keep an eye on the pages of Yahoo! Sports for information on the wheelings and dealings of the summer signing season.

[skipper]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1839664

Looks like Boozer's going to the Jazz. What's up with up with the Cavs? They just let their most consistent player go.

[edzzz]

Whatappak!!!!!

Its true, its confirmed. O'neal in Miami!!!

NBA is getting a lot interesting.
we as fans are the winner in this.

Medyo pantay na East and West.

[ILuvDetailing]

Originally posted by skipper
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1839664

Looks like Boozer's going to the Jazz. What's up with up with the Cavs? They just let their most consistent player go.

There is not much the Cavs can do about this. Since they are over the cap they cannot match Utah's offer sheet which is front loaded (starting salary of $10M plus a $2M signing bonus) unless they trade several of their players for draft picks which will gut their team. Bad move by the Cavs which will haunt them for years to come. The Cavs are really cursed.

[skipper]

Originally posted by ILuvDetailing
There is not much the Cavs can do about this. Since they are over the cap they cannot match Utah's offer sheet which is front loaded (starting salary of $10M plus a $2M signing bonus) unless they trade several of their players for draft picks which will gut their team. Bad move by the Cavs which will haunt them for years to come. The Cavs are really cursed.

No more cap space? Looks like they overpaid most of their players.

I was a big fan of the Jazz last season, the team made analysts eat their words by being so close to the playoffs despite losing their 2 hall of famers(stockton and malone) and their top scorer of the season (harpring-injury). If the recent acquisitions do materialize, I see them going to the conference semis.

[ILuvDetailing]

Top 8 teams in the West (IMO): Spurs, Wolves, Utah, Houston, Memphis, Dallas, LAL, Phoenix

[kimpOy]

boozer promised to the cavs the he will re-sign if they (cavs) did not pick his option 675,000 next season

so the deal was since free agent na siya mag si-sign siya sa cav ng mid level salary (48M 6 years)

eh kaso ogags etong si boozer at yung agent niya pumayag sa offer sheet ng jazz

ngayon wala ng reputation si boozer pero maraming pera.

makakarmahan din yan.

[baiskee]

tapos sabay alis yung agent nya...

galing..kumuha lang ng commission. utak manggagantso.:D

[ILuvDetailing]

Originally posted by baiskee
tapos sabay alis yung agent nya...

galing..kumuha lang ng commission. utak manggagantso.:D

According to reports Boozer's former agent Rob Pelinka (which is also the agent of Kobe) and his employer SFX will not pick up the standard 4% commission or $2.7M.

Jim Paxson says that Carlos Boozer made a promise to them, Boozer said that he was surprised that Cleveland didn't pick up the option which would pay him around 700+K. The truth could be right there in the middle. $28Mil is a lot of money...

[ILuvDetailing]

Reports: Nuggets are close to acquiring PF Kenyon Martin from the Nets for three future 1st Round Picks.

The Nuggets are LOADED in the frontcourt, with a rotation of Marcus Camby, Nene, Carmelo Anthony, and Kenyon Martin. I think this acquisition puts them ahead of the Utah Jazz as being the third best team in the West. With Shaq in the East, its gonna be wide open in the Wild Wild West. Wow it keeps getting better and better.

[newkidontheblock]

Kobe has opted for the Lakers over the Clippers. ;) parang pinaalis nya lang si shaq sa L.A. hehehehe..si fisher naman nasa warriors na..

[skipper]

A day after trading Shaq, Kobe makes it known that he will remain a Laker. The contract will be more than $136.4M in 7 years.

And the Spurs bag free agent Brent Barry and re-sign Ginobili.

[baiskee]

Originally posted by newkidontheblock
si fisher naman nasa warriors na..

huh? final na ba to? kababasa ko lang to this morning.

Kupchak also said the Lakers hope to re-sign three other unrestricted free agents -- Karl Malone, Derek Fisher and Slava Medvedenko.

[theveed]

My goodness... Denver became one of my target "A" teams..

----------------------------------------------------------

Nuggets poised to get K-Mart in big trade
Story Tools:
FOXSports.com
Posted: 7 hours ago



Kenyon Martin was on the verge of being traded Thursday from the New Jersey Nets to the Denver Nuggets for three future first-round draft picks, a source told the Associated Press.

The deal was the result of several days of on-and-off talks between the teams, the Nuggets successfully resisting New Jersey president Rod Thorn's efforts to acquire Nene as a replacement for Martin at power forward.

Without Kenyon Martin, the New Jersey Nets might attempt to sign a free agent from a list that is dwindling. ( / AP)

The draft picks will include one of the Nuggets' own picks, along with two picks from a pool of three formerly belonging to the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. There are varying levels of draft lottery protection on the three picks, though none are protected beyond 2006, according to a source closely involved in the trade discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The trade, expected to be completed later Thursday, will be a sign-and-trade deal — Martin signing a seven-year contract with New Jersey and then immediately being shipped to the Nuggets for the three picks.

Denver can absorb Martin's salary without having to trade any payroll back because it is far enough under the cap to absorb Martin's first-year salary — nearly $11 million if Martin gets the maximum amount allowed under collective bargaining rules.

The Nuggets will still have salary cap space remaining after the trade, though the exact amount will be determined by the structure of Martin's new contract.

Martin, the overall No. 1 pick of the 2000 draft, averaged 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds last season. He is known as one of league's best defensive forwards.

Martin is a restricted free agent, meaning the Nets have the right to match any offer he receives. But the Nuggets were reportedly set to offer Martin a front-loaded contract with a hefty signing bonus, and the luxury tax ramifications would have been costly for incoming Nets owner Bruce Ratner.

But by losing one of the team's best players, the value of the franchise Ratner is acquiring has been diminished — at least on the court. New Jersey won two straight Eastern Conference championships before being ousted last season in a seven-game second-round series against the eventual champion Detroit Pistons.

The Nets have little depth at power forward, with third-year forward Brian Scalabrine and veteran Aaron Williams the most likely candidates to step into Martin's old spot. Rodney Rogers, the Nets' other backup power forward last season, is a free agent.

The addition of Martin will strengthen Denver's frontcourt, which already includes Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony and Nene. The Nuggets next pressing need will be acquiring a shooting guard — either a backup to Voshon Lenard or someone who can compete with him to be the starter.

Martin also had been heavily courted by the Atlanta Hawks, who have more salary cap space than any other NBA team but have been unable to find a top-tier free agent willing to take it.

[theveed]

I think this offseason is centered around selfish stars hehe Boozer... Kobe... who's next kaya.

=======================


Kobe makes 'em pay
by Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
July 15, 2004

All you really need to know about the kind of guy, the kind of teammate, the kind of employee Kobe Bryant is could be found in the look of mourning and terror painted across Mitch Kupchak's face this week.

The Los Angeles Lakers general manager recently had watched his team implode in the NBA finals, had his legendary coach retire under duress and then was forced to trade away Shaquille O'Neal, the game's most dominant player.

Each was, at least in part, a result of either Bryant's actions or wishes.

"A disappointing day in a lot of ways," Kupchak said Wednesday when he announced the O'Neal trade to Miami.

Yet despite all of this, on Wednesday Kupchak still had no idea what Bryant, the free agent, was going to do. The Lakers had dismantled a dynasty and restructured the entire franchise, and in return Bryant told them, "Let me get back to you."

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Then he made the entire Laker Nation, that so desperately wants to trust him, fret while he strongly considered signing with the Clippers.

Yes, the freakin' Clippers.

Thursday Bryant wound up re-signing with the Lakers for seven years at $136 million, but not until he made them grovel, sweat and humiliate themselves in the process.

What a guy.

If Lakers owner Jerry Buss still had a modicum of self-respect he would have gotten sick over this soap opera and – when Bryant still hadn't assured him he was going to re-sign – pulled the plug on the Shaq deal.

He should have asked Shaq for forgiveness, rescinded his offer to Bryant and moved on with personnel that understand what being a Laker really means.

Instead he sold his soul and mortgaged the franchise on a me-first, team-third guy. A guy who displayed not a thought about what this pathetic cry for attention was doing to the people and fans who always have backed him up.

Did we mention that Bryant is scheduled to stand trial for felony ***ual assault in Colorado beginning August 27, and a guilty verdict could end his playing career?

The Lakers have been one of the proudest and most storied franchises in sports. And Bryant used them like a desperate girlfriend.

The Lakers are better than this.

The thing with Bryant is that it's always about him. There is plenty to like about the guy, from the high-flying game to the high-wattage smile. There is little question he is among the game's five best individual talents, has a knack for crunch-time performances and at 25 still has plenty of peak years ahead of him.

But when it comes to playing nice with others, there is no similar track record of success.

He has been estranged from his parents. He's feuded with teammates and coaches. His first shoe company, adidas, was so fed up with him they dropped him as a spokesperson and let him go unimpeded to rival Nike.

Who knows where things stand with his wife right now?

And this is who the mighty Lakers rolled over for?

They should have been more careful about whom they wished for.

This is the same guy who never could understand that part of his brilliance was a result of playing with Shaq. Who doesn't care enough about winning to figure out a way to coexist with O'Neal and try for a couple more titles. Who never had a problem throwing a game offensively (even in the finals) if it meant proving a point to Phil Jackson.

Despite all of this, the Lakers had done everything they could by Wednesday to keep Bryant – offering max money, changing coaches, dumping O'Neal, pleading and begging.

And in return, Bryant hung them out to dry for another sleepless, gut-wrenching night before grudgingly deciding to stay.

Heck of a guy.