NBA Off-Season News Thread: Roy extends 80/5, AI to Grizz, Chandler/Okafor swap, Marquis to C's.

the cavs are basically signing powe for half a season

is the second year a player option?

if not, powe is damaged more than its being let out.

if it is a player option, powe will bolt after this season and will have just used the cavs for rehab purposes.

i honestly dont see lebron coming back. the cavs have done nothing to assure him that he can win for many years to come. its partly his fault for acting like ajack #*+ and bending over backwards for new york... who the $%%% does that??? i mean seriously???
 
how the hell is the cavs management busting their $*#? Who is the best person on the team besides lebron? weak,shaking his head in defeat, lobby to be an all star, mo williams? or 78 year old shaq, ring chasing, stay not defending the pick and roll shaq?
 
Originally Posted by CP1708

Heat, I can top that.

If Bron was smart, ya'll know where he should want to go?

The LA Clippers.
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2nd biggest market, plenty big enough. Hollywood would come to him. Battle Kobe for the Staples center one upsmanship.

Jordan
Griffin
Bron
Gordon
Davis

Thorton, either Canby/Kaman, plus filler off the bench.

Zero history other then sucking to completely take credit for changing the face of the franchise. Hell, they could fire Dunleavy, Bron could be the coach, or he could pick a new one to come with him.
Good wheather, he'd have a chance to winright away, something not promised in NY, plus get dollars from Nike still, steal some thunder from Kobe which don't tell me he don't wanna do......

Why not?

Bron to the Clips, thas my plan, make that happen Sterling.
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ding ding ding! we have a winner!

can u imagine a team of griffin, bron, thorton, davis, and gordon?? talk about a LA rivalry....
 
Originally Posted by DubA169

how the hell is the cavs management busting their $*#? Who is the best person on the team besides lebron? weak, shaking his head in defeat, lobby to be an all star, mo williams? or 78 year old shaq, ring chasing, stay not defending the pick and roll shaq?
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well if lebron would shut his !#$#%$+ mouth up they would have prolly got something better. dont nobody want to come play for the cavs when the superstar isleaving little female hints that hes bolting in 2010...
 
Originally Posted by NobleKane

Originally Posted by DubA169

how the hell is the cavs management busting their $*#? Who is the best person on the team besides lebron? weak, shaking his head in defeat, lobby to be an all star, mo williams? or 78 year old shaq, ring chasing, stay not defending the pick and roll shaq?
Click to expand...


well if lebron would shut his !#$#%$+ mouth up they would have prolly got something better. dont nobody want to come play for the cavs when the superstar is leaving little female hints that hes bolting in 2010...
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They surrounded him with garbage or decent for a while now though. I mean gibson, wally, sideshow bob? Z was good but is old now.

mo williams supposed to be scottie pippen
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plus mike brown
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As a fan, I know the Cavs are busting their %##. Our starting lineup ONLY 5 seasons ago was Z, Gooden, LeBron, Ira Newble and Eric Snow. Y'all gotta givethem some type of credit.
 
Originally Posted by CROSSISOM

As a fan, I know the Cavs are busting their %##. Our starting lineup ONLY 5 seasons ago was Z, Gooden, LeBron, Ira Newble and Eric Snow. Y'all gotta give them some type of credit.
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son....

adding mo williams, jamario moon, sideshow bob, and an old crusty shaq, wally world, IN FIVE YEARS. That's not "working your *@! off". Theorginization is trying hard but trying doesn't always cut it. They always have to worry about placating lebron so imo some of their moves are done inhaste. Plus mike brown shouldn't be the coach, but bron wants brown so he stays.
 
The Cavs FO ain't busting their *!% trying to improve?

Show me a move they made where they didn't improve talent-wise, or show me a trade since LBJ has gotten there that hasn't had a positive impact on theteam.
 
The rich getting richer, that's what. The defending champions lost nothing and gained Ron Artest, getting younger, deeper and more talented. The runners-up lost Hedo Turkoglu, but more than made up for it.

All over the league, the elites fortified themselves while their lessers fought for scraps. The Eastern Conference gained more traction in its tug-of-war with the West. The sour economy and the lack of much salary cap room this summer conspired to make movement slow for most, with players like Allen Iverson and David Lee waiting for the dam to burst and someone to come up with some cash. Money has now, unfortunately, created a class system in the NBA. It's clear that those with means can stay strong, while those without have to wait their turn. That cleaves the league nicely into five categories:

The Haves (Spurs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Trail Blazers)

The Middle Class (Raptors, Wizards, Pistons, Hawks, Nuggets, Jazz, Rockets, 76ers)

The Holders (Bulls, Knicks, Heat)

The Folders (Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Bucks, Kings, Bobcats, Nets)

The Dreamers (Clippers, Hornets, Pacers, Warriors, Thunder, Suns)

In grading each team's offseason, the financial divide has to be taken into account. The Lakers simply have more money than a lot of teams, which makes their offseason that much easier. If Miami had offered Lamar Odom the same amount of money that Los Angeles did, he might be on South Beach right now. But Miami couldn't, and Los Angeles knew it, so L.A. could afford to wait for L.O. to come to its number. That's an advantage. But it doesn't mean the teams with less can't be productive, as you'll see below with teams like Indiana.

I grade teams on their entire offseason -- the Draft, free agency, trades, coaching changes, new ownership, new arenas, anything that has impacted or will impact rosters. But it's kind of graded on a curve because of the money disparities. Once again: This is not a predicted order of finish for next season, only one guy's evaluation of what's transpired between the end of each team's season and now.

Here are The Haves. For the others, click on the links above.

The haves

These are the teams that feel they have a legitimate shot at a championship, and acted accordingly, throwing money around like they were Mr. Monopoly (or, more accurately, given the business arrangements of the pro sports leagues, Mr. Cartel). They have high payrolls and don't care about paying the salary tax next season if the payoff is the Commish handing them the Larry O'Brien Trophy next June.

SAN ANTONIO

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 1

Last season: 54-28, first place, Southwest; Lost in first round of playoffs.

Added: F Richard Jefferson (trade with Milwaukee), F/C Antonio McDyess (free agent, Detroit; three years, $15 million), C Theo Ratliff (free agent, Philadelphia; one year, $1.3 million), F DeJuan Blair (second-round draft pick)

Lost: F Bruce Bowen (traded to Milwaukee), F/C Kurt Thomas (traded to Milwaukee), F/C Fabricio Oberto (traded to Milwaukee), F Drew Gooden (signed with Dallas)

Retained: None

The key man: C Ian Mahinmi. Any chance that a post-Tim Duncan era will amount to squat depends on whether the 22-year-old Mahinmi is ready for prime time.

The skinny: Incredible work by GM R.C. Buford to retool a still-good team and make it a contender again. The Jefferson deal is this offseason's version of the Gasol Heist of '08; with RJ on the floor the Spurs aren't held hostage by Manu Ginobili's deteriorating body parts -- though a healthy Manu is the key to a potential title run. Bad knees or not, Blair was a great second-round pickup, and McDyess classes up any locker room.

L.A. LAKERS

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 2

Last season: 65-17, first place, Pacific; Won NBA championship.

Added: F Ron Artest (free agent, Houston; five years, $33 million)

Lost: F Trevor Ariza (signed with Houston)

Retained: G Shannon Brown (two years, $4.2 million), F Lamar Odom (four years, $33 million)

The key man: C Andrew Bynum. If he can stay on the court for a full season, the Lakers are close to unbeatable.

The skinny: Essentially trading Artest for Ariza makes sense; L.A.'s championship window is wide open. When Artest isn't the Alpha Male in the locker room, things go much better, and Kobe is still the top dog. With Odom back in the fold, a summer off from international play, increased confidence in his teammates and with Artest around to guard the West's best twos and threes, Bryant should be even more lethal next season.

BOSTON

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 3

Last season: 62-20, first place, Atlantic; Lost in second round of playoffs.

Added: F/C Rasheed Wallace (free agent, Detroit; two years, $11.6 million), Marquis Daniels (free agent, Indiana)

Lost: F Leon Powe

Retained: None

The key man: C Kendrick Perkins. He's the glue to Boston's halfcourt defense, and showed he could handle a little more of the offensive load after Garnett went down. But chronic shoulder problems are a concern.

The skinny: The 6-foot-10 Wallace makes the Celtics the Lakers East -- potentially huge in the frontcourt alongside the 6-foot-11 Garnett and Perkins (6-foot-10). They can send defenders from all angles, and their length will make passing out of the double team difficult. Daniels will be a solid backup for Rajon Rondo. Garnett has been a maniac this summer, recovering from the knee injury that kept him out of the playoffs. When he's back, Boston's back.

ORLANDO

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 4

Last season: 59-23, first place, Southeast; Lost in NBA Finals.

Added: G Vince Carter (trade with New Jersey), F Ryan Anderson (trade with New Jersey). F Brandon Bass (free agent, Dallas; four years, $18 million), F Matt Barnes (free agent, Phoenix; two years, $3.8 million)

Lost: F Hedo Turkoglu (sign-and-trade with Toronto), G Courtney Lee (traded to New Jersey), F/C Tony Battie (traded to New Jersey), G Rafer Alston (traded to New Jersey)

Retained C Marcin Gortat (matched five year, $33 million offer sheet from Mavericks)

The key man: G Jameer Nelson. He has to return to All-Star form quickly if the Magic are going to contend for the East's best record.

The skinny: Can't believe so many people are down on Carter. He can still play, he can run a lot of the screen-roll action that Turkoglu ran and he's a career 79 percent free throw shooter. Who would you rather have with the ball in his hands at the end of a game -- Carter or Dwight (.601 career FT) Howard? Anderson, Bass and Barnes give the Magic one of the league's deepest benches. Considering they lost a key starter and team leader in Turkoglu, it wasn't a bad summer at all.

CLEVELAND

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 7

Last season: 66-16, first place, Central; Lost in Eastern Conference finals.

Added: C Shaquille O'Neal (trade with Phoenix), G Anthony Parker (free agent, Toronto; two years, $6 million), F Jamario Moon (free agent, Miami; two years, $6 million)

Lost: F/C Ben Wallace (traded to Phoenix), G Sasha Pavlovic (traded to Phoenix)

Retained: F Anderson Varejao (six years, $50 million)

The key man: Owner Dan Gilbert. GM Danny Ferry has built a championship-caliber team around James, but James's relationship with Gilbert -- the only person that LeBron has to call the boss -- will be a key factor in James' stay-or-go decision after this season.

The skinny: For the first time in his career; LeBron will have to learn to play off of someone else; he's never had a low-post option before, and even at 37, Shaq still commands respect. How long will it take James to adjust? Can the 6-foot-8 Moon guard the Paul Pierces and Rashard Lewises in the East? He'll have to, after the Cavs failed to get Trevor Ariza, Ron Artest, Charlie Villanueva or Shawn Marion.

DALLAS

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 9

Last season: 50-32, third place, Southwest; Lost in second round of playoffs.

Added: F Shawn Marion (sign-and-trade with Toronto), F Kris Humprhies (trade with Toronto), F Quinton Ross (free agent, Memphis), G Rod Beaubois (first-round pick), F Drew Gooden (free agent, San Antonio; one year, $4.5 million), F Tim Thomas (free agent, Chicago; one year, $1.3 million)

Lost: G Jerry Stackhouse (traded to Memphis)

Retained: G Jason Kidd (three years, $25 million)

The key man: F Josh Howard. The Mavs go from good to great when he goes from good to great.

The skinny: Missed out on a higher grade when Orlando decided to match the offer sheet on Marcin Gortat, but otherwise, Dallas did pretty well. The Mavs will be smaller, but much more athletic, now able to put the likes of Marion, Howard, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry on the court together. Not sure that will get them much further in the Playoffs, but the fun-'n-gun days should be back at American Airlines Center.

PORTLAND

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 11

Last season: 54-28, second place, Northwest; Lost in first round of playoffs.

Added: G Andre Miller (free agent, Philadelphia; three years, $21 million)

Lost: G Sergio Rodriguez (traded to Sacramento), F Channing Frye (signed with Phoenix)

Retained: None

The key man: C Greg Oden. He is telling people he's happy again after a morose rookie season. Let's hope so. Oden is too young to put so much pressure on himself, and he's far too much fun and interesting to sulk through the world.

The skinny: Swung and missed on Turkoglu and Utah's Paul Milsap, but salvaged the summer by picking up the 33-year-old Miller for less than half of what they would have spent on Hedo and $10 million less than they offered Milsap. Miller's still got some game and he'll be an upgrade at the point. Portland's kids just need to get a little more postseason experience.

The middle class

They are the teams whose bottom lines are much more dependent on how far they go in the Playoffs. These teams may not turn a profit, so each round deeper can make the difference between losing a little and losing a lot, and not making the postseason at all can mean financial disaster. So they've been active this summer, making payroll-adding deals in hopes of a playoff run.

TORONTO

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 5

Last season: 33-49, fourth place, Atlantic; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: F Hedo Turkoglu (sign-and-trade, Orlando; five years, $53 million), G Jarrett Jack (free agent, Indiana; four years, $20 million), G/F DeMar DeRozan (first-round pick), G Antoine Wright (trade with Dallas), G Marco Belinelli (trade with Golden State), C Rasho Nesterovic (free agent, Indiana; one year, $1.9 million), F Reggie Evans (trade with Philadelphia),

Lost: G Anthony Parker (signed with Cleveland), G Jason Kapono (traded to Philadelphia), F Devean George (traded to Golden State)

Retained: Removed interim tag from Coach Jay Triano

The key man: F Andrea Bargnani. The first overall pick in a draft, any draft, can't just be a solid player. He has to be a star. Bargnani hasn't done that yet in Toronto, though he's already gotten a big contract extension.

The skinny: With a frenetic offseason, Toronto has positioned itself nicely for what will likely be the post-Chris Bosh era. Jack, DeRozan and Jose Calderon could become a strong three-guard rotation. Turkoglu is a veteran baller with postseason credentials. Wright is an underrated pickup. Bosh will certainly play his heart out, and at worst, Toronto should get some nice goodies in a sign-and-trade deal for Bosh next summer. Could be worse.

WASHINGTON

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 6

Last season: 19-63, fifth place, Southeast; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Randy Foye (trade with Minnesota), F/G Mike Miller (trade with Minnesota), F/C Fabricio Oberto (free agent, San Antonio; one year, $1.9 million), hired coach Flip Saunders

Lost: F/C Darius Songalia (traded to Minnesota), F/C Alexiy Pecherov (traded to Minnesota), C Etan Thomas (traded to Minnesota), reassigned interim head coach Ed Tapscott

Retained: None

The key man: G Gilbert Arenas. Well, duh. The Wizards are a lottery team without him; a second-round team with him. Simple as that.

The skinny: The first time GM Ernie Grunfeld had the fifth pick in D.C., he got Antawn Jamison from Dallas. The Wizards expect they'll do just as well this time after dealing 2009's No. 5 pick to Minnesota for Foye and Miller, who add even more firepower to an already-loaded group. Saunders should be worth a few wins by himself. If Arenas is back to his 2006-'07 form and one of their young bigs develops fast, Washington is a contender in the East.

DETROIT

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 8

Last season: 39-43, third place, Central; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: G Ben Gordon (free agent, Chicago; five years, $58 million), F Charlie Villanueva (free agent, Milwaukee; five years, $37 million), F/C Chris Wilcox (free agent, New York; two years, $6 million), F Austin Daye (first-round pick), F DaJuan Summers (second-round pick), F Jonas Jurebko (second-round pick), hired head coach John Kuester

Lost: F/C Rasheed Wallace (signed with Boston), F Antonio McDyess (signed with San Antonio), G Arron Afflalo (traded to Denver), G Walter Sharpe (traded to Denver), G Allen Iverson, fired coach Michael Curry

Retained: None.

The key man: Gordon. If he really is cool coming off the bench and backing up Rip Hamilton, as the Pistons insist, this has a chance to work. If he starts griping about minutes and shots, Detroit is right back where it was last season with Iverson.

The skinny: Joe Dumars didn't wait until 2010; he pulled the trigger now, remaking his team into a younger, faster group that no longer has the defensive bona fides to be a real contender. They will run under Kuester, the longtime NBA assistant that impressed while in Detroit in the championship 2004 season under Larry Brown. But, right now, Detroit's starting center is Kwame Brown. Um, okay.

ATLANTA

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 10

Last season: 47-35, second place, Southeast; Lost in second round of Playoffs.

Added: G Jamal Crawford (trade with Golden State), G Jeff Teague (first-round pick)

Lost: G Acie Law (traded to Golden State), G Speedy Claxton (traded to Golden State), G Flip Murray

Retained: G Mike Bibby (three years, $18 million), C Zaza Pachulia (four years, $19 million), F Marvin Williams

The key man: F Josh Smith. Atlanta's Josh of All Trades is a game changer when he is finishing on the wing and providing athletic shot blocking as a help defender.

The skinny: No reason Atlanta can't continue last season's strong run after re-signing all three of its free agents and adding the talented Teague. With Crawford, Joe Johnson, Bibby and Teague (and, occasionally, Williams), the Hawks' backcourt is deep and versatile. The Hawks still need another big to take some of the load off the undersized Al Horford, but Atlanta's future is pretty bright going into Johnson's contract year.

DENVER

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 13

Last season: 54-28, first place, Northwest; Lost in Western Conference finals.

Added: G Arron Afflalo (trade with Detroit), G Ty Lawson (traded rights from Minnesota), F Malik Allen (trade with Milwaukee)

Lost: G Dahntay Jones (signed with Indiana). G Walter Sharpe (traded to Milwaukee), G Sonny Weems (traded to Milwaukee)

Retained: C Chris Andersen (five years, $26 million)

The key man: C Nene. He was healthy for the first time in five seasons, and gave the Nuggets an interior presence and rebounding. They made the Western finals for the first time in 24 years. It wasn't a coincidence.

The skinny: Denver was a feel-good story last season, but the hard part is getting over the hump. Who's capable of more? Carmelo Anthony is already among the game's elite, and Chauncey Billups, who will be 33 on opening night, isn't likely to get better. Lawson will provide much-needed speed in the lineup; Afflalo has to show he's capable of starter's minutes and responsibilities as Jones's replacement. A 50-55 win regular season is certainly likely. And then ... what?

UTAH

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 15

Last season: 48-34, third place, Northwest; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: G Eric Maynor (first-round pick)

Lost: None

Retained: F Paul Milsap (matched four-year, $32 million offer sheet from Portland), G Ronnie Price (two years, $3.2 million)

The key man: C Mehmet Okur. He's been missing in the Playoffs the last two years. The Jazz need Memo to play at his solid regular season levels to have any chance in the postseason.

The skinny: At this writing, Carlos Boozer is still on the roster. No one expects that to be the case by season's end. However that resolves itself will go a long ways toward determining Utah's future. But retaining Milsap was huge; with him, Deron Williams, rookie Maynor and Okur now under contract for several more seasons, and Jerry Sloan coaching, Utah won't fall off the map. But this group has gone about as far as it can go. Change is coming.

HOUSTON

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 29

Last season: 53-29, second place, Southwest; Lost in second round of Playoffs

Added: F Trevor Ariza (free agent, Lakers; five years, $33 million); C David Anderson (trade with Atlanta), G Jermaine Taylor (traded rights from Washington), G Chase Budinger (traded rights from Detroit)

Lost: F Ron Artest (signed with Lakers)

Retained: None

The key man: Athletic trainer Keith Jones. Somehow, he and the Rockets' strength and conditioning staff have to put Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady together again.

The skinny: With Yao likely out the whole season after foot surgery, and McGrady's future uncertain after microfracture surgery, what was a contending team in the west will now be lucky to make the Playoffs. There's still talent on the roster with Luis Scola, and Shane Battier, and Chuck Hayes, and Aaron Brooks. But you can't replace 7-foot 6, 330 pounds, 61 percent shooting from the floor (in Yao) and a career 22-point scorer (in McGrady) over an entire season. Just can't.

PHILADELPHIA

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 21

Last season: 41-41, second place, Atlantic; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: G Jason Kapono (trade with Toronto), G Jrue Holiday (first-round pick), hired coach Eddie Jordan

Lost: G Andre Miller (signed with Portland), F Reggie Evans (traded to Toronto); reassigned interim coach Tony DiLeo

Retained: None

The key man: F Elton Brand. A shoulder injury derailed his first season in Philly, but he can make the Sixers very difficult to guard if he returns to his old form -- and can play center.

The skinny: Hiring Jordan salvaged an offseason in which Philly didn't do much else to keep up with the second-tier teams in the East. Holiday will be a lead guard in time, but for now, the Sixers will have to replace Miller with the likes of Lou Williams and veteran castoffs. Kapono should stretch the floor after the Sixers struggled with 3-point shooting. Jordan will find the right system for his new team, but the Sixers still need more talent to become a factor in the East.

The Holders

These teams are normally among the league's biggest spenders, but they're keeping their powder relatively dry this summer so that they'll have a crack at the Class of 2010. Depending on how soon the economy bounces back, and the level of drop of league revenues, they'll either be sitting pretty next summer or have a lot less room to sign the game's superstars than they'd planned.

CHICAGO

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 19

Last season: 41-41, second place, Central; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: F James Johnson (first-round pick); F Taj Gibson (first-round pick), G Jannero Pargo (free agent, Russia; one year, $2 million)

Lost: G Ben Gordon (signed with Detroit), F Tim Thomas (signed with Dallas)

Retained: None

The key man: F Luol Deng. He's talented and well-paid. Now he has to stay on the court for a full season and into the Playoffs if Chicago is to improve on last season's surprising turnaround.

The skinny: A solid Draft produced two solid rookies. Last year's Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose, should get nothing but better. A deep and versatile group after the trade deadline deal that brought John Salmons and Brad Miller is back. Third-year center Joakim Noah is a comer. But the Bulls are still in need of a low-post presence, and replacing a guy that can get you 30 on any given night is going to be hard. Losing Gordon is why they aren't ranked higher.

NEW YORK

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 28

Last season: 32-50, fifth place, Atlantic; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: C Darko Milicic (trade with Memphis), F Jordan Hill (first-round pick), G Toney Douglas (first-round pick)

Lost: G Quentin Richardson (traded to Memphis)

Retained: None

The key man: F Danilo Galinari. The second-year forward says he's back after missing most of his rookie season to back surgery, and he has to be -- the Knicks won't have a first-round pick next year (it goes, unprotected, to Utah) so their improvement has to come from within.

The skinny: It was hard to stick to The Plan when so many other teams in the east got better this summer, but team president Donnie Walsh didn't have any choice, even if it ultimately costs him David Lee and/or Nate Robinson. In the interim, Mike D'Antoni will have to make do with the occasional bursts of improvement from Wilson Chandler and rookies Hill and Douglas -- though Ramon Sessions, not yet signed as of this writing, would have a significant impact and raise the ranking a few spots.

MIAMI

DA's Offseaon Rank: No. 27

Last season: 43-39, third place, Atlantic; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: G Patrick Beverley (trade rights from Lakers), F Robert Dozier (second-round pick)

Lost: F Jamario Moon (signed with Cleveland)

Retained: None

The key man: F Michael Beasley. He will get minutes at both forward positions and every opportunity to show he was worth the second pick in last year's Draft. Beasley impressed his coaches with his genuine desire to get better, but he has to take a step up.

The skinny: See New York. Not getting Lamar Odom to return was a big blow. The Heat also didn't get much done in the Draft that will provide immediate help, though some liked Beverley before the Draft. Riles still has the lure of millions in cap room and South Beach to offer up next summer. Problem is, Dwyane Wade might be in Chicago by then. It's a big, big gamble, but if Riley can pull it off, he'll be the one laughing 12 months from now.

The Folders

They have either lost a bundle in the recession and have had to scale way back or have always been among the poorest teams, relatively speaking. Any move they make almost always involves shedding payroll or keeping already low payrolls that way. Their fans have little hope, though the presence of some talented rookies makes a future, now hazy, at least possible.

MINNESOTA

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 18

Last season: 24-58, fourth place, Northwest; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Jonny Flynn (first-round pick), G Ricky Rubio (first-round pick), G Wayne Ellington (first-round pick), G Quentin Richardson (trade with Clippers), F Darius Songalia (trade with Washington), F/C Oleskiy Pecherov (trade with Washington), G Chucky Atkins (trade with Oklahoma City), F Damien Wilkens (trade with Oklahoma City)

Lost: G Randy Foye (traded to Washington), G/F Mike Miller (traded to Washington), F Mark Madsen (traded to Clippers), G Sebastian Telfair (traded to Clippers), F Craig Smith (traded to Clippers), fired former head coach Kevin McHale

Retained: None

The key man: F Corey Brewer. Coming off a season-killing knee injury, Brewer has to catch up fast before the Wolves' train leaves the station. But he's the only guy on the roster with shutdown ability on the wing, so he'll get a fair look.

The skinny: You can say this for David Kahn, the new president of basketball operations: He is unconventional. He drafted one point guard after another on Draft night and he's taken his sweet time hiring a coach. Unless Kahn is the world's best poker player, he seems to really believe that, if not this year, then someday, Rubio and Flynn will play together. His future as the team's executive may well hinge on whether he's right on that call.

MEMPHIS

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 20

Last season: 24-58, fifth place, Southeast; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: C Hasheem Thabeet (first-round pick), F DeMarre Carroll (first-round pick), F/G Sam Young (second-round pick), F Zach Randolph (trade with Clippers)

Lost: C Darko Milicic (traded to New York), F Hakim Warrick (signed with Milwaukee)

Retained: None

The key man: Randolph. A team full of young and impressionable players needs a veteran presence on the practice court and in the locker room to show them the right way to prepare and to play. That hasn't described Randolph in the past, but he'll get a chance to be a leader here.

The skinny: The Grizzlies had the best Draft in the league, taking three talented and defensive-minded players. Randolph has been a 20-10 guy the last couple of seasons and that shouldn't change in Memphis. Rudy Gay was one of the better players at the USA Basketball mini-camp and the returning backcourt of Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo should improve with a full season under coach Lionel Hollins. Memphis is still way in the back of the pack, but it's starting to look like an NBA team again.

MILWAUKEE

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 22

Last season: 34-48, fifth place, Central; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Brandon Jennings (first-round pick); G Jodie Meeks (second-round pick), F Hakim Warrick (free agent, Memphis; one year, $3 million) F Kurt Thomas (trade with San Antonio), C Amir Johnson (trade with Detroit), G Walter Sharpe (trade with Denver), G Sonny Weems (trade with Denver)

Lost: F Richard Jefferson (traded to San Antonio), F Charlie Villanueva (signed with Detroit), F Malik Allen (traded to Denver)

Retained: None.

The key man: F Joe Alexander. Moving Jefferson has cleared the starting small forward spot for the second-year man, who struggled through his rookie season.

The skinny: We would pay cold, hard cash to see the first few practices Jennings has with Scott Skiles. If those two got on point, and Andrew Bogut again averaged a double-double, and Michael Redd came back from ACL surgery, Milwaukee might still have a puncher's chance at one of the last Playoff spots in the east. But the guess is it's going to be a season of adjustment for the 19-year-old Jennings as he learns the NBA game, and more cost-saving moves, and another trip to the Lottery next year.

SACRAMENTO

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 24

Last season: 17-65, fifth place, Pacific; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Tyreke Evans (first-round pick), F Omri Casspi (first-round pick), F Jon Brockman (second-round pick), F Sean May (free agent, Charlotte), G Sergio Rodriguez (trade with Sacramento), hired coach Paul Westphal

Lost: Fired former head coach Kenny Natt

Retained: None

The key (wo)man: Stephanie Henderson, Director, Season Ticket Services. Ms. Henderson will be on the front lines handling complaints from unhappy Kings fans at ARCO Arena next season. The Maloofs cut season ticket prices across the board after last season's horrible showing, so hopefully the fans will show Steph some mercy.

The skinny: Evans is a potential superstar, able to get to the basket whenever he wants. But the Kings are still light-years away talent-wise from getting back into the Western Conference picture. Don't think GM Geoff Petrie has assembled enough pieces yet to make a trade run like he did a decade ago for Chris Webber; in the interim, Westphal will have to goose things along (cover things up?) with his offensive schemes.

CHARLOTTE

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 26

Last season: 35-47, fourth place, Southeast; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: F Tyson Chandler (trade with New Orleans), G Gerald Henderson (first-round pick), F Derrick Brown (second-round pick)

Lost: F/C Emeka Okafor (traded to New Orleans)

Retained: None

The key man: The franchise's new owner. Current majority owner Bob Johnson is in the process of selling his controlling interest in the franchise, and the new guy is going to have a big selling job to a still-skeptical community in front of him/her.

The skinny: Larry Brown did his usual last season; he demanded half the roster be turned over, then coached what was left to within a couple of games of the Playoffs. This now-veteran group still needs someone to put the ball in the basket, though, and bringing in Chandler doesn't help there. Duke's Henderson is more of a Raja Bell-type defender than lights-out defender; Brown was a very good second-round selection. Did we mention Allen Iverson was available?

NEW JERSEY

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 30

Last season: 34-48, third place, Atlantic; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Terrence Williams (first-round pick), G Courtney Lee (trade with Orlando), G Rafer Alston (trade with Orlando), F/C Tony Battie (trade with Orlando)

Lost: G Vince Carter (traded to Orlando), F Ryan Anderson (traded to Orlando)

Retained: F Jarvis Hayes (club picked up one-year, $2.06 million option)

The key man: F Yi Jianlian. He has not shown much in two NBA seasons to warrant all the hype and his high draft status in '07. A team desperate for a talent influx needs the sixth overall pick in the draft to become a star. Now.

The skinny: After moving Carter to the Magic, it's clearance sale time in the Swamp, and nowhere is there less to look forward to than here. Devin Harris and Lee could be a nice backcourt, rookie Williams is talented, and Brook Lopez looks like he'll be a solid center. But the Nets have no hope of competing with this group, and with the franchise hemorraging millions, no realistic hope of getting any impact free agents in the future. What time does the game start? What time can you get there?

The dreamers

They don't have the bucks of the others, but they can still make the Playoffs because of dynamic individual talents (Chris Paul, Steve Nash) or as-yet untapped potential (Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant). If they can catch lightning in a bottle, they might make just enough money to squeeze a free agent pickup or make a trade next summer that could get them to the middle class.

L.A. CLIPPERS

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 12

Last season: 19-63, fourth place, Pacific; Did not make Playoffs.

Added: F Blake Griffin (first-round pick), G Sebastian Telfair (trade with Minnesota), F Craig Smith (trade with Minnesota), F/C Mark Madsen (trade with Minnesota)

Lost: F Zach Randolph (traded to Memphis), G Quentin Richardson (traded to Minnesota)

Retained: None

The key man: G Baron Davis. If he and Coach Mike Dunleavy will just meet each other halfway, the Clippers could take off next season.

The skinny: This roster is too talented to be as bad as last season. That, plus Griffin, could get the Clippers back to the Playoffs. Having him fall in the Clippers' laps allowed them to move Randolph and free up cap room for next summer. Davis was terrific at Tim Grgurich's camp in Vegas this week. But the guess is still that this is his last season in L.A., with a big trade coming next summer to bring a superstar to pair with Griffin and Eric Gordon.

NEW ORLEANS

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 14

Last season: 49-33, fourth place, Southwest; Lost in first round of Playoffs.

Added: F/C Emeka Okafor (trade with Charlotte), G Darren Collison (first-round pick), G Marcus Thornton (second-round pick), F Ike Diogu (free agent, Sacramento)

Lost: C Tyson Chandler (traded to Charlotte)

Retained: None

The key man: F James Posey. He didn't have a bad season coming off the bench last season; his numbers were about the same as they were in Boston the year before. But he's making $25 million now. The Hornets need an upgrade, not the status quo. Unfair? Yes. That's life in the big city.

The skinny: GM Jeff Bower keeps his own counsel. He ignored the advice of sage analysts such as myself that he needed to take Sam Young in the first round, and took UCLA's Collison to lessen Chris Paul's workload. He waited deep into June before finally trading Chandler, which everyone knew he had to do, and still got the better of the deal, adding a better offensive player and shot-blocker in Okafor. Thornton and Diogu provide much-needed bench depth. Quiet, but good. That's Bower.

INDIANA

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 16

Last season: 36-46, fourth place, Central; did not make Playoffs.

Added: F Tyler Hansbrough (first-round pick), G A.J. Price (second-round pick); G Dahntay Jones (free agent, Denver; four years, $11 million); G Earl Watson (free agent, Oklahoma City; one year, $3 million); F Solomon Jones (free agent, Atlanta)

Lost: G Jarrett Jack (signed with Toronto), G Marquis Daniels (signed with Boston)

Retained: C Josh McRoberts

The key man: C Roy Hibbert. This is a different team if the 7-foot-2 second-year center makes more of an impact next season. He doesn't have to score, just do what he can do -- rebound and block shots and make sure no one chumps Danny Granger.

The skinny: You couldn't see this team through all the injuries last season -- to Granger, to T.J. Ford, to Mike Dunleavy, to Troy Murphy. A return to relative health alone will do wonders, as will the addition of Hansbrough, who won't be as bad a pro as his critics believe nor as good as his idolators would have you believe. I kind of like what Larry Bird did this offseason; he added solid players like Jones and Watson who won't cost much. Losing Jack hurts, though, which is why the grade isn't higher.

GOLDEN STATE

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 17

Last season: 29-53, third place, Pacific; did not make Playoffs.

Added: G Stephen Curry (first-round pick), G Acie Law (trade with Atlanta), G Speedy Claxton (trade with Atlanta), F Devean George (trade with Toronto)

Lost: G Jamal Crawford (traded to Atlanta), G Marco Belinelli (traded to Toronto)

Retained: None

The key man: F Anthony Randolph. He came on strong the second half of last season and dominated the Vegas Summer League. The fullcourt skills are ridiculous, but is he ready for 35 minutes a night banging against much thicker power forwards?

The skinny: The Warriors will hang 150 on somebody next season. Write it in ink. They've got amazing offensive options, starting with Curry, Monta Ellis and Anthony Morrow in the backcourt, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette at small forward, Randolph at the four and Andris Biedrins at center. Who do you double-team? Who can you afford to leave alone? Nellie's gonna have some fun, that's for sure. Will The City get back to the Playoffs? No, but who cares when you lose 130-128?

OKLAHOMA CITY

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 23

Last season: 23-59, fifth place, Northwest; did not make Playoffs.

Added: G James Harden (first-round pick), C B.J. Mullens (traded rights from Dallas), G Robert Vaden (traded rights from Charlotte), C Etan Thomas (trade with Minnesota)

Lost: G Chucky Atkins (traded to Minnesota), F Damien Wilkens (traded to Minnesota), G Earl Watson (signed with Indiana)

Retained: None

The key man: G Russell Westbrook. The Thunder passed on Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn and all the other available point guards in a point guard-rich draft because it thinks the second-year Westbrook is the man for the job. He got better and better as his rookie season went on, and he has to keep getting better to justify his team's not partaking in such a deep position.

The skinny: OKC is the darkhorse pick of many to contend for a playoff spot next year. I'm still skeptical. But there's no doubt that the Thunder have patiently built a very strong and young nucleus around Kevin Durant. Harden is a pro's pro; Mullens could accelerate the team's development greatly if he's a keeper in the middle. But a realistic look at the West says one more year of struggle. Then GM Sam Presti will strike and add the big-time piece to go with Durant. Then it's a whole new ballgame.

PHOENIX

DA's Offseason Rank: No. 25

Last season: 46-36, second place, Pacific; did not make Playoffs.

Added: F Earl Clark (first-round pick), F Taylor Griffin (second-round pick), G Sasha Pavlovic (trade with Cleveland), F Channing Frye (free agent, Portland; two years, $4 million)

Lost: C Shaquille O'Neal (traded to Cleveland), F Matt Barnes (signed with Orlando), C Ben Wallace (buyout)

Retained: F Grant Hill (two years, $6 million), removed interim tag from coach Alvin Gentry

The key man: C Robin Lopez. He was pretty good as Shaq's backup last season, but he's a starter now and will have to be productive with bigger minutes.

The skinny: Convinced Steve Nash to sign a two-year extension, but still have a lot of rebuilding to do. They'll run again like in the old days under Mike D'Antoni, but that's the problem -- Nash is 35 and Hill will be 37 on opening night. And Amar'e Stoudemire's eye injury has only put off the day of reckoning between him and the club, with ownership unwilling to give him a huge extension. A healthy STAT will at least bring some more promising young talent in return at the trade deadline or next summer.
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Heat23, Triz, or any Floridainians, how is Miami?

I'm thinking of having a bachelor party there, recommended?
 
Originally Posted by NobleKane

Originally Posted by CP1708

Heat, I can top that.

If Bron was smart, ya'll know where he should want to go?

The LA Clippers.
pimp.gif


2nd biggest market, plenty big enough. Hollywood would come to him. Battle Kobe for the Staples center one upsmanship.

Jordan
Griffin
Bron
Gordon
Davis

Thorton, either Canby/Kaman, plus filler off the bench.

Zero history other then sucking to completely take credit for changing the face of the franchise. Hell, they could fire Dunleavy, Bron could be the coach, or he could pick a new one to come with him.
Good wheather, he'd have a chance to winright away, something not promised in NY, plus get dollars from Nike still, steal some thunder from Kobe which don't tell me he don't wanna do......

Why not?

Bron to the Clips, thas my plan, make that happen Sterling.
pimp.gif
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ding ding ding! we have a winner!

can u imagine a team of griffin, bron, thorton, davis, and gordon?? talk about a LA rivalry....
Click to expand...


real talk, Bron on the Clips would make sense when you think about it


I hope it doesn't happen though, but damn it would make for great entertainment
he'd make the Clippers super relevant while playing in a huge LA market,
 
JapanAir21 wrote:
Heat23, Triz, or any Floridainians, how is Miami?

I'm thinking of having a bachelor party there, recommended?


3 WORDS : SOUTH BEACH BABYYYYY!

You will NOT be disappointed my friend.....TRUST! Most importantly, do NOT bring her down to Miami because you'll be kickin yourself every time you take astep outdoors. EVEN going to Wal-mart is a blast if you're into women as much as I am
smokin.gif
.......they're EVERYWHERE. Modeling +##%!+%. 95% of the women look likesupermodels

And that's not even mentioning how beautiful Miami is..........paradise
pimp.gif
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Heat23, Triz, or any Floridainians, how is Miami?

I'm thinking of having a bachelor party there, recommended?
Click to expand...

Do it man, but you gotta do it right. And like my man heat23 said, its all about South Beach
pimp.gif
If you're coming here for that, dont bother going anywhere else
 
Yeah it's South Beach or bust if we're headed too far to the East Coast.

(It's not my bachelor party, but my brothers).
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted by Al3xis

wouldn't be ideal, but there are worse things than amare and joe johnson..

speaking of, everyone on here loved him a year ago....
Click to expand...
laugh.gif


You only foolin yourself with this garbage. Tell me what Amary and JJ do? 4th in the East, maybe. JJ would be the better of the two also. That says alotright there.

You guys sign these two and that's it, no Bron, no Wade, no Bosh, but these two guys, it'll be another looooooooong decade for the Knicks. One filledwith first round exits and lots of dollars wasted. You buggin if think otherwise.
 
you know i am a knick fan, right?

do you know what 4th in the east sounds like to me at this point?

like i said, i can live with that as a fall back option, not a plan a.

and if not that, then what? hope to win the lottery?

chris paul? he damn sure isn't getting through bron or dwight in the east.
 
laugh.gif
snap, good point on being ok with 4th.
laugh.gif


Ok, ok. I see what you sayin then.

I dunno, I might either just take my chances at the lottery, and just keep plugging away with young players and a solid nucleus til I find an angle. Paul is aguy I think could bring in other players later on. Not in New Orleans with no money but surely in New York he would draw some players. I dunno, too far aheadto look into 2011-12 but if it was me, Stat and JJ aren't where I'd want to go. Gotta be a better way then that route.
 
for better or worse, they're stuck with making a splash this coming summer

its been a decade now, and the plan was built around this summer when walsh took over.

not making a move cause bron stays put just will not fly - from media and the fan base.

Personally, i have no problem waiting some more... but not spending money next summer will not be an option.
 
Originally Posted by JPZx

DubA and his homer-istic takes again
laugh.gif
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you live in Minnesota
grin.gif


I think the cavs management is trying hard, but they are not "working their *$++# off". Maybe i have a differant idea of what working your $+$ offentails. Bad coach, old players, overrated "core".
 
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