NBA Thread

[Justin]

The new format was terrible!

[GM Franchise]

The new format was terrible!

Agreed. They somehow managed to ruin the dunk contest.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

Wall's dunk over the mascot was pretty legit, and George's would have been better if he made it the first time.

This used to be so much cooler back in the day, and I mean the 80s when 'Nique got robbed against Jordan in 88...

2008 - 2013"Who are these no names? We want stars!" Everyone said while the "no names" do some pretty good dunks

2014 "Man these stars are trash! They don't do anything cool"

THEY'RE STARS! They have more to do than practice dunks. You know why this sucked? Because people hyped the shit out of it more than it had to do with the format (which needs some tweaking). Lillard disappointed me, Barnes was awful.

[MattWard]

Lebron James need to stop being a pussy ass bitch and do the damn dunk contest, that would bring so much ratings to the dunk contest just to see what he could do

[The TeeJ of Philly]

Lebron James need to stop being a pussy ass bitch and do the damn dunk contest, that would bring so much ratings to the dunk contest just to see what he could do

And when he doesn't do anything outstanding like everyone thinks he would do, they'll say he's a terrible dunker and they wanted all that time to see that and pissed off anyways. If this proved year proved anything names =/= better dunk contest.

[¿PapaPancho?]

A.k.a The Blake Griffin dunk contest ...

It wasnt ACTUALLY over the car ... pffft

[GM Franchise]

Knicks angling to land point guard



http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/10483839/new-york-knicks-trade-talks-los-angeles-clippers-denver-nuggets

The New York Knicks were seriously discussing two trades Wednesday night aimed at shoring up their backcourt and adding some depth in advance of this week's NBA trade deadline.

Sources told ESPN.com that New York's talks with the Los Angeles Clippers reported earlier Wednesday have been tweaked slightly. The Knicks' Iman Shumpert and the Clippers' Darren Collison remain the principals in the proposed trade, but sources said that the latest incarnation of the deal would send Matt Barnes to Madison Square Garden along with Collison in exchange for Shumpert and out-of-favor guard Raymond Felton.

New York's attempts to upgrade at point guard may mean Iman Shumpert's days there are numbered.
Barnes' inclusion in the trade was conceived to replace Clippers rookie Reggie Bullock, with sources saying Los Angeles -- while high on Shumpert's athleticism and defensive potential -- is very reluctant to both absorb Felton's contract while also parting with Bullock.

"There's a lot of stuff that goes on that is a distraction for us but our job is to lock in and play basketball," Barnes said Tuesday on being involved in trade talks. "We can't let anything outside be a distraction."

In a separate deal, sources said, New York is in talks to trade little-used point guard Beno Udrih -- who has been hoping for a change of scenery -- to Denver for swingman Jordan Hamilton. That move would be an offshoot of the Knicks' long-running but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to acquire Kenneth Faried from the Nuggets; New York has been offering the combination of Shumpert and Udrih for Faried and Hamilton for months.

The leaguewide trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. As ESPN.com reported Monday, New York has made it widely known that it badly wants to upgrade its options at point guard before the trade buzzer sounds.

New York's focus shifted to Collison this week, sources said, when the Atlanta Hawks balked at taking back Felton's deal as part of the Knicks' pursuit of Hawks point guard Jeff Teague.

ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported that the Knicks and Clippers have been talking since Friday. Clippers forward Jared Dudley has also been discussed in talks, but his inclusion in a deal is not necessary to make a trade work financially.

Bullock is the Clippers' first-round draft pick from last June and has been asked to play a larger role with starting guard J.J. Redick lost indefinitely to a back injury. Adding Shumpert, though, would help in that department, since Shumpert would step into Redick's starting role and allow Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamal Crawford to go back to the bench.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are hesitant to bring in a player who is on the books beyond the 2014-15 season, given their hope to have enough cap space available for the 2015 offseason to go after the top players on the market in support of Carmelo Anthony. Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge are expected to headline a group of free agents that summer.

But it appears that the Knicks are coming to terms with the contracts of Felton and Barnes canceling each other out. A swap of Shumpert and Felton for Collison and Bullock, furthermore, does not quite work under NBA salary-cap rules.

[Cory]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1963977-toronto-raptors-reportedly-interested-in-dealing-for-rajon-rondo

Raps trying to grab Rondo

[GM Franchise]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1963977-toronto-raptors-reportedly-interested-in-dealing-for-rajon-rondo

Raps trying to grab Rondo

So are the Rockets...

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10484540/houston-rockets-eyes-rajon-rondo-boston-celtics

The Rockets want to acquire Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, according to sources familiar with Houston's thinking.

Yet sources told ESPN.com that talks between the teams have not progressed to a serious stage because the sides can't agree on the framework of a trade.

One main stumbling block, sources said, is Boston's desire to acquire blossoming Houston swingman Chandler Parsons in a potential Rondo deal. Sources say the Rockets have informed the Celtics that they are not prepared to surrender Parsons as part of a Rondo package.

The Celtics have consistently denied that Rondo will be dealt before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline. There have been strong indications all season that Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck wants to keep Rondo in Boston to give the former All-Star point guard, who is still in the early stages of his recovery from a torn ACL, ample time to form a partnership with first-year coach Brad Stevens.

Zach Lowe discusses the trade deadline, if the Cavs are interested in moving Luol Deng in light of their five-game win streak, Rajon Rondo's potential destination, if there are any potential buyouts on the horizon and more.

But the Rockets have made a trade at every deadline during general manager Daryl Morey's tenure running their front office and are known to covet Rondo deeply.

Houston also possesses draft picks to deal and a cache of young players beyond Parsons -- such as disgruntled (and very available) big man Omer Asik along with the likes of Patrick Beverley, Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas -- to try to tempt the Celtics.

The close relationship between Morey and Boston counterpart Danny Ainge -- Morey spent time in the Celtics' front office under Ainge -- makes it easy for the teams to engage in trade discussions.

But if the Rockets' position on Parsons is firm, it would be up to Boston to decide to go forward with Rondo (who can become an unrestricted free agent in July 2015), focus on other teams or try to construct an alternative deal with the Rockets.

[J-Reb]

Rondo's already said he wouldn't resign in Toronto.  I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with a team like NY in some kind of crazy three-team trade.

I've heard some ridiculous rumors floating around.  I saw one that had Jeremy Lin going back to New York, which would essentially be the only trade they could make that might make them worse at PG.  I'm all about some Linsanity, I think he's a heckuva guy, but please, let the hysteria die!

I like Pau to Phoenix if they can swing it.  The Suns probably aren't going to make a whole lot of noise this season but Gasol gives them some championship experience.

[GM Franchise]

Lakers trade Steve Blake to the Warriors

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10486289/steve-blake-los-angeles-lakers-traded-golden-state-warriors-mixed-emotions

Lakers guard Steve Blake has been traded to the Golden State Warriors, he told reporters as he left the team's Los Angeles facility in street clothes Wednesday night.

The Lakers will get reserve shooting guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks from the Warriors, sources told ESPN.com.

"Real mixed emotions," Blake said. "The hardest thing really is my family. Now I'm going to have to spend four months probably away from them."

[GM Franchise]

What Every NBA Team Should Do at 2014 Trade Deadline

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1962424-what-every-nba-team-should-do-at-2014-trade-deadline

The 2013-14 NBA season has been filled with trade rumors since before the year began, and with the Feb. 20 deadline on the horizon, it's time for general managers to focus on making the best move for their respective organizations.

For some franchises, the best move might be no move at all. For others, clearing house makes more sense, as both buyers and sellers will be active leading up to the deadline.

Whether a team is looking for cap relief, a quick fix or better positioning for the future, there's something out there for everyone. The trick is finding the right player who matches what teams are looking for—not to mention what they're willing to give up.

[Gates]

I think that's what Toronto will do. There are still some rumous out there about trading Lowry, but I think their best course is to stick. Forget Rondo, because I don't know if Rondo this year would be that much better then Lowry has been. Sure, they'd have him for 2014-2015 (I believe) but then they're back to square one.

[GM Franchise]

Sources: Spencer Hawes to Cavs



http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10488407/philadelphia-76ers-trade-spencer-hawes-cleveland-cavaliers

In an effort to add depth to their front line as they chase a playoff spot, the Cleveland Cavaliers have traded for Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes, sources told ESPN.com, confirming multiple reports.

The 76ers have been trading for draft picks and prospects since last summer as part of a long-term rebuilding project, and this deal fits that mold. The Cavs sent the 76ers two second-round draft picks and backup forward Earl Clark to execute the deal.

Hawes, who is in the final year of a contract that pays him $6.6 million this season, averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in 53 starts for the 76ers this season. The Cavs, who are three games out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after a six-game win streak, had been in talks to get another center for several days.

Anderson Varejao has been out with a back injury and received a cortisone shot Wednesday to help deal with the issue. Clark, whose $4.25 million contract next season is not guaranteed, averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 45 games and shot 38 percent from the field for the Cavs, who signed him as a free agent in the offseason.

In January, the Cavs dealt a first-round pick and two second-rounders to acquire forward Luol Deng from the Chicago Bulls. The team is spending many of the extra picks it acquired over the past three years to attempt to upgrade and end a three-year playoff drought.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

BREAKING NEWS: NBA IS NOT AS FUN TO WATCH AS IT USE TO BE

Watching the entire All-Star weekend in a couple of sittings confirmed this to me. Bring back the 90s when the NBA was cool.