⭐ OFFICIAL 2020-2021 NBA Off-Season Thread: Olympics begin 7/23; NBA Draft 7/29⭐

[mr z]

Reddick was player of the year. He had a great career but I don’t think he was some grand overachiever

 

[earldagoat]

The Clippers Are at a Crossroads: Run It Back or Blow It Up?

Leonard can exercise his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. No one knows what’s truly going on inside Leonard’s head, but front office executives and agents around the NBA often gossip about the possibility that he leaves since teams are lining up and conspiring to get him.

The Mavericks and Heat plan to make a hard push to acquire Leonard, league sources say. The Knicks will also pursue any superstar that becomes available, and a long list of other suitors would at least make an attempt if he hits the market. Who wouldn’t want a 30-year-old two-time Finals MVP still performing at an All-NBA level?

Dallas is considered by some executives to be the most serious threat to land Kawhi because of Luka Doncic’s presence and the front office’s ability to create maximum cap space or work out a sign-and-trade. During Leonard’s years with Nike, he also developed a good relationship with Nico Harrison, the Mavs’ new general manager and a former longtime executive at the company.

Leonard tried to recruit Jimmy Butler to the Clippers before George was acquired, so Miami could offer Kawhi an enticing chance to play with him. Though the Heat can’t create max cap space, they could always work out a sign-and-trade just like they did to acquire Butler from the Sixers in 2019.

All that said, signs still point to Leonard staying. In March, he reportedly purchased a $17.1 million home in Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighborhood of Los Angeles. While buying a mansion isn’t a guarantee that he’s planning to re-sign long term, multiple league executive sources say Kawhi no longer travels via helicopter from his other home in San Diego, like he often did before Kobe Bryant’s passing in January 2020. Leonard already owned a $6.7 million penthouse near Staples Center. Investing so much in a home is at least an acknowledgment of the possibility he plans to stick around L.A.

[…]

With so few avenues to make significant moves, some executives wonder: What if Leonard wants the Clippers to dump George in order for him to re-sign long term? It’d be a heck of a power play. But we’ve seen this before from Kawhi when he first joined the Clippers. He threatened to stay with the Raptors or go to the Lakers if the Clippers weren’t able to find a costar. So they emptied the coffers for George. Does Leonard feel like running it back? Or could he be ready for a new look?

Damian Lillard is disgruntled with the Trail Blazers, according to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. It’s worth noting that in 2019 Lillard was on Leonard’s list of stars he wanted to team up with, league sources say. But Lillard has four seasons remaining on his contract. Portland doesn’t need to trade him. If it came to the point where a trade was inevitable, Los Angeles wouldn’t have many goodies to add to a trade involving George, and if the Blazers would rather have younger players and picks, the Clippers would easily be outbid.

There’s also Ben Simmons, the Sixers All-Star who spends nearly all of his off time in Los Angeles and would add a much-needed playmaking dimension to the Clippers. But regardless of the other pieces involved in a potential deal, would Leonard want to team up with Simmons after the latter’s disastrous postseason? Is that a deal the Sixers would want to make, when league sources say they’re also hoping for an opportunity to land Lillard?

Star-for-star trades happen in the NBA but they aren’t common. If Leonard returns to L.A. next season, the odds are George will still be there. Is that such a bad thing? The disrespect online toward George has gone a bit overboard. Yes, George makes some blunders. The missed free throws. The 24-second violation. The occasional no-show quarters. But he’s also one of the best two-way wings in the game and he can make scoring 40 points look easy. He was an iron man this postseason, too. He played 776 minutes, 129 more than any other player has logged. Without him, the Clippers wouldn’t have made it past the second round. George may not be the guy, but he’s still one of the top 15 guys in the NBA.

He’s not untouchable, though, so the Clippers should at least explore every possibility to maximize their roster; if Lillard becomes available, you do what you can to get him. Just as the Clips did two years ago to net Leonard and George. But so far, the duo hasn’t been able to lead the team to its ultimate goal. They ended the franchise’s 51-year drought of failing to make a conference finals—but that isn’t enough to satisfy the team’s best player.

“I don’t care about the Western Conference finals. I’m trying to win a championship,” Leonard said during the second round. The Clippers choked in the 2020 playoffs, so they fired their coach and hired a better one. They made tweaks to the roster and made their playoff team a better one. This year’s Clippers team overcame two 0-2 deficits and showed a level of resiliency the franchise hasn’t seen in decades. Kawhi’s injury just struck at the worst time. Maybe next year.

 

[lovehateself]

Reddick was player of the year. He had a great career but I don’t think he was some grand overachiever

he started 30 + games each year in college
he was ice cold in college
add in the duke name = college legend

 

[pmatic]

All time great shooter, but below average athlete, short arms and small for his position. Reddick squeezed every ounce of talent he had.

 

[dacomeup]

Reddick was player of the year. He had a great career but I don’t think he was some grand overachiever

Player of the year in college has nothing to do with the NBA. Two completely differently leagues. The league clearly agreed which is why he went in the back of the lottery.

 

[N41D]

All time great shooter, but below average athlete, short arms and small for his position. Reddick squeezed every ounce of talent he had.

JJ Redick getting to a point where he was a good starter/scoring threat on a playoff team was about the peak of what he could've done.

Grand overachiever? No. But he more than lived up to expectations coming out.

 

[mr z]

Yea but y’all miss-understanding the context of the tweet. His overachievement in college did not equal NBA career. I was only addressing the tweet(ala he broke records and was a superstar in college) not saying he was a complete bust.

 

[lawdog1]

Here’s a good list of the current NBA FAs if one hasn’t been posted already.

2024 NBA Free Agents

Tracking the status and signings of all NBA free agents.

www.spotrac.com

 

[N41D]

The Clippers Are at a Crossroads: Run It Back or Blow It Up?

Regardless of what the Clippers as an organization want to do...

Why would Kawhi leave? He just watched the team he hand-picked push a Conference Finals to 6 games in a series he didn't play in.

Whether or not the Clips want to max him out on a number of years might be another story - but I don't see another option for them at this point.

 

[amitt5504]

Dare I say Reddick was the only pure shooter from college to actually stick and be successful?

morrison, McDermott, jimmer, sauce Castillo etc all underwhelming

 

[pmatic]

McDermott should cash out again this summer. He's doing just fine.

 

[N41D]

Dare I say Reddick was the only pure shooter from college to actually stick and be successful?

morrison, McDermott, jimmer, sauce Castillo etc all underwhelming

McDermott has found a decent little role for himself.

12 points in 22 minutes on 52/41 splits the last two seasons.

But yeah - there aren't many. Big learning curve for those guys and not an easy adjustment.

 

[amitt5504]

I can agree McDermott been better as of late but he was kinda on the out not too long ago

 

[earldagoat]

McDermott's dad was his Creighton coach that used the slave plantation analogy with his team correct? Same dude that let the black assistant coach take the fall for recruiting infractions

 

[B Sox]

McDermott was also an 11th pick and is going to have a 10+ year career and make like $50M.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

 

[N41D]

Bet he missed the free throw in that second pic.

 

[atlsfinest]

Bill Simmons has Kevin Durant in his top 10 greatest players ever ahead of Shaq!

He also has one of the most scorching takes I've ever heard. Bill literally said that the 2017 Cavaliers and Warriors rosters were "about even"

 

[pmatic]

Bill been extra petty at Bron since Rich Paul blasted him last month in GQ.

 

[206to813]

One of these is not like the others… no idea why they’d even post this lol

 

[Moheezy]

Bill Simmons has Kevin Durant in his top 10 greatest players ever ahead of Shaq!

He also has one of the most scorching takes I've ever heard. Bill literally said that the 2017 Cavaliers and Warriors rosters were "about even"

I used to listen to his podcast until he was serious with his take that Lebron lost the finals in 2014 on purpose so that he can leave the Heat. I thought he was being sarcastic until a couple of minutes in, he was serious. I stopped the podcast and never listened to him since.

 

[Moheezy]

One of these is not like the others… no idea why they’d even post this lol

I see the connection. All injury prone.

 

[Moheezy]

Dare I say Reddick was the only pure shooter from college to actually stick and be successful?

morrison, McDermott, jimmer, sauce Castillo etc all underwhelming

I thought Luther Head would have a great NBA career…

 

[tomdiginson]

Dare I say Reddick was the only pure shooter from college to actually stick and be successful?

morrison, McDermott, jimmer, sauce Castillo etc all underwhelming

McDermott actually is doing well. When he's given more touches he actually balls out as seen at Chicago and Indy this year.

 

[MVP]

Regardless of what the Clippers as an organization want to do...

Why would Kawhi leave? He just watched the team he hand-picked push a Conference Finals to 6 games in a series he didn't play in.

Whether or not the Clips want to max him out on a number of years might be another story - but I don't see another option for them at this point.

Fool's gold run. Plus Reggie likely getting a bag from somebody else, they don't really have avenues to improve the roster outside of trying to move PG.

Their window isn't completely shut but there's only a sliver of light coming thru now.