Official 2022 NBA Free Agency Thread

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In the end the Nets will do a deal like this they not going to not play him and get nothing in return. Trust me as a Spurs fan I know cause we basically had to give up KAwhi for a player and 1 first and he was a much better player then head case is.

[Chinook]

Nets say no. They trade away Kyrie and Harris for horrible contract, an expiring and two picks one of which will be a mid to late first with Jamal Murray coming back. Great deal for everyone else.

Westbrook is a better contract than most here. People overestimate how bad it is because of how overrated Westbrook was as a player before the league finally caught on. He's less "worth his money", but he's a gigantic expiring that can be used to match a lot of salary without having to worry about aggregation. Overall, they save money on this deal and maintain the possibility of being able to market Westbrook and Durant for a short bit. Might even be part of selling KD on staying for another year as a "redemption tour" thing. The Nets would also be able to use the 2023 Denver pick as tradeable currency in a way a 2029 Lakers pick really isn't. The point of it wouldn't be to actually use it to pick a player but to help them acquire more help to build around whomever they have at the end of this since they don't seem willing to tank. They're still going to be really talented after these trades regardless of who goes or stays.

[Kevin]

Westbrook is a better contract than most here. People overestimate how bad it is because of how overrated Westbrook was as a player before the league finally caught on. He's less "worth his money", but he's a gigantic expiring that can be used to match a lot of salary without having to worry about aggregation. Overall, they save money on this deal and maintain the possibility of being able to market Westbrook and Durant for a short bit. Might even be part of selling KD on staying for another year as a "redemption tour" thing. The Nets would also be able to use the 2023 Denver pick as tradeable currency in a way a 2029 Lakers pick really isn't. The point of it wouldn't be to actually use it to pick a player but to help them acquire more help to build around whomever they have at the end of this since they don't seem willing to tank. They're still going to be really talented after these trades regardless of who goes or stays.

Kyrie alone is worth more than that let alone taking on a very questionable contract at best.

A three team Lowery for Irving swap with the Heat makes more sense.

[MannyIsGod]

Why would the Nets want an even WORSE contract in Lowery? What the ?

Y'all are seriously caught up on the 47 million part which is secondary to the fact that its expiring.

[Chinook]

Kyrie is expiring, older, oft-injured and mercurial, and even without that, he was always a glass cannon. He's a good player, but no, he's not worth more than two firsts a swap and expirings.

[Drom John]

FiveThirtyEight Raptor WAR, PG, 1 minute minimun

7) 8.0 Derrick White

13) 7.0 Dejounte Murray
14) 6.9 Kyle Lowry

28) 4.5 Kyrie Irving (1,261 minutes)

40) 2.9 Tre Jones, Damian Lillard, Payton Prithcard

139) -0.7 Chris Chiozza, Frank Jackson, Theo Maledon, Russell Westbrook


Total Raptor, rate stat, 1110 minutes (near Jones)

7) 4.2 Kyrie Irving

13) 3.5 Derrick White

15) 3.0 Dejounte Murray

18) 2.8 Kyle Lowry

21) 2.2 Tre Jones

63) -3.2 Russell Westbrook

[Kevin]

Why would the Nets want an even WORSE contract in Lowery? What the ?

Y'all are seriously caught up on the 47 million part which is secondary to the fact that its expiring.

That's why I said it would be a three team deal.

[Seventyniner]

Kyrie is expiring, older, oft-injured and mercurial, and even without that, he was always a glass cannon. He's a good player, but no, he's not worth more than two firsts a swap and expirings.

I can see a team desperate to make a splash and join the ranks of the "contenders" possibly overpaying for him. I'd include Atlanta and Minnesota but both teams already emptied their draft capital war chests.

Just throwing stuff at the wall here.

Denver has Jamaal Murray, and giving him up for Irving would almost be an overpay right there when factoring in chemistry etc.
Toronto has all its own picks, could send out FVV, and seems willing to swing for the fences.
Chicago can include Lonzo Ball, but playing DDR off the ball isn't the best use of his talents, and LaVine didn't re-sign to be the third option.
New Orleans can match salaries with McCollum and has extra picks to throw in.
New York has a bunch of extra picks now and has plenty of expiring ballast in Rose/Burks/Noel (all team options in 2023-24). They might be able to meet Brooklyn's asking price themselves without having to involve any other teams.

[MannyIsGod]

None of those teams except maybe the Knicks would event want Kyrie.

[exstatic]

Westbrook is a better contract than most here. People overestimate how bad it is because of how overrated Westbrook was as a player before the league finally caught on. He's less "worth his money", but he's a gigantic expiring that can be used to match a lot of salary without having to worry about aggregation. Overall, they save money on this deal and maintain the possibility of being able to market Westbrook and Durant for a short bit. Might even be part of selling KD on staying for another year as a "redemption tour" thing. The Nets would also be able to use the 2023 Denver pick as tradeable currency in a way a 2029 Lakers pick really isn't. The point of it wouldn't be to actually use it to pick a player but to help them acquire more help to build around whomever they have at the end of this since they don't seem willing to tank. They're still going to be really talented after these trades regardless of who goes or stays.

He’s trash. At this point, Jak + JRich > Russ

[buttsR4rebounding]

To me New Orleans seems like the most attractive landing spot for Durant from the Nets perspective. Heck, possibly even both Durant and Irving. Something like Ingram and CJ McCollum plus 5 FRPs for Durant and Irving. NOP are one of the few teams that could actually give the Nets more than 4 picks. If Durant goes to NO without Irving it seems like that would end the Lakers hope getting Irving. Since the Lakers picks owned by NO would likely be part of the haul the Nets would not want to do anything to dilute their assets. A core of Durant, Irving and a hopefully re-energized Zion could be formidable.

[BatManu20]

Mo Bamba back to ORL.

[scott]

To me New Orleans seems like the most attractive landing spot for Durant from the Nets perspective. Heck, possibly even both Durant and Irving. Something like Ingram and CJ McCollum plus 5 FRPs for Durant and Irving. NOP are one of the few teams that could actually give the Nets more than 4 picks. If Durant goes to NO without Irving it seems like that would end the Lakers hope getting Irving. Since the Lakers picks owned by NO would likely be part of the haul the Nets would not want to do anything to dilute their assets. A core of Durant, Irving and a hopefully re-energized Zion could be formidable.

This would be interesting to watch for sure, and is the move that gets the Nets closest to "whole" after giving all their picks to Houston.

[Chinook]

He’s trash. At this point, Jak + JRich > Russ

... What does that have to do with anything?

[R. DeMurre]

I can see a team desperate to make a splash and join the ranks of the "contenders" possibly overpaying for him. I'd include Atlanta and Minnesota but both teams already emptied their draft capital war chests.

Just throwing stuff at the wall here.

Denver has Jamaal Murray, and giving him up for Irving would almost be an overpay right there when factoring in chemistry etc.
Toronto has all its own picks, could send out FVV, and seems willing to swing for the fences.
Chicago can include Lonzo Ball, but playing DDR off the ball isn't the best use of his talents, and LaVine didn't re-sign to be the third option.
New Orleans can match salaries with McCollum and has extra picks to throw in.
New York has a bunch of extra picks now and has plenty of expiring ballast in Rose/Burks/Noel (all team options in 2023-24). They might be able to meet Brooklyn's asking price themselves without having to involve any other teams.

I can't see New Orleans even considering it. They're in such a good spot now, with a ton of young players, with Ingram just finishing his best year plus a nice playoff showing, with Zion signed, and with McCollum having stepped in and taken the veteran leadership role... that team really seems to have great camaraderie and spirit at the moment, and I can't see David Griffin and Trajan Langdon-- who have both been absolutely killin' it with draft & trade choices the last few years-- experimenting with the chemistry by adding Kyrie. I follow the Pelicans pretty closely and McCollum is extremely popular there after last season's trade. It might cause a teamwide and citywide mutiny to trade him for someone as "mercurial" (that's the euphemism I've seen used multiple times now here and elsewhere!) as Kyrie.

[Atl Spur]

I can't see New Orleans even considering it. They're in such a good spot now, with a ton of young players, with Ingram just finishing his best year plus a nice playoff showing, with Zion signed, and with McCollum having stepped in and taken the veteran leadership role... that team really seems to have great camaraderie and spirit at the moment, and I can't see David Griffin and Trajan Langdon-- who have both been absolutely killin' it with draft & trade choices the last few years-- experimenting with the chemistry by adding Kyrie. I follow the Pelicans pretty closely and McCollum is extremely popular there after last season's trade. It might cause a teamwide and citywide mutiny to trade him for someone as "mercurial" (that's the euphemism I've seen used multiple times now here and elsewhere!) as Kyrie.

^agreed

[Seventyniner]

I can't see New Orleans even considering it. They're in such a good spot now, with a ton of young players, with Ingram just finishing his best year plus a nice playoff showing, with Zion signed, and with McCollum having stepped in and taken the veteran leadership role... that team really seems to have great camaraderie and spirit at the moment, and I can't see David Griffin and Trajan Langdon-- who have both been absolutely killin' it with draft & trade choices the last few years-- experimenting with the chemistry by adding Kyrie. I follow the Pelicans pretty closely and McCollum is extremely popular there after last season's trade. It might cause a teamwide and citywide mutiny to trade him for someone as "mercurial" (that's the euphemism I've seen used multiple times now here and elsewhere!) as Kyrie.

I'll defer to your knowledge about the Pelicans. I was just thinking out loud. I've also seen teams make some head-scratching trades; I was just listing teams that I think would have the ability to pry Irving away without particular regard to their willingness.

There aren't all that many landing spots for Irving after all. The Lakers have the willingness but not the ability (unless Brooklyn lowers its ask price), and the Pelicans are evidently the opposite.

[Dverde]

Some chatter about Hornet’s Rozier/Hayward for Westbrick. Hornets trying for that #1 pick.

[Ariel]

I can't see New Orleans even considering it. They're in such a good spot now, with a ton of young players, with Ingram just finishing his best year plus a nice playoff showing, with Zion signed, and with McCollum having stepped in and taken the veteran leadership role... that team really seems to have great camaraderie and spirit at the moment, and I can't see David Griffin and Trajan Langdon-- who have both been absolutely killin' it with draft & trade choices the last few years-- experimenting with the chemistry by adding Kyrie. I follow the Pelicans pretty closely and McCollum is extremely popular there after last season's trade. It might cause a teamwide and citywide mutiny to trade him for someone as "mercurial" (that's the euphemism I've seen used multiple times now here and elsewhere!) as Kyrie.

Definitely. McCollum even went as far as saying he was going to take Zion under his wing, or something to that effect. Not only has he played well, but I think he embodies everything they want to build on. After all, they have the youth and the talent, they just need to steer them in the right direction and help them grow individually and as a group, and building that atmosphere and culture that is much more valuable for a franchise that has struggled with with it as much as NO has. One year's worth of the dysregulated mind of Kyrie in that team is like dropping a bottle of whisky in an AA meeting... just a disaster waiting to happen.

[KingKev]

Some chatter about Hornet’s Rozier/Hayward for Westbrick. Hornets trying for that #1 pick.

That is a team who would fully embrace 30/10/10 from Russ on the way to a 20-62 season.

[Ariel]

Some chatter about Hornet’s Rozier/Hayward for Westbrick. Hornets trying for that #1 pick.

If that happens it's only for clearing cap space, Westbrook has no place in a team with Lamelo in the driver's seat. And that move in itself would barely impact them if at all, it's the Miles Bridges whole deal that could really shake them, but nowhere near enough to put them in contention for a tank.

[scott]

Some chatter about Hornet’s Rozier/Hayward for Westbrick. Hornets trying for that #1 pick.

On the bright side, an immediate CHA tank might add value to the pick we own as it could put it more in play for 2024 or 2025.

[R. DeMurre]

The whole Westbrook situation is still pretty mindblowing for me. Every armchair GM (myself & lots of others here included!), most twitter scouts & professional analysts, etc., etc. said it wouldn't work and we/they were right. The Lakers clearly needed defense and shooting, not a low efficiency high usage rate guy like Russ who takes half a dozen+ defensive possessions off every game. Still incredible to me that LeBron, Pelinka, et al. actually thought it was a good idea. It reminds me of that survey of incoming rookies in the 2019 draft, where the rookies themselves voted for Cam Reddish as the player that would have the best career from their class....

[DPG21920]

On the bright side, an immediate CHA tank might add value to the pick we own as it could put it more in play for 2024 or 2025.

Unfortunately no. Only way SA gets a first from CHA is if CHA is a playoff team.

[scott]

Unfortunately no. Only way SA gets a first from CHA is if CHA is a playoff team.

Yes, that's the point. CHA tanking this season and getting a top 3 draft pick could increase the odds of them being a playoff team one of the following two years and thus more likely the pick conveys.