2021 nba offseason draft free agency etc

yeah seems like ideally you wouldnt play too many games really focus on practice/training more, one thing seems like this program could be helpful for is getting guys in good shape from a fundamental standpoint injury prevention etc... which would be even better extended to younger players if the nba opened an academy, guys growing up just playing a million games without any access to a professional training staff isnt great

wonder what they get up to at that img academy

gonzaga has a pretty great track record of development and team success i think it’s one of the schools that has a lot to offer in this scenario. putting the monetary aspect aside the ignite team doesn’t sound that fun compared to college, like being isolated in california and then playing in random G league games with no one around and nobody watching. playing a college schedule in non covid times sounds more exciting to me. if the 500k or whatever isn’t life changing to your family knowing you’re very likely to get a much bigger payment in a year i can see why college esp a team like gonzaga would still be more appealing.

college def seems funner but these guys are on a single minded quest for the nba and the g league seems better from that perspective

i also think for now there’s not any evidence that going to ignite is far more beneficial for you if you’re a top 3-5 prospect in your class than going to college. anthony edwards, james wiseman went top 2 after middling (at best) careers at middling college programs... cade and jalen suggs are prob gonna go 1-2 after going to school. there’s prob gonna need a 3+ year proof of concept that going to ignite prevents you from dropping in the draft in a way that college doesn’t for it to really take hold... the money will be a draw regardless but i think a lot of kids will still pass it up for school

tho i could def see guys wanting to "try college" theyre kids its a thing and hey if thats what they want i salute them life is for the living, i would go to usc tho

Chet going to Gonzaga is just so boring

i think ignite makes sense for the guys who are going to kentucky or duke as part of a class of 4 five star players bcuz guys tend to get washed out if they’re not the top dog... someone like wendell carter or something. but if you’re a top 3-5 player in the class it seems to not really matter what you do including going to australia and not playing real basketball

side note re dropping in the draft one of the most proven way to do that is to go to kentuky (ha xp) lol but that hasnt stopped anyone yet, idk about the g league as far as draft position but it just seems like from a preparation standpoint being coached etc by the actual nba with no time limits and not really needing to win games is just obvs better, but also it prob doesnt matter that much its just one year and really talent is the main differentiator, but like if i felt like i wanted to work on x and y aspects of my game i dont see how anyone can compete with the g league, and they give you money

Chet going to Gonzaga is just so boring

A lot of guys will probably still opt for college just because of the girls.

see if it were really about the fun and girls they would go to usc not gonzaga

in the main I think it’s funny we have a league named for gatorade

Year of the Hydrating Electrolyte Drink

lol

hahahah

its thee zags

Full story on Chet Holmgren committing to Gonzaga, with plenty of quotes on why he chose the Zags and the impact he expects to make in Spokane. With @PaulBiancardi:https://t.co/q18ywEvFxm

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 19, 2021

an 18 year old did not say this!

"He's a super honest standup guy," Holmgren said of Few. "He is a fan of the game and I hear he is a good fisherman too. He continues to learn about the game and loves what he is doing."

one might also say an 18 year old can't be named "chet" yet here were are

this whole thing is starting to seem pretty suspicious

maybe he's a plant from bosnia or someplace....trying to get people excited in an american white player

hello my name a chet holmgren i like hoop

couple very skilled big mans in this class

Why did Paolo Banchero overtake Chet Holmgren for the No. 1 spot in our 2022 mock draft? Here's a little taste of how much his game has evolved in the past year. By the way, he's 6'11, 250 pounds now. Full mock draft and scouting report: https://t.co/X2qjaUYEQi pic.twitter.com/VwQpldrzTo

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 20, 2021

hadn't heard of paolo before. he looks good!

literally! and they all made me bring it up, initiate offense, come off PnR, and make live game decisions w ball in my hands even when i jus wanted to catch in tha mid post😅 can’t stress enough how much they’ve helped me. now i’m more than comfortable doing all those things🤙🏽 https://t.co/ioD3LTIJzE

— Paolo (Paul-Oh)🇮🇹 (@Pp_doesit) April 20, 2021

lag∞n at 12:26 19 Apr 21

an 18 year old did not say this!

"He's a super honest standup guy," Holmgren said of Few. "He is a fan of the game and I hear he is a good fisherman too. He continues to learn about the game and loves what he is doing."

fishing is big here, the whole MN tinder joke is that it's all dudes holding fish they caught

lol so chet is definitely an industry plant where paolo sounds like a regular dude

jamal cosigns

And you've been a great listener, great attitude, and unmatched work ethic. We are all proud of you @Pp_doesit young 👑 https://t.co/TrPLhrDoCs

— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 20, 2021

playing against nba guys then going back to high school must be something

btw, did Jamal officially retire? He’s 41 and played in one game last season, but I don’t remember hearing any announcement

Not officially. He seems to still want to play

#1 class of 2022 prospect

Emoni Bates has decommitted from Michigan State this afternoon.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 30, 2021

the fellas

Second day of the Iverson Classic practice kicking off. Some new NBA GMs in the building. Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin and Chet Holmgren warming up. pic.twitter.com/EBIxupaw3u

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 7, 2021

I will be announcing my decision tomorrow at 6:30 PM PST on IG Live!! 👀🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/1JBv9rAQQ8

— Jaden Hardy (@JadenHardy1) May 15, 2021

Five-star recruit Jaden Hardy — a top Class of 2021 high school prospect — is planning to sign a pro deal with the NBA G League elite Ignite team, sources told @TheAthletic @Stadium.https://t.co/STVCR5fQMv

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 15, 2021

lmao

hahahaha

welcome to the league kid

Kentucky, Duke, et. al. gotta be shitting themselves. Especially the BB powerhouses that aren't football schools.

yeah doesnt seem great for them

maybe they can join the g league

going to be interesting to see how those programs change when one and done ends. i hope we end up with lumbering 4th year centers posting up over and over

college ball has already lost so many years of top players and is still a huge deal maybe it doesnt matter if they just never get the top players at all instead of only getting one year of them, kinda depends on how far the nba is willing to take this i guess

i hope we end up with lumbering 4th year centers posting up over and over

this would make my dad the happiest man on the planet

march madness is kind of immune to actual quality of gameplay. like having great players isn't usually what makes it entertaining, at least for the last fifteen or whatever years

its true

yeah, college ball is going to be fine one way or another. i just think a case like kentucky is interesting where their whole thing has been come here for a year and we'll make sure you get drafted. when that's not how it works anymore they're going to have to change strategy in a significant way.

league mad

The NBA is forbidding team executives from attending agent pro days to evaluate prospective draftees -- unless the pro days are conducted as part of the Chicago pre-draft combine in June, per memo shared with teams today.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, 2021

nba front office trying to exert the upper hand and fence in the power of the agents

Two Florida brothers ranked in the top 15 high school juniors in the country – Matt and Ryan Bewley – are signing two-year deals with the Overtime Elite professional league, sources tell ESPN, marking first prep underclassmen to sign contracts with an American basketball league.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 21, 2021

nice after school job

The deals for Matt and Ryan Bewley are expected to top seven-figures over the two years, sources tell ESPN. The OTE is planning a September 2021 start-up with Kevin Ollie as the head coach. Matt Bewley is the No. 3-rated prospect in ESPN's Class of 2023; Ryan is ranked 12th. https://t.co/LapOobF6uW

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 21, 2021

good for these kids, i find it hard to be compelled by this in any way as a fan of NBA and less so college

yeah bridges was so good in their playoff run, type of guy everyone wants

i think jjj might have more upside but hes def behind bridges in development, i think the thing people dont realize about him is what a good shooter he is, hes not just a catch a shoot guy he can already do all sorts of single dribble relocations come off screens a so forth, for a young big man to have that part of his game already so developed is... intriguing

he seems like a worker too if his defense improves to the point they can play him at center and hes out there taking 9 threes a game, well watch out

i will watch out

good

feels like phoenix kinda low balled bridges which is not surprising coming for them and he either took it just bcuz he wanted the security or he gave them a bit of a discount owing to ayton, johnson etc being up soon as well. bcuz i feel like ppl were talking about him being able to go into RFA and get something close to a max level offer, or at least something in the 4/100 range that jarren got

i guess from memphis POV they're looking at john collins getting 4/125 and prob feel like they're saving some money on this. guy didn't even play last year so it is really valuing his potential but i would agree w/ them that he will be worth it

its hard to turn down that first $90m

yeah if he's happy there and just wants to get it over w/ and bank $90 million more power to him

i know personally i just took the first $90m that was put in front of me

i turned it down and now i’m only making $6 million like dennis schroeder

wonder what Huerter's gonna get

is 90 the max bridges could get?

yeah bridges was so good in their playoff run, type of guy everyone wants

― lag∞n, Monday, October 18, 2021 12:08 PM (forty-eight minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Except Brett Brown iirc.

i think he would be eligible for 25% of the salary cap which would be $32m per year as opposed to the $22.5m per year he got on this deal but i am absolutely no salary cap expert and i think ayton is going to be the one getting that kinda contract from the suns anyway. i believe also if you wait until RFA you can get an extra year unless you get the designated 5 year rookie max extension (i.e. luka, trae, mitchell etc) which i'm sure is what ayton will get. for example john collins reportedly turned down 4/90 from the hawks last offseason and then signed 5/125 w/ a player option in the final year this offseason, i think there were ppl who saw bridges doing something similar but instead he just took the money upfront. again it's important to note i may be completely wrong

duncan robinson got 5/90 from the heat w/ a player option as well. worse deal than bridges in terms of AAV but did get the player option year. maybe bridges calculation came down to just taking the 4 years and hitting FA again w/o playing this season out just to get a player option. in a sense you're trading some security (the extra year on the contract) for a different kind of security (locking in your money early)

wonder if ayton is having feelings about bridges deal getting done first. otoh maybe bridges going a bit under market value will make him feel special that he's gonna get more.

its all about feelings you see

A thing I keep hearing is that teams like to max out their players because it gives them a maximum contract to trade with, and they feel like if they don’t they lose the “max slot.” I don’t fully understand it tbh

yeah doesnt make a ton of sense

Although Doc Rivers tells me the “chemistry” with @BenSimmons25 and his teammates is getting better everyday, I can tell you he did NOT put his hand in the team huddle to end practice and stayed in the back before immediately exiting the court while others stay out shooting pic.twitter.com/i2sBAoEHO2

— Jamie Apody (@JamieApody) October 18, 2021

soudns right jordan. honestly that number for bridges is about right i think. it will be a bargain if he keeps improving but thats not always a given. the ayton deal is much more interesting to me

I think the JJJ deal is where I draw the line. He just hasn’t gotten better over three years. Sure the talent is there. With a guy like Michael Porter (a deal I still have reservations about) you have a clear upswing and he’s not gonna forget how to shoot.

jjj just been injured a ton it seems like. like every time he starts to string some games together something else pops up. but yeah he really hasnt proven much at all

i do think what happened w/ john collins informed the grizz decision here. if you think he's going to give you a healthy season where he plays well then someone will prob give him an offer sheet at or around the collins contract. so i understand why they decided to cut that opportunity off and give him a bit more than they would prob like to based on how he's played so far this year.

personally, i will defend them betting on the role/archetype he fills as a player, which i think is pretty valuable if he can do it well. 3 point shooting big man who isn't a total sieve on defense (tho his defensive numbers aren't great) is a player a lot of teams would like to have. at least it's not like jarrett allen where he's exceeded expectations as a player but you're still giving $125 million to a center who can't really do anything but jump and rebound

i think another way of looking at it is that myles turner's rookie extension was 4/80 and john collins was 5/125. JJJ's is basically dead in the middle of that which feels pretty appropriate to me

ESPN Sources: Suns talks with Deandre Ayton on rookie extension have ended --- without a deal. Ayton expected max contract and owner Robert Sarver hasn’t offered it. More coming on consequences for failing to reach deal with 2018 No. 1 overall pick. NBA Today debut, ESPN2. Now.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 18, 2021

Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has agreed to an additional two-year, $45 million extension – guaranteeing him $89.3 million over the next four years, his agent Austin Brown of CAA Sports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 18, 2021

Because the contract is for a total of four seasons (the current contract and extension), Brogdon is not allowed to be traded this season. https://t.co/8LF6GoFIUP

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 18, 2021

woooowwww @ sarver!

incredible

Ben Simmons practicing in sweatpants with his phone in his pocket. pic.twitter.com/MEdQLxudcK

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 18, 2021

lol even doing some light shooting is annoying as hell with a phone swimming around in your pocket, so i can tell how seriously he is taking this.

excellent footage haha

Atlanta Hawks guard Kevin Huerter has agreed on a four-year, $65 million rookie contract extension, @PrioritySports agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 18, 2021

Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen has agreed on a two-year, $20 million rookie extension, his agent Mitch Nathan of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Allen arrived with the defending champions in a trade this summer. He was the 21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 18, 2021

huerter kinda like jjj for me. needs to show he can stay healthy

sarver really knows how to murder great teams

time for a new thread imo

it's the day

hoops!

huzzah

Ben Simmons doing a great impression of my during a basketball unit in high school phys ed

i'm sure the locker room vibe w Simmons and the rest of the Sixers is breezy and fraternal

so weird that the Simmons and Kyrie situations went completely unresolved, you dont see that a lot in professional sports

have at it 2021-22 NBA "REGULAR" SEASON THREAD