2024 NBA Season

[jakelyson]

The Suns have reportedly matched the Indiana Pacers offer sheet to DeAndre Ayton. That means Ayton is now officially a Phoenix Suns player. I think this is Phoenix going all in on a potential Durant trade. I know they don’t want Ayton in the roster so it seems clear they just put up 9 figures for a trade piece. That gives them more time to figure out a deal. The saga continues…

As I understand it, there is a no trade clause in his contract. They cannot use him now as a potential trade piece. This means that the Durant trade is dead. Correct me if I am wrong.

Trade Restriction: This player cannot be traded until Jan 15, 2023.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/phoenix-suns/deandre-ayton-26967
 

All these trade talks for KD or Mitchell have been crazy. Perhaps it's partly the fault of the Gobert trade to the Wolves that Nets or Jazz won't settle for anything less.

One team made one bad trade deal and they think that it will set precedence. I do not think so. Not all teams are willing to put all their eggs on a single basket.

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[OgNasty]

The Suns have reportedly matched the Indiana Pacers offer sheet to DeAndre Ayton. That means Ayton is now officially a Phoenix Suns player. I think this is Phoenix going all in on a potential Durant trade. I know they don’t want Ayton in the roster so it seems clear they just put up 9 figures for a trade piece. That gives them more time to figure out a deal. The saga continues…

As I understand it, there is a no trade clause in his contract. They cannot use him now as a potential trade piece. This means that the Durant trade is dead. Correct me if I am wrong.

Trade Restriction: This player cannot be traded until Jan 15, 2023.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/phoenix-suns/deandre-ayton-26967
 

That is interesting.  I wonder why they added that in there.  Seems like they shot themselves in the foot a little bit.  January 15th is still early enough to get him traded next season, but it's interesting that he would have to approve any trade for a year.  Basically gives him all the power to decide where he wants to go.  Seems like that should have been the only trade restriction in place so that they could have still used him in a Durant trade.  Very strange to me that they would agree to force Ayton to start next season with the team.  Seems like that isn't what anybody wanted, so I'd love to hear the justification for why it happened that way.

[jossiel]

That's actually the key.

They just need to explore more with their options on what they actually have right now and that's the bench. Also, you're right, it will take time for another chemistry to be built and that could affect early games that they've got.

I'm sure that most teams would like to win their early games and it's no longer just a testing phase as it's always serious for them when it's all about those matches.

I have to agree with you both. Give Westbrook a chance since he already has experience playing with Lebron James and Anthony Davis. In fairness to him, he didn't act as a leader wherever he is playing with LBJ and AD on the floor at the same time unlike on his previous teams. He is just following Lebron as a playmaker and he's just there waiting for the play to design for him. That's a good character of him but it's just that his shooting percentage becomes worst last season.

If the Lakers will get again another Superstar level, prime or post-prime, they have to rebuild again that chemistry over and over again.

Yeah, on the last season, he didn't felt like he should act like some superstars have been doing lately.

It's better for them to try and test the current roster and I guess they've got enough and they can get a ring again with this roster. They're actually strong.

I like seeing a super team but sometimes they blow up and they're like combining just to have a negative result. Still, it works for most teams.

[Captain Corporate]

Durant is still a superstar, anyone who says otherwise would be kidding themselves. Dude may not be great for the past few years since he left Warriors because of some stuff. But at the end of hte day he is still a superstar. This means that if any team wants to trade for him, they need to make it a superstar amount and nothing lower would be accepted. Lakers deal could work for Irving, but if anyone wants to get Durant, they need to offer at least one all-star and then some other stuff, like role players and high valued picks just to get him. Suns could still work, but I doubt they would be willing to give young Booker, for older Durant, that would be weird.

[freedomgo]

So it means that Ayton will stay with Phoenix after-all? Things have been said and done, hopefully they can still patch up things.

However, does it mean though that Ayton could still be used as a trade bait for KD?

So the plot still thickens and everyone is waiting for any news regarding KD's request for a trade to the Suns.

Good for the Suns if they will stay but that means there's no KD in the Suns. There's a rumor that he could play with the Miami Heat, I think that team is a legit championship contender than the Suns due to their great defense.

It is indeed good for the Phoenix Suns because they have managed to match the offer with the Pacers, now Ayton are staying but they could've saved more money if they offer Ayton much earlier but what's done is done and the thing is that they are able to keep Deandre Ayton for that.

There might be a rumor about that but the Heat has nothing to offer to the Nets in exchange for Durant.
Nets Prefer To Keep Kevin Durant Due To Below Expectation Trade Offers

[livingfree]

Not yet settled unless it comes from officially that they won't do the trade anymore. I haven't seen any news yet but most of them are all about its interest for taking KD and also allowing first picks just for him.

This is a big trade that they do ask and if an interested team really wants him, they'll just going to offer something that cannot be declined or hard to decline trade.

In actuality, I really don't like Kevin Durant to be on the Golden State Warriors ever again, but if they are interested in getting Durant then I am happy that they did, but right now the team that really wants him and I had read on the news was the Phoenix Suns, and they will get Either Bojan Bogdanovic or Jordan Clarkson but the Jazz is still not complying to their terms, and they would like to get Deandre Ayton, and Ben Simmons,

Too many news about Ayton.

Well, it's getting exciting and going back to KD. Whether GSW gets him or not, I'm sure that when it's close to the due date or deadline for trades there could be some last minute surprises.

Since it's about trades, I've remembered Carmelo Anthony when he was struggling last season and almost no team would like to take him until the last minute took place.

[mirakal]

New coach, different style, let's see if the Lakers system will be more effective under him. It would be a big accomplishment of the coach if he could make Westbrook better because last season was probably the worst season of Russell Westbrook after winning an MVP award.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html

That is if Westbrook remains with the Lakers. We all know that Lebron is keen to trade away Westbrook. Even if they fail to trade him, do you think Lebron and Westbrook will still have good chemistry after they throw Westbrook under the bus?

Darvin Ham has been vocal that he's been trying to keep Westbrook even if LBJ is trying to pressure the management to have Irving on the Lakers and let Westbrook go, now that's up to the management if they can offer something to the Nets because I bet offering Westbrook wouldn't suffice to get Irving.

Also, Irving's camp has also said that Kyrie Irving is looking to wear the same jersey this coming season even if KD will be traded somewhere.

[dwyane36]

It is indeed good for the Phoenix Suns because they have managed to match the offer with the Pacers, now Ayton are staying but they could've saved more money if they offer Ayton much earlier but what's done is done and the thing is that they are able to keep Deandre Ayton for that.

There might be a rumor about that but the Heat has nothing to offer to the Nets in exchange for Durant.
Nets Prefer To Keep Kevin Durant Due To Below Expectation Trade Offers

On the one hand, it's good that the Suns decided to sign a contract with Ayton. On the other hand, it looks like we won't see Durant in the Suns uniform since the Suns now simply don't have the assets to compete with other teams for a Durant trade. By the way, there have also been rumors that the Knicks, Heat, and Nets want Mitchell. What do you think about that? Is a multilateral deal involving Mitchell and Durant possible?

[stadus]

Let's just give Darvin Ham the benefit of a doubt for now, I know he is somehow inexperienced when it comes to being a head coach but all coaches who became a head coach started the same stage as with Coach Darvin's situation now. The whole management surely thought of this hard and the fact that they picked Darvin as the new head coach really means something.
About Darvin Ham, I heard that he's also keen to keep Westbrook in the roster as he's willing to give Westbrook a 2nd chance to prove his worth and he also said that he could bring something out of Westbrook which Vogel didn't. Anyway, let's see!

Yes, it's not like every coach is a veteran when they came in.
I like his attack, he's already optimistic about what he can do with Westbrook. A new plan from a new head coach and maybe he really have something up in his sleeves.
The difference with Coach Vogel maybe because he was a defensive coach and WB is not. That's a player who is most likely better with Coach Mike D'Antoni who plays small ball speed offense. Run and gun.

Darvin Ham should also learn how to keep LeBron under him because we know that the King can climb up the ladder if he don't like how the coach moves, I knew that Darvin have already some plans to keep LeBron and Westbrook and restore the chemistry that has been missing because of what happened last season.
Vogel made a lot of mistakes throughout the season because he didn't expose the big players too often and only let them play when its needed and often use Westbrook even if he's not producing any good, Darvin may have some say about that but he doesn't have much voice as Vogel has the last decision that time. Now, we will see what Darvin could do.

[OgNasty]

It is indeed good for the Phoenix Suns because they have managed to match the offer with the Pacers, now Ayton are staying but they could've saved more money if they offer Ayton much earlier but what's done is done and the thing is that they are able to keep Deandre Ayton for that.

There might be a rumor about that but the Heat has nothing to offer to the Nets in exchange for Durant.
Nets Prefer To Keep Kevin Durant Due To Below Expectation Trade Offers

On the one hand, it's good that the Suns decided to sign a contract with Ayton. On the other hand, it looks like we won't see Durant in the Suns uniform since the Suns now simply don't have the assets to compete with other teams for a Durant trade. By the way, there have also been rumors that the Knicks, Heat, and Nets want Mitchell. What do you think about that? Is a multilateral deal involving Mitchell and Durant possible?

I don’t think so. I would assume any interest the Nets have in Mitchell would be for a Kyrie trade. I think Durant is going to end up in a Nets uniform to start the year. Kyrie will probably move to Los Angeles and it will be KD and Ben Simmons for a while. Maybe once the season gets going a contender will want to make a move for KD with some big pieces. KD seemed to have his heart set on Phoenix, so who knows what happens now.

[TravelMug]

Durant is still a superstar, anyone who says otherwise would be kidding themselves. Dude may not be great for the past few years since he left Warriors because of some stuff. But at the end of hte day he is still a superstar. This means that if any team wants to trade for him, they need to make it a superstar amount and nothing lower would be accepted. Lakers deal could work for Irving, but if anyone wants to get Durant, they need to offer at least one all-star and then some other stuff, like role players and high valued picks just to get him. Suns could still work, but I doubt they would be willing to give young Booker, for older Durant, that would be weird.

No one is questioning about Durant star power, it has been proven already, but the bitch moved he pulls asking for a trade this early might not sit with some OG players and analyst. And they are roasting him since leaving the Warriors and joining Kyrie with the Nets specially that the Warriors won the NBA trophy last season.

If he wanted to go to the Suns then so be it, let's see how many players the Suns are willing to left go of their cohesive team just to get KD and if the gamble is going to pay off later.

[el kaka22]

Well, Ayton can't be used for Suns and Durant deal, but it doesn't strictly mean it's not going to happen. I mean it's "obviously" not going to happen, but technically speaking it could still happen, how? They could give Saric (needs to be signed) Jae Crowder and bridges, all those three could be traded, along with a bunch of picks of course. That still makes the trade "possible".

But, it would make no sense to give Durant for that trio, why would Nets do that when they are looking for a ton of picks and yet still a good few players in return. I still think Durant is a very hard sell, because you can't get much that equals him, so you are going to get something that is under his value, but at least you should be getting something decent. And teams with decent things to offer are not offering those things.

[OgNasty]

Russell Westbrook just fired his longtime agent who wanted him to stay in LA and finish his contract. This is leading to speculation that Westbrook might be open to a buyout and a new contract, which would obviously mean his agent taking less money. I’m sure Westbrook feels like his situation in LA is toxic and he’s willing to do whatever to get away, including giving up money. I guess him and his agent couldn’t agree on that strategy. His agent released a good statement about it. Worth reading…

[Eternad]

Russell Westbrook just fired his longtime agent who wanted him to stay in LA and finish his contract. This is leading to speculation that Westbrook might be open to a buyout and a new contract, which would obviously mean his agent taking less money. I’m sure Westbrook feels like his situation in LA is toxic and he’s willing to do whatever to get away, including giving up money. I guess him and his agent couldn’t agree on that strategy. His agent released a good statement about it. Worth reading…

Maybe he is the toxic itself that's players and management is outcasting him to the team. He has the best team he ever had on the Okc before but he choose to be with Lebron just to get a ring and result to failure, And no team needed him anymore because there's many young player that has potential which team wants to keep for long term.

It will be hard for him to find a team like Okc which let him do his thing freely because they are getting old and ineffective base on his previous performance on Lakers this season.

[danherbias07]

Russell Westbrook just fired his longtime agent who wanted him to stay in LA and finish his contract. This is leading to speculation that Westbrook might be open to a buyout and a new contract, which would obviously mean his agent taking less money. I’m sure Westbrook feels like his situation in LA is toxic and he’s willing to do whatever to get away, including giving up money. I guess him and his agent couldn’t agree on that strategy. His agent released a good statement about it. Worth reading…

You left us hanging there without a link. 
Anyway, I think this is it.
Lakers' Russell Westbrook splitting with longtime agent Thad Foucher over 'irreconcilable differences'

"My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell's value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered. Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired.

"Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best."

He's a good guy. Sport and cool. He may have made a lot of money as an agent of WB so this is like a farewell thank you letter.
I also agree with what he said, WB should stay with the Lakers. Darvin Ham is trying to pull him so that he won't think about being traded or whatever transaction he is thinking of.
Who knows, maybe Ham's plan might work and they end up being in the Finals again or just even semis will do them good.

[Baofeng]

Russell Westbrook just fired his longtime agent who wanted him to stay in LA and finish his contract. This is leading to speculation that Westbrook might be open to a buyout and a new contract, which would obviously mean his agent taking less money. I’m sure Westbrook feels like his situation in LA is toxic and he’s willing to do whatever to get away, including giving up money. I guess him and his agent couldn’t agree on that strategy. His agent released a good statement about it. Worth reading…

Ouch, anyway, it is what it is, so I guess we can say that we won't see Westbrook in Lakers uniform. Probably the same toxic environment as what Kyrie's situation in the Nets right now.

And even though there is an assurance from their new coach that he will be in the starting lineup, Russ still wanted out of the Lakers. So, is he going to Rich Paul? 

[LogitechMouse]

Also just to add, I saw a post on Facebook regarding a proposed trade between the Pelicans and the Nets.
The Nets asked for Ingram, Nance Jr and multiple first round picks for KD. The Pelicans declined on it. Does this show that KD's value in the market really is that low? Any thoughts.

I do not think that this scenario speaks of Durant's value but rather than the capability of the Pelicans to acquire Durant. Pelican is just a small market team, and we all know that they already signed Zion to a maximum rookie extension. And I do not think that giving up their young assets is a good move for them.

Plus, do you think Durant would want to play in a small market team?

Obviously no and I don't think that their superstars will compliment with each other. Zion, Ingram, McCollum and KD? I don't think that they are fit with each other as well and yes I don't also think that Durant will play in a small market team like New Orleans.

Russell Westbrook just fired his longtime agent who wanted him to stay in LA and finish his contract. This is leading to speculation that Westbrook might be open to a buyout and a new contract, which would obviously mean his agent taking less money. I’m sure Westbrook feels like his situation in LA is toxic and he’s willing to do whatever to get away, including giving up money. I guess him and his agent couldn’t agree on that strategy. His agent released a good statement about it. Worth reading…

It has always been toxic since he went to LA.
I don't know the exact reason why it became toxic, but I think that the Laker fans have huge expectation with the team with the addition of Westbrook, and they felt that the team didn't meet that expectation, and they started to criticize the whole team and that is also the reason why Westbrook is feeling that he is toxic when he went to LA.

Looks like we will see another saga again. We are watching the KD Saga and where he will be landing. At the same time Kyrie is silent but many are still waiting on where he will land as well. Now let's add Westbrook in the list and let's wait where he will be landing. Will Westbrook be traded knowing how much the team will be paying for him this upcoming season, or he will stay with the Lakers.

[Jating]

^^ Really hard to digest what really happen to the Lakers last season and how it become toxic. Although it was really evident that in the beginning, something is not right as even in the pre-season with all eyes on them and high expectations there were already signs that it might not work and that what happen. And then Lebron injured himself and so is AD, Russ games didn't flourish, the supporting cast is not performing as expected etc etc. There is no single point of failure, just a culmination of bad timing and maybe bad decisions.

[Botnake]

^^ Really hard to digest what really happen to the Lakers last season and how it become toxic. Although it was really evident that in the beginning, something is not right as even in the pre-season with all eyes on them and high expectations there were already signs that it might not work and that what happen. And then Lebron injured himself and so is AD, Russ games didn't flourish, the supporting cast is not performing as expected etc etc. There is no single point of failure, just a culmination of bad timing and maybe bad decisions.

They don't have good supporting cast because they traded the ones that were really a big piece of the success of the Lakers. Now, they realize that they don't really need another superstar, in fact, Lebron and AD is enough because both have already won a championship together with the Lakers.

[rhomelmabini]

^^ Really hard to digest what really happen to the Lakers last season and how it become toxic. Although it was really evident that in the beginning, something is not right as even in the pre-season with all eyes on them and high expectations there were already signs that it might not work and that what happen. And then Lebron injured himself and so is AD, Russ games didn't flourish, the supporting cast is not performing as expected etc etc. There is no single point of failure, just a culmination of bad timing and maybe bad decisions.

They don't have good supporting cast because they traded the ones that were really a big piece of the success of the Lakers. Now, they realize that they don't really need another superstar, in fact, Lebron and AD is enough because both have already won a championship together with the Lakers.

They should haven't let go of Rondo and Green with them, these two has good impact not just on the regular and playoffs season but they contribute to championship too, their experience is already there. I don't think they need Russ and Anthony on the first place, that was just a show from LeBron I guess, they don't want that championship last season.

edit: I mean haven't.