2024 NBA Season

[blockman]

The Chicago Bulls applied to the NBA management for a $10.2 million 'unusable player exemption' due to Lonzo Ball's injury!

I think Lonzo Ball's career is over. Lonzo Ball will most likely never play in the NBA again.

That is so sad I feel bad for the guy he had big potential. Chicago has good team and with him they would be dangerous, let's see what will they bring to replace him.

Dang, what a guy. Poor Lonzo, too many players that have ended careers of great players and are likely to have a long run and good careers. But with such injuries, they're not able to make it.

It must be really devastating for Portland to hear about this from Lillard. His last season performance was also incredible as he had an average of 32 points scored. But all this high effort was for nothing because Portland were still a mess as they couldn't even make it to the playoffs. Lillard still wanted to stay for many years here.

However maybe from now on he wants to go to a team that can be more successful in a season. He deserves to be champion before retirement in my opinion. He is soon becoming 33 years old. I hope he can have a good trade for himself to play bigger.

Just like any good players coming from a franchise that has no caliber getting in the playoffs or even getting a ring. That's when they'll start to think of the achievement that every NBA player want and that's to have a championship and if this is what probably is on the mind of Lillard and taking it seriously then.

[Shinpako09]

Russell Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year contract at $7.8 million with a player option in the second year, down from $47 million last year. It won't be long before he becomes Melo, where no team will be interested in him and he will simply resign. As expected given his dismal performance the previous season, but not at such a rapid pace, making it the largest pay cut in league history, according to Hoopshype.

[püsür]

He has been playing for the team for a while, and yet they haven't accomplished their goal. It's understandable that Lillard would make a decision to join a team that he believes, with his help, has a chance to win the NBA Finals. Just imagine if Lillard had already been on the Heat roster in the last NBA Finals. I'm sure they would have had a big shot at winning.

He surely can not wait another season for the team to progress, but if the Portland Trail Blazers have proven that they have produced a team that can likely go into the play-offs maybe Damian Lillard could get back in the window of open trade, back what like what the Golden State Warriors did to Gary Payton II, but surely that is for Damian Lillard to decide if he still wants to return back to the Portland Trailblazer, and because his value is just huge and not like Gary Payton that doesn't have that much amount,

I don't think he would change his mind if that were to happen. He has already spent over 10 years with the team, and I'm sure that's a significant amount of time to figure out how to win. The issue may lie more with the management rather than the players or coaches, as they have struggled to build a championship team. Therefore, it's understandable for him to move on to the next chapter of his life with another team.

Well, as usual Portland throws the next 1-2 years away and invests in the future. Players like anfernee simons, jerami grant, scoot henderson, shaedon sharpe are taking a kind of path around them with lots of young players and potential picks (their own 2024 and 25 draft picks would also be valuable, considering tanking). I can't blame the Portland management, as much as I and possibly almost all of Portland fans love him, they were not going to get any titles or even possibly any playoff series wins. End of an era but people get old, things change. I saw some news that his trade to Heat is almost done and only where Herro will end up is left to solve for this deal. I can't see the logic behind this now but I feel like both teams will miss the last season, next season will not be too good for them.

[Yogee]

Russell Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year contract at $7.8 million with a player option in the second year, down from $47 million last year. It won't be long before he becomes Melo, where no team will be interested in him and he will simply resign. As expected given his dismal performance the previous season, but not at such a rapid pace, making it the largest pay cut in league history, according to Hoopshype.

He was dismal with the Lakers but his last season performance with the Clippers was really good. He deserves at least twice that amount with what he has contributed to the organization so far. I think he's just happy with the opportunity to play as a regular starter with the Clippers again so he accepted that deal. The contract also doesn't restrict him so it's kinda fair.

[xzone]

The Chicago Bulls applied to the NBA management for a $10.2 million 'unusable player exemption' due to Lonzo Ball's injury!

I think Lonzo Ball's career is over. Lonzo Ball will most likely never play in the NBA again.

It's a very sad situation for Lonzo Ball. Another very talented basketball player seems to be ending his career due to injury. He was actually a very high potential player, but we did not see his great achievements. I know that players whose careers are terminated due to injury can generally continue their careers as coaches in university teams

[wheelz1200]

The Chicago Bulls applied to the NBA management for a $10.2 million 'unusable player exemption' due to Lonzo Ball's injury!

I think Lonzo Ball's career is over. Lonzo Ball will most likely never play in the NBA again.

Honestly we probably ly will see him again.  Kid is still only 25, probably won't play this year but we will see him on the court again.  Problem is with so many knee issues how effective will he be is the question.  With guards requiring an insane amount of lateral agility, knee injuries are typical "productive" career enders.  Might end up like d rose amd ride bench and provide insight to the younger fellas on the team.

Maybe we'll see Lonzo Ball in the NBA again, but I think it's very unlikely.
Because I don't see this self-confidence in this man. I hope he mistakes me and comes back.

Well it would be pretty bad for anyone to go through this and being multiple times on that knee he is probably really frustrated.  But anyone of these guys that makes it to the NBA now adays has a determination unlike normal individuals.  They can literally spend their entire time dedicated to read since that's "their job".  He is young enough to not throw in the towell.

[freedomgo]

Miami would be a great place for Dame, they already have Butler and Adebayo, and a lot of shooters with duncan and herro as well. That means we are going to end up with a squad that will be very good for the current era of basketball. They have one big that is very talented both on defense and on rebounding and could scoop up points inside when needed, that is very good, not star on offense and scoring for sure but at least like get the offensive rebound or something or do pick and roll decently and also most importantly lock inside down on defense.

Dame and Butler could take over depending on which one is hot, and they could always pass it outside to some of the three pointers which would help them on the long run without a doubt, like when defense collapses on the same person all the time, they can pass it out.

Yes, that's what I also think about if ever Dame will land in Miami Heat this summer. Although Robinson and Herro might be traded away to cater Dame but that is still a good package for Miami Heat because finally, Jimmy Butler will have his own duo while Bam Adebayo will have the freedom to lock down any players that could be a threat to their rim without thinking more as he knows now that there is Jimmy and Dame outside the perimeter.

[wheelz1200]

Miami would be a great place for Dame, they already have Butler and Adebayo, and a lot of shooters with duncan and herro as well. That means we are going to end up with a squad that will be very good for the current era of basketball. They have one big that is very talented both on defense and on rebounding and could scoop up points inside when needed, that is very good, not star on offense and scoring for sure but at least like get the offensive rebound or something or do pick and roll decently and also most importantly lock inside down on defense.

Dame and Butler could take over depending on which one is hot, and they could always pass it outside to some of the three pointers which would help them on the long run without a doubt, like when defense collapses on the same person all the time, they can pass it out.

Yes, that's what I also think about if ever Dame will land in Miami Heat this summer. Although Robinson and Herro might be traded away to cater Dame but that is still a good package for Miami Heat because finally, Jimmy Butler will have his own duo while Bam Adebayo will have the freedom to lock down any players that could be a threat to their rim without thinking more as he knows now that there is Jimmy and Dame outside the perimeter.

I just don't see it happening.  If the Heat don't get stripped of all its players for Dame then they will likely be a perennial late round team so their firsts aren't worth as much as a bottom end team, and theor players just don't really ring out as players psortland is looking for.  Maybe I'm wrong but I can see him with the Bucks.  That would be fun to see him and giannis running the floor.

[mirakal]

Also, one more piece of news came out and I thought they are just discussing the matter about the roster.
Damian Lillard requests trade after 11 seasons with Blazers
Damian Lillard is calling his shot. Portland's all-time leading scorer is ready to leave the only team he's ever played for.
https://www.nba.com/news/blazers-damian-lillard-requests-trade

Honestly, I'm not that surprised about his move for requesting a trade because I already gave it a thought beforehand that sooner or later, Damian Lillard will force a trade as Portland cannot just bring some superstar by his side to provide more results for the team.

I mean, I know he could have requested a trade if he wanted to in the past few years but he chose to stay and gave the Portland some chance.

Damian Lillard trade destinations: Star wants Heat, but plenty of other teams have more to offer

Very sad to see Dame Lillard and Portland ending this way. I remember when they were  a contender, really nice team with CJ and him, but always something lack on that team, also they fight against the mighty Golde State. So no luck on the time they play, so good franchisce in the west coast at the same time.

He has been playing for the team for a while, and yet they haven't accomplished their goal. It's understandable that Lillard would make a decision to join a team that he believes, with his help, has a chance to win the NBA Finals. Just imagine if Lillard had already been on the Heat roster in the last NBA Finals. I'm sure they would have had a big shot at winning.

And most probably they will not end the regular season in the 8th seed or just barely passed to play in the Play-in Tournament, and in the finals, I'm sure that they could have brought more results or even made a difference if Dame was already in the roster. But in reality, that was not the case and in the upcoming season, it's not that even clear that Dame will land in Miami as there are lots of teams in the league right now who is very inclined to have him.

[carlisle1]

And most probably they will not end the regular season in the 8th seed or just barely passed to play in the Play-in Tournament, and in the finals, I'm sure that they could have brought more results or even made a difference if Dame was already in the roster. But in reality, that was not the case and in the upcoming season, it's not that even clear that Dame will land in Miami as there are lots of teams in the league right now who is very inclined to have him.

Yeah right. They might not be playing on all those crucial situations if Dame was there to help, but we all know that we really
can't control or predict what might happen if ever he's with the Heat, right?

Now, with that trade request, a lot of things can happen. Just look at the way when Kyrie requests that trade from the Nets
rumors circulate that he might join LeBron but ending up playing with the Mavs.

Looking to see (Dame) achieving his goal, to win a title.

[gagux123]

Right now there is no good news if Lonzo Ball is ready to play for the coming season, I thought that he will be ready on July 01, and will be ready to go back on their practice session,but it is really not looking good for him and the Chicago Bulls, but the Bulls doesn't really want to say goodbye to Ball and they are still sticking to him even with his injuries but the Bulls is requesting the NBA a cut on Ball's salary, I really don't  know if Lonzo Ball will be OK with this or not, but I think they are pretty much serious about this,

Well that's the question!
That's good news, the Bulls do not want to dismiss Lonzo Ball, but this is the consequence he will suffer, with this injury he has become less valuable to the NBA.
Honestly, I hope he recovers, several players had an incredible come back after being injured... Shaun Livingston, PG and Gordon Hayward are some examples.

[Japinat]

And most probably they will not end the regular season in the 8th seed or just barely passed to play in the Play-in Tournament, and in the finals, I'm sure that they could have brought more results or even made a difference if Dame was already in the roster. But in reality, that was not the case and in the upcoming season, it's not that even clear that Dame will land in Miami as there are lots of teams in the league right now who is very inclined to have him.

Yeah right. They might not be playing on all those crucial situations if Dame was there to help, but we all know that we really
can't control or predict what might happen if ever he's with the Heat, right?

Now, with that trade request, a lot of things can happen. Just look at the way when Kyrie requests that trade from the Nets
rumors circulate that he might join LeBron but ending up playing with the Mavs.

Looking to see (Dame) achieving his goal, to win a title.

Being a superstar doesn't mean that you can dictate which team you wanted to land on, unless your name is LeBron James who can somehow make things happen.

But for Dame and Kyrie, both Nets and Portland gave them a big contract because they are really that kind of expensive players because of what skills they possess but in the same way, those teams will make sure that they will get the same worth with what they gave and will not just give them away easily without having any good package in return.

And hence why Kyrie Irving is in Dallas now and why Damian Lillard might not land in the Heat, even if he wishes to go there.

[blockman]

Russell Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year contract at $7.8 million with a player option in the second year, down from $47 million last year. It won't be long before he becomes Melo, where no team will be interested in him and he will simply resign. As expected given his dismal performance the previous season, but not at such a rapid pace, making it the largest pay cut in league history, according to Hoopshype.

I think that he just took it so quickly that the other offers could have been lowball already. This is much better than no offer and we'd seen that with Melo it's like the last minute until a team has given him an offer. It's only gonna be a matter of time before he's going to have the same fate as him but we shall see how the LAC will do this season. They seem to have a good setup of roster and could do good and hopefully he'll also get himself back the way we knew how he was before but yeah, time passes by and that's unlikely.

[YuginKadoya]

I don't think he would change his mind if that were to happen. He has already spent over 10 years with the team, and I'm sure that's a significant amount of time to figure out how to win. The issue may lie more with the management rather than the players or coaches, as they have struggled to build a championship team. Therefore, it's understandable for him to move on to the next chapter of his life with another team.

In reports, there are still 4 teams that are in pursuit of Damian Lillard and these 4 teams are the Clippers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Boston Celtics, and it said in this article that the hot in Pursuit was the Miami Heat, those 4 teams are the additional who wants Lillard in their team, here is the Article but in the recent news the Portland Trailblazer doesn't want to cooperate with the Miami Heat in getting Damian Lillard, in this Article

Russell Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year contract at $7.8 million with a player option in the second year, down from $47 million last year. It won't be long before he becomes Melo, where no team will be interested in him and he will simply resign. As expected given his dismal performance the previous season, but not at such a rapid pace, making it the largest pay cut in league history, according to Hoopshype.

in the last season of the NBA Russell Westbrook have shown greatness once again when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were injured he has shown great skills in the playoffs but to no avail because he is the only one available I think for the next season Russell Westbrook can not push himself like that again it is likely resignation was the only option for him,

Well that's the question!
That's good news, the Bulls do not want to dismiss Lonzo Ball, but this is the consequence he will suffer, with this injury he has become less valuable to the NBA.
Honestly, I hope he recovers, several players had an incredible come back after being injured... Shaun Livingston, PG and Gordon Hayward are some examples.

I also wish that he recovers from that knee injury Lonzo Ball is a great player much great than his brother Lamelo, but if his injury is proven that it is like Kawhi Leonard kind of injury and he doesn't want to play his injuries were all fake then he should not have any given salary anymore and he should be cut down to the NBA because of what he did, you can compare it to Ben Simmons on what he is doing with his team now but I think Lonzo Ball got legit injuries, what I am saying is if proven,

[danherbias07]

Chicago Bulls added another good player that might help them for defensive purposes.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/37954471/sources-torrey-craig-agrees-two-year-deal-bulls
Sources: Torrey Craig agrees to two-year deal with Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have agreed to a two-year deal with a player option with free agent wing Torrey Craig, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski

Craig, 32, was one of the few reliable depth pieces for the Phoenix Suns last season following their blockbuster trade to acquire Kevin Durant at the February deadline. Craig played in 79 games and started 60 of them while averaging 7.4 points and shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range.

I like this guy. Played 79 games last season despite being a 32-year-old veteran. His presence on the defensive end can help out if their opponents' stars are big men like Lebron or Butler.
Mason Plumlee is liked by the Clippers. Cool.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/37954510/mason-plumlee-agrees-1-year-5m-deal-la-clippers
Mason Plumlee agrees to 1-year, $5M deal with LA Clippers

Mason Plumlee has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the LA Clippers, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Plumlee decided to return to Los Angeles despite larger financial offers elsewhere.

Oh, and it's a sacrifice for him. This guy is unselfish enough to accept the minimum offer. I think his goal is to be a champion and that's a good thing.
It looks like the Clippers are getting big names for a cheap price, now all they need is a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to achieve their goal.
Westbrook will also play at his best since this may become the last 2 years of his career which have the best chance to get a ring.
If I am not wrong, that gives more room for the Clippers to get more good role players and create a strong 2nd team just in case Kawhi gets injured again.

[LogitechMouse]

Russell Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year contract at $7.8 million with a player option in the second year, down from $47 million last year. It won't be long before he becomes Melo, where no team will be interested in him and he will simply resign. As expected given his dismal performance the previous season, but not at such a rapid pace, making it the largest pay cut in league history, according to Hoopshype.

I think that he just took it so quickly that the other offers could have been lowball already. This is much better than no offer and we'd seen that with Melo it's like the last minute until a team has given him an offer. It's only gonna be a matter of time before he's going to have the same fate as him but we shall see how the LAC will do this season. They seem to have a good setup of roster and could do good and hopefully he'll also get himself back the way we knew how he was before but yeah, time passes by and that's unlikely.

Just to add, Westbrook now holds the record for the largest pay cut in NBA history.

From $47M last year to now $3.9M per year. Anyway, it seems like the Clippers want him to be back, and with PG and Kawhi injury-prone, they need a player like Russ to carry the team. I still believe that he can still be a great player, and can score at least 20 points anytime if given the opportunity. I just hope that he will improve his shooting, and don't throw bricks out there.

As for no team interested in him, I don't think that Russ, and Melo will have the same faith. Melo don't want to be a bench at that time thus, no team wanted him. Russ on the other hand is willing to be a bench player if that will help the team. Melo is egoistic while Russ doesn't, and can adjust if needed. Let's give Russ this season to improve, and if he improves this season, with him having a Player Option for the next season, teams will surely want him again to play with them.

[wiss19]

Dame wanting Heat is not really a "terrible" idea, the problem is that the assets Heat would have to give up would be hurting them. I am not saying that it would hurt them more than Dame helps, they would overall be a better team if you ask me, but in the end they will still be left with some empty spaces.

Giving away Herro for example is a mistake, not because he is a great player, of course he is not and any Heat fan would know that he is a sinkhole on defense and needs to work on that, and his Offense relies on shooting alone. However, with Dame on the floor, they will need players like him to stretch the floor. All in all, if Dame was a free agent, that would be simple, but right now it looks like it is not going to be easy decision at all.

[avp2306]

Dame wanting Heat is not really a "terrible" idea, the problem is that the assets Heat would have to give up would be hurting them. I am not saying that it would hurt them more than Dame helps, they would overall be a better team if you ask me, but in the end they will still be left with some empty spaces.

Giving away Herro for example is a mistake, not because he is a great player, of course he is not and any Heat fan would know that he is a sinkhole on defense and needs to work on that, and his Offense relies on shooting alone. However, with Dame on the floor, they will need players like him to stretch the floor. All in all, if Dame was a free agent, that would be simple, but right now it looks like it is not going to be easy decision at all.

His addition on heat can really be a big gamble to that team since they need to give up their good piece and might they lose huge contribution on bench so maybe they need to work this out on free agency and get those guys that can potentially help them if they really want to get Lillard into their team. This is really a big decision that they need to take since they already lose Vincent which and now they might lose more.

[MK-74]

According to the latest news I've read, there is only one team that Damian Lillard wants to be traded to now and that is the Miami Heat. (Shams Charania)

If this trade happens, it will be very good for the Miami Heat.
Do you think this trade will happen?

[Hypnosis00]

According to the latest news I've read, there is only one team that Damian Lillard wants to be traded to now and that is the Miami Heat. (Shams Charania)

If this trade happens, it will be very good for the Miami Heat.
Do you think this trade will happen?

I believe the trade is likely to happen since Lillard has expressed his desire to leave the team. It wouldn't make sense for the Blazers to keep him if he wants to go elsewhere. They will likely engage in negotiations to find a trade deal that they consider fair. Currently, there are no other teams rumored to be involved in talks for Lillard, so it seems that he specifically wants to join the Heat. That's what we should believe for now.