2025 NBA Season

[LogitechMouse]

Dame’s path to Miami is starting to look a little cloudy. The Portland Trailblazers have come out now and said that they’re open to hearing from any team in the league about trading Damian Lillard. They initially seemed to be willing to do whatever it took to get Dame where he wanted to go, but when it came time to sign the dotted line their tune started to change.

It's all a pony show.  They need to say that so that if Miami really wants Dame they want to ring up the price for him.  If they just come out and say we are dealing him to Miami they lose any leverage.  Whether or not he lands there is still up for debate based on the package they get back.  Portland isn't just gonna give him away for anything.

Dame wants to be in Miami, but the question is what who will be included in the trade package. The worst thing is that, the Portland front office demand either Bam, or Butler to be included in the trade. For sure the Heat fans won't like it, but on the other hand the Blazers want something that they will have huge benefits from it. Obviously they want to win on this trade. I just hope that this trade will push through with Bam, and Butler not getting involved, or we might see Dame either going to another team (like Sixers, or Clippers etc.), or he might stay with the Blazers, but aren't playing at all which hurts his career.

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.

Lonzo Ball's career is like Brandon Roy when he is still playing.
Roy retired early because of a season-ending injury that he got when he's still playing. Ball's injury TBH is one of the worst injuries a player can ever get. Like you said, it seems like Ball's injury will ruin his whole NBA career, and might not play anymore because of that.

How about Desmond Bane getting over 200 million dollars out of the Grizzlies? Gotta be the worst signing so far.

5-year max. $200m. $40M per year. That's a lot of money. I know he did carry the Grizzlies while Ja Morant was not playing because of his gun stint but this is going to tighten up their salary cap. They will have players that will look for a better salary and they cannot even offer a good one anymore.

Morant must've been the first Grizzlies player to have a $200M contract, but he got 2 issues that caused him $40M because he didn't enter the All-NBA team.

Bane getting $200M? Worst signing? I don't think so IMO. Bane averaged closed to 22 PPG last season, and he's also shooting 41% from three-point area. In a league where three-point shooting is the key, the Grizzlies really wanted to secure Bane's career with them. He deserves that contract, but I just hope that he will not end up the same with Jordan Poole where they played like an all-star in a season, got a huge contract, and became a bust the next season.

Their ex-teammate Dillon Brooks is getting a 4-year contract for $80m only at Houston Rockets. I bet that hurt his feelings when he heard how much they gave Desmond Bane after not resigning him.   The

This is for me the worst signing. Well, he got a good agent in Rich Paul so... yeah
Him being paid an average of $20M per year after how he played last season. Maybe his defense is the reason why he got such a high contract despite of his issues last season. I just hope that he will change something especially on his attitude.

Lonnie Walker signed with the Brooklyn Nets for a 1-year deal. I thought the Lakers are amazed at what he did during the West SemiFinals but they didn't resign him. Well, that's NBA for us.

I saw an article days before the free agency that the Lakers are eyeing Lonnie Walker IV to be re-signed with them, but it seems like it didn't push through because he went with the Nets. Well if he will get more time there then it's good for him, and his career.

[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.

[danherbias07]

Lonnie Walker signed with the Brooklyn Nets for a 1-year deal. I thought the Lakers are amazed at what he did during the West SemiFinals but they didn't resign him. Well, that's NBA for us.

I saw an article days before the free agency that the Lakers are eyeing Lonnie Walker IV to be re-signed with them, but it seems like it didn't push through because he went with the Nets. Well if he will get more time there then it's good for him, and his career.

I doubt that. This Brooklyn Nets team is filled with roleplayers. He may get some minutes but I don't think it will be enough to be able to showcase his skills. Plus, his position is the same as most of the roster on that team.
Small Forwards and Power Forwards, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Royce, Cam Thomas, and more. This team is actually not a good spot to shine more as those players are known on their respective teams before being traded to the Nets.

Their ex-teammate Dillon Brooks is getting a 4-year contract for $80m only at Houston Rockets. I bet that hurt his feelings when he heard how much they gave Desmond Bane after not resigning him.   The

This is for me the worst signing. Well, he got a good agent in Rich Paul so... yeah
Him being paid an average of $20M per year after how he played last season. Maybe his defense is the reason why he got such a high contract despite of his issues last season. I just hope that he will change something especially on his attitude.

Yeah, that may all be the reason why they signed him. More on the defensive end because the Rockets have their offensive players already signed up. And Dillon Brooks might bring some energy to that team to play on a higher level because of his competitiveness. Ja Morant said before, some people don't understand him because of his highly competitive attitude. Although I think there are times he is crossing the line.
Well, we will see if the Rockets did a mistake or it could really boost their young core.

[Botnake]

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.

I hope he doesn't get frustrated with the current situation in his career. Right now, it's not only a physical challenge but also a mental one, as he needs to find a way to overcome these trials. In fact, if Paul George was able to come back from a serious injury, I believe anyone can make a comeback with dedication and hard work.

[JooBra]

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.

[Ziskinberg]

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.

[gagux123]

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.

I confess that I was also saddened with this event!
Lonzo Ball is a good player and had potential for growth in his future... let's see if he recovers from injuries or retires

[MK-74]

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.

[YuginKadoya]

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.

I was really sad that he is still recovering for me Lonzo Ball has huge potential in the NBA, while his brother is failing in it well that half $10.2 Million is a huge amount and that could be for Lonzo Ball's recovery but it is on the Chicago Bulls decision if they will do this, but they are surely requesting now,

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 confess that I was also saddened with this event!
Lonzo Ball is a good player and had potential for growth in his future... let's see if he recovers from injuries or retires

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,

[Velvet78]

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.

[Ziskinberg]

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.

[Oasisman]

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.

Well, that's what they get for not providing enough help for Lillard to at least experience to be in the NBA finals. They were too comfortable with Lillard being fine with them just because he said he'd love to stay in Portland at one time. But, not every player would stick around knowing that it becomes more and more hopeless for him every year to win a chip.
So, I guess pulling up a LeBron-like decision would be what Lillard are most likely going to do.
He can go to Miami and win ring and then come back to Portland and win another ring there lol. This was tweeted actually and he likes it.

[fuguebtc]

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.

Well, that's what they get for not providing enough help for Lillard to at least experience to be in the NBA finals. They were too comfortable with Lillard being fine with them just because he said he'd love to stay in Portland at one time. But, not every player would stick around knowing that it becomes more and more hopeless for him every year to win a chip.
So, I guess pulling up a LeBron-like decision would be what Lillard are most likely going to do.
He can go to Miami and win ring and then come back to Portland and win another ring there lol. This was tweeted actually and he likes it.

This is a prime example of. If you have a good player on the team, you should actually try to keep him happy end. Keep him in the team at all costs. Because at the moment he is even a little unhappy, he is in to have a lot of options. And I think we can agree that a player is most likely going to exercise his options. And I do not think anyone can actually playing the player for doing so. If a player is not finding success in this current team, he is going to try to find it somewhere else.

[tusandii]

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.

Actually Lonzo Ball is a very qualified player and became one of the best players for the Chicago Bulls but due to a serious knee injury he had some time ago had to make him unable to appear in the NBA anymore.
If only it was still possible he could return to playing but it all depends on the injury he has experienced whether later when he recovers he can really play again because some cases of knee injuries take a very long time for the perfect recovery period so that he doesn't get injured again.

Too bad the Chicago Bulls had to lose Lonzo Ball until an undetermined time.

[Yaunfitda]

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.

Of course, he is the face of Portland for more than 10 years. He was already in Portland before the Warriors established themselves as a dynasty. So this might be in Dame's mind to see his contemporaries win multiple championships while he did have his best seasons and his prime years with Portland and yet they can't even get to the finals.

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.

His request is very clear, he wanted to be in Miami. But not sure how Miami can deal with it, or who are they going to trade just to get Lillard with them. Perhaps Kyle Lowry, Hero or Robinson might the players that might likely be in the block.

[LGD2Business]

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.

Lillard had become a Portland legend, sad to leave the team. But such things do happen. What legends have we seen, changing teams to get a ring in their last season. Lillard isn't one of them, circumstances demanded it, and he's leaving. The Miami Heat is the team he wants to go to, but there are rumors that there are other multi-trade options as well. He still has a 4 year contract worth $203 million. Not every team has that much room in their salary cap.

By the way, the summer league games start today, but we will not be able to see the main players. It will be a good opportunity to watch those who want to show themselves though.

[ultrloa]

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.

Lillard had become a Portland legend, sad to leave the team. But such things do happen. What legends have we seen, changing teams to get a ring in their last season. Lillard isn't one of them, circumstances demanded it, and he's leaving. The Miami Heat is the team he wants to go to, but there are rumors that there are other multi-trade options as well. He still has a 4 year contract worth $203 million. Not every team has that much room in their salary cap.

By the way, the summer league games start today, but we will not be able to see the main players. It will be a good opportunity to watch those who want to show themselves though.

He's not satisfied on what their management want that's why he decide to ask for a trade for betterment of his career. We can't blame them to act like that since the same with other player maybe he want to create his own legacy and maybe he see that it will not happen if he stays in Portland. Let see how this scenario came up since maybe Portland will not let Lillard likes to happen since they want to keep this guy and continue to play on their organization.

[yazher]

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.

The Chicago Bulls wanted the best for their team and I think they have plan to slowly rebuild their team like the Derrick Rose era or even better than that. Their players hasn't even close to get to the NBA championships for the last seasons. It seems like their current plan not working anymore and to rebuild the team is the only choice.

[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.