2025 NBA Season

[livingfree]

So for me, this is what pushes the Warrior to get a big man, to match up against this player specially in West and Dwight might be a perfect fit for the role.

Many agrees about Dwight as a good addition to the Golden State Warriors as their main big man to face other big men like Jokic.

Dwight is a traditional big man.  Trying to cover a center who plays like a point guard is exactly what they don't need.  Jokic is comfortable playing on the outside where Dwight gets lost on defense.  If Dwight signs it's for a role that plays around 10 minutes or so on the court.  It's not going to be the missing piece to beat denver.

Yeah, he may not be perfect for that but there could be some changes for this play if they're up against Denver. But since it's not just that they're going to be focusing with them, I guess that there's a lot of usage that they can do with Dwight.

Anyway, just because him and the Warriors had a meeting, that still doesn't guarantee anything at all. So, while it's not yet finalized then we will just have to let it go and let  Warriors do their thing.

But nice analysis, mate.

[wheelz1200]

Breaking news:

ESPN Sources: The Blazers have ended trade talks on guard Damian Lillard and plan to bring him back to training camp for start of the season. The blazers had periodic offseason conversations with the Heat — Lillard’s desired destination — but no traction on a deal materialized.

https://twitter.com/wojzspen/status/1703084100712566962

So it seems that Lillard has been ask to go back to training camp as there are no deal made by the Portland management to his desired destination of Miami Heat. This could impact his performance though, and if I'm not mistaken, there are also reports that he might sit out the rest of the season? We will see what's going to happen on Lillard's case here at the start of the NBA next month.

I have read some days ago that Lillard even refuses to take part of training camp with the Blazers. That of course also means he doesn't want to start or play the regular season.
In my opinion that's really shameful. These players sign contracts and have to be held accountable for that. You can't just refuse to do your job. Next to not getting paid these players should also get extra fines for contract violations I think, otherwise this will never end.

Not showing up is damage to the team. Not only do they not have their best player and therefor it's impossible to compete but also they will lose jersey sales. Which fan on Portland thinks about buying Lillard's jersey if they have to assume he is leaving anyway -> missed sales for the franchise.

Yeah, it's really hard to see Lillard sitting this season and not playing for the Blazers. And if you look at his contract, it's about $216 million left. So that is a huge money that they are going to pay him if he is not going to play this season.

Looking very ugly right now, not good for Dame and for the Blazers as you have said, they are losing big money every day that Lillard misses and probably the tickets are also going down as fans doesn't want to watch the game live without him in the Blazers uniform.

That's why there's a contract. If Lillard doesn't violate his contract by sitting out the whole season, then he cannot be held liable for any damages. The Blazers should have already anticipated events like this, as similar situations have occurred in other teams in the past. So, if they choose to keep Lillard but he refuses to play, I think the better solution would be to trade him. In the end, it's not personal; it's all about business and should aim to be a win-win situation for both parties. And if there are losses involved in the decision-making process, at least they can work on minimizing them.

I think it will be an obvious violation of his contract if he is healthy but doesn't want to play. If he is not, or have some kind of injuries, so there's no question about it, he can sit.

It could be a violation of a contract, but there are no legal liabilities associated with it. I believe Lillard's camp is not foolish enough to make a decision that would lead to more significant problems in the end. While he may not be paid for the games he played, it's the team that is affected significantly. As mentioned, ticket sales will drop, and the Blazers will have no chance of making it to the playoffs.

So it will be over like Ben Simmons case in Philly, wherein he doesn't want to play anymore and if I'm not mistaken, he losses millions due to that. But in the end, the Sixers can't do anything but to really let Simmons go and move to Brooklyn Nets.

It seems like a similar situation, so why would the Blazers wait so long before trading him if it's going to lead to him just sitting out the whole season?

You can't just decide not to play and still get paid.  Otherwise people can sign these mega deals and just do whatever they want.  If he is healthy and chooses not to play he would get docked his equal pay for the time he doesn't play.  Anything other than that would lead to chaos, owners would never sign up to that.

[OgNasty]

The news being reported today is that the Miami Heat and the Portland Trailblazers have made some progress on their trade talks. I think Damian Lillard’s threats about making drama in training camp were probably enough for Portland to just give in and give him what he wants. Dame shouldn’t have re-signed there if he didn’t want to stay there.

[dwyane36]

So it seems that Lillard has been ask to go back to training camp as there are no deal made by the Portland management to his desired destination of Miami Heat. This could impact his performance though, and if I'm not mistaken, there are also reports that he might sit out the rest of the season? We will see what's going to happen on Lillard's case here at the start of the NBA next month.

This sort of thing has been happening more and more over the past few seasons. It's definitely not normal that some players are abusing their influence. By the way, Silver has once again said that he doesn't like it and wants players to honor the terms of their contracts.
As I see it, the NBA management should increase the fines for such actions by players multiple times because $50-100k fines seem quite insignificant to some players.

[OgNasty]

NBA Central is reporting that the Clippers have ended trade talks with the 76ers for a potential James Harden trade. This isn’t good news for Harden, as he’s now faced with having to sit out the season if a new suitor doesn’t appear to his liking. Pretty similar situation as with Dame, although two completely different situations regarding loyalty at the same time.

[Pamadar]

So for me, this is what pushes the Warrior to get a big man, to match up against this player specially in West and Dwight might be a perfect fit for the role.

Many agrees about Dwight as a good addition to the Golden State Warriors as their main big man to face other big men like Jokic.

Dwight is a traditional big man.  Trying to cover a center who plays like a point guard is exactly what they don't need.  Jokic is comfortable playing on the outside where Dwight gets lost on defense.  If Dwight signs it's for a role that plays around 10 minutes or so on the court.  It's not going to be the missing piece to beat denver.

Yeah, he may not be perfect for that but there could be some changes for this play if they're up against Denver. But since it's not just that they're going to be focusing with them, I guess that there's a lot of usage that they can do with Dwight.

Anyway, just because him and the Warriors had a meeting, that still doesn't guarantee anything at all. So, while it's not yet finalized then we will just have to let it go and let  Warriors do their thing.

But nice analysis, mate.

Still no update regarding to this and if ever they will be going to sign him, they might be planning for something that will work
for both Dwight and the rest of his teammates, that will play with him.

We know by a fact that coaching staff will check and balance the possibility and how they will be able
to maximize the use of each player that they've got.

I personally think that they are seeing something that can be useful. That's why they are giving a
chance we never know till they already sign him and let him play for them.

[Jating]

^^ As far as I know, the workout will be this week, so it might not have started yet as we speak, so obviously, there will be no news for now. As for the James Harden situation, it seems that we have 2 high profile sit down for this season, Harden and Lillard.

So it's going to be interesting what Adam Silver will do with this kind of situation. I think he will have to step up and see what he can do as a commissioner so that this two superstars will play and not just like sit while fans wanting them to see in action.

[yazher]

NBA Central is reporting that the Clippers have ended trade talks with the 76ers for a potential James Harden trade. This isn’t good news for Harden, as he’s now faced with having to sit out the season if a new suitor doesn’t appear to his liking. Pretty similar situation as with Dame, although two completely different situations regarding loyalty at the same time.

I read this earlier today and I think they demanded some big return from the Clippers which ended the trade talks obviously, it wasn't a reasonable trade at all when they wanted more for James Harden. looks like they are handling his attitude for more months after this trade talks ended and they needed to talk with the other teams right now in order to quickly trade him because he is not committed for the team anymore and wanted to get out from the 76ers as soon as possible.

[danherbias07]

^^ As far as I know, the workout will be this week, so it might not have started yet as we speak, so obviously, there will be no news for now. As for the James Harden situation, it seems that we have 2 high profile sit down for this season, Harden and Lillard.

So it's going to be interesting what Adam Silver will do with this kind of situation. I think he will have to step up and see what he can do as a commissioner so that this two superstars will play and not just like sit while fans wanting them to see in action.

He probably cannot do anything about it if no team is really willing to sign them up. All he can do is wait for something to materialize. It will be the agents of both said players who will be working like a horse this next month to land their players something good. Some teams had enough of drama queens while some might still want to risk letting go of their players to sign one of them.
But here's another problem, most teams that didn't end with a playoff spot have a good player in the point guard position in their roster so they won't take the risk.
Hornets has LaMelo Ball.
Wizards have Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole
Magic has Cole Anthony and they are firm about their young roster to create chemistry.
Rockets may not want James Harden back.
Jazz has Clarkson.
Spurs already invested with Tre Jones but there's a chance here for Harden. He with Wemby might be a good pair since we already saw how good of a playmaker Harden could be when paired with big men. i.e. Capela and Embiid.

[Viscore]

NBA Central is reporting that the Clippers have ended trade talks with the 76ers for a potential James Harden trade. This isn’t good news for Harden, as he’s now faced with having to sit out the season if a new suitor doesn’t appear to his liking. Pretty similar situation as with Dame, although two completely different situations regarding loyalty at the same time.

I read this earlier today and I think they demanded some big return from the Clippers which ended the trade talks obviously, it wasn't a reasonable trade at all when they wanted more for James Harden. looks like they are handling his attitude for more months after this trade talks ended and they needed to talk with the other teams right now in order to quickly trade him because he is not committed for the team anymore and wanted to get out from the 76ers as soon as possible.

We will see if both Harden and Lillard sit out next season. If that does happen, I believe the NBA will need to consider making some rule changes. They cannot allow this situation to happen again. What if other superstars follow suit, demanding trades to their desired teams, and if those demands aren't met, they just sit out? I think it's unfair to the organizations that have invested in them. It appears that the players are the ones dictating the terms, and this goes against the traditional business dynamics of the capitalist side.

[LogitechMouse]

NBA Central is reporting that the Clippers have ended trade talks with the 76ers for a potential James Harden trade. This isn’t good news for Harden, as he’s now faced with having to sit out the season if a new suitor doesn’t appear to his liking. Pretty similar situation as with Dame, although two completely different situations regarding loyalty at the same time.

Harden, and Lillard are in the same situation however, their is a bit of a difference between the 2.

For Lillard, many teams are interested in getting him because of how good he is offensively. It's just that, he just want to play with the Heat. Harden on the other hand, has no teams interested on him anymore, or if there is, at least they will not try to get him this season. Teams will prefer waiting for him to be a free agent, then he will be offered with a contract.

Harden's situation is kind of different since no other team wants him currently, he must either play with the Sixers, or his value will decrease, and possible that he will get a lower contract next season. Right now, Lillard is safe, and he has a decision if will play with the Blazers or not. As for Harden, he has no choice but to play with the Sixers because it will affect his value. If he sit's out for the season, for sure he will be paid lower.

No team wants him anymore even though he's the top leading assist last season. I wonder why hmmm. 

[Questat]

No team wants him anymore even though he's the top leading assist last season. I wonder why hmmm. 

I don't believe Harden will lose his value in this situation. Harden is in a similar situation to Ben Simmons, but I consider Harden to be more valuable. Therefore, I think he will eventually be traded, just as Simmons was traded by the 76ers after not playing for a while. They might be delaying it, but eventually, they will find a good trade for Harden. What's certain for now is that Harden won't be playing for the 76ers anymore. As he struggles, the same fate may befall his team, so there's no clear winner in this situation.

[freedomgo]

So it seems that Lillard has been ask to go back to training camp as there are no deal made by the Portland management to his desired destination of Miami Heat. This could impact his performance though, and if I'm not mistaken, there are also reports that he might sit out the rest of the season? We will see what's going to happen on Lillard's case here at the start of the NBA next month.

This sort of thing has been happening more and more over the past few seasons. It's definitely not normal that some players are abusing their influence. By the way, Silver has once again said that he doesn't like it and wants players to honor the terms of their contracts.
As I see it, the NBA management should increase the fines for such actions by players multiple times because $50-100k fines seem quite insignificant to some players.

The NBA is already looking into that matter and if I'm not mistaken, they are going to make another board that will oversee these kind of things as well as giving fines to someone who abuses their status just to force their franchise to have their way just because of the simple fact that they don't see themselves anymore wearing the same jersey.

In line with that statement, James Harden's trade talks are now over and he is now ordered to report in Philly's training camp or they will advice CBA for further punishments. Honestly, I like this better so that these players will learn.

[wheelz1200]

NBA Central is reporting that the Clippers have ended trade talks with the 76ers for a potential James Harden trade. This isn’t good news for Harden, as he’s now faced with having to sit out the season if a new suitor doesn’t appear to his liking. Pretty similar situation as with Dame, although two completely different situations regarding loyalty at the same time.

If Harden sits for an entire year that might end his career effectively.  He might land on another team but it's not going to be to his liking.  What contender is going to sign someone like that up and give him starter minutes.  Owners take note of this kind of stuff.  He might land on the bench of a winner or a starter for a non competitive team.  Both not to his liking.  Players act like they run the league and it will fail without them. 

[tygeade]

He probably cannot do anything about it if no team is really willing to sign them up. All he can do is wait for something to materialize. It will be the agents of both said players who will be working like a horse this next month to land their players something good. Some teams had enough of drama queens while some might still want to risk letting go of their players to sign one of them.
But here's another problem, most teams that didn't end with a playoff spot have a good player in the point guard position in their roster so they won't take the risk.
Hornets has LaMelo Ball.
Wizards have Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole
Magic has Cole Anthony and they are firm about their young roster to create chemistry.
Rockets may not want James Harden back.
Jazz has Clarkson.
Spurs already invested with Tre Jones but there's a chance here for Harden. He with Wemby might be a good pair since we already saw how good of a playmaker Harden could be when paired with big men. i.e. Capela and Embiid.

I still do not understand why Sixers didn't want to trade up Harden. It's obvious that he is not what he used to be, and he could be a lot worse if they keep on their books, and they should try to get something else for him, if it means picks that would be lovely as well. This isn't really a wrong decision neither, it's something that we could see it happening and shouldn't be really a big problem neither, they could make it work.

I believe that we are going to end up with a much better result one way or another. I hope that people could see this change a lot more over time, and Sixers finally trade him up, it should be a lot more important to get good picks, hell trade Embiid if you need to, sure he is the MVP but they are not getting anything, so they can't just try the same thing and expect a different result.

[OgNasty]

This is a crazy image. Not to get all political with inflation, but damn.

[carlisle1]

No team wants him anymore even though he's the top leading assist last season. I wonder why hmmm. 

I don't believe Harden will lose his value in this situation. Harden is in a similar situation to Ben Simmons, but I consider Harden to be more valuable. Therefore, I think he will eventually be traded, just as Simmons was traded by the 76ers after not playing for a while. They might be delaying it, but eventually, they will find a good trade for Harden. What's certain for now is that Harden won't be playing for the 76ers anymore. As he struggles, the same fate may befall his team, so there's no clear winner in this situation.

Yes, just the same drama with Simmons and they will find value asset to trade him, Harden can still provide decent numbers, though no
longer on his prime but still capable of making good plays and as scorer he still has that touch.

Might be some delayed with his transfer but along the way Sixers and other team who wanted to have Harden will negotiate and see the possibility.

Let's wait for any available update if where Harden will be playing after moving away from Sixers.

[LogitechMouse]

No team wants him anymore even though he's the top leading assist last season. I wonder why hmmm. 

I don't believe Harden will lose his value in this situation. Harden is in a similar situation to Ben Simmons, but I consider Harden to be more valuable. Therefore, I think he will eventually be traded, just as Simmons was traded by the 76ers after not playing for a while. They might be delaying it, but eventually, they will find a good trade for Harden. What's certain for now is that Harden won't be playing for the 76ers anymore. As he struggles, the same fate may befall his team, so there's no clear winner in this situation.

When Simmons got traded, Harden is included in the trade package. The trade package that the Clippers can give to the Sixers consists of a bunch of role players, some draft picks, and in the package, it includes Terance Mann. If I remember correctly, he's the reason why the Clippers rejected the trade. They don't want to trade him because his energy inside the court is just high.

Well, it's your opinion, but with that trade package alone, I can see already that his value decreased. Just imagine if you're a Sixer fan, you will be giving an all-star player for a bunch of role players? That alone for me is a sign that his value is decreasing already, and this is probably because of the dramas around him that happened for the past few years. I'm curious on how will Harden be a few weeks at the start of the season. Will he not play for the Sixers like he said? Will he be traded to another team, and if yes, which teams are interested in him.

~
Harden can still provide decent numbers, though no
longer on his prime but still capable of making good plays and as scorer he still has that touch.

He's still a good passer, and he's the top assist leader last season, so yes he can still provide decent numbers.
The only question is which team/s will be trying to get him. I guess teams will just wait for the next season when he's already a free agent, and will try to get him. That would be safer for the team because there might be a chance that they'll trade some good players just to get him, and in the end, he will just go to another team.

[borovichok]

If Harden sits for an entire year that might end his career effectively.  He might land on another team but it's not going to be to his liking.  What contender is going to sign someone like that up and give him starter minutes.  Owners take note of this kind of stuff.  He might land on the bench of a winner or a starter for a non competitive team.  Both not to his liking.  Players act like they run the league and it will fail without them. 

Harden have some couples of years to established himself to be proven a big name in NBA. Its just a matter of time for him to blend well in this league, and probably win titles. He can still developed to his best actions only if he bounced back more effectively in games and trainings, that's the only way to get him back on his feet. James Harden is not in his best form, and he doesn't attract significant bids to his sights. Ofcourse every club would want an incredible player with high ranked abilities on the court, and some random player that are no longer useful to themselves, no even up to the club's standards.

[dwyane36]

When Simmons got traded, Harden is included in the trade package. The trade package that the Clippers can give to the Sixers consists of a bunch of role players, some draft picks, and in the package, it includes Terance Mann. If I remember correctly, he's the reason why the Clippers rejected the trade. They don't want to trade him because his energy inside the court is just high.

Well, it's your opinion, but with that trade package alone, I can see already that his value decreased. Just imagine if you're a Sixer fan, you will be giving an all-star player for a bunch of role players? That alone for me is a sign that his value is decreasing already, and this is probably because of the dramas around him that happened for the past few years. I'm curious on how will Harden be a few weeks at the start of the season. Will he not play for the Sixers like he said? Will he be traded to another team, and if yes, which teams are interested in him.

Mann has good potential, and I think the Clippers will do the right thing if they don't trade him. As for Harden, we'll know his real value next offseason when he becomes a free agent. Personally, I don't think any team with established team chemistry would want to trade valuable role players for a guy who could change his mind at any time or request another trade a season later.