2024-2025 NBA Thread

[xskarma]

Welcome everyone to the NBA Thread

Where we discuss the NBA season from the July Moratorium days of Free Agency, all the way to the NBA Finals of this season with all the news and all the games that go on in between.


Thread Rules:

There aren't many specific rules in this thread other than the normal forum rules that apply everywhere. We expect people to follow the spirit of the thread and the forum, mostly by respecting that every one has a favorite team and is entitled to cheer for them. Some banter is fine, insulting and trolling is not.

We also ask to keep the discussion largely centered around the current season and to leave in depth discussions about which team or player from yesteryear was better than which other team/player to threads made to discuss such a topic.



Links to Previous Threads:

2011-2014 NBA thread: Link
2014-2015 NBA thread: Link
2015-2017 NBA thread: Link
2017-2018 NBA thread: Link
2018-2019 NBA thread: Link




Lastly,


We hope everyone that likes basketball will join us as we go on the journey to learn who will eventually follow last year's winners the Milwaukee Bucks as the 2021-2022 NBA Finals winners.

Have at it, ladies and gentlemen!

signed, the mods.

[Pendulous]

That 10-1 odds for Toronto gonna fluctuate hard based on where Kawhi goes. Also doesn't look like Vegas is giving in to the Mike Conley hype.

[eschatological]

Man, my comment about Lebron's acting in Trainwreck being the last comment besides the closing message in the previous thread is........so sweet.

[Blueobelisk]

What's +350 odds?

[Espo]

What's +350 odds?

Bet $100 to get a $350 payout. The equivalent to 7/2 odds, which would make the Warriors the favorite.

I'm not sure these odds are up-to-date. They look mostly on point with what I've seen, except I haven't seen the Warriors favored anywhere really. Most places have them at +750 (15/2) to +1000 (10/1).

[xskarma]

Bet $100 to get a $350 payout. The equivalent to 7/2 odds, which would make the Warriors the favorite.

I'm not sure these odds are up-to-date. They look mostly on point with what I've seen, except I haven't seen the Warriors favored anywhere really. Most places have them at +750 (15/2) to +1000 (10/1).

I might have found odds that were made before it was confirmed that Klay tore his ACL or something. I didn;t actually check the date they were made.

[Crissi]

Luka RoTY, as expected

[Pendulous]

Ruuuuuuudy

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Good night for the Bucks. That is all.

[Blueobelisk]

^ Nah, let's pick up KD and Kawhi and everyone.

[xskarma]

Knicks considering signing Demarcus Cousins to a big one year deal. This is exactly the kind of smart, low risk transaction that the Knicks should be making, could really put them over the top... wait, how many games did they win last year? 17? How the fuck is adding gimpy, bad defender DeMarcus Cousins for 1 year going to help them?

Best case: he sucks bad and destroys the team, they get just as good a draft pick as they would have without him. Collective hatred of Boogie is a bonding experience for the young Knicks that helps propel the team forward in 2020-21 when they've got Barrett, another high lottery pick, and Knox as an unproven talented young core.

/starts humming Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

[xskarma]

Hahaha I know I'm so skeptical of the Knicks. What kills me is that you can see the mistakes coming. I think it's far more likely that this free agency period will kill the Knicks for the next 5 years than it is that they will vault into contention.

The Knicks treat cap space like someone with a peanut allergy going to order dessert, hearing that they're out of chocolate cookies, and saying, "Oh well, I guess I'll just get the peanut ones."

Ok... I will now stop venting until they actually screw up, sorry for hijacking the thread again.

I'd be you if the Patriots and Celtics had terrible front offices, tbh.

This Kemba to the Celtics thing has me all kinds of worried about what kind of contract they;re going to offer him and how much of a burden that contract will be in 2 or 3 years. But, Danny Ainge has proven he usually knows what he's doing, so trying to keep the faith. (I'm not blaming him for the Kyrie situation. That's just Kyrie being Kyrie.

Honestly, if anything, I hope the Knicks at least avoid signing Kyrie, cause that's a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe if Durant comes too it works out, but Kyrie on his own, with a young core that needs to grow. Been there, done that.

[xskarma]

SO. MANY. RUMOURS.

Just like in every other sport the smoke screens and bullshit are at a season high right now. Horford is going to Mystery Team. Horford is going to the Kings. Actually Horford's mystery team is actually the Celtics. No one seems to have any clue what;s going on for real.

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First actual news of the day:

"Breaking: The Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard have agreed to a 4-year, $196 million extension. (first reported by The Athletic, confirmed by ESPN)"

Damian Lillard looking like he'll be a Blazer for life. Signed for the next 6 years now I believe.

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"Once free agency opens at 6 PM ET, Brook Lopez is planning to sign a four-year, $52M deal to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, league sources tell ESPN." - Woj

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BOOM. SEISMIC change in the NBA landscape.

[Blueobelisk]

No. Way.

I honestly don't think he'll be great though...It won't be like Nets would be contenders...and he's not even playing next season, right?

[xskarma]

"Brooklyn is making a clean sweep tonight: Brooklyn will sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, league sources tell ESPN." - Woj

[Blueobelisk]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh I still don't know if I believe in those people.

[xskarma]

No. Way.

I honestly don't think he'll be great though...It won't be like Nets would be contenders...and he's not even playing next season, right?

Are you shitting me? Unless the Lakers sign Kawhi, this puts the Nets right up there with the Lakers for the title next year. And for next year when everyone is healthy and Lebron is another year older? I'd take the Nets to win a title in the next 2 years over any other team in the league. ANY other team.

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"Free agent guard Terry Rozier plans to agree to a three-year, $58M contract with the Charlotte Hornets via sign-and-trade, league sources tell @TheathleticNBA @Stadium." - Shams

The "sign and trade" part here is notable. This means that the 3 team deal that would allow the Celtics to sign Kemba and then re-sign Horford is still alive and well. That would be so cool. I'd love to have Horford back.

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"Source close to Horford says that even after all the Celtics' cap gymnastics, he will not be winding up back in Boston." - Boston Beat writer


RIP hopes and dreams.

Ah well, I hope he ends up somewhere good, and not on a hopeless team like the Kings.

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"Once free agency opens at 6 PM, All-Star Khris Middleton plans to return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a five-year, $178M contract, league sources tell ESPN. The deal is expected to include a player option on final year." - Woj

Bucks keeping the core of Giannis/Middleton/Lopez. Big question is if they will still have the funds and cap space to re-sign Brogdon.

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"Free agent guard JJ Redick has agreed to a two-year, $26.5M deal to join the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources tell ESPN." - Woj

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"Free agent Kemba Walker has agreed to sign a four-year, $141M maximum contract to join the Boston Celtics, Excel Sports agent Jeff Schwartz tells ESPN." - Woj

"Free agent center Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to a three-year, $41M deal with the Sacramento Kings, agents Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier tell" - Shams

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"The Mavericks and Kristaps Porzingis have reached agreement on a new five-year, $158 million contract, league sources say" - Stein

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"Harrison Barnes and the Sacramento Kings have agreed on a four-year, $88 million contract, league sources say" - Stein

"Free agent guard Derrick Rose has agreed to a two-year, $15M deal to join the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell ESPN." - Woj

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"Free agent forward Thaddeus Young has reached an agreement with the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $41 million deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports." - Haynes.

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"Free agent Ricky Rubio has agreed three-year, $51 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell" - Shams

That's a surprise. Word was that the Pacers were all in on him.

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"Indiana's Bojan Bogdanovic has agreed to a four-year, $73M deal with the Utah Jazz, league sources tells EPN." - Woj

Ouch, that's a double whammy for the Pacers.

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OH BUT WAIT. lol

Indiana coming out of this with an even better guard than Rubio.

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"Free agent forward Tobias Harris has agreed to a five-year, $180M contract to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, his agent and father, Torrel Harris of Unique Sports Management, tells ESPN." - Woj

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"Sources: Free agent Mike Scott has agreed to a two-year, $9.8M deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers." - Shams

More Sixers news. Nothing about Jimmy Butler yet though.

[Pendulous]

Any opinions on Bogdanovic? I honestly could not care less that Rubio is gone.

No Favors though, that puts Udoh as the backup center.

[xskarma]

"Free agent Julius Randle has agreed to a three-year, $63M deal with the New York Knicks, CAA agents Aaron Mintz and Steve Heumann tell ESPN." - Woj

Knicks land the big fish in free agency...

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Any opinions on Bogdanovic? I honestly could not care less that Rubio is gone.

No Favors though, that puts Udoh as the backup center.

Bogdanovic was the only reason the Pacers stood even a small chance in their play off games against the Celtics this year. Sharp shooter, pretty good defender. Great second scorer, but not quite good enough to be a no. 1 option. Having him as a 3rd option behind Spiderman and Mike Conley is going to carry Jazz to a good place in the playoffs I bet.

Really like this Jazz team.

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This would be another landscape altering pairing, but in the West.

God I love NBA free agency.

[ProphetFlume]

Bur @ Durant/irving going to the other ny team and kawi to the other la one.