2026 NBA Offseason

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I suppose they are taxing the Jazz because going from tanking to non-tanking it’s not as easy as declaring this year as a competitive one.

Many young teams struggle to close games because until then, clutching minutes meant defeat and they got mentally caught on it.

[Shabazz]

I wonder if we would have made the same offer to Utah for Lauri that we made for Bridges if Utah would have pulled the trigger.

Same with Dallas and PJ Washington (without offering the pick). I think they would have.

[TOO]

I wonder if we would have made the same offer to Utah for Lauri that we made for Bridges if Utah would have pulled the trigger.

Same with Dallas and PJ Washington (without offering the pick). I think they would have.

Utah wouldn't touch that unless we offered at least 3 firsts Danny Ainge would bend the Suns over and pee in their butt.

[Shabazz]

I wonder if we would have made the same offer to Utah for Lauri that we made for Bridges if Utah would have pulled the trigger.

Same with Dallas and PJ Washington (without offering the pick). I think they would have.

Utah wouldn't touch that unless we offered at least 3 firsts Danny Ainge would bend the Suns over and pee in their butt.

There was a window there where we could have bought low on Lauri, but it passed.

[SunsRIt]

So you’re saying there’s a chance.

[Ring_Wanted]

I wonder if we would have made the same offer to Utah for Lauri that we made for Bridges if Utah would have pulled the trigger.

Same with Dallas and PJ Washington (without offering the pick). I think they would have.

Don't this that would have even considered by UTA. They made a move to compete by spending A LOT on JJJ, and also it is Ainge so you know you are not getting a guy from him unless he is fleecing you, and that pick alone probably does not cut it. Can totally hear him asking for the pick, Maluach and even more.

DAL for PJ would have been very interesting. PJ is probably a better fit as a 3D role player instead of another playmaker with suspect defense and limited rebounding, and DAL is one of the few teams out there that can benefit from making a move for veteran playable shooting at guard while sending out a PF (actually I consider them not an impossible trading partner for Jalen Green).

[O_Gardino]

Really surprised that he can’t find a home in this league.

He's been an inefficient shooter and hasn't improved his shot creation ability. He's just not great at anything. If you are willing to take a shaky shooter, wouldn't you want a great defender or creator?

[Mori Chu]

Anyone too high? Too low?

Isn't Boston 81% too high? They just traded their 2nd-best player for a washed up bum in Podcast P, and Tatum is coming off an Achilles tear, and the East got stronger. Not saying they'll miss the playoffs for sure, but 81% feels way too high to bet on Tatum and a bunch of end-of-the-bench scrubs.

I think 41% is too low for Charlotte. They got rid of a bunch of problematic bad-character guys and brought in a bunch of shooting. I think they will surprise people.

I would not bet money on the Bulls making the playoffs, but they seem to have gotten a real stud in this year's draft in Caleb Wilson. They could rise up the rankings faster than folks expect.

Warriors at 52%, meh, I would bet the under on this. They are old and busted, keep bleeding talent, and most of their top guys seem injury-prone. I think this could be the year they fall out.

[Split T]

Paul George was pretty good last year. You can’t expect 82 games(or even 60), but he was solid. 81% might be a touch high, but they’ve won regular season games regardless of who plays it seems.

As for Charlotte, I was ready to get on their bandwagon, but I think losing LaMelo actually hurts them. I worry they are putting too much on Kon, who seems to me like he’ll be better as a secondary creator and off ball scorer…but we’ll see. Maybe Coby White keeps shooting 43% or whatever he shot for them.

[pickle]

I find myself agree with you again Split. I think 81% for Boston is not that high. Last year they had a similar ish roster with Brown in place of Tatum and damn near trucked the east. Tatum is a much better all around player than Brown, and honestly I like their supporting cast better than Denver’s, for instance. Pritchard is going to be a regular season star, PG13 is a much better role player than Brown and more potent outside shooter, and they added MitchRob in place of Vucevic. And I love Hugo Gonzalez.

Charlotte doesn’t have a PG so I think they are going to suffer this year. Coby White is also an off guard. They are young and fun but as currently constructed not a well formed roster. If they find the right PG then this team is primed to take a leap not unlike we did with Rubio/Paul in consecutive years, but without a true point guard they are not gonna be super strong is my guess.

Bulls I think are still a year or two away. Wilson is great but they still need to see if Giddey is really a dependable point of attack. Buzelis / Wilson / Claxton is a really nice front line and Powell is an amazing pickup. First time in years they have a lineup that makes sense. But my gut says they are a year away.

[Mori Chu]

Pablo Torre believes he's found yet another crooked sponsorship deal for Kawhi, this time a partnership in the company that makes the Jumbotron lighting for the Clips' arena. This investigation seems bottomless; it really looks like the Clips funneled a gigantic amount of dirty money to Kawhi to get him to sign and play there. I really hope Adam Silver and the league choose to slap a huge penalty on the Clippers for this. This kind of bullshit has no place in the league, and they should send a strong signal to the other teams not to do anything like this ever again.

[Superbone]

Don Nelson, second-winningest coach in NBA history, dies at 86

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/495 ... ry-dies-86

[Mori Chu]

Don Nelson, second-winningest coach in NBA history, dies at 86

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/495 ... ry-dies-86

RIP to Coach Nelson. He was a real character, an excellent coach with his own unique style, and a ton of personality. I can't think of any current coaches like him; he was one of a kind. Frankly I'm amazed he made it to 86 given his drinking and other habits. But I'm glad he lived a long and full life. He seemed to be living it up and having a great time after he retired from coaching; he took root in Hawaii if I remember correctly and was always seen in interviews wearing shades and Hawaiian shirts while sipping on Mai Tais. That's the life.

[The Bobster]

Two teams gave up on Nelson as a player (the Zephyrs and Lakers) before he caught on with the Celtics as a free agent in 1965, going on to be part of 5 championship teams over the next 11 years as a Celtic (his final game was game six of the 1976 Championship Series against the Suns).

After half a year as a Bucks assistant under Larry Costello he took over during the 1976-77 season and coached Milwaukee for 11 years, where he became well known for his unconventional lineups and his fish ties. From there he went to Golden State for 7 years and continues with his small-ball lineups. He was fired in the middle of a crummy season in Golden State but caught on the next year for a short stint with the Knicks. He finished out his coaching career with a successful run in Dallas and a return to Golden State.

Nelson retired as the NBA's all-time winningest coach (since passed by Gregg Popovich) and was named NBA Coach of the Year 3 times (twice with the Bucks, once with the Warriors)

Nelson played college basketball at Iowa and would have played there with Connie Hawkins if Hawkins hadn't been banned by the NCAA. Hawkins was on the Iowa freshman team in 1960-61 while Nelson was on the varsity team as a sophomore.

[O_Gardino]

Nelson also coached Steve Nash in Dallas, and was influential in building Steve up from a reserve to an all-star.

[Mori Chu]

Good obit by Marc Stein, who knew Nelson well:

[O_Gardino]

More offseason bullshit:
NBA 3pt shooting has been pretty stable for 12 years.

We still get a lot of complaints about 3pt shooting, so I took a look at 3pt shooting over the years. Are 3pt attempts still on the rise? Short answer: no. At least, not for winning team. I looked at 3PA in the playoffs of teams that won the championship. I don't care how any 3s the losers shot.

Curry Era: Everyone on the team should shoot 3s if they are open. That includes centers, poor shooters, and stars.
Average here is 33.5

Team	Playoff 3PA
Knicks	33
Thunder	35
Celtics	40
Nuggets	30
Warriors	37
Bucks	35
Lakers	34
Raptors	34
Warriors	31
Warriors	33
Cavs	30
Warriors	30

Lebron Era: 3PA are limited to dedicated snipers. If the star is good, he can shoot them too.

Team	Playoff 3PA
Spurs	21
Heat	20
Heat	20
Mavs	22
Lakers	21
Lakers	18
Celtics	17
Spurs	20
Heat	19
Spurs	18

Horry Era: Most teams had a few dedicated shooters, but it's kind of a big deal if a big man or a star can shoot threes,

Team	Playoff 3PA
Pistons	12
Spurs	15
Lakers	17
Lakers	16
Lakers	15

Good Old Days: Players are encouraged to take one or two dribbles to get into rhythm before shooting. Catch-and-shoot is a truly specialty skill.

Team	Playoff 3PA
Spurs	12
Bulls	13

[pickle]

Think dundon is going to look kindly upon this?

[Mori Chu]

Russell Westbrook remains unsigned by any NBA team and is now reportedly considering signing with an Israeli league team. IMO that's a waste of his talents. I would actually welcome him here; he would be a decent PG option alongside Book and the others. I know he carries his downsides, but I think he's matured as a player and person from the guy I used to strongly dislike. And at a minimum/cheap contract I don't think the downside would be very significant. I know it'll never happen, but I wish we would reach out to him.

[TOO]

Think dundon is going to look kindly upon this?

Money well spent.