Around the League: July 2014

[Mori Chu]

The thing about Boozer is, he looks good on paper but every Bulls fan I read online HATES him. It sounds like he's a frustrating player to have on your team. Energetic, can still score some, but horrible on D and can't really be played down the stretch in a big game. So he becomes essentially useless. And he's never going to fix any of his flaws; he is what he is.

I'd rather just give the minutes to the Morrii and maybe Warren and Len.

[Superbone]

Ish was better than I thought he'd be. But I won't miss him.

Yeah, but what about Steve Albert's "Ish dish" calls?!

Or his very, very, very infrequent "Ish Swish" calls.

[INFORMER]

https://twitter.com/BobCavsinsider/status/489852073807056896

Stupid.

[sunset rubdown]

https://twitter.com/BobCavsinsider/status/489852073807056896

Stupid.

Seconded.

Wolves would have 3 young studs in Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine. Good for them.

[SDC]

just thought about this: maybe drafting shabazz and zach is minny's way of trying to make Love happy.

[JCSunsfan]

https://twitter.com/BobCavsinsider/status/489852073807056896

Stupid.

Seconded.

Wolves would have 3 young studs in Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine. Good for them.

Good for both teams. Love's game should mesh with LeBron perfectly. He is a great rebounder but stretches the floor on offense allowing LeBron to work. LeBron can defend the best forward on the opposing team.

Kyrie is the weak link of the three.

[In2ition]

I would still like to do a three way trade with Cleveland and MN, where we could get Wiggins in the scenario where we lose Bledsoe, and Cleveland could get Bledsoe to combat the loss of Wiggins and the lack of a good defensive perimeter player when they are getting a bad interior defender in Love. Perhaps something like this:
Phoenix out Bledsoe,Goodwin, & Randolph
Phoenix in Wiggins & Martin
Minnesota out Love, Martin
Minnesota in Irving, Randolph
Cleveland out Wiggins, Irving other trade pieces to even out trade and salaries.
Cleveland in Bledsoe, Love, Goodwin

[TOO]

Lakers to waive Kendall Marshall. Darn.

[TOO]

https://twitter.com/BobCavsinsider/status/489852073807056896

Stupid.

Why is this stupid aside from cost control? Wiggins is hardly a sure thing, while Love is a bonafide all-star. Love is a better fit than Wiggins with LBJ's game, they are also in a position to win now, I dont see the problem. I know youre way into rookies, but this is far from stupid.

[Ring_Wanted]

I don't what I'd do, but you can't just dispatch the idea. It is LeBron James during his prime.

[Xylus]

https://twitter.com/BobCavsinsider/status/489852073807056896

Stupid.

Why is this stupid aside from cost control? Wiggins is hardly a sure thing, while Love is a bonafide all-star. Love is a better fit than Wiggins with LBJ's game, they are also in a position to win now, I dont see the problem. I know youre way into rookies, but this is far from stupid.

Agreed 100%.

Lebron is no spring chicken. The Cavs need to be in win-now mode, and Love gives them the best chance to do that.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I wouldn't jump on it, but you have to take a serious look at it. And once again, as much as you want to take it as a financial move, Lebron on a two years contract with an option after the first, is a very different factor than Lebron on a four year deal, that would allow you a more balanced way to go, instead of unleashing a Win-Now mentality.

"He would never leave them again". If Cleveland goes trough a stretch like Minnesota, part-bad-moves, part-bad-luck, I'm not sure Lebron has the resilience to spent the rest of his prime trapped on the ECF. I'm sure he can spin his way out of Cleveland as he did on Miami, maybe via trade, S&T or Vince Carter style

[Shabazz]

Agreed. It's a tough call. I see it from both sides.

On the other hand, if Wiggins is on the table, Minnesota has to do that deal NOW.

[Ring_Wanted]

...if Wiggins is on the table, Minnesota has to do that deal NOW.

That goes without saying.

However I wouldn't use that as a way to conclude that Cleveland should say no. As long as I am willing to burn to the ground, you can't force me to take crap.

[Superbone]

I don't what I'd do, but you can't just dispatch the idea. It is LeBron James during his prime.

LeBron James gets what LeBron James wants.

[INFORMER]

I know youre way into rookies

This is such a tired take.

[INFORMER]

I keep hearing from the media that you trade Wiggins because you can't afford to wait on him, you can't afford to wait 2-3 years. Well you're not going to have to wait for Wiggins. He can contribute NOW. Of course he's not going to start off dominating, but they don't need him to. At the most, they need him to be the third best player on the team.

You say LeBron is no spring chicken? Even more reason to keep Wiggins. As LeBron ages, his defensive versatility is going to diminish, and Wiggins will cover that. Wiggins will also allow LeBron to rest more, as he has the ability to create for himself.

Love isn't a go-to guy, he can't create for himself, and he doesn't really give you anything defending man to man or in team defense. Don't get me wrong, he's still a great player. But you can find guys to rebound. You can find guys that can stretch the floor. But Andrew Wiggins is a unique and elite talent that rarely comes a team's way. You just don't trade that.

And yes, cost control is a factor, but hardly the most significant one. LeBron should have learned his lesson in Miami. He wants the Cavs to give Irving, Love, and him, $20 mil a season. But what happens when that isn't enough? What happens when they realize they can't stop anyone on defense? What happens when they remember Anderson Varejao can't stay healthy and that they'll need another center? And let's forget, Irving and Love have been prone to miss significant portions of the season too.

I get that it is tantalizing to put a player like Love, who has put up gargantuan numbers, next to LeBron. I get the stretch 4 is now the most prized commodity in the NBA. But doing this deal is short-sighted, superficial, undisciplined and lazy. And yeah, let's LeBron "Shabazz Napier is the best" James play GM. And handing the franchise over to him worked so well the first time.

[AmareIsGod]

Agree with everything you're saying Informer. You don't trade Wiggins for Love. Period.

[Wally_West]

I keep hearing from the media that you trade Wiggins because you can't afford to wait on him, you can't afford to wait 2-3 years. Well you're not going to have to wait for Wiggins. He can contribute NOW. Of course he's not going to start off dominating, but they don't need him to. At the most, they need him to be the third best player on the team.

You say LeBron is no spring chicken? Even more reason to keep Wiggins. As LeBron ages, his defensive versatility is going to diminish, and Wiggins will cover that. Wiggins will also allow LeBron to rest more, as he has the ability to create for himself.

Love isn't a go-to guy, he can't create for himself, and he doesn't really give you anything defending man to man or in team defense. Don't get me wrong, he's still a great player. But you can find guys to rebound. You can find guys that can stretch the floor. But Andrew Wiggins is a unique and elite talent that rarely comes a team's way. You just don't trade that.

And yes, cost control is a factor, but hardly the most significant one. LeBron should have learned his lesson in Miami. He wants the Cavs to give Irving, Love, and him, $20 mil a season. But what happens when that isn't enough? What happens when they realize they can't stop anyone on defense? What happens when they remember Anderson Varejao can't stay healthy and that they'll need another center? And let's forget, Irving and Love have been prone to miss significant portions of the season too.

I get that it is tantalizing to put a player like Love, who has put up gargantuan numbers, next to LeBron. I get the stretch 4 is now the most prized commodity in the NBA. But doing this deal is short-sighted, superficial, undisciplined and lazy. And yeah, let's LeBron "Shabazz Napier is the best" James play GM. And handing the franchise over to him worked so well the first time.

I couldn't agree more, it would really dumb to trade Wiggins. I mean Wiggins is 19 freaking years old! Lebron in 29 already, in 7 or 8 years, Lebron main man status will be no more while Wiggins would be just entering prime.

[Charlie Smithy!]

I just got informed, And I like it.