Around the League Week 8 (12/6 - 12/12)

[Mori Chu]

He got a 2-year suspension for drug use I believe. I remember I was pretty interested in going after him in free agency one year. It was unfortunate for him as he had turned around his career. His biggest weakness was always that he couldn’t shoot, but he turned that around in Memphis. I wonder what he’s got left.

Yea I remembered you being high on him

I see what you did there

[Split T]

[bajanguy008]

Well played "Mori"

[bajanguy008]

Bulls also easily handled the Nuggets without DeRozan

[Split T]

Nuggets are in trouble. They’re a play-in team without Murray and MPJ. Jokic is awesome, but he can’t do it by himself

[Split T]

Pacers blowing it up…anyone we’d be interested in? Justin Holiday? Bring Torrey Craig back? TJ? McConnell or Warren.

[JeremyG]

Could Sabonis be the PF we've needed?

[SunsRIt]

Could Sabonis be the PF we've needed?

Whose minutes does he take? Crowder? Johnson? McGee? I’m not opposed to getting him, but at what cost?

[Split T]

Sabonis can’t play with Ayton. He’s also very good and would require serious assets that we wouldn’t be willing to trade. Honestly the only way we’d get Sabonis and be able to play him is to trade Ayton for him.

[Shabazz]

This is where the Warriors worry me. They can pretty easily build a compelling package for Turner and he'd be such a great fit for them.

[Split T]

Yep, I’m fully expecting Turner on the Warriors

[Mori Chu]

I wish we had drafted Sabonis rather than stupid Marquese Chriss. Think how much better we would have been for years now. I'd love to have a guy like him on this team, but it doesn't really work salary/contract/asset wise.

I really whiffed on the Pacers. I like Carlisle and I thought they had a lot of talent up and down the roster. I predicted they'd be a strong team this season. I haven't watched them much so I don't really get what has gone wrong. I know they have had some injuries, but there must be more to it than that. I assume that part of it is that their players just don't really fit together or make each other better.

[bajanguy008]

Well

[Split T]

This feels like it could be, I’ll stay and be a good teammate if you agree to pay me a ridiculous amount of money into my late 30’s. In other words, trade me so you don’t have to be stuck paying 55 million to a washed up pg.

[Shabazz]

For the record, I think it would be dumb for the Pacers to trade Sabonis unless they get a no-brainer haul. He’s not a perfect player, but he’s 25 and not even in his prime yet. He should be part of the rebuild.

[Split T]

Ya I think the report specified Turner or Sabonis. I don’t think they want to move both. I'd keep Sabonis

[Mori Chu]

I don't envy the Blazers. Dame is a real superstar, but he can't carry you to a title all by himself. The Blazers are mired in low-playoff-seed mediocrity where they can't get enough better each year to make progress. And Dame isn't a great defender, and given his salary cap hit it's hard for the Blazers to sign more guys to put a winning team around him. They end up making these lateral trades for so-so guys like Covington or Nance or Melo, guys who are useful but won't really lift you up to contending status.

I think the main problem they have is that they depend on too many guys who are bad defenders. I would trade either Lillard or McCollum for a guard/swing who defends better. That plus Nurkic and Nance and others would be the foundation of a much better defense, and then they might get somewhere.

I know it's sacrilege to say, but personally I think it would be fine for them to trade Dame. Lillard probably doesn't have too many more elite years left, his salary is sky-high, his value is still really high around the league; you could get a great haul for him. And in a few years that all may be less true. He's also one leg injury away from being a John Wall-esque albatross who you're stuck with at $50m for four more years. Sell high and get some great young players and picks for him, IMO.

[JeremyG]

Could Sabonis be the PF we've needed?

Whose minutes does he take? Crowder? Johnson? McGee? I’m not opposed to getting him, but at what cost?

Sabonis for Crowder, Johnson, and Hutchison plus draft picks works. Perhaps we could involve a third team if they want more. And his contract is great for his production--he only makes $19M/year. And he definitely takes care of our rebounding/size issues.

[Split T]

Could Sabonis be the PF we've needed?

Whose minutes does he take? Crowder? Johnson? McGee? I’m not opposed to getting him, but at what cost?

Sabonis for Crowder, Johnson, and Hutchison plus draft picks works. Perhaps we could involve a third team if they want more. And his contract is great for his production--he only makes $19M/year. And he definitely takes care of our rebounding/size issues.

That’s not enough. Sabonis is a 25 year old all star on a great deal. We’re talking Bridges/filler and picks at a minimum.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Sabonis isn't going to happen and it really shouldn't. This team just went to the Finals and is 20-4. They won't risk disrupting team chemistry and fit for someone like Sabonis. As good as he is, the return on investment would be too low for this team.