Around the League: The Offseason

[Mori Chu]

It seemed like back in the day there was a small group of "super agents" like Falk and a few others. I don't remember their names any more, but it seemed like there wasn't any one agent who monopolized everything. Falk was close, and I agree that it's a good comparison.

You could make a similar argument that Falk was bad for the NBA. By fighting for so many egregious contracts for so many bad/middling NBA players, it may have made several teams worse to have Falk representing so much NBA talent.

I don't mind players negotiating big contracts, and I'm not 100% on the side of the teams/GMs. I just don't like when agents use one player as leverage to get a contract (or bigger contract) for another player that falls outside of the real market value for that player. "If you want (Player A), you better sign my other client, (Player B), to $Xm/year." We saw with Lon Babby how horrible that can be when we signed three of his biggest clients all in one summer in 2010: H**o T******u, J**h C*******s, and Hakim Warrick. UGH.

[The Bobster]

As an owner you just have to be smart enough to realize if there's a conflict of interest when you hire someone for your front office. Hiring former agents (like Sarver did with Babby and the Diamondbacks did with Dave Stewart) can prove disastrous.

You just have to be smarter than that, which Sarver obviously wasn't.

Taking on players because they have the same agent as a player you have or want just reeks of bad decision-making.

[Superbone]

Good sign for us getting Len for the QO:
https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/901492125417709568

[carey]

Good sign for us getting Len for the QO:
https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/901492125417709568

I'm surprised. I'd have snapped up that $17.5M if I had his injury history and limited game.

[Split T]

According to that tweet, he never got that 17m per year offer

[carey]

Huh. So the extension was never offered. Interesting. I wonder what the offer was. They gave up a 1st rounder for the kid so they clearly like him. Now they'll likely lose him after this season.

[Split T]

Huh. So the extension was never offered. Interesting. I wonder what the offer was. They gave up a 1st rounder for the kid so they clearly like him. Now they'll likely lose him after this season.

I've heard it both ways. I saw one tweet that said Dallas offered 4/70, then another that the reported offer never existed. So who knows

[carey]

Also, another mistake by me. I think that "1st rounder" turned into 2 seconds?

[Cap]

Also, another mistake by Carey. I think that "1 post" turned into 2 posts?

Now don't go deleting one and gaslighting me.

[In2ition]

Altman made a good trade and now is trying to milk the Celtics for more with this news. Haha, Koby is the devil.

[Superbone]

Also, another mistake by Carey. I think that "1 post" turned into 2 posts?

Now don't go deleting one and gaslighting me.

What the heck are you talking about?! Never heard of gaslighting except for when lighting a gas lantern.
(BTW, I think you are losing it.)

[Aztec Sunsfan]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2037 ... -jvg-style

Interesting choice by him, putting in the line his name and legacy for a national duty, taking a bunch of castoffs into uncharted territory (for him). Renewed respecfor the guy.

I wonder if we could bring him over to Phoenix if his coaching scratch continues? A year developing that "team" and learning the international game should do wonders for him and maybe he would be willing to take over another bunch of underdogs, instead of a contender, perhaps at least as an assistant coach or a consulting role.

[Cap]

He has been open to an NBA position for a few years, interviewed for jobs, but the proper fit hasn't materialized. In a lot of ways, this is the ideal roster for him: hungry, overlooked and a little desperate.

Sounds like us, no?

[ShelC]

I'd take him in a heartbeat. Read these quotes....no bullsh*t:

"You have to understand that the hard contact, stop, stare at the ref, trot back on defense, well, that's losing. We'll get our asses kicked. These guys on these teams have a passion and intensity that, if you think it's going to be like some regular-season D-League game, they're going to put a fist in your mouth so hard, and so deep, that you're not going to know what hit you."

"Hey, I don't mean to be a p---k, but we're going to be precise"

"I've had to hit rewind more," Van Gundy said. "I could feel things getting past me. It takes a little time to be able to truly see all 10 on the court again. That's why I have always disagreed with this premise: Well, Coach X has been out for a couple of years, and someone asks: 'Did it help you have a different perspective? Are you a better coach?' No."

"Over the last three years, I've thought a lot more about not just coaching, but man, I wish I had Game 7 to do over again against Utah. Gosh, '99, how was Avery [Johnson] open for that corner jumper? I think about Dallas up 2-0 here in Houston. You get reflective of it all, and it's a sign that you miss it."

[Cap]

Would he be interested in an assistant coaching position?

Would Watson be comfortable having an assistant with far more clout than himself? Would he be willing to let VG run the basketball side of things while he mostly focuses on the family side?

[Mori Chu]

I would swap Watson for (either) Van Gundy in a heartbeat. He's been out of coaching for a long time, but I think he still has his fastball.

[Cap]

I wouldn't want Watson to think we're bringing in JVG to replace him, like we did to Hornacek with Watson. That's a recipe for a toxic locker room.

[O_Gardino]

I think JVG would be a great fit with some of our guys. There are a lot of players around the NBA who would get tired of his personality, but I think Booker would love to play for a straight talker like Van Gundy.

[O_Gardino]

I wouldn't want Watson to think we're bringing in JVG to replace him, like we did to Hornacek with Watson. That's a recipe for a toxic locker room.

Might be part of how Hornacek lost the players.

[Cap]

I wouldn't want Watson to think we're bringing in JVG to replace him, like we did to Hornacek with Watson. That's a recipe for a toxic locker room.

Might be part of how Hornacek lost the players.

With #FOE, and an unbalanced roster forcing Dragic into the SF spot, that locker room would have been a challenge for any coach. Horny was in way over his head. I'm glad he landed on his feet.