Around the League: Week 16 (1/30 - 2/5)

[Flagrant Fowl]

I think the Mavs are in the driver seat with Kyrie contract negotiations. They can offer him the most money and of the teams with money this offseason, I’m really not sure if any of them want to fuck with Kyrie with what he’ll be wanting.

Don't underestimate ego. These guys like to pick where they play. Kyrie didn't pick Dallas.

[JeremyG]

It changes how they play against us though. I think defensively they got worse. And Dinwiddie already played like Kyrie against us. What’s their best 5?

Kyrie, Luka, Green, Wood, Powell? Or Bullock?

I think it makes the Mavs a lot scarier.

Dinwiddie played nothing like Kyrie in the playoffs against us, except in Game 7. Kyrie could do it every night. Dinwiddie averaged 11 points in the series and had:
8 points
11 points
4 points
10 points
2 points
15 points
30 points

[Split T]

I’d offer everything for KD too, but that return tells me they are still trying to win. Nets are deep with good players still, but KD gonna need some help. Simmons turning back into Philly Simmons would really help. I’ll wait to see how it goes, but I think KD might be available this summer.

[Wally_West]

I think we'd win the series if we got the right version of Ayton.

Besides, Dinwiddie was one of their best post defenders against him. (That's a joke.)

It changes how they play against us though. I think defensively they got worse. And Dinwiddie already played like Kyrie against us. What’s their best 5?

Kyrie, Luka, Green, Wood, Powell? Or Bullock?

I hope you guys are right but that team still clears us in 5. The mavs are so far in our head and ass, I don’t trust us against them. I hate admitting it and I know logically it doesn’t make sense, but they just have our number. It’s that simple. I hate it.

[Wally_West]

I think the Mavs are in the driver seat with Kyrie contract negotiations. They can offer him the most money and of the teams with money this offseason, I’m really not sure if any of them want to fuck with Kyrie with what he’ll be wanting.

Don't underestimate ego. These guys like to pick where they play. Kyrie didn't pick Dallas.

Oh agree. It would bring me so much joy. I put it at 60/40 he stays in Dallas after this season but I’m hoping for chaos lol

[Split T]

Maybe…let’s hope someone else takes care of them first…I don’t really want to see them in the playoffs either

[Wally_West]

My hope is to try to get Clarkson and Vanderbilt from Utah. I think expiring contracts, a 1st and multiple 2nd round picks get it done.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Kyrie is obviously makes them better and clearly they have confidence in beating the Suns. But I'm not at all going to concede they'd absolutely win a series, especially not in a specific number of games.

The Mavs are certainly in your head, though.

[Wally_West]

[JeremyG]

My hope is to try to get Clarkson and Vanderbilt from Utah. I think expiring contracts, a 1st and multiple 2nd round picks get it done.

Knowing Ainge, it might take two 1sts but I would still do it.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I've never heard of a superior tibiofibular ligament injury. Usually that's a bad sign when it comes to the length of recovery.

[Drewsprocket]

I may be pissed with JJ but I trust his take on whether Kyrie is worth having on your roster. He’s seen his highs and lows first hand in the locker room.

[Mori Chu]

I gotta say, I'm ecstatic with this Kyrie/Mavs news. I didn't want the Suns to get him, and I think the Mavs are a bad fit for him. He wants the ball, but Luka will be hogging it the whole time. I don't think his weird personality clicks with Luka's at all. And while Kyrie is much more talented on paper than the guys Dallas give up, Dinwiddie and DFS were annoying and prone to scoring outbursts and just generally contributed to Dallas's endless supply of wings and guards who could shoot and score on you. Replacing some of that with a combustible Kyrie makes their ceiling higher but also makes them much more chaotic and likely to implode. Also Kyrie doesn't play much defense, so we should have better luck getting to the basket against them now. I still think after this trade Dallas is a second-round out at best.

Plus, now we won't have to hear the media j*** themselves for weeks like they would have done if the Lakers had gotten Kyrie. You know everybody would have picked them to win the title if they'd been the ones who had gotten him.

[Mori Chu]

Oh, I forgot to add: I just don't get what Brooklyn is thinking with this deal. Do they think that those guys plus KD and the rest of their roster equals a contender? Absolutely no way. If you are going to trade Kyrie for inferior talent, just blow it up and get a handful of great picks, like maybe those two Laker 1sts or whatever else was on offer. I'd say KD must be super pissed. Both of the superstars he came to BKN to play with, Kyrie and Harden, are now gone, and in both cases Brooklyn took a clear talent downgrade in the transaction. If I were him I'd be in "fuck this shit" mode and demand to be traded ASAP.

[Drewsprocket]

Anybody got an idea of what teams have competitive packages for KD? Can Toronto offer better?

[Flagrant Fowl]

Oh, I forgot to add: I just don't get what Brooklyn is thinking with this deal. Do they think that those guys plus KD and the rest of their roster equals a contender? Absolutely no way. If you are going to trade Kyrie for inferior talent, just blow it up and get a handful of great picks, like maybe those two Laker 1sts or whatever else was on offer. I'd say KD must be super pissed. Both of the superstars he came to BKN to play with, Kyrie and Harden, are now gone, and in both cases Brooklyn took a clear talent downgrade in the transaction. If I were him I'd be in "fuck this shit" mode and demand to be traded ASAP.

Based on the deal they made, they didn't have many options. I guess they could've taken the James Jones approach and slow play it to death, but I don't really think the offers would've improved and continued to hurt their team chemistry. Addition by subtraction and all that.

[Split T]

If KD is healthy and can take the full superstar load, I think they can do some damage. They are a better version of what Dallas was before. Though without Simmons being good, they end up having too few guys that can make plays with the ball. They’d still make the playoffs, but I think a step below the top 4 of Boston/Philly/Cleveland/Milwaukee. I put them with Miami

[Wally_West]

If KD is healthy and can take the full superstar load, I think they can do some damage. They are a better version of what Dallas was before. Though without Simmons being good, they end up having too few guys that can make plays with the ball. They’d still make the playoffs, but I think a step below the top 4 of Boston/Philly/Cleveland/Milwaukee. I put them with Miami

You’re right, they should trade KD to PHX

[Split T]

Anybody got an idea of what teams have competitive packages for KD? Can Toronto offer better?

I think Toronto is completely out…doesn’t make sense. I can’t imagine anyone being able to make it happen except us..perhaps New Orleans if they want to go all in.

I do wonder if we could involve Toronto to take Ayton and give Brooklyn OG along with other stuff.

[Wally_West]

I would trade CamJ, our expiring bullshit contracts, 4 1st, 3 swaps, all possible 2ds for KD. That’s max amount of picks anyone can trade. Do it Brooklyn. It works in 2k with trade override.