Curry also has the advantage of having had a father who had a decent NBA career.

If Delonte West can manage to scratch out a decent NBA career on a winning team, I think Stephen Curry will be better than that. I just think he's got the pedigree that makes him the kind of kid that will excel.

He'll probably go too high, but...he's no Adam Morrison.

I still think he'd make a great addition to the Cavs. He'd get a ton of open looks and be able to give Lebron breathers and still leave a scoring option on the floor for the Cavs.

They could then trade Delonte West (who teams have interest in) alongside some expiring deals for some athleticism inside.

The Cavs need to play like this is their last year with Lebron. I think if they had won the title this year, Lebron bolts in 2010. But I think winning the title next year makes it much tougher for him to leave.

I think Curry has the potential to be a good NBA player. Definitely a first rounder. I think the issue I have with him is that he's maybe the 5th best PG in the draft. He's a great pick in the teens, but top 10 is a big stretch considering the talent pool.

The problem is, in this draft, 5th best PG means 8th best player in the draft. :D

Sure. Jrue Holiday probably would have been drafted ahead of Westbrook after his senior year of HS

No question, if he'd come straight out of high school he'd have been selected. But based on what was seen of him at UCLA? It may not have been a system that played to his strengths, but I didn't see any reason to select him so high in a draft with so many talented PGs.

Saw this rumor on ESPN today. Am I the only one who thinks this would make no sense at all? I thought McHale was leaving?

No chance. I would think Phoenix would be the one sending picks.

You're probably right, he's closer to Delonte West than Adam Morrison.

But, knowing what we know about West, do you spend a top 8 pick to get that?

Suns fans would load up the Winnebago and drive Amare to Minnesota to land that deal. Zero chance it happens, I can't see Minnesota even considering it (esp with McHale gone).

Agreed. Unless they cut off Jefferson's leg when doing his ACL surgery and have not told anyone yet, that trade makes no sense at all for Minnesota.

dola:

Though if I were Phoenix, I'd be willing to take .75 on the dollar for Amare right now if I could find a buyer. I just have a feeling that his value will continue to sink. With all due respect to Dennis Green, he's not who we thought he was a couple of seasons ago.

Because he's talented. Ben Howland didn't play him at PG this past year because it wasn't conducive to the team winning as many games as possible. It might be in the same boat as Westbrook in terms of a player not being allowed to do what he can do on the court because of the coach, but not because he just happens to play at UCLA at off-guard. Westbrook has incredible athleticism. Jrue Holiday has "excellent court vision" and "natural feel for the game"

And the last thing a player ever wants to be known as is a "system player"

I agree, but it's simply because of the contract situation. Like with bosh, Amare could very well bolt after the season and unless Phoenix wants to commit a ton of cash to him, it's better to get 70-80 cents on the dollar now instead of losing him in the offseason.

Is Brandon Jennings considered as damaged goods after a not-so-impressive stint in Europe, or is he going to be a pleasant surprise to whoever picks him late in the 1st round?

some talk that BC's own Tyrese Rice has had some stellar workouts and convinced teams that he can run the point okay in the NBA and he may be somewhat of a surprise late first-round pick now.

(or so my brother says - he's on top of this shit...idk where he got the info from)

He's going to go mid first round and an 18 year old American holding his own in Europe is plenty good enough. I'm very unsure as how how his career will turn out, but he is definitely not rated any lower than he was 12 months ago.

He's a sure thing for the lottery.

There have been rumors here in Chicago that the Bulls may trade both their first round picks to move up to the 9-12 range. Seems they are really interested in Gerald Henderson who to me is one of the most underated players in this draft.

In personal offseason news, next year will be the first year that my season tickets will be in the 100 level. Taken about 5 years and a massive recession, but no more nosebleeds for me.

I guess the Spurs really enjoy winning. Nice move IMHO.

Source: Spurs acquire Jefferson for 3 players - ESPN

richard jefferson? does he have anything left?

I'm guessing the Bucks will release Bowen and Oberto - meaning they may end up coming back to the Spurs by midseason. So, the deal will probably end up being the corpse of Kurt Thomas for Richard Jefferson. Fantastic deal for the Spurs and a nice move in terms of value/potential. The top teams in the league (Spurs, Lakers, ...) have certainly learned how to make a mockery of this current NBA trading system. But, Kudos to them for taking advantage of the situation. I would expect more dumps over the next few months as teams deal with the current financial crisis.

Definitely a good move for SA. Bowen and Oberto got limited minutes this season. Thomas was an adequate defender, but for all intents and purposes was the guy who used up fouls. The Spurs needed an upgrade at the 3 and they got it. I don't know if it gets them to the Lakers' level, but they weren't going anywhere with what they had. If the team stays healthy, they've got a better shot today than they did yesterday.

He only just turned 29...

Big pickup for the Spurs - Parker, Manu, RJeff, Gooden and Duncan is a formidable lineup.

I hope the Bucks did this to resign Sessions and/or Charlie V. If they did this as a dump for the 2010 free agents then uh..well I would compare them to Memphis but at least Memphis got Marc Gasol and 2 1st round picks when they gave Pau away to the Lakers.

Also a rumor today that the Celtics offered Ray Ray and Rondo for Rip/Prince/Stuckey. Pistons declined. I've heard a lot recently of the C's looking to trade Rondo, and I'm not 100% sure how to feel about that. I love Rondo, and will follow him wherever, but if the deal makes the C's that much better, then I'm for it. I guess we'll see if there's any fire to go with the smoke.

I heard this rumor as well. As a Pistons fan, I am not sure what to think about this. Until last year, I thought Dumars was doing a helluva job. Then he traded Billups (allegedly to free up cap space). They promptly went into the tank and were not competitive the rest of last season. I like Rip and Tayshaun, jury is still out on Stuckey but he is young. I really like Rondo, but see no need to trade for a guy like Ray Allen at this point in his career or at this point in the Pistons' development. If they were one player away from being a serious contender, I would look at a guy like him (of course without giving up the rest of the team to do it), but Detroit is now in a rebuilding phase, and that trade would not make sense. I am glad they rejected it, but not sure what they will be doing to make this team better going forward.

I'm not sure of the Pistons cap situation without the guys they would have allegedly dealt, but Ray Ray does come off the books after this season.

And you're bringing me along to a game when? :)

While it's a little true that you see some trading mockeries- you have to look at each trade with salary cap room as a "player" in the trade. This isn't just 3 bench players for Jefferson, it's 3 bench players + cap space for Jefferson.

That said, this is going to be a crazy buyer's market. There are going to be at least 20 sellers and only 10 buyers.

SI

I am sure they are freeing up nearly $22m with the departure of AI. That was supposedly one of the reasons they dumped Billups, to get out from under his multi-year contract.

rip/prince/stuckey for ray ray + rondo is questionable.

stuckey is a downgrade over rondo for sure.

ray ray is getting older, but he's still a deadeye outside shooter. rip doesn't have his range or ability to stretch the defense in that sense, and the C's don't have anyone besides House on the bench who can.

Rip is probably his equal from midrange though.

Prince would be a player I'd love, and I think defensively he would add a ton, but idk.

Given Oberto and Bowen will be bought out/cut the moment they arrive, it's one bench player (in his late 30s) and cap space for a 29-year old Jefferson.

This is going to be the most valuable player to 15-20 NBA teams this offseason:

I reckon the Bucks still won't be worth watching next year.

How is Jefferson only 29? Feels like he's been in the league for a long time.

From SI.com


I saw a brief interview with Rubio a little while ago, he looks even younger than he is. I liked watching him in the Olympics but I don't know how good he'll be in the NBA. He doesn't seem to be particularly quick, he's short, and shooting is one of his weaknesses.

I honestly don't see Rubio as anything other than a huge disappointment. He's weaknesses are not good weaknesses to have in the NBA.

given the eye he has on the court and his passing game which seems excellent, and also being only 18 I think he could turn into a solid but not spectacular point.

Woohoo! Foye and Miller are gone!


I feel the same way, hopefully the Wolves are moving up for Thabeet instead of Rubio. They need someone next to Jefferson or Love.

He's also a phenomenal ball handler. Will probably be one of the best, if not the best in a few years. I think the potential upside is that of a little slower version (in his prime) of Jason Kidd.

I dunno if Rubio is as much of a freak as Rondo but he's certainly been good without being a good shot. Then again Rondo didn't go til the early 20s in the draft

Anyone got a cash breakdown on the Wizards trade?

Wow, sounds like a great trade for the Wizards if they're giving up pick #5 for a pair of players someone is saying "Woo! They're gone!"

So, I give up- what's bad about those two?

SI

Thomas? Songaila?

My guess is the Wolves will draft Thabeet and Jordan Hill, and start the first "All Center" team in NBA history.

Gold, Chief :D

Twin Towers? Pshaw. We'll call our lineup Stonehenge!

SI

I'm a biased Villanova fan, but I always thought Foye had really good potential to be a solid off-guard. He has, however, been cursed by injuries thus far in his NBA career.

Im guessing Harden might as well start checking on real estate in Minnesota

Despite the need for a defensive center, if Thabeet doesn't fall to the TWolves, I can see them going all guard, maybe Harden and Tyreke Evans.

Miller was garbage last year and his only real value was his expiring contract, and Foye has been nothing but a disappointment since he was traded for. He's shown he can't be an effective point guard or have a lot of the offense go through him at the two, so he's essentially a 2 guard with a lousy shot who should be nothing more than a bench player. Neither one of those two players had a future with the Timberwolves if they can be built into a decent team.

Remains to be seen if Kahn can have a good first offseason as GM, but unloading these two is a good start, and getting the #5 pick and only taking on 1 slightly bad contract makes it look like a pretty good deal if he can do something with the pick. Will be even better if he can manage to get something for Corey Brewer.

That wouldn't surprise me either, they still don't have anyone who's any good as a starter at a position other than PF.