Tuesday was one of those classic NBA offseason days where a deluge of WTF starts early and keeps on churning. The main event ended up being a huge trade between the Lakers and Nets sending D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez and a late-first-round pick.
If Dwight Howard is traded and no one notices, does it make a sound?
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You can tell what people think of both Lopez and Russell by how they frame this deal. It’s a complicated bargain: Lopez is actually good, though he’s only signed for one more year, and the Lakers have little faith in or need for Russell with Lonzo Ball two days away from the squad. Furthermore, the trade cleans up a mess few realized L.A. had on its hands: a lack of 2018 cap space. Since Lopez’s deal is expiring, losing Mozgov’s hefty salary opens up a max salary space for Paul George or another superstar. (Like, uh, LeBron.) Getting another first-round pick — albeit a low one — helps build a trade package for George in the interim.
The Nets, meanwhile, take a chance on a pretty interesting 21-year-old who will get a fresh start in a still-large market. This is exactly the sort of trade the Nets should be making.
Here’s Drew Garrison on Russell’s turbulent Lakers career. Here’s where the Nets stand in the post-Lopez era.
Good trade, y’all!
Oh no! Kawhi Leonard appears to have cut off his braids! This is all Tony Snell’s fault. How dare he have a surprisingly cromulent season in Milwaukee a while after cutting off his braids. Snell broke the Braid Brothers pact, and now we all are left to suffer.
The Lakers are also reportedly working on a Paul George trade right now instead of waiting for 2018 free agency. This is smart! Here are seven potential trade destinations for PG.
Perhaps the real biggest chip to fall on Tuesday: Pau Gasol, against all odds, declined his $16 million option with the Spurs. This puts San Antonio about halfway to the max slot needed to sign Chris Paul outright in free agency. (I did the math last month.) It sounds like the Spurs put Pau on the Richard Jefferson plan: He opted out but will sign a smaller multi-year deal.
Dwyane Wade, however, opted into his $24 million contract. Many Bulls fans want a reboot around younger players. But do you really want this front office doing that?
The Clippers are reportedly exploring the market for DeAndre Jordan. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Doc Rivers calls the Mavericks to see if they are interested!
Tuesday morning was roiled by reports that the Knicks are listening to offers for Kristaps Porzingis, in part because Phil Jackson loves Lauri Markkanen. Unreal. But keep calm: There was some pushback later on — apparently, Jackson values Porzingis high enough that no one is making offers anywhere close to prying him away. But just in case, here are 29 teams that aren’t the Knicks we’d love to see Kristaps play for.
People on the internet questioned Stephen Curry’s excellence. Please, People on the internet: stop doing this.
Awesome Kent Babb profile on Markelle Fultz and his wonderful brain.
The Cavaliers have been working on a multi-team deal to add Jimmy Butler. But apparently Butler isn’t interested in playing with LeBron in Cleveland.
How did the Celtics get so many draft picks? An investigation.
An idea to disrupt the NCAA through an HBCU-only basketball association that pays players.
The debate pitting the prospects of Lonzo and De’Aaron Fox against each other is quite rivet — BAH GOD THAT’S DE’AARON FOX’S DAD’S MUSIC! First of all: Papa Fox’s name is Aaron Fox, which makes it doubly fantastic that he named his son De’Aaron. Second of all, his quote about Lonzo vs. De’Aaron in college is phenomenal. Can we get Mr. Fox some of LaVar Ball’s TV appearances please? Thank you.
And finally: Oh yeah, the Hawks traded Dwight Howard for Marco Belinelli and A Plumlee To Be Named Later. We have reached the “Dwight Howard traded in what you’d think is a salary cap dump based on first glance but actually his team isn’t saving any money and just wants to desperately get away from him no matter what” stage of his career.
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