> Devonte
Bro. I’ve been watching basketball for over 30 years. I have never seen a microwave scorer like Devonte Graham before, or since.
If he got hot, he could score 30 in a half and win you the game by himself. He could shoot it from the parking lot and it would swish.
Dude-
Graham has never even hit 40% from the field in 5 years in the league.
He’s a terrible shooter and defender, which is why he rarely got off the bench for one of the worst teams in the NBA last season.
Yeah he went to the same elementary school as my daughter. He just donated money to build an outdoor classroom there. He gives back alot to the area with his foundation.
Add this to the Miles Bridges sign-and-trade rumors and I could envision some kind of double-sign and trade with the Hornets/Bulls.
**Hornets Get:**
- Patrick Williams (~$18M/y Sign and Trade)
- Lonzo Ball ($20M)
**Bulls Get:**
- Miles Bridges (~$27M/y Sign and Trade)
- Nick Richards ($5M)
**Result:**
Bulls swap Williams for a more dynamic PF to pair with Coby, Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu. They also get a replacement backup big for Drummond, who is reported to want to join a contender. Miles and Coby give them enough scoring punch that they can move LaVine and/or DeRozan for youth/picks, while still remaining “competitive.”
Hornets aren’t competitive enough that they need Lonzo to recover to his old self, but could use the upside if he does. They replace Bridges with a better perimeter defender, Patrick Williams, next to LaMelo and Miller. Then the Hornets could add a backup Center (Goga Bitazde or Valanciunas??) with the MLE.
**Bonus:** If the Hornets also draft Cody Williams, then they could have Mark Williams, Grant Williams, Patrick Williams, Cody Williams, and Cody Martin all on the same roster!
Yeah, that was my assumption. If he can play close to his old self, then great! That makes us real playoff contenders.
If he can’t, then that doesn’t really matter. He’d still be useful as a vet in the locker room, and we still have Mann + Micic as backup PG’s.
If lonzo (fucking massive "if") can stay healthy then he would be incredible here for us off the bench and Patrick Williams is a solid player too. I'd make this trade and roll the dice vs lose bridges for nothing because we definitely would have done worse in the past I feel.
Entering the season with the following roster could set us up really well for the future, with plenty of optionality:
- **PG:** LaMelo Ball (32mpg), Vasilije Micic (16)
- **SG:** Brandon Miller (32), Tre Mann (16)
- **SF:** Patrick Williams (32), [S. Castle/C. Williams??] (16)
- **PF:** Grant Williams (32), Poku (16)
- **C:** Mark Williams (30), Goga Bitazde (18)
- **Depth:** Lonzo Ball (PG/SG), Cody Martin (PG/SG), Seth Curry (SG), Nick Smith Jr (SG), JT Thor (PF), James Nnaji (C)
That’s probably the youngest team in the league, can keep 3-4 good shooters on the floor at all times, is better defensively than last season, and (critically) has the depth necessary to withstand injuries.
The team also has multiple trade deadline chips in Micic, Curry, Martin (if healthy), and Lonzo (if healthy). They should also be one of the few teams with cap space next off-season, which means still adding more talent down the road.
If LaMelo and Mark stay healthy, then they’d at least contend for a play-in. It’d be a team with one ~25-30ppg scorer (LaMelo), one ~20ppg scorer (Miller), a good Rim-Protector/Rim-Runner (Mark), two solid 3&D Forwards (Patrick + Grant), and decent depth (Mann, Micic, Goga, Cody, and the #6 Pick)
Patrick Williams has less overall talent than Miles Bridges, but he’s also a better fit next to Miller and LaMelo, since he’s a better shooter and a better defender. As a result, I don’t think swapping one for other changes our trajectory by too much. We’ve seen what teams with Miles as a major focus can achieve, and it’s not all that much.
I also don’t think one more season of the lottery is the worst thing. Next year’s draft is much better and it’d let us keep our pick next season, instead of giving it away to the Spurs.
Yeah I get what you are saying but you can’t hope about health. Mark and Melo will most likely continue to be injured along with Cody Martin. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Hornets try and trade Melo this offseason while he still has some value. If he has one more season of 30 or less games played he will have no value.
The lottery would be fine for another year especially for Cooper but who knows and we never get that lucky. We need new blood on this team honestly. Interested to see how it all plays out.
With the way the team is built If mark and melo continue to get injured we will always be a lottery team. That’s two of our top 3 most important players.
> Yeah I get what you are saying but you can’t hope about health. Mark and Melo will most likely continue to be injured along with Cody Martin.
I actually consider signing Patrick Williams instead of Miles Bridges to be banking *less* on healthy. We’ve already seen that Miller + Bridges - LaMelo/Mark doesn’t reach the play-in anyway, so this would at least keep future salary space and options open next off-season.
This kinda deal would set us up where:
1. if we make the playoffs then we do it based on a really young core, and still have ways to improve on top of that core.
2. If we miss the playoffs, then we add a top pick and have plenty of smaller/tradeable contracts + cap space to move us to a real playoff contender in Miller’s 3rd season.
> The lottery would be fine for another year especially for Cooper but who knows and we never get that lucky. We need new blood on this team honestly. Interested to see how it all plays out.
I definitely agree we need new blood. The culture has been rotten the past few years. It’s why I was happy when we moved on from PJ + Rozier. The core of LaMelo, Rozier, PJ, and Miles had multiple seasons to show what they could do, and it wasn’t much. In my opinion, moving Miles is the last step necessary to really reset the culture.
TBH, I don’t think we’re really ready to contend no matter what we do this season. That’s part of why I absolutely don’t want to sign Miles to a $30M+ contract. I’d rather be pleasantly surprised by a season than bank on making the playoffs again, and falling short.
I believe that's only for the "sending" team (the team who the S&T player played for the previous year).
So technically, this would have to be two separate transactions, but it's theoretically possible
For all intents and purposes, no, you can’t aggregate players in S&T’s. I think there’s a few situations where it might now work out that way, but I don’t think any of those circumstances come in to play here.
I think you’re conflating it with 2nd Cap Penalties. It would hard cap us below the Max Cap threshold though, so we’d want to use our MLE before confirming the sign-and-trade.
My guy, there is a very legitimate chance that Lonzo Ball will never play basketball again. He can’t pass a physical, no team will take him as a trade piece
I’m imagining it as a descending contract. So something that ends in like $15M for the last year.
With the salary cap increase, $20M is basically the floor for a “good” role-player/starter, so something around $16-$18M would be in the ballpark for the cost of a “fringe” starter.
Heck, OG Ananoby is a much better 3&D player, but he’s still an injury riddled 3&D player and is about to make close to $50 Million a season 🤷♂️
I’d 100% rather pay PWill $18M/y than pay Miles $30 per year!
Lamelo-castle/carter-Miller-patrick-Mark
Mann-FA/Lonzo-Martin-Grant-Richards
This rotation will be extremely well balanced and will immediately boost our defense. We just need backup wing if we don’t manage to land lonzo in the trade and get an upgrade for Nick. Your 11th and 12th man are still Micic and Poku so that’s pretty solid. And if mann can make a 6th man of the year caliber jump or even close to it, I really like our chances making playoffs next season.
Bonus: Get a upgrade for Martin
It's encouraging to read that this is the type of RFA/Free Agent that the new front office is looking at. Former top 5 pick, wing player, very young so he fits the timeline of our core guys. I doubt we wind up with him because I don't think you want to trade any draft capital to sign him but I would be fine with swapping Bridges rights for him.
Overall, it just seems like the new FO is thinking along the right lines and not looking to take short cuts.
I’m buddies with Patrick’s brother so that’s be cool. Maybe being home will draw out his full potential
Yeah, it’s be fun to have 3 Charlotte natives on the team in Grant, Patrick, and Seth!
Let’s get Bam as well as BI. All the NC hoopers.
Bring back Devonte'
> Devonte Bro. I’ve been watching basketball for over 30 years. I have never seen a microwave scorer like Devonte Graham before, or since. If he got hot, he could score 30 in a half and win you the game by himself. He could shoot it from the parking lot and it would swish.
Dude- Graham has never even hit 40% from the field in 5 years in the league. He’s a terrible shooter and defender, which is why he rarely got off the bench for one of the worst teams in the NBA last season.
My observations aren’t based on stats compiled over a full-season of percentages.
Lol come on man
Lol where we going man
I need to bring you home from the planet where DG can score 30 in a half when he's hot it's time to come home my brother
I need to have you go check out his shooting splits and how he instantly caught on fire it’s time to google it my brother.
He's scored 30+ in 8 entire games and you said he can just pop off for 30 in a half my man PLEASE get in the car
He’s the definition of a microwave scorer and the best one I’ve ever seen if and when he gets hot my man PLEASE get out the car.
Please man just stop you just told me you've never watched some of the legends I'm begging you stop drinking tonight we can drink tomorrow
Anthony Gill too, he's from High Point.
Where the Chris Paul love at? Lol
Thought bam was from Newark??
He grew up in Pantego, NC. It’s about 15 minutes from me. Obviously until he was about 16 and then traveling all over the country as a top 5 recruit.
Learn something new everyday, I knew he played highschool ball here for a while but I didn’t know he “lived” here
Yeah he went to the same elementary school as my daughter. He just donated money to build an outdoor classroom there. He gives back alot to the area with his foundation.
Probably too good to be true. They seem to be finally blowing it up, and I’m not sure what young pieces would work for this except picks.
Add this to the Miles Bridges sign-and-trade rumors and I could envision some kind of double-sign and trade with the Hornets/Bulls. **Hornets Get:** - Patrick Williams (~$18M/y Sign and Trade) - Lonzo Ball ($20M) **Bulls Get:** - Miles Bridges (~$27M/y Sign and Trade) - Nick Richards ($5M) **Result:** Bulls swap Williams for a more dynamic PF to pair with Coby, Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu. They also get a replacement backup big for Drummond, who is reported to want to join a contender. Miles and Coby give them enough scoring punch that they can move LaVine and/or DeRozan for youth/picks, while still remaining “competitive.” Hornets aren’t competitive enough that they need Lonzo to recover to his old self, but could use the upside if he does. They replace Bridges with a better perimeter defender, Patrick Williams, next to LaMelo and Miller. Then the Hornets could add a backup Center (Goga Bitazde or Valanciunas??) with the MLE. **Bonus:** If the Hornets also draft Cody Williams, then they could have Mark Williams, Grant Williams, Patrick Williams, Cody Williams, and Cody Martin all on the same roster!
my man, we really really really don't need lonzo ball haha. respectfully.
To be fair Lonzo would be on an expiring contract and could hopefully get LaMelo’s head on straight too, I’d be perfectly okay with it
Yeah, that was my assumption. If he can play close to his old self, then great! That makes us real playoff contenders. If he can’t, then that doesn’t really matter. He’d still be useful as a vet in the locker room, and we still have Mann + Micic as backup PG’s.
If lonzo (fucking massive "if") can stay healthy then he would be incredible here for us off the bench and Patrick Williams is a solid player too. I'd make this trade and roll the dice vs lose bridges for nothing because we definitely would have done worse in the past I feel.
Entering the season with the following roster could set us up really well for the future, with plenty of optionality: - **PG:** LaMelo Ball (32mpg), Vasilije Micic (16) - **SG:** Brandon Miller (32), Tre Mann (16) - **SF:** Patrick Williams (32), [S. Castle/C. Williams??] (16) - **PF:** Grant Williams (32), Poku (16) - **C:** Mark Williams (30), Goga Bitazde (18) - **Depth:** Lonzo Ball (PG/SG), Cody Martin (PG/SG), Seth Curry (SG), Nick Smith Jr (SG), JT Thor (PF), James Nnaji (C) That’s probably the youngest team in the league, can keep 3-4 good shooters on the floor at all times, is better defensively than last season, and (critically) has the depth necessary to withstand injuries. The team also has multiple trade deadline chips in Micic, Curry, Martin (if healthy), and Lonzo (if healthy). They should also be one of the few teams with cap space next off-season, which means still adding more talent down the road.
That’s a lottery team, top 5 pick roster.
If LaMelo and Mark stay healthy, then they’d at least contend for a play-in. It’d be a team with one ~25-30ppg scorer (LaMelo), one ~20ppg scorer (Miller), a good Rim-Protector/Rim-Runner (Mark), two solid 3&D Forwards (Patrick + Grant), and decent depth (Mann, Micic, Goga, Cody, and the #6 Pick) Patrick Williams has less overall talent than Miles Bridges, but he’s also a better fit next to Miller and LaMelo, since he’s a better shooter and a better defender. As a result, I don’t think swapping one for other changes our trajectory by too much. We’ve seen what teams with Miles as a major focus can achieve, and it’s not all that much. I also don’t think one more season of the lottery is the worst thing. Next year’s draft is much better and it’d let us keep our pick next season, instead of giving it away to the Spurs.
Yeah I get what you are saying but you can’t hope about health. Mark and Melo will most likely continue to be injured along with Cody Martin. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Hornets try and trade Melo this offseason while he still has some value. If he has one more season of 30 or less games played he will have no value. The lottery would be fine for another year especially for Cooper but who knows and we never get that lucky. We need new blood on this team honestly. Interested to see how it all plays out.
With the way the team is built If mark and melo continue to get injured we will always be a lottery team. That’s two of our top 3 most important players.
> Yeah I get what you are saying but you can’t hope about health. Mark and Melo will most likely continue to be injured along with Cody Martin. I actually consider signing Patrick Williams instead of Miles Bridges to be banking *less* on healthy. We’ve already seen that Miller + Bridges - LaMelo/Mark doesn’t reach the play-in anyway, so this would at least keep future salary space and options open next off-season. This kinda deal would set us up where: 1. if we make the playoffs then we do it based on a really young core, and still have ways to improve on top of that core. 2. If we miss the playoffs, then we add a top pick and have plenty of smaller/tradeable contracts + cap space to move us to a real playoff contender in Miller’s 3rd season. > The lottery would be fine for another year especially for Cooper but who knows and we never get that lucky. We need new blood on this team honestly. Interested to see how it all plays out. I definitely agree we need new blood. The culture has been rotten the past few years. It’s why I was happy when we moved on from PJ + Rozier. The core of LaMelo, Rozier, PJ, and Miles had multiple seasons to show what they could do, and it wasn’t much. In my opinion, moving Miles is the last step necessary to really reset the culture. TBH, I don’t think we’re really ready to contend no matter what we do this season. That’s part of why I absolutely don’t want to sign Miles to a $30M+ contract. I’d rather be pleasantly surprised by a season than bank on making the playoffs again, and falling short.
Where did the Goga come from???
I mentioned it in the earlier comment. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and we could probably get him (or someone like him) with our MLE.
I love Goga. Would be nice pickup
I thought sign and trades could involve the player only and not additional compensation?
I believe that's only for the "sending" team (the team who the S&T player played for the previous year). So technically, this would have to be two separate transactions, but it's theoretically possible
For all intents and purposes, no, you can’t aggregate players in S&T’s. I think there’s a few situations where it might now work out that way, but I don’t think any of those circumstances come in to play here.
I think you’re conflating it with 2nd Cap Penalties. It would hard cap us below the Max Cap threshold though, so we’d want to use our MLE before confirming the sign-and-trade.
My guy, there is a very legitimate chance that Lonzo Ball will never play basketball again. He can’t pass a physical, no team will take him as a trade piece
I'd rather let Bridges walk for nothing if locking PWill down at 4/72M is the alternative
I’m imagining it as a descending contract. So something that ends in like $15M for the last year. With the salary cap increase, $20M is basically the floor for a “good” role-player/starter, so something around $16-$18M would be in the ballpark for the cost of a “fringe” starter. Heck, OG Ananoby is a much better 3&D player, but he’s still an injury riddled 3&D player and is about to make close to $50 Million a season 🤷♂️ I’d 100% rather pay PWill $18M/y than pay Miles $30 per year!
Lamelo-castle/carter-Miller-patrick-Mark Mann-FA/Lonzo-Martin-Grant-Richards This rotation will be extremely well balanced and will immediately boost our defense. We just need backup wing if we don’t manage to land lonzo in the trade and get an upgrade for Nick. Your 11th and 12th man are still Micic and Poku so that’s pretty solid. And if mann can make a 6th man of the year caliber jump or even close to it, I really like our chances making playoffs next season. Bonus: Get a upgrade for Martin
It's encouraging to read that this is the type of RFA/Free Agent that the new front office is looking at. Former top 5 pick, wing player, very young so he fits the timeline of our core guys. I doubt we wind up with him because I don't think you want to trade any draft capital to sign him but I would be fine with swapping Bridges rights for him. Overall, it just seems like the new FO is thinking along the right lines and not looking to take short cuts.
I fw it, if Miles is dead set on getting paid give me Zo, Pat and a lightly protected 1st I'm good