Free Agency Thread

From tweeting with Kushner I get the feeling he has heard rumors about something like this. I tried to get him to give up some info but of course, he wouldn't.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

From tweeting with Kushner I get the feeling he has heard rumors about something like this. I tried to get him to give up some info but of course, he wouldn't.

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It sounds like the Knicks are trying to call the shots. How the hell does that work? They should have ZERO leverage in this.

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Originally Posted by Tinman

It sounds like the Knicks are trying to call the shots. How the hell does that work? They should have ZERO leverage in this.

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The two teams making the trade work calls the shots. That's Phoenix and New Orleans.

That said, Ryno to New Orleans would have me extremely pissed.

Our local guy Kushner is saying we want a impact Guard. Mike Ortiz is saying Ryan Anderson will be thrown on us. Who to believe? :huh: Or are they separate deals

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Originally Posted by SonOfNOLA

Our local guy Kushner is saying we want a impact Guard. Mike Ortiz is saying Ryan Anderson will be thrown on us. Who to believe? :huh: Or are they separate deals

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I believe Kushner 100%. Dude is solid. If he says something it's legit.

For all we know the guy leaking this stuff is some shill for New York or Houston to try and leverage more assets. Thanks for tweeting he info so Kushner could say, "see stuff is happening" but I don't believe the details until Kushner or one of the big guys report it.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

The two teams making the trade work calls the shots. That's Phoenix and New Orleans.

That said, Ryno to New Orleans would have me extremely pissed.

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I will NOT be a happy camper!

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Originally Posted by SonOfNOLA

Our local guy Kushner is saying we want a impact Guard. Mike Ortiz is saying Ryan Anderson will be thrown on us. Who to believe? :huh: Or are they separate deals

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Being serious here, but what does Mike Ortiz have to his name? First time I heard of this guy. At least Kushner has connections within the team and is legit. Siding with Kushner until further notice.

Besides, we don't need another high paid big man. We already have two elite ones. We need a guard or a wing. preferably someone who can shoot.

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Originally Posted by kinglio21093

Being serious here, but what does Mike Ortiz have to his name? First time I heard of this guy. At least Kushner has connections within the team and is legit. Siding with Kushner until further notice.

Besides, we don't need another high paid big man. We already have two elite ones. We need a guard or a wing. preferably someone who can shoot.

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We certainly didn't become part of this deal to get Anderson. This ORTIZ guy must realize that all we have to do is "Just say NO" & we are gone !

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

I believe Kushner 100%. Dude is solid. If he says something it's legit.

For all we know the guy leaking this stuff is some shill for New York or Houston to try and leverage more assets. Thanks for tweeting he info so Kushner could say, "see stuff is happening" but I don't believe the details until Kushner or one of the big guys report it.

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Yup I'm leaning towards Kushner. Trying to read in between the lines of the other guy's tweet to connect the dots with what Kushner threw out there

Both Pelicans and Suns are now in the trade heavy. Melo going to Houston is a given only if Pelicans and Suns make it work. We want an impact Guard. Knicks don't want Anderson's contract. Anderson has to go to Phoenix. We want an impact Guard. Phoenix has them. Now it's a matter of what does Phoenix get for giving away one of their PG's and taking on Anderson's contract at the same time

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Originally Posted by SonOfNOLA

Our local guy Kushner is saying we want a impact Guard. Mike Ortiz is saying Ryan Anderson will be thrown on us. Who to believe? :huh: Or are they separate deals

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Well, the Reggie Jackson rumor involved entirely separate pieces, so you could have both things going on.

And really, if you made both moves at the grand cost of Moore, Ajinca, and Asik, how could that possibly be a bad thing?

Suddenly the Twin Towers become a Big Three, and the Big Three become a Fab Five:

Demarcus Cousins
Anthony Davis
Ryan Anderson
Jrue Holiday
Reggie Jackson

and while those are not my favorite names, they are a talented group of names. Perhaps Dell rather unoriginally recreating his same awkward framework before the Ryno/Reke/Gordon thing fell apart, but now adding a sparkling new Boogie on top. Lot of firepower there. Be nights when that group could score 100pts just between the 5 of them.

Tiger Droppings folks talking WWL promoting Ryno to N.O. This is not good.

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Originally Posted by SonOfNOLA

Yup I'm leaning towards Kushner. Trying to read in between the lines of the other guy's tweet to connect the dots with what Kushner threw out there

Both Pelicans and Suns are now in the trade heavy. Melo going to Houston is a given only if Pelicans and Suns make it work. We want an impact Guard. Knicks don't want Anderson's contract. Anderson has to go to Phoenix. We want an impact Guard. Phoenix has them. Now it's a matter of what does Phoenix get for giving away one of their PG's and taking on Anderson's contract at the same time

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There has to be some honesty too, at least unless Dell is an idiot, Bledsoe isn't just a "talented guard". He's a Kentucky dude who's a close friend of Boogie, who has talked for years about how they get together in the summer and try to figure out ways they could end up playing together. Getting Bledsoe would be about trying to ensure Boogie's return next year as much as his guard skills.

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Originally Posted by Bricklayer

Well, the Reggie Jackson rumor involved entirely separate pieces, so you could have both things going on.

And really, if you made both moves at the grand cost of Moore, Ajinca, and Asik, how could that possibly be a bad thing?

Suddenly the Twin Towers become a Big Three, and the Big Three become a Fab Five:

Demarcus Cousins
Anthony Davis
Ryan Anderson
Jrue Holiday
Reggie Jackson

and while those are not my favorite names, they are a talented group of names. Perhaps Dell rather unoriginally recreating his same awkward framework before the Ryno/Reke/Gordon thing fell apart, but now adding a sparkling new Boogie on top. Lot of firepower there. Be nights when that group could score 100pts just between the 5 of them.

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I wouldn't mind that lineup at all in the short term. Only concern would be does it affect Boogie re-signing and what would our cap be in general going forward the next few seasons

Sn I started checking out everyone's beloved McNamara's tweets and he's saying we're involved mainly just to unload Asik, but who else in the 3/4 team trade benefits from that alone even with a first included? We go from hearing about no moves to now a lot of wonder and back & forth uncertainty

Ryno would be best served staying in Houston as their 3pt shooter, too bad they signed him to such a trash contract where they can't afford to keep him AND make the necessary changes to their roster.

I would like to see Ryno back here, if just to hear him talk about his year studying abroad.

Listen guys, we either need to forget about MM or accept him as a made man. There is no other way.

Reggie
Jrue
Ryno
Ad
Cousins

If thats our lineup then either:

A. Davis would have to defend the other teams sf and ryno defend the pf.

B. Ryno is firepower off the bench to pair with crawford and hill remains our starting sf.

Either way, our team would be better.

Diff "insiders " reporting something different on twitter. Our offseason is looking hectic all of a sudden. Can't remember one being as crucial and crazy as this one just within the last 24 hours

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Originally Posted by SonOfNOLA

Diff "insiders " reporting something different on twitter. Our offseason is looking hectic all of a sudden. Can't remember one being as crucial and crazy as this one just within the last 24 hours

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think we figured out why the random Reggie Jackson trade rumor came out yesterday

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybgs7yma

2 first go to Phx from the Pels and Houston.
2 2nd's go to the Knicks from the Pels and Houston.

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Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybgs7yma

2 first go to Phx from the Pels and Houston.
2 2nd's go to the Knicks from the Pels and Houston.

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Bledsoe
Jrue
Ariza
Ad
Cousins

That's a 60 win team

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Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybgs7yma

2 first go to Phx from the Pels and Houston.
2 2nd's go to the Knicks from the Pels and Houston.

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Lol that would be amazing for us

I don't see how Bledsoe fits with the Knicks. They drafted a young Frank Ntilikina to be the future PG. They were initially looking for a veteran PG to hold the spot down like a Ramon Sessions or Rondo for cheap. Theyre supposedly trying to tank for SF Michael Porter Jr. Getting Bledsoe makes them do the opposite of tanking. Getting Bledsoe requires them to give up what it takes to get Porter in the draft. Bledsoe can play the 2, but they already have Hardaway and Lee. It's pointless for the Knicks to get him. Just another leak for the Suns to price gauge

When was the last time 12 players were involved in a trade?

This also works in the trade machine if we have to accept Ryan Anderson...

NO gets Bledsoe and Anderson

PHX gets Asik, Ajinca, Cook, and NO 2018 top 3 protected 1st round pick

NYK gets Moore, Ariza, Pondexter, and Toupane

HOU gets Anthony

Pels lineup after trade...

PG: Bledsoe/Lawson (signed with BAE)/Jackson
SG: Holiday/Crawford/Young
SF: Hill/Diallo (I think he is athletic enough to play the 3)/Miller
PF: Davis/Anderson
C: Cousins/Vet min center

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Pelicans Podcaster @SilverAndMac · 2h Pels interest in entering Melo trade is much more about offloading Asik than it is about adding a guy

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Not what I wanted to hear

Just remember what everyone wants:

NYK unload salary, young players, money to sign veteran PG

HOU: Carmelo, possibly depth, NEED to unload Anderson

NOP: impact guard, shooters

PHX: assets.


PHX is the wild card here. They'll take whatever from whomever to grease the skids as long as it's worth their while. Like someone said above we know why the Jackson story leaked and it's better than we could've thought. Why put pressure on Suns on your own when you can recruit the two hungriest teams in the league to make a deal to put pressure on them as well. We saw Dell play Philly and Sacramento, looks our favorite whipping boy is trying to start himself a winning streak.


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I know the Dudley rumor was pages ago.....but how is he? I've missed his career.....buried in the Eastern oasis.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Not what I wanted to hear

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While it would be awesome to end up with a better player, somehow......offloading Asik is still a positive. Lol.

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Originally Posted by Darkhorse985

This also works in the trade machine if we have to accept Ryan Anderson...

NO gets Bledsoe and Anderson

PHX gets Asik, Ajinca, Cook, and NO 2018 top 3 protected 1st round pick

NYK gets Moore, Ariza, Pondexter, and Toupane

HOU gets Anthony

Pels lineup after trade...

PG: Bledsoe/Lawson (signed with BAE)/Jackson
SG: Holiday/Crawford/Young
SF: Hill/Diallo (I think he is athletic enough to play the 3)/Miller
PF: Davis/Anderson
C: Cousins/Vet min center

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But NYK doesn't get a PG. Not saying it won't happen, they want to unload Melo, but the end end result may have them getting Knight or Cook.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Listen guys, we either need to forget about MM or accept him as a made man. There is no other way.

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this

working on trades is a very fluid thing

MM showed in the past that he has source(s)

don't believe it - don't read it

I'd rather have some inside infos than not...

without that you don't have anyone apart from Kushner, who is giving only confirmed information (love his work btw)

choice is yours

Somebody need to summon RekeHavoc right quick.

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Originally Posted by Darkhorse985

This also works in the trade machine if we have to accept Ryan Anderson...

NO gets Bledsoe and Anderson

PHX gets Asik, Ajinca, Cook, and NO 2018 top 3 protected 1st round pick

NYK gets Moore, Ariza, Pondexter, and Toupane

HOU gets Anthony

Pels lineup after trade...

PG: Bledsoe/Lawson (signed with BAE)/Jackson
SG: Holiday/Crawford/Young
SF: Hill/Diallo (I think he is athletic enough to play the 3)/Miller
PF: Davis/Anderson
C: Cousins/Vet min center

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Like MSU said, replace Toupane with Cook to NY. I figured Anderson would have to go to Phoenix, but I'm starting to think they won't take any big contract back if they're giving up Bledsoe. If we're getting Bledsoe and moving Asik in the same trade, two huge ****** wins, either Asik goes to Houston or Phoenix gets another first. Besides all of that, I think what you have IS the trade. At least I hope. I mean everyone involved benefits significantly

Don't going into 'fit' details.

Houston cannot take any salary back - other than Melo. Forget about Asik.

NYK is not interested in ryno.

So only NO and PHX left.
PHX has Chriss and Bender.
NO has two bigs. ryno is not a SF. He can be a floor spacer, but...

What if Eric Gordon is the impact guard?

Maybe the truth of the trade is exactly a little bit of what everyone tweeted out combined

Kushner - Pelicans want impact Guard, a shooter & shed salary to do so
McNamara - Pelicans involved to move Asik
Ortiz guy - Anderson is coming to Pelicans

Too good to be true bc A) took care of both team needs/cap needs B) came away as the biggest winners of someone else's trade C) the trade actually happened exactly the way it was reported on twitter in pieces by everyone rather than one person

Here is another article with "inside" information talking about us in the deal : http://amicohoops.net/nba-rumors-car...and-cavaliers/

To be honest there are two things bothering me in this story (wether there is a 4th team or not) :
1/ Dell would not bother try if the only thing we could get is Ryno. Even Asik's contract is not worth it (I've entertained the idea of swaping Asik+Ajinca for Ryno but that's where the second point kicks in).
2/ Why would NY be interested in anything we offer? What is NO bringing that no other team is willing to bring (or even thinking about)? In all the deals I've seen we bring nothing of value to them really.

So I asked myself what Dell could be seeing that everyone seems to be missing ... and the answer is pretty clear ; Ryno is not needed to make the deal work. I'm pretty sure Houston wants to get him out but there is no way anyone (especially NY with Porzingis) will take him willingly ... and not Demps with our salary situation.

Here is what Demp might be pushing in my opinion : http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yaqu7e8x (add the 2 obvious 1st round pick for NY)
So here is the breakdown :

- Houston get Melo for Ariza, Gordon and scraps (+1st rounder). Ariza has always been a given with Tucker also coming in. Gordon will have less oportunity to shine with Paul also coming in. I'm certain they value Gordon more than Ryno but the question is wether or not that's a deal they are willing to take. I'm pretty sure that Houston would have no trouble getting a shooter after this (Afflalo for example) if they want to which is the main reason I would pull the trigger in their shoes.

- New York gets a young wing with upside to pair with Hardaway, 2 1st rounders and scraps (one of which is Asik). Salary wise it's probably not optimal but they are already stuck with Noah/Lee/Thomas for the 3 next years anyway which prevent them getting any cap space so it does make sense stockpiling picks and getting Solomon Hill.

- New Orleans get an impact guard a proven wing that can shoot (% is average but keep in mind that with that volume a good bunch of them were contested) and get to unload Asik's contract for the cost of Solomon Hill. The Hill/Ariza swap is not ideal (especially agewise) but Ariza is undoubtly a good fit (experience-wise for once). I just don't know where the Pels could go next year on the wing (but that's another story honestly).

As much as I'm not a fan of trading Hill, this story is the one that makes the most sense to me (as Dell looking to get involved in this trade). That does not mean Houston or NY will bite though.
It seems to me that Houston could agree if the deal goes fast (time for them to get a shooter). The main issue is how important unloading salary is for NY. If Asik's contract is a no go, another possibility would be to swap him (and the 1st round pick) for Ajinca (the salary still works I checked). I'm not sure I would be willing if I were Demps though. NY are the one under pressure in this deal not NO.

Well that's all I could think of tonight after reading about it. You guys are welcomed to comment.

P.S : In the Asik trade scenario, Onuaku (and/or Quaterman for that matter) could go back to NO if NY does not want them.

For those wandering why NY would not be interested in Ariza+Gordon the reason is pretty simple, they have little value to them as they have to get into rebuild mode anyway, so Solomon Hill+ a 1st round pick should be more valuable. That and the only experience they need is a veteran PG to groom Ntilikina. Courtney Lee already does the job otherwise IMO.

https://twitter.com/TreyRodriguezNY/...69805007712258

https://twitter.com/TreyRodriguezNY/...71351745396736

Hold on to your butts

:(

Don't tell me we let all this excitement and possibility build up just for us not to even be in a trade. Healthy assets = no Pelicans unless we shedded bad contracts to Portland/NY as the 4th team. Or Trey Rodriguez is lying and fishing to break something first that never happened

To be honest, I could see Portland accepting to get Ryno ... if NO is part of the deal it would probably be to absorb Crabbe's contract with something like this : http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yb4kzhh8

The deal does make sense fit-wise for Portland and NO while NY does get Harkless, Moore and Houston 1st I guess (and Asik).

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Originally Posted by Alvis

To be honest, I could see Portland accepting to get Ryno ... if NO is part of the deal it would probably be to absorb Crabbe's contract with something like this : http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yb4kzhh8

The deal does make sense fit-wise for Portland and NO while NY does get Harkless, Moore and Houston 1st I guess (and Asik).

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No one's taking Asik without a 1st attached

Same could be said with Anderson's contract and probably Crabbe's.
Still, I do agree that our package does not seem valuable for NY (they won't lack dept at the SG position) in that scenario but I certainly would not like us to trade our first in there either.

It makes way more sense for Detroit to replace NO and swap Crabbe with Jackson. They would probably need a sweetener though.

Edit : Actually, instead of Moore we could go for Ajinca+Pondexter+1st round pick I guess

Why on Earth would we want Gordon back? How does Hill and Asik and a 1st (or even 2 firsts) get us Gordon and Ariza? lol

I think some crack is being smoked around the league. The only way Dell is getting lookins is if the other GM believes we are so incompetent the 1st will be late lotto or Asik isn't moving and its pieces like Moore and Diallo.

Honestly I think resigning Reke would have more impact than anything aside from Bledsoe.

both parties wanted to move from each other

probably it was the right choice

I heard that the Jazz might cut Boris Diaw, do u think he could be a good pickup on a cheap contract as a back-up big ?

He has great IQ, good passing and is an ok defender

With Diaw you never know what you get, he is either motivated or just too laid back to produce something. I don't think he wants to play here anyway so I would pass.

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Originally Posted by DefensiveMind

Just remember what everyone wants:

NYK unload salary, young players, money to sign veteran PG

HOU: Carmelo, possibly depth, NEED to unload Anderson

NOP: impact guard, shooters

PHX: assets.


PHX is the wild card here. They'll take whatever from whomever to grease the skids as long as it's worth their while. Like someone said above we know why the Jackson story leaked and it's better than we could've thought. Why put pressure on Suns on your own when you can recruit the two hungriest teams in the league to make a deal to put pressure on them as well. We saw Dell play Philly and Sacramento, looks our favorite whipping boy is trying to start himself a winning streak.


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Just remember what everyone has:

NYK: Melo
HOU: Anderson, maybe Gordon/Ariza
PHX: Some bad contracts to sell for picks, Bledsoe
NO: 2018 1st, bad contracts, Diallo.

I honestly think we may end up taking back Anderson if we're in this deal. I pray for Bledsoe, but I just don't think its realistic.

If this franchise takes back Anderson and that contract my interest level would go from "meh" to nonexistent.

Is it possible that we will take Anderson just in prefer to send him to Detroit for Reggie ?

If we do get Ryno back he'll be the first off the bench... as he was when he was here. No way he starts, but we could use his 15-20 ppg off the bench.

With that said I don't want Ryno here with that contract.