Still kinda think we need one big bruiser who is better at rebounding and being big than TJD, but if we can’t get GOGA, the presumed status quo actually gives two pretty nicely balanced units:
1. Steph-Melton-Jimmy-JK-Horford
2. Podz-Buddy-Moody-Dray-Post
Third unit if you throw in the Seth and Ben Simmons rumors (on vet mins):
My dream is that Post and Horford swap spots by the end of the season, if we really get Horford.
Personally, I am uninterested in either Seth or Simmons. I'd prefer we looked around Summer League or the G-league for guys who could fill whatever needs we have.
Most trade proposals that don't account for what the other team would actually want.
Worst draft pick choices in retrospect five years later. (I'd win this year for building the bar & grill on Wiseman Island five years ago. Hey everybody should be good at something, and I was very good at making a very bad pick.)
I haven't seen any reports about whether Melton has fully recovered. I know the general timeline aligns well, but it depends on the individual as well as the rehab process.
9-12 months is typical, and Melton is young (just turned 27).
Also, not sure how much it matters, but wasn’t Melton’s tear on the mild side? IIRC, there was a couple week period where they weren’t even sure he had actually torn it, and it required some advanced imaging to confirm that it was.
I’m cautiously optimistic, but who knows. Fingers crossed.
So many NFLers with hella kids but Philly Rivs has to be the GOAT and all with the same woman. Props to Mrs. Rivers as well, she’s probably the real GOAT over Phil
On a media note, Slater is leaving The Athletic for ESPN. Third departure from TA I've noticed in the last 2 weeks - I wonder if some vesting thing happened recently, or if the Grey Lady is making it more unpleasant to work there.
I guess I'll probably still subscribe until MTII bails, but he has been very quiet lately, hmmm.
Interested to see if they bring anyone onboard the Dubs beat, or just have Marcus and Sam Amick handle it part time, like they have gone to for most markets.
Well, mazel tov to him. Glad he got out, NYT has become such a shit show. The Athletic has fired, and not replaced, a zillion beat writers this year. It’s become a skeleton staff. (I assume Slater jumped ship, as opposed to getting canned. Glad he had a decent landing spot.)
NYT bought the non-union TA then closed its own (union) sports department. TA writers have been organizing this year. So the layoffs are def not coincidence. I’m biting my tongue here on the NYT editorial malfeasance. So, no, they do not deserve our money. Subscribe to DNHQ and Valkyrie Nation instead.
Grant Liffman (former Dubs post-game dude) is also joining ESPN, coming off a Front Office job in Atlanta(?). I wonder if Adam Silver has put out word that the league needs the Dubs in the Finals for one last Steph ratings-hurrah to make up for the revenue shortfall of last season's playoffs.
Not unless Lacob has decided to pay Silver his protection money. If that happens, expect to see fouls called when Steph gets mugged. Just think how rare and refreshing that would be!
If Kuminga returns with the understanding that he's going to be traded by the deadline, what would the first half of the season be like? Every JK game is going to be scrutinized. If he plays well "keep him, he's worth 30M". If he plays bad "who can we trade for him? who's gonna want him?". Also, how will the chemistry be like the first half of the season? Is JK going to play hard to win? Or is he going to play hard to showcase his offense for other GMs? If JK scores 25 but the team loses, is he going to feel bad in the locker room after?
I just hope JK returns with 100% buy-in on his role in Kerr's strategy. Otherwise, the chemistry will be awkward.
I don't see how they can guarantee a trade unless they already have a partner. Who knows what the situation will be at the deadline? They can tell him they'll try to find a deal for him but that's about it.
I’ve always liked the cheers that sound like “Booooo!” but are actually cheering for a certain player. The earliest I can recall was “Loooooouuuuuu” Pinella.
If we get Horton, fans should yell “Whooooo”. I’m pretty sure he’ll hear it.
Zach Lowe touched on it in one of his pods, but I don’t think it’s been hammered enough.
It’s INSANE that the Suns are stretching Beals contract. The Bucks got a lot of attention for stretching Dame, but at least their desperation makes sense. They have an all time great player in an incredibly weak conference.
What are the Suns trying to accomplish? They don’t have any plausible path to conference contention over next couple years and now have severely handicapped any potential efforts for the years after that. It’s a disaster
I understand. But that is a dramatic, win-now gesture. The Suns are in the bottom quadrant of the league of teams that should be trying to win in the next two years vs building for the next 5.
I liked Alex's humility and honesty in knowing he hasn't played to his potential. I liked hearing that Post had given him good advice. Hard to know where he lands but each game has been an improvement.
NBC Sports Bay Area cut off their app streaming do didn't get to watch live. 😥
A bit early to predict. Just look at Post and Santos at the beginning of last year. I kind of like no one is a super star now....as less chance they are poached.
None of the youngsters in the Dubs' system look like future superstars to me. Kuminga could become a star but a superstar? I don't see it. Some of 'em might at best make one or two All Star teams. Superstars are super rare.
If there was a real chance to bring in Beal, Horford, and Melton, I would have preferred that pretty strongly to the route we appear to be taking. Not exactly because I value Beal far above JK at this point, but because a standing trade request seems incompatible with realistic title contention to me.
That, and I haven't given up on the idea of Steve finding a way to maximize him. He doesn't seem like he'll ever be a Kerr kind of player, but that doesn't mean that our championship coach can never find a reasonable use for him.
Depends somewhat on the number, right? JK at $15-20M a year would be amazing — either as a trade asset or as a keeper. More than that and it gets iffier.
Feels like MDJ at this point is playing a game of chicken that he feels confident he’ll win.
Yeah, the number is the issue, although my concern is signing him to a 3-4 year deal, maybe with a PO, and then he tears an ACL or achilles. He's less suited than a Melton or Klay to weather losing some athleticism.
Any player can tear an ACL or Achilles. That's a risk with any multi-year deal. He's a young player, and if we get him for $15M, that's a good deal and worth the risk. Even $20M, although I personally think $15M is more what he has shown he's worth so far, based on comps. (I posted about that a day or two ago.)
This, and the reality is he's more likely to be able to come back with more of his athleticism than an older player suffering the same injury. In the event that such a thing were to happen.
BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after clearing waivers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports told ESPN. @ShamsCharania
> Golden State also wasn’t willing to offer more than the minimum."
Per a quick Google, a 13 year veteran like Beal would be eligible for a the minimum salary of $3,634,153 for players with 10+ years of experience. So we're talking a shade under a $2.5 million a year difference, assuming the information above is accurate.
Some sour grapes, but — assuming Melton was coming back onboard — I was kinda worried Steph-Podz-Melton-Beal-Buddy might be too many small guys anyway.
In terms of overall roster size and team defense, we might be better off gambling on JK to step it up as a scorer than adding another smallish guy with defensive limitations.
I was going over roster permutations with the Mrs. and she posed the same question: Are there enough minutes to keep Steph, Podz, DAM, Buddy, Moody AND Beal happy?
Prediction: This Clippers team will win 56 games, look like a powerhouse heading into the playoffs only to lose in 7 games again in the 2nd round because #Clippers
CP3 is a 40-yr-old playing his final season. His situation is not the same as Beal's. He could be fine playing for the vet min for one season in L.A., where his family lives. Plus he can make extra money on endorsements because he's well known and because State Farm — especially in a major media city like L.A. And the Clips look like a playoff team and maybe a contender, so he gets one last shot at a ring, even if it's a long shot.
Still kinda think we need one big bruiser who is better at rebounding and being big than TJD, but if we can’t get GOGA, the presumed status quo actually gives two pretty nicely balanced units:
1. Steph-Melton-Jimmy-JK-Horford
2. Podz-Buddy-Moody-Dray-Post
Third unit if you throw in the Seth and Ben Simmons rumors (on vet mins):
3. Seth-Richard-Santos-Simmons-TJD
Add Lindy for one more shooter and LFG?
My dream is that Post and Horford swap spots by the end of the season, if we really get Horford.
Personally, I am uninterested in either Seth or Simmons. I'd prefer we looked around Summer League or the G-league for guys who could fill whatever needs we have.
There’s ben simmons rumors?
Only "what ifs" on DNHQ as far as I know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x1lPGG9Y_c
Warriors Rookie Will Richard is Mic'd Up at NBA Summer League
----------------------------------------------------
I am irrationally excited about Will Richard
In case it has not been posted yet - a real nice article by Scott Ostler in the chron on looney-kerr relation!
Does Kevon Looney have legit beef over last Warriors season? Steve Kerr responds
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/warriors-steve-kerr-addresses-kevon-looney-s-20772474.php
The forced roasting at these award shows is so hard to watch.
Or maybe it’s easy not to watch? Just sayin.
No one is ever allowed to complain again!
Good thing I have no idea what award show is taking place.
If it's not the DNHQ annual reward show, I'm out. Also, is why don't we have an annual award post!
What would the categories be?
Most lead balloon jokes? (I'd have to be a top contender).
Longest posts that did not include the word 'anyway'?
Most off-color use of the APRIBOT meme?
Most trade proposals that don't account for what the other team would actually want.
Worst draft pick choices in retrospect five years later. (I'd win this year for building the bar & grill on Wiseman Island five years ago. Hey everybody should be good at something, and I was very good at making a very bad pick.)
Most mentions of getting KLAY back.
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! - well, two people at least. Would be nice to cap off the season and celebrate the creative folk on here :)
It’s awful.
I haven't seen any reports about whether Melton has fully recovered. I know the general timeline aligns well, but it depends on the individual as well as the rehab process.
9-12 months is typical, and Melton is young (just turned 27).
Also, not sure how much it matters, but wasn’t Melton’s tear on the mild side? IIRC, there was a couple week period where they weren’t even sure he had actually torn it, and it required some advanced imaging to confirm that it was.
I’m cautiously optimistic, but who knows. Fingers crossed.
Even if it’s the absolute worst case scenario I think we can survive without him first half of the year.
Oh man Crusty. So much boxing and you’ve been persona non grata
Do you mean persona in absentia?
Yeah 😞 hes not unwelcome
Al Horford is about to have his sixth child.
14 more to go to catch Phillip Rivers
So many NFLers with hella kids but Philly Rivs has to be the GOAT and all with the same woman. Props to Mrs. Rivers as well, she’s probably the real GOAT over Phil
Goats most often have twins so on average 7 litters about covers it for the Rivers family.
On a media note, Slater is leaving The Athletic for ESPN. Third departure from TA I've noticed in the last 2 weeks - I wonder if some vesting thing happened recently, or if the Grey Lady is making it more unpleasant to work there.
I guess I'll probably still subscribe until MTII bails, but he has been very quiet lately, hmmm.
Interested to see if they bring anyone onboard the Dubs beat, or just have Marcus and Sam Amick handle it part time, like they have gone to for most markets.
https://bsky.app/profile/anthonyvslater.bsky.social/post/3lu4fx5vix22a
Well, mazel tov to him. Glad he got out, NYT has become such a shit show. The Athletic has fired, and not replaced, a zillion beat writers this year. It’s become a skeleton staff. (I assume Slater jumped ship, as opposed to getting canned. Glad he had a decent landing spot.)
NYT bought the non-union TA then closed its own (union) sports department. TA writers have been organizing this year. So the layoffs are def not coincidence. I’m biting my tongue here on the NYT editorial malfeasance. So, no, they do not deserve our money. Subscribe to DNHQ and Valkyrie Nation instead.
That’s very bad news for us
I unsubscribed the moment it was purchased by the NYT a year or more ago
I really need to get off my ass and cancel. Haven’t been reading in a while and Slater was much of why I did.
Grant Liffman (former Dubs post-game dude) is also joining ESPN, coming off a Front Office job in Atlanta(?). I wonder if Adam Silver has put out word that the league needs the Dubs in the Finals for one last Steph ratings-hurrah to make up for the revenue shortfall of last season's playoffs.
Not unless Lacob has decided to pay Silver his protection money. If that happens, expect to see fouls called when Steph gets mugged. Just think how rare and refreshing that would be!
I think you forgot the /s tag :)
Beal went to the Clippers? Eh, whatever. He was never interested in going to the Warriors in the first place, so it's a whatever news for me.
If Kuminga returns with the understanding that he's going to be traded by the deadline, what would the first half of the season be like? Every JK game is going to be scrutinized. If he plays well "keep him, he's worth 30M". If he plays bad "who can we trade for him? who's gonna want him?". Also, how will the chemistry be like the first half of the season? Is JK going to play hard to win? Or is he going to play hard to showcase his offense for other GMs? If JK scores 25 but the team loses, is he going to feel bad in the locker room after?
I just hope JK returns with 100% buy-in on his role in Kerr's strategy. Otherwise, the chemistry will be awkward.
Or, put even more simply, what was the last legitimate contender that carried a player with a standing trade request?
I don't see how they can guarantee a trade unless they already have a partner. Who knows what the situation will be at the deadline? They can tell him they'll try to find a deal for him but that's about it.
🎶I wish you would get back on that bench, my friend
You could cut ties with your agent lies that you've been living in
Aaand if you do not want to see me again
I would understaaAAaaaAAaaaaAAAand
I would understaaAAaaaAAaaaaAAAand
What if he signs for 15 million a year? Unlikely but he's absolutely worth that much.
The level of scrutiny comes with the salary.
"Every JK game is going to be scrutinized."
No matter what happens this offseason ....As well it should be, and probably so with all players.
And of course this also goes both ways- how he plays and how the coaches use him.
Same as with youngsters (Moses, Brandin, Trayce, Quentin, and the rookies/free agents.
How they have progressed and adapted. How much playing time will they get?
And same as with the aging veterans- Steph, Dray, Jimmy, Buddy.
How many minutes do they get? How well they hold up?
I’ve always liked the cheers that sound like “Booooo!” but are actually cheering for a certain player. The earliest I can recall was “Loooooouuuuuu” Pinella.
If we get Horton, fans should yell “Whooooo”. I’m pretty sure he’ll hear it.
Before Pinella, it was Orioles fans famously yelling "Boooooog" for first-baseman Boog Powell in the '60s and early '70s.
we're here!
Loooooooooon :(
Still haven't really come to terms with that departure. Sigh.
Who? ;)
A fusion of Horford and Melton
Horton and Melford.
Is that a TV series?
This made me think of our great 2020 draft of Wision and Manman.
Zach Lowe touched on it in one of his pods, but I don’t think it’s been hammered enough.
It’s INSANE that the Suns are stretching Beals contract. The Bucks got a lot of attention for stretching Dame, but at least their desperation makes sense. They have an all time great player in an incredibly weak conference.
What are the Suns trying to accomplish? They don’t have any plausible path to conference contention over next couple years and now have severely handicapped any potential efforts for the years after that. It’s a disaster
They save $14 million, which isn’t nothing tbf.
They can save the $14M from the buyout either way. Why do they want to stretch him and keep him on the books for the next half decade?
A lot easier to dodge repeater tax when you don’t have $50 mil on the books
Was he really that much of a negative?
At $50 million a year? With a no-trade clause and a willingness to exercise it? Yes.
If you really want him gone, just send him away. Why waive and stretch?
Because you want to use his cap right now.
I'm not trying to defend it, it's nuts. But really more a continuation of the nuts that was trading for him originally.
I understand. But that is a dramatic, win-now gesture. The Suns are in the bottom quadrant of the league of teams that should be trying to win in the next two years vs building for the next 5.
I liked Alex's humility and honesty in knowing he hasn't played to his potential. I liked hearing that Post had given him good advice. Hard to know where he lands but each game has been an improvement.
NBC Sports Bay Area cut off their app streaming do didn't get to watch live. 😥
A bit early to predict. Just look at Post and Santos at the beginning of last year. I kind of like no one is a super star now....as less chance they are poached.
None of the youngsters in the Dubs' system look like future superstars to me. Kuminga could become a star but a superstar? I don't see it. Some of 'em might at best make one or two All Star teams. Superstars are super rare.
"The Bucks made a very strong push to sign Bradley Beal, who was interested in MIL, league sources told @ClutchPoints.
The Heat were only able to offer a minimum contract after trading for Norman Powell.
Golden State also wasn’t willing to offer more than the minimum."
-Brett Siegel
JK is definitely coming back. I'll leave whether that's a good thing as an exercise for the reader.
If there was a real chance to bring in Beal, Horford, and Melton, I would have preferred that pretty strongly to the route we appear to be taking. Not exactly because I value Beal far above JK at this point, but because a standing trade request seems incompatible with realistic title contention to me.
It's fine as long as we can dump him at the deadline without giving up assets for the privilege.
That, and I haven't given up on the idea of Steve finding a way to maximize him. He doesn't seem like he'll ever be a Kerr kind of player, but that doesn't mean that our championship coach can never find a reasonable use for him.
Depends somewhat on the number, right? JK at $15-20M a year would be amazing — either as a trade asset or as a keeper. More than that and it gets iffier.
Feels like MDJ at this point is playing a game of chicken that he feels confident he’ll win.
Yeah, the number is the issue, although my concern is signing him to a 3-4 year deal, maybe with a PO, and then he tears an ACL or achilles. He's less suited than a Melton or Klay to weather losing some athleticism.
Any player can tear an ACL or Achilles. That's a risk with any multi-year deal. He's a young player, and if we get him for $15M, that's a good deal and worth the risk. Even $20M, although I personally think $15M is more what he has shown he's worth so far, based on comps. (I posted about that a day or two ago.)
Yeah, he’s a ~$15M guy now. I guess the extra $5M would be for his upside.
To Sleepy’s point above, it seems to be a game of chicken and Kuminga has a lot less leverage; he needs them more than they need him.
The extra $5M might go pretty far as salary ballast to deliver a decent player in a trade
Seems like he would be pretty motivated to sign early enough that he can be traded at the deadline. I think someone said that is like a month away?
This, and the reality is he's more likely to be able to come back with more of his athleticism than an older player suffering the same injury. In the event that such a thing were to happen.
BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after clearing waivers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports told ESPN. @ShamsCharania
As per above:
> Golden State also wasn’t willing to offer more than the minimum."
Per a quick Google, a 13 year veteran like Beal would be eligible for a the minimum salary of $3,634,153 for players with 10+ years of experience. So we're talking a shade under a $2.5 million a year difference, assuming the information above is accurate.
Booo
He wasn’t the beall and end all. ;-P
Some sour grapes, but — assuming Melton was coming back onboard — I was kinda worried Steph-Podz-Melton-Beal-Buddy might be too many small guys anyway.
In terms of overall roster size and team defense, we might be better off gambling on JK to step it up as a scorer than adding another smallish guy with defensive limitations.
I was going over roster permutations with the Mrs. and she posed the same question: Are there enough minutes to keep Steph, Podz, DAM, Buddy, Moody AND Beal happy?
DAM? Did you mean Dame? If so... no worries. Dame is out for the year, and Beal's not coming here.
De’Anthony Melton
Moody stapled to the bench again?!?!
Liked just for the be all and end all pun.
Liked despite the pun. Oh, okay, the pun was fun too.
Prediction: This Clippers team will win 56 games, look like a powerhouse heading into the playoffs only to lose in 7 games again in the 2nd round because #Clippers
Because #Game7Harden
The second round?! Kinda aggressive, no?
Too good to lose in the first round, too cursed to make it past the WCF so the only way is to lose in the 2nd round
It's kinda crazy. They've been above .500 for 14 straight seasons and won a total of 6 playoff series - 3 with CP3 and 3 with Kawhi.
CP3 is a 40-yr-old playing his final season. His situation is not the same as Beal's. He could be fine playing for the vet min for one season in L.A., where his family lives. Plus he can make extra money on endorsements because he's well known and because State Farm — especially in a major media city like L.A. And the Clips look like a playoff team and maybe a contender, so he gets one last shot at a ring, even if it's a long shot.
Beal going to Clippers