NBA off-season stuff (free agents, coaching changes, trades)

[PackMan97]

Who says that money is in the bank? As Patrick Ewing said about NBA players “we may make a lot of money but we spend a lot of money too”

How much does your agent take off the top? After that how does Uncle Sam get? At the end of the day a player is likely lucky if they net half of their gross as money in the bank.

[flyingdutchdevil]

How much does your agent take off the top? After that how does Uncle Sam get? At the end of the day a player is likely lucky if they net half of their gross as money in the bank.

Oh now. $2.5M per year instead of $5.0M.

I take home probably 60% of my salary. I make significantly, significantly less than $5.0M. And I'm saving plenty a year.

[NSDukeFan]

Oh now. $2.5M per year instead of $5.0M.

I take home probably 60% of my salary. I make significantly, significantly less than $5.0M. And I'm saving plenty a year.

But when Ewing made that quote, some players may also have had many children with many different mothers. That couldn’t have been cheap. I believe he was arguing NBA players stimulate the economy but didn’t garner a ton of sympathy.

[DU82]

But when Ewing made that quote, some players may also have had many children with many different mothers. That couldn’t have been cheap. I believe he was arguing NBA players stimulate the economy but didn’t garner a ton of sympathy.

Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett is out $77M.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...en/1217296002/

[Furniture]

https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index...cavaliers.html

Rodney Hood accepts Cavaliers' $3.4 million qualifying offer, sets up free agency next summer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rodney Hood ended his restricted free agency by accepting the Cavaliers' $3.4 million qualifying offer and placing a bet on himself for a big season this year.
He informed the Cavs of his decision today, sources told cleveland.com.

[redacted for copyright]

[Reilly]

If they did teach such stuff, some might come to question the value of their educational financial return vis-a-vis its cost.

Maybe that's what they mean by saying it's a 40-year decision not a 4-year decision? ... b/c that's how long the student will be paying it off??

[Furniture]

Duke in the NBA Retweeted
Luol Deng will sign with the Timberwolves on a 1-year, $2.4 million deal.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NBAonTNT/...21513482850306

[pfrduke]

Duke in the NBA Retweeted
Luol Deng will sign with the Timberwolves on a 1-year, $2.4 million deal.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NBAonTNT/...21513482850306

All that's left is for Joakim Noah to get a Wolves deal.

[Billy Dat]

All that's left is for Joakim Noah to get a Wolves deal.

What do you guys think of Thibs rebuilding a Bulls squad 6-7 years past it's prime? I get that this Wolves team has younger, better talent, but I think it's getting ridiculous.

[ice-9]

I'm guessing his goal is to change the culture of the team. Usually you need a majority to believe in something and act in a certain way to change the larger group.

I doubt these older players will play much.

[Billy Dat]

A couple of major recent story lines have an interesting through-line about which I'd like to comment.

Story Line #1 - Profile writer extraordinaire, Lee Jenkins, leaves Sports Illustrated to take a front office job with the Clippers
Story Line #2 - Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota

Jenkins has been hired with the novel title of Executive director of research and identity. I have read a bunch about this and listed to him interviewed on the Woj pod, and it's hard to get an exact idea of what he's supposed to do...but part of it is definitely leveraging his skills as a reporter to help evaluate prospects/free agents. Here's a quote:

"In our line of work, we ask questions from different angles, assemble information in different ways. We try to put it together like puzzles until we've formed a portrait of a person. I'm going to try to bring that same process to the Clippers in hopes it will complement what their incredible group of evaluators already accomplish. This team is interested not just in what players do, but who they are -- how they're wired, how they're motivated -- and that's an area I love to explore."

OK...interesting. Hold that thought.

Jimmy Butler seems to hate playing in Minnesota because he thinks Karl Anthony Townes and Andrew Wiggins are either soft, not about winning, or both. It is a minute-by-minute evolving situation, but he initially put out a wish list of teams that focused on NYC (Knicks and Nets) and Los Angeles. Now, there is a lot of Miami talk.

Back to Jenkins...

Every year there is a prestigious compilation called "The Best American Sportswriting". The most recent edition, which just came out, features this Jenkins piece.

"Don't Try to Change Jimmy Butler" - 10/9/17
https://www.si.com/nba/2017/10/10/ji...-tom-thibodeau

That article contains this passage,

"Butler spends his vacations in tour buses across the heartland with (country music stars Luke) Bryan and Florida Georgia Line. He disdains Miami, New York City and Las Vegas, the NBA’s natural habitats. He actually considered rejecting an invitation from the U.S. Olympic team because the squad trains in Sin City. He summers in L.A., but not really."

So, in conclusion...Jimmy Butler seems like a complete flake, Lee Jenkins ability to intuit a player's true nature seems suspect, or a ton of stuff changed in the last 12 months to make them both look bad.

[Billy Dat]

How Kyrie got his groove back
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/c...mrM/story.html

[cato]

How Kyrie got his groove back
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/c...mrM/story.html

Very cool story. Nice reporting, and I did not expect Jamal Crawford to play such a starring role.

[brevity]

Some early reports from training camp.

Jahlil Okafor ready to make his mark with Pelicans (NOLA.com/Times-Picayune)

That body transformation was Okafor slimming down and getting into much better playing shape. Okafor was previously listed at 275 pounds but lost weight last season after going to a vegan diet.

Okafor lost the weight he wanted but also lost his strength. Once he got to New Orleans, he started with a diet that included meats but cut out things like candy and bread and while he's stayed in the 250-254 range weight-wise, he's gained strength back.

Magic stuns Kings (Sports Illustrated) An actual sleight-of-hand magician visits Marvin Bagley, Harry Giles, and the other Sacramento Kings.



The above link has a pretty good GIF of Giles' stunned reaction. I was unable to post it here, even after resizing it. Maybe Troublemaker can help?

[Furniture]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BenGolliv...566081/video/1

LeBron James says Lakers want to be a “positionless team” and says he envisions himself & Brandon Ingram playing all five positions at times

[Indoor66]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BenGolliv...566081/video/1

LeBron James says Lakers want to be a “positionless team” and says he envisions himself & Brandon Ingram playing all five positions at times

Gee, they will really be busy covering all of that territory.

[Furniture]

Jahil got an ankle injury on his debut but that was after he did this to a fellow Duke...
https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeNBA/s...836160/video/1

[Furniture]

https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-fo...ning-in-spain/

Not a bad place to be (just outside Barcelona). Good luck Kyle.

[awhom111]

https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-fo...ning-in-spain/

Not a bad place to be (just outside Barcelona). Good luck Kyle.

That actually ended up being old news. He was announced earlier on Sunday at Obradoiro, another team in Spain.

Overseas updates will probably resume on Tuesday, for those who were wondering.

[sagegrouse]

That actually ended up being old news. He was announced earlier on Sunday at Obradoiro, another team in Spain.

Overseas updates will probably resume on Tuesday, for those who were wondering.

Obradoiro is in Santiago de Compostela, the capital city of Galicia in the far northwest of Spain. This is the site of the remains of St. James the Apostle . The Camino de Santiago is taken by pilgrims from all over the world and was especially popular in the Middle Ages. It covers several routes, some as far away as France. It has become newly popular since declared the first European cultural route by the Council of Europe. I have had friends take the journey. One, an Argentinian, had a letter of introduction from his HS teacher who had become a prominent cleric in Argentina. The author is now Pope Francis.

Good for Kyle! I hope his pilgrimage works out for him.