Kyle Singler and Luol Deng Announce Retirements

[bundabergdevil]

In more than 40+ years of watching Duke basketball, Kyle is one of my favorite players. What a warrior!

Luol was great, too, but since he only played one year at Duke, I don't have quite the same feelings for him. Don't get me wrong -- he was great.

Congrats to the two of them. Hope they enjoy their postplaying lives!

This was probably shared when it was published but I'll re-link. Luol is the titular subject of Forbes' The NBA's Unlikely Real Estate Mogul: Inside Luol Deng's Towering $125M Portfolio.

Something tells me he'll keep himself busy in retirement between said mogul-dom and his humanitarian work in Africa. He's doing his alma mater proud, that's for sure.

[JNort]

Well wishes to Kyle. One of my favorites from the modern era as well. Still really shocked he didn't have, at a minimum, a solid NBA career (even if it was only coming off the bench as a 6th, 7th or 8th man).

I expected it but not restating those thoughts again because I got flamed by 3 or 4 people last time... Despite being correct and fair in the assessment.

[JNort]

He "made it" in the NBA to the tune of $22.6 million in past and future payments from the Pistons and Thunder.

Money doesn't mean "made it" in team sports. Performance does. More so if you consider pay relative to your peers. That said I would take that in a heartbeat!

[Duke79UNLV77]

It’s amazing how new players retire every year, but I don’t get any older! Right?

Way to represent Duke in all aspects, Kyle!

[awhom111]

I checked the Singler stats. It listed $999 thou under "Salaries" in 2019 and the remaining four payments under "Contract" with a notation of early termination. If they aren't paying him, why do they list anything?

This is as complicated as Brexit.

He is still being paid. Players waived with a significant amount of guaranteed money remaining have that cash stretched. Teams can choose to take the cap hit immediately or with the same amounts as the cash paid, but they have no choice on the payment schedule.

[cato]

Money doesn't mean "made it" in team sports. Performance does. More so if you consider pay relative to your peers. That said I would take that in a heartbeat!

Well, it does and it doesn’t. Kyle made it in that he got a second contract for a good chunk of change. Many, many people do not make it that far.

He did not make it in that he did not live up to that second contract.

But that does not take away from the fact that he made it far enough to earn more money in his basketball career than the vast majority of his college classmates who have very successful careers in something other than sports.

[Acymetric]

I checked the Singler stats. It listed $999 thou under "Salaries" in 2019 and the remaining four payments under "Contract" with a notation of early termination. If they aren't paying him, why do they list anything?

This is as complicated as Brexit.

The most likely explanation is that I was completely wrong and they're still paying him.

I do think in some cases (at least in the NFL, maybe not the NBA) "dead cap" hits can involve signing bonuses that were already paid but are prorated across the span of the contract for salary cap purposes. If the player is cut, the team isn't necessarily still paying the player, but that prorated signing bonus is still counted against the cap (thus "dead" cap, since it isn't actually being used towards an active player). No clue which is the case for Singler but if they list a salary it is probably guaranteed annual salary still being paid.

[revmel53]

One of my all-time favorite Dukies, I hope all goes well for him.

One of the all-time favorite warriors, which include Laettner and Battier... Laettner remains on a level all his own, as over and over, especially when teammates (Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley) were injured, he took the team on his shoulders and willed it to win.

[Nrrrrvous]

I know it said he was retiring for personal reasons. But... maybe after that... rejoin his teammates... Jon and Nolan... Down the bench... ???

[uh_no]

I know it said he was retiring for personal reasons. But... maybe after that... rejoin his teammates... Jon and Nolan... Down the bench... ???

I think that would be highly unlikely.

[InSpades]

Still a proud member of the "Kyle should have his number in the rafters" club.

1 of my favorite Duke players (heck, he might be 2nd after JJ). We all remember how good he was when they won it all but I'll always remember how hard he played as a freshman. He gave 100% every time he was on the court and he had a lot of wonderful skills.

Best of luck in retirement!

[COYS]

1 of my favorite Duke players (heck, he might be 2nd after JJ). We all remember how good he was when they won it all but I'll always remember how hard he played as a freshman. He gave 100% every time he was on the court and he had a lot of wonderful skills.

Best of luck in retirement!

One of my favorite memories of Kyle’s freshman season was right as the buzzer sounded in the loss to UNC at Cameron (a game Duke was in until the last five minutes when the UNCheat’s size clearly wore Duke down), Kyle knocked the ball away from [forgotten UNC player] in complete disgust. For a guy who never showed too much emotion in other ways, that outburst showed just how hot his competitive fire was burning under the surface.

[Furniture]

He got buckets...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWPASQZqLc

One of my all time favorites. Those days were very cool. Scheyer, Smith Singler....

[Nrrrrvous]

I think that would be highly unlikely.

Just curious if there is reasoning behind that or just your opinion? Not being snarky, just curious.

[Steven43]

One of my all time favorites. Those days were very cool. Scheyer, Smith Singler...

I’m with you. All three of those guys are on the list of all-time great Duke players. Just imagine how differently you would feel about them if they had left after their freshman year. This OAD thing has to stop.

[JNort]

I’m with you. All three of those guys are on the list of all-time great Duke players. Just imagine how differently you would feel about them if they had left after their freshman year. This OAD thing has to stop.

I don't mind it. I remeber Zion, Ingram, Rivers, Tatum, Jabari, Winslow, Tyus, and Jah all more fondly than most who come through. To each his own, but for me length of time doesn't matter.

[Steven43]

I don't mind it. I remeber Zion, Ingram, Rivers, Tatum, Jabari, Winslow, Tyus, and Jah all more fondly than most who come through. To each his own, but for me length of time doesn't matter.

So...let’s say you’re in a relationship with someone you really care about. Would you rather have that relationship last one year or four years? Be honest.

[Neals384]

I have always been a Duke fan, but when Kyle committed to Duke I became a Duke FAN. I live in Kyle's neck of the woods and watched him play in HS.

dbr is the reason I'm still a Duke FAN.

Best wishes for continued success in all your future endeavors, Kyle!

[jdk]

Wow, just saw this. Kyle was probably my favorite player in the past 20 seasons at Duke. Incredible grit. Could have been a lottery pick after 2010, but came back to give it another try. He plays winner. I thought he should have had his jersey retired, but that's from an outside perspective with no clue as to the inner workings of the basketball machine at Duke.

Never would have thought Lance Thomas would have had the longest NBA career from the 2010 Championship team. His career may have just ended as well.

[Son of Jarhead]

Never would have thought Lance Thomas would have had the longest NBA career from the 2010 Championship team. His career may have just ended as well.

Still too early to call that one. The Plumlees (MP1 & MP2) are still playing. Lance currently has played 8 years in the league, Miles 7, and Mason 6.