The Paul George Safari: LeBron Strikes Back!

[sleepmaster]

How does Melo get to Cleveland without a trade though?

buyout then chooses Cle for either midlevel or vet minimum

 

[SanduskyCav]

buyout then chooses Cle for either midlevel or vet minimum

NYK says they are not going to buy him out.

 

[gourimoko]

buyout then chooses Cle for either midlevel or vet minimum

I really don't think the Knicks will buyout Carmelo... They'd ask us to facilitate a trade first, even if it meant for non-guaranteed salaries, or the trade proposal I've outlined previously.

 

[Real Deal]

I really don't think the Knicks will buyout Carmelo... They'd ask us to facilitate a trade first, even if it meant for non-guaranteed salaries, or the trade proposal I've outlined previously.

I'm trying to figure out who will trade for Carmelo besides the Cavs.

 

[gourimoko]

I'm trying to figure out who will trade for Carmelo besides the Cavs.

No one because Melo won't accept a trade to play just anywhere...

With the Clips being a non-option, and Melo and D'Antoni's history; it leaves only the Cavaliers.

 

[gourimoko]

Just as a reminder, this is fresh on their minds.... So a reunion is highly unlikely.

nypost.com

Mike D’Antoni comes clean: I quit because of Carmelo
By Marc Berman
2 minutes
Modal Trigger

The Post’s cover on March 15, 2012.
Former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni admitted to the worst-kept secret of his departure — he resigned on March 14, 2012, because of Carmelo Anthony.

On the day of his resignation, The Post ran a back-page story, citing a source, that Anthony didn’t want to remain a Knick at the trade deadline if he knew D’Antoni would return next season. D’Antoni resigned later that afternoon.

According to a new ESPN Magazine profile on D’Antoni and his wife, Laurel, D’Antoni didn’t want to remain with the Knicks because of Anthony’s reported ultimatum.

“I just went in and quit,” D’Antoni told the magazine.

Anthony was bothered by several matters, including the coach’s favoritism of Jeremy Lin, who was running the coach’s speed-ball offense. Now Anthony is fighting another power struggle with Phil Jackson over the triangle.

Meanwhile, D’Antoni is a leading candidate to win the NBA’s 2017 Coach of the Year Award and was two victories away, entering Tuesday’s game with the Spurs, from leading the Rockets to the Western Conference finals with much of the league copying his 3-point-reliant, sprint attack.

 

[sleepmaster]

NYK says they are not going to buy him out.

It's early in the standoff and I think Melo's going to test that "no buyout" stance to see if they cave. That's how I interpret his story about wanting to be near his son. The reason it doesn't make sense to the radio host is because I think Melo is using that story about his son to seem like he prefers to stay in NY more than he actually does, until he feels NY's resolve to not buy him out weakens over time and the situation becomes ripe for buyout negotiations. Melo can be indirect like that to avoid conflict, and this way he also gets to see who goes where with trades/free agency before he has to clarify his intentions.

It's at the 20 minute mark in this video:

"Maybe Carmelo has to open up other teams to his list. But if he's open to being bought out and going to Cleveland, then the whole potential about not wanting to leave NY because of his son doesn't really add up. If there's places he wants to go, then the whole thing with his son doesn't really make sense. I would respect him if he came out and said look, I'm staying in NY because I want to be near my kid, and I'm not leaving, and that's the way it is.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks9xO7GsnWM

 

[kookoo]

It's not DG's fault that he left before. A history of awful contracts significantly hampered the franchinse and what happened with Bron leaving and us getting Kyrie, landing other high picks, then Bron returning was probably our best shot at winning a title anyway.

It's hard to blame DG for anything other than the letter. It's not DG's fault Bron basically strongarmed the team into giving impossible to unload contracts to JR and Tristan.

If it wasn't for DG's willingness to open the checkbook for these dumb deals, Bron probably would have left again already.

Well, if he was why we targeted players past their prime and never had a good point guard with Bron, then we can blame him. But Fair points, because there's no way of telling whether he was the one driving these trades. But that letter was a terrible idea and the two obviously have an awful relationship.

 

[Rich]

This is the correct answer..

Not to mention if we can say that guys like JR, Derrick Williams are "better by being close to LeBron"
Why can't the same be said for Wiggins? His role would have been significantly different. He'd have to fight defensively day one to carve out his role.

As the Warriors have shown us the last 3 years Athleticism Matters

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to have Kevin Love. He was worth trading for. As you said its not so much Love vs. Wiggins but as it turns out what we need vs. the Warriors.
He's the "better player", but as it turns out Wiggins would have been a better fit against the Warriors. Especially if he developed right under LeBron.

I still believe if we didn't force our hand we could have got both. T-Wolves are a bad organization and we gave them a break. Should have at least made them sweat until making a deal. At least get other assets. Love was leaving, they could have given us Lavine or Dieng.

538 named Andrew Wiggins the worst defender in the Nba

 

[specialk80]

I think the Melo-buyout possibility was real until Phil got fired. He very likely would have bought Melo out. I seriously doubt that's a possibility now.

 

[sleepmaster]

The buyout doesn't have to be now or anytime soon. Melo is good at prolonged stretches of just going through the motions and staying in this inertia of his, in a way that makes him good at dragging things out and outlasting others. How long can NY tolerate a star player who plays every game not fully with it, who is an unenthusiastic presence in the locker room, who progressively plays less and less defense, etc. Melo can try that for weeks and months before his people leak he doesn't like playing for the Knicks and it's either the Knicks or the Cavs and his people become more vocal about a buyout and things become uglier.

 

[Gus Zing]

538 named Andrew Wiggins the worst defender in the Nba

JR was considered worthless before coming to Cleveland.

I believe Wiggins would have developed defensively in Cleveland.

 

[Rainman]

Is this a Paul George thread?

 

[rosebowl89]

JR was considered worthless before coming to Cleveland.

I believe Wiggins would have developed defensively in Cleveland.

Because our players have been buying in to playing great defense so consistently.

 

[Gus Zing]

Because our players have been buying in to playing great defense so consistently.

Because our team was good enough to get to 3 straight finals.

Its fine if people agree that we should have traded Wiggins.

However, lets not have people constantly talk about how "Derrick Williams is a much better player now that he's with LeBron, lets give him major mins in the finals!"

And then turn around and act like Wiggins wouldn't been good or developed well here.