Paul George, who forced Indiana to trade him a year before his contract expired, is the most recent example of stars maneuvering early to preserve their status as “Lary Bird players,” remaining eligible for maximum dollars. Insiders think that’s what Davis is doing, with the move to Klutch Sports all about the possibility of going to the Lakers. “Why else did he do it?” an East GM asked. “Things are going great for him. The team is going good. He got the Derrick Rose extension (a five-year $150 million deal that each team is allowed to offer one player on his rookie contract). “It’s not because of race. Thad Foucher is an Afro-American. It’s not because of agency. Thad Foucher is from the Wasserman Group and has Russell Westbrook. So why did he do it?”
Paul George, who forced Indiana to trade him a year bef…
December 4, 2021 | 4:13 am EST Update
New York Damian Lillard's preferred destination if traded?
Kyle Neubeck: Stephen A. Smith just said on NBA Countdown that New York is the one place Dame Lillard would angle for if he eventually wanted/asked out. Adds, “There are people in his camp who would like him to give Philadelphia stronger consideration.”
“It definitely caught me off guard. I actually learned about it in the parking lot of the Sports Academy in Frisco, TX. I was leaving a session and my phone was going crazy. I’d seen that DeMar DeRozan had gotten traded to Chicago and I was like, ‘Why is my phone going crazy for this?’ Then, I dive a little deeper into it and I see that the trade included me, Al-Farouq Aminu, some picks and stuff like that. “It definitely caught me off guard for the simple fact that I had just talked to my agent and my agent had just talked to everybody in Chicago, and we were being told that I was coming back. And they guaranteed my salary the day before or two days before or something like that and then used it as trade bait. It is what it is; it happens and it’s part of the business. But the only thing I wish is that I had gotten the heads up before I found out from social [media].
Malika Andrews: Steph Curry, after the Warriors snapped the Suns’ 18-game win streak. The Warriors have won 11 straight home games by 13+ points, tied for the longest streak in NBA history. (h/t @StatsWilliams) pic.twitter.com/wced1Dnve9
Jorge Sierra: The Lakers have the seventh-worst point differential in the NBA this season. Only Kings, Pelicans, Rockets, Thunder, Pistons and Magic have it worse.
Rich Hoffman: Joel Embiid: “There wasn’t anybody that was not likable in the past but it makes it easier when you have guys like that that care about winning. When we lose, you look at the Boston game, we were all pissed off. We all played so bad and we were still right there.” pic.twitter.com/i5VRkgXr7B
Rich Hoffman: Joel Embiid: “I’m still pissed off about what happened last year. [To win] means a lot to me… In our situation, we got about $400 million worth of contracts not playing. Any time you can get a win undermanned, missing 2 or 3 players, it’s great confidence for our guys.” pic.twitter.com/LmuraqwMvc
Kerry Kittles on the Brooklyn Nets’ chances of winning a title without Kyrie Irving in the fold currently… “No. They need Kyrie. They DEFINITELY need Kyrie. I just think that it puts too much pressure on those two guys. I think in this era nowadays, you need three stars. You definitely need three high caliber players that can control the game with the ball in their hands. We saw what happened last year with the injuries across the League; the game is so fast now, you know? Injuries are always going to play a role in today’s game unfortunately and Kyrie definitely has to come back to help this team get to the championship and have a chance of winning it. Without him, if they can make the Eastern Conference Finals, that would be a great season. I don’t care what happens in the regular season. They DEFINITELY need Kyrie in the postseason.”
