Signing(s): Giannis Antetokounmpo signs supermax extension (5 years, $228.2 million)

[John Price]

Again, just pointless rambling. They traded for those guys, neither forced their way to the Celtics etc. And they weren't the first to trade for superstars, Rockets traded for Drexler and built a superteam around him and the Dream, later adding Barkley and Pippen. Kareem bullied his way out of Milwaukee requesting a trade to either the Knicks or the Lakers. Wilt bullied his way out of Philly requesting a trade to San Diego, Seattle or LA and ended up in LA with the Logo and Baylor. Big O forced his way to Milwaukee to play with Kareem. Knicks added Monroe and Lucas to Fraizer and Reed. Then Dr. J ends up in Philly, and they add Malone a few seasons later. I hope that's enough examples to shut you up about the Celtics and this false narrative.

While I appreciate the history lesson

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/galle...y-lebron-james-heat-cavaliers-warriors-061617

Boston's trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen constituted the first truly modern superteam, as they joined Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo to take the Eastern Conference by storm — and to earn that oh-so-coveted ring.

We've gone from a rare superstar looking for greener pastures once a decade or so to Hall of Famers trying to preserve their legacies, to the game's best players taking the easy way out at their peaks, all in the unending pursuit of rings — to hell with the cost.

And you know what? If your entire worth as a human being in the eyes of others boiled down to whether you'd earned a piece of gaudy jewelry, you'd probably make the same decision.

 

[Islay1989]

While I appreciate the history lesson

https://www.foxsports.com/nba/galle...y-lebron-james-heat-cavaliers-warriors-061617

Boston's trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen constituted the first truly modern superteam, as they joined Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo to take the Eastern Conference by storm — and to earn that oh-so-coveted ring.

We've gone from a rare superstar looking for greener pastures once a decade or so to Hall of Famers trying to preserve their legacies, to the game's best players taking the easy way out at their peaks, all in the unending pursuit of rings — to hell with the cost.

And you know what? If your entire worth as a human being in the eyes of others boiled down to whether you'd earned a piece of gaudy jewelry, you'd probably make the same decision.

lol

Keep on keeping on Lakers "fan"

 

[John Price]

lol

Keep on keeping on Lakers "fan"

(there's a reason Jordan and his contemporaries mock the way current stars assemble like Avengers knockoffs to win titles shamelessly)

while you are correct in some ways about Wilt and company forcing trades it was NEVER as bad as it was from Celtics 2008 on. The modern NBA superteam has literally ruined the sport. I for one am ecstatic that Giannis is actually showing loyalty to the team that drafted him and built around him. Modern history is rife with players chasing rings in order to validate their legacy which is kind of stupid IMO.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

(there's a reason Jordan and his contemporaries mock the way current stars assemble like Avengers knockoffs to win titles shamelessly)

while you are correct in some ways about Wilt and company forcing trades it was NEVER as bad as it was from Celtics 2008 on. The modern NBA superteam has literally ruined the sport. I for one am ecstatic that Giannis is actually showing loyalty to the team that drafted him and built around him. Modern history is rife with players chasing rings in order to validate their legacy which is kind of stupid IMO.

Yes and it is the good ol' "things were so much better back then" trope.

Replace "rings" and "current players" by "we had it tougher" and "kids these days"...

Just old men yelling at clouds, essentially.

 

[Voight]

A little surprised he stayed, only because Milwaukee seemed disinterested in building a winner until a month ago. Figured he'd wait out the season and see if they fail in the playoffs again or actually make the finals. Maybe he'll pull a KAJ and win a ring to satisfy the fans before he bolts

 

[Voight]

What the Celtics did is usher this "super team" era. However, they did it "the right way". They identified stars who could be acquired and they acquired them.

What Lebron, Bosh and Wade did is what people are mad about. They colluded as early as 2008 (the Olympics) and decided they would all play together. THAT'S what really changed the landscape.

People were tired of Golden State winning, but Golden State (pre KD) was the PERFECT example of building the right way. Hell, even the KD signing was not an immoral thing. They had space because they developed well and had affordable star players. They COULD add another superstar to put themselves over the top. KD can be judged for joining, but GSW absolutely did nothing "wrong". People were just mad because it was not their team.

Heck, even the players colluding is not "wrong". It sucks as a fan when your team losses a star, but at the end of the day, these guys have a right to choose where they work. Sucks when we lost Bosh the way we did, but it helped change the culture in Toronto, I think.

As a Raptor fan, 2019 was a blessing. We got aggressive, got Kawhi for a year and it paid off. We even "ended" the GSW Dynasty (injuries, I know but still, felt good to be the team to "end" them). I am not naive though. We won't contend every year and we will very rarely get the big UFAs. Our best bet is to continue to do what has been done. Draft well, develop well, sign the right guys, make the right trades. And then, once in while, make the splash move that can put you over the top. As a fan, all I ask for is to have fun watching my team. The Raps have made basketball fun for me in the last 9 years. 1995 to 2012, meh, some good, mostly bad.

So, once again, as a Raptors fan, as much as I wanted us to get Giannis, I am glad he is staying in Milwaukee. It gives me hope that our stars can stay too. I mean DeMar stayed, but he was not that great. But still, he chose to stay. FVV stayed. Not a superstar, but still, he stayed. They stayed because the team can pay them AND they can at least have a hope of winning there.

As per Windhorst, the big 3 plan was actually hatched in 2006 at the FIBA championship or some USA BB camp. LBJ, Wade & Melo were all going to sign 3 year extensions the coming season so they could all end up free agents in 2010. The team up would follow, only problem was Melo ended up signing a 5 year deal for some unknown reason and that left Bosh to fill in as the "third guy"

I agree 100%.

We can judge KD is we want, but he did what was right for him. I mean, that's his livelihood. We all left jobs for better jobs at some point. We all "lacked" loyalty for a better opportunity at some point.

In a way, I am glad NBA players found a way to have most of the leverage. Good for them. Can suck as a fan sometimes, especially if you are a fan of a smart market team, but good for the players.

I don't blame KD at all. ANYONE would have signed with Golden State had the opportunity been there, and people act as if they were a dynasty. They had gone1 for 1 for 2 in the finals; it was because of KD they won back to back. It was clear he wasn't going to win in OKC or at least with Westbrook (whos now on his 3rd team in 3 years). Another reason is people are so ring-obsessed these days, KD knew without at least one chip on his resume he would never get the respect he earned and deserved. I give him credit for getting said chip in his prime as opposed to the way say Payton did, at the tail end of his career when he was a bench player.

I was 8 when that happened, and the first thing I thought of was "Why would you want to leave DisneyWorld?" Of course I knew nothing of Los Angeles then other than they had just lost the NFLs Rams to St Louis, and thought Hollywood was its own city.

I've seen people talk about this potentially turning the tide for small-markets to keep their stars. We'll have to see what happens in 5-6 years when and if Ja Morant/Zion develop into superstars. Luka in all liklihood is a Maverick for life.

Cuban is willing to spend and Dallas seems to be a top destination for players, so i have no doubt Doncic will go the Dirk route.

 

[Deficient Mode]

A little surprised he stayed, only because Milwaukee seemed disinterested in building a winner until a month ago. Figured he'd wait out the season and see if they fail in the playoffs again or actually make the finals. Maybe he'll pull a KAJ and win a ring to satisfy the fans before he bolts

They had the best record in the NBA in each of the past two regular seasons; they had every reason to think they had a winning team until they saw it in the playoffs. The Miami series was an embarrassment but the margin against the 2019 Raptors was razor thin and could've gone the other way with a change in shooting variance for either team. Bud is a questionable coach in the playoffs but Giannis's imperfect decision making, disappointing ability to score in the half court, and reliance on transition scoring that dries up in the playoffs bear as much responsibility for their disappointments as anyone.

 

[Voight]

They had the best record in the NBA in each of the past two regular seasons; they had every reason to think they had a winning team until they saw it in the playoffs. The Miami series was an embarrassment but the margin against the 2019 Raptors was razor thin and could've gone the other way with a change in shooting variance for either team. Bud is a questionable coach in the playoffs but Giannis's imperfect decision making, disappointing ability to score in the half court, and reliance on transition scoring that dries up in the playoffs bear as much responsibility for their disappointments as anyone.

My comment was in regards to them last year choosing not to keep Brogdon due to luxury tax concerns.

 

[Deficient Mode]

My comment was in regards to them last year choosing not to keep Brogdon due to luxury tax concerns.

I don't think that that was entirely due to luxury tax concerns rather than a mix of tax avoidance and not thinking he was worth $21M a year to them as a tertiary offensive player and supporting piece on defense when they still had a strong guard rotation between Bledsoe (if they were convinced in his regular season version), Hill, Matthews, and DiVincenzo. Brogdon leaving opened up a rotation spot for Matthews, who was a clearly better defender for them and could still hit 3s at a respectable rate, even if the rest of his offense isn't close to Brogdon's level. The owner said it was entirely this line of reasoning rather than avoiding the luxury tax, which I'm not convinced by... but you can definitely rationalize the decision from a basketball perspective. It's going too far to say they were "disinterested in building a winner."

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

As a Raptors fan, this is probably the best thing that happened to the organization. The fact that Giannis was such an every day discussion, this now comes to an end. Focus on the season at hand and then when the offseason comes, re-evaluate what's available. I'm glad that the discussion of Giannis isn't hanging over the team's head and it should be very easy to fill the roster with very good players when the offseason rolls around. The focus is 100% on the players that are there and that's what it should be.

 

[Voight]

I don't think that that was entirely due to luxury tax concerns rather than a mix of tax avoidance and not thinking he was worth $21M a year to them as a tertiary offensive player and supporting piece on defense when they still had a strong guard rotation between Bledsoe (if they were convinced in his regular season version), Hill, Matthews, and DiVincenzo. Brogdon leaving opened up a rotation spot for Matthews, who was a clearly better defender for them and could still hit 3s at a respectable rate, even if the rest of his offense isn't close to Brogdon's level. The owner said it was entirely this line of reasoning rather than avoiding the luxury tax, which I'm not convinced by... but you can definitely rationalize the decision from a basketball perspective. It's going too far to say they were "disinterested in building a winner."

Aside from the Bledsoe trade, They didn't make any serious trades until last month in the Giannis era. Seemed like they were content to float thru and avoid the tax until it became apparent they were in jeopardy of losing him.

I thought he'd wait until next July, but its still great too see him stick around rather than bolt to say South Beach.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Aside from the Bledsoe trade, They didn't make any serious trades until last month in the Giannis era. Seemed like they were content to float thru and avoid the tax until it became apparent they were in jeopardy of losing him.

I thought he'd wait until next July, but its still great too see him stick around rather than bolt to say South Beach.

Well... they really thought Parker was going to be that second star player for a long time, and that they'd need to save money for him. His cap hold would've put them over the cap in summer 2018. Giannis was around the 10th best player in the league rather than at an MVP level at that time. They were a 7th place team in the East in 2017-18. That's not really a situation where you're one attainable piece away from contention, or where you can blame the owners for not spending to the tax. Instead they overhauled their depth players for the better, Giannis took a leap forward defensively, and Brogdon took a leap forward. And they did trade for Mirotic, who disappointed in the 2019 playoffs, but was a legitimately positive NBA player.

There's some merit to criticizing the handling of Brogdon, but I don't think it's appropriate to criticize them for being cheap/patient before 2018.

 

[clydesdale line]

Giannis is a nice throwback player. He is staying with his team unlike alot of guys who like to be buddy buddies with other top guys around the league and team up (or just team hop in general).

 

[Voight]

 

[Fighter]

KD knew without at least one chip on his resume he would never get the respect he earned and deserved.

If you think he's earned more respect after those two rings, I think you're way off. He's been dissed, joked about and now that he's in NJ he's forgotten and rightfully so. Many people think his supposed legacy is tainted with that move and I agree.
It's a fresh of breath air, despite the big bucks, seeing Giannis remaining in Milwaukee. And trust me, I would have loved to see him in a Knicks jersey.

 

[Voight]

If you think he's earned more respect after those two rings, I think you're way off. He's been dissed, joked about and now that he's in NJ he's forgotten and rightfully so. Many people think his supposed legacy is tainted with that move and I agree.
It's a fresh of breath air, despite the big bucks, seeing Giannis remaining in Milwaukee. And trust me, I would have loved to see him in a Knicks jersey.

I don't think its tainted at all. Not like he joined a contender in his twilight like say Gary Payton did and won chip. KD was the reason the Warriors went 8-1 in the two finals he played in. FMVP both times. Its fine if people want to ridicule him, but those same people would have done the exact same thing. LeBron kick started this whole teaming up thing anyways.

End of the day KD has two rings and as Fred Shero said - win today and we'll walk together forever.