Knixkik wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:I think we draft someone like Kevin Porter. Zion would be a great dream, but no guarantee we get #1 or 2. Knowing our luck, we draft 5 or so. KP may be back in March/April and we may win some games then,

"Young" core

Porzingis
Knox
Porter
Frank
^ a free agent that can play with a group like that.

Don't think Klay would be it. Think we need a versatile big forward. KD not coming in my opinion.
We should look at Julius Randle. Young, good rebounding, can defend, versatile. Sign him to a 4/60M type of deal.
We should look at Ricky Rubio.

Porzingis
Randle
Knox
Porter (OR RJ Barrett if we draft at 2 or 3).
Frank/Rubio

Full rotation:

Randle/Robinson/Kornet
Porzingis/Thomas
Knox/Lee
Porter/Hardaway
Rubio/Frank/Trier

That lineup likely makes the playoffs in the East is KP is healthy. Most important, it's a competitive YET young team that can have many players still improve such as KP, Knox, Frank, Randle, Porter/Barrett.

Does Randle play D? I thought he was similar to Kanter, only not quite as bad? And Rubio would do wonders for this team.

Randle is a good realistic choice. I think he's a PF/C that bangs. I think that compliments KP's game completely. Randle also fits our desired demographic. the only thing that concerns me about Randle is that he will get a THJ type of contract.

SupremeCommander wrote:Klay is my favorite player in the league. I know guys like KP and KD and Steph and Giannis are awesome because you have never seen a guy do stuff like that before... Either they are PFs that can play SG or a guy who has A+ shot/handle or well **** that Giannis does... But Klay? He is the prototype at SG. He looks like a better version of Ray Allen or Reggie. Give me Ray Allen 2.0 any day of the week.

The rumors around the league are that Klay Thompson and the Warriors will meet in the middle. Between his possible max AAV with another team and his theoretical max with the Warriors this offseason. IIRC, it should be about 28 million AAV, which is about his cap hold.

If Durant leaves, the Warriors will have to divest from Iguodala. He's a luxury that's afforded by having Durant in the lineup, but Durant out would mean Iggy needs to start and he simply cannot push those kind of minutes anymore.

Livingston is out no matter what happens. His contract only has 2 million guaranteed and they can stretch that. Looney and Jerebko and Cook are UFAs.

If Durant leaves, Iggy will be traded off the roster, he's expiring but he's still useful with championship experience and some team will take him in a wash trade. ( i.e. just absorb him into their open cap space, there are infinitely worse ways to spend 17-18 million for one year)

With Durant, Iggy, Livingston, Cousins and a few others gone, and with Thompson taking less than his max ( if he wants to keep winning, this is a necessity), and given a projection of about 110 million overall for the cap, the GSW will have some wiggle room, not a ton. They can infuse veteran ring chasing depth. Will someone like Wilson Chandler and/or Rudy Gay give them what Durant gives them? No, but given the cost to production ratio they could get, it would be extreme value.

If Durant does another 1+1 or maxes ( not likely, but let's run the scenario) then Iggy stays put and expires naturally.

Draymond Green is the interesting question. He's massively high BBIQ, but if he loses a step, that will hurt him quite a bit. He's not jump out of the gym athletic to start and he's not bulked by size to compensate. He's the core of their defense and he's just as valuable as Curry in terms of what he gives the team. If he wants his full max, you couldn't argue with them trading him off as his decline could be fast and steep. But I think they won't. If it comes down to it, they'll let him walk naturally or depending how the cap shakes out by then and Durant goes, maybe sign and trade ( but less likely) to get Green's Bird Rights to another team.

The Warriors have some problems, but these are good problems to have. Too much talent.

Something to consider is the natural evolution over time for Durant is to move to center eventually. If he signs a five year deal with the GSW, it might be unavoidable ( given how much money will be locked up in Curry and Durant)

Welpee wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

BigRedDog wrote:I think Klay is definitely more likely to stay in GS than KD.

I agree- don't think there's a chance of either really, but there's no way GS lets Klay walk and there's no way he wants to walk.

Klay is not going to take a discount. If KD wants to stay they'll have to make a decision.

If you read and listen to interviews of both players, I think Klay is the one most likely to stay. Evryonr describes Klay as a West Coast guy and I think I may have even heard him say that he's not a cold weather guy. KD has been way more flaky when anwering questions about his status. But who knows? Money usually talks in the end.

Klay wants to stay, KD isn't sure. I get it. But it may not be up to Klay.
If GS wins, KD wil most likely look to stay put. If both want to stay and neither accepts a pay cut they can't keep both. I would personally keep Klay over KD, but GS won't be able to do that. That makes Klay available.

If Klay takes less money and lets GS slimeball him again, after paying Curry - then they both stay. I think Klay wanting to be paid is more likely than KD wanting to move. If that's true then Klay will be in play. We will see.

Why is KD most likely to stay put if they win ? What else does he have to prove there ? It must get annoying winning so much and getting criticized as meaningless titles. I have to think there’s only so much tolerance there before he’s ready to do something new.

What is left to do? Overtake MJ in number of titles??
Build a dynasty? Put GS on the same page as the showtime Lakers? We're those meaningless titles too? Those teams were pretty loaded, just saying. There isn't s lot of rational reasons for him to leave. What it really comes down to is whether GS wil wasn't him more than Klay and whether Klay wil sign for pennies on the dollar. That's the bare bone basic of what all this hinges on. Everything else is noise.

All titles aren't judged equally. Even if KD equaled or overtook MJ in rings nobody would view their accomplishments as the same. KD would not only have to win four more rings but win four more finals MVPs and clearly be viewed as the team's best player. If I'm not mistaken, GS's record without Curry is significantly worse than their record without KD so it's debatable who their best player is. Not to mention, Curry lead them to a title without KD. No such debate with Jordan. I also don't see KD as a ghost chaser in the same mold as Kobe or Lebron. So yeah, I could see him being more enamored with things outside of on court success at this stage of his career. He's got rings, league MVP, finals MVP, scoring titles, HOF already locked up. Not saying that he wouldn't stay but I could see scenarios that would entice him to leave. It's his decision, not GS's.

Look at it like this (and I'm not saying KD would come to NY), but Mark Messier won five rings with Edmonton. I guarantee you, his one ring in NYC trumps those five Edmonton rings in terms of his rep.