The NBA . . . . . gone and forgotten

[PeteLFan]

On top of that the return is brutal for Orlando al freaking Harrington.

Robbery

[trackercowe]

Oh wow what a terrible deal for Orlando. I guess the 3 first rounders, and a first rounder from this past draft isn't that bad, but at least in the near future Orlando is going to be terrible.

Who in their right mind would buy season tickets to see Al Harrington, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Torkoglu?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Seattle Magic anyone? What a debacle of a trade for them. They've drafted one of the best centers ever and maybe another one, and lost them both for essentially nothing. Risky trade for the Lakers and Philly with no guarenteed extensions from either Howard or Bynum. Great trade for Denver as they have no risk and get a damn fine player in Iguodala. Lakers keeping Gasol is huge, they can move him at the deadline or draft for more pieces.

Also, the Southeast is easily the worst division in sports history now. Can the Bobcats and Magic win 30 games combined next season?

[Lil Pedro]

Can't wait to watch zero NBA games next year!

[d_phaneuf]

best deal Orlando was going to get

only way to win that league now (outside of Miami/LA where stars will flock) is to bottom out and build up through the draft

any other deal (like the one the Nets offered) makes them a bubble lottery team

[FanIn80]

Citing unidentified sources, ESPN first reported the deal was in place. The Los Angeles Times, citing unidentified NBA executives, later confirmed the trade. The Denver Post confirmed the Nuggets' end of the deal, and Yahoo! Sports also confirmed the trade, both citing unidentified sources.

A person with knowledge of the trade also confirmed the Denver portion of the deal to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been officially announced.

Philadelphia would get Andrew Bynum from Los Angeles and Jason Rchardson from Orlando, while Denver would get Andre Iguodala from the 76ers.

Orlando would receive Arron Afflalo and Al Harrington from Denver, Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless from Philadelphia, and lottery protected first-round picks from each of the three teams.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=402780

To LA: Dwight Howard
To Philly: Andrew Bynum, Jason Rchardson
To Denver: Andre Iguodala
To Orlando: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless plus a 1st round pick from each of LA, Denver and Philly

How's this for an all-star team...

Pau Gasol (PF) Dwight Howard (C) Ron Artest (SF)
Steve Nash (PG) Kobe Bryant (SG)

[trackercowe]

Yeah the entire league continues to be a joke. I would consider myself a Lakers fan these days, but it's pretty much pointless to run a league where all the top stars go to a few teams and the same teams are guaranteed trips to the finals every year.

There is absolutely no point in having the regular season, as we all know barring injuries the Lakers and Heat should meet in the finals next season. I guess OKC has a shot as well, but only if things in LA do not work out. But for the 25 teams next season that have essentially no shot coming in and might as well just tank for first overall.

[FanIn80]

Don't worry, there's still lots of time for Stern to veto this one.

[Stranger]

Breakdown of different league champs of the 4 major sports leagues since 1980:

MLB - 19 differrent teams
NHL - 16 different teams
NFL - 15 different teams
NBA - 8 different teams

And it seems to be getting worse. Some NBA cities may never see a championship.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Pau Gasol (PF) Dwight Howard (C) Ron Artest (SF)
Steve Nash (PG) Kobe Bryant (SG)

None of these guys where drafted by the Lakers. Kobe is the only one that they developed as a rookie. Shows how different teams are built in the NBA than the NHL.

[bluejays]

I think everyone has already said and shared what everyone thinks of the NBA. It's becoming a no-compete league, and the worst part, given the refs tendencies to call fouls for the star players, is that the Lakers will gets calls left right and centre because each of their players has a reputation for getting calls. How this can go on with the league calling themselves competitive, is beyond me.

[PeteLFan]

I find it funny though we are not signing these guys away we had to trade the 2nd best center in the league to get Howard he didn't come free.

When the Chris Paul deal happened it was Gasol and odom going out. We all know what that punk stern did there. Steve Nash cost 4 draft picks.

The issue was what that garbage in Miami did. Now with Dwight on board and Kobe making him a man, #6 won't be seeing a title for a long time.

[Senator Clay Davis]

If the Chris Paul trade got vetoed, doesn't this trade also have to be vetoed? Orlando is getting a substantially worse return for Dwight Howard than the Hornets would have gotten from the Lakers for Paul. I know this trade is a lot more complex, but if the end result is a team trading a superstar for a horrible return, and thats why the Paul trade was vetoed, then how can this trade not be vetoed?

Also the best way to enjoy the NBA is to stop acting like it's a sport and treat it for what it really is: sports entertainment, just like wrestling. You don't treat it as legitimate (I've seen more travelling calls in two weeks of Olympic play than in the entire NBA playoffs), you treat it as fun and exciting. But soccer might have more cred than the NBA.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Stranger

Breakdown of different league champs of the 4 major sports leagues since 1980:

MLB - 19 differrent teams
NHL - 16 different teams
NFL - 15 different teams
NBA - 8 different teams

And it seems to be getting worse. Some NBA cities may never see a championship.

I think the NBA is broken, and it is getting worse.

[FanIn80]

All I know is I want Nash to get his ring. He deserves at least one for all the different casts of nobodies he drug kicking and screaming into the playoffs in Phx.

If it's any consolation, at least the Lakers' front 5 were all acquired through trades and giving up assets. They can't be compared to what happened in Miami in the slightest.

[PeteLFan]

Done deal.

Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, and earl Clark are lakers.

The Lakers will send All-Star center Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers, who also will receive shooting guard Jason Richardson from the Orlando Magic. The Sixers will send guard Andre Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets. The Magic will receive Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, rookie swingman Moe Harkless, forward Josh McRoberts, forward Christian Eyenga, three protected first-round draft picks and a 2013 second-round pick from the Nuggets (by way of Golden State). In addition to Howard, the Lakers will also receive Earl Clark and Chris Duhon from the Magic.

[moon]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

All I know is I want Nash to get his ring. He deserves at least one for all the different casts of nobodies he drug kicking and screaming into the playoffs in Phx.

If it's any consolation, at least the Lakers' front 5 were all acquired through trades and giving up assets. They can't be compared to what happened in Miami in the slightest.

Bosh and Lebron were sign and trades like Nash, Wade drafted, Chalmers drafted.

Artest was a straight FA.

So yes Gasol and Hiward were dealt for using assets but it isn't all that different.


And Lebron signing there as a UFA is a lot more respectable than Howard crying his way out of Orlando forcing a 10 cents on the dollar garbage deal.

[FanIn80]

To get James and Bosh, the Heat gave up...

• 4 1st round picks
• 2 2nd round picks

To get Nash and Howard, the Lakers gave up...

• Lamar Odom (a 4th overall pick)
• Andrew Bynum (a 10th overall pick)
• 4 1st round picks

The Miami scenario involved 3 UFAs colluding together to spend Miami's $49 million in available cap space, and using the NBA sign-and-trade rule to get a bigger contract than they would have otherwise been allowed to sign.

The LA scenario involved a GM actively making individual deals to acquire the assets he wanted. Nash was a sign-and-trade, but not for a big payday. Nash requested that because he wanted the Suns to get something in return. Also, the only reason they were able to do that deal in the first place, was because of the Stern veto fiasco with the Chris Paul trade. They had to dump Odom off to Dallas because he didn't like being part of the proposed trade, which the Lakers took $8.9 million in trade exception in return. They then used that exception to sign Nash. The Howard deal literally saw them trade the #2 Center in the league for the #1 Center in the league.

Yes we have two powerhouses, but they are not even close to being formed in the same manner.

[PeteLFan]

Yeah I don't get the bull#### people spew, the losers in Miami colluded to get together and signed as free agents, the Lakers have used assets and players to acquire what they have.

I doubt Miami even makes it to the finals this year, but if they somehow fluke in the Lakers are going to steamroll them.

[Hockey_Ninja]

If that line-up can't win Steve Nash an NBA title then i don't know what will.