Illnesses happen and such is life, but hopefully the questionable status for CMB is good news on his thumb! Would really like to see a stretch where we have both a starting and backup C.
Besides the stinker against the Pelicans the starters have been really good of late, but the bench needs CMB.
We were 5th at the all star break, at 32-23. 3 games up on 7th. So we lost 3 games of ground over that 4-6 stretch.
When we last were 3rd, on Jan 26th, we were 1 game up on the 5th place team. We were in 4th on Jan 27th with the same record and 5th on Jan 28th having lost one more game.
I mean it was a stinker. Those happen. Don't love it, but I haven't seen it as a trend yet. Basically every team has a handful of those over an 82 game season. This just happens to come after a bunch of tough losses against good teams, so feels worse.
But this year we've won most of the games against lesser teams. Occasionally losing one of them doesn't change that. Same with the struggles against good teams, where the Raps just aren't quite ripe yet (though also wouldn't completely write them off come a playoff series).
Lately the starters have been great and the young bench has fallen short against good teams. This time just came out flat against a bad team and threw up a stinker (not being able to hit a shot to save our lives didn't help, along with the Pels being scorching hot).
Raps are scuffling, for sure, and the playoff race is tight, but I'm not so doom and gloom. Fighting for a top 5-6 playoff spot is where this team should be, and being where they are missing Jak for so long is still a good spot to be in.
Love Boucher but I don't think Darko did. And they'll probably want to give TJD some run.
10-30 reverse protection is so weird. The Clips really think the Pacers are going to go on a run late this season, but then give up a better pick next season somehow (presumably it goes unprotected in 2027 if protections kick in)?
Nah he's in the spot they signed Mamba into. If they waive CP there will be an open spot.
At the same time, assuming no one hits any bonuses, that wiggle room they have is plenty to be signing someone into that 15th spot once (if?) CP3 is waived. They can almost fit a rest of season deal right from today (870k or so, with 795k of wiggle room).
Pretty sure RJ and IQ both have big performance incentives (about 6M combined) that in theory could push them over - Raps must be confident they won't hit any of them.
RJ's are all NBA, all defence so safe assumption. I'm not sure about IQ's.
Jak has a small one too but he has missed too much time
Interesting that with the TJD acquisition, and with CP3's money still on the books, that the Raps have cleared a little room under the tax - but not a huge amount. I have it around 800k of cushion.
Newly signed players are pro-rated.
For tax purposes, it’s the full salary. So the big coming back should be a vet min deal, or close to it.
I suspect that's Jak.
If we did the deal just with the Nets, presumably we send Ochai's salary in cash. So, to pay CP3 for the rest of the season and accept being closer to the tax, Clips would need to cover more than the cash we have to pay CP3. So Clips sending as little as 1-1.5M might be enough. Could be more.
A 2nd rounder, sure, but if they are dumping him now they wouldn't have been re-signing him anyway.
I think they hold pat. The Ochai move is the last one you make.
Possible they can re-route CP3 somewhere for a low salary big.
Do we know yet why CP3 was even in that Ochai trade? I guess it was the Clippers that paid the cash to the Nets to cover Ochai's salary?
Wow, I didn't realize Spotrac was so well regarded for player evaluation. I mean, more power to you I guess.
My eyes do not see that. You can't think IQ has one of the 4 worst contracts in the league.
I just have eyes and can see what happens when teams try to let the market dictate.
But why? If they opt out he's an Early Bird free agent and they can't offer him as much as if they wait the final year for full Bird Rights.
Shead is on a minimum deal still. Mamu will be a value call regardless depending on his market. And there will be decisions like that in future years where having a 30M starting PG instead of a 40M starting point guard will help.
His last 2 years will be a steal. His overall deal will be fine.
I think it's hard to judge what he'd be getting on his final three years until the summer before that and seeing the deals being made then.
Er, not expiring, but shorter term.
RJ is expiring, so he's definitely who goes out when trading for a big salary, and we NEED IQ's shooting. IQ they likely wouldn't trade anyway for that reason.
I think they absolutely could have signed him for less, if they were happy with shorter term. They valued the term more. Call it bidding against themselves if you like - you can bid against the market but you can't set the term if so. Guys just sign short term in those scenarios.
I'm just surprised the Kings would do that but hey, Kangz gonna Kangz.
That's only a problem if the Raps look to trade him which I can't imagine is high on their list. They signed him to that term for a reason - he's an excellent fit with Scottie.
