Good Trade Partners for a Westbrook Move

(July 4 2016)  By: Efraim Graber

Since Kevin Durant chose the Golden State Warriors as his new team, the Thunder need to counteract that move. They have already expressed interest in moving Westbrook for the right price. The reason to move him is because now that Durant is gone, Westbrook's chances of staying have slimmed immensely. Here are 2 teams that make sense for Russell and for the Thunder franchise.

Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers would have no reason to keep D'Angelo Russell, so sending him in the trade is a no brainer. Lou Williams is going to have to be sent as an incentive as well. There is no way the Lakers give up Julius Randle or Brandon Ingram in this trade. In addition a first round pick will round out this trade. The Thunder could make a quick turn around by builing around Oladipo and Russell. Obviously there would be other players involved in the deal to make the salaries work.

New Orleans Pelicans - The Pelicans have less
up and comers to offer in this trade. Buddy hield would probably have to go along with Jrue Holiday and a first round pick. This would leave the Pelicans with Westbrook, Evans, Pondexter, Hill and Anthony Davis as the starters. They would probably have to absorb the contract of one of the Thunder bigs.

Top Five: Landing Spots for Kevin Love

(June, 9th 2016) By: Ira Barasch

It’s time to face an ugly truth, which everyone has accepted except the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Love himself. The experiment has failed. In 152 games played for the Cavs, Love had averaged only 16.2ppg compared to the 26.1 the year before. He never truly found his niche in the offense. His game had dramatically declined, yet he’s still only 27 years old. Finding a place where he fits the system rather than the other way around is key for bringing back his drive and determination. Putting him on a younger team is also ideal, seeing as he can feel like more of a focal point in the offense while providing guidance for younger teammates. Granted, his contract situation isn’t the best, but with the cap rising the next two season teams should be less cautious to take on money for a legitimate star. With that being said let’s take a look at the five best spots for him to be traded this offseason.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers had their worst season in franchise history this past year. The drama surrounding the locker room and the constant coverage of Kobe Bryant’s last season stagnated the development of the young players on the roster. Coming into a new season with the second overall pick in the draft they have a great chance to right the ship. Adding a legitimate star to mentor and become the focal point of the offense would be a great help, and this is where Love enters. The second pick would probably go a long way to helping this trade, and helping this once great franchise return to the playoffs





Boston Celtics

This has been rumored for a while, and it definitely makes sense. The Celtics are on the cusp of becoming a power in the Eastern Conference, making the playoffs the past two years, their rebuild has been swift and effective. Aided by smart trades under the leadership of Danny Ainge and with the next big coach in Brad Stevens this team can utilize Kevin Love better than most teams on this list. The Celtics have the picks to make this trade happen, and with Isaiah Thomas as the floor general, Love would have a young, legitimate, point guard together with a young team to be able to compete in a weak conference for years

New York Knicks

Admittedly this is a longshot, yet it makes too much sense to pass up on. LeBron James is frustrated, wanting to bring a title to Cleveland for the first time in the Cavs history. He has a very close friend in a similar situation by the name of Carmelo Anthony. Calling up Melo in the offseason and asking to waive his no trade clause and come to Cleveland isn’t so far-fetched, and they have the perfect player for the Knicks in return, Kevin Love. A tandem of Love and budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis should make Knick fans excited, especially now that Jeff Hornacek is the head coach seeing as the faster tempo would help his game reach heights not seen in years if ever. Adding a point guard in free agency would not only a scary team with the pick and roll, but a legitimate playoff contender for years. This is a win win trade for both teams.

Miami Heat

With Chris Bosh questionable to return to the court due to blood clots, the heat must start to try and look for his replacement. While Love has less explosiveness than Bosh, he is a good shooter, passer, and can space the floor just as well. Again sticking in the weaker conference will help him, as well as having very solid pieces around him in Dwayne Wade, Loul Deng, Justice Winslow, and good point guard in Goran Dragic. The heat would be a dark horse to make it out of the East and to the Finals.

New Orleans

Again this a longshot, but just the idea of Love being paired with Anthony Davis should make basketball fans giddy with excitement. Davis is in desperate need of a teammate he can count on to help him realize his true potential. Adding Love into the mix, together with Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans, would give the Pelicans a solid core of players to go toe to toe with any team in the stacked Western Conference for years.

“Swing for the Fences”

(February 21nd 2016) By: Ira Barasch

There are rare moments in sports where a trade can truly make a difference for all of the parties involved. Its even rarer when those trades are blockbusters that could shake up the entire league. There is a certain art to making a deal, a kind finesse that only comes out when you try to make the biggest deal possible. You know your team needs that reset button, that star to build around, or that last piece to finally get over the hump, and you go out and make it happen. Fans will riot, cheer, cry, applaud, and various other things that fans do, yet you stick to your guns and make it happen. This is the art of the deal.

Now you can be saying “well gee, the deadline has passed, why is there yet another article about a trade?”. Well there are two reasons for that. 1) this trade can still be made possible in the offseason, however little to no chance there is that it happens. 2) this is a win-win-win (as Michael Scott would say) for all parties involved. So I'll stop with all the drama and build up and lay out my master plan.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Carmelo Anthony
New York Knicks receive: D'angelo Russell, Julius Randle
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Kevin Love

Now before all of you start yelling and saying “this will never happen” while snorting and rolling your eyes, let me lay out why each team would do this.
 Lakers:
 The Lakers are losing Kobe Bryant this offseason, the face of their entire franchise for almost two decades. While there is never a simple way of dealing with that kind of loss there are ways of making sure Hollywood has a star. The Kevin Love experiment has completely failed in Cleveland, but that doesn't mean Love is a bad player. The year before coming over to Cleveland he averaged a career high 26.1ppg, 12.5rpg, and another career high in 4.4apg. The man is still only 27 and can ball, but has to have players around him that can play his style of ball. It just so happens that one player will be a free agent in the coming years that would fit perfectly with him in Los Angeles, a player that played with love in L.A in college and who has championships of his own on his mind, Russel Westbrook. These 2 players together in California, who know each other's game so well, would be a dynamic duo that can easily keep the Lakers in championship contention for years to come.
Knicks:
The Knicks are in a strange place right now. They have a team built around an aging star, with another one just on the rise. They are in the playoff race, yet they are still rebuilding. To watch this team say how they should be making a legitimate run for the playoffs while playing under not one, but now 2 sub-par head coaches, having rookies making rookie mistakes, and their superstar wasting away his prime is just mind boggling. This is all on top of the rumors that their president Phil Jackson may be looking for a way out of New York to go back to L.A. The best bet here is to start totally fresh and build around their prodigy in Porzingis. Now how does one do that without any picks this coming year? Just get the number two pick from last year. Having Russell and Porzingis together is enticing enough, but throw Randle in the there? That's the making of a young core that could potentially dominate the east for years to come. The latent potential from all three is to good to pass up, this allows the Knicks to grow at a slower pace, with a new coach in the offseason, in a weaker conference, while having a ton of cap to spend on people who compliment their trio of budding stars.
Cavaliers:
The Cavs never thought they'd have a problem after creating one of the most intriguing super teams to date. Kyrie Irving is the young blood, Kevin love was the missing piece, and LeBron was the prodigal son come home. The story could have just written itself at that point, then Steph Curry decided to show up. The new way of basketball that the Warriors are playing has started to create a panic across the league. Teams are starting to question if their methods are outdated and archaic in light of the new style of small ball that the Warriors are playing. Yet something has got LeBron paying more attention, people calling Steph Curry the best player on the planet. People like James don't take threats to their throne well, they tend to massacre their opponents to leave a message to everyone else that this is his league until he decides to give it up. Getting rid of Love would be a great step in that direction, playing the small ball game the Warriors decided to make, and beating them at it alongside one his closest friends, Carmelo Anthony. They would only have a small window, and they would have to play on a level we have not seen in a while, yet is there any doubt that these two close friends and megastars could make it work? The East would be theirs for years, they would vanquish their foe in Curry, and keep that torch until they decide to pass it on.

Not everyone is going to agree with this, nor should they, we're all entitled to our opinions. Yet you can't deny the underlining points made for each team, and the potential for each team to thrive for years to come. Financially with Kobe on their roster this would be tough to pull off, yet once he retires at year's end, all the money works out. Regardless of if this happens or not, its always fun to dream.

"Blockbuster"

(February 16th 2016) BY: Ira Barasch

I recall last trade deadline pretty vividly, I was covering it intently and was pretty underwhelmed, until all hell broke loose. By 3pm I was stunned by all the trades that had happened, all those last minute deals by a GM tinkering, toying with the hope of fans to get his team to the promised land. Fans love the deadline because anything can happen, its a second lease on life or a nail biter for a fan to see how savvy a GM could really be. This year is different though, with the salary cap set to rise by 20 million next year, teams are more hesitant with making a deal, not wanting to take up too much space and hoping to make a splash in free agency. No need to worry, as here at NBA Sports Talk we love a good juicy rumor as much as the next person, so here are 3 mega deals that we'd like to see happen:

1) Los Angeles Clippers receive: Carmelo Anthony 

New York Knicks Receive: Blake Griffin

This would be a bold move by both teams, and a win win for both parties involved. Melo would have an experienced coach in Doc Rivers, he would get one of the best point guards in the league in Chris Paul, along with a host of solid role players around him on a team ready to make a significant push towards a title.

Now the Knicks would have a scary tandem. Granted they would be a point guard away from making itwork, but the thought of Blake and Porzingis side by side is scary. Blake is more aggressive inside the paint, allowing Porzingis to move around more. Best of all? This trade is financially feasible (via ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mtxz2xd)

2) Washington Wizards receive: Kevin Durant 

Oklahoma City receives: Nene, Otto Porter Jr, and Bradely Beal

Your superstar is a free agent after the season, you're going through a 'will he or wont he' scenario and you have a shot to bolster the next young core of your team with Otto Porter Jr and Bradley Beal as your starting foundation? Sign me up. The Thunder would be smart to take precautions to protect them from potentially losing Durant in the summer for nothing.

Kevin Durant has been rumored to go back home (sort of) to Washington since last year. The comfort of having family and friends around you is priceless. Also there is John Wall, who desperately needs some fire power around him. Now granted the Wiz can only make this deal if Durant says he re-signs after the season is over, but the idea of Wall and Durant as running mates in a weaker conference would and should put fear into every team in the East

(ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=j3kegnm)

3) Boston Celtics receive: Kevin Love

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Marcus Smart, David Lee, Jared Sullinger

Another win win deal. While Boston gets a legitimate superstar to pair with Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland gets some nice bench depth in Lee and young players in Smart and Sullinger. This would need to come out of desperation for both teams but the whispers have definitely been out there that this might 

actually happen. (ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=gtn2vwg)

"NBA All Star Friday and Saturday Night"

(February 14th 2016) By: Efraim Graber

Just wanted to make sure everyone was current in the NBA All Star weekend that is taking place in Toronto!

2016 NBA All Star Weekend CANADA vs USA Celebrity Game Full Game Highlights  

 

 

 

2016 NBA All Star Weekend BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Full Game Highlights         

 

 

 

 

2016 NBA All Star Weekend Taco Bell Skills Challenge Full Highlights         

 

 

 

And last but not least..

 

2016 NBA Dunk Contest Mixtape!  

       

"Top 5 Teams in Purgatory"

(February 7th 2016) By: Ira Barasch

Its neither heaven nor hell. You're not great, you're not terrible.... you're in purgatory. Yes, it exists even in basketball. So how do we define purgatory for the sake of this article? Simple, any team that has legitimate hopes for the playoffs and more on their mind coming into the 2015-16 season, yet the teams constructed (at least today) does not have the firepower to get to the title game. Rebuilding teams, such as the Knicks, Wolves, Jazz and Magic will not be included due to the fact they are in the earlier stages of their rebuilding phases and have no legitimate deep playoff run hopes.


5: Atlanta Hawks
What has happened in Atlanta? Yes Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore are looking good, but between losing DeMarre Carrol, Kyle Korver's enormous drop off, and Jeff Teague just not being the same player as last year, this team just doesn't have the presence such as teams like the Raptors and the Cavs do. This was built top to bottom defensively last year, yet their OPPG has actually risen by over 2 points this year. Hope is not lost, with good consistent play from Milsap and Horford the Hawks are still in good position to make a run, but they must make a trade of some sort to have any hope of beating the East's top teams.

4: Memphis Grizzlies
I'm going to probably get some flack for this, but hear me out. As currently constructed the Grizzlies have a solid team, so why are they in this spot? Solely because of the conference they are in. When you know you're going to be dealing with teams such as the Warriors, Spurs, and even the Clippers you must up your arsenal. Yet the grizzlies didn't have much turnover from last year only losing notable players in Tayshaun Prince and Kosta Koufos (at the trade deadline, yet his presence is still missed). The players brought in to replace the production in Mario Chalmers and Vince Carter are good role players but don't quite put fear into an opponent. Yet Memphis has a scarier problem. Gasol, Randolph, Lee, Allen and Green have all been scoring less by an average of about a point or more this year compared to last. If this team can somehow pull off a big trade at the deadline they still have a shot at being the dark horse for the title, but barring that scenario, this team will maybe make it out of the first round but never further. With Gasol and Randolph aging and Conely potentially leaving come free agency,it might be time to blow it up and start from scratch.

3: Houston Rockets
Disappointment is an understatement. Firing Kevin McHale was a bit of a head scratcher at the beginning of the season. Combined with the decline of James Harden's MVP caliber play of last season and Dwight Howard's usual trade drama, this team just seems like a mess. They have holes everywhere, and while they could still make some trades and hope to salvage their season, there is no way they are making it past the top three teams in the west. This is the prime example of trying to band-aid a situation too many times and being stuck with the results. The rockets must retool somehow while Harden is still under contract and in his prime. Otherwise this team is destined for a small playoff run and then ousted by one of the more well put together teams in the West, not even considering the up and coming teams in the conference such as New Orleans and eventually Minnesota. Houston, we have a problem

2: Washington Wizards
John Wall is a great player, they have great role players in Otto Porter Jr and Bradley Beal. Yet this team is just built all wrong. With mostly just role players they have no Robin to Wall's Batman like last year when having Paul Pierce. Wall is only 25, so they have some time to retool, yet with consistent mediocrity from most positions they aren't built to win long term. There is no fall back option if Wall has a bad game, or in the future decides to leave. The frustration on the team is palpable, actually falling out of the playoffs recently (in the 10th spot as of this today). A second scoring option is a must if this team ever hopes of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals or further. With young teams making great strides in rebuilding as of late. The future is now for the wizard's, they just have to capitalize.

Honorable mentions:

Milwaukee Bucks:

Most of their deals from the past year since last deadline have not panned out. They were never looked at as any sort of favorite to make a deep playoff push or to win a title so that keeps them off this list.

Miami Heat:

Aging veterans and a stronger conference hasn't boded well for this team, yet Riley's continued savvy for finding solid players through the draft and undrafted players keep them off the main list.

Detroit Pistons:

Losing Monroe has been tough, yet Drummond is looking good. With only a few pieces away from a legitimate contender and a young core, this team has plenty of reason for optimism

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis needs a sidekick, and this team must get a bit younger to compete in this stacked conference. Failure to do so will lead them to being on this list next year

1: Chicago Bulls
The drop-off from this team has been a sobering experience for Bull's fans. Currently falling to the 6th spot in the East, they have been a complete mess. Some point to Joakim Noah's injury but this would have happened even if he was playing. The East just isn't the pushover it has been for the past few years, with teams like Indiana bouncing back, the Raptors capitalizing on their young and explosive team, and even young teams like the Celtics, Knicks, and Magic building their teams up to make a run in the future. We haven't even mentioned the Cavs still being the titan everyone is trying to topple standing in the way of the Bulls continuous tries to make it to the top of the mountain. Pau Gasol's age is starting to become apparent, Rose has flashes of his former brilliance but for the most part is a shell of what he used to be.

This team is a nightmare from which everyone involved or invested wants to wake up from. The sole bright spot has been Jimmy Butler proving this is now his team, on the flip side of that it's when Chicago's window is pretty much closed. A total breakdown and rebuilding around Butler is needed and asap. Sell high on whatever you can get rid of at the deadline to teams looking to make a push, this season is lost. How the mighty have fallen.

"Suitors for Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans"

(January, 28th 2016) By: Efraim Graber

Eric Godon has a fractured finger and is still going to be sitting at home for 4-6 more weeks. However, that is not stopping Dell Demps, the GM of the Pelicans from shopping him to contenders. Well lets be honest, they're not getting rid of him in an off season move because of his enormous contract. 

The Pelicans are just hoping they can get a decent return on a player that scores 15 ppg and is a good tough defender despite his size for a 2 guard. He's also frequented injuries throughout his career, which always seem toi be in the wrist/hand/finger range. 

Tyreke Evans is an athletic player, there is no doubt about that. For the Pelicans its just about getting a change of scenery for Anthony Davis. They need to start winning games and winning a lot of them. The playoffs are still in sight in a beaten up Western Conference. 

As a PG, Evans is a monster, at 6'5" and with the scoring ability he has, he is scary. As a two guard it comes naturally, especially since he improved his perimeter shooting these past few years. He sometimes can even play the 3, and whats surprising, is that he can defend it well. He has a contract of a little more than 10 Million for next season so they should be getting more offers on him than on Gordon. 

Here are the teams that will be interested in Eric Gordon: 

Detroit Pistons: 

They might just be willing to do a Brandon Jennings/Eric Gordon swap. The Pelicans should take this deal, especially since they have shown their willing to play smaller players in the 2 hole. 

Miami Heat: 
They need a scorer off of the bench to compliment Bosh and Wade. Eric can provide that spark. In terms of what they would send back can be a package of Gerald Green and maybe Beno Udrih. Not so enticing for the Pels. 

Here are the teams the would be interested in Tyreke Evans:

Brooklyn Nets:
The Nets would welcome his size to bolster their already gigantic lineup of Lopez and Young and having Evans as a PG would be a dream come true for them in the mismatch department. In terms of return, the Pelicans might be willing to take on Joe Johnson but then they would have to include something else from their end to match the salaries. 

Sacramento Kings:
They at one time wanted Ryan Andersen for a Rudy Gay deal but they might be willing to do it for Tyreke Evans. It would be a perfect fit for both teams. Evans would be happy to be back in Sac Towna nd Gay would be a perfect fit for a team that needs a slasher and 3 point threat. 

"Is Jennings Available??"

(January 25th 2016) By: Efraim Graber

That should be the question of every GM in the NBA. The Pistons phone line should be off the hook and Jeff Baur, the one time New Orleans GM/Interim Coach, no Pistons GM should be jumping for joy. Brandon Jennings in a household name, even with all of the antics and craziness over his years in Milwaukee.

His meager 7.2 PPG and 3.5 APG is not indicative of the player he is. First of all he is only playing 17 and a half minutes a game so far. With more minutes come more responsibility (Uncle Ben: Spiderman). He is also in a  crowded back court with Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson, and Steve Blake. It's worth is for any team on the cusp to take a chance on him on the chance that a change of scenery and an uptick in minutes will bring him back to the player he used to be.

A few buyers that can really benefit from his presence are as follows:

Brooklyn Nets:
I know they're not on the brink of a playoff spot but he would fit perfectly in their system. He can pass in the pick and roll with Lopez and he can get to the basket and create his own shot. He would compliment Joe Johnson's shooting by drawing defenders off of him.

Oklahoma City Thunder:
They can definitely use him as a spark plug off the bench. If you think having Westbrook fly at your players at 90 MPH wasn't enough, when he goes to the bench Jennings will replace him and be just as pesky. He can also play his ideal position as a 1 off the bench and have waiters in with him as another ball handler.

Miami Heat:
It wouldn't be his ideal situation but he can also come off the bench for Goran Dragic as a Six-Man. He can come in and fire on all cylinders in Miamis Mid-range jump-shooting party. He can also play off of Wades double teams and have wide open looks.

It's buying season people!

“The Cleveland Outcasts”

(January 23rd 2016) By: Ira Barasch

Minnesota hasn't been every sports player's ideal landing spot for a while now. The cold and dreary weather seemed to mimic the way their sports team would lose year after year. Recently though there has been an awakening in the land of 10,000 lakes. The Vikings have been on the upswing lately, the Twin's have legitimate young talent, and even the Wild have had some bite to them, yet the Wolves have the most interesting situation. The sheer amount of talent on the team is incredible from, Andrew Wiggins slowly realizing his potential, Karl Anthony-Towns having a fantastic start to his rookie year, Ricky Rubio staying healthy and playing like the superstar point guard he was hoped to be, Zach Levine, Shabbaz Muhammad and more. The presence of their greatest hero, Kevin Garnett is felt with the intensity that is brought nightly. Yet since the unfortunate death of Flip Saunders, they have struggled to find the right coach in Sam Mitchell. This kind of talent needs more of a push then what is being given. So why not get some fresh blood? And in the coincidence of the day there just happens to be a new head coach on the market. This very head coach has an unusual connection to the Wolves, specifically that of Andrew Wiggins.

David Blatt has had a couple of hard days, he was ousted by his job, after starting 30 – 11 this season (and 83 0f 40 overall), by his star player and his own assistant head coach. Blatt was brought in and  told he would have a young team to coach up in his style of play which has young championships overseas. Although once LeBron decided to come back, Blatt's world crumbled. Andrew Wiggins, his prized draft pick at #1 was off too Minnesota with former #1 pick Anthony Bennet and in came Kevin Love. Love is an incredible player but didn't mesh well with his new teammates, Blatt found himself in the title hunt and a public feud with his newly returned icon in LeBron and on top of it all, his point guard and newly acquired power forward, Kevin Love, was injured. His tenure in Cleveland has been uncomfortable to watch to say the least, and it has thankfully ended right when a young inexperienced team could use an experienced coach.

The reunion for Blatt and Wiggins could potentially be explosive.

Blatt's many years coaching overseas could be a great stepping stone, but more so could the now newly formed chip on his shoulder, an identical problem as that of the other Cleveland outcast Wiggins. They were both brought in at the same time to the same team in desperate need of a new start, and both forced out by the same player. It was originally the plan for these 2 to be player and coach, to combine the untapped potential of Wiggins with the knowledge of Blatt. This feels too much like destiny to let it pass.