What's new

Melo traded to OKC for Enes and McDermott

If Melo is in better shape and actually motivated to play hard and be a team player that could be a good team though. A starting lineup of:

Westbrook
George
Melo
Pattterson
Adams

on paper is pretty solid.
 
Pretty good deal for OKC. It's gonna be interesting how PG, Russ, and Melo work together. Still not enough to threaten the Warriors though.
 
Melo to Thunder

Sam Presti does it again: OKC's Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, Chicago's 2018 2nd to Knicks for Carmelo Anthony, confirmed. ESPN/Vertical 1st
 
Kanter lives in NYC during the off-season, so at least he gets that.

I do feel bad for him as he has been the spokesperson for the franchise and city the last 2 years.
 
Nice move by the Thunder (IMO). There are not many teams that could trade for Melo and actually improve their defense lol. I am really impressed with what the Thunder have done this off-season. This is likely to be the last year before they go into rebuild mode and they are going all out. Importantly, this move may also help them when it comes time to tank.

This seems like a decent move for the Knicks as well. Better than any of the other rumors out there.
 
This and the IT trade make it so clear why Hayward did not show any loyalty to the Jazz. It is a two way street and if teams across the league don't give it to players they can't expect it in return.

OK

Players don't owe teams "loyalty"

But fans of teams, by nature expect "loyalty" and there can be no passion, no devotion by fans to the teams they love if fans don't have irrational expectations and desires.

But "loyalty" aside, Hayward handled the situation poorly. That's all on him and there is really no question that he flopped in that regard. He also should have refused to consult with the Jazz on their other roster moves if he wasn't heavily leaning towards coming back. That was BS, but the FO has more blame on that than Hayward, because FOs shouldn't makes moves based on what players, especially free agent players, want.

Then there are people saying he did what was better for him (and his family... family is separate and we can't know and have no authority to say what is or isn't better for his family) but he left slightly more money and the best player on either roster (Gobert) and IMHO the better overall roster to go to Boston. He left a team on the upswing that was looking like a solid bet for top 4 seed in the west. Sure, Boston is almost certainly top 4 in the East. So I guess it's cool to be a big fish ion a little pond?

Anyway, the bad feelings aren't really about "loyalty" it's about the way Hayward did it, that when the news leaked he denied it in a way that he shouldn't have if it was true, and it was true.
 
This and the IT trade make it so clear why Hayward did not show any loyalty to the Jazz. It is a two way street and if teams across the league don't give it to players they can't expect it in return.

The difference being the Jazz did and would continue to give it to The Dunkster.
 
Kanter and McD are mostly trash (in terms of winning-styles of basketball), so it's hard not to see OKC winning big on this trade.
 
skyline062217.jpg

What else is hidden underneath the NBA trees in Oklahoma City :D


Westbrook
Anthony
George
 
If they stay together, OKC is the new Clippers. Good on paper, some unsurmountable flaws on the floor.
 
Top