NBA 2025-26 NBA Thread

but when we move him we won't really have anyone to go in and commit a hard foul on Dort when it's needed
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I have now heard 3 franchises linked to Las Vegas… Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans.

I have a friend who is way more connected to this stuff who says if the league puts a franchise in Vegas LeBron will be involved. Maybe as a relocation or maybe as an expansion. Wouldn’t shock me if the Kings also still had eyes for Vegas (Maloofs famously tried to move them before Mayor KJ and Sacramento stopped it).

For me, LeBron buys The Kings, moves to Vegas. That’s the answer. Then see if you can’t get a Pacific Northwest Owner to buy Pelicans and move them to Seattle.

No expansion. Just logic. And that’s if the NBA still wants a team there given they have become the face of organized crime, point shaving, illegal bets, and referee/influence in predetermined outcomes.
It would not shock me if the league has a moratorium on any team possibly moving to Vegas, because if they go the expansion route and allow bids on a Vegas franchise, it might just net fetch a franchise fee of nearly $10B, which gets shared amongst the owners.

When the Luka trade happened, my conspiracy brain thought maybe it was a ploy to move the Mavericks to Vegas so that the Adelson's could shortcut this process (and save $10B)... but I think the league (meaning, the owners) is well aware of the golden goose that the Vegas franchise fee is and won't let anyone short circuit that process.
 
They have the depth to win without him this year imo, especially with OKC's own health issues.
Looks like Fox's type of hammy tear but they just kept cutting corners with the healing process and it's now popping off every now and then..Spurs medical staff were right to shutdown Fox for three months on end..
 
AG out for another 4-6 weeks after re-aggravated that hammy injury. He'd only been back 3 weeks. Sucks for him but big for the Spurs tbh.

Sucks for Denver that all their playoff hopes hinge on that dude's health though.

Nuggets fans are calling for heads to roll upstairs...Gordon should have never been cleared so soon especially after the second reoccurrence of the injury this season.
 
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mavs hornets was a really good league pass game. hornets gonna be tough saturday.

also happy to see OKC get spanked. super fake 24-1 record to start the year lulz
 
It would not shock me if the league has a moratorium on any team possibly moving to Vegas, because if they go the expansion route and allow bids on a Vegas franchise, it might just net fetch a franchise fee of nearly $10B, which gets shared amongst the owners.

When the Luka trade happened, my conspiracy brain thought maybe it was a ploy to move the Mavericks to Vegas so that the Adelson's could shortcut this process (and save $10B)... but I think the league (meaning, the owners) is well aware of the golden goose that the Vegas franchise fee is and won't let anyone short circuit that process.
This makes sense. Let LeBron rally his partners and what not. I have definitely heard LeBron has eyes for a Vegas Franchise. Silver is such a cuck if LeBron wants it, he typically gets it.
 
I have now heard 3 franchises linked to Las Vegas… Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans.

I have a friend who is way more connected to this stuff who says if the league puts a franchise in Vegas LeBron will be involved. Maybe as a relocation or maybe as an expansion. Wouldn’t shock me if the Kings also still had eyes for Vegas (Maloofs famously tried to move them before Mayor KJ and Sacramento stopped it).

For me, LeBron buys The Kings, moves to Vegas. That’s the answer. Then see if you can’t get a Pacific Northwest Owner to buy Pelicans and move them to Seattle.

No expansion. Just logic. And that’s if the NBA still wants a team there given they have become the face of organized crime, point shaving, illegal bets, and referee/influence in predetermined outcomes.
Kind of fucked up Seattle can't even get an ownership group together now that they have an arena. Hard to see the Kings moving after they just got a new arena. Bill Simmons was saying he thinks Vegas is a lock for an expansion team though with multiple groups that have the money for it and the owners realizing they can get a huge expansion fee from a Vegas team.
 
Yeah. I never thought about the expansion fee aspect. If you add one, you’ll add 2 most likely. Be awesome if Canada got a second team again, but probably not happening. TBH, Pelicans need to be sold and moved. Kings probably too. But the new arena complicates things. I was just thinking about how perfect LeBron owning “Kings” would be if able to move to Vegas.

Move Pelicans to Seattle, add Vegas. Move Memphis to East. And hope in 2-3 years you can set up a Euro franchise in England or something to make it 32.

League operated with odd number teams many times. But the 3 divisional format may need to change if uneven.

The downside of Suns are screwed no matter how it breaks down because they’ll either be Pacific with LAs and Vegas and Warriors or Southwest with Texas teams and OKC. Northwest is definitely the ideal pod with Minnesota, Utah, Seattle, Portland, Denver and probably Sacramento. Maybe Vegas goes there and Sacramento stays Pacific.
 
This makes sense. Let LeBron rally his partners and what not. I have definitely heard LeBron has eyes for a Vegas Franchise. Silver is such a cuck if LeBron wants it, he typically gets it.
Yeah, wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being some kind of consortium of LeBron, Messi, David Beckham, etc. Former athletes are really going this route now. Just the other day it was announced that Manu is an investor in a sport performance facility tied to Miami FC (and some of those aforementioned athletes)
 
Yeah. I never thought about the expansion fee aspect. If you add one, you’ll add 2 most likely. Be awesome if Canada got a second team again, but probably not happening. TBH, Pelicans need to be sold and moved. Kings probably too. But the new arena complicates things. I was just thinking about how perfect LeBron owning “Kings” would be if able to move to Vegas.

Move Pelicans to Seattle, add Vegas. Move Memphis to East. And hope in 2-3 years you can set up a Euro franchise in England or something to make it 32.

League operated with odd number teams many times. But the 3 divisional format may need to change if uneven.

The downside of Suns are screwed no matter how it breaks down because they’ll either be Pacific with LAs and Vegas and Warriors or Southwest with Texas teams and OKC. Northwest is definitely the ideal pod with Minnesota, Utah, Seattle, Portland, Denver and probably Sacramento. Maybe Vegas goes there and Sacramento stays Pacific.
Move the Grizzlies back to Vancouver, and give Seattle an expansion team, IMO. I think that part of the world would be highly supportive of that regional rivalry more than perhaps in the past and I think Vancouver might deserve a second shot, especially with the massive influx of Canadian basketball talent in the NBA.

Then move the Pelicans to Nashville.
 
Move the Grizzlies back to Vancouver, and give Seattle an expansion team, IMO. I think that part of the world would be highly supportive of that regional rivalry more than perhaps in the past and I think Vancouver might deserve a second shot, especially with the massive influx of Canadian basketball talent in the NBA.

Then move the Pelicans to Nashville.
Move the Grizz to Nashville imo, at least try to salvage the fanbase in Tennessee.
 
Move the Grizz to Nashville imo, at least try to salvage the fanbase in Tennessee.
It's an obvious move that I'm shocked hasn't happened already... I only proposed Vancouver because I'd like to see a PacNW circuit reborn (plus it would be easy for me to swing PacNW Spurs Road Trips... I have selfish reasons here!)

I did read that the NBA Owners have the ability to force a buyout of the Grizzlies from the owner at the price he paid in 2012 ($377MM). It would not surprise me if they trigger this and flip the team to the highest bidder with relocation in mind. They should be able to fetch a price in the billions. The Bucks sold for $3.5B in 2023... of course they had Giannis propping up their value, but the NBA has only grown since then. Forbes says the Grizzlies are the least valuable NBA franchise, but still pegs them at worth $3.5B.

NBA owners are sitting on an easy 10x flip.
 
The East is such a joke, Suns without Booker easily taking care of the Pistons.
Adam Silver has two immediate orders of business (I don't care how he does it): (1) veto any Giannis trade to the West (2) ensure all Top 4 picks in this gargantuan draft go to East teams (2027 draft is awful by all accounts, so this is one of last opportunities to rebalance the talent spread between conferences)
 
The East is such a joke, Suns without Booker easily taking care of the Pistons.
Minus Booker and Green. Almost beat them in Detroit last week similarly.

If the Suns were out East they would be 1-seed or competing for it. Out west, solidly 6-7 range with outside chance at 4-5.
 
Minus Booker and Green. Almost beat them in Detroit last week similarly.

If the Suns were out East they would be 1-seed or competing for it. Out west, solidly 6-7 range with outside chance at 4-5.
Pistons are yet to play a single game against the Thunder, Spurs and Timberwolves.
They beat the Nuggets by 2 the other day, with Nuggets entire starting lineup except Murray being out.
Beat the Rockets in their second game of the season, lost the other week.

14/34 wins against the Hawks, Bulls, Bucks, Nets, Wizards and Pacers.

I'm happy they're finally back on the map, but I don't see how can that roster be a threat with both Ausar and Duren being non-shooters and Cade also struggling from 3pt.
 
Pistons are yet to play a single game against the Thunder, Spurs and Timberwolves.
They beat the Nuggets by 2 the other day, with Nuggets entire starting lineup except Murray being out.
Beat the Rockets in their second game of the season, lost the other week.

14/34 wins against the Hawks, Bulls, Bucks, Nets, Wizards and Pacers.

I'm happy they're finally back on the map, but I don't see how can that roster be a threat with both Ausar and Duren being non-shooters and Cade also struggling from 3pt.
They should definitely choose 2 of Ivey, Holland, Thompson and add LaVert and go after Trey Murphy. Need lots of 1sts, but he fits the 3/D need and is a much better scorer for when Cade is resting, and can range SG/PF in a pinch.

I’m sure it would be Ivey/Thompson plus 3 1sts and a few future Swaps. But that’s the move I make. Age fits as well.
 
Adam Silver has two immediate orders of business (I don't care how he does it): (1) veto any Giannis trade to the West (2) ensure all Top 4 picks in this gargantuan draft go to East teams (2027 draft is awful by all accounts, so this is one of last opportunities to rebalance the talent spread between conferences)
Yes! Silver has to make sure that Atlanta gets theirs own pick at top 4. What happens with it it's not important 🤣
 
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