Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The Indiana Pacers filed tampering charges with the NBA against the Lakers, and the league issued a statement Sunday saying that a probe is underway.
The Lakers are denying the allegations filed by the Pacers, insisting that there is no evidence of tampering, and they expect to be cleared in the matter, a team source told ESPN.
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If the NBA were to find evidence that the Lakers had engaged in a side agreement with George, he could be prohibited from signing a free-agent deal with Los Angeles or being part of a trade to the Lakers.
The NBA is investigating whether the Lakers engaged in tampering earlier this summer. Paul George was traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City, and he publicly stated his desires to play for the Lakers after his contract ends.
Teams cannot recruit players or make under-the-table agreements while the player is under contract with another franchise. At the very least, they can’t make it obvious. This story will likely get swept under the rug within the next few weeks, but if the NBA finds evidence of tampering, it’s an embarrassing blow for the Magic Johnson-led Lakers.
Tampering exists in many forms, and it’s laughable to think the league can regulate communication over backchannels. Players talk with other players, players talk with other agents, teams talk to agents about different players they represent — it’s always happening.
A few years ago, Drake made a public plea for Kevin Durant to join the Raptors. Because Drake’s a part owner, Toronto got hit with tampering penalties.
In 2007, when Boston had the second-worst record in the league, Danny Ainge was penalized for tampering after he was seen with Durant’s mom during a Texas Longhorns game. The most egregious example came in 2000, when the league discovered Minnesota and Joe Smith agreed to a below-market value contract, saving Minnesota cap space, and allowing Smith to get paid in a future arrangement. The Timberwolves were docked three first round picks and could never surround Kevin Garnett with talent.
In sum, this happens all the time, but the Lakers were dumb enough to get caught. Celtics fans were enraged after Danny didn’t trade for Paul George, but if he was just going to the Lakers after the season, why trade for a one-year rental? It’d be even funnier if the league straight-up told him he’s not allowed to sign there.
Page 2: Where Marvin Bagley’s Reclassification Boosts the Celtics
“Curious if/how Marvin Bagley III’s reclassification changes how you view this summer’s Boston Celtics/Philadelphia 76ers trade.”
– Jonathan Dennis
Not much. Bagley was always going to be in one of the two drafts where the picks from that trade could fall. To refresh everyone’s memory, Boston gets the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2018 first-rounder if it lands in picks 2 through 5. Otherwise, the Celtics get the better of first-round picks from Philadelphia and the Sacramento Kings in 2019 unless one of those picks lands No. 1, in which case Boston gets the other’s pick.
Adding Bagley to the 2018 mix makes the top of that draft even stronger, so if the Celtics do get the Lakers’ pick, then it’s likely to be better. At the same time, the Lakers adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez this offseason has reduced the chances that their pick will fall in that narrow band — running simulations using our projections based on ESPN’s real plus-minus (RPM) shows Boston getting the pick about a quarter of the time — so a stronger 2019 draft might have been better for the Celtics.
The already stacked 2018 draft class just got more stacked after Marvin Bagley reclassified and committed to Duke. This dude is 6’11” with crazy length and athleticism. He’s skilled but has room to polish his ballhandling and shooting. Bagley’s been labeled a prodigy throughout his years on the AAU circuit, and it’s no surprise his commitment to Duke generated so much attention.
The Celtics should receive at least one top-5 pick in 2018. They own Brooklyn’s unprotected pick, and get the Lakers’ if it falls between 2 and 5.
There’s a bevy of talent to chose from. Mo Bamba and Deyandre Ayton are both athletic, long bigs who fit with the modern NBA. Michael Porter Jr. is a 6’10” knock down shooter and Luca Donicic is one of the best European prospects ever. Add Bagley to that mix, and we have one of the more loaded draft classes in years.
Despite that label, it seems like every few seasons, around this time of year, scouts/writers make the declaration that “this is gonna be the best draft ever.” It happened last year, but as the season progressed, the draft seemed more normal.
The 2014 draft with Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embid was overly hyped throughout the season. Wiggins is solid but not totally a superstar, and Parker/Embid can’t stay healthy. The 2012 draft was highly anticipated because of Anthony Davis. He’s great, but Damian Lillard is the only other all-star from that class.
We can project talent, but until these guys get to an NBA franchise, we have no idea what they’ll become. But we do know Boston’s in line for two top-5 picks.
Don’t fall for any stories claiming “the Lakers might be good.” They suck. The Lakers and Suns are clearly the two worst teams in the west. Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Cladwell-Pope, and Brook Lopez aren’t leading LA to more wins. Brooklyn has good coaching and an improved culture, but they still have the worst roster in the league.
As great as the draft pick situation has been over the past two years, it’s even better now. Maybe we take two young talents, or maybe, New Orleans doesn’t make the playoffs, decides they want to rebuild, and has interest in getting two top-5 picks in exchange for Anthony Davis… I’m getting too far into the hypotheticals…
And Finally…
John Wall commented on Marcus Morris joining the Celtics, and how the family dynamic impacts the Celtics-Wizards Rivalry:
“I told him ‘man, I know that’s your brother and you do everything alike, but he’s our enemy when we play them those four games.’ He’s cool with it,” Wall said on Friday at his charity event at Rosedale Community Center in Northeast Washington.
[Markieff] Morris held a backpack giveaway last weekend and said he hopes the rivalry remains a contentious one, adding that “we don’t like those guys and they don’t like us.” Wall not only has plans for that to continue, but he’s excited to have all four games between the teams in 2017-18 set for national television.“Remember what I [said] last year when we got in that little altercation? I said that every game from now on should be on TV. It wasn’t. Well, now every game this year is on TV, so. I’m fine with that,” he said.
It was such a great rivalry last season. Amidst the non-competitive NBA playoffs, the Celtics-Wizards seven-game battle might have been the best series. These teams played eleven combined playoff and regular season games. There were fights, suspensions, buzzer-beaters, 50-point performances, saltiness in post-game press conferences, and coordinated outfits. The NBA took notice, and now all four regular season games are on national TV.
The Rest of the Links:
Christian Post: Could Celtics go all-in for Anthony Davis?
Boston Herald: Giannis Reported Knee Pain during Training in Greece
ESPN: Heat Sign Jordan Mickey to $1.5 million contract
CSNNE: 5 Players Poised for Breakout Seasons
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