Sport Thoughts

A new NBA season often allows teams to pick a direction as the season begins. The directions are usually contention or rebuilding. The rebuilding direction often leads to many losses. The losses for rebuilding teams hurt in the standings but often boost draft lottery odds. The odds to win the NBA lottery also leads to league wide tanking. It is becoming more noticable who the lottery teams could potentially be after a 20 game sample size. As previously mentioned, the teams with the worst records are likely to draft high in the lottery. As of early December, the worst teams in the NBA include the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. These five teams are at least 9 or more games under .500. There are also teams rumored to entee to the draft lottery sweepstakes. Teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Portland Trail Blazers are also expected to sell off players leading into the NBA trade deadline. Tanking could be a poten...

The NBA 2023-2024 season is nearing the halfway point. Every NBA team has played nearly 40 games of the 82 game season. Over 35 games played is a big sample size to determine which teams are playoff or championship contenders. The teams who are at the bottom of the standings are often sellers when the trade deadline nears. There will eyes watching several NBA teams in the Eastern and Western Conference next month. Those possible sellers include the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers. All seven teams are near the bottom of the standings with sub .500 records. Many of these bottom dwelling NBA teams will be seeking several draft picks and younger players at the deadline. Each team has at least one All Star or star caliber player on the trade block. These players include  Zach Lavine from the Bulls, Nic Claxton from the Nets, Dejounte Murray from the Hawks, Pascal Siakam from the Raptors, Kyle ...

The Damian Lillard trade saga recently came to a conclusion. The blockbuster trade sending Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks has now transitioned into a Jrue Holiday trade bidding war. Jrue Holiday is coming off of a All-Star 2022-2023 season with the Bucks. His trade demand is at a all time high with several NBA contenders showing trade interest. Contenders such as the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Crltics will need to trade young players, expiring contracts and draft picks to the Portand Trail Blazers. The Miami Heat were the original favorites to land Damian Lillard from the Blazers. Jrue Holiday plays the point guard position just like Diamian Lillard, but he is on a more affordable remaining contract. The Heat would need to include Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson or Kyle Lowry in a Jrue Holiday trade package. The Philadelphia 76ers are in the position to move on from All-Star point guard James Harden. Holiday would be a great replacement for Harden, who is rumored to avoid t...

The long awaited Damian Lillard trade has finally happened after nearly 3 months of waiting. A three team blockbuster trade was the end result, with two fairly shocking teams in the process. The Miami Heat were heavily favorited as the front runners of the trade talks. The Heat were Lillard’s one and only trade destination. That destination would not longer be the case as the Milwaukee Bucks would become  the real trade partner. The Bucks aqcuired Damian Lillard as their game changing trade, while moving on from All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday and backup guard Grayson Allen. The Phoenix Suns would become the surprising third team trade partner. The Suns moved on from disgruntled center Deandre Ayton, sending him to the Portand Trail Blazers for veteran center Jusuf Nurkic. Trail Blazers role players Nassir Little and Keon Johnson would also included with Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen in the blockbuster trade to the Pheonix Suns. In the long haul, the Milwaukee Bucks are the clea...

A full week has gone by since All Star Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard has made it clear to the media that he is only interested in a trade to the Miami Heat. It is well known that the Portland Trail Blazers are not interested in the Miami Heat’s trade package. It is believed that a third and fourth team would be needed for a Lillard to Miami trade. Prior to the trade request, the Miami Heat lost several key players in free agency. Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Cody Zeller are no longer members of the Miami Heat. The Heat also moved Victor Oladipo in a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat would respond by resigning Kevin Love & Orlando Robinson. They followed those moves by adding free agents Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant. Tyler Herro is very aware of seeing his name float in Lillard trade rumors. He recently removed the Miami Heat from his Twitter bio, preparing for the next chapter of his nba career. While the Heat are still fav...

Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers will enter a rebuild centered around young players Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simmons and Shaedon Sharpe. Lillard has played his entire 11 year NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and LA Clippers have shown interest in a Dame Lillard trade. The Miami Heat is the peferred trade destination for Damian Lillard. The question is what type of trade package can the Miami Heat provide. Players Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry have been heavily rumored. The Brooklyn Nets are also rumored to be Dame Lillard’s secondary choice. The Nets have plennty of draft assets but lack experienced young players. Could a three team trade be possible as the 76ers search for a James Harden trade package? The NBA offseason is in the very early stages and the hot stove has only gotten hotter.