Chris Paul Released
The Los Angeles Clippers have done some crummy things during their existence so it’s hard I’ll try not to exaggerate here. I won’t say that releasing Chris Paul in the middle of the night is top 3, heck it might not be top 5 but it falls into the top 10.
Reports are that Paul and head coach Tyrone Lue weren’t speaking. Apparently, Paul was too vocal and wanted a veteran team that had expectations to act like it.
It was Chris Paul being Chris Paul.
Remember when he went to Oklahoma City where he was supposed to be an adult in the room on a losing team except, he was the adult in the room that led the team to exceed expectations?
What about Paul did the Clippers think would be cool with massively underachieving?
Lue is one of the best coaches in the NBA but, unlike Eric Spoelstra, he doesn’t have a front office that has an established organizational identity.
That starts with Lawrence Frank.
Are the Bucks in Danger of Losing Giannis?
As if wasn’t bad enough that Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn’t give a firm commitment to being a career Milwaukee, the Bucks are playing like a team that is more of a bottom-feeder than a contender.
Antetokounmpo is one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA. He’s made it clear that winning one title isn’t enough even though the Bucks seem to be happy to have one in the modern era.
Milwaukee has lost eight of its last 10 games. That stretch includes a loss to a Washington Wizards team doing everything in its power not to win.
Everywhere you turn, there are trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo.
Max Kellerman suggested:
“If Atlanta got Giannis without giving up Jalen Johnson, [Dyson] Daniels or even [Zaccharie] Risacher. Could they keep their team, which has this really identity right now without Trae [Young].
It would be Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, who is an expiring contract, they have that Bucks pick, 2027, the worst of Bucks or New Orleans first, they have all their own first so they can out together four firsts, Trae Young, the Porzingis expiring, we’ll take [Kyle] Kuzma back, Kuzma will be the tax of the Giannis trade.” (Newsweek)
Of course, any talk of trading Antetokounmpo means you’re obligated to mention the New York Knicks.
The Knicks are low on tradable assets so, at the very least, Karl-Anthony Towns are whatever tradable assets New York has would need to be sent to Milwaukee.
There’s plenty of time for Milwaukee to rescue the season but like the Knicks, it will hard for them to make a trade because of the lack of assets. That means the Bucks might want to get ahead of this and be proactive in trade talks involving the superstar.
