NBA Chat With Mark Nugent 11/9/11

1. Dave

   Which two of these players should the HEAT sign? –> Rashard Lewis, Sam Dalembert, Grant Hill, Aaron Brooks, TJ Ford, Gilbert Arenas,

   • Mark Nugent

     First, we need to assume all these players will be unrestricted free agents. Lewis and Arenas are still under contract and Brooks is a restricted free agent. The Magic have put out rumors they won’t be amnestying Arenas, at least not yet. Lewis could be, but they may wait a year on that as well.

     So with that in mind, the HEAT could use a center they can funnel their defense to, so I would sign Dalembert, if he would come to Miami for the entire Mid-Level exception. not sure if that will be enough. The don’t need a shoot first PG in Brooks or Arenas, so I’d stay away from them. Ford would be an excellent bench PG, so he’d be could for the league minimum. Hill would come off the bench, but unless they get rid of Mike Miller they really don’t need him. Lewis is an intriguing option, because he is a decent defender and can spread the floor with his three ball, but I’m not sure the HEAT would be able to afford him, I would think he would want more than the mid-level.

     To me, the HEAT need a true center, and that is what they should focus on. Anything that is an upgrade over Joel Anthony would be huge.

2. Danny

   Non lockout related question, what do you think of DJ Augustin? Is he a starter on a good team or just a career backup?

   • Mark Nugent

     I think Augustin, but with all the talent at the point guard position, I believe he is better suited as a backup. If he is your worst starter, your probably doing ok, but he’d be better coming off the bench to spell your PG, then to lead the team. The biggest problem is he is so small he gets abused by most PGs in theleague. I think it will be a battle in training camp and throughout the season to see if Kemba Walker of Augustin is the starter.

3. jer

   what do the thunder need to do? i feel like they need one more piece maybe two to win a championship. that one piece would be a tyson chandler deandre jordan type to round off the posts. and a kyle korver or preferably with a wing that can shoot. what do you think?

   • Mark Nugent

     I don’t think they need to make any real changes. They could use another wing bench scorer off the bench, because I believe Harden should start and Sefolosha should move to the bench. They need Westbrook to calm down in the clutch and remember that he is a point guard with the games best scorer on his team. Other than that, they need health and time together. This could be one of the best teams in the NBA for the next 5-7 years.

4. dyrese

   if a deal gets done the owners look like winners if a deal doesnt get done the players look selfish will.at this point i think the owners will get a deal done just to look like they won the tug or war your thoughts?

   • Mark Nugent

     I think there is some of that ‘we won’ the negotiation ego stuff going on, but really the players have said they would go to a 50/50 BRI split and have put the onus back on the owners. So if a deal doesn’t get made today, it’s really on the owners, not the players. If a deal doesn’t get done, then that means the owners were unwilling to budge on anything. That’s my understanding anyway. Who knows how it will be spun by both sides.

     Let’s just hope for a deal, I’m tired of writing about this stuff.

5. GarPax

   Bill Ingram thinks Hous wont even consider Asik, Char pick, filler for K Marten. I see only 2 choices then: Asik & whatever to Mem after they lose Gasol for OJ. Or J. Rich, but is MLE enough? Other realistic options?

   • Mark Nugent

     Bill knows his stuff, and if he says Houston won’t consider that deal for Martin, then I believe him. In my opinion, that’s insanity. The Rockets are not a serious threat to make the playoffs and are in rebuilding mode. If they could acquire cap space, a starting caliber center and a potential lottery pick, then the Rockets are insane for not making that trade. But again, that is my opinion.

     I am all in on the Jason Richardson for the mid-level exception bus. I think this makes the Bulls the best team in the league (depending on what other teams do in the offseason of course) and it allows the team to build together without having to give up any major pieces. I think this will be the Bulls first option and trade will be their second option if they can’t find a suitable starter via FA.

     As for Mayo, I would love him on the Bulls, but I’m not sure the Grizzlies will trade him for what the Bulls are willing to give up. If I’m the Bulls I offer the Charlotte protected potential lottery pick and cap space for Mayo. this gives the Grizz more room for Gasol and some potential in the future. I don’t think it’s enough, but I wouldn’t trade the farm for Mayo.

6. Charlie

   In his chat this week, Coach Macri said the NFL players/owners negotiated splitting up roughly 9 billion dollars in their CBA, whereas the NBA players are negotiating over only 3 billion dollars. These figures were very surprising to me, as the NFL is 3 times more popular/profitable?? Questions: What factors contribute to the NBA being that much less popular than the NFL? And if you were put in charge, what rules would you introduce to try and increase the NBA’s marketshare.

   • Mark Nugent

     The NBA is negotiating approximately 4 billion, that is my understanding. The NFL gets the majority of it’s money from it’s crazy big tv deal with FOX, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. The NBA has individual tv deals that do not count towards total basketball related income and their national tv deal is much much small with ESPN/ABC and Turner Sports. It’s a big difference. The current NBA national deals are up in five years, I believe, and the NBA and Players expect those deals to go way up. That’s why this current negotiation is so important, because it will split up a potentially much bigger pie than they currently have.

     The biggest rule I would change is the NBA charge. I’d take it back to the 80′s and 90′s were it was only called if it was blatantly obvious. charges are way to frequent and in my opinion often miss called. In the next tv deal, I also would make it mandatory that whatever networks are showing the games nationally, also have at least one weekly and one daily show about the NBA. The NFL has like 4 weekly shows on ESPN and NFL live runs every day. The NBA needs that and the NBA has the best highlights of any sport in the world! Plus, if the NBA stays with ESPN, I would force them via contract to have highlights and discussion for at least 5 minutes during every hour long sportscenter. And yes this can be negotiated. Bottom line, if I’m Stern, anyone who wants to show NBA games, needs to do a much better job of advertising and discussing my product.

7. Charlie

   In a chat a few weeks ago, Jason Flemming stated if the Chicago Bulls had to trade Noah + filler for Dwight Howard. Chicago “wouldn’t be much better and shouldn’t bother.” This is a statement I am surprised more people didn’t bring attention to. Do you agree with Jason’s premise (even if Chicago had to give up Noah, Gibson, Brewer, and future 1rst)?

   • Mark Nugent

     I believe it depends on what the trade is. If it’s what you suggested, I think it makes the Bulls by far the best team in the NBA. and the team to beat for the next decade. But in my mind, the trade the Magic would insist on is Howard and Hedo for Noah, Deng, Gibson and/or Asik, the non-guaranteed contracts of Bogans, Lucas, and Pargo, and the Protected Charlotte pick. If that is the trade, then I think it keeps them at about the same level for the next year or two and then it all depends on who else the Bulls add. The same level of course is top 4 team in the NBA.

     Losing Deng and the bench bigs would be significant, I would still make the trade, but it doesn’t help as much as it would if the Bulls could do the trade without taking on Hedo.

     All this said, the Bulls won’t be acquiring Howard. It’s fun to talk about, but it won’t happen.

8. luvabull

   hey wouldnt it make since to trade korver/taj for mayo. Then sigh troy muphy and or big baby davis

   • Mark Nugent

     Maybe. Keep in mind the Grizzlies have to agree to that as well. And the Bulls have to have a starting caliber backup for Boozer. And, would Murphy or Davis or any other bench PF sign with the Bulls for the MLE, which is all they will be able to spend in free agency.

     I have said since day one, I would try and sign Richardson, or Caron Butler, or Shane Battier using the MLE before I would trade one of the Bulls bigs. If I miss out in FA, then I look to trade.

9. mark rios

   If there is an nba do u think the spurs move r.j. to best offer asap

   • Mark Nugent

     I don’t think anyone will make an offer for Richard Jefferson. I think the Spurs hold onto him and then next year either amnesty him or use the stretch provision on him. i think the Spurs are going to make one more run at a title this year, and then think about rebuilding.

10. luvabull

    If we sign and trade for thorton, affalo, or lee in any of those trade we need to replace taj what fa can provide his service or better

    • Mark Nugent

      Taj is a rare player. He is a starting caliber PF who is coming off the bench. He can play the 4 and spell the 5, which he did throughout last year and occasionally in the playoffs. If the Bulls trade Taj or Asik, they won’t be able to replace that production. The hope is, if they trade one of those two the production they get from an upgrade at the two will offset what they lose in Taj or Asik.

      those three players, Thorton, Afflalo, or Lee won’t be enough for the Bulls to trade Asik or Taj. If the Bulls trade either big man, they will want a borderline star or up and coming Guard, not a borderline starter. They already have three of those in Bogans, Brewer (who I love by the way), and Korver.

11. luvabull

    who says no luol/taj for ellis/wright and bulls sign big baby

    • Mark Nugent

      Not sure Big Baby would say yes. He is up for his first big contract and will be looking for the most money possible and all the Bulls could offer is the MLE. The Bulls would say no to that trade I believe. They love Deng and I don’t expect them to trade him unless it yields a true superstar, like Howard. Deng is pretty close to Coach Thibs favorite player. He plays the most minutes on the team, guards the other team’s best perimeter non-PG player and does everything the team asks of him. He’s not going anywhere.

12. James B.

    I heard somewhere that the owners will not be losing any tv money because the contracts have it written in that if there is a lockout, that they don’t have to pay that money back. Is that accurate? If so, how much do the owner’s stand to lose in fixed costs beside their employees and arena fees?

    • Mark Nugent

      I believe, if the season is cancelled the owners have to pay back every penny of the national tv money. As for local cable deals i’m sure that is on a case by case basis, but that’s a guess.

      Some owners say they would lose less if there is no season. I have no idea how much total revenue would be gone, but if the Bulls don’t play this year, it will cost the Reinsdorf family a small fortune, or more money than I will make in my entire career. Seriously, that’s how much some teams make.

13. Joseph

    What do the pacers have to do to be an all star team?

    • Mark Nugent

      They need to use this offseason and the money they have to sign an all-star level big man. Nene or David West would be the best fits. Both can play power forward, and what they need is more interior toughness and scoring, so either would be a good fit, as would Marc Gasol, but he is a restricted free agent and that’s too risky.

      After that, they need their young guys to improve. Collison, Psycho-T, Hibbert, George, etc…