In this weeks 13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts Steve Purciello dives shares more random NBA thoughts. NBA Trade Analysis: Heat, Bucks, Celtics, and Timberwolves Shake Up the League and more. Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your list!
NBA Trade Analysis: Miami Heat Trade Concerns and Aging Star Impact
The Miami Heat have a penchant for star players, and they got a top-five player in the league, a true star. The problem I have is twofold. First, a player who enters the next season at 32 is on the downside of his career. He will probably miss twenty games or so next year, so the Heat will be a lower-seeded team after the regular season and even possibly a play-in team if he misses too many games.
The next thing is the league is becoming a young man’s league. A recent study said players produce their best stats when they are between 24 and 26. Finally, Pat Riley gave up plenty of assets and draft picks, leaving the Heat with little room under the cap and a roster that needs to be filled out.
Milwaukee Bucks Trade Strategy: Quantity Over Quality
As for the Bucks, they chose the Heat offer over the Celtics offer. That meant they chose quantity over quality, probably the correct move because, with few draft picks left after previous deals, if they chose Jaylen Brown, it would be difficult for the Bucks to build around him.
The negative part for the Bucks is unless one of the younger players in the deal develops into a star, the Bucks don’t have a star. By that, I mean a top-15 player in the league. We all know to win big in today’s NBA, you need stars.
The NBA’s Shift Toward Younger Talent
To piggyback on the young man’s league, I will add this: in today’s NBA, with the large salaries going to older players—generally in their early thirties—it makes no sense. It makes more sense for a team to trade the star when he is in his late 20s.
This is a smart thing for a team to do; however, doing this because of salary cap rules makes the league more transient and takes away fan loyalty and love of their homegrown stars. The league needs to correct this in their next collective bargaining agreement. Unfortunately, the next chance for the players or owners to opt out of the contract is after the 2028–29 season.
Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown Trade Uncertainty
Where does this leave the Celtics and Jaylen Brown? Right now, the Celtics have a player that probably isn’t happy he was offered in a deal. Unless he quietly asked Brad Stevens to trade him, if possible, the Celtics are in a tough situation.
The fact that Boston is still shopping him makes you wonder. Either his trade value isn’t as high as Boston believed, or the Celtics and Brown are okay if he comes back.
Dusty May Leaves College Basketball for NBA Opportunity
Dusty May leaving Michigan to take the Dallas Mavericks head coaching position is going to be more of a problem for colleges trying to keep their coaches when a pro team offers them a job. According to people involved, May didn’t like the fact that college players can easily transfer and also didn’t like the NIL money that has come to change college basketball.
Timberwolves’ Bold Roster Moves and Small-Ball Direction
The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets for very little. This created cap room to sign Ayo Dosunmu and trade for LaMelo Ball. This is a big gamble by the Wolves. You have to admire their courage in making these transactions.
The Wolves realize the team they had couldn’t beat the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. If you look at what the Wolves have outside of Rudy Gobert, you realize they have gone small. Unless additional deals are made, get ready for Jaden McDaniels playing the four.
Charlotte Hornets Coaching Decisions and LaMelo Ball Usage
The Charlotte Hornets received Naz Reid in the trade for Ball. If you watched the Charlotte Hornets last year, you saw something you didn’t think would happen. Coach Charles Lee had no problem taking out Ball if he wasn’t playing well. This occurred at the end of close games.
Most coaches would never do that to a $40 million player unless management was in their corner.
Portland Trail Blazers Hire Micah Nori on Unique Contract
Micah Nori signed an unusual contract to coach the Portland Trail Blazers. It is basically a one-year contract with the Trail Blazers. The Blazers have options on bringing him back over the next two years. This means the only guaranteed money in the deal is for the 2026–27 season.
Nori took the job because there are only 30 of them, and he looked at it as an opportunity he might never get. As for Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon, it was another unorthodox move in a series of unorthodox decisions since he became the owner a few months ago.