SHOREWOOD, Minn. — The championship race is officially white-hot.
The Shorewood Show and Newport Beach Grizzlies agreed to terms Monday night on the following trade: Shorewood receives: • PG/SG Stephen Curry ($32 million) • C Pau Gasol ($3 million) • 2014 first-round draft pick (top-3 protected, top-1 protected in 2015) Newport Beach receives: • PG Russell Westbrook ($11 million) • PF Tristan Thompson ($1 million) The move gives the Show an enviable starting five as the playoffs draw near: Curry, James Harden, Joakim Noah, LaMarcus Aldridge and Gasol. Still, parting with potential superstar Westbrook was not an easy decision for Shorewood general manager Alex Smith. "We wish Russell all the best," Smith said. "We planned on building around him for several years, but simply could not resist the opportunity to distance ourselves from the pack in this Finals race." Meanwhile, the Grizzlies look to the future with Westbrook's cheap contract and Thompson's enticing potential. "Russ is a born leader," Newport Beach general manager Peter Mayer said. "Pairing him with John Wall just made sense. Those two will lead Newport for years to come, and bring home World Championships for days." After Curry's near triple double on Monday night, Newport officials informed him that he would be taking the next plane to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. "Newport thanks Steph for his valuable contribution," Mayer said. "Should the Show not re-sign him, we expect to take a run at him this off-season. "We felt that Russell is a safer option than the 4th or 5th pick, but are still hoping to retain it should we land a top-3 draft choice. We would also like to sell the team to David Stern so he can give us the first overall pick." Will Shorewood bring Curry back this summer? "It will certainly be a tough decision," Smith said. "We're looking at around a $36 million extension. Steph will have a chance to earn that type of paycheck with a strong finish to the regular season and an excellent playoff run."
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MINNEAPOLIS — No one thought it would take this long, but LeBron James finally collected his first COMO Player of the Week award.
The Minneapolis superstar averaged 42.25 bones over four contests (he missed Sunday's game with a broken nose) to edge out Chaska's Kevin Love (39.00 over five games) and etch his name into the record book. James won the October/November Player of the Month despite never picking up a Player of the Week nod. Player Haterzz owner and general manager Dan Renfro brushed off the idea that James has played below expectations this season. "It's always nice when the best player on the planet plays like it," Renfro said. "It's cute how quickly people forget that." Fourth-place Minneapolis currently holds an 8.5-point advantage on the nearest two teams (Newport Beach and Minnesnowta) with three weeks to go. As long as LeBron stays on track, the Haterzz should be just fine. Once the playoffs begin, however, the Chaska Moose will be the heavy favorite to take home the championship. Will the Player Haterzz attempt to bolster their roster before the Tuesday trade deadline? "If we can acquire a player or two that can hate on our level, we will," Renfro said. "Otherwise we're set to make a run at (Chaska's) F*ck Boy Fink's squad, who is the favorite. Luckily for us, the Hollywood Hornets owner has described how F*ck Boy chockes when it matters most." Sexual innuendos aside, the playoffs should be fun. COLUMBIA, Mo. — As the trade deadline draws nearer, which players are mortal locks to stay off of the transfer wire? We've already gone through the summer Free Agency Preview (and some of the league's worst contracts), but these are the guys franchises can build around for years to come:
20. Spencer Hawes, C ($1 million, 25 years old) — Newport Beach Grizzlies The Grizzlies picked up this seven-footer in November, and he's been nothing but solid ever since, averaging 20.0 bones in all NBA contests this season. 19. Chandler Parsons, SF ($2 million, 25 years old) — Chaska Moose Parsons has potential to fulfill more of a starring role in seasons to come with the NBA's Houston Rockets, where he's lingered over the 20-bone mark this year. 18. John Wall, PG ($14 million, 23 years old) — Newport Beach Grizzlies Wall is one of a handful of players who possess the potential to one day be a top-five player. His price tag is the largest of any player on this list, which knocks him down to No. 18, but it's tough to argue with a 23.6-bone kid who still isn't close to his ceiling. 17. Eric Bledsoe, SG ($3 million, 24 years old) — Minnesnowta Chill Before injuries derailed his 2013-2014 season, Bledsoe looked like one of the league's most promising young backcourt stars. If he heals up correctly, he has an opportunity to become and elite player. 16. Kyle Lowry, PG ($3 million, 27 years old) — Chaska Moose Chaska general manager Joseph Fafinski was savvy enough to pluck Lowry off waivers at the beginning of the season. While he's not exactly prime young talent, he was robbed of an NBA All-Star selection this year, and should continue his strong play for at least the next few years. 15. Derrick Favors, PF ($2 million, 22 years old) — Duval United Bold City fans are enthralled by Favors' potential. While he's hovering slightly below the 20-bone line, he is still very young and has a chance to grow in Duval's system. Rumors have it that Favors has recently been dangled in trade discussions, so the door might be open for another team to swoop in on the big man. 14. Goran Dragic, PG ($1 million, 27 years old) — Hollywood Hornets The Slovenian guard has been having a career year in Hollywood (22.0 bones in NBA contests) and has been one of the few bright spots for a floundering franchise. 13. Isaiah Thomas, PG ($1 million, 25 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz Picked No. 60 overall in the NBA Draft a few years back, Thomas had an enormous amount of work to do to establish himself as a solid everyday player. But he's done just that this year in Minneapolis, and the Player Haterzz have a nice backcourt piece to build around if (when) Ricky Rubio leaves via free agency. 12. Lance Stephenson, SG ($1, 23 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz Speaking of nice backcourt pieces, Stephenson should team with Thomas for the next few years to make the Player Haterzz a truly disruptive force with plenty of cap space available to make sure LeBron James returns for more title runs. 11. DeMar DeRozan, SG ($1 million, 24 years old) — Shorewood Show Like his Toronto teammate Lowry, DeRozan was picked up on waivers at the very beginning of the season after slipping through the auction draft. One All-Star appearance later, he appears headed for stardom in Shorewood. 10. Paul Millsap, PF ($4 million, 29 years old) — Chaska Moose The league is still shaking its collective head after Rio general manager traded away Millsap's beautiful contract in exchange for a $3 million Victor Oladipo. Only time will tell if this was truly a stupid move, but for now, Chaska is reaping some serious benefit with Millsap in its frontcourt. 9. Russell Westbrook, PG ($11 million, 25 years old) — Shorewood Show This is a player who is a top-five option when fully healthy, and to get him at a third of the cost that he would command on the open market is simply highway robbery. Westbrook will likely return to the Show's lineup this week or next after missing lengthy time with a knee injury. 8. Brook Lopez, C ($4 million, 25 years old) — Kansas City Monarchs Lopez has been hurt almost all season, but he managed 23.5 bones per game while healthy, and is an extremely important piece to build around for seasons to come in western Missouri. 7. Blake Griffin, PF ($12 million, 24 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz This season has clearly been a breakout year for Griffin, who has shown a strong scoring ability and all-around improvement in his game. League owners were unsure about his potential ceiling, which shied them away in the inaugural auction draft. Minneapolis pulled the trigger, and is seeing its decision pay off with a playoff run. 6. Michael Carter-Williams, PG ($1 million, 22 years old) — Minnesnowta Chill The clear choice for Rookie of the Year, Carter-Williams has been playing well beyond his years this season for the Chill. Starting with the first COMO Rookie Draft this summer, most picks will cost at least $3, meaning the Chill snuck out a serious amateur bargain in the auction last October. 5. Rajon Rondo, PG ($3 million, 27 years old) — Duval United Rondo has not seen the court much this year due to injury, but he's averaged 28.75 bones in his past four starts, and clearly still has the ability to be an elite COMO player. The Bold City Brigade took a chance on the Beantown assist-machine in the auction, and surprisingly came away with him for $3 (in the same auction where Kobe Bryant went for $14 million). 4. Anthony Davis, C ($12 million, 20 years old) — Hollywood Hornets Davis has the look and numbers of a future COMO MVP, and he's well over the 30-bone mark in NBA contests this season. The Hornets obviously have a tremendous piece to build around for years to come, and Davis undoubtedly would have been a strong contender for COMO Finals MVP if Hornets management had not messed up this season so awfully. 3. DeAndre Jordan, C ($1 million, 25 years old) — Duval United Jordan has been the biggest surprise of the 2013-2014 season. Duval picked him off the scrap heap in late October, and he's proceeded to mash the rest of the league for 26.5 bones per NBA contest. Production like that is not supposed to come off the waiver wire, but the Bold City Brigade front office duo of Matthew Fairburn and Joe Dreyer nailed this one. 2. DeMarcus Cousins, C ($6 million, 23 years old) — Chaska Moose Cousins' primary issue is his hot head, but he has the ability to be a star in his current setting for several years. That's what puts him over the top of Jordan, who leans on the mastery of point guard Chris Paul for most of his opportunities. Cousins can whip up bones no matter where he lands in the NBA, and his current price tag is unfathomable when compared to his 28.3 bones per game. 1. Andre Drummond, C ($3 million, 20 years old) — Rio Rainmakers Drummond caps off this list of four straight underpaid centers. At the green age of 20, he has compiled 26.5 bones per NBA contest this season, and will be a force to be reckoned with for several years in Rio. It's impossible to guess how high Drummond's ceiling is, making him as trade-proof of a commodity as there is. REMINDER: The trading deadline is next Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. ET. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This one was obvious.
Kevin Durant accounted for four straight Player of the Week awards in the month of January, making him the easy selection for Player of the Month. His stretch included 16 games with an average of 38.44 bones. To put that in perspective, only a couple players have been able to maintain such an average over the course of a single week this season. "Your tape is your resume," general manager Matthew Fairburn said. Indeed. ST. PAUL, Minn. — After hanging on for dear life in the playoff race, Minnesnowta owner Matthew Taylor has had enough. Effective today, the Chill will begin planning for next season.
"Bring on the trade offers," Taylor encouraged his fellow league members. "I'm looking for young talent to build around. Anyone can be had at the right price." The Chill are currently 9.5 standings points out of the fourth and final playoff spot, a margin that has grown larger and larger since Minnesnowta's free fall began roughly a month and a half ago. Once the top team in the league, the Chill have had to lean more and more on young players like Michael Carter-Williams, who just picked up his third straight COMO Rookie of the Month award. "The kid is an absolute freak," Taylor said. "In a season filled with disappointment for the Chill, MCW has definitely been a bright spot. Rumor has it that MCW just bought a cabin in Duluth, so one can assume he'll be in Minnesnowta for a long time." The Chill's pending trade(s) effectively take them out of the playoff race, which means there are now five dogs left for four spots. Fourth place Minneapolis (70.5 points) and Newport Beach (66) are separated by 4.5 standings points with four weeks to go in the regular season. MINNEAPOLIS — The Player Haterzz finished tied for second this past week, but the team didn't need to lean on superstar LeBron James. Instead, power forward Blake Griffin led the charge, with three 40-point efforts and a 39.25 average over four starts.
The excellent week pushes Minneapolis to 5.5 standings points above Newport Beach for the fourth and final playoff spot. "This playoff race is finna be a dogfight, but we got pups Mike Vick would be proud of," team owner Dan Renfro said. "Especially compared to f*ck boy Fafinski's squad (insert audio here)." Griffin was simply excellent — his four-game Player of the Week average was the highest in league history — and his red-hot streak will need to continue for Renfro's squad to stay ahead in the postseason chase. "Blake is the best value in the league," Renfro said. "It's nice that such a talented guy finally put together a full week of beasting." HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — It was only a matter of time until Anthony Davis etched his name into the league record book.
After being robbed of the award in November (when owner Curt Clauss illegally altered the Hornets lineup), Davis finally strutted his stuff for all the league to see. He played only two games, but put up 47 and 51 COMO points in those contests. The rest of his team, meanwhile, is still floundering due to a combination of awful front office management and an injury to star point guard Chris Paul. The Hornets are in a fierce battle with Kansas City and Rio for lottery position. Davis' saving grace is that he is a very young star (20 years old), and will have plenty of time to make deep playoff runs under different ownership. NOTE: This is the first time in five weeks that Duval United small forward Kevin Durant has not taken home COMO Player of the Week. That sort of run — four in a row — was unprecedented, and we may never see such a feat again. |
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