Is "Baller" Trademarked Yet?

Now that I finally have figured out where almost everyone is going, I have my draft grades for this year!  The grades are completed by team, and while my evaluation of a player does play a role, I also grade based on fit, role, and how high the draft pick is.  Free agency moves were not included in my grades, as I finished several before the start of free agency.    Atlanta Hawks Drafted Asa Newell (23) Acquired Kristaps Porzingis 2026 1 st round pick (Best of MIL/NOP) Future 2 nd Round Pick Traded 13 th pick (Derik Queen) 22 nd pick (Drake Powell) Georges Niang Terance Mann Future 2 nd round pick Atlanta has had a busy time leading up to the end of draft night, but I kind of like what they did.  Prior to the draft, they took on Kristaps Porzingis in a trade where they gave up the 22 nd pick, Terance Mann, and Georges Niang while also swapping picks.  When healthy, Porzingis is an awesome and versatile offensive talent who can score from anywhere on t...

In lieu of my Game 7 notes (my big ones were that OKC played natural with their style, I feel horrible for Tyrese Haliburton, and the tosses on the jump balls were not good), my final post related to the 2025 NBA Finals is one of my favorite annual posts that I do:  a dive on how the Finals teams constructed their current rosters.  I will give the caveat that I didn’t go quite as far with certain things as some others did with certain trades (for instance, I didn’t go all the way back to the Rashard Lewis trade exception that eventually led to the draft pick where Serge Ibaka was selected, resulting in a series of trades that created OKC’s current core).  Both teams have had several interesting moves, especially including a major trade between the two teams that involved a superstar.   Oklahoma City Thunder June 7, 2007 – Oklahoma City hired Sam Presti to be their General Manager.  It was an interesting move since they demoted multiple individuals to give Prest...

Every year, I have my Unofficial Big Board, and I decided to release the first round of it!  I also wrote a couple sentences about each player.  I do not do this full-time, which is why I had been resistant to release many of my past boards, but I thought it would be fun to discuss.  While I consider a combination of what they’ve shown, analytics, and how they play, the most important part of how I view players is how I project they will be in the NBA, which is what this is all about.  I also included descriptions of why I’m lower on 5 guys who I have being first round picks.   1:   Cooper Flagg Duke, Fr, 18, SF/PF, 6’7.75, 221 lbs., 7’0 Wing He has the highest floor and ceiling in this class.   If it works out, he will be a star in the league, though I still think he will develop into an amazing defender if his offense doesn’t translate to the NBA. 2:   Dylan Harper Rutgers, Fr, PG/SG, 6’4.5, 213.2 lbs., 6’10.5 Wing I’m a sucker for...