McD was 24, top of the league in steals, top 5 in scoring, shot 48%, and pulled down five boards at SG... how that equals overrated I'm not sure.  And I understand that players move around the league pretty regularly, but how often does an elite rookie hit the market in FA?  One out of 15-20?  How often do they end up leaving their current teams?  One in 25 times?  And how often do they do it for less money?  One in 50?

I've had it happen twice in eight seasons, both times after doing what everyone agrees is unusual in the current RBSL; take risks, make moves and sincerely try to win... both times I've busted my ass to surround a player (Barkley or McD) with quality guys, made every effort to make room to resign them, and then seen them leave my team when I'm fully cap committed and totally tapped for draft picks.  I didn't have the money to sign another player to replace them, and had mortgaged future picks and depth for starters to surround them, both departures singled the end of any kind of illusions of competing for a championship, and the beginning of a very long rebuild.

It's a common refrain from me that regardless of my franchise, I've been the single most unlucky GM in the league; I've had one FA steal (Jamison in Seattle, 30 seasons ago), one good TC (two years ago, followed by my entire team regressing the following season), never moved up in my draft position when I've been a lotto team, and now I've lost the two biggest rookie FA's in the last decade.

The reality is I hate basketball almost as much as I hate baseball, RBSL is more about a habit for me than something I actually find great enjoyment from, both of which mean when my continued bad luck mounts like it did yesterday it becomes really easy to pull the plug. I realize Richmond is pretty middle of the road, but he has some potential, was at a position of need and the big salt in the wound was him taking less than half what I offered to join another team.

As I said to Chris, I got engaged this weekend, but instead of falling asleep next to my girl last night I was up raging at a program on a computer half way across the country... The level of frustration I feel far outweighs any enjoyment I get from playing RBSL.  So yes, another rage quit, the last one was for 20 seasons, came back and nothing had really changed; I didn't enjoy the game any more than before and the bad luck that has followed me from Seattle to DC and back to Phoenix was still here.  

I refuse to become as apathetic as much of the league is, sitting and waiting passively for lotto picks season after season, or CPUing my DC year after year just to finish 8th isn't my style, and clearly the approach I have isn't resulting in anything but frustration and anger when my best laid plans fall apart before I ever get to see the payoff for constant research, team analysis and trade negotiations.  There are quality GM's who want a shot, no point in lingering when each time I build I team I can "connect" with it falls apart in FA; both the league and I are better off if we part ways.

Third straight rookie to leave my team at the first opportunity, for less money each time. 

Barkley and McDyess were franchise cornerstone players who I emptied the pantry to build around, and then to try and bring them back, the loss of both set my team back.  McD leaving was prompting a little sabbatical for me, but Richmond is enough salt in the wound for me to just pull the chute and let someone else try their luck.

Twice in one off season.  That's enough for me.

Accept.

Find a way to pry my '64 1st away from Heat, and he's all yours.

Suns send:

Oriakhi

to Bucks for:

Bennett
Suns '65 1st

You've got to be fucking kidding me, twice in a row a cornerstone player has left for less money the first chance they got. And same as last time; I've got no cap space to replace him, and I've traded away multiple future picks to try and build around my young star.

Thank god I get to take care of all the TBD or there wouldn't be anything I enjoyed about this game.

You must be having a slow week if you thought anything that happened late in the second round was either interesting or valuable. Nothing but steaming piles of C's with a B sprinkled on top if you were lucky.

Davis: 4.5m - DECLINE
Richmond: 10.3m/6 - DECLINE
West: 590k - ACCEPT

Will McD be the second straight star to leave Phoenix at the first opportunity?  It took 3-4 seasons to bounce back from losing Barkley, and now I'm faced with another FA year spent nervously waiting for the signing list to be posted.   

Through sim 11.

Blue - no missed DC's
Red - 1 missed DC

76ers      2300
Blazers   1560
Bucks   675
Bulls      2575
Cavaliers   2850
Celtics   1790
Clippers   1035
Grizzlies   3855
Hawks   4850
Heat       3925
Jazz      3790
Kings      355
Knicks   2795
Lakers   4255
Magic   5350
Mavericks   1025
Nets      730
Nuggets   7005
Pacers   1000
Pelicans   4290
Pistons      1610
Raptors   230
Rockets    2115
Spurs   1300
Suns      205
Thunder   1330
Twolves   2055
Warriors   1965
Wizards   835

tbd done

FYI, James' buyout is only $650

tbd done

tbd done

tbd done

tbd done