(Way Too Early) 2016 Off-Season: Your Team's Plan B

[Zion Wembanyama]

Is bringing back Parsons, Zaza and Deron then trading for Asik a Plan C or not even acceptable?

I think it would Zaza or Asik and not both fwiw. But yeah that's about a plan B or C off-season and probably pretty realistic for Dallas. It just seems impossible for us to attract a top-notch FA, and unless Cuban has a change of heart I can't see us selling space for assets or simply investing in young players/projects. I think we will add veterans again trying to remain a team in the playoff hunt.

The problem with that plan is how do we get any better bringing back the same team? We don't have many candidates on the roster for internal development and improvement other than Powell and Anderson and even best case those guys don't project as difference makers.

What would Dallas offer for Asik?

[sportscrazy]

3) Please get back to me after the season about Eric Gordon. I've kicked that idea around myself a few times, but it really all depends on how KCP develops (or doesn't) this year. Gordon is clearly the better shooter (which we need), but KCP is clearly the better defender (which we also need). I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility, but I also think PF will be prioritized over SG.

Is paying Jodie Meeks AND like a Kevin Martin an option?

Great question, and my honest answer is that I don't know. Again, there are so many moving targets that factor in here — how does Meeks return from his broken foot? Is he providing spacing as a shooter off the bench, or is he just "sunk cost?" If the latter, considering he'll only have one year at ~$6M left on his deal to swallow, then yes, I could see DET signing "a Kevin Martin" to fill that role because you're absolutely right that we need shooters around Jackson & Drummond. The problem with Kevin Martin himself is his age; at this point in his career, I think he'd fit better on a true contender like ATL, CLE, etc. (i.e. as the piece who could push them over the top). And truthfully, if I were in his shoes, that's probably where I'd prefer to go, too.

So it may better offer signing a veteran minimum like Randy Foye, overpaying both Motiejunas and Terrance Jones then seeing which Houston matches and giving it a year to play out with Dinwiddie, Meeks, Caldwell-Pope, etc. a re-assessing in he 2017 off-season?

[Zion Wembanyama]

I'll have to wait until after the trade deadline, before I can answer this for Nawlins.

[sportscrazy]

Is bringing back Parsons, Zaza and Deron then trading for Asik a Plan C or not even acceptable?

I think it would Zaza or Asik and not both fwiw. But yeah that's about a plan B or C off-season and probably pretty realistic for Dallas. It just seems impossible for us to attract a top-notch FA, and unless Cuban has a change of heart I can't see us selling space for assets or simply investing in young players/projects. I think we will add veterans again trying to remain a team in the playoff hunt.

The problem with that plan is how do we get any better bringing back the same team? We don't have many candidates on the roster for internal development and improvement other than Powell and Anderson and even best case those guys don't project as difference makers.

What would Dallas offer for Asik?

I couldn't imagine anything more than TPE, but that's just my opinion.

[Zion Wembanyama]

I think it would Zaza or Asik and not both fwiw. But yeah that's about a plan B or C off-season and probably pretty realistic for Dallas. It just seems impossible for us to attract a top-notch FA, and unless Cuban has a change of heart I can't see us selling space for assets or simply investing in young players/projects. I think we will add veterans again trying to remain a team in the playoff hunt.

The problem with that plan is how do we get any better bringing back the same team? We don't have many candidates on the roster for internal development and improvement other than Powell and Anderson and even best case those guys don't project as difference makers.

What would Dallas offer for Asik?

I couldn't imagine anything more than TPE, but that's just my opinion.

Add some 2nds and I do it!

[DocRI]

Is paying Jodie Meeks AND like a Kevin Martin an option?

Great question, and my honest answer is that I don't know. Again, there are so many moving targets that factor in here — how does Meeks return from his broken foot? Is he providing spacing as a shooter off the bench, or is he just "sunk cost?" If the latter, considering he'll only have one year at ~$6M left on his deal to swallow, then yes, I could see DET signing "a Kevin Martin" to fill that role because you're absolutely right that we need shooters around Jackson & Drummond. The problem with Kevin Martin himself is his age; at this point in his career, I think he'd fit better on a true contender like ATL, CLE, etc. (i.e. as the piece who could push them over the top). And truthfully, if I were in his shoes, that's probably where I'd prefer to go, too.

So it may better offer signing a veteran minimum like Randy Foye, overpaying both Motiejunas and Terrance Jones then seeing which Houston matches and giving it a year to play out with Dinwiddie, Meeks, Caldwell-Pope, etc. a re-assessing in he 2017 off-season?

This is JUST my humble opinion, but yes. But please keep in mind, I think EVERYTHING the Pistons do needs to be viewed through the lens that Andre Drummond literally just turned 22. If he's really as good as he's showing so far this year, our window of contention could stretch well into NEXT decade. Plus, we've got a team option on Ilyasova for next year while KCP is still under control on his rookie deal, which is another reason I'd prioritize PF over SG. So long as we extend Dre, we don't need to win a title in 2016/17; we just gotta keep building smartly around him towards one.

[sportscrazy]

If Boston were to offer every one of the first round picks owed to them in 2016 and 2018 plus their picks in both years and the Nets pick swap in 2017 with Marcus Smart AND Isaiah Thomas and wanted in return to get BOTH Kyle Lowry and a superstar caliber player either in a straight up or multi-team deal (I'm talking DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George or a star of like quality), do you think they could pull it off?

[I Am Awesome-O]

Memphis will re-sign Conley to a deal around $20M/year and I'm pretty sure they will try to throw a MAX contract at Harrison Barnes, even though there's no way Golden State will let him go. Could also see them going after Batum, Parsons, and Pau.

[165bows]

Keep Amir Johnson and Jerebko, and possibly one or both of Sullinger/Zeller. Draft some draft and stash guys later in the draft. Pretty simple.

For a batch of teams with only a smaller amount of committed money, it will be a feeding frenzy on the Batum/Derozen/Jennings/Jeff Green level players IMO.

[KqWIN]

Sit on hands. (it's what we do in free agency)

Plan A: "Youth"

Plan B: "Player Development"

Plan C: "Continuity"

Plan D: "Chemistry"

Plan E (for emergency): Use assets, go after free agency.

[Texas Chuck]

What would Dallas offer for Asik?

I couldn't imagine anything more than TPE, but that's just my opinion.

Add some 2nds and I do it!

yeah I could see Dallas possibly be willing to give a 2nd or 2 for Asik next summer if we can't land a better option.

[jowglenn]

Pacers surely hope to get a good free agent or two, but we've never been a real free agent destination. We might try to use our cap space to take players that another team is dumping to free up their own cap space - you know, if some team MUST drop 5 million of salary to sign Durant or whatever, we'd probably try to get in on it. Pacers have done that before.


In terms of free agent targets, we're probably looking at big men, since the only ones we'll have under contract are Myles Turner and Lavoy Allen (and whoever we draft.) We might keep Mahinmi or Hill depending on circumstances, but they are plan C, not plan B. Frankly, Plan A (Horford) is not going to happen.

I'd love to get Joakim Noah. I know a lot of people think he's washed up, but this guy still has plenty left, I'm sure. He's a guy who plays with intense heart and effort, is a sometimes-DPOY candidate, and brings a whole new presence to our frontcourt. If Chicago keeps Pau Gasol, Noah will likely be looking elsewhere anyways.

Hassan Whiteside would be great for us. He's unrestricted and though I'm sure Miami has the lead on keeping him, you never know.

The RFA I would want to go after is Donatas Motiejunas. Offer him a massive freaking deal, just a massive one, I love that guy. Rockets probably match anything, but still. Speaking of the Rockets... Dwight Howard might be an option. Why not? He's probably getting sick of Harden.

Another option I like is throwing a big offer at Festus Ezeli - will the Warriors match a truly big offer? Who knows. But he's young and improving, and I think he'd be a good fit.

Ryan Anderson is an intriguing option - add another shooter to our team, really go full-on with the new identity.

[sportscrazy]

Double post.

[sportscrazy]

Memphis will re-sign Conley

Didn't see where he said that. Link?

[I Am Awesome-O]

Memphis will re-sign Conley

Didn't see where he said that. Link?

Conley and Gasol had an agreement that if Marc re-signed, Conley would too - provided of course Memphis doesn't low-ball him, which trust me they won't. He and Gasol are best friends and Conley was vital in bringing Marc back here. They've said before that they want to play their whole careers in Memphis like the Spurs.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/239464/Duncd-On-Pod-Memphis-Grizzlies-Season-Preview-With-Chris-Vernon
Skip to about 65:40 minutes into the podcast.

[sportscrazy]

We might try to use our cap space to take players that another team is dumping to free up their own cap space - you know, if some team MUST drop 5 million of salary to sign Durant or whatever, we'd probably try to get in on it.

To piggy back on your point, what are some players that will be offered as salary dumps this (way too early to actually tell, but as of now) off-season?

[sportscrazy]

We might try to use our cap space to take players that another team is dumping to free up their own cap space - you know, if some team MUST drop 5 million of salary to sign Durant or whatever, we'd probably try to get in on it.

To piggy back on your point, what are some players that will be offered as salary dumps this (way too early to actually tell, but as of now) off-season?

Derrick Rose
Trevor Ariza
Josh McRoberts (only if absolutely necessary)
Omer Asik
Jose Calderon
Channing Frye
Anthony Morrow
Carl Landry
P.J. Tucker
Marcin Gortat (again, like McRoberts, only in an extremely necessary case)
Nick Young

Who else?

What about the names on the trade market this off-season for value in return?

Brook Lopez
Taj Gibson
Wilson Chandler/Danilo Gallinari/Kenneth Faried
Zach Randolph
Michael Carter-Williams
Enes Kanter
Markieff Morris
Ben McLemore
Kyle Lowry (if the Raptors suffer a bad first or second round playoff loss and DeRozan leaves for more money)

[HornetJail]

Bringing back Nic Batum will be options 1, 2, 3, and 4. We'll have the max to offer even after that, so obviously Horford should be our #1 target, but a #2 option would be going after other bigs for less than that, such as Mozgov, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Zeller, Ezeli, or Nene. If that fails, just load up on one-year contracts (or salary dumps from other teams) and wait for 2017, when a certain hometown hero is a FA. We have almost no chance, but we'd be stupid not to keep max cap space in 2017.

[sportscrazy]

Once this cream of the crop is signed, who are the free agents that get WAY overpaid this off-season as teams get desperate in competition to spend their cap space like every other year?

My list:

Kent Bazemore
Jared Sullinger
Nicolas Batum
Brandon Jennings
Terrence Jones
Eric Gordon
Ryan Anderson
Demar DeRozan

I could see these guys getting signed to contracts WAY bigger than we currently expect.

[sportscrazy]

Bringing back Nic Batum will be options 1, 2, 3, and 4. We'll have the max to offer even after that, so obviously Horford should be our #1 target, but a #2 option would be going after other bigs for less than that, such as Mozgov, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Zeller, Ezeli, or Nene. If that fails, just load up on one-year contracts (or salary dumps from other teams) and wait for 2017, when a certain hometown hero is a FA. We have almost no chance, but we'd be stupid not to keep max cap space in 2017.

It's kind of crazy that if Kevin Durant and LeBron James sign two year deals with a 1 year opt out this summer that the top 3 free agents will be the 3 best basketball players on the planet.

Curry, LeBron and Durant

That doesn't even take into account the other big names that follow those 3 (Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Jeff Teague, Gordon Hayward, etc.). 2017 with a projected $109 salary cap will be the biggest off-season in history potentially.