Looking ahead to the offseason

[Klomp]

Here's where we are now:

Rubio / Ridnour / Barea
Webster / Ellington / Lee
Johnson / Beasley
Love / Williams / Tolliver / Randolph
Pekovic / Milicic / Miller

I am operating under the following assumptions:
-Brad Miller retires.
-Darko Milicic is amnestied.
-Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph do not receive qualifying offers, sign elsewhere.
-Derrick Williams will play the majority of his 2012-13 minutes at SF.
-Anthony Tolliver is resigned to a reasonable contract similar to his current one.
-JJ Barea is traded, most likely for a veteran SG/C or draft pick.
-Utah makes the playoffs, landing us the 18th pick.


This puts our rotation at the following:
Rubio / Ridnour / Lee
______ / Webster / Ellington
Williams / Johnson / ________
Love / __________ / Tolliver
Pekovic / ________ / _________

By my calculations, that puts our salary at $46,001,207 (adding Barea's salary, if trade brings back similar salaried player, is $50,494,707). This is without the rookie scale contract of #18.

How do you fill in the blanks?

[Varejao17]

Could we use the MIB pen just to make everyone forget about Wes Johnson and his contract? Or at least make everyone forget about his play last two seasons so we can sell him high?

please!

[jscott]

I think we could create more cap room if we need to. Obviously you have Webster on the roster (which I don't disagree with) but he could be cut. I also think Wes, Ellington, and Barea could be moved to save some bucks.

I'd take BPA in the draft (we need an athletic 4/5 and a wing, we should draft one or the other).

I think Batum and Gordon (without dealing Williams) are off-limits. Mayo could be an option and has a history/friendship with Love (and Beasley - but he'll be gone).

Omar Asik is another player I'd look into but with his MAX at 5.5-6 I think that the Bulls re-sign him.

[Devilzsidewalk]

imo

[Klomp]

Could we use the MIB pen just to make everyone forget about Wes Johnson and his contract? Or at least make everyone forget about his play last two seasons so we can sell him high?

please!

As a starter he obviously looks bad, but I think he could still be an okay role player off the bench

[Yes We Kahn]

Could we use the MIB pen just to make everyone forget about Wes Johnson and his contract? Or at least make everyone forget about his play last two seasons so we can sell him high?

please!

As a starter he obviously looks bad, but I think he could still be an okay role player off the bench

What role would that be? Currently, he has almost nothing positive to contribute. I think he has the potential to develop parts of his game, but I am so tired of watching him fumble the ball every time he he needs to handle it, miss wide open jumpers, play below average defense, etc (plus he'll be 25 in July). He has athleticism and shows occasional streaky shooting and man defense. I know the options are few, but I can't believe how much he plays. When you consider the amount of minutes he plays, he is arguably the worst player in the league statistically.

[Narf]

After looking this over, I don't think this is quite the path I would take. But I figured I'd share it anyway since it's interesting. It's not bad though.

*Trade Williams + Utah's pick to NJ for the #3 pick and draft Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Trader Joe liked the idea, I think it works out well for both teams.
*Trade Ellington + Memphis's pick for Chase Buddinger
*Sign Courtney Lee to a 4 year, $30 mil contract and someone like Ben or Rasheed Wallace to a 1 year, $2 mil contract
*Resign Tolliver, tell him to add 10 lbs of muscle, and sign some dirt cheap guys with upside like Greg Steimsma, Ryan Reid, etc. to minimum contracts and throw them in the D-League in case of injury.
*Instead of Amnesty, trade Darko, Wes Johnson, Brad Miller, JJ Barea, and Webster for Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince. Detroit buys out Darko for $5 mil, Miller retires, and they keep Webster for a one year trial.

Pekovic/Wallace/Steimsma
Love/Tolliver/Reid
Prince/Kidd-Gilchrist/Buddinger
C. Lee/Gordon/M. Lee
Rubio/Ridnour/M. Lee

[LordBaldric]

Why do you have Webster still listed? Hard to envision the Wolves not cutting him or trading him to another team that will cut him for salary relief.

[Turnover_21]

FYI, Miller and Webster have to be waived by 6/30/12 and 7/1/12 or their contracts become fully guaranteed.

[Krapinsky]

It's very hard for me to fathom Williams being a starting SF on this team next year. He would have to completely redefine his body and game.

[eyeteeth]

Why do you have Webster still listed? Hard to envision the Wolves not cutting him or trading him to another team that will cut him for salary relief.

This. He has been really milquetoast.

Tolliver might be gone as well, especially if any other team offers him decent money.

On the other hand, I would be surprised if Barea wasn't back here next season. There's a lot to like about him, especially when we're in the playoffs next year. I think it's more likely we trade Ridnour, no matter how much Love likes having him. That has clearly been the plan, and I think he has good trade value.

Ellington is obviously trade fodder if anybody wants him or he makes salaries match.

The wild move I've been thinking about is offering Ray Allen a final payday. 3 year contract, hopefully with the last year as a team option. Draft Rivers or Ross and have them come off the bench behind Allen.

Backup center will have to be addressed, maybe in the second round, maybe as part of a trade. Also I think we should have somebody else that can play the 3. Johnson is pathetically bad.

Rubio / Barea / Lee
Ray Allen / Austin Rivers / Ellington
Williams / ________ / Johnson
Love / Tolliver
Pekovic / ________

This is a team that I think could make some waves in the playoffs.

[Krapinsky]

Allen is buddies with KG. He's not coming to MN to work for Taylor. Not going to happen.

[C.lupus]

I'm not so sure about Ridnour being moved before Barea. It seemed to be the plan in the beginning but Luke has clearly been the better player this year, Love really likes him, and Adelman really likes him. Kahn will do what Adelman wants.

I'd love to get a few extra million under the cap and be able to offer FA contracts to both a SG (Lee or Mayo) and Asik. I don't think that is realistic, though. For one thing I think Chicago will match any reasonable offer for Asik (as will Houston with Lee). So that leaves me with Mayo as a realistic target ($7-8 million?). Draft Ross as the backup SF. Maybe throw $5-6 million at Maresse Speights?

Rubio / Ridnour / Lee
Mayo / Webster / Ellington
Williams / Ross / Johnson
Love / Speights / Tolliver
Pekovic /Speights / 2nd rounder or D-leaguer

[Krapinsky]

I'm not so sure about Ridnour being moved before Barea. It seemed to be the plan in the beginning but Luke has clearly been the better player this year, Love really likes him, and Adelman really likes him. Kahn will do what Adelman wants.

I'd love to get a few extra million under the cap and be able to offer FA contracts to both a SG (Lee or Mayo) and Asik. I don't think that is realistic, though. For one thing I think Chicago will match any reasonable offer for Asik (as will Houston with Lee). So that leaves me with Mayo as a realistic target ($7-8 million?). Draft Ross as the backup SF. Maybe throw $5-6 million at Maresse Speights?

Rubio / Ridnour / Lee
Mayo / Webster / Ellington
Williams / Ross / Johnson
Love / Speights / Tolliver
Pekovic /Speights / 2nd rounder or D-leaguer

Chicago is going to be in rough shape under the new CBA. They have 5 guys making $60M + per year going forward.

[C.lupus]

Good point. Pencil in Asik at backup C, then. Williams can still play some backup PF.

Rubio / Ridnour / Lee
Mayo / Webster / Ellington
Williams / Ross / Johnson
Love / Williams / Tolliver
Pekovic /Asik / 2nd rounder or D-leaguer