Should this team go after Okafor?

[shrink]

First, WW is right, and our ability to offer trades is severely limited because our incoming players cannot be combined in a trade for two months. The only players we can combine in a trade are:

Foye, McCants, Brewer, Madsen, and Al Jefferson ...

.. and with Al being BYC himself, he makes things even more complicated. I think with CHA fans abandoning the "traitor" Okafor, they can't wait six weeks for an offer from us.

Second, while I'd love to see Okafor next to Al, its quote possible that NO team S&T's him! I believe MEM is the only team left with the room under the cap to offer cap space (and a pick?) for him, but they are keeping costs low while they find a buyer, and may not want Okafor for the money he will demand. Okafor's big BYC deal makes it very difficult for other teams to make a BYC offer. CHA would have to add a few big money players to give the other team the financial flexibility to match salaries, however, we all know that those big, multi-player deals are notoriously difficult. Its quite possible that CHA does not find a trading partner, and Okafor walks and the Bob's get nothing for him.

[shrink]

I posted the following on the Trade Board this morning, and it may help answer some of those BYC questions.

I don't think I've seen a deal that works under the Collective Bargaining Agreement yet, but I need confirmation whether CHA's cap holds put them over the salary cap. I suspect not, so I'll proceed with the post:

Unless Okafor is willing to accept an offer starting at no more than $8.5 mil, he's going to be a base year compensation player. As such, he's going to only count for half his contract for salary-matching (125% + $100,000) to the CHA (but not the receiving team) under a legitimate CBA deal. In other words, if Okafor was looking for a deal for $12 mil, the least the team receiving him could take back would be $9.52 mil, and the most CHA could take back is $7.6 mil. As it stands, no trade would meet CBA requirements for both teams, no matter what number they chose.

However, there are two ways to cover the span. First, if the receiving team sent out contracts for minimum value players, they count on the outgoing side, but wouldn't boost CHA's incoming numbers. More common, CHA would need to add other players to the deal that are not BYC. This makes the total value of the deal higher, and shrinks the effect the BYC contract has on the total package for salary matching. For example,

OTHER TEAM IN: $21.21 (Okafor $12 mil + Morrison $4.16 + Matt Carroll $5.05)
cba salary range: $16.89-$26.61 (125% + $100,000)

CHA OUT: $15.21 (Okafor $12 mil + Morrison $4.16 + Matt Carroll $5.05)
cba salary range: $12.09-$19.11 (125% + $100,000)

As you can see in this example, the outgoing package has to finish in the narrow landing strip of $16.89-$19.11 to meet the cba's financial guidelines for both teams.

So the question really is ... what players will CHA likely include in a larger S&T deal for Okafor?

[TheFranchise21]

Wait, we want three players who play the 4/5 position?

[B Calrissian]

Give me Deng instead.

Same with me.

[B Calrissian]

Give me Deng instead.

Sounds good. What are you thinking of offering?

I dunno, a big contract next offseason?

Or trade Collins/Cardinal + however many 09 1sts make it fair for Deng/filler

[shrink]

Deng would also be a S&T so we'd have the same problems. I should also point out that while Deng is young, his numbers last year were no better than Mike Miller's, he's not a South Dakota kid and may not want to be on the Timberwolves, and if the CHI offers are to be believed, he would cost us Foye and more.

Finally, its a heck of a lot easier to find a potential-star swingman than a great defensive PF/C that can score. If you look at other teams, nearly all of them have these great and near-great swingmen .. we just happen to be a team that doesn't. And with so many of them in the league, these guys become available too. If you recall, Carmelo Anthony was being shopped last year, as was the lesser Michael Redd, and even Kobe said he wanted out earlier in the year, Guys like Okafor are far more scarce, and may be worth overpaying a bit to get.

[bruno sundov]

WHy not do a big deal where you send CHA a lot of young assets for one stud. I think Okafor would be perfect next to al. I would just make it happen.

[mayorhoiberg]

This is silliness to me.

Sure, Emeka Okafor is a nice player, but the Timberwolves just don't have much use for him.

We have a stacked, [more than] servicable frontcourt that happens to be remarkably deep. With the potential addition of Pekovic in 2 years, it gets even thicker up front.

Let someone who needs him pay him the MAXIMUM money he demands.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'll stick with the guy who wants to earn his max contract.

[Worm Guts]

We have a stacked, [more than] servicable frontcourt that happens to be remarkably deep. With the potential addition of Pekovic in 2 years, it gets even thicker up front.

I don't think Love and Jefferson makes a remarkably deep front court.

[mayorhoiberg]

I'm counting Love, Jefferson, Smith, and Collins...[dropoff] Booth, Madsen and Cardinal.... and Richard.

[Devilzsidewalk]

none of those guys can do a good job guarding a center like Okafor can though...in his defense

though with Love on board, I wouldn't make a move for Okafor. Pre-Love, I would've gone great lengths to get Okafor, probably traded the #3 for him. I think his game is a perfect match for Jefferson.

[Worm Guts]

I'm counting Love, Jefferson, Smith, and Collins...[dropoff] Booth, Madsen and Cardinal.... and Richard.

Depth normally implies alot of good players, not just alot of players.

[Winter Wonder]

The only way I could see Okafor on this team would have be based around a trade of Love (assuming he is more tradeable by MN than Jefferson, valuewise) and filler (Cardinal? etc?) plus maybe the late Boston or Philly pick. It would then have to be a few months out if it were even possible then.

Additionally, if this was the route, it would seem counter-productive to the current efforts of Char who are looking to win sooner than later (or that is my guess after bringing in J. Rich last year, Larry Brown this year, etc.)

I am not saying I want to ship Love out or would do this type of deal, but this is something that would be more enticing to Char and the only way I could see a hypothetical deal happening with them. Otherwise, I don't think we would have the assets they want.

[mayorhoiberg]

I'm counting Love, Jefferson, Smith, and Collins...[dropoff] Booth, Madsen and Cardinal.... and Richard.

Depth normally implies alot of good players, not just alot of players.

I agree; and I think that our frontcourt has as much depth as any in the league.

[TrentTuckerForever]

Additionally, if this was the route, it would seem counter-productive to the current efforts of Char who are looking to win sooner than later (or that is my guess after bringing in J. Rich last year, Larry Brown this year, etc.)

I think that the Charlotte posters have a better idea of how to build the Bobs than the Charlotte management does. If you're looking to win now (evidenced by the Richardson trade) why do you draft a project combo guard when Brook Lopez (who fills a need whether Okafor is on the roster or not) is on the board? Why don't you lock up a franchise big like Okafor? If you don't think Okafor is worth $10-$15 million per year, why didn't you draft his replacement and look to sign and trade?

Again, I think Charlotte's plan is no plan. MJ was the greatest player I've ever seen, but his incompetence in the front office is pretty well documented.

[TrentTuckerForever]

I think that our frontcourt has as much depth as any in the league.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, but Jefferson and Collins are the only guys that've proven they're anything more than backups in the league, and Collins is at the end of his career. Love is a rookie. Smith is a backup, Booth couldn't get time in Philly and Madsen is a professional 15th man. Our 2nd best frontcourt player last year hasn't even resigned with the team.

To say that we couldn't use Okafor, a proven commodity whose skills perfectly complement Jefferson's, is a little silly IMO. There would be plenty of minutes for Love to develop behind Okafor and Jefferson, and 4/5 positions would be dominant for years to come if he develops as expected, potentially a modern Bird/Parish/McHale (remember, Bird played a lot of 4 late in his career, with McHale as a 6th man.) How could that potential be worse then relying on Love to become an impact player on his own?

[Worm Guts]

I'm counting Love, Jefferson, Smith, and Collins...[dropoff] Booth, Madsen and Cardinal.... and Richard.

Depth normally implies alot of good players, not just alot of players.

I agree; and I think that our frontcourt has as much depth as any in the league.

Two good players shouldn't count as depth. Collins, Booth, Madsen, Cardinal, and Richard are just guys. Smith would be OK if he didn't have to play with another power forward. I don't see anything I'd consider depth.

[Tirion]

yeah, I was thinking about possible 3-headed monster a-la parish-walton-mchale in '86 celtics.
imagine trying to get a rebound against them.

[shrink]

In order to make a BYC deal work of Okafor's size (let's estimate $12 mil), they are most likely going to have to add additional contracts When I talked to CHA posters, they said the most likely would probably be Adam Morrison and Matt Carroll, though Gerald Wallace or Felton could be included if they were getting back a better player at that position. Morrison and Carroll was my guess too, and I had already worked out the numbers:

OTHER TEAM IN: $21.21 (Okafor $12 mil + Morrison $4.16 + Matt Carroll $5.05)
cba salary range: $16.89-$26.61 (125% + $100,000)

CHA OUT: $15.21 (Okafor $12 mil + Morrison $4.16 + Matt Carroll $5.05)
cba salary range: $12.09-$19.11 (125% + $100,000)

As you can see in this example, the outgoing package has to finish in the narrow landing strip of $16.89-$19.11 to meet the cba's financial guidelines for both teams.

Now let's suppose CHA was stifled for a while, and couldn't get a good offer from other teams until our new players became trade-eligible on August 28th. Could we land there?

$9.13 Mike Miller
$6.20 Jason Collins
$3.16 Kevin Love
$18.49

First, YES I believe it would take Kevin Love to make a competitive offer, and we were all willing to discuss trading the #3 pick in an Okafor deal. CHA may be off-loading some bad contracts

Matt Carroll 5,050,000 4,700,000 4,300,000 3,900,000 3,500,000
Adam Morrison 4,159,200 5,257,229 (6,897,484 qo)

... but that would probably be the price. Remember, they could simply let him walk and clear cap space THIS year.

Second, while I agree with previous posters that Mike Miller isn't a great fit now, moving some of their players in the deal opens up a strong usefulness.

Finally, while I think Okafor would be a tremendous fit, I wouldn't do this deal. I think Miller's attitude and skills in all areas is going to really help the Wolves, and I want to see the Love-Al high-low. However, its all fantasy-land anyway. I think the Okafor situation will be settled long before August 28th, when we'd even be able to make an offer.

[prefuse73]

I think that our frontcourt has as much depth as any in the league.

Collins is at the end of his career.

since when is 29 the end of an NBA career? Collins is a more than serviceable backup and one of the better man on man defenders at the C position. He doesn't put up the stats, but he is a great fit with Love and Jefferson. He won't pout about playing time and can really help us out until we can draft a young center (aka thabeet).

I think our depth at pf/C is above average. If we could trade Smith for someone like Sean Williams, or bring in Pops (a 6'9 - 6'10 athletic PF that can block some shots), we would have a great rotation. Smith is too redundant with what we currently have.