RealGM

What do we do in the offseason, win or lose. We are actually in a place where we may have to start and decide what moves we can make while we can. We have a couple issues we have to take care of:

1.Getting younger in the frontcourt
2.If Boobie doesnt show the ability to be a true backup PG we may need to sign someone
3.Wally's contract expires and Pavs is still clueless at times so do we sign a backup SG/SF

And this leads us to the specifics:

1.Do we resign Varajao? Chances are he won't make as much as he would like due to the economy but do we sign him long term?

2.Do we resign Wally? Wally does a lot of good things for us but again that is more salary added on.

3.Do we move up in the draft? The economy is playing such a weird factor in the system that players will sign for less, The draft is thin after the top 10 so teams will trade out due to rookies getting a gaurunteed 2-year(2010) deal. The lower the pick the less you sign on the scale, we will likely be one of the last three but we canalso combine with an early 2nd which teams may like.(mid lotto for our 1st,2nd, and cash). Also some believe mid lottos may be for sale like late 1st rders have been the last 5 years. Or do we combine the cap relief we have in Ben,Pavs,AV if he stays.

4.Who do we sign with our MLE? Our MLE may be worth a lot since a lot of teams dont want to spend past 2010. I think we will be in a very powerful position.

5. Our expirings, what are we doing? This year is very different than last month. Teams will be in the hunt and we are in a decent position. We are not going to trade Z. Ben on the other hand will fetch alot. Pavs is an added bonus if he is still on the team by then. If AV doesnt resign but he doesnt opt out either he will be a ~6mil expiring.


So...

What do we do? Wait until the trade deadline and hopefully someone doesnt mind helping us keep Lebron. I dont think that will work much. So a Chris Bosh and Amare may be out of the question. Amare is more likely but we'd have to take JRich or Barbosa. We would rather Barbosa but they wanted us to take JRich.

Things that I liked and may still be on the table next year:

1. Gerald Wallace/Nazr Mohammed for Ben(They were willing to do this package for an expiring but no one wants Nazr but I think he is still servicable and deepens our bench)
2. Troy Murphy/Marquis Daniels for Ben(I like Troy and he is a double-double machine this year while shooting 43% from 3/Daniels expires but his defense and versatility would be perfect for Brown)
3. Andrei Kirilenko for Ben. I think I will only do this if we can swap 1sts or I would love to pry that NY unprotected 1st next season.
4. Darko for Pavs and filler
5. Vince for Ben
6. Redd or Jefferson for Ben

MLE:
1.Chris Wilcox
2.Antonio McDysse(already stated he will opt out)
3.Charlie Villanueva(Max contract starting at the MLE)
4.David Lee(Restricted but I dont know if NY would match a max contract at the MLE w/max raises)

Just throwing things out there and I know not everyone is going to agree but I wanted to just get some ideas in the air.

No Redd

Ben is expiring and should have some value to one of the cost cutting teams.

That McDyess stuff pisses me off.. The guy is just a damn idiot..

He's such a perfect fit, but I wanted him for this run, not really for the future...

Smith or McDyess would be nice before the off season.

I expect a few guys like Ron Artest(not him specifically, but of his caliber) to take 1 year full MLE deals this summer to ring chase+try and wait out the economy for a big multi-year deal down the road.

Wally may be signed if he'll take the vet Min(1.3 Mil), and if we dont fill his role with a better player.


I don't see us addressing our back-court too much. Mo/Delonte/Boobie/TK/Sasha is a very young, formidable back-court that will last us a long, long time.

I see us still looking to get deeper and younger up front, be it with MLE-esque deals for Artest-like impact players(bigs if possible) and Ben's expiring could potentially be moved, possibly for a Center....maybe Tyson Chandler...maybe Chris Kaman(if healthy)...those two are pretty realistic targets in a trade, IMO.

I still see our front court as our #1 concern this off-season. We should, and will re-sign Varejao. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take his 1 year player option for 6.2 million in this economy. I could also see us taking Hansbrough in the draft if we don't move up, and grooming him to being a 3rd/4th big. Looking ahead to 2010, let's assume we send Ben for Kaman, draft Hansbrough, and JJ develops into a 15-8 or better guy(doubtful, probably will take more time..but lets ASSUME for the sake of argument) We'll also assume Z decides to retire, and not continue to play on 1 year deals.

PG:Mo, Boobie
SG:Delonte, TK
SF: LBJ, Pavs
PF:JJ, Hansbrough
C: Kaman, Varejao

Nobody on that team would be over 27.

There are a lot of "if's" involved, but that;s basically what this thread is about.

I think Bosh will be more realistic this summer than ever. The Raptors will probably be looking to deal him, cause seriously, who here thinks he will resign with the Raps?

I see where you are going in BoobieWeTrust, but I think I may move away from Hansborough.

I think I may offer David Lee the full MLE instead and dare NY to match it. If they match they will lose out in 2010. I see it working out in our favor.

RevMan as far as Bosh I dont see them trading him to the East unless some rediculous offer comes. Plus I dont see us having enough to offer whether or not we take Kapono.

And also I see AV wanting to start and may be a issue for him signing an extension.

Plus as far as trades with Ben if nothing works out I would definately go after Gerald Wallace or Troy Murphy. But that may just be me. Murphy and AV up front i like with Murphy giving you what Z gives when Z retires with his range and rebounding.

so what would I look at:
Draft:
1st rd: Sam Young[SF/SG/PF]/Terrence Williams[SG/SF]/Jerome Jordan[C]
2nd rd: AJ Price [PG]/Jodie Meeks[SG/PG]

MLE:
David Lee[Full MLE w/raises] or
Charlie Villanueva {Full MLE}

Trades:(If we are unable to get Bosh)
Troy Murphy/Marquis Daniels for Ben or
Gerald Wallace/filler for Ben

My Linup after next years deadline:

PG Mo Williams/ Boobie Gibson/ AJ Price
SG Delonte West/ Marquis Daniels/ Terrence Kinsey
SF Lebron James/ Aleksander Pavolovic/
PF Troy Murphy/ David Lee/ JJ Hickson/Darnell Jackson
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas/ Anderson Varajao/ Jerome Jordan

(15 man roster) 9 man rotation with Pavs being the 10th
JJ Hickson still 1 year away from being ready. But once Z retires he slides into the rotation. Marquis Daniels backs up the 2 and 3 until him and Pavs expires. I think AV and Murphy start together in 2010 and become a rediculous frontcourt.