RealGM

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/243058/Lance-Stephenson-May-Have-To-Find-Deal-Overseas

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/243059/Ray-Allen-In-Contact-With-Celtics-Bucks-On-Possible-Deal

I know we're at the 15-layer limit.

But seems it's worth a look; maybe
either can even be had for cheap.

Amnesty someone? Trade?
Joe Young to D-League?

Or are we really set at this point?

You thoughts.

There have been some rumors that we would be looking to move Ellis or Stuckey for a more 3 and D kinda guy. If we did that I thought it might be worth looking into Lance to have his playmaking as an option off the bench. The addition of Brooks probably crosses out that option unless more guys would be involved in the trade

D league doesn't help. 15 is the limit. 16 is a free agent.

Sent from my 831C using RealGM mobile app

I wouldn't worry about the 15 man limit yet, guys. 15 is the limit when the season starts in October. 20 is the limit until then, during the summer and training camp. Either way, Jeremy Evans is an easy cut. No matter what coaching/executive speak you read on the "optimism" for him from Bird/McMillan, we only acquired him because we got paid an extra $2m in cash to do so, on top of having his salary paid elsewhere. Plus, he had serious should surgery this summer (torn labrum), and he won't even be able to resume on-court work until after the season starts, in all likelihood.

Even if you think he does make the team, guys could be dealt away, or Christmas, Young, or GR3 could lay an egg and get cut in training camp. Let's wait and see how it all shakes out, and especially wait to see who we actually go to camp with.

Scoot McGroot wrote:I wouldn't worry about the 15 man limit yet, guys.

understood and agreed. I was just reacting to the suggestion that we could send Young to the D-League and was trying to point out that doing so wouldn't clear a roster spot.

while you'd think Lance would help more than Evans and we'd have no trouble competing with an offer from China, the fact that we signed Brooks suggests we have no interest.

Wizop wrote:

Scoot McGroot wrote:I wouldn't worry about the 15 man limit yet, guys.

understood and agreed. I was just reacting to the suggestion that we could send Young to the D-League and was trying to point out that doing so wouldn't clear a roster spot.

while you'd think Lance would help more than Evans and we'd have no trouble competing with an offer from China, the fact that we signed Brooks suggests we have no interest.

Oh, I understand, and agree on all counts. You're completely right on pointing out that assigning a guy to the D-League doesn't remove him from your 15 man roster.

And yup. I think we signed Brooks as our FA guard spot that Lance otherwise would have taken up. That really sets us up with 6 guards on the roster, already, with Teague, Brooks, Young, Ellis, Stuckey, and either GR3 or Miles (with the other playing SF). Now, if it came down to it, I'd rather sign Lance to a minimum salary deal (if he were willing to take it, and play him as a backup 2/3 than have Jeremy Evans sit the bench inactive all season. I mean, I'd still let Lance be inactive most nights, or at least have to prove himself to not be inactive. I just think, ultimately, that Lance is more of an actual NBA player than Evans is. And he'd be able to work out all summer and play in training camp, whereas Evans is out through October with no basketball work.

I like to build a roster with 2 pure point guards and a third that is either a pure point guard or a combo 1/2, 2 shooting guards, 2 small forwards, and a swing 2/3. That's 6, the number you listed, but you didn't count PG because you weren't including SG's. I don't think it matters a bit whether you call CJ or GRob 2's or 3's or combos. Neither is more of a defensive liability at one spot or the other. PG is also a 2/3 if not a 2/3/4. Yes, I know he wasn't comfortable at 4 last year but maybe watching Melo play the 4 in Rio together with having more confidence in his leg will change his mind.

Bottom line, I'm not really concerned about adding a wing even though we don't have a lot of pure shooters. I do worry whether Lavoy or Niang or Evans will be reliable backups at the four. They must have some confidence in Niang though given who else was left on the board when we took him. Still if the Colts were facing a similar situation I'd expect them to be watching the waiver wire at the end of the exhibition season.

I'd like to give Lance a try, just because he is a playmaker and should benefit this team when he is in his proper mindset. Plus, the SG spot is a weak point, though not a glaring one. I think Lance will be most comfortable playing for the Pacers.

On Ray Allen, I'd seriously want to see him play for the Bucks before he retires. Much like how KG is playing now in Minnesota.

Scoot McGroot wrote:I wouldn't worry about the 15 man limit yet, guys. 15 is the limit when the season starts in October. 20 is the limit until then, during the summer and training camp. Either way, Jeremy Evans is an easy cut. No matter what coaching/executive speak you read on the "optimism" for him from Bird/McMillan, we only acquired him because we got paid an extra $2m in cash to do so, on top of having his salary paid elsewhere. Plus, he had serious should surgery this summer (torn labrum), and he won't even be able to resume on-court work until after the season starts, in all likelihood.

Even if you think he does make the team, guys could be dealt away, or Christmas, Young, or GR3 could lay an egg and get cut in training camp. Let's wait and see how it all shakes out, and especially wait to see who we actually go to camp with.

I'd offer Lance a 2 yr deal $3 million this year and $3.1 next year not guaranteed. And I'd look to trade Stuckey for cap space. There has to be a team or two that would take him.

I would absolutely love to have Lance back for a vet min deal, if he would take it.

But I doubt the Pacers have any interest in that, sadly.

Skiptastic wrote:I would absolutely love to have Lance back for a vet min deal, if he would take it.

But I doubt the Pacers have any interest in that, sadly.

Trade Stuckey to Charlotte for Hawes.
Trade Lavoy/Evans/2017 1st to Atlanta for Korver/Brooklyn 2017 2nd that Atlanta owns (from the Joe Johnson deal)
Sign Lance for something up to the room exception ($2.9m)? Though this one is still iffy, and really not a need or spot after having signed Brooks, and with Monta/Ellis still here.

Run a more balanced lineup of:
Teague/Brooks/Young
Korver/Ellis/Lance
PG13/Miles/GR3
Thad/Hawes/Niang
Turner/Jefferson/Christmas

Stuckey for Hawes to make room for Lance makes sense to me. Korver not so much.

Wizop wrote:Stuckey for Hawes to make room for Lance makes sense to me. Korver not so much.

Stuckey for Hawes is a deal i would do immediately, especially since we signed Brooks. Korver is an attempt to bring more outside shooting, with not so bad team defense, and push Monta to being the true ball handler on the second unit. Korver would play a bit less minutes, and Monta would come in early for him. As for the draft pick? If we pick around 20-22 again, it may only be trading down around 10-15 spots, as Brooklyn's 2nd will likely be near the top of the 2nd round. To me, that's a price worth paying to help balance the roster a ton, and add much needed shooting.

To me, the adding Lance thing is by far the shakiest concept, and hardest to defend.

I understand the concept and I like Hawes. he got me a lot of fantasy points back in the day. I just see no indication that our front office wants to demote Ellis. I suspect the answer may be to invert Young and Turner on offense so that Turner joins PG and Teague as outside threats. CJ Miles will be a second unit shooter and if GRob or Niang can't join him we'll need to play a shorter rotation,.

Wizop wrote:I understand the concept and I like Hawes. he got me a lot of fantasy points back in the day. I just see no indication that our front office wants to demote Ellis. I suspect the answer may be to invert Young and Turner on offense so that Turner joins PG and Teague as outside threats. CJ Miles will be a second unit shooter and if GRob or Niang can't join him we'll need to play a shorter rotation,.

I didn't see it as much of a demotion for Ellis. To me, Ellis would still play the majority of minutes, and probably be on court to finish off games, too. He'd just come off the bench so he could dominate the ball more, and Aaron Brooks would miss out on minutes more than anybody in that situation.

I think more than anything, we're still a couple shooters away, and Korver is one of the best. GR3 and Niang shouldn't be counted on as the integral, shooters that we desperately need. And for almost no price (moving down 10-15 spots in the draft), it seems like a pretty cheap cost, too.

Scoot McGroot wrote:

Skiptastic wrote:I would absolutely love to have Lance back for a vet min deal, if he would take it.

But I doubt the Pacers have any interest in that, sadly.

Trade Stuckey to Charlotte for Hawes.
Trade Lavoy/Evans/2017 1st to Atlanta for Korver/Brooklyn 2017 2nd that Atlanta owns (from the Joe Johnson deal)
Sign Lance for something up to the room exception ($2.9m)? Though this one is still iffy, and really not a need or spot after having signed Brooks, and with Monta/Ellis still here.

Run a more balanced lineup of:
Teague/Brooks/Young
Korver/Ellis/Lance
PG13/Miles/GR3
Thad/Hawes/Niang
Turner/Jefferson/Christmas

I would have considered trading for Hawes before we got Jefferson, but as of right now Spencer would have to play the 4 and boy defensively that would look a lot like Hibbert trying to guard stretch 5s: gimme 2 or 3 seconds till I'm there to guard you please.
Dude's a slow center, as a power forward he is just a statue.

I like Lavoy his defense and I feel like we are going to need that from him next year. I'd say we have done enough trades. Let's keep some players from last year. Especially not to add persons like Lance. If he wants to join the team, he can join the line from behind and work his way up over Stuckey by signing for the minimum.

And let that be exactly Lance's problem. He probably thinks he is worth a lot more than that. If he were as humble as Hibbert he would have been on a NBA team right now. Now it might be China.

Korver is a very good player, I highly doubt we can add him unless Atlanta falls apart next season.
I see no connections between Ray Allen and Indiana so it's unlikely he will come here.

I understand but I just am not reading Bird as sharing the general view that Monta needs to be replaced in the starting lineup with a better shooter. Bird could change his mind in January but I don't see a preseason deal for a shooter being likely. It's not that I think your proposal is a bad deal, I just don't expect any deal.

Wizop wrote:I understand but I just am not reading Bird as sharing the general view that Monta needs to be replaced in the starting lineup with a better shooter. Bird could change his mind in January but I don't see a preseason deal for a shooter being likely. It's not that I think your proposal is a bad deal, I just don't expect any deal.

OH, that's fine. I don't see a deal either, and ones not being rumored or anything. I'm just pitching fun to think of ideas to better balance the roster is all.

Yes, dog days are here for NBA fans. At least here in Indy we have the Colts to occupy our attention. The closest pro football team to Cleveland is in Columbus.

Hope springs eternal for IU football fans. The Hoosiers do have a nice medal count going in Rio though with swimmers, divers, and track.

lance if free can ya join my rec league ... we be loaded !