More Stupidity From Hunt: "Bucks Should Stand Pat"

[LUKE23]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/39649092.html

Unless Hammond can somehow squeeze a big expiring contract out of someone - that Raef LaFrentz's bad paper is the hottest ticket going tells you everything you need to know about the state of the NBA - the Bucks are better off doing nothing for now.

Which, of course, means keeping Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva, even at the risk of losing both without compensation at the end of the season.

Yes, that sounds like an utterly brilliant move Michael. Risk losing both of your talented young players to try and get an 8th seed that is not even guaranteed in the first place. Brilliant managing there. If you can't land a huge expiring for RJ and you know you're going to lose CV, you turn him into value now before the deadline.

If nothing else, the Bucks may find out if Sessions is a front-line NBA point guard. He most certainly is right now. If Sessions keeps this up, the Bucks could try to move Luke Ridnour at the end of the season. Along with Damon Jones' expiring contract and all the money they saved on the Mo Williams deal, the Bucks would be in position to match virtually any offer Sessions might receive.

Apparently Hunt thinks moving Ridnour will somehow get us cap space if it's done after the deadline, or at least that is the way I'm reading the above paragraph.

[paulpressey25]

I think Hunt just values RJ more than CV. Maybe the Bucks will as well.

Agreed that he doesn't understand the need to trade Ridnour now for space.

[LUKE23]

I think Hunt just values RJ more than CV. Maybe the Bucks will as well.

If the Bucks do value him more, and they know they are not going to bring CV back (a move I would disagree with), then you move CV now and unload some salary with him, so you can at least bring back Sessions and keep our first rounder. Even if you can only move one of Ridnour or Gadzuric, that clears another $6.5M roughly in salary, getting you down to $58M and $12M to work with. That is enough for Sessions, our first, and maybe Ersan.

Hammond cannot ride the roster out though. We have to give up too many assets for nothing at the end of the season if that is what goes down.

[THE DINJ]

I read this as "Bucks will stand pat on roster." The JS never publishes anything like this that's not spoon-fed to them by the organization.

[JoeHova]

To be fair, he does say that Hammond should try to get a "big expiring contract" if possible. He only advocates standing pat if they can't do that. I can see that position, hoping that Ramon and CV get small offers in the offseason and Ridnour or RJ can be dumped like Camby was by the Nuggets last offseason.

It wouldn't be what I would do, I would try something more proactive (not including trading Ramon), but it might be preferable to making a trade Hammond doesn't feel comfortable with.

However, how did the Ridnour trade save them as much cap space as Hunt claims? Obviously it did for future seasons, but not next season, which is what matters right now. Ridnour has played very well but dumping Mo for cap space was the move all along rather than bringing in a veteran retread. I'll never understand why they didn't just take Joe Smith rather than involve OKC. Shortsighted thinking there, though I guess that's sometimes necessary when your job is continuously on the line.

[JoeHova]

That is enough for Sessions, our first, and maybe Ersan.

Hammond cannot ride the roster out though. We have to give up too many assets for nothing at the end of the season if that is what goes down.

I agree. The Bucks could conceivably lose Ersan for good too. He's an RFA, I believe, so he could sign with another team, one which is aware that the Bucks are up against the lux tax and can't match an offer. I can see a Euro-centric team like San Antonio or Toronto trying to snatch him away.

[LUKE23]

Yeah, Ridnour over Mo only saves us like $2.36M next year.

From the tone of the article, it seems like Hunt thinks Hammond can make moves in the offseason that can help us sign our own players. That isn't the case. Anything on that end has to be done by Thursday.

And Joe, it doesn't matter how small of offers CV gets, we won't be able to retain him without clearing some salary. Even at the qualifying offer of $4.6M we would not be able to retain him (assuming Sessions was priority #1).

[Debit One]

I think Hunt just values RJ more than CV. Maybe the Bucks will as well.

If the Bucks do value him more, and they know they are not going to bring CV back (a move I would disagree with), then you move CV now and unload some salary with him, so you can at least bring back Sessions and keep our first rounder. Even if you can only move one of Ridnour or Gadzuric, that clears another $6.5M roughly in salary, getting you down to $58M and $12M to work with. That is enough for Sessions, our first, and maybe Ersan.

Hammond cannot ride the roster out though. We have to give up too many assets for nothing at the end of the season if that is what goes down.

Luke, I agree with you. If Hammond values RJ more than CV, you have to move CV before the deadline and move some salary with him. If he values CV more than RJ, then he has to move heaven and earth to get rid of RJ or at least one of Ridnour or Gadz, before the deadline.

The worst of all possible worlds is doing nothing.

[Debit One]

By the way, it should really embarrass the MJS that this woefully uninformed piece made it into the paper.

There is simply no scenario under which doing nothing is the best course.

[upnorthfan]

Michael Hunt is clueless when it comes to the Bucks.

[JoeHova]

And Joe, it doesn't matter how small of offers CV gets, we won't be able to retain him without clearing some salary. Even at the qualifying offer of $4.6M we would not be able to retain him (assuming Sessions was priority #1).

I'm giving Hunt the benefit of the doubt and assuming he thinks Ridnour or Jefferson can be traded in the offseason for nothing (like Camby) or for a TPE. I wouldn't bank on either of those things happening if I was Hammond, but it's possible, I guess.

[europa]

Yeah, Ridnour over Mo only saves us like $2.36M next year.

It also removed an additional three years of a contract off the books. That's a huge savings for the Bucks - especially if they didn't believe Mo was their choice to be the starting PG on this team.

As far as standing pat, I agree that's not in the team's best interests. Of course, it takes two teams to make a trade and the Bucks may not be able to make a deal no matter how badly Hammond might want to. That's a very realistic possibility and one that isn't Hammond's fault by any means. Hopefully that won't happen because I believe that given the way the season has unfolded now due to the injuries to Redd and Bogut, I think Hammond needs to decide whether he wants to keep RJ or Villanueva. Whichever player he values less is one he should be putting all his attention into trying to trade this week. If he can shave off salary using other players in a trade, that'd be optimum, but I'm not sure that is very realistic. I think his best chances to make a trade will be with either RJ or Villanueva as the primary piece in the deal.

[power4wardjinx]

I think Hunt just values RJ more than CV. Maybe the Bucks will as well.

If the Bucks do value him more, and they know they are not going to bring CV back (a move I would disagree with), then you move CV now and unload some salary with him, so you can at least bring back Sessions and keep our first rounder. Even if you can only move one of Ridnour or Gadzuric, that clears another $6.5M roughly in salary, getting you down to $58M and $12M to work with. That is enough for Sessions, our first, and maybe Ersan.

Hammond cannot ride the roster out though. We have to give up too many assets for nothing at the end of the season if that is what goes down.

Why not? Maybe the Senator is prepared to pay some luxury tax. With a useless Redd eating up 1/4 of the cap space, Herb has to realize that the fans just can't be told again that the earth is flat. Whatever savings will be had with insurance picking up some of Redd's pay should soften the financial impact. Making the playoffs with this roster -- a very real possibility -- would add a few more million to the coffers, not to mention the $ made in the playoff race.

Panic and make a move now (handing RJ over to Portland, for example) and the Bucks would be throwing in the towel and admitting to the fans again that they f**ked up. Well, they did screw up, but the player who screwed them (Redd) is immovable. The Senator should be willing to pay some tax over it.

It makes more sense to stand pat than it does to do anything else ... though it does sound like there's a hint somewhere in the Hunt article that Houston might be willing to deal for Ridnour, point guard being their biggest problem.

[europa]

Maybe the Senator is prepared to pay some luxury tax.

According to GAD, Kohl won't pay any luxury tax next season. I trust GAD and his sources.

[LUKE23]

Why not? Maybe the Senator is prepared to pay some luxury tax

Nope.

It makes more sense to stand pat than it does to do anything else

That is by far the worst case scenario for this team. Standing pat guarantees you lose CV and the 2009 first for no player compensation. That makes the most sense?

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Well, they did screw up, but the player who screwed them (Redd) is immovable. The Senator should be willing to pay some tax over it.

I think you are asking him to make a sacrifice that you personally would not be willing to make. Can you share with us a time when you gave up a substantial chunk of your net worth just to entertain other people?

I suspect that if Kohl spends $60 million next year, he will be losing money. But fans here are saying that he not only needs to lose that money, but an extra $20 million as well? From what perspective does one demand those sorts of things? If you are the kind of person who spends 20% of your annual salary throwing birthday parties for your friends, then you have probably earned the right to request that kind of generosity from others.

But I sure as heck don't fall into that category, and I'd be surprised if anyone else here does either.

[power4wardjinx]

By the way, it should really embarrass the MJS that this woefully uninformed piece made it into the paper.

There is simply no scenario under which doing nothing is the best course.

That's simply not true. You guys were crawling all over that stupid Conley deal a month ago, while the MJS wisely said nothing about it. So this board is still for something to happen, which is interesting, I suppose. But nothing will happen, and that's a good thing.

[LUKE23]

But nothing will happen, and that's a good thing.

1. Explain to me how that is a good thing for Milwaukee if no moves are made
2. Tell me what our rotation is next season if no moves are made

[paul]

I do agree that if they are 100% certain they are going to let CV walk then they should trade him, but this board is really worked up now over something that likely will not happen for at least another two days.

[power4wardjinx]

Why not? Maybe the Senator is prepared to pay some luxury tax

Nope.

It makes more sense to stand pat than it does to do anything else

That is by far the worst case scenario for this team. Standing pat guarantees you lose CV and the 2009 first for no player compensation. That makes the most sense?

Nothing is guaranteed.

Keeping in mind that the Senator will be saving some $14 million by having insurance pick up Redd's tab, the conditions under which he might make some luxury tax payments have arrived.