Adelman wants a "very aggressive" off season

[Klomp]

If thats the case we wouldn't "still have lots of money".

I love Pekovic as much as the next guy, but 12 million/year is too much. He's still too one-dimensional. That one dimension is good, but not worth 12 million.

I'm not even sure I'd pay him the 4 years, 43 million offer that DeAndre Jordan got from Golden State.

[Krapinsky]

I think Williams can be a decent player in this league, but as far as number two picks go, he won't live up to the expectations IMO. He's not a guy that will turn a franchise around.

Drummond could very well be the DeAndre Jordan of this years draft. Drummond could be a decent starting role player that can put up 10/10 or he could totally flop like Hasheem Thabeet.

I think with Williams, he could turn out to be an Antwan Jamison (solid starter, maybe one ASG, not 2nd pick worthy).

Moral of the story, I'd trade him for a high lottery pick but let us decide who to take.

I think Drummond's ceiling is considerably higher than that. I imagine there's a good reason Drummond is in the mix for the #2 pick in a stacked draft and DeAndre Jordan went in the 2nd round.

In 2008, Jordan was locked to be in the top 5 (was mocked there all season long) and fell dramatically in the draft.

Jordan did have a pretty high ceiling, but I'd give Drummond the higher ceiling than '08 Jordan considering Drummond has managed to stay in the top 2 all season long and has drawn more comparisons to Dwight Howard. He's still incredibly raw and has question marks. Break or bust.

I don't think we can afford the gamble anyways and should look to move Williams for a proven talent. I don't think Kahn and co. would even move Williams to get Beal, but don't quote me on that.

I can't imagine Williams value to be completely shot. Has he devalued a bit? Yes. Would teams be willing to give him a shot and give up a nice piece to get him? I would like to think so.

If look at DX's mock draft history, Jordan was never top 5, and was only top 10 once. In the weeks leading up to the draft he was late teens/early 20's. Maybe Leonard is more comparable?

[Krapinsky]

Not much attention is being given for Ariza. He's paid half what Iguodala makes, he fills an immediate need, and had a good relationship with Adelman in the past (which doesn't hurt if you want him to re-sign). Personally I'm skeptical that Iggy's offensive game warrants the additional 7 million dollars.

I'd be okay with this, because I like Ariza, but he struggled a bit playing under Adelman in Houston.

[Krapinsky]

If thats the case we wouldn't "still have lots of money".

I love Pekovic as much as the next guy, but 12 million/year is too much. He's still too one-dimensional. That one dimension is good, but not worth 12 million.

I'm not even sure I'd pay him the 4 years, 43 million offer that DeAndre Jordan got from Golden State.

I'm with you Klomp. I think a Kendrick Perkins sized deal is about fair.

[Klomp]

If thats the case we wouldn't "still have lots of money".

I love Pekovic as much as the next guy, but 12 million/year is too much. He's still too one-dimensional. That one dimension is good, but not worth 12 million.

I'm not even sure I'd pay him the 4 years, 43 million offer that DeAndre Jordan got from Golden State.

I'm with you Klomp. I think a Kendrick Perkins sized deal is about fair.

I was going to say Marcin Gortat, but they're both pretty close.

[black bart]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

[The J Rocka]

If look at DX's mock draft history, Jordan was never top 5, and was only top 10 once. In the weeks leading up to the draft he was late teens/early 20's. Maybe Leonard is more comparable?

Not sure when he dropped. Earlier in the year he stayed at 5 and for weeks his stock kept plummeting. He went from top 5, to top 10, top 15-20, etc. In the end, majority of people thought 14-16. When he slipped to the 2nd, a lot of people were scratching their heads. Drummond will stay in the lottery but I don't think he's top 5 talent. Teams will take the risk because he's a center, and like I said, has drawn comparisons to Dwight Howard.

DraftExpress: Jordan was projected top-5 too. RT @cjt20one: Drummond seems like a DeAndre Jordan clone, who went 2nd round. Why is AD projected Top 5?

I do agree Drummond is a better prospect, but the outcome could be very similar. It would be ballsy to take the gamble that could payoff or hurt us. I think we have to use Williams to get us our 3rd guy, whoever that may be. We need to get a sure thing in return.

I don't remember looking at the mock drafts early this past season but I only remember seeing Leonard as high as 8 at one point. He has taken hits to his stock as the weeks passed like Jordan so I suppose that's a similarity. As far as overall talent/potential and falling short of high expectations, Jordan & Drummond have drawn the comparisons. We'll have to wait and see.

[Esohny]

I like Pek a lot, but Gasol is on a higher tier, so that dollar amount doesn't make sense.

[black bart]

I like Pek a lot, but Gasol is on a higher tier, so that dollar amount doesn't make sense.

The only reason why he is because they are a playoff team. Gasol isn't nearly as good on the boards and is more offensively challenged. Pekovic is a keeper and should be trying to get the salary down soon until he becomes even more expensive. He is a very talented big man.

[The J Rocka]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

[black bart]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

Kendrick Perkins is awful. He averages 6 points and 6 rebounds on 55% shooting and 60% ft shooting. Pekovic is averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds in his second season on 56% shooting and 74% ft shooting. Pekovic is the better player. Gortat is going to get 5 for 60 too.

[cpfsf]

Not much attention is being given for Ariza. He's paid half what Iguodala makes, he fills an immediate need, and had a good relationship with Adelman in the past (which doesn't hurt if you want him to re-sign). Personally I'm skeptical that Iggy's offensive game warrants the additional 7 million dollars.

I'd be okay with this, because I like Ariza, but he struggled a bit playing under Adelman in Houston.

I wouldn’t say that he struggled in Houston because he was forced into being one of the team’s primary options simply because nobody else was healthy. Yao Ming was out for the season, Tracy McGrady played a combined 46 minutes, and Kevin Martin only played 22 games. We know he can’t carry a team by himself. We really just need him to accept his role as a defensive stopper.

[The J Rocka]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

Kendrick Perkins is awful. He averages 6 points and 6 rebounds on 55% shooting and 60% ft shooting. Pekovic is averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds in his second season on 56% shooting and 74% ft shooting. Pekovic is the better player. Gortat is going to get 5 for 60 too.

Perkins also takes half the amount of shots Pekovic does. Perkins post defense is pretty good as well. He might be overrated by some and has had a down season definitely but he's an important piece on a championship contending team and has played pretty well so far against the Mavs.

I think Perkins is paid quite fairly.

[jade_hippo]

I'd probably throw like $10M per year at Pek. Am I the only person who thinks Jordan being paid what he does is insane? Guy gets paid to jump high. 7/8 in 25ish min a game is not worth $10M especially when he's not particularily imposing on either end of the court. Darko put up stats like that for Rambis in a similar fashion with a better FG%.

[Grits n Gravy]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

i would disagree..i think at worst pek is a 3rd option. gortat was signed to that contract while he was still a back up...i'm sure he would of earned quite significantly more had he been starting and putting up similar prodution as he is now. perk got that contract coming off a reasonably serious knee injury, modest numbers and a good defensive rep. i think pek is at worst gortat's equal and i pesonally think pek is better. let's not sleep on pek's potential to get better also - i doubt significantly, but he can still improve. i see no reason why pek can't put up 17/18 & 8/9 rebounds next year on great efficiency. i'd guess somewhere between 9 and 11 million would be in pek's ball park.

[black bart]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

i would disagree..i think at worst pek is a 3rd option. gortat was signed to that contract while he was still a back up...i'm sure he would of earned quite significantly more had he been starting and putting up similar prodution as he is now. perk got that contract coming off a reasonably serious knee injury, modest numbers and a good defensive rep. i think pek is at worst gortat's equal and i pesonally think pek is better. let's not sleep on pek's potential to get better also - i doubt significantly, but he can still improve. i see no reason why pek can't put up 17/18 & 8/9 rebounds next year on great efficiency. i'd guess somewhere between 9 and 11 million would be in pek's ball park.

Centers that score 18 points and 9 rebounds get max.

[Grits n Gravy]

Marc Gasol gets 13 million Deandre Jordan gets 10 million. I would say that 12 million him would probably be a bargain. He is a 16-10 player with kevin love shooting at 60% ts. He doesn't just shoot well fg% he is also a good free throw shooter. If he qualified, he would be number 3 in OREB to kevin love and demarcus cousins. Marc Gasol is getting 57 million in 4 years. Getting Pekovic for 60 and 5 is a bargain. Unless he decides to say 'f' it and get fat

DeAndre Jordan deserves 7-8 mil for what he brings. Marc Gasol has established himself in this league as an all-star and is better than Pekovic. Pekovic to me is a very nice complementary piece but not a legitimate number 1-3 option. He's more like a 4th IMO.

As others have mentioned, Perkins/Gortat money is what Pekovic should look to get.

i would disagree..i think at worst pek is a 3rd option. gortat was signed to that contract while he was still a back up...i'm sure he would of earned quite significantly more had he been starting and putting up similar prodution as he is now. perk got that contract coming off a reasonably serious knee injury, modest numbers and a good defensive rep. i think pek is at worst gortat's equal and i pesonally think pek is better. let's not sleep on pek's potential to get better also - i doubt significantly, but he can still improve. i see no reason why pek can't put up 17/18 & 8/9 rebounds next year on great efficiency. i'd guess somewhere between 9 and 11 million would be in pek's ball park.

nhh90 Centers that score 18 points and 9 rebounds get max.

true...wouldn't be suprised if a team did offer the max.

[Klomp]

Whether or not its right, an offensive center with average defense will never be paid as much as a defensive center with average offense. I especially don't think we should fork out 10+ million to Pekovic when he's playing next to an offensive power forward with average at best defense. It just wouldn't be a wise investment.

And Marc Gasol would be the PERFECT center in this offense and with this group of players. High IQ, great passer, and pretty good defense.

[Krapinsky]

Centers that score 18 points and 9 rebounds get max.

Chris Kaman, Al Jefferson come to mind.

[Klomp]

I wonder if Zgoda's leak about the Iguodala deal from last year makes it more or less likely that a deal would happen this year.