vincecarter4pres wrote:It seems the most important factor in who they chase in free agency is going to be what they do with Lopez on draft night and even more importantly, what their thinking is with him long term.
If they see Lopez as a keeper and don't trade him, they may very well go after Millsap or Hill. If they trade him on draft night, both these guys are probably out of the question completely, both from the players viewpoint and the reality of where we're at.
If they keep Lopez, but it's not by choice and they're going to eventually auction him off at the deadline, pretty much the same.
Also depends on who they draft if they were to trade Lopez. If they get a pick in the 9 to 12 range for him and wind up with a DSJ, Ntilikina, Mitchell, or Monk, there's no way they're going after Hill and not even likely a Mills, KCP or other combo/point guard/or wing who's more a shooting guard.
If they drafted a Collins, Patton or Allen, they're never going to go after a Noel.
I get the feeling they wont really big going after anyone big... will go with value offers in RFA (like crabbe type money for porter and KCP) who will turn it down or quickly get matched. they will call on chris paul and guys like that but no visit. I think they kick the tires on milsap or hill but balk at the price or get turned down quickly.
9-12 range to me just seems extremely unlikely. im not sure #22 + #27 + Brook/RHJ would get it done. thats alot of value but im not sure who is trading a lottery pick for a lopez rental, tying up 22 million in cap space and 2 late picks. to me the most we are realistically moving up is to the 17-19 range.
that said, thats all fine with me.... i think we can get talent at 16-30 range. I think we have some guys we got late in the year who can develop. I think moving lopez could allow opportuntiy for even more change towards a modern team if/when that ever happens. I think adding a foye upgrade like teodesic or something similar combined with 75+ games from Lin can make a real inmpact on wins.
I think priority should be:
-Move Lopez, Booker, and Hamilton
-Draft 2 bigs who are more modern types
-Add a low level foye upgrade on small or shot money (Teodesic at 3/21?)
-Add a vet big in FA or through trading one of the guys above to mentor the young bigs (Booker + 47 for chandler?)
-Sign a stretch for to an overpay 1+1 (Mirotic/ilyasova?)
Lin - Teodesic - Levert - RHJ - Chandler
Dinwiddie - Goodwin - Whitehead - Harris - McDaniels - Nicholson - Mirotic - Acy - Rookie Big - Rookie Big
To me that team can win 30+ games, you have tons of youth to develop, you get chandler to mentor these young rookie bigs, you have stretch bigs, you have improved defense and you have lots of shooting and you preserve your cap space and probably add a 2018 pick from moving lopez