Off-Season Question(s)

[eyriq]

Wouldn't surprise me to see Pietrus traded. I think Gortat leaves, and I hope Hedo resigns. That's BY FAR the most crucial of them all. The complexity of the team changes dramatically if he is no longer here.

If we do resign Hedo, no way we use MLE. I actually think of Alston as a free agent signing that just happened to occur at midseason.

MP still fills a vital role that if healthy we'd appreciate more. I don't know that trading him would solve anything really, nor am I sure that he has much value out there right now. I remember how great he played to start the season and I think that when healthy we can expect that level of play.

[Catledge]

I think Otis is more likely to give away (as in, for practically nothing) Alston, MP, and/or Battie than let Hedo walk.

Gortat is another matter. He could turn into a Darko-like situation, where we put him on the back burner because we're focusing on Hedo, and in the meantime Gortat jumps ship for a team that is in a rush to spend too much money on a big.

Unless we are just pathetic in the playoffs (read: lose in the first round), I think Otis will justifiably see his top mission as keeping the starting 5 together (Jameer being in that group, not Alston). After that, he'll prioritize Alston first, followed by Gortat and MP equally.

In other words, I think Otis will do everything he can to dump Battie so that he can definitely keep Hedo and hopefully keep Gortat. If he has to dump Alston or MP to keep Hedo, I think Otis will do that, but I don't think he will dump Alston or MP to keep Gortat.

[ORL]

Wouldn't surprise me to see Pietrus traded. I think Gortat leaves, and I hope Hedo resigns. That's BY FAR the most crucial of them all. The complexity of the team changes dramatically if he is no longer here.

If we do resign Hedo, no way we use MLE. I actually think of Alston as a free agent signing that just happened to occur at midseason.

MP still fills a vital role that if healthy we'd appreciate more. I don't know that trading him would solve anything really, nor am I sure that he has much value out there right now. I remember how great he played to start the season and I think that when healthy we can expect that level of play.

Oh, I absolutely agree. I like Pietrus a lot, if he could stay on the floor. I think he's a great fit. It's just a gut feeling I have that it might be a money thing.

[LBPTarHeel27]

Any chance we could see a S&T sending Gortat out and landing us a mid-first rounder?

I would like to take a shot at getting Blair and let P-Ewing and Dwight influence him - teach him the right way to play the game. If Blair lands in the right hands, he could be a beast.

[maginno]

Thanks go to lovehoops. NO one can ever complain about my posts being long again.

This question will only have perspective after the playoffs. If we do extremely well then you shore up what you got and make minimal moves with your backups. If however we get exposed as pretenders and don't go far I say its time to shake the tree. Consider signing and/or trading the following -

Hedo, Jameer and JJ

Yeah I know. How dare I include Jameer but he's at his highest value now and its not at all a certainty or even a likelihood he will be an All Star again next year. If you aren't prepared to give up quality you are not going to get back quality. If we find this playoff that we are not good enough we need to make a great move not hold on to every good piece we have. so its all conditional. If we put up a good showing then you try to keep everyone on board and Gortat becomes a luxury you would like but don't have to have.

[magicfan217]

i was not a jameer man until this season.....that being said I would let anyone walk on this team besides dwight before meer.


SOMETHING has to give. We cant keep all our guys. I think either A. we let Hedo walk or B. we trade (or let go) one or more of Pietrus, Gortat, Battie or Redick.

[Magicalltheway]

Thanks go to lovehoops. NO one can ever complain about my posts being long again.

This question will only have perspective after the playoffs. If we do extremely well then you shore up what you got and make minimal moves with your backups. If however we get exposed as pretenders and don't go far I say its time to shake the tree. Consider signing and/or trading the following -

Hedo, Jameer and JJ

Yeah I know. How dare I include Jameer but he's at his highest value now and its not at all a certainty or even a likelihood he will be an All Star again next year. If you aren't prepared to give up quality you are not going to get back quality. If we find this playoff that we are not good enough we need to make a great move not hold on to every good piece we have. so its all conditional. If we put up a good showing then you try to keep everyone on board and Gortat becomes a luxury you would like but don't have to have.

Wow, I am agreeing with Maginno again. This post season will have a lot of answers to our questions. we sure have weaknesses that will be exposed. On the other hand our strengths could mask the weaknesses and get us wins. Far too many games we stood by our 3s and cost us games. But who could argue a 60win season. Yet post season is another animal all together.

Someone said teams will be willing to offer Gortat $7m a year, Id say to him go for it cause he is just not a $7m man. Hedo would be perfect for a 3/ 25. He is aging and on a decline not willing to go longer.

[LBPTarHeel27]

No team will offer Gortat 7 million...let's just get that out of the way.

What about sending JJ+Rights to Fran Vazquez to Minny for pick #18.

Minny has 3 first rounders. If anyone is looking to get out, it will be them. JJ will be expiring - but if they wanted to bring him back, he is restricted.

I would love to use the pick to snag DeJuan Blair. I really think we would thrive here under P-Ewing and behind Dwight.

[Visirale]

I don't see anyone out of the first 5 or 7 picks in the draft that is worth trading for. I hope we don't do that...

[LBPTarHeel27]

What would happen if we were to lose BOTH Hedo & Gortat to offers that we chose not to match. We would probably get something in return for at least one of them in a S&T...but what would be our cap flexibility and who would we target.

The more I think about it, it seems like a real possibility.