Summer 2019 Free Agency Thread

[LloydFree]

There is a report that execs believe Malcolm Brogdon will get 60 million over 4 years. If I were the 76ers I'd offer Brogdon 80 million over 4 years (if he's healthy) the 1st day of Free agency. I'd see if Milwaukee is going to match. If not , I'd let one of our free agents leave and have Brogdon replace them.



https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/04/execs-project-four-years-60mm-for-malcolm-brogdon.html

[VDT]

None of these guys is a max player in a vacuum for the next 4 years and they are worth even less for the Sixers that have two more players that require the ball in their hands.

What Tobias offers is some spot up shooting with some ability to run the pnr to get some mid range shots while not being a plus defender if not worse. Is that worth the max given the fact that offensively he ill be reduced to spotting up because we have three more players that cant play off the ball. So essentially a 3-D player without D for a max contract.

Butler to me is not a player that has a place in a team that wants to win, at least not on a max contract. He refuses to play off the ball and be complementary to the other players and at the same time his talent is not enough to lead a team anywhere beyond a first round exit and probably even less now that he is declining. This issue is more pronounced here because Embiid and SImmons also need the ball in their hands to be effective and cant play off ball.

In the end i think the issue the team has is the inability of Simmons to carry the scoring load which is why they felt the need to bring more stars or "stars". If he could be a volume scorer like Embiid we could literally fill the team with 3-d roleplayers and be contenders like that. Instead we were in a tough place where we needed more players that could create their shot but at the same time these players needed to be able and willing to play off the ball which is a combination that is very hard to find.

[Kobblehead]

Kemba Walker on a 4 year max >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jimmy Butler on a 5 year max

Flanking Joel with two 3-level scorers that can play on and off the ball like Kemba Walker and Tobias Harris kicks this team into the elite gear. Moving Ben for a Booker/Beal type would make it even scarier and more fun to watch.

[LloydFree]

None of these guys is a max player in a vacuum for the next 4 years and they are worth even less for the Sixers that have two more players that require the ball in their hands.

What Tobias offers is some spot up shooting with some ability to run the pnr to get some mid range shots while not being a plus defender if not worse. Is that worth the max given the fact that offensively he ill be reduced to spotting up because we have three more players that cant play off the ball. So essentially a 3-D player without D for a max contract.

Butler to me is not a player that has a place in a team that wants to win, at least not on a max contract. He refuses to play off the ball and be complementary to the other players and at the same time his talent is not enough to lead a team anywhere beyond a first round exit and probably even less now that he is declining. This issue is more pronounced here because Embiid and SImmons also need the ball in their hands to be effective and cant play off ball.

In the end i think the issue the team has is the inability of Simmons to carry the scoring load which is why they felt the need to bring more stars or "stars". If he could be a volume scorer like Embiid we could literally fill the team with 3-d roleplayers and be contenders like that. Instead we were in a tough place where we needed more players that could create their shot but at the same time these players needed to be able and willing to play off the ball which is a combination that is very hard to find.

I'd fill the team with 3-D role players regardless of Ben Simmons current ability to score or shoot. It's the only way Simmons and Embiid will work. Butler is the better player, but guys like Brogdon and Josh Richardson would be better fits to make this team successful.

[sixers hoops]

Kemba Walker on a 4 year max >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jimmy Butler on a 5 year max

Flanking Joel with two 3-level scorers that can play on and off the ball like Kemba Walker and Tobias Harris kicks this team into the elite gear. Moving Ben for a Booker/Beal type would make it even scarier and more fun to watch.

I’m a Jimmy fan, but due to the lackluster fit so far, I would easily prefer 4 years of Kemba.

[Bum Adebayo]

Kemba Walker on a 4 year max >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jimmy Butler on a 5 year max

Flanking Joel with two 3-level scorers that can play on and off the ball like Kemba Walker and Tobias Harris kicks this team into the elite gear. Moving Ben for a Booker/Beal type would make it even scarier and more fun to watch.

I would move Embiid instead of Simmons, with Simmons you have almost guaranteed durability, Embiid you know he is going to get injured and can't be relied on. Surround Simmons with Walker and Beal (Booker is a career loser) and this is instant championship team.

[Kobblehead]

Devin Booker is a future hall of famer, bro. Him not being able to elevate a dysfunctional mess like Phoenix during his ages 18-22 seasons means nothing.

[Bum Adebayo]

Devin Booker is a future hall of famer, bro. Him not being able to elevate a dysfunctional mess like Phoenix during his ages 18-22 seasons means nothing.

It means he is a loser basically. Also plays zero defense. I would take Simmons over Evin Booker or Westbrick any day of the week.

[Kobblehead]

When you judge a player's ability to win before their 24-28 age range, you're just setting yourself up with a flawed perception. Devin Booker is about to start his first real contract. Now is when we start to judge him as a winning player. Not during his rookie deal.

Also, who cares about a star's ability to defend when he's carrying an elite scoring load at an efficient level? Offense/Defense is like a 75%/25% thing in terms of individual importance.

[Bum Adebayo]

I care a lot about two way stars. It is not all about winning, how you win matters, a guy that only plays one end of the floor is a fraud in my eyes and it is morally wrong, it sets a bad example for the NBA. I only consider a player a star if he can play defense. Booker doesn't give a **** about defense, it sets a bad example for other players and instills a bad culture.

[Kobblehead]

I think that's a silly position to take because then you're basically shrinking the pool of legitimate superstar players that play the right way down to Giannis, Paul, and Kawhi (and couple guys here or there).

A high percentage of the stars in this league are incapable of playing defense. And of the ones that are capable, very few of them actually do it on a consistent basis.

Valuing defense is a diminishing platform.

[Kobblehead]

Look at the leading scorers in the past few drafts.

2016:
Simmons
Murray
Hield

2017:
Mitchell
Kuzma
Markennan

2018
Doncic
Young
Sexton
Ayton

There's like 1 or 2 difference-making guys that entered the league that actually want to play defense.

[Bum Adebayo]

I think that's a silly position to take because then you're basically shrinking the pool of legitimate superstar players that play the right way down to Giannis, Paul, and Kawhi (and couple guys here or there).

A high percentage of the stars in this league are incapable of playing defense. And of the ones that are capable, very few of them actually do it on a consistent basis.

Valuing defense is a diminishing platform.

Valuing defense will ensure the product improves, compared to the actual joke of a league we have, where rules encourage very high scores and little defense to be played.
So in the current NBA defense is not very important, an elite offensive player trumps an elite defensive player. Ok, I don't care, I will simply fight against the trend and will try to win with balanced offense + defense.

[Mik317]

people seem to not realize how difficult it is to play defense and also be the focal point of an offense. Kawhi for example has had some defensive lapses this year due to saving himself for the playoffs. It takes a lot out of you. Booker has the tools to be a solid defender IMO but because he is also the whole offense, he doesn't use them on that end because he has to save energy for offense. Harden's defense fails didn't really start until he went to Houston. KD's defense was noticed more in GS because he doesn't have to work as hard on offense anymore.

**** our own Joel Embiid proves this. He was much more disruptive his rookie year when he couldn't be the main offense due to the minutes restriction so he often went all out on defense while he was out there. Now because he is all about dat bully ball; he doesn't contest as much because he is saving up energy for that.

hell go back to Kobe; he lived off his defensive rep for years despite playing very little near the end as his offensive load grew. Bron too.

This is why having multiple sources of consistent offense is the key to team building as it allows people to get their rest on the offensive end instead of the defensive one.

[Kobblehead]

I mean, watch the Blazers/Thunder series.

Two-way superstar Paul George is out there and the Thunder are chock full of long, defensive athletes with a great defensive system. And they're getting embarrassed by the Blazers.

Defensive minded Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel got their ass handed to them in Game 1 by a 20 and 18 performance by Enes Kanter.

The two best players on the court in this series are Dame Lillard and C.J. McCollum and neither could be bothered to play a lick of defense throughout their careers.

[LloydFree]

people seem to not realize how difficult it is to play defense and also be the focal point of an offense. Kawhi for example has had some defensive lapses this year due to saving himself for the playoffs. It takes a lot out of you. Booker has the tools to be a solid defender IMO but because he is also the whole offense, he doesn't use them on that end because he has to save energy for offense. Harden's defense fails didn't really start until he went to Houston. KD's defense was noticed more in GS because he doesn't have to work as hard on offense anymore.

**** our own Joel Embiid proves this. He was much more disruptive his rookie year when he couldn't be the main offense due to the minutes restriction so he often went all out on defense while he was out there. Now because he is all about dat bully ball; he doesn't contest as much because he is saving up energy for that.

hell go back to Kobe; he lived off his defensive rep for years despite playing very little near the end as his offensive load grew. Bron too.

This is why having multiple sources of consistent offense is the key to team building as it allows people to get their rest on the offensive end instead of the defensive one.

No he doesn't. Besides being an average NBA athlete, with short arms, he's never shown the instincts or inclination to give the effort to even be passable on defense.

[AI_Efficiency]

I care a lot about two way stars. It is not all about winning, how you win matters, a guy that only plays one end of the floor is a fraud in my eyes and it is morally wrong, it sets a bad example for the NBA. I only consider a player a star if he can play defense. Booker doesn't give a **** about defense, it sets a bad example for other players and instills a bad culture.

This is one of the worst takes I’ve seen on this board, and that’s coming from someone that loves two-way players. Your opinion that players that can’t defend well are frauds seems to rest on the faulty assumption that players who don’t play good defense “don’t give a **** about defense.” This ignores other more likely reasons.

First, as noted above, being the focal point of an offense is exhausting. Players like Harden and Booker could certainly play better defense if they weren’t tasked with carrying the offense. They aren’t being lazy or selfish by expending less energy on defense. Quite the opposite.

Second, you seem to assume that being a poor defender always means that defender doesn’t try. Some players are not naturally good defenders, in the same way Simmons is not a shooter and Boban can’t dribble. Their bodies are not suited to the task. This doesn’t make them frauds. They just have different skill sets.

Third, operating an offense efficiently is one of the most valuable skills in the nba. Curry can revolutionize a team’s offense just by putting him on their roster. Sure, teams can target him in the pick and roll, and Houston had success doing that last year, but Curry’s offense is still more valuable.

Fourth, we have plenty of stats now that attempt to estimate a player’s value to a team, and these stats attempt to account for defensive contributions. Thus, hyberbole like, players that don’t play defense are cancers who don’t contribute to wins can be checked, and depending on the player, likely isn’t true. To use the Curry example, the stats say he contributes a bunch to winning.

I’m also not really getting the “morally wrong” thing. Was your ethics or Sunday school teacher like, “don’t steal, kill, or play defenders that can’t switch across at least three positions.” Just lol.

[Kobblehead]

Valuing defense will ensure the product improves

I don't agree with this.

The entertainment factor leans heavily towards the offensive side of the ball. And in the new age, the success rate also does.

So what about the product improves by valuing defense?

[Bum Adebayo]

Valuing defense will ensure the product improves

I don't agree with this.

The entertainment factor leans heavily towards the offensive side of the ball. And in the new age, the success rate also does.

So what about the product improves by valuing defense?

The quality of the product, not the popularity boosted by the casuals. Offense over defense will improve ratings, casuals prefer high scoring games.

[eagereyez]

Everyone on the Suns is a terrible to average defender - even guys like Bridges and Jackson. Chandler saw a significant drop in his defensive production going from Dallas to Phoenix. The Suns' defensive problems are systemic - it is due to their coaches and culture. Booker would not be a garbage fire on defense if he played for say the Bucks, Celtics, or Spurs.