Scutt wrote:RunDogGun wrote:nevetsov wrote:Returning:
Ayton
Booker
Bridges
Rubio
Jerome
Johnson
Kaminsky (cheap option)
Diallo (cheap option)
Lecque (cheap option)
Gone:
Oubre (trade due pending extension $)
Baynes (Utah FA?)
Saric (tba FA)
Carter (upgraded backup PG acquired)
Okobo (traded/ cut)
Harper (cut)
Owens (cut or NAZ 2 way)
We can't extend Oubre. He has one year left on his contract. Unless we get a player that can produce better than 18/6 with 1.4 steals per game, It seems like a bad idea to move him. I don't know why everyone wants him gone though. He is a solid two way player, and plays with heart every game.
I can only speak for me personally, but I want Oubre gone because he seems unwilling to play within the offense, is super inconsistent, and lacks good basketball IQ. Long-term, I don't think Ayton can reach his offensive potential when playing next to two selfish players in Booker and Oubre, so one of them needs to go. Booker is putting up 26 points a game, efficiently, and at least tries to pass to Ayton occasionally, so it's clear who the odd man out is.
Bridges is the opposite of Oubre, a high IQ basketball player who plays under control, always makes the extra pass, and can be relied upon to to do the right thing. But he doesn't blow kisses, do push ups, and head bob like Kelly, so fans don't like him. The truth is though, Bridges is the better fit at small forward next to Ayton and Booker.
Thoughts on all:
- Kaminsky @ $5 million might be a little expensive, given his most recent injury. Saric I think is about that valuable. I think it's more likely that we keep Kaminsky than Saric, I guess. I'm just worried about his health. He's a second stringer if healthy. He's worth than a stringer if he can't play. He's $5 million and a roster spot either way.
- Carter is a FANTASTIC THIRD-STRINGER. Why get rid of him? He's cheap and can play.
- I'm not in favor of drafting a backup PG. If Ty Jerome can't step into the backup 1 slot, then you find some other way to fill the hole. You can only have so many players at the same position in development.
- Our #1 priority in free agency should be adding a backup 2 for Booker. We need a guy who can step in off the bench and knock down some shots. If that player can also play some PG, that's a bonus. A lot of teams play small, and we could use another 2 guard on defense a lot of the time.
nevetsov wrote:- We can't extend Oubre. He has one year left on his contract. Unless we get a player that can produce better than 18/6 with 1.4 steals per game, It seems like a bad idea to move him. I don't know why everyone wants him gone though. He is a solid two way player, and plays with heart every game.
I agree with this. You don't move Oubre. Go find me a PF who posts those stats in free agency. You can't. Throw in 51 FG%, 35 3FG%, and 0.7 BPG, with relatively few turnovers, and.... why can't we just plan to re-sign him as a free agent? Need we remind ourselves that he's part of the best 5-man unit in the league? He might be listed as SF and Mikal as PF for whatever reason, but Kelly gives you a lot of the production that you want out of your 4, and I don't recall a bunch of power forwards going off on us this season.
One final thought, in re our roster and the draft. It sure would be nice to add a solid 4/5 to our third string. We ran out of bigs this year and could have used someone more effective than Diallo. As I've stated in the 2020 Draft thread, I like Paul Reed, but Vernon Carey would also be a solid pick, or Okongwu if for whatever silly reason he drops to us. It's becoming more and more obvious to me that we would draft Toppin if we ended up with a top pick in the lottery. But if we stay at the back of the lotto, I'd also consider selecting, or dropping back to select, Tyler Bey, especially if there were a team willing to part with an asset to move up. We were very thin at the three once Cam went down. It's possible that the best way to use Ayton and Bridges is to give them a rebounding wing to work with (like Oubre, or Bey).
