If you took over as GM today, what would you do?

[pickIBL]

I thought it would be fun to take it as a bit of an outsider. First as the new GM you are stuck with some contracts you can't do a lot with.

First, I would make the decision that this is DC (not LA, NY, etc) and stars aren't just going to flock here. If we want to win we need to play conservative, defense first, grind it out basketball (like the Pistons, Spurs, Jazz, etc). So I'd look for lesser known coaching names from Europe and the NCAA to fill the coaching ranks. Basically I'd be looking for a younger Jerry Sloan type coach who obviously would take a lot less money than Sloan.

I'd expect the team to run a Brad Stevens/ Tom Izzo style packline defense. No easy buckets... contested shots over the top.

A veteran team might take a look at Nene at some point. Maybe you can move him. I don't see the interest in Okafor at all or Ariza. Ariza will be around unfortunately.

Wall, Beal, Crawford, and Seraphin make up a pretty sad young core. Nobody on this team is untrade-able. But if you are going to move somebody (like John Wall) make sure their trade value is up and they are playing decent.

I think both this year and next year the Wizards will be bad as there is no real need to tank on purpose. Even with a bad record there is still a small chance overall that you get Wiggins via the lottery... so you don't try hard to tank... just let it happen naturally.

So sure my first move would be to scout the draft. I would not let team need factor in much at all.

It would come down to Muhammad, Noel, Len, and Bennett. I would swap cash and the early 2nd rounder to get in at the end of the 1st round and select Sergey Karasev. If I was able to do that I would add his father who is his current head coach to the staff.

During the off season I would look to sign Tomas Satoransky who is currently stashed overseas. I would also sign 25 year old European PG Milos Teodosic in case John Wall would ever get moved. I could also see signing Yiannis Bouroussis to a deal as well. If the Jazz don't tender an offer to Ante Tomic I'd offer to him too.

I would either buy/start my own D-League team or have the Skyforce be my long term D-League affiliate. They are run by a hotel group that would like to stick around the D-League. They might be willing to give up some control to the big club to make that happen. My D-League club would be used to train younger prospects how to play Wizards grind it out basketball.

To help clear cap space a part of the young core might have to be traded. Opening up cap space is a big deal though and it should be considered. That Nene deal is pretty long.

I'd sign Tim Ohlbrecht of the RG Vipers today with a team option for next year.

Basically you have to wait some of these contracts out right now. The best thing you can do is sit back and not make things worse.

12/13 Roster
Okafor (Just let him expire)
Nene (If he is healthy try and move him ASAP for relief)
Ariza (he is going to p/u his option... let him expire)
Blatche (amnestied)
John Wall (how good will he be, can he run an old school offense?)
Bradley Beal (young core)
Jan Vesely (do not p/u option)
Kevin Seraphin (something to sweeten a trade?)
Chris Singleton (next season team option to decide on)
Trevor Booker (expiring)
Jordan Crawford (QO next year)
Shabazz Muhammad 6-6 Wing rookie
Karasev 6-8 Rookie wing
Bouroussis 7-0 Center (29 years old... value to vet teams)
Milos Teodosic 6-5 PG (25 years old.... makes it easier to trade Wall if need be)
Satoransky (past Wiz draft choice)
Ohlbrecht (looks pretty good in the D-League right now... why not)
2013 2nd round DP (no idea who this would be right now)

Also start buying out a some vets if it makes sense and you can trim a few bucks. What is the point in keeping Ariza around?

[nate33]

Bump!

We now know a few more things that we didn't know when I started this thread:

1. Beal is pretty good. Maybe not a star, but certainly a quality NBA player
2. Okafor is having a great year and could really help someone win a championship.
3. Wall is healthy and as fast as ever... and he looks exactly the same as he did last year and the year before. There has been no improvement whatsoever.
4. Management doesn't like Jordan Crawford.
5. Webster's early production wasn't a fluke. He's a solid role player.

It's the day before the Trade Deadline. You're in charge. What is your plan now?

I don't know about you guys, but for the first time, I'd seriously consider trading Wall. It may be time to abort this effed up rebuild effort before we get in too deep and start committing long term salary to the wrong players.

[AFM]

I posted this in another thread, but would you trade Wall for Jrue Holiday? Their values are heading in opposite directions

[nate33]

I posted this in another thread, but would you trade Wall for Jrue Holiday? Their values are heading in opposite directions

Why would Philly do this?

[AFM]

They would a few months ago. I wonder how down on Wall other GM's are.

[Silvie Lysandra]

Bump!

We now know a few more things that we didn't know when I started this thread:

1. Beal is pretty good. Maybe not a star, but certainly a quality NBA player
2. Okafor is having a great year and could really help someone win a championship.
3. Wall is healthy and as fast as ever... and he looks exactly the same as he did last year and the year before. There has been no improvement whatsoever.
4. Management doesn't like Jordan Crawford.
5. Webster's early production wasn't a fluke. He's a solid role player.

It's the day before the Trade Deadline. You're in charge. What is your plan now?

I don't know about you guys, but for the first time, I'd seriously consider trading Wall. It may be time to abort this effed up rebuild effort before we get in too deep and start committing long term salary to the wrong players.

I've come around on Wall a bit, because he did look better to start coming back, and you gotta admit that his return coincided with a dramatic improvement in the overall team. But the flaws aren't really fixed - he's still got elite tools, but his shot sucks, he doesn't use possessions effectively and he's still way more athulete than basketball player. I wouldn't even consider maxing him at this point, but imo even 10m a year is a bargain for him, especially if he translates his defensive tools to consistent defensive impact which he can definitely do.

A 16/9 player with elite defense and the ability to push the ball on the break can be a piece on a championship team built correctly.

[willbcocks]

Can a former #1 pick with a big name who has been billed as a franchise player since his arrival be signed at a bargain contract? My intuition is no way. Despite all the criticism he has received in the media, I think someone will offer him a big deal. It doesn't hurt that we are the Wizards, and GMs probably think -- rightly or wrongly -- that players floundering in Washington may take off somewhere else.

My scale is now tipping towards move him. Trade everyone except Beal. Tank this year and tank hard for the strong 2014 class. If we had done the rebuild right the first time, this would be the last year in the lottery, but we messed it up miserably. We need to bring in another GM, do it right, and emerge with a team positioned to compete in the long term.

[Induveca]

At this point, especially after attending the game last night I would trade Wall. I've been against this for a while, but a few things changed my perception of the kid.

- 3 years in and he still can't hit a jumper
- When injured, he came back woefully out of shape.
- His diet, by his own admission, consists mostly of "chips".
- He's enticing enough where we can get excellent value for him. Everyone must think he is a poor player due to the Wizard culture. They may be right....
- He's not a max player, but he will ask for and receive that max deal from Leonsis.

Trade everyone but Beal. Wall/Nene to the Lakers for Dwight Howard/Earl Clark works for me....

Trade Okafor for an expiring contract.

Draft Smart and Porter.

Smart
Beal
Porter
Free Agent (Favors?)
Howard

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I like almost all your ideas, Induveca.

I would get more from the Lakers, however, because Howard can walk and LAL has no pick to offer the Wizards that would enable them to get a second first rounder.

In order to get an extra lottery-top 5 pick, the Wizards need to send Wall to teams like Charlotte or Sacramento, if they would send Walker or Thomas/Fredette along with their lottery pick.

[Induveca]

CCJ agree, obviously Howard would have to agree to resign. I now think this is a possibility after experiencing the "big market" he so craved.

Unlikely but I'd give it a try.

[nate33]

Howard wouldn't resign here on a team that was in the midst of a rebuild. But I would entertain the idea of trading Wall for a high lotto pick. I'd then dump Nene's contract for a contract that expires in 2014 plus whatever incentive I could get. The plan would be to develop our two 2013 draft picks alongside Beal, with Okafor, Ariza and Webster as veteran leaders to help maintain a defensive mindset. The team wouldn't score but would play hard. We would end up losing a lot in 2013/14 and land another high lotto pick in the highly touted 2014 draft. All the bad contracts would come off the books in 2014 and we'd have the cap room to sign one or two max free agents to play alongside Beal, 2013 lotto pick, 2013 lotto pick, 2014 lotto pick, Seraphin and Webster.

[payitforward]

The team is in shambles.
...
Ted just hired you and has given you unlimited control, with the one caveat that he will not pay a luxury tax unless the team is contending. What is your plan?

Negotiate a golden parachute and retire!

[FAH1223]

Wall is NOT getting a max deal from ANYONE. The Wizards are not going to max him. No team in 2014 is going to offer a 4 year max on a kid who is still somewhat of a project.

He will get a Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday type contract offer from Washington or another team and the Wizards will match. Wall shouldn't get more than $11 million per season.

[nate33]

Wall is NOT getting a max deal from ANYONE. The Wizards are not going to max him. No team in 2014 is going to offer a 4 year max on a kid who is still somewhat of a project.

He will get a Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday type contract offer from Washington or another team and the Wizards will match. Wall shouldn't get more than $11 million per season.

If that's true, then Wall will have an interesting decision to make.

Wall's qualifying offer is $9.7M. We will certainly extend the QO this summer to make sure we maintain his RFA rights. When 2014 comes around and the best offer he's got on the table is $11M, does he take it knowing the Wizards will match? Or does he accept the $9.7M qualifying offer so he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2015 and go wherever he wants?

Basically, our advantage in resigning him diminishes the further away he gets from having max contract value.

[AFM]

You forget that by 2015 our PG of the future will be Tomas Santorasky.

[FAH1223]

Wall is NOT getting a max deal from ANYONE. The Wizards are not going to max him. No team in 2014 is going to offer a 4 year max on a kid who is still somewhat of a project.

He will get a Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday type contract offer from Washington or another team and the Wizards will match. Wall shouldn't get more than $11 million per season.

If that's true, then Wall will have an interesting decision to make.

Wall's qualifying offer is $9.7M. We will certainly extend the QO this summer to make sure we maintain his RFA rights. When 2014 comes around and the best offer he's got on the table is $11M, does he take it knowing the Wizards will match? Or does he accept the $9.7M qualifying offer so he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2015 and go wherever he wants?

Basically, our advantage in resigning him diminishes the further away he gets from having max contract value.

Being 23-24 and walking away from a guranteed deal isn't going to happen. I assure you he isn't going to make a decision to not re-sign especially with the scare he had with his injury this season.

Wizards hold the advantage and there's no way in hell he gets a max. What has he done to deserve one? Other teams aren't going to risk their future luxury tax space like that in this new CBA era.

I'm telling you. He isn't going to get a max from anyone. The biggest deal someone will throw is 4 years and in the neighborhood of $48-50 million.

[pancakes3]

I thought the team that ends the season with Howard gets the fast track because they'll be able to offer more money than anyone else?

I also agree that JW isn't going to get the max. 0 all-star games, mediocre stats, no playoffs... I think those are the typical incentive-based stuff that goes into a contract. He hasn't hit any of those "traditional markers".

[nate33]

I thought the team that ends the season with Howard gets the fast track because they'll be able to offer more money than anyone else?

The advantage is small. Over 4 years, it's the difference between $84M and $81M. Taxes probably play a bigger role.

[hands11]

I guess this is some combo of the draft and trade thread.

by hands11 on Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:28 am
Seriously though. I'm just not sold on Wall. Its not this one game. Its been a long line of stuff. I'm just not feeling it. I wanted us to trade that pick that year. I wanted us to trade him for Kyrie the year after. He is athletic as can be. And he does have some talent. He just doesn't scream top dog PG #1 pick leading a team to a title to me though. He just doesn't seem smart enough or skilled enough. And as the #1, he will also try to play up to that and that will also seem to force him into trying to do to much that is outside his skills. And part of the reason he will do that is because a #1 that can play like a CP3 can get paid max and that is what he will want here. I just don't want to live through that.

To me, it looks like they have one solid long term piece and that is Beal.
From there, I like Okafor, Trevor A and Nene as solid pieces that you can add to as a intermediate build. Then you can bring in quality draft picks like Victor, CJM, Otto, etc who will benefit from those vets players like Beal has. Plus those vets are players that have value that you can trade later if you want.

Everyone else can go for the right price. I wanted to wait on Crawford to raise his value more but they aren't going to use him correctly so whats the point.

I'm also pretty much done with Randy. I'm glad he instilled a solid defense but his game time coaching has just been very troubling.

Bring in the JJRs. I want a team of smart mature players. Wall, Crawford, Price, Kevin S don't fit that in my book. Not sure Singleton or Booker do either. Webster does so he can stay if we need him. Ves is a tough call. He seems smart on the court and he has that language issue so its a hard call. But he doesn't seem like any Einstein in the interviews. Temple seems smart and he cost nothing so he can stick around. Martin can go.

Let face it, we got the #1 in a bad draft and took the player everyone else would have taken. Doesn't mean we have to be stuck with it. We got a better player later as the 3rd, that whats important.

Just to damn bad we didn't draft Nikola. If so, we would have two young solid player to build on. One guard, one center.

Clean up on isle 5

[Ruzious]

If I was the GM, I'd first make it clear that I don't care about competing for the 8th spot in the playoffs - particularly with older players who won't likely fit into the future of the team. That's a goal for losers - and I have too much respect for the fan base to push something like that as a goal.

All this team has for the future is Beal, Wall, and draft picks. Everyone else is for sale - and that's not to say that Beal and Wall are untradable. It is to say that we have to Start a rebuild, and it's going to take 2 years to set a roster to go forward with, because next to nothing's been done the last 5 years. We will be drafting high this year AND next year.

Nene has trade value and will be traded sometime before next season. A trade of Nene to the Clips for Bledsoe and filler makes sense for both teams. Okafor will be traded if an asset can be gotten for him. As of now, I'm not going to rush to trade Wall. I want to wait until at least the end of this season to decide on him. We will plan to spend a lot in the 2014 offseason.