Front Court of the Future?

[stevemcqueen1]

It has to be Monroe. He is a Georgetown alum, has praised the trio of Wall, Beal and Porter to the public media and is going to be available. Are we going to have the cap room to make an offer? I do think he would sign with us, and there is no way Detroit matches a big offer. Even if we don't think Monroe is the final piece, he will keep us competitive, makes us younger in the front court, and gives us a moveable young asset if we want to make a trade in the future for a player like Love, Cousins, or Durant. In fact, Monroe, Porter and a 1st should be a pretty competitive package if an elite player becomes available via trade.

Monroe is an RFA. He'd be nice to have but at what price? What won't Detroit match? Would we have to overpay him just to keep Detroit from matching?

And if signing Monroe means losing Gortat, I'm not sure that's the right move. I think we'd end up with a bad defensive team without a huge net gain in low post offense.

Gortat is emerging as our guy too.

I do think Monroe would actually pair well with both Nene and Gortat because those guys have enough offensive range to keep the paint spaced. But I'm not sure we have the money for these guys. Not unless Detroit inexplicably lets Monroe walk at a big discount and Gortat takes a very big discount. Not going to happen.

And for once, I'd like us to go into a season with most of our major roles already sorted out from the year before, and get off to a fast start. I don't like changing around major starters every year.

[GeeWiz]

Valid point, but pair Monroe with a marquee shot blocker like, say, Larry Sanders? You need a defensive big to go along with Monroe, which is why Monroe excelled last year along side Drummond.

Monroe took a major step back from the year before last season alongside Drummond. He's actually gotten progressively worse since they added Drummond. He's not a good fit with him.

Monroe has regressed this year because of the three-headed monster that Dumars created by signing Josh Smith. Monroe hasn't gotten nearly as many touches...

Last year, the duo of Drummond and Monroe was great, with Drummond being the Defensive anchor when given PT and Monroe being the go-to scorer in the post.

[GeeWiz]

It has to be Monroe. He is a Georgetown alum, has praised the trio of Wall, Beal and Porter to the public media and is going to be available. Are we going to have the cap room to make an offer? I do think he would sign with us, and there is no way Detroit matches a big offer. Even if we don't think Monroe is the final piece, he will keep us competitive, makes us younger in the front court, and gives us a moveable young asset if we want to make a trade in the future for a player like Love, Cousins, or Durant. In fact, Monroe, Porter and a 1st should be a pretty competitive package if an elite player becomes available via trade.

Monroe is an RFA. He'd be nice to have but at what price? What won't Detroit match? Would we have to overpay him just to keep Detroit from matching?

And if signing Monroe means losing Gortat, I'm not sure that's the right move. I think we'd end up with a bad defensive team without a huge net gain in low post offense.

Gortat is emerging as our guy too.

I do think Monroe would actually pair well with both Nene and Gortat because those guys have enough offensive range to keep the paint spaced. But I'm not sure we have the money for these guys. Not unless Detroit inexplicably lets Monroe walk at a big discount and Gortat takes a very big discount. Not going to happen.

And for once, I'd like us to go into a season with most of our major roles already sorted out from the year before, and get off to a fast start. I don't like changing around major starters every year.

We've been changing our starters every year because some of them simply haven't worked out. We've been in the lottery long enough, and getting Monroe could be a huge step to solidify the PF/C spot.

As you said, Monroe would pair well with Nene.
PG- Wall/Maynor
SG- Beal/Rice/Temple
SF- Otto/Trevor A if resigned/Webby
PF- Nene/filler
C- Monroe/filler

That team is young and would certainly make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.

And yes, with all of our expiring, we do have the cap-space to sign Monroe to a large contract.

[stevemcqueen1]

Valid point, but pair Monroe with a marquee shot blocker like, say, Larry Sanders? You need a defensive big to go along with Monroe, which is why Monroe excelled last year along side Drummond.

Monroe took a major step back from the year before last season alongside Drummond. He's actually gotten progressively worse since they added Drummond. He's not a good fit with him.

Monroe has regressed this year because of the three-headed monster that Dumars created by signing Josh Smith. Monroe hasn't gotten nearly as many touches...

Last year, the duo of Drummond and Monroe was great, with Drummond being the Defensive anchor when given PT and Monroe being the go-to scorer in the post.

You've got this abstract idea that they are this natural pair, but they weren't actually great last year. Monroe regressed in most ways. He was a better player the year before when he didn't play with Drummond. They're trying to making it work. But it's not as if the team has been particularly good, and Monroe is clearly better when he plays C and has a lot more room to operate in the low post than playing PF in a packed paint with Drummond.

[stevemcqueen1]

As you said, Monroe would pair well with Nene.
PG- Wall/Maynor
SG- Beal/Rice/Temple
SF- Otto/Trevor A if resigned/Webby
PF- Nene/filler
C- Monroe/filler

That team is young and would certainly make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.

And yes, with all of our expiring, we do have the cap-space to sign Monroe to a large contract.

Monroe would probably pair well with Nene offensively, but they'd be bad defensively. Also that filler sitting behind those guys is a problem. We'd be a better team net-net with Gortat at a cheaper deal than Monroe, and a decent backup big. And the backup guards are still very weak.

[truwizfan4evr]

Why not resign Gortat and trade Nene? And then we make an offer for Greg Monroe.

[theboomking]

If the Wizards determine it's time to move away from Nene, then I'm feeling good about bringing Monroe in. Nene's still the most difficult Wizard to build around IMO; Monroe would be a whole heck of a lot easier to complement with another player.

The only thing Monroe has over Nene is age/health. I don't think Nene is hard to build around.

I haven't watched as much basketball as most of you guys. How would you compare Monroe to Gortat and Nene in terms of what he would bring to the team? My impression is that he is more of a C/PF hybrid than a PF/C hybrid, and would bring low post scoring and solid passing, but isn't the best defender or floor spacer.

If we did sign Monroe, would you keep Nene and Gortat? All things being equal, I would rather have Gortat, based on his age and health. Gortat is expiring though and that is probably the money we would use on Monroe.

[truwizfan4evr]

Would anyone take a chance on Larry Sanders?

[GeeWiz]

As you said, Monroe would pair well with Nene.
PG- Wall/Maynor
SG- Beal/Rice/Temple
SF- Otto/Trevor A if resigned/Webby
PF- Nene/filler
C- Monroe/filler

That team is young and would certainly make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.

And yes, with all of our expiring, we do have the cap-space to sign Monroe to a large contract.

Monroe would probably pair well with Nene offensively, but they'd be bad defensively. Also that filler sitting behind those guys is a problem. We'd be a better team net-net with Gortat at a cheaper deal than Monroe, and a decent backup big. And the backup guards are still very weak.

Gortat would come at a much cheaper deal than Monroe, but again, Gortat is nearly 30. This thread is about the future frontcourt.

The cap that would be sacrificed to sign Monroe would hurt the already-decimated bench, but how often do you get the opportunity to sign a great offensive big with the touch and versatility of Monroe?

Temple at backup PG and Rice at backup SG would be serviceable. But this is why Ernie is suck... Shannon Brown and Kendall Marshall could have been useful in situations like these

None the less, we would still have some cap space remaining to make a move for an underrated big like Al Foruque Aminu, Darell Arthur, or others who would come at a cheap price.

The backup guards would still be an issue, but Webby and Trevor A could get some minutes at SG, and Rice has decent handles.

[nate33]

Replace Nene with Greg Monroe on this Wizards team, I guarantee you that they would be doing better than they are now, despite their recent success.

So, ridding the team of Nene for a good defensive big opens the door for the Greg Monroe signing over the summer, or the Durant plan in 2016.

Long-story short, Nene for a young, defensive big is something that I would do.

No offense, but you're not exactly going out on a limb here with some kind of profound revelation. Of course we would be happy to rid ourselves of Nene and replace him with a guy 8 years younger. It's easier said than done though. Certainly, Detroit doesn't make that trade straight up.

This summer, we will have roughly $13M in cap room after renouncing Gortat, Seraphin, Vesely, Booker and Singleton. We will probably temporarily renounce Gortat so we can take a shot at signing Monroe to a deal, but Detroit has RFA rights and can match our offer. In the likely event that we end up failing on our Monroe bid, we can "unrenounce" Gortat and go ahead and sign him with Bird Rights. Unfortunately, if we sign him for anything longer than a 2-year deal, it'll mean we will never again have cap room for the foreseeable future. That means no shot at Durant in 2016, or Noah in 2015, or any other big name free agent. It'll be Wall, Beal, Gortat and filler for the next 4 years or more (plus Nene until 2016).

That's not a good enough team to realistically compete for a title. This is the legacy that Grunfeld has left us with. After 5 years of horrific basketball, we have come away with two very good players (Wall and Beal) but no elite, first-tier superstars, no all-star caliber big men, no depth, and a team that is too good to land a high lottery pick.

[GeeWiz]

Would anyone take a chance on Larry Sanders?

I would certainly take a chance on him, but would he be out of our price range?

[truwizfan4evr]

Replace Nene with Greg Monroe on this Wizards team, I guarantee you that they would be doing better than they are now, despite their recent success.

So, ridding the team of Nene for a good defensive big opens the door for the Greg Monroe signing over the summer, or the Durant plan in 2016.

Long-story short, Nene for a young, defensive big is something that I would do.

No offense, but you're not exactly going out on a limb here with some kind of profound revelation. Of course we would be happy to rid ourselves of Nene and replace him with a guy 8 years younger. It's easier said than done though. Certainly, Detroit doesn't make that trade straight up.

This summer, we will have roughly $13M in cap room after renouncing Gortat, Seraphin, Vesely, Booker and Singleton. We will probably temporarily renounce Gortat so we can take a shot at signing Monroe to a deal, but Detroit has RFA rights and can match our offer. In the likely event that we end up failing on our Monroe bid, we can "unrenounce" Gortat and go ahead and sign him with Bird Rights. Unfortunately, if we sign him for anything longer than a 2-year deal, it'll mean we will never again have cap room for the foreseeable future. That means no shot at Durant in 2016, or Noah in 2015, or any other big name free agent. It'll be Wall, Beal, Gortat and filler for the next 4 years or more (plus Nene until 2016).

That's not a good enough team to realistically compete for a title. This is the legacy that Grunfeld has left us with. After 5 years of horrific basketball, we have come away with two very good players (Wall and Beal) but no elite, first-tier superstars, no all-star caliber big men, no depth, and a team that is too good to land a high lottery pick.

Only Ernie would give him a 4 year contract extension. When is Ernie Contract is up?

[truwizfan4evr]

Would anyone take a chance on Larry Sanders?

I would certainly take a chance on him, but would he be out of our price range?

He started off the season pretty poorly and is now in legal trouble i wouldn't be shocked if the Bucks wanted to trade him.

[penbeast0]

As you said, Monroe would pair well with Nene.
PG- Wall/Maynor
SG- Beal/Rice/Temple
SF- Otto/Trevor A if resigned/Webby
PF- Nene/filler
C- Monroe/filler

That team is young and would certainly make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.

And yes, with all of our expiring, we do have the cap-space to sign Monroe to a large contract.

Monroe would probably pair well with Nene offensively, but they'd be bad defensively. Also that filler sitting behind those guys is a problem. We'd be a better team net-net with Gortat at a cheaper deal than Monroe, and a decent backup big. And the backup guards are still very weak.

Gortat would come at a much cheaper deal than Monroe, but again, Gortat is nearly 30. This thread is about the future frontcourt.

The cap that would be sacrificed to sign Monroe would hurt the already-decimated bench, but how often do you get the opportunity to sign a great offensive big with the touch and versatility of Monroe?

Temple at backup PG and Rice at backup SG would be serviceable. But this is why Ernie is suck... Shannon Brown and Kendall Marshall could have been useful in situations like these

None the less, we would still have some cap space remaining to make a move for an underrated big like Al Foruque Aminu, Darell Arthur, or others who would come at a cheap price.

The backup guards would still be an issue, but Webby and Trevor A could get some minutes at SG, and Rice has decent handles.

I'm not even sure Gortat comes that much cheaper than Monroe; starting caliber bigs are always at a high premium. That means Gortat, Sanders, or Monroe, or any other top big will take up our salary space for at least 2 and more likely 4 years. I don't think there is anyone out there of that caliber who will take a 2 year or cut rate deal to play for the Wizards. So . . . we have to hope the Wiz "brain trust" thinks hard and carefully about this and doesn't panic and give the wrong guy a 4 year max deal on day one so they can be sure of getting someone.

[GeeWiz]

Would anyone take a chance on Larry Sanders?

I would certainly take a chance on him, but would he be out of our price range?

He started off the season pretty poorly and is now in legal trouble i wouldn't be shocked if the Bucks wanted to trade him.

If his antics continue, his value would be pretty low...

The Bucks would be looking for young prospects, picks, and maybe expirings.

I still don't think we have the pieces to make a move, but if his value continues to sink, I'd be more than happy to pounce.

[GeeWiz]

Monroe would probably pair well with Nene offensively, but they'd be bad defensively. Also that filler sitting behind those guys is a problem. We'd be a better team net-net with Gortat at a cheaper deal than Monroe, and a decent backup big. And the backup guards are still very weak.

Gortat would come at a much cheaper deal than Monroe, but again, Gortat is nearly 30. This thread is about the future frontcourt.

The cap that would be sacrificed to sign Monroe would hurt the already-decimated bench, but how often do you get the opportunity to sign a great offensive big with the touch and versatility of Monroe?

Temple at backup PG and Rice at backup SG would be serviceable. But this is why Ernie is suck... Shannon Brown and Kendall Marshall could have been useful in situations like these

None the less, we would still have some cap space remaining to make a move for an underrated big like Al Foruque Aminu, Darell Arthur, or others who would come at a cheap price.

The backup guards would still be an issue, but Webby and Trevor A could get some minutes at SG, and Rice has decent handles.

I'm not even sure Gortat comes that much cheaper than Monroe; starting caliber bigs are always at a high premium. That means Gortat, Sanders, or Monroe, or any other top big will take up our salary space for at least 2 and more likely 4 years. I don't think there is anyone out there of that caliber who will take a 2 year or cut rate deal to play for the Wizards. So . . . we have to hope the Wiz "brain trust" thinks hard and carefully about this and doesn't panic and give the wrong guy a 4 year max deal on day one so they can be sure of getting someone.

Hopefully the Wiz Front office learned from the Maynor situation regarding signing players early in FA...

However, I don't think Monroe would be too much of a risk given his proven talents.
Sanders on the other hand is far more risky, but could really pay off if he turns out well.

[dckingsfan]

If you don't like betting on sure things, then don't bet on Durant coming home as he promised to the media, his friends, his agent and his mother. "I swear on my Momma's eyes that I will be a Wizard." -- Kevin Durant.

Not to lose any sure bet money but... I would think we would need to be one player away from contending for Kevin to come here. As we are currently - don't think he comes when he could actually compete for a championship in OKC.

Just saying...

[GeeWiz]

What about DMC?
Pairing up with Wall again, he would be a nice fit.
Again, if his antics off the court continue, maybe the Kings look to trade him?
He's so unpredictable, you honestly never know with this guy, but I think that he would be a great, young cornerstone.

[nate33]

What about DMC?
Pairing up with Wall again, he would be a nice fit.
Again, if his antics off the court continue, maybe the Kings look to trade him?
He's so unpredictable, you honestly never know with this guy, but I think that he would be a great, young cornerstone.

He has already signed an extension and is therefore nearly impossible to trade.

Throwing out names of good young players is easy. The hard part is coming up with plausible scenarios to actually get them to come here. With Ernie having trading away a future 1st rounder, that part just got that much harder.

[GeeWiz]

What about DMC?
Pairing up with Wall again, he would be a nice fit.
Again, if his antics off the court continue, maybe the Kings look to trade him?
He's so unpredictable, you honestly never know with this guy, but I think that he would be a great, young cornerstone.

He has already signed an extension and is therefore nearly impossible to trade.

Throwing out names of good young players is easy. The hard part is coming up with plausible scenarios to actually get them to come here. With Ernie having trading away a future 1st rounder, that part just got that much harder.

This is all hypothetical. Of course Sac won't trade him right after an extension, but the deal is 4 years.
That's a pretty long deal, so, per say, year 2 he maybe tells the Kings FO he doesn't want to be there. Again, all hypothetical.
If we don't manage to land a premier big such as Monroe in FA, maybe DMC or Sanders become options when we DO have a pick to deal, so trying to deal for a player like DMC could become a great plan B.