Evaluate these guys for the Nuggets

pickIBL · Post #1 » by **pickIBL** » Sun May 31, 2009 2:34 am

Evaluate these guys for the Nuggets

Ok as you know the Nuggets just got eliminated from the WCF. Here are some things you may or may not know. They have some hard decisions to make with several free agents. Linas Kleiza is a RFA. Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and Dahntay Jones are not (UFA). Rumblings suggest Andersen is going to want a long term deal at or around the MLE. He’s 31 years old (july).

The Nuggets will be at 69 million in payroll with 8 guys under contract. 7 of those guys can actually suit up. Steven Hunter will be expiring next summer but is injured.

So you can see if the Nuggets give Andersen the MLE they are already deep in the luxury tax and only would have 8 guys on the roster that can suit up.

With that in mind I'd like to hear some various opinions on international guys. Not only do you think if they can play in the NBA, but do they fit what the Nuggets need?

Yiannis Bourousis- Olympiakos Greece
David Andersen- Spain
Ramunas Siskauskas- CSKA Moscow
Marcus Haislip- Unicaja Malaga, Spain
Ksistof Lavrinovic- Montepaschi Siena, Italy
Sani Becirovic- as a Jason Hart or Anthony Carter type replacement
Rimantas Kaukenas- Siena
Lesser publicized guys
Chris Porter- China
Rosell Ellis- Philippines/ Australia

Keep in mind Chauancey Billups is 32 (33 in September) so we are trying to win in the next couple of years. So bringing over someone 25-32 isn’t an issue.

Apollo64 · Post #2 » by **Apollo64** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:18 am

Bourousis, Andersen, Siskauskas, Haislip, Lavrinovic can all play in the NBA and are good bench solutions. However, as you already have said, the Nuggets don't have much money to spare. Bourousis, who is the most interesting player in the list, may end up to be too expensive (close to the MLE) and Siskauskas has already extended his contract with CSKA, also the Nuggets don't really need him having the SF spot covered with Carmelo/Kleiza. Andersen's rights are held by the Hawks, he could be a decent PF backup for Kmart. I believe Lavrinovic is already drafted, can't recall which team has his rights. Can definitely play in the NBA and can be had somewhat cheap. Haislip is a poor man's Kmart as well. Becirovic (rights held by Nuggets) and Kaukenas are good shooters, but honestly i don't think they are good enough so they can play in the NBA.

pickIBL · Post #3 » by **pickIBL** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:29 am

lavrinovic was not drafted to my knowledge.

i was thinking the hawks would never get a deal done for Andersen so the Nuggets could just offer a 2nd rounder for him.

As for Siskauskas I thought he had an NBA out?? I was thinking he could hold down the 2 guard spot with JR Smith and Sonny Weems.

As for Bourousis I don't see anyway he gets the MLE or anything like that. I was thinking realistically more like a 3 or 4 year deal starting at 2.5 to 3 million. Can he get that in Greece? And if so where would he rather play? I can't think of a team that'd offer him the MLE in 2009. Everyone is holding on for 2010... well most teams.

jolbin · Post #4 » by **jolbin** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:08 pm

Sani Bečirovic could be quite a contributor, when it comes to an offensive end, but he has some troubles in defence..
Still, i guess he could be a good backup combo guard, but i think he will stay in europe, as he is getting good salary, good role in a an ok team.. He is also a regular season MVP in euroleague this season

pickIBL · Post #5 » by **pickIBL** » Mon Jun 1, 2009 12:43 am

what if the Nuggets actually offered him some money? Something starting at 1.2 million?

3 years 4 million maybe? (for Sani Becirovic)

What do you think Lavrinovic would cost and would you rather sign him or Haislip?

Apollo64 · Post #6 » by **Apollo64** » Mon Jun 1, 2009 2:54 am

pickIBL wrote:
As for Siskauskas I thought he had an NBA out?? I was thinking he could hold down the 2 guard spot with JR Smith and Sonny Weems.

As for Bourousis I don't see anyway he gets the MLE or anything like that. I was thinking realistically more like a 3 or 4 year deal starting at 2.5 to 3 million. Can he get that in Greece? And if so where would he rather play? I can't think of a team that'd offer him the MLE in 2009. Everyone is holding on for 2010... well most teams.

Siskauskas is too slow to be an NBA SG imo, also i don't think he would be particularly thrilled to play there, because he would end up getting used as a limited minutes roleplayer spot-up shooter, while he is the man in Europe .

Bourousis had a great year statswise and logically he'll be getting an offer from Olympiacos in excess of 2mil euros a year. I am sure that if there is going to be a bidding war for him, Olympiacos would come on top.

pickIBL · Post #7 » by **pickIBL** » Mon Jun 1, 2009 3:31 am

Apollo64 wrote:
pickIBL wrote:
Bourousis had a great year statswise and logically he'll be getting an offer from Olympiacos in excess of 2mil euros a year. I am sure that if there is going to be a bidding war for him, Olympiacos would come on top.

Oh believe me I know they throw cash around over there. A contract starting a 3.5 million USD would start Bourousis at 2.47 miilion Euros in a long term deal. Something the Nuggets could potentially do as well as bring in a Chris Wilcox or another NBA vet to hedge the risk of bringing in a rookie to replace Birdman.

jolbin · Post #8 » by **jolbin** » Mon Jun 1, 2009 7:51 am

pickIBL wrote:what if the Nuggets actually offered him some money? Something starting at 1.2 million?

3 years 4 million maybe? (for Sani Becirovic)

What do you think Lavrinovic would cost and would you rather sign him or Haislip?

Well, this is less than he gets at Rome, but the contract is longer.
Sani was one of the biggest european talents when he was young, At 20 years old, he was already averaging 20.8 points in Euroleague, and was still raising his game from month to month
But then a terrible injury happened.. Most doctors said, that he should be happy, if he will ever walk again.. And now, he is back playing basketball, as one of the best basketball players in europe..
The second thing is, i dont know if he sees nba as a challenge.. If he does, i guess he would accept the contract given, as it gives him some insurance(4 years), but i dont know if your team would give that type of contract to him, because he is quite injury prone..

Joana · Post #9 » by **Joana** » Tue Jun 2, 2009 1:28 am

I offered my opinion on most of those players over here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=900430&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45#p19316509

Saniboy had a great season, but he's such a defensive liability that he'd never be worth for a NBA franchise a contract bigger than the one he has in Rome. Siskauskas has been the best player in Europe for a few years, I think, but he's lost his athleticism to the point that he wouldn't be more than another backup in the NBA.

Bourousis is definitely good enough to be a first big off the bench to a NBA team, but I believe he'll end up signing a new contract with Olympiacos. Haislip is a poor's man KMart without the defence and less rebounding. He's a FA by the end of the season, so maybe you have a chance at him. Chris Porter played in Portugal a couple of years ago, he isn't NBA material, not enough quality. I don't know Rosell Ellis.

I also think it would be a mistake for Denver to offer Andersen a multiple year MLE contract. He's not worth that. But for something bellow it... Are you sure Kroenke will throw caution to the wind and go down in a blaze of glory? Perhaps he will, he's an ambitious guy who's shown strong spending habits in the past, but in the last 12 months he's been very careful about the budget. It'll be interesting to see if gives management the green light.

Fozzy · Post #10 » by **Fozzy** » Sat Jun 6, 2009 2:04 pm

You will be in shock when you hear kleiza's plans this summer.
You can expect rumor circulation very very soon. (europe is singing his $ong)

I would simply draft Llull in the second round or pick up any serbian spot up shouter and fill in the gap for almost nothing!

Post #11 » by **The Rebel** » Mon Jun 8, 2009 5:08 pm

Fozzy wrote:You will be in shock when you hear kleiza's plans this summer.
You can expect rumor circulation very very soon. (europe is singing his $ong)

I would simply draft Llull in the second round or pick up any serbian spot up shouter and fill in the gap for almost nothing!

Most Denver fans have though that Kleiza would be looking to Europe this summer, I think with the current financial picture in the league a guy like Kleiza will get a better offer in Europe then from a team in the United States.