You know what would have been nice?

[PandaKidd]

HAVING LOTS OF YOUNG TRADE-ABLE ASSETS AND PICKS TO GO GET RUSSELL WESTBROOK RIGHT NOW.

Boston is getting traction according to a lot of the local talking heads.

JAMAL TAKE A BOW

[ATL Boy]

Had Al signed here, and had we traded Millsap for young assets and picks we'd be in such a good position both now and in the future.

The difference of $6 mil total over 5 years. Smh.

I still remember reading Woj's tweet saying Washington and Boston were falling back on Al, and then him just dropping the bomb that Al was signing with Boston.


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[jayu70]

Knowing what you think you know about Westbrook, Do you think he'll want to stay in Atlanta? Nope.
I do agree we've blown too many draft picks.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm already pretty disliked on the board, so I'll pass on THAT suggestion. LOL


But, yeah, a few top, young players were rumored to be bandied about this summer. Jimmy Butler & Russ Westbrook being the most prominent. And we couldn't really engage in trade talks for anyone, because we have so few young players under long-term control that others want.


And we spent our first lottery pick in nearly a decade on a role player with limited upside who was projected to go in the last ten picks of the first round.

I like the players we got...but, again, we get assets with minimal trade value around the league.

THJ and Dennis Schroder ain't getting you in the door for anyone else's superstar.

[Jamaaliver]

Knowing what you think you know about Westbrook, Do you think he'll want to stay in Atlanta? Nope.

Perhaps, perhaps not.

But a good team, unselfish teammates, top coach, great city and 5th year Bird Rights...I suspect we'd make a more compelling offer in a watered down Easter Conference than any other team.

[PandaKidd]

Knowing what you think you know about Westbrook, Do you think he'll want to stay in Atlanta? Nope.
I do agree we've blown too many draft picks.

YOU TAKE THE CHANCE ON A TOP 5 NBA PLAYER and you get his BIRD RIGHTS. Id throw all the monies at WB, its worth the risk to see if he walks away.

[Jamaaliver]

Since this is the 'hindsight being 20-20 thread'...


It would have been nice to NOT decide to rebuild through Free Agency in the most costly Free Agency period in world history.

I mean, had we been aggressive LAST summer, we could have gotten some players signed the previous off-season that would be absolute steals today.

I have no idea where this team is headed long-term. Are DS, Bazmore and Taurean Prince our CORE of the future?

Because...ugh. That sounds mediocre.

[PandaKidd]

Im 50/50 on this. I love D12 at 3 years, and I like his "name". Maybe if he has a 20/10 season we can use him to bring someone "else" in next year. We always lacked the BIG NAME to bring someone else in, hopefully hes the BIG NAME we needed.

youre right though, the rest of the team is aging and im not sure what the future looks like. However:
http://hoopshype.com/2016/05/14/nba-free-agency-2017-the-top-players/

NEXT YEAR is STACKED. Lots of talent out there. Lots of RFA but still. Remember when we signed PM and DMC none of us knew what they would have become so Ill like to see what they do with Prince/That young SG they just signed, THJ has to take a big step forward. Next year losing Millsap could happen, but we could also sign a valuable replacement for him or a different option.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm 50/50 on this. I love D12 at 3 years, and I like his "name". Maybe if he has a 20/10 season we can use him to bring someone "else" in next year. We always lacked the BIG NAME to bring someone else in, hopefully he's the BIG NAME we needed

Yeah, all criticism aside, I'm okay with the D12 signing. We got him on a solid, short deal.

But the Bazemore signing is infuriating. Especially when Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Deron Williams, Seth Curry, Tyler Johnson all signed for less.

Bazemore is a good young player. But he's being paid as our third best player.

And he ain't good enough to be considered part of anyone's Big Three.



Hindsight regret #2:

Imagine if we had just bit the bullet and traded Horford & Teague last summer OR this spring.

If Ibaka nets a lottery pick and a young stud...imagine what those two combined could net.

Hell, Horford to BOS for Avery Bradley and #16 would have burned...but we'd be in prime position with a top 3 & D combo guard on a great salary. AND, we'd have Taurean Prince anyway.

[jayu70]

Knowing what you think you know about Westbrook, Do you think he'll want to stay in Atlanta? Nope.
I do agree we've blown too many draft picks.

YOU TAKE THE CHANCE ON A TOP 5 NBA PLAYER and you get his BIRD RIGHTS. Id throw all the monies at WB, its worth the risk to see if he walks away.

Didn't we just go through this with Al and Durant with their BIRD RIGHTS? The TOP players are OK ditching their bird rights for 1+1 deal with the rising cap, so they are still getting their money. If lot's of teams didn't have a ton of capspace again next year, I'd be more than willing to take that risk.

[PandaKidd]

Knowing what you think you know about Westbrook, Do you think he'll want to stay in Atlanta? Nope.
I do agree we've blown too many draft picks.

YOU TAKE THE CHANCE ON A TOP 5 NBA PLAYER and you get his BIRD RIGHTS. Id throw all the monies at WB, its worth the risk to see if he walks away.

Didn't we just go through this with Al and Durant with their BIRD RIGHTS? The TOP players are OK ditching their bird rights for 1+1 deal with the rising cap, so they are still getting their money. If lot's of teams didn't have a ton of capspace again next year, I'd be more than willing to take that risk.

The cap doesnt rise after next year. So the 1+1 doesnt work out. Theres no incentive to do it unless you want flexiblity. Most of the guys are hitting their 10 year maxs NEXT season (horford/Durant./ etc).

And yes, Id still do it.

Its worth the risk.

[MaceCase]

Both Durant and Al supposedly have opt outs negotiated in their deals so the flexibility theory has traction. If the argument is Bird rights then OKC would feel it's worth the risk for them to hold onto Russy. Boston's only traction is the remaining Nets potential lottery picks but even their board has a watch on the Net's offseason, they already blew the #3 on Joe Alexander.

[PandaKidd]

I still think OKC is in a precarious position. That team is STILL GOOD. Good enough to win a chip? Prob not now but so is the entire NBA looking at the Warriors right now.

You have to think Durant knows that WB isnt staying or theyve talked about it. If that is so, then WB has to be traded. Boston makes sense because I feel like Boston is in a situation where if AInge could turn IT and a pick into WB, thats too good not to roll the dice. Boston is a HUGE market, much bigger than OKC. Id say its worth it. But its a "fireable" offense if the Nets pick ends up the #1 and WB leaves "for nothing".

OKC being a small market team, i think they need a superstar to recruit a superstar. So having WB and giving him that money may make it more attractive for another player next year. But it all comes down to what they think they know, and i suspect its that WB is out the door already.

[xccelerate]

Man can we just rewind the last two years. I'm very basketball-depressed. Every move anyone not named Warriors or Cavs made was wrong at this point.

[ATL Boy]

Howard Beck over at Bleacher Report suggests that the Hawks could have the assets to make a play on Westbrook. He suggested the following deal:

Dennis Schröder, Paul Millsap, Hawks' 2017 First round pick
For
Russell Westbrook

If I'm Coach Bud and Wes Wilcox, and there's any chance of OKC being intrigued by that package, I'd be on the phone with Sam Presti every day, and sending him goodnight/good morning texts daily as well.

Just this chance to get a top 5 player in Russell Westbrook is too great to pass up. We get him this year, compete with the Cavs in the ECF (as long as Russ and Dwight don't try to potentially snap each other's necks this team would be clear cut number 2 in the east), and then offer him the full 5-year max next year, trying to sell him on competing yearly in a weak East, and using his and Dwight's star power to attract FA's.

Worst case scenario: we go for the ride this year, he leaves next season, and we can trade Dwight and Bazemore, and start a rebuild.

I'd add the T-Wolves pick to that package that Beck suggested, and our 2018 pick with top 10 protection.

Dwight + Westbrook + Bazemore would also truly turn Phillips back into the Highlight factory.

Edit: I'm getting ahead of myself now, obviously, but if that team challenges the Cavs in the ECF, then maybe we can entice Blake Griffin on making his way here in FA next offseason, to really create a super team.

Westbrook
Bazemore
Prince (he'd be entering his second year)
Griffin
Howard

That's a team that'll close Lebron's finals window. Atlanta could turn into the East's next super team. (Drooling right now). Not to mention the dunks.

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[xccelerate]

Howard Beck over at Bleacher Report suggests that the Hawks could have the assets to make a play on Westbrook. He suggested the following deal:

Dennis Schröder, Paul Millsap, Hawks' 2017 First round pick
For
Russell Westbrook

If this is actually possible, we find someway to make the Howard signing a sign and trade, open up some $20 million and go grab Wade.

Westbrook
Wade
Baze
[Open to ideas here]
Howard

Oh and then a year later we can get someone like Griffin.

[D21]

The difference of $6 mil total over 5 years. Smh.

It was just a problem of average salary.

Final offer from ATL was 5yrs/136M
Average was the reason Al was asking for 6M more, I will even bet it was 6.25M more.
113/4=28.25
(136+6.25)/5=28.25

Dennis Schröder, Paul Millsap, Hawks' 2017 First round pick
For
Russell Westbrook

It would certainly sell the whole arena, but I've doubts this team would ever win it, and once Westbrook will be more known for his dance and some stupid actions in last possessions than triple-doubles, he will be the new Josh Smith here... not sure I'd gamble on that trade.
And I'm not talking about the the fact that Westbrook won't jump all over like that without injury during all his career. Every super athletics PG get injured, he's the one exception at this moment but for how long ?
And can we name a NBA Champion in the last 10, 15 or 20 years with a PG dunking like that ?
Parker can't dunk and has 4 rings...
I'm a bit hard on him, but it just seems to me that it's not worth the risk. I fear everybody would end being frustrated, like Kevin