RealGM

One of my targets is gone, Kelenna Azubuike, a RFA from Golden State is off the market by signing an offer sheet with the Clippers. I thought he'd be an excellent fit as a strong perimeter defender who can stroke the 3 and see minutes as primarily backup SG, but also fill a little SF too. Golden St. has 7 days to respond to the offer which is rumored to be 3 years and 10 million. He'll wind up with one of the 2 teams.

I don't think the signing has any effect on the market for Josh Childress as the Clippers didn't have enough cap space left after the Camby acquisition and the Warriors would be unlikely suitors for a SF/SG in that price range after investing in Corey Maggette.

evildallas wrote:One of my targets is gone, Kelenna Azubuike, a RFA from Golden State is off the market by signing an offer sheet with the Clippers. I thought he'd be an excellent fit as a strong perimeter defender who can stroke the 3 and see minutes as primarily backup SG, but also fill a little SF too. Golden St. has 7 days to respond to the offer which is rumored to be 3 years and 10 million. He'll wind up with one of the 2 teams.

I don't think the signing has any effect on the market for Josh Childress as the Clippers didn't have enough cap space left after the Camby acquisition and the Warriors would be unlikely suitors for a SF/SG in that price range after investing in Corey Maggette.

I like Buike a lot, would have like to see him here as he fills some roles we needed taken care of. Oh well, thats the cost of inaction I guess.

We continue to miss out on cheap and effective role players. Teams are getting these players dirt cheap and we are doing nothing. Jarvis goes for $2 mil per and Azubuike goes for basically $3 mil per if the numbers I heard are correct.

Although I wanted Azubuike as a Childress replacement (allowing for other moves), this one doesn't bother me that much. I still figure that without Speedy retiring that we only will have room for 1 player under the luxury tax of note (3-4M in salary). At this point Kwame Brown is at the top of my list because it would add a defensive skill set we need to the bench and potentially free up the possibility of using Zaza's 4M expiring contract in a deal for different assets. Brown is no magic bullet. He isn't the former first pick that we'll turn around into the star that he should have been. He's a big body that can give defense and rebounding, but will always be limited offensively. What he can do fits better than what Zaza can do in my opinion. Zaza can give offensive boards and score some points given enough court time, but never scares anyone out of driving the paint. I still feel Zaza's more of an optimum big for a developing bad team as a starter while they develop young bigs that aren't ready or as a backup on a team with solid defensive PFs to play next to him.

If we can parlay Zaza into a two lesser expensive subs with one capable of offensive and shooting range off the bench and another being a big (got to replace Zaza's bulk somehow) it will make investing in Childress viable. Without that it seems best that we turn Childress into lesser expensive subs that provide those skill sets. I really haven't figured out what we could get for Childress except the thought of a Martell Webster and Ike Diogu or Channing Frye. I'm not sure Portland would be in the market though. My best ideas concerning Zaza are Houston for Luther Head and Chuck Hayes or Seattle for Johan Petro and Damien Wilkins. Unless a better option for trading Childress comes up then I think either Zaza deal combined with a Kwame Brown signing makes us better overall.

I like Azubuike more than anyone that was available as a perimeter guy, with maybe Pietrus being the exception. Problem is, Azubuike would want to have a chance to parlay starter minutes.
Its another guy that isn't going to get that opportunity here. Okay, say he was interested in us, our first priority would be to bring Chills back, and with good reason. Simply, Chills is going to get any of those available minutes and the ASG knows it, so they don't pursue that kind of talent.
I think our only hope for a new face on the '08 roster will be a big man, and it very well could be Randolph Morris simply for the fact that Kwame will not want to take the veteran minimum. I still believe Kwame is going to ask to get a starter's role and get major minutes. I still believe the door is open in Memphis for him to return, of course not at his last salary number.
Evil, I would actually be excited if the Hawks would bring in ANY of those guys you listed here.

If Brown is concerned about minutes I don't think he would go to Memphis, they rarely played him.

td00 wrote:...Kwame will not want to take the veteran minimum. I still believe Kwame is going to ask to get a starter's role and get major minutes. I still believe the door is open in Memphis for him to return, of course not at his last salary number.
Evil, I would actually be excited if the Hawks would bring in ANY of those guys you listed here.

There are chances that we would be able to sign him for than minimum, at least a part of MLE, but if nothing is done before signing both Joshes, we don't know how many money will be available under the tax threshold, so ASG won't sign any player.
By waiting for signing both Joshes, there won't be any free agent to sign once we will know what money can be spend.

Management is responsible of this, but players too (agents), everybody knows that a team not sure of being a title contender won't go over the tax threshold, so the only way to add talent to this team is sign the best guy(s) (at a key position) available for the remaining money.

Since the moment everybody knows that both Joshes won't have more money than what the ASG can give them, everybody also knows that they have to sign quickly to give a chance on another F.A.
Waiting doesn't help anybody on this team (including Joshes if they want a improved team), or it could mean they are looking at all the sign-&-trade possibilities.

evildallas wrote:One of my targets is gone, Kelenna Azubuike, a RFA from Golden State is off the market by signing an offer sheet with the Clippers. I thought he'd be an excellent fit as a strong perimeter defender who can stroke the 3 and see minutes as primarily backup SG, but also fill a little SF too. Golden St. has 7 days to respond to the offer which is rumored to be 3 years and 10 million. He'll wind up with one of the 2 teams.

I don't think the signing has any effect on the market for Josh Childress as the Clippers didn't have enough cap space left after the Camby acquisition and the Warriors would be unlikely suitors for a SF/SG in that price range after investing in Corey Maggette.

He was one of mine as well. Like "Hawks" said we continue to allow cheap free agents slip past us due to the Joshes and both will be paid much more. Josh Smith is obviously a keeper, but I would much prefer two players like Jarvis Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike over Josh Childress. As much as I like Josh Childress I start to cringe when I see similar players signing for so low.

HMFFL wrote:

evildallas wrote:One of my targets is gone, Kelenna Azubuike, a RFA from Golden State is off the market by signing an offer sheet with the Clippers. I thought he'd be an excellent fit as a strong perimeter defender who can stroke the 3 and see minutes as primarily backup SG, but also fill a little SF too. Golden St. has 7 days to respond to the offer which is rumored to be 3 years and 10 million. He'll wind up with one of the 2 teams.

I don't think the signing has any effect on the market for Josh Childress as the Clippers didn't have enough cap space left after the Camby acquisition and the Warriors would be unlikely suitors for a SF/SG in that price range after investing in Corey Maggette.

He was one of mine as well. Like "Hawks" said we continue to allow cheap free agents slip past us due to the Joshes and both will be paid much more. Josh Smith is obviously a keeper, but I would much prefer two players like Jarvis Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike over Josh Childress. As much as I like Josh Childress I start to cringe when I see similar players signing for so low.

Matt Barnes and Quinton Ross are still out there and should be bargain signings.

I too wonder about committing so much for Childress even though statistically he's worth the money. I really wish that could hear some of the Childress S&T proposals to get an idea of what he could bring us in trade.

i don't think we are going to be picking up any free agent guards HMFFL, you look at the minutes there just aren't any availible for guards. all of our guards are back and i think we are going to give west and/or richardson more PT this year. childress is an automatic 30 min a game and with law and bibby holding down the paint there isn't much of a reason to put anymore money into those positions. our three priorites at this point are j.smith,j.chill, and a big.

the 1/2/3 positions are locked IMO.