2024 Free Agency

[Klomp]

Here we are again...

Limited assets most likely, so how do we maximize them in free agency?

[Domejandro]

If owners have the cheddar, resign who we can and run it back.

[Klomp]

Two outside names I'm wondering about off the bat....

Cam Reddish (player option)
Markelle Fultz

[Colbinii]

I think if we don't retain SlowMo, we have a strong pitch as the 8th man for a near-min guy.

Chuma Okeke is an interesting one

[_AIJ_]

TBH, I hope we keep Kyle

[moss_is_1]

Keeping Kyle along with at least one of Monte and McLaughlin would be huge. Otherwise we're looking at minimum guys.

Batum, Joe Ingles, Reggie Bullock, Jae Crowder, Drummond, THT, KJ Martin, McDermott,
Deanthon Melton, Dennis Smith

Bring back Pet Bev, Beasley, Roco, or Prince?

Some of those guys I doubt would take a min deal, but seemed the most interesting names to me.

[BlacJacMac]

Keeping Kyle along with at least one of Monte and McLaughlin would be huge. Otherwise we're looking at minimum guys.

Batum, Joe Ingles, Reggie Bullock, Jae Crowder, Drummond, THT, KJ Martin, McDermott,
Deanthon Melton, Dennis Smith

Bring back Pet Bev, Beasley, Roco, or Prince?

Some of those guys I doubt would take a min deal, but seemed the most interesting names to me.

I wouldn't mind taking a look at Delon Wright for the minimum.

He has the size and defensive chops to come in if teams are hunting Conley. And he can stick the 3.

It looks like he played pretty well in the Playoffs for The Heat this year.

[Note30]

Two outside names I'm wondering about off the bat....

Cam Reddish (player option)
Markelle Fultz

Fultz will probably look for a payday, if he doesn't he would be excellent here as a backup.

PG market is super limited rn.

[Kineto]

I wonder how Evan Fournier would feel about coming in for at least 1 season at the vet min to try to boost his value again in the NBA? I think he's pretty close to Rudy and would probably be quite intrigued by the project, but he'll certainly want some guarantees about his playing time after his complicated experience with Tibodeau.

He could certainly bring some shooting and creativity off the bench.

[moss_is_1]

Keeping Kyle along with at least one of Monte and McLaughlin would be huge. Otherwise we're looking at minimum guys.

Batum, Joe Ingles, Reggie Bullock, Jae Crowder, Drummond, THT, KJ Martin, McDermott,
Deanthon Melton, Dennis Smith

Bring back Pet Bev, Beasley, Roco, or Prince?

Some of those guys I doubt would take a min deal, but seemed the most interesting names to me.

I wouldn't mind taking a look at Delon Wright for the minimum.

He has the size and defensive chops to come in if teams are hunting Conley. And he can stick the 3.

It looks like he played pretty well in the Playoffs for The Heat this year.

I assume Wright could get more than the minimum from a few times. Otherwise I would take him also. His size and defense would make a nice pairing with NAW on the bench.

[minimus]

I dont expect much this offseason. We probably wont keep Anderson and McLaughlin. While I am concern about Conley health, but IF Morris is willing to sign here for vetmin, then our PG rotation will be Conley-Morris-NAW. I am kind of okay with it, especially if we find a young development prospect PG.

So here is how our rotation will look like:

Ballhandlers: Edwards-Conley-Morris

Wings: MCD-NAW-Miller-Minott-Moore

Bigs: Gobert-Towns-Reid

At some degree NAW, Towns and Reid are playing as wings, but we might need another wing, preferably one who can shoot. In ideal case MCD will give us 15-18 PPG, but behind him we have only Miller and Minott. I would probably bring back TJ Warren

[minimus]

Our roster has 10 players on NBA contracts and one player on 2W deal.

Three bigs:
Rudy Gobert
Karl-Anthony Towns
Naz Reid

three wings:
Jaden McDaniels
Leonard Miller
Josh Minott

three 3&D:
Jaylen Clark (I guess it will be 2W contract)
Wendell Moore Jr.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

two ballhandlers:
Mike Conley
Anthony Edwards

It means that TC needs to find at least 4 players on NBA contracts and can use two more 2W slots. We have two draft picks, who will sign two NBA contracts. Which leave us with two minimum deals and two 2W deals

Our FAs:
Monte Morris - likely will be resigned. My prediction something like 10 mil for two years (second year is player option)
Jordan McLaughlin - likely will be test FA market. Might re-sign here if he gets no offer
Kyle Anderson - likely wont return
Luka Garza - likely wont return (no playing time behind three bigs)
Daishen Nix - likely will get on 2W deal


It will look like this:

three bigs:
Rudy Gobert
Karl-Anthony Towns
Naz Reid

two wings:
Leonard Miller *
Josh Minott *

four 3&D:
Jaden McDaniels
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Jaylen Clark * (I guess it will be 2W contract)
Wendell Moore Jr. *

four ballhandlers:
Mike Conley
Anthony Edwards
Monte Morris
Daishen Nix *

* - prospect

11 players on NBA contracts, plus two 2W players. With two rookies 13 players, which left onу spot. How can be this 14th player who can accept vetmin? I can think about someone who take one year deal because he thinks that in MIN he will thrive. Maybe one shooter with down year, or a big wing? Someone who has been injured and want to spend some time to rehab in top level organisation? Some FA names:

Saddiq Bey (torn ACL in March)
Reggie Bullock Jr.
Robert Covington (does he have good memories about MIN?)
Gordon Hayward
Cedi Osman
Luka Šamanić
T.J. Warren

My absolutely pipe dream would be Royce O’Neale who will ask much more than vetmin. Šamanić looks bigger now, can he be a tough guy for us for can hit open threes, set good screens? He has been very inconsistent, but I wonder if TC sees something in him. I know, he looks like bust, so was NAW in UTA. To a young player MIN can offer, a development system, clear role, mentoring. Is it enough to get someone attention?

[BlacJacMac]

Royce O'Neale has Phoenix over a barrel. They're going to have to overpay him because they have no other options.

[shrink]

This year I’m not anxiously awaiting the draft, or buzzed thinking about trades. But I think free agency will be fascinating.

I think having the new CBA take effect will continue to reduce the NBA’s middle class, and more and more adequate players will be forced to choose between teams who are only offering minimum deals. I suspect we will join several teams over the second apron, competing for vet minimum players, and for once, we have a chance. MIN’s success and faith in Edwards development might attract ring-chasers. Chris Finch appears to be a well-liked coach, and there are a few holes on the team that a vet can play a role.

Since every dollar counts when you’re in the luxury tax, finding the ones that can give you a competitive advantag, cheaply is critical. You may have heard me say economically that most max deal players are worth their deal (and usually more), because most nights they are better than their opponent, and that leads to win. For example, having Towns instead of Randle is a big deal. The converse is that small having a little better player than your opponent, at the BACK end of your bench, isn’t as valuable. This is the basis for the middle class getting squeezed.

For example, we may think Monte Morris is going to bounce back and be worth $8 mil a year. But are cash-strapped teams going to pay him $8 mil if they can get a guy like Kris Dunn (just spitball in’) for the minimum? Yes Morris is better, but is he so much better that paying him far more than Dunn is going to result in several extra wins? I’m not saying I expect Morris to return for the minimum, but we might be able to bring him back above the min on a cheap, tradeable deal.

Tim Connelly will be doing negotiations like these with our guys where we hold Bird rights, but also free agents with no connection to the team. I hope for some early signings, which could indicate Connelly’s hand is a little stronger than expected.

[KATKlownFeet]

My wish list:
1. Tyus Jones (don't even know what we could offer him, maybe would have to acquire him in a sign and trade)
2. Monte Morris (I liked him but don't think he was given much opportunity, maybe we can resign him for cheap with the carrot being Conley's age, but don't know how much we could offer him in future years)
3. Killian Hayes (young, long, defensive minded, decent passing skills, but he couldn't shoot, maybe being in Detroit, his development was stunted, I view him as a reclamation project sort of like NAW and think with less pressure he could develop into quality rotational player)
4. Dennis Smith-another point guard option, he has some passing and ball-hawking skills, decent rebounder for pointguard, inconsistent shooting and turnovers, but shows flashes)
5. Delon Wright (good solid vet point, not sure he'd want to leave Miami though if offers were similar)
6. Luke Kennard (maybe he is outside shooter we could use, plus got some experience at point guard)
I want to resign most of our free agents including SloMo and Garza and I'd be looking to dump Wendell Moore

[Note30]

Royce O'Neale has Phoenix over a barrel. They're going to have to overpay him because they have no other options.

I kind of feel bad for PHX fans. I know I complain a lot about the lack of flexibility and finances in our roster, but their GMs have absolutely killed them, far more so than TC has here.

Like I know they made the Finals a few years ago, but they are so screwed that I genuinely don't know what they could even do except wait for KD to leave so they can trade Booker and hopefully have a small pile of assets to start a hard long rebuild.

We're no bountiful asset trove either but at least we're not PHX.

[BlacJacMac]

Read on Twitter

[younggunsmn]

Insert Oprah Meme:

You get a vet minimum!
and You get a vet minimum!
and YOU get a vet minimum!
EVERYONE gets a VET MINIMUM!

[younggunsmn]

The 2 guys we signed last summer couldn't (and shouldn't have) cracked the rotation, so I'm not optimistic.
That said, 25% chance Kyle is back for vet min, 5% chance Morris back for vet min, 50% Jmac is back for vet minimum.

We desperately need another guard who can create his own shot for the bench, and that's a tall order for what we are able to pay.
Scrap heap young guys with a little bit of potential still left like Killian Hayes wouldn't be the worst thing.

This is where TC really needs to earn that fat salary we are giving him.

[moss_is_1]

Read on Twitter

Sure we need shooting but how would we pay him??