Ghost of Kleine wrote:King4Day wrote:Ghost of Kleine wrote:
Again, a huge reason why buying out Beal was/ is a huge mistake that we'll hinder us for a multiple seasons going forward. I understand the interest in getting below the tax for aggregating purposes, and to try and access our MLE.
However, had we only exercised a bit more patience, we'd have close to 70+ million for this loaded free agency! And possibly be right back in the playoff picture.
Now if we don't land any big names or key pieces either by the trade deadline or in 26 free agency, then this will become yet another very bad decision for our franchise.
A good chunk of those guys will either be re-signed, or they won't opt out (Towns and PG aren't making that money again. If they do, it's to re-sign to a team friendlier deal).
By that year, our youth will start being eligible for extensions and if 1-2 even pan out, we won't have all that cap space anyway.
To me, our playoff push doesn't begin until after '31, when we have control of our own picks again. Until then, enjoy the ride and hope some of the picks we do make become studs.
Sure! Some might not, or they may fall to free agency or possibly even choose to test their market value. But regardless of that, and I'm not even targeting max contract names for my interests.
I'm actually looking at the other tiers for cumulative additions of quality positional depth, or even more young talent that could be showcased along with some vet options so we could possibly flip them later to reacquire a modicum of draft assets.
Now even if two of our young draft prospects do pan out, it's important to remember that they'll still be on rookie scale contracts for 4 yrs and then be restricted free agents after their 4th year. Heck in 27-28, Dunn would only be making around 5 million, Ighodaro making around 2 million and our blue chip center Maluach around 6 million. And not reach restricted free agency until 2028.
So that cumulative 13 million could be easily absorbed into that 70 million once Beal expires in that summer. But a few names I'd be looking at in the next tiers ( cheaper costs) are:
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2027/position/pg/type/ufa
Cam Johnson, Miles Bridges, Kyle Kuzma, Lou Dort, Lonzo Ball, Austin Reeves, Brandon Clarke, Davion Mitchell, Naji Marshall, Goga Bidatze, Jake La Ravia, Zhaire Williams, Marcus Smart, Kris Dunn, Miles McBride, GG JACKSON, TOUMANI CAMARA!!!
Many of those players obviously not costing us max money. So even if the math has us paying around 15 million for Mark Williams, and 13 million (cumulative cost for Dunn, Ighodaro and Maluach) that's still.only 28 million and would have still left us with upwards of 40 million for free agency.
The thing is, if you keep Beal, you are stuck in the tax with no way to get out (short of trading picks to get off Allen, O'Neal, and Richards for space). Making the repeater penalties build for no reason. So, at some point we need to get under it. I'm not sure Ishbia is OK paying, what would continue to be, record setting tax bills, for a team that is a lottery favorite now, and 'hopeful' to land a player who may or may not be the final piece we need to make a title push.
Had we kept Beal, we're not making many changes to the team until he's gone. They are trying to win with Booker and build something new. Stretching Beal allows this. If you told me that Joker would absolutely be coming here had we waited, that's another story. But how many times have we seen teams swing and miss for stars they waited for?
Dallas, after their title win, broke up the team a bit in hopes to land a star, but nobody came.
Miami is another example as they have been going after every big name each time one pops up and have had little success.
If you don't cut Beal in the manner they did, their next option was to trade Booker. I really believe that. And without picks, you don't benefit in doing so.