Josh Smith for LaMarcus Aldridge

[killbuckner]

Philadelphia needs a PF (Reggie Evans is their current starter) and they will be able to offer a max and then go back and use bird rights to resign Louis Williams and Iguodala. At least if I were them Josh Smith is the guy I would focus on. Teams know that they have to overpay RFA's so their current teams have a tough decision on whether to match.

And Josh Smith is pretty clearly the best option for Philly I think. Okafor and Biedrins are very similar to Dalembert. No way does Elton Brand sign with Philly. Their money won't be there next offseason. I just have to think they will take their best shot at Josh Smith, particularly with the ownership group such a mess and with the Hawks using top 5 picks in back to back years on PF's.

[conleyorbust]

Philadelphia needs a PF (Reggie Evans is their current starter) and they will be able to offer a max and then go back and use bird rights to resign Louis Williams and Iguodala. At least if I were them Josh Smith is the guy I would focus on. Teams know that they have to overpay RFA's so their current teams have a tough decision on whether to match.

And Josh Smith is pretty clearly the best option for Philly I think. Okafor and Biedrins are very similar to Dalembert. No way does Elton Brand sign with Philly. Their money won't be there next offseason. I just have to think they will take their best shot at Josh Smith, particularly with the ownership group such a mess and with the Hawks using top 5 picks in back to back years on PF's.

I don't know KB, you don't think Smith is worth the max, so why would Stefanski? He has a good mind for basketball management. I don't see why you seem so sure Brand won't go there. The Clips are headed to the lottery again and Have Kaman down low. If Philly makes the moves to clear up cap space and have the money why not go for the best player out there that would fit the team needs the most? If Philly doesn't want to commit max money to a player then they could always go for Jamison or Kwame to fill that spot for a lot cheaper. Again, I really don't know if a GM is gonna offer a player that he doesn't think is worth the max a max contract just to scare off another team. That is too much money to gamble with. Look at Kmart. If Josh proves himself to be worth it, we should pay him.

[JoshB914]

Because people always overpay for RFA's. Philly might know that they're overpaying, but they might think the extra money is a small overall price to pay.

Personally, I think Smoove would be worth the max deal if that is what we have to match. But we can only wait and see.

[conleyorbust]

Because people always overpay for RFA's. Philly might know that they're overpaying, but they might think the extra money is a small overall price to pay.

Personally, I think Smoove would be worth the max deal if that is what we have to match. But we can only wait and see.

You guys might be right, I guess I'm done with the offseason conjecture.

[JoshB914]

We just have to wait and see, COB. Certainly in the past we've seen teams overpay quite a bit for RFA's. I hope it doesn't come to that but like I said, if Philly does do that (and I think they are the only team that might) we need to match.

[killbuckner]

COB- first of all the max for brand is significantly more than it would be for Josh. Second I can't think of the last veteran FA (not coming off a rookie scale contract) to change teams to sign with a lousy team. It just doesn't happen much in the NBA. And obviously there is a major age difference and an injury concern.

And lets say that Philly thinks that Josh is worth an 8 million a year contract starting out. But they know that Atlanta will easily match what Smith is worth but no one knows what woudl happen for a 12 mill contract starting out. The question is what that additional 4 million a year would get them. THis is the last time that Philly is going to be under the cap- they lose that room to their own extensions if they don't use it this offseason. Who else are they going to sign for 4 mil a year starting out? Any decent roleplayer can get more from a team that still has their MLE. In the RFA game you need to pay more than is reasonable in order to get the player. And if that extra money is not going to buy anything significant then to me its just the price of doing business.

Seriously- kwame? He is barely a role player. Jamison will be 32 by the time he signs a contract- I just don't see the sixers throwing major dollars at him. You are free to think that the sixers will do something else, when I look at their situation taking their best shot at Josh Smith is just where I would start. And even if Atlanta matches if nothing else it makes them the leading candidate for sweeping up Josh Childress since I can't see atlanta keeping him if they had to max out smith. (remember how miami signed Brand to an offersheet before they signed Odom)

If Brand wants to go to philly then sure I think that Philly would be interested since he is an UFA. But I just don't see it happening and to me that puts Josh Smith as the prime target in a situation where Philly would know they would have to overpay to get him. We shall see what happens, thats just what I would do if I were their GM.

[D21]

...
And lets say that Philly thinks that Josh is worth an 8 million a year contract starting out. But they know that Atlanta will easily match what Smith is worth but no one knows what woudl happen for a 12 mill contract starting out. The question is what that additional 4 million a year would get them. THis is the last time that Philly is going to be under the cap- they lose that room to their own extensions if they don't use it this offseason. Who else are they going to sign for 4 mil a year starting out?...

This is the big point. If they don't sign a RFA this summer, they won't be able to sign that kind of player later, so they will do it this summer, or the next time they will be in rebuilding mode...