Hammond Effect on Bogut Contract?

[REDDzone]

I was thinking...

How does Hammond coming in affect Bogut's contract offer?

We all know Harris loved Bogut, and Harris was invested in Bogut and had a lot at stake as Bogut was his number one pick. Harris year after year promised us an all-star big man, especially in the East. I really think Harris was going to offer Bogut 10-12 million a year.

In comes Hammond, who is probably a bit more objective about Bogut. Bogut has been great in 2008 but the team have been horrible and we obviously have no lack of huge contracts.

Do you guys feel that Hammond is more willing to play hardball with Bogut than Harris would have been? How do you guys see this off-season playing out in terms of Bogut's contract?

[europa]

Read Hammond's quotes about Bogut in xTitan's thread. There's no shortage of love for Bogut in them. He sounds like a big fan. But I do think he'll be smart in how he handles Bogut and all of the free agents the Bucks attempt to sign or re-sign. That's been the Pistons' history and I'd be very surprised if Hammond deviated from that.

[NotYoAvgNBAFan]

Excellent question...

I was not a Bogut fan when we drafted him, but he has won me over with his play but he still might not be what we need long term.

I would move heaven and earth to see if we can get a guy like Emeka Okafor who is a young cross between a young Ben Wallace defensively and has an evolving offensive game.

Plus he is tougher. Bogut is not tough. He plays smart and aggressive but in a Euro passive way. The two most important decisions that will identity this team on court outside a dominant personality as head coach is the choice between Redd and Bogut.

Do you stay with a jump shooter or go with a more skilled finesse big man in Bogut and Yi? I have to wait to see who comes in as coach. That is key...

The guy I want to see is Jeff Van Gundy if I had the choice. But if you go with another guy I like Scott Skiles or Rick Carisle you might want to go with Bogut.

Paul Silas and Dave Cowens are two guys who did well with big men in Charlotte are two guys I like too but I am not the GM, Mr Hammonds is.

IF Kohl gives Hammond full reign as he should, I would prehaps stick with Bogut and see where the lottery chips fall.

[REDDzone]

Europa, its not really a question of whether or not Hammond is a Bogut fan.

Its more of a discussion on whether or not I think Hammond will drastically overpay to keep Bogut.

I really believe Harris would have paid anything to keep Bogut, that was his guy, his number one pick, and he touted him to no end, and I think Bogut knew that.

But with this new dynamic Hammond coming in and from such a great organization who rarely offered unnecessarily large contracts, I'm not sure Hammond will be as willing to overpay.

It seems to me great teams will only overpay (and then slightly) when they know they are keeping players than can put them over the top.

Then you have organizations like the Bucks who overpay for losers and outbid themselves on other losers who have never won anything.

I just think these first few months of Hammond's tenure are going to be the biggest challenge for this new GM. I hope he keeps Bogut, but I hope he doesn't overpay to the point of crippling us, because it should be apparent to everyone at this point that Bogut can't put us over the top.

[Wise1]

That's why you draft someone that can replace Bogut if necessary.

[xTitan]

That's why you draft someone that can replace Bogut if necessary.

What a brilliant strategy when you need a 1,possibly 2, and a 3. If the Bucks are smart they pay Bogut this off season before his price tag goes up next season....

[europa]

One of the many reasons why I strongly advocated hiring Hammond was because he was groomed in a system which understood the importance of keeping their best players but also realizing you can't cripple your team's salary structure in the process. I think Hammond will utilize that skill when negotiating Bogut's next contract. Frankly, I doubt Bogut is going anywhere. He's become one of the top young players at his position and arguably is the No. 2 center in the East behind Howard. Also, free agency isn't the panacea that many believe it to be so there may not be many teams with a lot of money to throw at Bogut in two years should the Bucks not sign him this summer. So ultimately I think he'll remain with the Bucks and I think he'll end up signing a deal that's fair for him and smart for the team.

Something along the lines of 5/$55M sounds about right.

[europa]

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What a brilliant strategy when you need a 1,possibly 2, and a 3. If the Bucks are smart they pay Bogut this off season before his price tag goes up next season....

Agreed. I agree with Kirby that the Bucks do need a backup who can push Bogut harder. However, I would not take that player over a player of similar talent who fills a greater need.

[Wise1]

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What a brilliant strategy when you need a 1,possibly 2, and a 3. If the Bucks are smart they pay Bogut this off season before his price tag goes up next season....

Tell me, what point guard in this year's draft likely to be available at pick 7 would have a greater impact on next year's Bucks roster (and at this point, we'll have to assume that both Sessions and Williams will be on the roster) than a frontcourt defender rebounder? Would you take midgets like DJ Augustin and Collison over someone like Kevin Love??? Roy Hibbert???

Furthermore, why do you think a shooting guard and or a small forward will help this team get to and win in the playoffs???

As of today, Andrew Bogut is the team's only reliable frontcourt player and even he chooses to take nights off. That's a problem.

[xTitan]

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Tell me, what point guard in this year's draft likely to be available at pick 7 would have a greater impact on next year's Bucks roster (and at this point, we'll have to assume that both Sessions and Williams will be on the roster) than a frontcourt defender rebounder? Would you take midgets like DJ Augustin and Collison over someone like Kevin Love??? Roy Hibbert???

Furthermore, why do you think a shooting guard and or a small forward will help this team get to and win in the playoffs???

As of today, Andrew Bogut is the team's only reliable frontcourt player and even he chooses to take nights off. That's a problem.

Westbrook would be a guard worth looking at.....Hibbert is falling like a rock, mostly because he sucks....if Love is the best player you take him or trade out of the pick.....there needs are really the perimeter...

[europa]

Hibbert will be lucky if he cracks the Top 15. The guy's a dog.

I think Augustin and Westbrook could very easily go before Love. In most of the mocks I've seen so far Augustin has gone before Love and Westbrook is rising. If Love measures out at 6-10 or taller that could change things. I think Collison's stock took a huge hit in the Final Four. At this point, I don't think he can be viewed as a Top 10 pick and he might not even be a lottery pick.

[Wise1]

I'd be shocked if Hammond drafted a point guard (high) not in the Billups mold as a physical specimen. Some team that hasn't learned that smallish point guards get abused by larger, equally talented point guards in big games may take one of the midgits high (note Rose's success against the other top points in this draft).

In regards to Hibbert, I actually think he's lost too much weight. He played physically weaker than he has in the past this season. He still has a huge frame and ultimately will add weight as he matures.

Westbrook is a nice prospect and certainly cut in the mold of someone that I think Hammond would consider, but he's not going to be a guy that puts a franchise over the top. In order to win in the NBA, you have to have DEEP talent (absent HOF/Allstar talent) in the frontcourt. The Bucks frontcourt is paper thin behind Bogut.

[Wise1]

Everything will boil down to how Hammond evaluates the talent on the team. Some here feel that the Bucks have a desperate need at the point guard position. Perhaps that's true. However, Hammond may feel that Session is enough of a pure point guard (with Mo in reserve) to get by with in year one.

What have the Pistons done for the last 7 years or so? Have they went out of their way to add talent behind Billups and Hamilton? Not really. Their primary focus has been to add talented defenders to the frontcourt. They went out and got Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and role players like Elden Campbell. Remember, the Pistons already had an allstar in Ben Wallace when they passed over Carmelo Anthony and D-Wade for a backup center in Milicic.

I truly expect Hammond to address the Bucks bare frontcourt first and foremost in year 1. He may move down in the draft to do so.

[LUKE23]

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Tell me, what point guard in this year's draft likely to be available at pick 7 would have a greater impact on next year's Bucks roster (and at this point, we'll have to assume that both Sessions and Williams will be on the roster) than a frontcourt defender rebounder? Would you take midgets like DJ Augustin and Collison over someone like Kevin Love??? Roy Hibbert???

Furthermore, why do you think a shooting guard and or a small forward will help this team get to and win in the playoffs???

As of today, Andrew Bogut is the team's only reliable frontcourt player and even he chooses to take nights off. That's a problem.

You're still on the Hibbert kick? Have you been paying attention? The guy is GARBAGE.

[Wise1]

Moreso on Thebeet. My general point is that backup center is the team's most glaring need all things considered. I wouldn't take Hibbert at 7. I wouldn't take Thebeet at 7 either. Love definitely. Westbrook? Perhaps. A trade down for multiple picks? Ideal I think.

What's garbage, Luke, is the state of this teams frontcourt. We certainly don't have a world beating backcourt, but in Sessions, Mo, Bell and Redd we at the very least have guys that can produce in the right situations with some semblence of consistency. In the frontcourt, we are embarrassingly thin behind Bogut.

Again, I'd be shocked if Hammond drafted a swing player at 7 to compliment the current roster.

And to classify Hibbert as "garbage" is just ignorant. At the very least, the kid will be a solid backup center in the league.

[LUKE23]

Moreso on Thebeet. My general point is that backup center is the team's most glaring need all things considered. I wouldn't take Hibbert at 7. I wouldn't take Thebeet at 7 either. Love definitely. Westbrook? Perhaps. A trade down for multiple picks? Ideal I think.

What's garbage, Luke, is the state of this teams frontcourt. We certainly don't have a world beating backcourt, but in Sessions, Mo, Bell and Redd we at the very least have guys that can produce in the right situations with some semblence of consistency. In the frontcourt, we are embarrassingly thin behind Bogut.

Again, I'd be shocked if Hammond drafted a swing player at 7 to compliment the current roster.

And to classify Hibbert as "garbage" is just ignorant. At the very least, the kid will be a solid backup center in the league.

He really won't. The guy is plummeting down draft boards and had several games this year where he completely struggled with even college competition. Drafting on need is a horrible way to go about things.

And I would argue this team is strong with talent in the frontcourt (CV/Yi/Bogut) than it is at the SF position, by a longshot. If you want to add some toughness/size, that's fine, but you don't use a lottery pick on a guy with zero talent.

Don't be shocked at all if we take a guard with our pick, in fact, I'd say it's more likely at this point than taking a frontcourt player.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

Remember, the Pistons already had an allstar in Ben Wallace when they passed over Carmelo Anthony and D-Wade for a backup center in Milicic.

Yeah, but at the time they drafted Darko, they didn't yet have Rasheed.
They did have Okur, but he hadn't broken out to the extent that he has since.

Part of the thought process of drafting Darko was that he could play alongside Ben Wallace eventually, not just back him up.
That dynamic changed when they acquired Rasheed Wallace.

[th87]

To me, Hibbert seems like an Aaron Gray type player.

[th87]

And I'm not sure Hammond's presence will affect Bogut's contract too much. I think Bogut will demand market value (about 11 per year). This is because he doesn't seem to have the ego that he needs to have tons of money, and he knows that if the Bucks are fiscally responsible in paying him, they'll have money left over to make other moves. Bogut wants to win, so he'll take it.

And I'm sure Hammond will give market value.

[europa]

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Yeah, but at the time they drafted Darko, they didn't yet have Rasheed.
They did have Okur, but he hadn't broken out to the extent that he has since.

Part of the thought process of drafting Darko was that he could play alongside Ben Wallace eventually, not just back him up.
That dynamic changed when they acquired Rasheed Wallace.

They took Darko because they, like nearly everyone around the league, believed he was the second-best player in the draft. They didn't draft him because they wanted a strong backup for Ben Wallace. It was all about the talent and the majority of people in the NBA believed that after LeBron the best player in that draft was Darko.

Back to the Bucks, I think it's very possible the Bucks take a guard if they stay put in the lottery. PGs and SGs are ranked the highest in that range in nearly every mock I've seen so far. Again, Love could boost his value depending on how tall he measures out to be and maybe someone like Jordan sneaks up if people start thinking he's the next Andrew Bynum. But if the Bucks stay in the 6-8 range I'd say the chances are high the draft a PG (either Augustin or Westbrook) or a SG (Mayo if he slips or Gordon).