Another Pre-Lottery Selection Offseason Plan

[europa]

I don't view a four-year deal as being a long-term deal. It's boarderline perhaps but I think five- and six-year deals are the ones that can get a team into trouble.

Players like Duhon and Diop aren't great players but they would fill valuable roles on this team in my opinion. And you're going to have to at least offer a three-year deal for them in all probability. Now my plan doesn't include Duhon because the Bucks would draft Westbrook to fill the backup PG role. However, it's very possible Skiles will want Duhon based on his belief in him. And if that's the case, I think a three-year deal is very likely.

And if there are other ways to greatly improve the defense at a lesser cost, I'm all for it. I'm not married to these moves - I just tossed them out as another idea without knowing where the Bucks will draft. The bottom line is this team must improve its defense. It can't half-ass its way toward that goal and only pay it lip service any more. And if that means offering someone like Diop four years instead of three to bring his defense to the mix I'd be willing to do that. I don't think 4/$17M for Diop is overpaying.

Edited to add - I don't recall posting that I'd want to sign Duhon for 4/$12M. If I did post that, I need to plead temporary insanity. I don't think the Bucks should offer Duhon a four-year deal. 3/$9M is the highest I'd go. So consider this my ammended statement if I did indeed post 4/$12M previously. That's what I get for partying at Josh Howard's house.

[paulpressey25]

I was the one who mentioned 4/$12mm for Duhon.....I wouldn't want to go that high, but noted that guys like Bell, Kevin Ollie, etc. seem to get deals in that $12 to $15mm range. Duhon for all his flaws is a good backup PG.

[europa]

I was the one who mentioned 4/$12mm for Duhon.

Yea I didn't recall posting that. I know I said I wouldn't go higher than $3M a year and was pretty sure I said I'd offer something like 3/$9M.

[Simulack]

I think CV is undervalued here. Carney is worthless IMO and the 16th pick isn't much. Sure, I can get excited about CDR but the odds would tell you that if he's there at 16, he'll be more like Reece Gaines.

Totally agree and posted the same thing on the trade forum:

Carney IMO basically has no value.

How valuable is the #16 pick? Well look at the list of who has been drafted there since 2000:

2000: Hedo
2001: Kirk Haston
2002: Jiri Welsch
2003: Troy Bell
2004: Kirk Synder
2005: Joey Graham
2006: Rodney Carney (LOL)
2007: Nick Young

Other than Hedo (and Nick Young who was at least a more promising rookie than some of those losers), that list is full of scrubs many of whom are not even in the NBA anymore.

Charlie V. for all his faults is a very talented offensive player. I'd say the odds of getting someone of his value with a #16 pick are slim if past history is any indication. He's up and down but most of those guys on the list above were never anything but down.

Still, the writing is probably on the wall for him with the arrival of Skiles and his contract coming up for extension. This might be the best we can do if we are intent on trading him.

[midranger]

While it's interesting to see who is picked where, it really means nothing. At pick 16, the GM had a chance to draft any player 16-60. If you go through and post the guys after 16 who became players, the list would be fairly long.

Just because "expert" GM's frequently make big blunders in the draft, doesn't mean that we have to next year.

BTW: Everyone knew that Jerry West had lost it when he picked Troy Bell. That was awful.

[ReasonablySober]

The other thing is if you deal CV for a first round pick you get a guy on a rookie deal for the next four years instead of having to make a decision on whether or not to pay him in the next year.

[DH34Phan]

don't. If the Bucks could sign Diop to a three-year deal I'd be all for it. However, his shot-blocking ability will almost certainly net him a deal for longer than that. But if it would be possible to sign him for 3/$10M or 3/$12M or something in that vicinity I'd be all for it.

You would throw 3-4 million a year at a guy that will be getting 10-15 minutes a game tops behind Bogut?

I agree Diop is worth a nice sized contract, but why would he come here to be a 10-15 minute backup when he could have a 20-25 minute role in other places. He doesn't fit here.

[midranger]

Diop would be the Charlie Bell thing all over again.

You can't lock up these bench role players long term when you have no core of real talent in place. It makes no sense.

[Neapolitan Buck]

That's a nice offseason, europa; I would only add a Gadz for Jason Collins (or a Gadz for Stromile Swift) trade to free us from Gadz contract and get an other expirer.

[Chapter29]

Here's another plan combining some of my ideas in the past with ones presented by others on the board:

TRADES
1. Trade Redd to Dallas for Josh Howard/Jerry Stackhouse.
2. Trade Villanueva/2nd to Philadelphia for Rodney Carney/16th pick
3. Trade Mo to Miami for Udonis Haslem
4. Trade Bell/Dez to Knicks for Malik Rose

DRAFT (assuming the Bucks stay in the 6-8 range)
1. Draft Russell Westbrook
2. Draft Chris Douglas-Roberts

FREE AGENCY
1. Sign DeSagana Diop to a 4/$17M deal

2008-09 ROSTER
PG: Sessions/Westbrook
SG: Douglas-Roberts/Stackhouse
SF: Howard/Simmons/Carney
PF: Yi/Haslem/Rose
C: Bogut/Diop/Gadz

I don't think we are getting back a superstar either.

I like the Mo and Redd deals. The Redd deal is a fantastic trade that likely won't happen, but for fun I'll go along.

I would likely trade CV, but not for Carney and a low pick. I'd sooner keep him.

I would not trade Bell for Rose at all. Why do that when you're proposed plan is so lacking at the 2 guard spot?

On the Draft I am OK with selecting Westbrook, I guess anything outside of Rose will be disappointing and I just don't see much to get excited about. I think I would try and make a move. We are kind of in the dead mans spot in the draft, you have this hope, but you are almost certain to fail. I have seen enough Todd Day's to not be overly excited.

I can handle Diop as an option. Beats Jake by a mile. I would also try and target Childress (reach) or perhaps Pietrus depending on the other moves we make.

I would like to package either CV or Yi plus our pick to either make a move in this draft or get a better player in return. Not sure what that player is or pick is but those are both strong offers.

Obviously I would love to move up to get Rose. Not likely.

Yi and 7 to LAC for Brand? Is that too much to give up? Not likely.

CV and 7 for Mayo? I'll go with that one as its a tad more realistic. Obviously no clue on salary fillers so I will leave that out.

The team would look something like this.

Sessions - Bell - Ivey
Mayo - Mason - Bell - Simmons
Howard - Simmons - Mason - Ersan
Yi - Haslem - Ersan - Ruffin
Bogut - Diop - Ruffin

Very very risky PG position. If you believe in Sessions , Mayo and Yi this could be quite nice and entertaining basketball. A pass first PG, a prime time scorer at SG, an all around talented SF, and a very talented frontcourt. The thing I hate is we would back in that "potential" mode again. 3 prospects and 5 vets (Bogut, Haslem, Simmons, Bell and Howard) as our top 8 players. Bogut falls into this category imo. He's a player in the league. The crutch is that those 3 prospects must produce as their main competitor at their position is not good enough to be a quality starter.

[europa]

I would not trade Bell for Rose at all. Why do that when you're proposed plan is so lacking at the 2 guard spot?

My plan would bring in two players who could play the SG spot - Stackhouse and either Douglas-Roberts or Rush. So Bell would become the No. 3 SG on the team and I'd rather trade his contract and Dez's for a larger expiring deal than carry the two of them in third-string (or Dez's case possibly fourth-string) roles. Bell's a decent player but those are the kinds of players that can easily be replaced by a competent GM.

As far as drafting Westbrook, I agree it wouldn't be all that exciting and my top preference would be to try and trade down and target New Jersey's two picks. I think if Hammond could turn Villanueva and the lottery pick (assuming the Bucks don't move up into the Top 2) into three first-round picks in the top 16 I'd consider that a strong series of moves.