Free Agency around the NBA

[Hydroponic3385]

Royal Ivey will sign a contract with Philadelphia next Monday. Third string PG, or is it just in case Louis Williams doesn't return?

Bobby Brown signs a guaranteed contract with the Kings. He was one of the most impressive guys in all of summer league, playing for the Hornets.

Carl Landry is now rumored to have interest playing in Europe. WTF.

[Hydroponic3385]

Golden State has matched the Clippers' offer for Azubuike, so Kelenna will be a Warrior once again. How much is LAC under the cap? Can they attempt to get West at all?

[Hydroponic3385]

Some updates:

Sasha Vujacic re-signs with the Lakers.

Ryan Gomes re-signs with Minnesota.

Jorge Garbajosa heads to the Euroleague.

Utah matches the offer for CJ Miles.

[Hydroponic3385]

I also added many guys to the "still available" list.

Since it's pretty apparent we'll not be using the entire MLE on anyone this offseason (barring a very unexpected signing or sign and trade involving JR Smith), I think there's something else that Ferry may be doing. I was on realcavsfans.com, and someone brought up a good point. Why not pick up a wing/guard and a big man for about 1-3 million each? We'd probably get production not that far off from a Duhon/Diop combination (both signed for the full MLE), and it'd be much cheaper. Plus it'd just make us even deeper and more versatile once we do make another big trade. We still need depth right now, as JJ and Darnell are very likely going to see little playing time (hopefully playing in the D-League at the start of the season).

Here are some options for smaller guys:
Michael Finley
Kirk Snyder
Bonzi Wells
Earl Boykins
Maurice Evans
Sam Cassell
Flip Murray
Quinton Ross
Dorrell Wright
Yakhouba Diawara
reach: Jannero Pargo

Here are some options for bigger guys:
Theo Ratliff
Adonal Foyle
David Harrison
Brian Skinner
Alonzo Mourning
Kwame Brown
reach: Nenad Krstic

All of these guys would add nice depth to our team, making us very deep for the start of the season and allowing us some flexibility with trades further down the line. None of these guys (except perhaps the "reaches") will cost us nearly as much as a James Jones or Chris Duhon, and not even close to as much as Childress, Maggette, etc. These may not be very sexy free agent targets, but signing two of these guys for cheap may be very good moves (especially for 1-2 seasons). Something like a Michael Finley/David Harrison, Kirk Snyder/Theo Ratliff, or Flip Murray/Brian Skinner combination wouldn't be so bad for an offseason, especially if we re-signed Boobie and West and made a couple nice draft picks.

So who would you go with from each group? If we could get one from each group, would you rather one be younger and one be an older veteran? What would you do?

[B Mac]

Why not pick up a wing/guard and a big man for about 1-3 million each? you do?

I figured all along that was what we would do. I was actually surprised when we had talks with Posey using our MLE. Outside of a couple big names, this FA class is pretty weak. Offering guys who normally wouldnt make the MLE (Udrih, J. Jones, etc..), the MLE just because you have it doesnt make sense and Im glad Ferry is sticking to his guns. Once the dust settles a bit and teams use up their MLE's Ferry will be there to look over who is left and get his guy on the cheap. Its a solid strategy and its how we got a very useful Devin Brown last year.

As I've said all along, if anyone went into this summer thinking that we were going to be making any big trades or big signings then they were just setting themselves up for dissapointment. Our trade pieces are only going to get more valuable as the season rolls along, so having patience here is the best way to look at it.

[rjgraca]

Thanks for the updates Hydroponic3385.

I believe Maurice Evans signed a 3 year 7.5 million dollar deal with Atlanta.

Not a very appealing list. For the Big guys I would like to the CAVs sign Kwame Brown to the lower level exemption for two years (I believe it starts out at 1.8 million). He's been a bust as a starter, but I believe that he can become a good back-up like Diop has done.

From the smaller guys, I have read in the past that the CAVs have had a slight interest in Kirk Snyder and Jannero Pargo.

[eyejayem]

I would definately give interest to a Kirk Snyder/Kwame Brown split.

[Hydroponic3385]

Some more updates:

Andries Biedrins re-signs with Golden State.

Nenad Krstic is the next NBA player to head to Europe.

A bunch of teams are interested in former Cav Devin Brown.

Ryan Hollins re-signs with Charlotte.

[bcortell]

Take kwame's name off of the list.. heading to detroit.

[Tommy Udo 6]

Bulls have locked up Deng. 6 years, $71 million - could go as high as $80 mil with incentives

Very little hope of signing Gordon; agent is claiming he should be highest paid on Bulls. Expect him to take QO if a trade cant be worked out.

[Tommy Udo 6]

here's a Sporting News update on "Benjamins" Gordon:

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sp ... of_himself

I know that as members of the media, we're not supposed to get angry at players. That's the job of lowly fans. But man alive, Ben Gordon -- not coincidentally, a member of that pesky Class of 2004 -- is beginning to grate on this non-Bulls fan and otherwise objective reporter. Here's GM John Paxson, speaking to The Chicago Tribune:

"There are things to work through," Paxson said of the Gordon negotiations. "I'm sure we'll talk a little bit stronger now. Nobody has dug their heels in, and that's a good thing."

As currently constructed, the most the Bulls can offer without incurring the punitive tax is a six-year deal worth approximately $58 million. Gordon wants more.

Really? No one's dug their heels in? That's why you've got Gordon publicly stating that he should be the highest paid Bull, and, as in this otherwise innocuous SLAM interview, entertaining offers from overseas and exploring the sign-and-trade option. Baby Gordo (like the nickname? I've available for parties, drafts, and draft parties) expects more than the recently-inked Deng, whose deal comes in just under $12 million per year. Gordon's being offered $8 or $9 million a year, and, like Paxson said, wants nothing more than to fall in line for the good of the team.

Given that he has, however passive-aggressively, dug in his heels I'll weigh in: Gordon can score -- shoot, even. But he's always been most effective off the bench. And no matter what he works on over the summer, he remains a man without a position or the dynamism necessary to overcome it. He's an undersized Michael Redd, or Arenas sans ability to control the ball. Not only is that an unimpressive package -- it's one that, in a year where money is short, has no business whining and making demands. Far superior talents Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala remain unsigned, and neither one of them has taken such a public, or explicit, stance.

(a little more at link)