Pacers in Pursuit of Gortat

[greenway84]

Mavs, Pacers, Knicks Join Rockets In Pursuit Of Gortat

Marcin Gortat met with Daryl Morey just after midnight on Wednesday and the Knicks, Mavericks and Pacers are also interested in the big man's services.

"Powerball winner," was how one Eastern Conference executive described Gortat.

I like this. Maybe this would allow us to move Foster for a pg or sg.

[Scoot McGroot]

Yeah, he's likely to get the full MLE, and we'll likely be priced out at about 2/3 or 1/2 of the MLE, if we have any interest in re-signing Jack.

[greenway84]

scoot i have a question. with a contract are you able to increase yearly as much as you want. in other words could you start at 3 mill in the first and then jump to 10 mil for the remaining 3? not that we would. but if you know you have a contract coming off the books the following year but could not afford a big hit the signing year. could you structure a deal like that?

[Orlock78]

I would be shocked if this happened.

[Scoot McGroot]

scoot i have a question. with a contract are you able to increase yearly as much as you want. in other words could you start at 3 mill in the first and then jump to 10 mil for the remaining 3? not that we would. but if you know you have a contract coming off the books the following year but could not afford a big hit the signing year. could you structure a deal like that?

Nope. IF he re-signed with Orlando, I believe they can give him the maximum raise of 12.5% (I believe, it's somewhere between 12-15%) per year. If he signs with Indy, then we can only give him a maximum of 10% raises per year.

There's some flexibility to raise and lower per year, as I believe that Marcus Camby had a contract like that. However, the maximum fluctuation was within a legal margin.

[HookShotHibbert]

I thought yearly salaries can only increase 10% or 15% max. from year to year within the same contract and the only exception to a bigger increase is in the case of a new contract or a contract extension?

[greenway84]

I was actually referring to jack. maybe if we gave him a small contract until jeff expired then raise it, but i guess not.

[HookShotHibbert]

Dang Scoot, guess you beat me to the send button...Sorry for the double answer

[greenway84]

The Pacers will can offer the mid-level exception, expected to be roughly $5.6 million, and the bi-annual exception of $1.99 million. They also have a trade exception of approximately $2 million remaining from last summer's Toronto deal but that money can only be used to acquire existing contracts, not to sign free agents.

It sounds like we have more options than I thought. If we can sign McRoberts and a wing and stay under cap and then use the full mle on Gortat, and then combine assuming we can the bi annual exception and trade exception for jack we will be good.

Ford/Jack/Deiner
Rush/Graham
Granger/ Dunleavy
Murphy/Hansbrough/McRoberts
Hibbert/Gortat/Foster

[Crossova21]

I really don't understand why we're going after him...he doesn't really do anything good. We all just know him as Dwight's backup. I'd much rather go after Dahntay Jones because he plays a position in which we need help at.

[Scoot McGroot]

The Pacers will can offer the mid-level exception, expected to be roughly $5.6 million, and the bi-annual exception of $1.99 million. They also have a trade exception of approximately $2 million remaining from last summer's Toronto deal but that money can only be used to acquire existing contracts, not to sign free agents.

It sounds like we have more options than I thought. If we can sign McRoberts and a wing and stay under cap and then use the full mle on Gortat, and then combine assuming we can the bi annual exception and trade exception for jack we will be good.

Ford/Jack/Deiner
Rush/Graham
Granger/ Dunleavy
Murphy/Hansbrough/McRoberts
Hibbert/Gortat/Foster

Nope. Can't combine exceptions, and the exceptions aren't the thing holding us back. It's the fact that using the MLE and re-signing McRoberts and Jack would put us right at or over the luxury tax, something we don't want to do.

[Scoot McGroot]

I really don't understand why we're going after him...he doesn't really do anything good. We all just know him as Dwight's backup. I'd much rather go after Dahntay Jones because he plays a position in which we need help at.

He's a defensive big man, who showed that he should be playing much more, but was behind one of the best young big men in the game, thus he really can't get much more playing time.


He's a solid option. He's going to be paid too much, but for the MLE, you can't really go too wrong with him.

If you can get him for under the MLE, I think you have to do it to get him in a long-term platoon with Hibbert.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

I find this interesting. Does us going after Gortat mean that we have a Foster trade in the works? It really wouldn't make much sense to go after him unless we were planning on moving Foster. I can't help but think Bird has a Foster for Lawson deal on the table and hes trying to find a backup Center before he pulls the trigger.

[PR07]

I think Gortat would be a solid pickup for us. He's a good rebounder, surprisingly pretty athletic and can block some shots, and is a tough interior defender. You'd have to think Foster or Murphy would be on the move though if we signed him.

[Granger da OG]

Me thinks Foster isnt going anywhere. Im not a fan of Gortat, way over-hyped. The guy had one good playoffs, thats it. Id rather see us add rodney carney

[8305]

To someone who knows, could we somehow assemble a sign and trade? Maybe move Foster, Diener and McRoberts (knowing that McRoberts would need to be resigned)

There aren't too many situations I would trade Foster into. He's been such a pro throughout his career that if he was traded you would want it to be a really good situation. Orlando would fit that requirement.

If something of this nature could be done, this works for Orlando in that Foster is an ideal backup to Howard.

[fienX420]

I'm not really hot on this. We don't really need Gortat, and we can't really afford him. I also would much prefer Dahntay Jones or some other quality wing depth. Not sure that this is really that accurate that we are pursuing Gortat anyway. First priority is to re-sign Jack and McRoberts. I think a Hibbert/Foster center tandem is good. If we need a third guy, Courtney Sims would be fine. When you factor in that Murphy and McRoberts will likely see some time in the middle as well, we are fine on bigs. The only pickup I'd like to see is a wing to fill in while Dunleavy is out. Graham would be fine. Dahntay Jones would be excellent. Derrick Byars is an option too. We don't need to spend money. We don't need Gortat.

[Orlock78]

If we sign Gortat, where exactly does that put Foster? I know you can never have too many talented bigs, but if were gonna keep Foster we should use him, I just don't understand where Gortat falls into the rotation at that point. Additionally why do people keep insisting that we are trying to get lawson? Denver needs him, and hes a great fit for them, why on earth would they possibly trade him to us? especially for what meager parts we would have to offer for him?

[fienX420]

More than agree on Lawson. Denver specifically targeted and acquired Lawson - they are not going to trade him. They projected him as an elite PG. If we wanted him, we should've got him at 13 or traded for an extra pick. Too late.

[joew8302]

I agree with scoot. Look at the teams we are up against here, does anyone really think we will outbid the Knicks or Mavs?