2010 FA Thread

[likwitdesi]

So, we will likely have a firesale for expiring contracts and picks. I think it is worth exploring people we could potentially target this offseason in FA. I understand FAs are likely to make us their first, second, or even third choice, but money does talk.

I understand we are going to suck for the next few seasons but we can start rebuilding with a base of quality role players and add the stars through the draft.

Here are some guys I'd pursue:

David Lee

I like the way this guy keeps on getting better and better. I understand that some of you are haters of this guy, but he keeps proving people wrong. One of the big question marks about him is his jumper. However, he has worked hard on it and he has been deadly from midrange. Check this article out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/sport ... 10lee.html

Now that he is able to shoot a jumper, I think he is a legit PF. He's a great rebounder, great passing big man, and now a good scorer. Not a very good defender? Sure. However, I wonder if he would work better in Flip's zone D scheme. He is a guy I'd pay up to 10 mil/yr.

Josh Childress

This might be the offseason the Hawks finally sign-and-trade him. Knowing that we are going to be rebuilding and not be a serious threat, I think they would be fairly willing to trade him to us. He is a rich man's Mike Miller and I think he would thrive in Flip's scheme. He is a highly efficient player and, at 26, he is young enough to make a difference once we finally become good again. They currently lack a big center and I would be willing to give them McGee, who I personally feel will not amount to anything.

Yiannis Bouroussis

He is DX's top Euro free agent. He is a big man

[LyricalRico]

David Lee

Now that he is able to shoot a jumper, I think he is a legit PF. He's a great rebounder, great passing big man, and now a good scorer. Not a very good defender? Sure. However, I wonder if he would work better in Flip's zone D scheme. He is a guy I'd pay up to 10 mil/yr.

I still see him as a glorified hustle player and I have a problem paying top dollar to hustle players. Troy Murphy is a similar player (although with a better jumpshot) who got a similar contract and was pretty untradeable for awhile (he'd probably still be in GS if it wasn't for Larry Bird collecting white players). I'd hate for us to be complaining in another 2 years about needing to get his deal off our books because he's not worth it.

[Hoopalotta]

David Lee

Now that he is able to shoot a jumper, I think he is a legit PF. He's a great rebounder, great passing big man, and now a good scorer. Not a very good defender? Sure. However, I wonder if he would work better in Flip's zone D scheme. He is a guy I'd pay up to 10 mil/yr.

I still see him as a glorified hustle player and I have a problem paying top dollar to hustle players. Troy Murphy is a similar player (although with a better jumpshot) who got a similar contract and was pretty untradeable for awhile (he'd probably still be in GS if it wasn't for Larry Bird collecting white players). I'd hate for us to be complaining in another 2 years about needing to get his deal off our books because he's not worth it.

This.

David Lee would be a disastrous signing who is going to be wildly overpaid based on his inflated numbers in the Phoenix system.

Just say no to 2010 free agency and try and stock up draft picks. If that fails, we keep the cap figure real low through the summer and take on salary during the season in lopsided trades in the manner of OKC's Maynor heist. Even if we can't get good young players, we'll be looking at taking on overpaid guys on 1-2 year deals rather than creating overpaid players on five year deals.

Free agency would just be a total fiasco for us.

[likwitdesi]

barelyawake, do you know anything about Bouroussis? From what little I know about him, he is supposed to be similar to Marc Gasol and he is a skilled big.

I know that several NBA teams, including the Spurs, went after him last summer. I think what we can offer him over these other teams is near-guaranteed playing time, once we gut this roster.

[Orakpophobia]

I'd like to sign RFA Ronnie Brewer. Young and solid on D.

[nate33]

Just say no to 2010 free agency and try and stock up draft picks. If that fails, we keep the cap figure real low through the summer and take on salary during the season in lopsided trades in the manner of OKC's Maynor heist. Even if we can't get good young players, we'll be looking at taking on overpaid guys on 1-2 year deals rather than creating overpaid players on five year deals.

Free agency would just be a total fiasco for us.

Exactly. We absolutely should not go for top tier or second tier free agents. Adding an overpaid rotation player will only help keep us at the 32-win level rather than the 24-win level while simultaneously taking us out of the free agency game in 2011.

The only free agents we should add are the ones that are leftover after the under-the-cap teams have shot their wad. If we play our cards right, we might be able to sign the equivalent of a Ramon Sessions for $4M a year. It's tough to say who that player will be this time - maybe somebody like Tyrus Thomas, Kyle Lowry, Anthony Morrow or Udonis Haslem is overlooked when the big money is flying around.

[Ruzious]

If Gil isn't here next year, we'll have to get a starting PG. TJ Ford, might be a free agent, because he might be unhappy enough in Indy to turn down his 8 mil player option. He's 3rd string PG and obviously doesn't fit in their plans. His problem there is mostly that he needs to run to be effective, and Indy's a very slow team - with guys like Dunleavy, Murphy, Hibbert, Foster, etc. On a running team, he's a 6 foot version of Boykins. And he's still just 26 years old. If we rebuild around guys like Jav, Blatche, and Young - a running PG will be a big help.

[miller31time]

If Gil isn't here next year, we'll have to get a starting PG. TJ Ford, might be a free agent, because he might be unhappy enough in Indy to turn down his 8 mil player option. He's 3rd string PG and obviously doesn't fit in their plans. His problem there is mostly that he needs to run to be effective, and Indy's a very slow team - with guys like Dunleavy, Murphy, Hibbert, Foster, etc. On a running team, he's a 6 foot version of Boykins. And he's still just 26 years old. If we rebuild around guys like Jav, Blatche, and Young - a running PG will be a big help.

Indiana has the 2nd-highest pace in the league. They're running and gunning with or without Ford.

[tkunit]

everyone bitches about Jamison and you want to bring in Lee, and MM is better than childress

[Ruzious]

If Gil isn't here next year, we'll have to get a starting PG. TJ Ford, might be a free agent, because he might be unhappy enough in Indy to turn down his 8 mil player option. He's 3rd string PG and obviously doesn't fit in their plans. His problem there is mostly that he needs to run to be effective, and Indy's a very slow team - with guys like Dunleavy, Murphy, Hibbert, Foster, etc. On a running team, he's a 6 foot version of Boykins. And he's still just 26 years old. If we rebuild around guys like Jav, Blatche, and Young - a running PG will be a big help.

Indiana has the 2nd-highest pace in the league. They're running and gunning with or without Ford.

I don't know whether or not that's true (no link), but when you don't have the personnel to run, and you do run... I'm guessing it doesn't work real well.

[mohammed10]

everyone bitches about Jamison and you want to bring in Lee, and MM is better than childress

[likwitdesi]

Unlike Jamison, Lee is one of the best passing bigs in the league and a much better rebounder. Furthermore, the Knicks don't play at the D'Antoni Suns pace so the arguments about his stats being inflated are invalid.

This guy keeps getting better and better every season, but you guys ridiculously keeping shutting down the idea of acquiring him every season. Is Lee worth 10 mil a year? Hell yes

[nate33]

Is Lee worth 10 mil a year? Hell yes

Perhaps he is, but only to the right team in the right situation. Lee is not a star, he is a high quality role player. He is the type of player that is good enough to keep us out of the top of the draft, but he isn't good enough to make the team a contender.

You also have to consider price. Lee is a real nice guy to have on a rookie contract. He'd be nice for the MLE too. But if he is paid $10M a year, you will notice a lot more flaws in his game.

[miller31time]

If Gil isn't here next year, we'll have to get a starting PG. TJ Ford, might be a free agent, because he might be unhappy enough in Indy to turn down his 8 mil player option. He's 3rd string PG and obviously doesn't fit in their plans. His problem there is mostly that he needs to run to be effective, and Indy's a very slow team - with guys like Dunleavy, Murphy, Hibbert, Foster, etc. On a running team, he's a 6 foot version of Boykins. And he's still just 26 years old. If we rebuild around guys like Jav, Blatche, and Young - a running PG will be a big help.

Indiana has the 2nd-highest pace in the league. They're running and gunning with or without Ford.

I don't know whether or not that's true (no link), but when you don't have the personnel to run, and you do run... I'm guessing it doesn't work real well.

Link

They are a horribly inefficient team but they run like crazy.

[other21]

After getting rid of Jamison, Butler, Haywood, Stevenson, Critt, and James, go get Kevin Durant who is a restricted FA.

Let him and Gil rebuild the future.

[tkunit]

After getting rid of Jamison, Butler, Haywood, Stevenson, Critt, and James, go get Kevin Durant who is a restricted FA.

Let him and Gil rebuild the future.

While It would be wonderful to bring Durant here, who is from Md I think. There is no way the thunder let him walk, they will match anything we throw at him.

[closg00]

Scott W. (Reno, NV)


Which player(s) in the D-League are most likely to get called-up and make an impact on an NBA team this year?

David Thorpe (12:23 PM)


I've said this many times-Rob Kurz is the best shooter I've ever coached. How he's not in the league is troubling to me.

Anybody know this Kurz guy?
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/rob_kurz/bio.html

[LyricalRico]

^ Hmmm...I always pictured an unskilled, undersized bruiser when I saw the name "Rob Kurz". But from his bio and Thorpe's comment he seems like he could be a big SF. What's probably keeping him out of the league is the inability to guard the perimeter, which is the case for a lot of tweener forwards (which is why the contracts given to guys like Radmanovic look so bad). Maybe he's another Steve Novak?

Either way, we don't need anymore tweeners on this team.

[closg00]

^ Hmmm...I always pictured an unskilled, undersized bruiser when I saw the name "Rob Kurz". But from his bio and Thorpe's comment he seems like he could be a big SF. What's probably keeping him out of the league is the inability to guard the perimeter, which is the case for a lot of tweener forwards (which is why the contracts given to guys like Radmanovic look so bad). Maybe he's another Steve Novak?

Either way, we don't need anymore tweeners on this team.

Looking at his numbers, Kurz appears to be more than just a one-dimensional shooter, he does it all, rebounding, blocking shots etc. I'm gonna have to try and watch him in the NBDL.
These are the kind of guys you give 10-day contracts to.

EDIT: More on Kurz
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Fro ... Kurz-3072/
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Rob-Kurz-5492/

[LyricalRico]

^ Hey, if he's a poor man's Troy Murphy then that's a different story. But he's still putting up minor numbers in a lesser league. He'd have to completely blow up in the NBDL or Summer League for me to have any interest.