Zach Lowe has a good article obstensibly on the Heat keeping the Big Three together, but also insightful regarding the challenges of roster building with the new punitive luxury taxes kicking in. The gist is that stars win titles. The supporting cast needs to be built with an eye toward 80% of the production at 25% of the cost.
If this whole process of tanking has been to build a championship team , then it makes no sense to sign Hendo, who needs to be a SG2 on a championship team, to a 7 mln/yr contract. That will look okay to everybody this year if we draft a big like Bennett or Len. But when we draft a star player in 14 and combine him with a high usage Kemba, Hendo is going to be a supporting player and a 7 mln per yr salary is going to look ugly.
Hendo has been one of the few bright spots in a few blighted years. It would be hard to say good bye to him. But from a salary cap perspective, it makes more sense to replace his numbers, either via the draft with potential stars McLemore or Olidipo on attractive rookie contracts, or via free agency.
Unless Hendo will sign for $5 mln/. Then you lock him up for 5 yrs.
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... stem-works