The 2013 NBA Free Agency Thread

[MJ7]

For the vet min I would take Jamison back. His horrid defense won't matter, just have him play off screens and shoot. Don't ask him to do anything else. God though, he brings back some....noteworthy memories.

[payitforward]

Maynor gets a player option? With an injury? I'd certainly rather have Nate Robinson

We are Maynor's 4th team. I don't get it. His best year was his rookie year. He certainly hasn't developed, and I see absolutely no reason to think he's better than -- or even as good as -- A.J. Price. And that's not saying much. Hard for me to imagine we'd have to compete hard on $$ to sign Price.

[payitforward]

I'd bring James Sngleton back over Jamison. That being said, the overreaction here to a potential MINIMUM SALARY deal is laughable. ...Booker! He's also terrible on D and has no offense. Vesely? May be the worst player in the NBA. Singleton? I still thnk he has some talen but he's not o be relied n....

I hadn't thought of James Singleton in this context, but boy are you right -- he does everything we really need.

I agree as well that it's easy to over-react to a veteran minimum deal (but it's more fan-typical than "laughable").

Agree w/ the rest of what you say as well, but with the strong exception being your assessment of Booker. He's a very good player and not a defensive liability; his only problem is staying healthy.

[Dat2U]

For the vet min I would take Jamison back. His horrid defense won't matter, just have him play off screens and shoot. Don't ask him to do anything else. God though, he brings back some....noteworthy memories.

That's the problem. Too many have blown off his D because he can still score. Including NBA coaches and front offices. The man is a human turnstile.

http://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=5843

When the Cavs had a truly horrible defensive breakdown, which was often, I’d rewind the DVR to see what happened. A shockingly high percentage of the time, Antawn Jamison was at the root of the problem. When he’s involved in a play defensively, the Cavs played 4-on-5 in 2010-11. He’s not a post defender, he can’t stop guys off the dribble, and he’s horrifyingly bad in the pick-and-roll.

The last point was particularly glaring — he’d glide over the screen like he was thinking about showing, allow the ball-handler to go past him without offering resistance, and jog back to his man, creating a four-on-five situation. It happened over and over and over again, and it was excruciating to watch. Words cannot describe just how bad Jamison’s defense was. At mid-season, I wrote that I’m not sure if Jamison could successfully defend a woman’s right to vote. It was easier to get penetration against Antawn Jamison than it was against Jenna Jameson. I joke, but it was truly awful and team-crippling, especially when the guy is supposed to be a locker-room leader. How is a team supposed to play defense when their supposed best player clearly couldn’t care less about it?

I believe successful teams are built around defense and efficiency, especially when they don’t have a superstar. Jamison was not efficient, and his defense was an insult to all that man has achieved since the discovery of fire. And all of this happened after Jamison got abused by Kevin Garnett so badly in the 2010 playoffs that he legally must name his next child Big Ticket Jamison.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... is-defense

Antawn Jamison can’t guard anyone, at any position. Mike D’Antoni has concluded that stashing Jamison on small forwards is safer than having him guard power forwards, but when the Lakers went that route last night, the Warriors happily responded by giving the ball to Harrison Barnes and watching him torch Jamison.

[nate33]

I'd much rather see Ariza get extended minutes at PF than see Jamison play much. He's an infinitely better defender and nearly as good as a spot up the point shooter.

If Jamison is signed, I hope it is only as a 10-12th man who only sees minutes due to injury or other special situations.

But look at games played by Trevor A the last two years.

If your a worried about Nene being healthy, you have to be worried about Trevor A as well. And between the two, it wouldn't hurt to have another vet PF.

Maybe Kevin steps up as a Center or PF
Maybe Ves shows up
Maybe Booker can stay healthy.
Maybe Nene has a healthy year
and Maybe Trevor A does also.

But if some of that doesn't happen, its nice to have something more than a thin rookie SF/PF to fill in.

I would promise AJ nothing more then explaining the situation and the teams goals. And I would make it clear one of those defining goals is.. we play defense. You play as hard are you can on both ends. We don't have a role on this team where players coast on defense because they are scorers.

Once Webby is agreed to in principle, I think they will go fishing for longer shot deal that might help the front court. Maybe they go after Omer Asik.

That's fine. If we are signing Jamison as an extra body on the end of the bench to help us weather injuries, I've got no problems with it. I'm just saying I don't want him if he believes he is entitled to 20+ minutes a game.

[dandridge 10]

Add me to the list that wants no part of Jamison. I'd rather see Ariza get spot duty at the 4.

[payitforward]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/228539/Andray-Blatche-Receives-Interest-From-Clippers-Warriors-But-May-Have-Agreement-With-Nets

While the Brooklyn Nets remain interested in re-signing Andray Blatche....

Update: Peter Vecsey and Howard Beck report that Blatche has reached an agreement with the Nets. Beck reports the deal is worth $1.4 million for one season....

Well I didn't expect much more relief for a new Dray contract for Ted, but its something.

Dray had a very, very good year for the Nets; no surprise they re-sign him -- especially given his motivation to take less money than he could get on the open market.

The truth is, *we* should slip in there and sign him. Bring him back! Think about it; he's already amnestied so he'd only cost us a teeny amount of our cap space. He's still young. He's shown he can play a season at a high level.

Perfect. And he already knows how to play with Antawn (assuming we are bringing him back as well).

Better yet... lets trade Singleton for him! I'm going to put that in the trade thread!

[hands11]

For the vet min I would take Jamison back. His horrid defense won't matter, just have him play off screens and shoot. Don't ask him to do anything else. God though, he brings back some....noteworthy memories.

That's the problem. Too many have blown off his D because he can still score. Including NBA coaches and front offices. The man is a human turnstile.

http://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=5843

When the Cavs had a truly horrible defensive breakdown, which was often, I’d rewind the DVR to see what happened. A shockingly high percentage of the time, Antawn Jamison was at the root of the problem. When he’s involved in a play defensively, the Cavs played 4-on-5 in 2010-11. He’s not a post defender, he can’t stop guys off the dribble, and he’s horrifyingly bad in the pick-and-roll.

The last point was particularly glaring — he’d glide over the screen like he was thinking about showing, allow the ball-handler to go past him without offering resistance, and jog back to his man, creating a four-on-five situation. It happened over and over and over again, and it was excruciating to watch. Words cannot describe just how bad Jamison’s defense was. At mid-season, I wrote that I’m not sure if Jamison could successfully defend a woman’s right to vote. It was easier to get penetration against Antawn Jamison than it was against Jenna Jameson. I joke, but it was truly awful and team-crippling, especially when the guy is supposed to be a locker-room leader. How is a team supposed to play defense when their supposed best player clearly couldn’t care less about it?

I believe successful teams are built around defense and efficiency, especially when they don’t have a superstar. Jamison was not efficient, and his defense was an insult to all that man has achieved since the discovery of fire. And all of this happened after Jamison got abused by Kevin Garnett so badly in the 2010 playoffs that he legally must name his next child Big Ticket Jamison.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... is-defense

Antawn Jamison can’t guard anyone, at any position. Mike D’Antoni has concluded that stashing Jamison on small forwards is safer than having him guard power forwards, but when the Lakers went that route last night, the Warriors happily responded by giving the ball to Harrison Barnes and watching him torch Jamison.

Bust look at the bright side.

He could help Ves get his offensive swag going by putting AJ on his in practice

[dckingsfan]

[/quote]
Dray had a very, very good year for the Nets; no surprise they re-sign him -- especially given his motivation to take less money than he could get on the open market.

The truth is, *we* should slip in there and sign him. Bring him back! Think about it; he's already amnestied so he'd only cost us a teeny amount of our cap space. He's still young. He's shown he can play a season at a high level.
[/quote]

No more knuckleheads please

[Upper Decker]

Going into the 2009-2010 playoffs I believe the Cleveland Cavaliers were the favorites to win it all. They had the best record in the league, Lebron won his first MVP and really put everything together. They had the size, shooting, defense, and best player in the league to win it all. Why didn't it happen? People blame Lebron's game 5 melt down against the C's, but the less-heralded reason they didn't win the championship was because Antawn Jamison absolutely killed the Cav's defense. KG murdered Jamison that series, in particular, the high screen-roll with Rondo/KG killed Jamison. He ruined everything for that team. Had Jamison not been a complete waste on the court the Cav's wouldn't have even been in position for Lebron to melt down. If Lebron didn't meltdown they would have likely won the championship and Lebron would have stayed in Cleveland.

In essence, Lebron left Cleveland because Antawn Jamison was on the roster. I want nothing to do with him, keep Jamison as far from this roster as possible. Jamison's a fraud and will always be a fraud. He'll finish his career with more than 20,000 points and 8,000, yet he's been a massive loser his entire career and he won't sniff the HoF, which is astonishing because the basketball HoF let's everyone in. I guarantee every other player with 20k/8k is in the hall, but because he’s a dog he won’t get an ounce of consideration. He's been a dog where ever he's been.

[hands11]

Dray had a very, very good year for the Nets; no surprise they re-sign him -- especially given his motivation to take less money than he could get on the open market.

The truth is, *we* should slip in there and sign him. Bring him back! Think about it; he's already amnestied so he'd only cost us a teeny amount of our cap space. He's still young. He's shown he can play a season at a high level.
[/quote]

No more knuckleheads please [/quote]

I wonder how the DC stripe joints compare to the Brooklyn joints.

My guess is, not nearly as good. NY has more action.

Bigger umbrella to hide under. Dray is not out of the ordinary up there.

[payitforward]

Dray had a very, very good year for the Nets; no surprise they re-sign him -- especially given his motivation to take less money than he could get on the open market.

The truth is, *we* should slip in there and sign him. Bring him back! Think about it; he's already amnestied so he'd only cost us a teeny amount of our cap space. He's still young. He's shown he can play a season at a high level.

No more knuckleheads please

Time to tune up that humor antenna my friend!!

[payitforward]

I wonder how the DC stripe joints compare to the Brooklyn joints.

My guess is, not nearly as good. NY has more action.

Yeah, but he was concentrating so hard on basketball he never got to know them. Here he's an expert, an aficionado, and if you add in the fact that he wouldn't have to think so much about basketball here, why he has a really high (strip joint) ceiling.

[barelyawake]

New York has awful strip joints. You have to go to Jersey to get anything even remotely decent. DC is better, though by no means good. Baltimore is better. Ohio is much, much better. But, if you're driving all the way to Ohio, you might as well just head to Detriot or Providence, Rhode Island -- because those clubs you'll never forget.

[Higga]

Bringing Jamison back would be such a backwards move, that I expect EG to make it.

[jivelikenice]

I'd bring James Sngleton back over Jamison. That being said, the overreaction here to a potential MINIMUM SALARY deal is laughable. ...Booker! He's also terrible on D and has no offense. Vesely? May be the worst player in the NBA. Singleton? I still thnk he has some talen but he's not o be relied n....

I hadn't thought of James Singleton in this context, but boy are you right -- he does everything we really need.

I agree as well that it's easy to over-react to a veteran minimum deal (but it's more fan-typical than "laughable").

Agree w/ the rest of what you say as well, but with the strong exception being your assessment of Booker. He's a very good player and not a defensive liability; his only problem is staying healthy.

Point on Booker is fair. He seemed to be trending in the right direction before the injuries in '11-'12. That being said, his lack of versatility and lack of offensive skill make him a poor fit on this roster given the need. His shot seems like its gotten slightly better, but because of the Tim Tebow'esque release and his left hand dominance, he's just not a good fit IMO..

[jivelikenice]

The Jamison move is an indicator this this is a temporary fix and the FO is keeping cap space flexibility for next offseason. Would you rather go all-in now and try to trade for an Ilyasova/ Anderson/ or Milisap as the last piece or keep our '14 pick and wait to use our cap space next season on a forward? It's tempting to make the move now, but I can see the argument for waiting one more offseason. And if this is the course action selected, you'll need a minimum salary fill-ins to fit the role like Jamsion. Not the end of the world...

[barelyawake]

And 1, J. The goal is to get a young, star big. The bigger and starrier the better. The small moves don't matter as much as the big one, when/if it comes next offseason.

[fishercob]

The Jamison move is an indicator this this is a temporary fix and the FO is keeping cap space flexibility for next offseason. Would you rather go all-in now and try to trade for an Ilyasova/ Anderson/ or Milisap as the last piece or keep our '14 pick and wait to use our cap space next season on a forward? It's tempting to make the move now, but I can see the argument for waiting one more offseason. And if this is the course action selected, you'll need a minimum salary fill-ins to fit the role like Jamsion. Not the end of the world...

This is a good point. First of all, we don't know that our '14 pick + Ariza and/or filler contracts would get us any of these guys. Secondly, even if it did, then we are really all-in. With no cap space or pick next summer, there's no way for us to add additional talent.

If this season is a disaster -- either from injuries or unexpectedly poor performance (or both) -- our pick next summer may be our best way to add a longterm piece. Or maybe it's just a quasi-disaster and things go just poorly enough for us to miss the playoffs . And them maybe we move up in the lottery again, as remote a that sounds.

Point being, cap space + our '14 pick is verly likely to have more value next summer than it has now -- even if we're lucky enough to be picking in the 20's. Once the draft order is set and all the guys in question have declared and there are actual names to project into draft slots.

Okafor or Ariza may have S&T value next summer that could bring assets back.

Waiting may really make the best sense.

[queridiculo]

Bringing Jamison back would be such a backwards move, that I expect EG to make it.

This. It's bound to happen, brace yourself.