Should the FO go after middle tier free agents?

aaron_gray · Post #1 » by **aaron_gray** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:28 pm

Last off-season, many free agents in the 8-12 mil range either straight up received no interest from Mitch and Co or were told to wait until Melo made his decision. Now there might be many explanations in regards to this. For one, the team had a top 5 protected pick this year, which is somewhat attainable when your team is horrible, and thus the front office had incentive to tank if it had no chance to win a championship by signing a top free agent. On the other hand, maybe the FO took a look at the Heat and decided that the best way to bring another title to LA is to sign a couple max players at once, instead of going for mid-tier free agents.

Do you guys think Mitch should go after middle-tier guys? First of all, because of the rising cap, there may be no middle-tier guys this year in the first place. Would you guys rather Mitch throw an offer sheet at Buckets/Kawhi in the hopes that their original teams don't match, or would you rather Mitch go after say Tobias Harris and Greg Monroe (who may both get the max at the end of the day, but maybe their original teams won't match). Remember, making the offer ties up cap space, and that period where the original team decides whether or not to match a restricted free agent's offer has an opportunity cost, which is that you can't spend the money on other guys until you hear back from the original team. By then, the juicy UFA's may have been taken already.

Hector_Reyes_8 · Post #2 » by **Hector_Reyes_8** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:27 pm

We just wanna win, baby.

mcscotty · Post #3 » by **mcscotty** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:32 pm

This team could certainly use a young athletic SF in the mold of Tobias/Buckets/Kawhi/Draymond. Love to pick one up on a 8-12M value contract.

One Love · Post #4 » by **One Love** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:47 pm

It is time to implement a hybrid of the Dallas & Houston game plan and simply COLLECT ASSETS... Assets are picks, reasonable deals while maintaining salary cap flexability so you can be opportunistic (such as Houston getting Harden)... Monte at $7.5 is an asset... Rondo at $20 is not... We will get another solid prospect with our top 5 & possibly Houston's pick (24 to 26 range) therefore will have 4 to 5 young players... I think Asik, Beverly, Stuckey will be great values this offseason...

Lakeshow baby...

mcscotty · Post #5 » by **mcscotty** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:53 pm

^^^^^^^^Exactly. Don't overpay. Worst way to paint yourself into a corner.

LApwnd · Post #6 » by **LApwnd** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:34 pm

Mitch/Fo still think their old ways works and will always swing big 1st and go for MAX FA before they focus on the middle tier guy unfortunately they saw it work before and they'll think it'll work again now.

GeorgeDillion · Post #7 » by **GeorgeDillion** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:07 pm

I have no problem with us going after mid-tier free agents but trying to sign restricted mid-tier guys is almost the equivalent of waiting on the decisions of top-tier free agents. Signing Butler,Leonard or Harris to an offer sheet basically ties up that money for three days, so we end up missing out on other guys anyway.

At least with top-tier unrestricted free agents we wait on guys that can make the choice for themselves instead of playing a waiting game with other teams owning a players rights.

Post #8 » by **Slava** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:32 pm

Mid-tier free agents could end up being the best bargain deals this summer if you can get starting caliber players before the cap jumps.

Post #9 » by **dockingsched** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:44 pm

mcscotty wrote:This team could certainly use a young athletic SF in the mold of Tobias/Buckets/Kawhi/Draymond. Love to pick one up on a 8-12M value contract.

I don't expect any of these guys to end up getting 8-12mil so hard to consider them mid tier.

LApwnd · Post #10 » by **LApwnd** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:46 pm

I don't see to many mid-tiers players right now as far as their mentality goes....seeing T&T board noting even a guy like Middleton might expect MAX due to rising cap. Middle tiers guys are probably what would've been MLE type players who are now going to try and milk teams due to the new cap.

Post #11 » by **dockingsched** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:49 pm

Yeah I think we have adjust our expectations for how much certain players are going to command. I really don't see any reason why someone like butler, green, Leonard would be allowed to walk away for anything less than the max.

mcscotty · Post #12 » by **mcscotty** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:08 pm

dockingsched wrote:Yeah I think we have adjust our expectations for how much certain players are going to command. I really don't see any reason why someone like butler, green, Leonard would be allowed to walk away for anything less than the max.

Well, let other teams designate them their cornerstone marquee players. Doubt they'll get very far.

Michael Lucky · Post #13 » by **Michael Lucky** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:33 pm

Don't expect mid range salaries this offseason for any good starting players. With the cap jump they'll all command max deals with the current salary cap situation.

Aaramirez16 · Post #14 » by **Aaramirez16** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:47 pm

It depends how much the max will be for some of these guys. If they get 12-15 as their max then I think it's worth it if the cap is going up 30 percent the next year

Post #15 » by **dockingsched** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:25 pm

Aaramirez16 wrote:It depends how much the max will be for some of these guys. If they get 12-15 as their max then I think it's worth it if the cap is going up 30 percent the next year

Players with lower max salaries are going to be coming off their rookie deals and will almost certainly be restricted free agents

ALL HAIL · Post #16 » by **ALL HAIL** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 3:03 am

If he opts in, I still want Brook Lopez.

How long before he could be traded (if he opts in)?

norcocredo · Post #17 » by **norcocredo** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:20 am

You usually don't sign mid tier FA until you have your superstar signed as those players usually are signed to complement your superstar. But seeing as we are most likely not going to sign a superstar this offseason, I could see the FO signing someone that can help next season and could potentially fit in with any superstar, just don't ask me who that might be as I am just a season ticket holder, not a FO decision maker.

KobeBryant24 · Post #18 » by **KobeBryant24** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:48 am

Who do you think we should go for? I cant wait till we sign some talent .. I hate this tanking nonsense

laduane1 · Post #19 » by **laduane1** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 7:34 am

Got to face reality, the Lakers have not won in 2 seasons and it will be hard to get a top free agent here to help the team win. It might be a few years till they start to win again. No major star wants to wait and hope to win in a few years. So mid level free agent might be best to add to talent. If they draft well and add a key player. The team talent gets better and then we might be able to get a top free agent. Plus Kobe's 25 million is killing the teams cap room. So once that is off the books, it might be a better day to get better players.

LApwnd · Post #20 » by **LApwnd** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 3:38 pm

I know a lot of us and many others say Butler/Kawahi will get MAX and both their respective team will match, but I tend to think that's not the case at all. Both SA/Chi operated on the frugal side and IF they truly intended to have these guys at the MAX offer they would've gotten the contract situation taken care of before the end of the season, ala Klay Thompson. I just feel both still have a decent chance to leave, with Butler being higher of the two just for mere fact Chi tends to play hardball often with their FA and they're gona be repeat tax payers soon.