Qwigglez wrote:We have the best package in terms of what the Cavs are looking for. They wanted a veteran to play along side Lebron, a blue chip prospect, and a draft pick. We check all three boxes. I seriously don't see why the Cavs wouldn't have accepted the deal if it were Bledsoe, Chriss/Warren, 2018 Miami pick. My guess is they want more and they are seeing if other teams are willing to beat it, or we actually haven't offered that package.
I think if that deal occurred, where we give up Warren (not Chriss), and the Cavs lose Lebron in 2018 offseason, I could see Warren putting up better numbers than Harrison Barnes. Maybe not making 1 3 per game, but I could see him putting up 20 points, 6 boards, 1.5 steals per game on good efficiency. Again the only reasons I'm willing to trade Warren is because of Josh Jackson, and his contract extension. I'd be comfortable paying Warren 15mil a year for 4 years, but then we may not be able to sign top tier free agents because we won't have the cap space to do so.
But if we can sign Warren for $15M per (which if he improves on last season, even a little, stays healthy, shows versatility by playing some 3 AND 4, and averages more than 25MPG, then he'll likely command closer to $20M.
So anyway, let's say Warren improves just a little--his VORP improves from being tied with the likes of Hassan Whiteside and Faried; his WS48 improves from being in the neighborhood with the likes of Taj Gibson and DeMarre Carroll; his WS, straight up (4.1), puts him in the ballpark of players like the great Wiggins (beats Wiggins in WS48 and VORP, of course), and places him over the likes of Jabari Parker, Jrue, Oladipo, Mirotic, and Randle. If his PER improves from it's current 'proximity' to likes Derrick Favors and Tristan Thompson, then add in the other stats I just listed, then that means Warren is likely a top 50 NBA player. In fact, Warren's numbers for those four stats are just .005 lower in WS48, 1 lower in WS, .9 lower in PER, and .1 lower in VORP to Serge Ibaka; mild improvements places him on Ibaka's level, statistically.
So, to your point. Why do we need to go pay for high-priced FAs, if we've already 'grown' our own in Warren? You just alluded to one heck of a player in Warren. So, for argument sake, let's say Warren ends the season with 2200 minutes, a PER of 16.5, a VORP of 1.5, WS of 5.5, WS48 of .122. Then add, say, a TS% of .555, averages 29MPG, and since he plays a bit more of a PF role, thanks to Jackson, slashes 17.8 Pts / 7.2 TRB / 1.5 Stls /.8 Blks / 1.1 Assts...or something to that effect. And with today's position-less NBA,I see no reason we cannot play an Irving-Booker-Jackson-Warren-Len/Chandler lineup, or a Ulis-Reed-Warren-Bender-Sauce...whichever. My point is why do we need to go after a high-priced FA if Bender, Warren, and Jackson all show they are high-level NBA starter material. If anything, we may need to trade positions if Bender does not show the ability to guard 5s. Then, we just have to hope either Len has learned how to catch a ball (we have to sign him, first),or we get a good Center in the draft.
Now, I am as guilty as others, early on, about including Warren for Kyrie, but now, it just almost sickens me to think about.
Bledsoe + Chriss, and if necessary, a 2018 1st, and I don't care which one--I think between Warren, Booker, Jackson, Kyrie, and Warren, we already will have our 'top shelf' talent.
