2019 Free Agent Frenzy

[trast66]

Agreed.

And I think Simmons shooting liability can be minimized if the right team is put around him. For example, he led Philly to an amazing winning streak at the tail end of the 2018-19 season when Embiid got hurt and they didn't have much choice but to play Simmons at power forward with a stretch 5 (Saric or Illyasova) at center.

Simmons is a really good player, which is why I'd be willing to trade Beal for him (assuming Beal refuses to sign an extension). But we can't ignore that Simmons' idiosyncrasies as a player require that you put a special type of team around him to maximize his effectiveness. Those types of players (shooters who can defend) aren't easy to find and often cost a lot if free agency.

No doubt about it -- Simmons is an extremely unusual player. Not too many like him in the barrel.

I seem to be wrong, nate, in thinking that you underestimate the guy -- given that you'd be willing to trade Beal for him & that you've placed Beal among the top 15+ players in the game.

In the series vs. Toronto, it would be a stretch to blame Philly's offense on Ben Simmons. He went 36-60 (60% fg%). Tobias Harris was 38-100. In fairness, 12 makes were 3-pointers, so it's a .44 eFG% Each team blew the other one out once. Over the other 5 games of the series there is a total of a 4 point difference. There's little doubt that had Embiid been well for game 7, Philly would have won.

So Tobias had a cold series, it happens, especially with that team’s chemistry. I think an overlooked aspect of this whole argument is that $150 million dollar man took less than 10 FG attempts per game, shoot less than 20 free throws while barely shooting over 50% from there.

I’m there with you. Maybe with that team they have he won’t have to shoot.

Let’s hope Troy Brown and Rui are not similarly afflicted.

[Ruzious]

Magic Johnson is literally the only playier n in history that was roughly his size that could do the things Simmons does - and really Simmons is probably 2 inches taller. He's proven if for 2 full seasons, and he turns 23 this weekend. Beal's a star, but he's simply not as valuable a "property" as Simmons - ignoring contract issues.

This comparison lacks so much context. First and foremost, Magic didn’t play in a league predicated on threes and spacing. Secondly, Johnson was an elite free throw shooter and was serviceable (albeit it in limited attempts; see above) at shooting the three. Magic had a a top ten roster around him for much of his career. Magic also had charisma, Ben Simmons is smug. I guess based on statistically rationale, MCW would be a good comparison for Magic too...

I can’t be the only one that saw how hard it got for Philly to play Simmons during this last years playoffs because he simply can’t shoot from anywhere, am I? Save this post if I’m wrong, I just don’t see what y’all see in Simmons. And that new contract he just got, you have to be kidding me. Simmons will forever be remembered by some of his fans by that streak they ripped off a season before last when they won 16 (7 of them with Embiid) in a row. He was surrounded by a ton of great shooters who all got red hot at the same time. Yeomen’s effort, but to me a a bit flukey. Ended up getting punked by a team without its two best players.

Your comments about Magic are true but irrelevant to my point - which was exactly what I said.

And Philly's been a poor 3 point shooting - with the exception of Redick - during Simmons long... career there. It just might be a bit early... to talk about that one thing everyone will forever be remembering him for... ya think - especially since that was something I had already forgotten. I probably forgot it about a day after it happened.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

This kid Wooten signed an ‘exhibit 10’ contract with the Knicks.

Wtf is an exhibit 10?

[nate33]

This kid Wooten signed an ‘exhibit 10’ contract with the Knicks.

Wtf is an exhibit 10?

IIRC, it's a minimum salary contract that can be converted to a 2-way contract.

[payitforward]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/falls-nba-exhibit-10-contract-explained/ar-AADeKlc

[SUPERBALLMAN]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/falls-nba-exhibit-10-contract-explained/ar-AADeKlc

Interesting. Thanks for posting the link.


My question I guess would be if a player doesn't make the team or get the 2 way and is "waived" and receives the Gleague 50K contract, are they obligated to take that or are they a free agent if another team wants to step in and offer them a roster spot or at least a 2 way? It seems accepting the Gleague assignment is a stipulation of accepting the Exhibit 10 contract?

[SUPERBALLMAN]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/254961/Kenneth-Wooten-Signs-Exhibit-10-Contract-With-Knicks

Wooten looked good against the Wizards. Interesting his agent is former Bullet Mitchell Butler.

[closg00]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/254961/Kenneth-Wooten-Signs-Exhibit-10-Contract-With-Knicks

Wooten looked good against the Wizards. Interesting his agent is former Bullet Mitchell Butler.

Wooten is another player who had no business declaring early for the draft, should have stayed one more year. The Wizards could use a player like this though.

[nate33]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/falls-nba-exhibit-10-contract-explained/ar-AADeKlc

Interesting. Thanks for posting the link.


My question I guess would be if a player doesn't make the team or get the 2 way and is "waived" and receives the Gleague 50K contract, are they obligated to take that or are they a free agent if another team wants to step in and offer them a roster spot or at least a 2 way? It seems accepting the Gleague assignment is a stipulation of accepting the Exhibit 10 contract?

From PIF's link:

If he is waived, the player will be offered $50,000 to sign with the G League affiliate of whomever waved them. Provided he stays on the roster for 60 days, he will earn that $50,000 bonus. The Exhibit 10 contract was created to incentivize players to stay in the G League as opposed to going abroad.

It's notable that they say the player will be "offered" $50K to sign. The implication is that the player then has an option to decline. If he did so, I assume he then becomes a free agent, free to sign anywhere. If he had an obligation to remain with the team, they would phrase it differently: "If he is waived, the player will receive $50K and be sent to the G-League affiliate".

The $50K isn't designed to restrict a player's options, but to give him a safety net where he can stay stateside and make a decent salary rather than be forced to look overseas for a spot.

[payitforward]

Exactly.

[LyricalRico]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

[gambitx777]

Probably signed him to primarily be a back up 4.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using RealGM mobile app

[FAH1223]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Kawhi is funny man

[Ruzious]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

[dckingsfan]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

I guess Nurkic won't be back until March? I am thinking that Collins is the one to play 4?

Collins, Tolliver, Labissière
Whiteside, Gasol, (Nurkic)

And then

Collins, Tolliver, Labissière
Nurkic, Whiteside, Gasol

But yea, pretty hard to defend when you only have one PG on the roster. It kind of looks like they have 6 SGs?

[Ruzious]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

I guess Nurkic won't be back until March? I am thinking that Collins is the one to play 4?

Collins, Tolliver, Labissière
Whiteside, Gasol, (Nurkic)

And then

Collins, Tolliver, Labissière
Nurkic, Whiteside, Gasol

But yea, pretty hard to defend when you only have one PG on the roster. It kind of looks like they have 6 SGs?

They don't need a real PG when Nurkic is healthy, but when he's not... that's a good question. But Lillard and McCullom both have some PG skills - they just prefer shooting. My guess is they let Whiteside put up big numbers to boost his trade value and then try to trade him right before the trade deadline.

[closg00]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

Seasoned vet for the playoffs, he won't play much during the year

[LyricalRico]

Pau Gasol to the Blazers...after they already traded for Whiteside...and will have Nurkic returning from injury...and will presumably have to create minutes for Collins after his performance in the playoffs. How is that going to work? Am I missing something?

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

Seasoned vet for the playoffs, he won't play much during the year

I guess I'm still thinking about the old Pau Gasol.

[Ruzious]

I think he's almost done as a player, and they got him more to be a player-coach. Pau's built up a ton of goodwill over his career. But that's a great point - Collins is simply too good to sit on the bench. I guess they're going to use Nurkic mostly at the 4 - even in this smallball era.

Seasoned vet for the playoffs, he won't play much during the year

I guess I'm still thinking about the old Pau Gasol.

I'm thinking last season's Dirk Nowitski - who was so awful. I guess that's why I'm assuming the worst for Pau this season.

Dirk had 5 offensive rebounds last season... in 795 minutes. Ouch.