2021 Free Agency

[LofJ]

The Wizards don't have the cap space to sign Dinwiddie and the Nets aren't playing ball because they don't want the players the Wizards have to send back. That signing could end up being invalidated unless some team with cap space bails them out.

[Benjamin Linus]

Montrezl for a Martin?

[amcoolio]

The Wizards don't have the cap space to sign Dinwiddie and the Nets aren't playing ball because they don't want the players the Wizards have to send back. That signing could end up being invalidated unless some team with cap space bails them out.

We'll take Advija and Harrell back so they can make the signing, sure

[MPM]

Would love to get in the DC/Nets mix. Would not love to lazily sign a just waived Baynes.

[fatlever]

rozier is 100% going to start

[fatlever]

I think you may be misinterpreting my feelings on this subject. I am not frustrated that we did not overpay for some free agent and ruin our caps. I am merely trying to point out that I do not believe our team is in a better position to compete in the playoffs after this summer. And I don't think for one second that the offseason has gone the direction that the front office anticipated. I think the market kind of dictated that we are going more towards a youth slow build and less towards competing for a top-four playoff position. What is frustrating is the Gordon Hayward contract last summer and subsequent stretching of nic dictated that we go all in on a playoff push and now it seems that option has been altered, not necessarily to a decision of our own making. So in that sense it's again atypical Hornets one step forward two steps back or playing checkers While others are playing chess type of situation.

Hopefully Mitch can pivot strategy at this point and use that 13 million to pick up assets rather than Panic buy a veteran in order to continue the fruitless pursuit of a top-four playoff berth.

There is nobody left worth spending that 13 million on at this point. I assume the plan now is to sit tight and see if anyone needs our cap space to facilitate a signing or trade, perhaps pick up a future pick in the process. Or to go into the season with that cap space and hopefully trade for a proven player at the break from a team looking to shed salary or again use that space to facilitate a trade and pick up a first.

So to recap, we had 22 million dollars in cap space + 5 million-dollar exception and came away with Mason Plumlee, Ish Smith, JTthor and a future protected, remaing 13 million in space, while losing three rotation players in the process.

Great for future, horrible for present. Seems we were finally forced to picked a direction.

Up until now I have been steadfastly against looking to trade Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier but my opinion on that matter has changed based on this offseason. There is no point in trying to contend for a top-four seed with this roster. Especially not with all of the moves the teams around us in the East have made. I would definitely start answering calls about those two players.

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I don’t get the frustration. Aside from Holmes, who would you have signed? Did you see how much Duncan Robinson got? We knew that a ton of teams had cap as well. In my opinion the Knicks Bulls and Heat murdered their future to not have a chance at winning in the playoffs, should we have done the same?

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[BigSlam]

What really came to bite us is stretching Nic.

We have 9million in dead cap because of that. That really limited our options. That's like having an extra player on the team you can't play.

How has that limited our options?

We still have $18mil we could spend. Who did you want to bring in for $27mil?

Our cap space is not a problem at all.

[_tijo_]

I think considering, Mitch is betting on a few things:

1. That our young players will get better still. Miles made a mini-leap, maybe PJ makes one. We get a full off-season with our rooks and LaMelo and Carey. Borrego is a player development coach.

2. Continuity matters. I would MUCH rather have our team that has potential to grow together, get better together, and them learning to play together, than whatever the hell Chicago did.

3. It's better to have some cap space just in case someone gets released, or if someone wants to unload someone during the season, than to just blow it on players in the off-season that may or may not help you. I mean, last year, we did that with Hayward, and this board went apoplectic. I think deals like the Plumlee deal are out there, but you have to have cap space when the opportunity arises.

4. I think we really got fortunate with Bouknight. I think he can score and help us now.

[amcoolio]

I think you may be misinterpreting my feelings on this subject. I am not frustrated that we did not overpay for some free agent and ruin our caps. I am merely trying to point out that I do not believe our team is in a better position to compete in the playoffs after this summer. And I don't think for one second that the offseason has gone the direction that the front office anticipated. I think the market kind of dictated that we are going more towards a youth slow build and less towards competing for a top-four playoff position. What is frustrating is the Gordon Hayward contract last summer and subsequent stretching of nic dictated that we go all in on a playoff push and now it seems that option has been altered, not necessarily to a decision of our own making. So in that sense it's again atypical Hornets one step forward two steps back or playing checkers While others are playing chess type of situation.

Hopefully Mitch can pivot strategy at this point and use that 13 million to pick up assets rather than Panic buy a veteran in order to continue the fruitless pursuit of a top-four playoff berth.

There is nobody left worth spending that 13 million on at this point. I assume the plan now is to sit tight and see if anyone needs our cap space to facilitate a signing or trade, perhaps pick up a future pick in the process. Or to go into the season with that cap space and hopefully trade for a proven player at the break from a team looking to shed salary or again use that space to facilitate a trade and pick up a first.

So to recap, we had 22 million dollars in cap space + 5 million-dollar exception and came away with Mason Plumlee, Ish Smith, JTthor and a future protected, remaing 13 million in space, while losing three rotation players in the process.

Great for future, horrible for present. Seems we were finally forced to picked a direction.

Up until now I have been steadfastly against looking to trade Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier but my opinion on that matter has changed based on this offseason. There is no point in trying to contend for a top-four seed with this roster. Especially not with all of the moves the teams around us in the East have made. I would definitely start answering calls about those two players.

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I don’t get the frustration. Aside from Holmes, who would you have signed? Did you see how much Duncan Robinson got? We knew that a ton of teams had cap as well. In my opinion the Knicks Bulls and Heat murdered their future to not have a chance at winning in the playoffs, should we have done the same?

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I viewed Hayward as a mentorship piece for the young guys, by the time LaMelo/PJ/etc. contracts kick in he and Batum will be off the books

I think their goal once they saw how good LaMelo was was 2022-2023. There are just so many teams trying to win with old guys right now and then you got jokers like the Knicks and Bulls are just going all in without a young star player because their markets are sick of losing.

I agree with you on Hayward and if the right deal comes along for younger talent I would go for that.

[LofJ]

I think some of us aren't realistic about the options to improve that are available to the Hornets versus other teams. The Lakers, Heat, Nets, etc. don't have to work to get quality players to sign with them. It's unusual when a good player like Hayward comes along that 'wants' to play in Charlotte. So I'm on board with striking when a rare opportunity like that comes along.

That said unlike the Lakers we will always have to pay at least the market rate if not more. I think MJ doesn't even understand this. Thankfully, I think Kupchak understands that the only for the Hornets to compete is to consistently develop talent in-house and stay flexible. It's why he hired Borrego, revamped the coaching and development staff, and has prioritized bringing in 3 or more new players with every draft.

I agree that those thinking about making the playoffs may end up being disappointed, but in the near future this team will be flush with young talent and tradable assets. We just have to be patient with Borrego and our young guys as they develop. But as we've seen over the last few years positive results will come. I'm excited to see what LaMelo and all our young bigs will do this year.

[BigSlam]

So, what other FA signings have happened, and what FA's still don't have a home?


(desperately trying to keep this as the designated FA thread....)

[amcoolio]

Kawhi Leonard SF 30 UFA LAC TBD - - -
Dennis Schröder PG 28 UFA LAL TBD - - -
Danny Green SG 34 UFA PHI TBD - - -
Andre Iguodala SF 37 UFA MIA TBD - - -
Kelly Oubre Jr. SF 25 UFA GSW TBD - - -
J.J. Redick SG 37 UFA DAL TBD - - -
Justise Winslow SF 25 UFA MEM TBD - - -
Dante Exum PG 26 UFA HOU TBD - - -
Paul Millsap PF 36 UFA DEN TBD - - -
Louis Williams SG 34 UFA ATL TBD - - -
Cristiano Felicio PF 29 UFA CHI TBD - - -
Aron Baynes C 34 UFA TOR TBD - - -
Avery Bradley PG 30 UFA HOU TBD - - -
Lauri Markkanen PF 24 RFA CHI TBD

[amcoolio]

Still think Markkanen is the play, hes young, been misused and a good shooter/rebounder off the bench, and we can triple sign and trade and save cap space if the Pels and Bulls play ball

[JMAC3]

I have seen some rumors about Markkanen to us, but nothing from a great source

[LofJ]

I have seen some rumors about Markkanen to us, but nothing from a great source

Was it this one?

Read on Twitter

[JMAC3]

Nah, but I have seen him post a lot of information that other beat reporters drop and trying to claim it as his own.

[Chapelchilla]

I would send them PJ and ask for Lauri and Coby back if they are game.

[JDR720]

How has that limited our options?

We still have $18mil we could spend. Who did you want to bring in for $27mil?

Our cap space is not a problem at all.

Nobody for all 27m, but we could've upgraded the bench for that. Our bench, as of now, is worse than it was. Graham is better than Ish. Cody is better than whoever our 2nd-string center is. Monk is likely better than a rookie Bouknight.

Split the 27m into:

Graham for 10.
Just throwing a name out. Markkanen for 10.
MLE for a 3&D player.
Last bit to plug whatever hole is left.

Ball - Graham
Rozier - Bouknight
Miles - 3&D guy
Markkanen - PJ
Plumlee - Someone that isn't Biz

Obviously stretching Nic was needed to sign Gordon. So this version of the team wouldn't have Gordon, but whoever else we could've signed last year. It may not be as talented at the top, but it has much better depth because we aren't essentially paying a single player 40m like we are with Gordon's salary + Nic stretch.

We're at this weird stage where we're trying to make the playoffs, yet the team as of now is probably worse than what we started with. Obviously we aren't done, but having more money is better than having less money pretty much all the time.

[Chapelchilla]

We could have brought back Cody, Devontae and Monk with the cap space we have now. But they either did not want to return or we didn’t want them here. Instead we have Plumlee, and number one pick, Ish and cap space for the future.
That’s a plus.

[BlackOutBuzz]

Knowing how Mitch operates, the longer Lauri hangs out there the more I consider how he'd fit in a triple sign-and-trade with Devonte' and Lonzo.

It doesn't really address our biggest issues, but it's interesting. Josh Hart is also an interesting RFA that could tie-in.

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