Official Speculation Thread 2017 Volume X - Free Agency is Here

[Knightro]

Guaranteed Contracts
Bismack Biyombo $17M
Evan Fournier $17M
Nikola Vucevic $12.25M
Terrence Ross $10.5M
D.J. Augustin $7.25M
Aaron Gordon $5.5M
C.J. Watson $5M
Mario Hezonja $4.07M
Elfrid Payton $3.3M 83.78

Non-Guaranteed Contracts
Stephen Zimmerman $1.31M
Patricio Garino $1.31M
Marcus Georges-Hunt $1.31M

Unsigned Draft Picks
6. Jonathan Isaac: 3.48M
33. Wesley Iwundu: No cap hold

Free Agents
Jeff Green $18M cap hold
Jodie Meeks: $12.42M cap hold
Damjan Rudez $1.72M qualifying offer

Current Cap Space: 9.72M
Maximum Cap Space: 15.22M

Deadlines
6/29/17 — Qualifying offer deadline for Damjan Rudez
7/3/17 — No-trade restrictions lift on Marcus Georges-Hunt and Patricio Garino
7/5/17 — Stephen Zimmerman’s $1.31M guarantees for 2017-18
7/10/17 — C.J. Watson’s $5M guarantees for 2017-18
First game of the season — Marcus Georges-Hunt and Patricio Garino’s salaries guarantee for $275,000
10/31/17 — Team option on Mario Hezonja
10/31/17 — Extension deadlines for Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton
1/10/18 — Marcus Georges-Hunt and Patricio Garino’s $1.31M guarantee for 2017-18

[PrimeThyme]

Didnt even see this one made! Just made one. Feel free to lock mine mods.

[eyriq]

Awesome! Thanks, Knightro.

Some random thoughts.

Still keen to move Fournier, but if he'll take on a bench role I'd change my mind. I think he's destined to be a dynamic bench scorer, 3pt specialist, poor defender
Thinking that Payton still has a shot at being our franchise PG
I still like Gordon, think he's still got a shot to be a dynamic two-way player a la Shawn Marion
I like Ross as a well-rounded bench scorer, 3pt specialist
Then comes Isaac, I'm a firm believer now. Has a real shot at being a dominant 4
Finally, Vucevic is a fine starting center

So, Ross and Fournier as bench players, Biyambo as a defensive specialist off the bench, Vucevic as a stretch 5, with Isaac, Gordon, and Payton as our superstars. We just need a starting caliber SG that can bomb from long range, preferably on the same timeline as our boys. Can Hezonja learn how to dribble and shoot already? Damn son.

Championship Starting 5
Payton/Hezonja/Gordon/Isaac/Vucevic

Bench Unit 8 deep
Payton/Fournier/Ross/Isaac/Biyambo

I'll say by... never really. But this is what I'll brainwash myself to expect if we don't make any drastic moves over the next few years. Maybe draft a better Fournier, Hezonja, Vucevic, Biyambo, Ross, etc along the way since we are likley to hit the lottery again.

[Gomagic44]

Awesome! Thanks, Knightro.

Some random thoughts.

Still keen to move Fournier, but if he'll take on a bench role I'd change my mind. I think he's destined to be a dynamic bench scorer, 3pt specialist, poor defender
Thinking that Payton still has a shot at being our franchise PG
I still like Gordon, think he's still got a shot to be a dynamic two-way player a la Shawn Marion
I like Ross as a well-rounded bench scorer, 3pt specialist
Then comes Isaac, I'm a firm believer now. Has a real shot at being a dominant 4
Finally, Vucevic is a fine starting center

So, Ross and Fournier as bench players, Biyambo as a defensive specialist off the bench, Vucevic as a stretch 5, with Isaac, Gordon, and Payton as our superstars. We just need a starting caliber SG that can bomb from long range, preferably on the same timeline as our boys. Can Hezonja learn how to dribble and shoot already? Damn son.

Championship Starting 5
Payton/Hezonja/Gordon/Isaac/Vucevic

Bench Unit 8 deep
Payton/Fournier/Ross/Isaac/Biyambo

I'll say by... never really. But this is what I'll brainwash myself to expect if we don't make any drastic moves over the next few years. Maybe draft a better Fournier, Hezonja, Vucevic, Biyambo, Ross, etc along the way since we are likley to hit the lottery again.

Lol. Man when I had my phone in panaroma I didn't see your last paragraph. I lost it!

Edit: I don't see it again. Your serious!?

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[rcklsscognition]

If we got rid if Zim, the two scrubs we signed late last year, and renounced everyone including Fran Vasquez, we would have 79,046,000 in spent $$, no?

9 guaranteed deals, Isaac, plus 2x 815,615 per empty roster slot up to 12.

[Jiwol]

So, Ross and Fournier as bench players, Biyambo as a defensive specialist off the bench

So you are willing to pay 45 million dollars (almost half of salary cap) to 3 bench players?! Thank God you're not a GM. I'd expect better judgment from experienced user of this forum.

[magicfan4life88]

OMD said in one of his podcasrs we still have Fran's 3.2mil cap hold til we renounce him

[drsd]

If we got rid if Zim, the two scrubs we signed late last year, and renounced everyone including Fran Vasquez, we would have 79,046,000 in spent $$, no?

9 guaranteed deals, Isaac, plus 2x 815,615 per empty roster slot up to 12.

Watson's buyout is certain. I think it is around 1M, meaning a 4M cap savings.

..

[tiderulz]

Awesome! Thanks, Knightro.

Some random thoughts.

Still keen to move Fournier, but if he'll take on a bench role I'd change my mind. I think he's destined to be a dynamic bench scorer, 3pt specialist, poor defender
Thinking that Payton still has a shot at being our franchise PG
I still like Gordon, think he's still got a shot to be a dynamic two-way player a la Shawn Marion
I like Ross as a well-rounded bench scorer, 3pt specialist
Then comes Isaac, I'm a firm believer now. Has a real shot at being a dominant 4
Finally, Vucevic is a fine starting center

So, Ross and Fournier as bench players, Biyambo as a defensive specialist off the bench, Vucevic as a stretch 5, with Isaac, Gordon, and Payton as our superstars. We just need a starting caliber SG that can bomb from long range, preferably on the same timeline as our boys. Can Hezonja learn how to dribble and shoot already? Damn son.

Championship Starting 5
Payton/Hezonja/Gordon/Isaac/Vucevic

Bench Unit 8 deep
Payton/Fournier/Ross/Isaac/Biyambo

I'll say by... never really. But this is what I'll brainwash myself to expect if we don't make any drastic moves over the next few years. Maybe draft a better Fournier, Hezonja, Vucevic, Biyambo, Ross, etc along the way since we are likley to hit the lottery again.

I know Fournier is never going to be a great defender. But he does at least try out there, so there is hope for me that Vogel can boost his defense like he did with Vuc. But Fournier is also an easy 18 ppg player on a team that needs offense. But he is now the 4th player in 4-5 years that didnt turn into a superstar, so people say he should take a bench role. Yet Gordon, who's only skills are good man to man defense and everything else is just energy play will be a dynamic player? Ross well rounded, yet has had multiple opportunities to keep a starting role and hasnt been able to do it. this team, smh

[tiderulz]

OMD said in one of his podcasrs we still have Fran's 3.2mil cap hold til we renounce him

why do we still have the cap hold on him? why hasnt the team moved on and just renounced him?

[JBSouthpaw]

If we got rid if Zim, the two scrubs we signed late last year, and renounced everyone including Fran Vasquez, we would have 79,046,000 in spent $$, no?

9 guaranteed deals, Isaac, plus 2x 815,615 per empty roster slot up to 12.

Watson's buyout is certain. I think it is around 1M, meaning a 4M cap savings.

..

I think it's 1.5M. ***Edit, nope you are right, 1M
I was hoping to pair him with something in a trade, as his buyout vs. contract is an asset some of these cap strapped teams need.

But, at worse I agree he will be bought out.

[j-ragg]

I was listening to this draft recap podcast by the Ringer dudes and man, one of them sounded so dumb.

He was like laughing at the Andrei Kirilenko comparison on draft night. "Andrei Kirilenko was a 3 point specialist, Jonathan Isaac can't even shoot 3s!" as he's cracking up. You'd think they'd do a little more research though. Kirilenko never even averaged 1 3pm a game. And Isaac did that his lone year of college. Just a bizarre take...

[magicman112]

I was listening to this draft recap podcast by the Ringer dudes and man, one of them sounded so dumb.

He was like laughing at the Andrei Kirilenko comparison on draft night. "Andrei Kirilenko was a 3 point specialist, Jonathan Isaac can't even shoot 3s!" as he's cracking up. You'd think they'd do a little more research though. Kirilenko never even averaged 1 3pm a game. And Isaac did that his lone year of college. Just a bizarre take...

Yea Isaac averaged .348 from 3. Which would have put him 3rd or 4th on the team last season of the guys that played the most games. I know that's not saying much but that's a respectable percentage.

[Optimus_Steel]

I guess the Magic front office forgot Fran was still in the books since he never showed up. Reminds me of that guy on Office Space that was still getting paychecks years after he got fired because someone forgot to take him out of the system.

[magicman112]

I guess the Magic front office forgot Fran was still in the books since he never showed up. Reminds me of that guy on Office Space that was still getting paychecks years after he got fired because someone forgot to take him out of the system.

Milton Waddams

[JBSouthpaw]

Don't know who we can get, that can really help this team though.

[Knightro]

Read on Twitter

So going off this: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19754916/houston-rockets-emerge-serious-contenders-chris-paul-la-clippers

ESPN first reported last week that the Rockets were aggressively trying to trade away veterans such as Patrick Beverley, Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams to create the needed financial flexibility

Gonna take a super wild swing here...

Ryan Anderson $19.57M
Patrick Beverley $5.51M
Sam Dekker 1.79M
Montrez Harrell 1.47M
2018 1st Round Pick
2020 1st Round Pick
Guaranteed Money Outgoing: 28.34M
Cap Relief: 20.09M

for

DJ Augustin 7.25M
CJ Watson 5M (1M guaranteed)
Stephen Zimmerman 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Patrico Garino 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Marcus Georges-Hunt: 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Total Money Outgoing: 16.18M
Guaranteed Money Outgoing: 8.25M

Anderson's contract is a tough pill to swallow, but the Magic would get four young assets (Dekker/Harrell/two 1sts) basically in exchange for taking on 20M in guaranteed salary. This is the kind of deal that improves the team in the short AND long-term.

[tiderulz]

I guess the Magic front office forgot Fran was still in the books since he never showed up. Reminds me of that guy on Office Space that was still getting paychecks years after he got fired because someone forgot to take him out of the system.

Milton Waddams

[Mc-o]

Awesome! Thanks, Knightro.

Some random thoughts.

Still keen to move Fournier, but if he'll take on a bench role I'd change my mind. I think he's destined to be a dynamic bench scorer, 3pt specialist, poor defender
Thinking that Payton still has a shot at being our franchise PG
I still like Gordon, think he's still got a shot to be a dynamic two-way player a la Shawn Marion
I like Ross as a well-rounded bench scorer, 3pt specialist
Then comes Isaac, I'm a firm believer now. Has a real shot at being a dominant 4
Finally, Vucevic is a fine starting center

So, Ross and Fournier as bench players, Biyambo as a defensive specialist off the bench, Vucevic as a stretch 5, with Isaac, Gordon, and Payton as our superstars. We just need a starting caliber SG that can bomb from long range, preferably on the same timeline as our boys. Can Hezonja learn how to dribble and shoot already? Damn son.

Championship Starting 5
Payton/Hezonja/Gordon/Isaac/Vucevic

Bench Unit 8 deep
Payton/Fournier/Ross/Isaac/Biyambo

I'll say by... never really. But this is what I'll brainwash myself to expect if we don't make any drastic moves over the next few years. Maybe draft a better Fournier, Hezonja, Vucevic, Biyambo, Ross, etc along the way since we are likley to hit the lottery again.

I know Fournier is never going to be a great defender. But he does at least try out there, so there is hope for me that Vogel can boost his defense like he did with Vuc. But Fournier is also an easy 18 ppg player on a team that needs offense. But he is now the 4th player in 4-5 years that didnt turn into a superstar, so people say he should take a bench role. Yet Gordon, who's only skills are good man to man defense and everything else is just energy play will be a dynamic player? Ross well rounded, yet has had multiple opportunities to keep a starting role and hasnt been able to do it. this team, smh

At the end of the day we have a roster full of role players . None of our guys are really bad but none of them has shown to be able to take over a team . Hopefully Isaac surprises us all and becomes Durant lol

[mr2good]

Read on Twitter

So going off this: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19754916/houston-rockets-emerge-serious-contenders-chris-paul-la-clippers

ESPN first reported last week that the Rockets were aggressively trying to trade away veterans such as Patrick Beverley, Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams to create the needed financial flexibility

Gonna take a super wild swing here...

Ryan Anderson $19.57M
Patrick Beverley $5.51M
Sam Dekker 1.79M
Montrez Harrell 1.47M
2018 1st Round Pick
2020 1st Round Pick
Guaranteed Money Outgoing: 28.34M
Cap Relief: 20.09M

for

DJ Augustin 7.25M
CJ Watson 5M (1M guaranteed)
Stephen Zimmerman 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Patrico Garino 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Marcus Georges-Hunt: 1.31M (non-guaranteed)
Total Money Outgoing: 16.18M
Guaranteed Money Outgoing: 8.25M

Anderson's contract is a tough pill to swallow, but the Magic would get four young assets (Dekker/Harrell/two 1sts) basically in exchange for taking on 20M in guaranteed salary. This is the kind of deal that improves the team in the short AND long-term.

No way they give up Beverly, Decker and two first rounders just to move Andersons contract.