Official 2016 Free Agency Thread

He's young, and he's doing his thing. He has always produced when given minutes. As long as you can deal with a severely limited offensive game. But that's true for most young bigs.

 

This isn't the last two years. We can go after Durant and/or LeBron and still go after another person at the same time. We have more than two max slots open.

 

With the cap going up so much this offseason, I think you will also see more patience from the second tier guys. There is so much money out there that the Batum's of the world don't have to jump at the first giant offer they get because even after all the big boys are signed, there will still be 10 teams with max slots available. Usually there is a much more limited amount of cash available which forces players into taking something on the first day. Not this year.

 

Exactly. If I'm an agent this summer for anyone that's had any sort of success last year (Biyombo, DeRozan, Whiteside) I just sit back and wait for the inevitable max offer. Why rush? I'm not going to jump at the first offer. There's too much money floating around this summer. Guys like those three typically would have to take the cash to go play for some crap franchise desperate for talent so they overpay the second tier. Now? The second tier might as well be the first tier. Heck some of the third tier guys could get first tier money.

 

Either. Al would be enormously helpful offensively. Biyombo would make our lives a hell of a lot easier defensively and on the glass.

Biyombo is a lot more likely to come here though so I pick him. Give him 2+1/67.5 million (third year player option).

If we can get a Center right away in FA that makes everything else gravy. If/When we strikeout on DeRozan, Durant, Batum, etc. that's okay because we'll already have a legit starting five with a ton of room to grow. All that extra cash can be spent on great veterans who want to come in and help us build something great. Maybe we give Deng/Noah a long-term deal he can't find elsewhere even if it's for relatively middling cash per year.

The interesting decision for us will be Clarkson. Other teams can only offer him that poison pill deal that Lin and Chandler got which starts low for two years (MLE type money) but balloons on the back end (max dollars). The Lakers can offer him a full max deal, but why would they? No one else can offer him more than 5.6 million next summer. If I'm the Lakers, I tell Jordan to go get an offer sheet if he can. I WANT a team to give him that poison pill contract because it gives us a TON more flexibility this summer and next with the cap increasing again.

 

Given the choice between Biyombo or Horford, I take Horford. I like Biyombo, but he has limitations. I think he can be a defensive stud for years, but he isn't going to be a star. Horford is the kind of guy that may not be around as long as Biyombo would be, but he's going to be great for our young guys and they are the players that will be the stars. Horford's intangibles and veteran presence can't be replicated by Biyombo. Also, Biyombo is not going to play like this for us all the time. We are seeing the best case scenario. Horford has been an all-star for years.

 

Our max for Clarkson is 89 million. We will not be signing Clarkson for that much. 58 million is the most another team can sign him. I wonder if we offer him 4/60. It's better than what he can get anywhere else, and it shows 2 million dollars worth of good will. Granted, it might be fun to let another team tie up their cap space on him for 3 days before we just match.

I'm curious as to how much money someone will be willing to pay for him. I think there's interest in him, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get 4/40 as the highest offer.

 

It goes from 5.6 to 6 million the first two years then something like 23.5 million and 24 million the last two years.

 

Oh for sure we're not offering him our max unless it's for a one-year deal kind of thing to hit the salary floor if we strike out on everyone else. No way. Clarkson might not have even done enough to earn a max deal from another team honestly. It's going to be very interesting to see what he does this summer. If he's not offered a max from somebody else, then I really wouldn't max him out just because we're loyal. I'd give him a modest 4 year deal and make him prove he's worth more. He's young enough to get at least one more big contract after that.

 

Horford is a proven commodity but the allure of a young, energetic player like Biyombo who could possibly refine his game so that he isn't a complete liability on the floor would be hard to pass on. It appears though that Biyombo isn't the type of player that will demand touches but will be a better rim protector considering our squad can be turnstiles on defense.

Win now? Horford would be the choice. Biyombo could be a flash in the pan once opponents figure him out and he does not improve. He'd fit more with the youth movement if that was the case and patience is required.

 

Horford vs Biyombo is a tough one. Horford if you want a more known commodity, All-Star, a guy who can shoot and open the floor up, but he costs more. Biyombo if you want a rebounder and rim protector who does the dirty work and who doesn't demand touches at all. I'd take either at this point, but Horford for 25 mil at his age also scares me as much as Biyombo for 21 mil based on a one good playoff run. Biyombo is only 23 though, so that's encouraging.