Official 2016 Free Agency Thread

Has there been any more polar opposite journey to Free Agency than the journeys of Biyombo and Ezeli? Seriously!

Both of those guys came into the playoffs as physical back-ups that provided defense and rebounding but were offensive liabilities. Both of them were looking at nice pay checks and probably a starting position on another team.

Biyombo in this one series is probably earning a max contract.
Ezeli has almost completely evaporated any value he had, having almost no positive impact on the series at all.

 

I don't know if this was an exactly quote of his but it's damn accurate

 

I mean Biyombo has clear holes in his game. He's not really a threat offensively besides as a lob catcher. He's not a particularly good passer. He can't hit a free throw... And there's no evidence he can play like he's been in this series for an entire season + the post season.

Still in this market, Biyombo I think just got himself a max deal somewhere. Maybe not for all four years, but definitely he's going to get consideration for 1-3 year max deal. If the Lakers offer it, I'll be very happy. I've got a suspicion the Lakers are after Noah and Horford though.

 

Noah has been telling teammates he "has no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction."

We're in the right direction Joakim!

 

I've been championing the Noah bandwagon and the more I think about it, the more I think it's a near perfect fit. I mean that genuinely. I believe Joakim can provide us with everything Bogut brings to Golden State. I know he comes with risks, but how is that any different from Bogut? Bogut gets a minor injury every year, but before that he was getting major injuries every year. At Golden State he's only asked to play about 20-25 minutes a game, but Bogut provides good defense (Noah- check), good rebounding (Noah- check), and good passing (Noah- better than Bogut actually).

Bogut before he got to Golden State missed a ton of games. He was the #1 pick in the 2005 draft and had a lot of responsibilities in Milwaukee, but he's missed time every season except his rookie year where he mostly came off the bench. He missed 16 games in 06/07, 46 games in 08/09, and 70 games in the 11/12 season. Even his first season in Golden State he missed 50 games playing 32 minutes a night. However, since then he's 15, 15, and 12 games each season as his time is reduced and his responsibilities are lessened.

Noah has missed significant time in his career as well and his numbers have decreased a lot since his borderline MVP days, but here's something:

Player A: 6.3 points/ 8.37 rebounds/ 2.23 assists/ 0.6 steals/ 1.7 blocks
Player B: 8 points/ 9.9 rebounds/ 4.63 assists/ 0.83 steals/ 1.2 blocks

Those are the last three totals of Bogut (Player A) and Noah (Player B). I think Noah could certainly be that guy for us as long as we have a competent backup behind him. He's not necessarily my first choice, but I really like him as a legitimate piece to help bridge the gap for our young players. He fits the system like a glove. I think I still prefer Horford to those two and I wouldn't be mad at Biyombo or Whiteside either, but Noah would make a really solid addition.

 

I have no problem with Noah. I like Whiteside, Horford, Biyombo, Noah in that order right now. I'm not down with Ezeli unless we strike out on all the rest. Even then I'm suspect. Is Ezeli better than Tarik Black? I don't like the knee injuries.

 

I'd like Noah's fit here, but can he stay healthy? Tough call.

 

Well that's where we have some leverage on what kind of contract to offer. We can offer him something big for a year or two or maybe something small, but long-term with security attached to it. I wonder what he's looking for this summer. The best teams don't necessarily have a great need for him, so would he be willing to join an up-and-comer at this stage in his career?

My first offer would be something like 3+1/44 million or so. If he's uninterested in that, then a 1+1 worth about 15-18 million to start. That's a lot less than the max, but given his injury history he can't exactly demand much more.

I've got a sneaking suspicion he's on the Laker radar though. Veteran who fits in well with the new system? We need those.

 

There were mentions earlier that he and Deng were under consideration and it makes sense. I could see us going with him for sure, although I still favor Whiteside, Horford and Biyombo over him because of his injury history.

 

Noah/Mahinmi would be terrific.

 

I really like the idea of Noah, but I'm afraid signing Noah will present some of the same problems as his Florida teammate does. Horford and Noah neither one have a ring. Are they going to want to jump into this situation which will be very painful even with the most optimistic of predictions? Noah, especially with his injury history, won't be getting max money, so if he's getting offers of 10-12 million per season, does he maybe decline and take an MLE offer from a contender? Imagine what Noah could do for a team like the Blazers?

 

I think his market will be pretty interesting. Do the Blazers want Noah? They've got a couple of big men over there that they're already building around in Plumlee and Davis. San Antonio is almost a lock to sign Gasol to replace Duncan. The Thunder have their bigs, the Warriors have their bigs... Miami and Toronto are cash strapped. Houston? Boston? Atlanta? Hornets or Pacers? Where does he fit in? Do any of those places provide a concrete competitor?

I think there's a shot we can get to him if we offer the right amount of cash/years.