Hayward is going to stay in Utah or go to Boston. And I'm not sure how keen the Bulls are on trading Butler right now, even if they wanted to during that mid season breakdown.
Hayward is a nonstarter, but Butler would need to be traded for. I'm more concerned with dumping MozDeng than anything else this summer. If Pelinka were able to draft us a good player, pick up a solid veteran, and dump Moz and/or/but especially Deng then he gets an A+ this summer.
Steps 1 and 2 are relatively easy. I mean 1 is handed to us on a silver platter. The 2nd step is harder, but we've got 20 million to spend this summer. Our roster right now is: #2 Pick/ (Ennis) Russell/ Clarkson/ Nwaba Ingram/ Brewer Randle/ Nance Jr./Robinson/Deng Mozgov/ Zubac/Black I'd like a more veteran backup guard. I like Ennis, but I don't know what his future is really. I wanted to sign a guy like Teague or Hill this summer before we got the pick, but now I'd settle for a guy like Shaun Livingston if we could pry him away from Golden State with a decent pay check. Maybe a guy like Tony Allen who can be a good tone setter. Brandon Jennings is another option, but I'm not 100% convinced he's got the character to be a champion. Honestly looking at the FA options I'm not entirely impressed so I wouldn't even oppose a complete punt. Unloading one of the big albatross contracts is the big ticket. If he can find a way to get rid of Deng specifically, I'll be ecstatic.
they can't dump mozdeng (separately or jointly) unless it's part of a deal that sends out young talent. next year is the year that this might happen. now that the george situation is more clear, i'm leaning more and more towards doing almost nothing in FA. absorb bloated one-year deals in exchange for future draft considerations and such. gotta keep the threat to sign george outright alive. i'm that convinced that he wants to be here. if i weren't, i'd be advocating deals to patrick patterson types. and by that, i mean: patrick patterson.
That's where the Houston pick comes in most handy in my opinion. Already we've got #2, Russell, Zubac, Ingram, Randle, Nance Jr., Clarkson, even Black, Nwaba, and Ennis who are all 25 or under. That's basically an entire roster of developees. Unless there's some crazy stud at 28, I'd be completely fine using it to dump Deng or Mozgov but hopefully Deng. Then your idea of taking in big one-yearers is a great plan. Here's some one-year guys: Afflalo- 12.5 million Pekovic- 11.6 million Jeremy Lin(!)- 12 million (PO) Favors- 12 million Austin Rivers- 11.825 million (PO) Joe Johnson- 10.5 million Monta Ellis- 10.3 million (PO) Danny Green- 10 million (PO) Booker- 9 million Gerald Henderson- 9 million Tolliver- 8 million Ezeli- 7 million Diaw- 7.5 million Ed Davis- 6 million Bellinelli- 6 million Ellington- 6 million Wright- 6 million That's pretty much it. I figure on that list the guy to target is Pekovic. He's basically medically retired, but if Minny offered him with a 2nd rounder for nothing, I'd take that trade. Same with Henderson, Tolliver, or Ezeli.
i'd like booker a lot. he's improved his threeball, and he plays hard. like pf version of tarik black. i'd take ezeli and davis off portland's hands. davis's cap hold might make him worth keeping as a utility big. afflalo isn't good anymore, but if young's gone, it would be nice to have a vet sg/sf type. i would give up zero assets for any of these players, just cap absorption.
can't imagine walton would be interested in that kind of player. there's a place in the league for mcw (shaun livingston type), but he's going to have to prove it.
He's also an RFA which is why I didn't include him. Yeah I'm with you basically on all the same names. Give me a 2nd rounder next year and I'm good to take these guys off your hands.
I think overpaying a guy like Iggy on a 1 yr $15-20M deal might work. Especially if Luke (and Kobe) does the recruiting. Good teacher for Ingram and Ball
