Don't want Haywood... we now have enough bigs. Hibbert/Black/Upshaw Randle/Bass/Nance there is only so many spots available. I haven't even included the scrubs (Sacre and Kelly). But thats 8 guys, which is already entirely too many.
No chance anything falls through with Thompson. Cavs are putting on a good face, but they'll end up giving him the money he wants. LeBron has told them he's not signing until Thompson is signed, so he's definitely staying. The Cavs don't want real pieces back I think unless it's another shot creator so Nick Young kind of fits the bill. Hill doesn't though they've got Power Forwards for days.
How about: Pacers in: Ellis/Kelly/Sacre Mavs in: Lin Lakers in: Hibbert/Anderson Cavaliers in: Nick Young Lakers in: Haywood That gives us about 56-57 million in salary. I doubt Williams got a flat rate, so his starting salary will be about 6.7 million. That puts us at about 62-63 million total. I always figured we were giving Bass the Room Exception... So what do we do with the other 5-7 million?
Caron, Pietrus, or a Moute And Andre Miller. Add two vets for these guys for mentoring and babysitting purposes.
That'd be really expensive for those guys. Although I'd really like Miller and Caron as solid vet additions. Those are the kinds of additions that can get you a playoff spot.
For those who want to just dump Swaggy and his contract. Who do we sign with the money saved. I dont think there are better players left in FA, that would we could sign. If with that move we somehow get a starting caliber SF back im all in, but i have a feeling, that Kobe will start at the 3 and Brown and Swaggy will back him up.
KJ McDaniels? Although he is restricted, would the Rockets want to match a sizable $5-7M offer for a backup with Ariza playing most of the minutes? Young, defensive minded winger would be a great fit here. Would be interesting. IND: Kelly, Sacre, Trade Exception LA: Hibbert DAL: Lin LA: Anderson CLE: Young LA: Heywood (waive) Sign up KJ McDaniels with the extra space and Ronnie Price to another vet minimum. Russell/Williams/Price Kobe/Clarkson/J. Brown McDaniels/Anderson/A. Brown Randle/Bass/ Hibbert/Black/Upshaw That would be a really dynamic 14 player rotation.
Not sure dumping Swaggy would be about saving money this offseason. His contract coming off the books would give us an extra 5.4 next offseason. At this point, If we can dump Swaggy and we resign Black and Clarkson to the max they can get next offseason (which under the Arenas provision is roughly 5.5 million or so each), our cap situation will look like this: Upshaw (.9)/Black (5.5) Randle (4.2)/Nance (1.2) A. Brown (.9) Clarkson (5.5)/Cap hold (.5) Russell (5.3)/Williams (7) That's roughly 31 leaving us with (let's say conservatively) 57 million in cap space. Two max slots for a veteran with , let's say, Durant's experience level, would cost us roughly 52-3 million. So...Young's salary could encroach on our ability to give two TRUE max salaries.
Hit the Small Forward FA market ASAP. Ideally, try to split the $ for two players if you can...Dorrell Wright and Gerald Green off the top of my head at around $2 or $3 mil per year. Then use whatever is left on trying to convince Wayne Ellington to stay on a 1 year deal.
If we were to do a Haywood trade, it would have to be done early or include Young, Sacre, and Kelly. We need the cap space to be able to absorb his initial hit.
We do have the cap space to do it. The order would be 1. Young-Haywood trade 2. Waive Haywood 3. Hibbert-Kelly/Sacre trade
Thats why I said it would have to be done early, meaning our first "official" move. I just don't think we would wait a week+ to make our agreements with Bass and Williams, and the trade with Hibbert official, so it has to be done early on.
