Official 2016 Free Agency Thread

MIke Conley is not a star. He's a good role player. He's not taking us anywhere. Let's not get too carried away.

Filling the SF/C spots with similar talent will make us much better.

 

Well, a good role player is a starter in my book. Quite frankly, I don't think Conley has all-star talent. I don't recall any all-stars that average 15/6, even in the East. Only Gasol and Randolph qualify as legit all-stars on that team IMO. (even those two barely made the all-star team... only 2 selections each)

And since you mentioned the Kobe-led squads, a starter with all-star talent would be someone like Odom in his prime.

 

Any one of Whiteside, Horford, Biyombo or Noah. I don't really have a preference.

 

Woj says Hornets #22 available for anyone who takes Hawes or Lamb.

Honestly, Hawes wouldn't be terrible.

 

Maybe swap Nick/#32 for Hawes/#22?

 

so, you used those stats to make your argument, then said they don't matter? my eye tells me russell has shown more creative court vision in one year than conley has shown in a career. my other eye says many of the top pgs (and the ones who win) look to score first.

this strategy hasn't actually been employed, as we were still dragging around kobe's ghost (at roughly half the cap). the young guys each have about one year of experience with actual playing time, and it was in an antiquated system orchestrated by a moronic madman.

that said, i don't think they can afford another lin/hibbert offseason. but the gaping hole is at center. after that, it's a wing who can shoot and defend (which is why i like barnes more than most around here). if russell is destined to be a sg, the lakers should trade him right now, because there's not a star future in that spot. given the lakers's recent track record in signing stars, they should hope to develop one in-house. the only route to that is dlo at pg.

signing a pg is doubly problematic for me, as i also view clarkson as a combo guard, who needs some run at point.

finally, if the pg we were talking about were steph curry, i wouldn't be having this conversation. but i would be saying that we should trade russell in that case, too. benching a young player in his position is tantamount to throwing in the towel, and it tanks their value in trade.

again, i don't feel the same about bringing in a sf, as ingram's a rookie, and a very young one. no one should expect him to start. i was cool with russell not starting last year, too, until it became obvious that there weren't better options.

 

i'd take hawes as a backup c, but it's risky to do so prior to FA, just in case you need that few extra million. hornets might be best off using the 22 (or flipping it for a future 1st if they don't like anyone or want to save money) and then dumping hawes and lamb for nothing in july. some team that strikes out will take them without a pick attached, imo. i would.

 

yeah, i mentioned him as a dump candidate a while back. i suppose if you really think he's worth it, might as well pick up the 22 in the process. could package 32 with it and get into the teens--at least historically, that's been the case.

 

OK, and how many all stars have there been that averaged 15/6?

As for Gasol and Randolph, I'm just trying to make a point that the two best players on that team have only made it twice each. And I think the talent gap is quite big between those two and Conley.

Are you now arguing that Conley has more talent than Odom?

 

i fall between tada and rodg on conley's value. but i think it's fairly clear he's not a star. he plays the same position as the lakers' best young prospect (imo), he's heading into the later part of his career, and he's going to make a ton of cash. these things knock him down my list of targets, basically off my list, as by the time i'm done chasing my guys, he's already signed anyway.

 

Exactly. By the wording of the tweet it seems they just want cap relief, so taking on Hawes for 2 years at a decent price point to net us 22 sounds like a pretty good deal.

At worst you get a reliable big and another 1st to either take another young, cost-controlled piece or flip it with any of our other players/picks for a better veteran return in a trade.

I imagine Charlotte may be getting a lot of calls for that deal before tonight.

 

Yeah, I think both DAR and JC have star potential.

So as we're currently constructed....
DAR - potential star
JC - potential star

Add Conley to the mix.....
Conley - legit starter (as described by trodgers)
DAR - legit starter (downgraded due to playing off ball)

I'm not sure how that's forward thinking.

 

Hawes and 22 is a good move. I think we could definitely move up in the draft and get another serviceable players on a good deal. Hawes has a great contract with the cap jump, and he's actually fantastic for what we want to do.

Do it, Mitch.