Morey's Top Player Acquisition Targets/Changing my signature

I like to change my sig to match what I think Morey's top immediate player acquisition targets are. Originally, it had been "Morey's #1 target, Chricky Rubial" meaning he was targeting Chris Paul or Ricky Rubio before Paul was traded and Rubio came over and signed with Minny.

After Rubio signed and then after the Paul/Pau trade failed, it became abundantly clear that Morey was going to chase Dwight Howard and Deron Williams as hard as he could. So I changed my signature to "Morey's #1 target, DHoWill".

After today, it's time to make another change since obviously Dwight is out of reach for another year.

Morey's top player acquisition targets:

1. Deron Williams - until his fate is determined this offseason, I expect Morey will preserve cap space to sign him outright. He's the best player that is going to possibly be available this offseason. If we convince him to sign with us, everything else will fall into place. Somebody else (Dwight, Pau, somebody really good) is going to want to play with DWill

2a. Anthony Davis - If there is an opportunity to trade up to nab him at #1 (very, very unlikely), you can bet Morey will do it.

2b. Omer Asik - yeah, he's an early bird free agent, which limits how much he can be paid and Chicago has matching rights. But I see the possibility of acquiring him along with a guy like Hamilton for possibly Kevin Martin and Greg Smith or perhaps a re-signed CLee and Dalembert. Chicago needs a good SG, even though they just signed RIP. RIP is on the downside, bigtime. I'm convinced Morey really likes Asik and he would be a value type contract that is tradable. A good player, a starting center, and on a good enough contract that he could be traded for ............ Dwight Howard ........or somebody else if it came down to it. Too many options for Asik and he's too good a defender. Morey will pursue him. I'm sure of it.

2c. Pau Gasol - I can think of no good reason for the Fisher trade. We can acquire a plethera of point gaurds off the waiver wire, playing in dleague, or playing overseas, or recently retired guys, that will be better backup point guards than Fish. Not only did we trade for him but he is going to cost us $3.4 million because he has an option next season. We aren't going to get a discount on buying him out. That money is important to him because it may be the last NBA money he makes. First round pick??? Those can be bought for $3 million. No need to take on a salary to do that. That trade was a huge favor to the Lakers? Why?

Perhaps.....there is some sort contingency agreement with the Lakers to revisit the Gasol/Scola/Lowry trade after the season? Maybe Mitch and Buss gave us the option to execute the Lowry/Gasol trade after this season is over with. We just saved them $6.8 million. And maybe we give them back their pick along with Lowry and Scola for Pau after the season to save them money going forward. If we acquired Deron as a free agent and Asik as our starting center, then a Lowry/Scola/whatever trade for Pau makes a lot of sense. Perhaps we draft the guy the Lakers want with the pick, then trade him and Lowry and Scola back to the Lakers for Pau to make the salaries work.

3. Nene - we wanted him this past offseason but after we didn't get Gasol, our deal fell apart and he re-upped in Denver. They summarily dropped him on his noggin in Washington. I'm sure he's all down for dat - - - NOT! The Wiz, who are going nowhere but back to the lottery this season and most likely next season without major improvement just simply don't fit for Nene. He's 29 y/o. By the time they are possibly contending he's gonna be 32 and they're gonna have major cap tied up in him when they could be developing somebody like Patrick Patterson. I think we could trade him for a little bit of nothing...say Kevin Martin (expiring next season and a youngster like Patterson or Morris.) Nene and Pau is the front line we were trying to acquire this last offseason. They will be a major force in the paint and .... they would be attractive if a Howard trade materialized. Nene is slotted last right now because I don't think we go after him without having Pau and not being able to get Asik. He's a fall back option that is most likely going to be available for one decent young player on a rookie contract and an expiring contract.

I'm changing my sig to "Morey's #1 target = DWill. Morey's #2 targets = ADavis, Omer, and/or Pau. Morey's #3 target = Nene". Will consider changing it after the draft (eliminate Davis most likely) and then again after free agency.

 

His value dropped big time and I suspect he's gonna stink it up over in Washington to drop it even further. He don't wanna be over there. So, he ain't gonna play worth shooting. My concern about him at this point is does Denver know something about his personality? They came off him real fast.

Perhaps they seen very early that he was going to laze around after getting his dough. Something set them off and caused them to move him and risk going back to the late lottery and missing the playoffs to get out of his deal. He's spent his entire career there and his family allegedly loves the city. I'd like to know the back office side of this trade.

 

Mmmmmmm,

I just don't think Jefferson is a Morey type player. His stats are hollow. Lot of turnovers, doesn't get to the line. He's never won or made a difference anywhere he's been. He's not efficient enough. I'd be surprised if Morey valued him.

Millsap is a different story. He would be easily attainable but I'm putting him and guys like Garnett and Duncan behind the guys I mentioned for a multiplicity of reasons. Millsap's size is one. While he is a sensational player, he isn't long. Morey wants two long bigs. Two long bigs that can play both ends is the foundation of the greatest majority of the past championship teams.

Millsap would be like a 3rd big on a championship contender. Don't get me wrong. I love his game. He'd be an upgrade to Scola, significant upgrade. But our primary need is STILL to get better in the paint. Dally isn't the answer. We need a big that can impact the game on both ends, that can defend with his feet, that is long as well and can block shots, and that has high offensive skills. A combo of Asik/Pau or Nene/Pau. Now, if we had Dwight in the middle, then a guy like Millsap would be sensational at the 4 with his ability to bang and move outside and shoot, also his ability to run pick and roll. But we ain't there. It's gonna be easier to acquire two very good big men like Asik and Pau or Nene and Pau then it is to acquire a guy like Dwight and then add to him.

I can see Morey going after Garnett to play the Camby role for us in the next couple years if the money is right. But I think it is much more likely Garnett flies away to Miami, Orlando, or the Lakers for MLE money to get some more rings.

 

Sorry about that. I was thinking about Kaman and the turnovers. Sometimes I get these guys confused without scanning their stats.

However I stand by my point about Jefferson not being efficient enough. He doesn't go to the FT line enough. He's never won anywhere. And he's making $15 million on an expiring contract. I don't think he's a Morey type player.

 

I guarantee you I've been around longer than you. Fish has been all that during his career but his career is OVER. He is so slow he can't hardly bring the ball up and get it over midcourt in 8 seconds. The minute he starts handling the opponent attacks his dribble. I'll be surprised if he even plays for us. I suspect he'll be inactive and finally released or kept on the roster to use as an expiring in trade next season.

 

No. Not without getting another primary big first. I don't want Jefferson as my primary big and give up anything for him. Now if I can get him for expirings and a 2nd rounder or if he goes FA and is available for MLE money, then you got a deal. He's playing the center position. If we got Pau, he'd be a good fit because Pau can move outside and let him have the low post. But with him at center because he doesn't have any outside game, it necessitates a PF that is an outside in type PF and that means you are playing undersized most of the time.

He doesn't get to the FT line enough. He's not efficient enough to be worth consideration and be taking up $15 million of cap space as your starting center. I'd rather have Camby/Dally. You've got 2 bigs for the same money. Both of them anchor the D. One of them is a low post guy and one of them can knock down the 17 footer and plays at the top defensively.

Once again, if he simply could get contact and get to the FT line about 2 times as often as he does, I could justify paying him $15 million, even though his D sux. But he doesn't. Al Jefferson operates from 0-10 feet and he doesn't get to the line enough.

Finally, he's not a Morey type player. He doesn't go to the FT line enough.

 

$15 mill for Al Jefferson?? Absolutely not. Maybe $9 million. But I don't want $15 million of our salary cap tied up in him. He's not worth it. He doesn't work defensively. And his scoring is hollow because....he doesn't get to the FT line enough.

LOL, sorry. JMHO