This guy deserves his own thread . He will be an unrestricted free agent . This guy has been the one player who constantly praises us in the media . Every time he's asked about the rockets he always has positive things to say about our system and harden . We should go after him . I dunno his market value . He's coming off 10 mil a year . But he's going to be 34 next year . He's not the best athlete , but he has pretty solid skills . He's been fairly healthy over his career but has shown signs of slowing down the last couple . ( just looking at his bkref page ) If we can get him for vet min it's a no brainer . He might not be a ceiling raiser ... buts he's veteran depth that MDA will play . He can definitely play PF for us . And maybe he's strong enough to play the 5 . I dunno . I think this is a guy who WANTS to play in our system and has a big enough bball IQ to flourish in it . He's an underrated passer and I feel like he could be one of those guys that helps keep the ball moving . It's all about what he will command , but I think we will be able to make a very competitive offer . Like I said he's 34 and already is not a great athlete . He needs to go to a team that can mask some of his weaknesses and maximize his IQ and skills . He would be great depth for us . And I know depth isn't exciting , but if he can shave 8mpg off what PJ plays and maybe find some utility with another group ... it can really help us decrease the workload of our core ; which IMO is key as we continue to age . If we have to use MLE that might be a little rich . I'd definitely prefer to keep Austin with that money , but he may be a goner . Even if Rivers is gone , I still think we might need to be a bit more risk-seeking with the MLE provided we don't make a superstar trade . Morey obviously will look to improve our team's ceiling as well , which I don't think this move does . Best case scenario for Dudley is what ? Slightly worse Boris Diaw? Great depth , but not going to be a part of your best 5-6 . But we desperately need upgrades and depth in the frontcourt . Rivers at the #4 guard spot is great depth . But we need more than 1 forward and 1 (questionable) Center I like guys like house too . He's got upside due to his athleticism and decent shooting record . I like Hartenstein and Clark too . But in terms of bargain shopping , I don't think there's a surer bet for what we want to do than Dudley . How much would you pay Dudley and what do you think he will get . Is giving him our MLE for 2 years too much? This is a guy we should definitely keep our eyes on though ... he's such a perfect fit . His risk is basically just health and how much athleticism he has in the tank ... which is a question that every player faces to varying degrees .... and hopefully this pushes his price down. But his skills and intelligence are exactly what MDA wants and will play , and if he's the coach ..... we might as well pick up players he is guaranteed to play . I'll stop myself now . I could write another 10 pages about The Great Jared Dudley . Just another testament to why , this guy , deserves his own thread .
I'd gladly take Dudley at the vet minimum, smart player and can shoot, not sure how good is his defense at this point but for the minimum and to boost the bench...
I mean for the minimum as insurance for the possibility that Clark is not ready, sure. But he's not someone you can rely on for anything, never trust players who don't take care of their fitness late in their careers. Causes all sorts of physical and psychological problems. EDIT: Actually, scratch that. I'd rather go for Demarre Carroll who might be available for the minimum. Younger, longer wingspan, better rebounder, in better shape.
At 34, I’d be surprised if he gets more than the vet minimum. I like Dudley, but would fairly disappointed if he is the one who gets MLE. If he likes Houston that much maybe he would take the vet minimum in hopes of winning a ring. He did look pretty decent vs the 76ers in the playoffs this year.
Hed take the vet min just to come learn from Durnell Moreknee. Hes gonna be in a FO in some capacity and like you said has always praised our organization. I appreciate his smarts and toughness and his non-capela-ness when faced with adversity when a bigger player steps up to him.
I mean, wouldn’t you take Anderson back for vet min contract? Yeah vet min contract for you! Vet min contract for you!
I’ll be honest, I didn’t realize he was still playing in the league until the playoffs when I saw him playing against Philly. I thought he had retired at least a year ago.
For the vet minimum, I’m in. He knows his role and plays within it. Not sure how good he is in a switching defense though.
He would be a good influence in the locker room and he knows how to play.... having said that, if Daryl Morey uses the MLE on him.... I will personally fly down from Chicago and slap that Sonic chili dog out of Morey’s mouth.
Sorry, but I've never understood the infatuation with Dudley. I have never liked his game and at his age, it's time for him to hang it up.
No need to be sorry. At least I’m not. He’s always been a soft, one dimensional player but that one dimension he used to be good for has gone missing as well. Over the last 4 seasons his 3pt% has dropped significantly over each season. This year it plummeted all the way down to 35%. No thanks