Good points overall. However, this would impact our flexibility this summer, since it ties us to Chandler (unless we can trade him). Think of opportunity cost. In the summer we have close to a $91m salary with a $102m cap. We could offload Brewer, KJ, Onuaku, WIltjer to create another $13m in cap space. That $24m could be enough to go after someone like Hayward. That's what's in Morey's mind. It's all about whether the market considers Chandler's contract fair value and whether there will be takers for him, if we wish to trade him. Morey has to balance long-term flexibility with better chances for a playoff push this year.
I'd echo some of the other sentiment here - 6 weeks from today is January 31st in which we'd have played an additional 24 games. I'd rather sign a free agent to back Nene/Harrell up than lose chemistry through trade and add a piece that's going to compete with Capela for minutes when he's back. We're dreaming if we think KJ/Brewer is going to land anyone worth playing (although I'd love Tyson on this team). Nazr Mohammed, Ryan Hollins, Greg Smith, Robert Sacre, Chris Kaman...and Kendrick Perkins (lol) come to mind. or hell - why not call up Joshua Smith from the Vipers?
Unless Morey is getting a 4 or 5 with that cap space this team will inevitably run into the same issue next year as what they're seeing this year--not enough depth up front. If this year is truly an experimental year for this squad/coach combo then I'm all for waiting it out to see what free agent we can acquire next summer. But this team, as its built, can and has shown it can actually compete (to my surprise) with any team in the NBA. Can it win a seven game series against the Warriors, Cavs or Spurs? Most likely not but a this team catching fire at the right time is the great equalizer. I'd hate to see the team not bring in a solid 4/5 player (Chandler, Noel, Okafor, etc.) to save the potential cap space and have that backfire in the playoffs.
I agree that we are in a position where making a push for this year is starting to make sense. The difficulty is in going for it without damaging long-term prospects, ie getting players that are an upgrade on Nene or Capela, that won't tie us to a large, long-term contract. Noel would be ideal.
Gotta disagree with you on this one, Duder. Yes, we are good, and it's been a joy to watch. But we were already thin on the front line (with a likely move coming at the deadline) And without CC for a couple of months.....there's a sense of urgency. Hey, man..at least it happened now, when we can do something about it.
I've always been a fan of nikola vucevic and he has a good contract but I don't think he would be a great fit with this offense. With that said, I think Nerlens Noel would be the best fit. He is a mobile center and a great shot blocker. Either of these two players would a slam dunk in my book.
Yeah, this pushes us IMO to go out and find a solution inside now, SHORT AND LONG TERM. Time for a big move.
The time to improve a team is now, if you have a chance. Saving for the future on a potential acquisition or trade sacrifices the present, and the present is looking great. If a Tyson Chandler is available, go for it. We would be shoring up a clear and obvious weakness: interior defense. Go for the championship this year. The window of opportunity is open now.
People want flexibility and challenge for the tittle at same time, something has to give, if i knew we'd get George in the summer, sure, i'd make as much cap as i can. But i'd rather go for Chandler now, make bigger push for championship, make us even more attractive for FA's and RFA's and if needed i'm sure Morey would do the magic in summer just np.
Knowing the Rockets they'll probably go pull Samuel Dalembert out of that retirement home he's been in.
IMO Morey's not going to bring in Noel unless it's for peanuts. There's no way he's going to bring in someone that could disrupt the lockerroom chemistry right now and this team don't have the time/bandwidth available to babysit/train/educate a young player like Noel. Any trade with Orlando for Vooch or Ibaka will require giving up shooters, meaning you're going to have to part with any of Ariza, Gordon, Dekker, etc.
Said it before and will say it again. Noel Noel Noel. Fits perfectly. May have a more versatile "around the rim" type of game. Brewer, KJ, and ennis for him may work.
Capela was only averaging 24 min a game. I can see them increasing minutes for Dekker, Harrell, and Nene in the meantime. Also with Anderson likely to get some time at the 5 spot in certain situations. Not time to panic yet, seeing as not one game has been played yet. Would like to see how we do for a couple games first before making a knee jerk trade.
no way we have a chance at noel right? phi has got to be able to receive better offers than what we could do
Random idea: how about Derrick Favors? He's under contract for this season and next season. As Zach Lowe has chronicled, Jazz are trying to decide whether to extend Favors, Hill, or Hayward, but they can't afford all three. They already locked up Gobert long term. Since Favors has come back from injury they have played him and Gobert exactly 5 minutes together at the same time, indicating they don't think they work together very well. This doesn't bode well for Favor's long term future since he is paid too much to be a backup Center. Utah has a history of trading players long before their contract is up to get max value (e.g. Deron Williams). Why the Rockets would want him: Look at the ESPN scouting report below. Defensively he can take on either PF or C. This makes him a great complement to Ryan Anderson or a small ball PF. He's a good finisher and could do a lot of things offensively that Capela does. Spoiler: Derrick Favors Scouting Report Scouting report + Combo big man who is a plus at either position + Excellent finisher who can post up most power forwards + Mobile defender who blocks enough shots to anchor defense Analysis Already a six-year NBA veteran at age 25, Favors has established himself as a solid 16-point, eight-rebound a game contributor who has the ability to play both frontcourt spots effectively. Though Favors still has two years left on his contract, since he's making just $23 million over that span, he could be a candidate for a renegotiation and extension that would lock him in past the summer of 2018 at a below-max rate. Favors creates a reasonable number of his own shots for a big man. Besides putbacks, those come mostly in the post, where he scored twice as many points (198) as the rest of the Jazz combined (97), according to Synergy Sports tracking on NBA.com/Stats. Favors has a little hook with either hand and likes to face up slower defenders when playing center to use his quickness. Favors is also Utah's best option in the pick-and-roll game, though the presence of Rudy Gobert around the basket sometimes forces him to pop to the perimeter. Favors is less effective there, having shot just 33.1 percent on 2-point attempts beyond 16 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com. Favors' versatility is valuable defensively, as he can swing between the two frontcourt spots depending on teammates. He's a strong pick-and-roll defender who can capably switch out on guards -- a particularly effective weapon at center -- but he is also a shot-blocking presence. Playing alongside Gobert depresses Favors' individual stats. He averaged 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes with Gobert on the bench, per NBA.com/Stats, as compared to 8.2 and 1.3 playing with him. But the Jazz's defense is 2.0 points better per 100 possessions with Favors and Gobert, and somewhat surprisingly, Utah scores better with both big men despite limited floor spacing. Clearly, getting him wouldn't be cheap. My guess is it would take at a minimum Sam Dekker, and a 1st. Utah knows its not a free agent destination and if they think Dekker can play the 4, he actually fits nicely next to Gobert for another two years. Or he could be a Hayward backup plan if they decide to let Hayward walk and spend money on a PF. To make the salaries match not sure how you'd get around including Brewer. http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=hfeaub6 Anyway, prob completely unrealistic, but just a thought.
