Chase Budinger draws interest (UPDATE: Bud reaches $3 year, $16M deal with TWolves)

Dunleavy's replacement? Solid. Gotta have at least one token on your team.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Chase Budinger has reached agreement on a three-year, $16 million deal to return to Minnesota, league source tells Y! Sports.</p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/352174015017779200">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Can confirm Chase Budinger to Minnesota on three-year, $16 million deal. Player opt out after Year No. 2.</p>&mdash; Sam Amick (@sam_amick) <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_amick/statuses/352174697703669760">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Good for bud

 

I don't like the Twolves offseason, so far.

Looks like they will keep their team and continue on the treadmill.

 

That's a lot.

 

Yeah, good for him.

Just goes to show that Morey is great at findinf gems in the 2nd, and that Parsons will be cashing in in a MAJOR way here pretty soon.

 

parsons needs to show more in situations like the playoffs. I love his shot but I want to see him be more complete if he will "cash in"

 

nice deal for bud.

i'd probably give 3-4/year

 

Wow! Bud got paid. Good for you, Chase. I don't think you could have gotten that contract here.

 

No offense Sam Amick, but you don't need to confirm a Woj report lol

 

What are you talking about??? The T-Wolves' offseason is still a significant positive, all because Andrei Kirilenko opted out of his $10M+ salary next year!

The fact that Chase (especially before his injury early last season) was on track for a contract in this range is PRECISELY why the Rockets traded him when they did. Getting a mid-first rounder in a loaded draft was very good return for a guy they likely would have to let walk one year later anyway.

This is also why I was convinced that, had the Rockets not moved Patrick Patterson at the trade deadline in February, they would likely have moved him this summer, regardless of whether Dwight was coming or not.

 

Big F'ing mistake... Chase is lazy

 

A few thoughts:

1. About Budinger: What is it exactly that makes him special? What makes him more useful than the Matt Barnes-Keith Bogans types in the league?

The two things that come to my mind are (1) he has really good form on his jumper and (2) he can jump really high.

Otherwise, he's kind of an ordinary 3 point shooting wing, without particularly high 3 point shooting % (35.8% for his career) and doesn't play great defense. Is he being paid on an "upside" basis after 4 years in the league?

Wouldn't you rather have a truly proven elite shooter like Korver or someone who combines shooting with defense?

2. I think paying a decent role player decent role player money (whatever one thinks of the specific contract for Budinger) is a different matter when you already have your core stars than it is when you are still looking for your first star (i.e. the circumstances that the Rockets were under when they traded Budinger).

It's a matter of opportunity costs: If you don't have even one star or even if you have one but is in search of the 2nd, the cost of paying Budinger or Courtney Lee $5M/yr may well be the flexibility you need to acquire an elite player. On the other hand, if you already have Harden and Dwight on board, and especially if you are otherwise already capped out, being $1M over the cap vs. being $5M over the cap might cost you the flexibility to go after a MLE-type player if staying under the tax is an issue for you.

3. There are a couple differences between the Budinger and the Patterson situations, IMO:

a. A 3-point shooting PF vs. a 3 point shooting wing. They are harder to find, for one thing, and they make more of an impact on spacing.

b. Thomas Robinson is pretty expensive: If you keep him for the duration of his rookie deal, he's gonna cost you $3.5M next year, $3.7M in 14/15 and $4.7M in 15/16 before hitting free agency. He's not exactly gonna save you much money compared to an MLE player-- and he sucks. ​

4. That said, I would say that an objective evaluation of the trade would be that it worked out OK in the end. I'd still rather have a decent 3-point shooting PF on the team but the haul of minor assets from Portland is pretty decent and can be converted into a useful vet, possibly a 3 point shooting 4, at some point. Mostly, I did not like Thomas Robinson's skillset and performance, but his residual trade value from being erroneously picked too high apparently worked out well enough.

 

What if they lose Pekovic?

 

Welcome back Carl. I missed the well reasoned side of you.

 

Way too expensive but okay signing I guess..

 

Calvin got a job.

Rubio / ridnour
Martin / barea
Budinger / shved
Love / williams
Pekovic /stiesma

Of everyone is healthy they should make the playoffs. I think derrick williams will have a break out year.