I gave up on going for Mikal Bridges before the playoffs..... but he is 26 and that deal has me giving up two SF's that can't shoot and giving the Nets back their picks. Bridges showed he can be a number 1 option and was a defensive player of the year candidate last year. We really don't have room for future rookies.....we got to spend them somewhere.
The second apron couldn't have come in at a better time. It's raised the value of our cap space by almost automatically putting 3 teams in urgent need of dumping salary. It's also made it apparent that you can't build stupidly, you can't build with a guy on your cap declining at 36 years old and making $50m per season. Teams are forced to be much more shrewd with salaries and that's hopefully going to put our front office in a more careful mindset. You guys really don't understand it's not about who is better between Austin Reaves and James Harden. It's about the fact that Reaves' chances of hurting our financial future is 0 to none, at worst we'll be stuck with a player worth $15m per season and overpaying $5-10m. With Harden we very well could be overpaying by $30m per season in his final two years and there's even a chance he won't be playable for the 4th season. That $30m is exactly why teams who spend a lot of money sometimes don't get over the hump (it's called "One Player Away Syndrome"). Wasting cap space or not spending like other contenders. Teams at the top are all super efficient and rarely have bad salaries these days, being efficient with our real estate (cap space) is very very important as we build this foundation to a title. A $30m player can shift a series. That's not an insignificant amount of money. OBVIOUSLY if he takes a massive discount or agrees to a different deal structure or fewer years it changes things but there's no indication any such thing is happening. What we know and Harden knows is this is his last big contract and with a max contract he can go from being the 6th highest earnings among active players safely to #1 (above Lebron). Harden is the piece you acquire when you're willing to hit the second apron and feel confident that he can get you to a championship. When you already have a WCF-calibre team. He has to be the final piece. Let's hope we can secure Wemby and/or a star nearer to their prime to pair with Harden because otherwise the price is steeper now than it's ever been. Cap space is arguably the most valuable it's been in 20ish years. We seriously have to be careful, there is a possibility of screwing up 3 years of cap clearing and tanking with one contract gone bad. We're in a uniquely great position and things are falling in our favor as far as coaching and cap space. There's dynasty potential here if built the right way. One thing we mostly seem to agree on: Harden aged 34-38 on a $200m/4yrs guaranteed contract is by far the biggest possible risk the organization could take this summer. That's salary starting at $45m/season going all the way up to $53m/season. It's a massive chunk of cap. In order for Harden to justify that whole contract, he would have to have a comparable final 4 years to Lebron's current season and he has to be healthy. He can't justify this salary by just being a great floor general and nothing else, that's never going to be worth $200m+. We must be careful with this one. Even if our goal is to acquire Harden, signing him outright to that max is not the best way and contrary to the panic mindset some posters seem to be in, none of the 29 other teams can afford to be patient more than we can and we should use that to our advantage.
The Pacers need to go ahead and rebuild, so I think the Rockets should make a move for Myles Turner If we don’t end up at #1. I would offer Garuba, Christopher, #20 and a future pick. While I’m not completely sold on the idea (especially after his all-too-familiar playoff performance the past two games), this would still leave enough to offer Harden very close to a $45M max offer. We could then draft Scoot, Amen, or another PG. The team would then look like: Harden/Scoot Green/KPJ Jabari/KJM Turner/Tari Sengun You could have Turner and Jabari picking up those additional minutes at center, or sign someone like DeAndre Jordan. I think that could make for a formidable starting lineup and a pretty fun secondary unit, too. Harden is the only rotational player who would be on the decline, yet still productive. Everyone else should improve from year-to-year. If Harden is not in the cards, then they could go after Fred VanVleet and supplement with another 3&D player or two. Indiana is a pretty interesting team because they have some good, young players, but I think they need to go ahead and pull the band-aid and get rid of Turner and Heild. I would not be completely apposed to swapping out KPJ for Heild. Heild is probably a little better on defense and is a better 3pt shooter, so he could be a helpful veteran presence with only one year remaining. If we don't end up with a PG in this draft, I wouldn't mind trying to pry Nembhard away from them, either.
If the Rockets don't land #2 for Scoot, I wonder how large of a contract it would take for SAS not to match Tre Jones? If no Scoot, I'd trade KJ Martin to Indiana for one of their late firsts (via Boston or Cleveland) and TJ McConnell (steady vet), sign Jones and have a Jones/McConnell/Washington pg rotation. Move KPJ to the 3 and the Rockets 2 weakest spots are addressed.
interesting. I agree that we have to really focus on trade opportunities if we want to take a major leap, because this year’s free agent options are not gonna cut it. Plus we are past due for some consolidation. I love the focus on Turner. Yes they recently locked him up for several more years, but there’s no way he’s untouchable. I just don’t see them being interested in dealing him for anything less than one of our 4 core players (Tari, Jabari, Sengun, Green). Maybe the Brooklyn picks, but no way Indy trades Turner for mid/late 1st rounders and our leftover prospects. Turner would definitely be a perfect fit on the rockets though. Would u do Brooklyn picks for him?
Agreed. I’d try to keep the swaps, but I would do the trade if they refused. We don’t need any more draft picks for at least 4 years. Bridges is a top 20 player in my opinion. Bridges, Tari would be great defensive tandem at SF. It is a bit of a problem, because then the only recourse at PG would be Free Agency to be competitive next year. Harden or bust in that scenario. If we draft a PG they will take several years to be starting for a playoff team.
The problem is that any team with high picks is going to be starting to rebuild, too. They are not likely to want a 27 year old. I think they’d prefer to take their chances in the draft. The Mavs are the one team I could see as an exception. They potentially have #10 and a need at center. And I would be willing to give up some BKN picks.
I may get some heat for this, but would anyone have interest in Deandre Ayton? He could be a good buy-low candidate. The Suns are going to have to shed salary to eventually get under the second apron.
z They are going to be in a world of hurt with $146,930,471 tied up in 4 players - Durant, Booker, CP3 & Ayton and $165,608,367 among the 7 players who will be under contract. That's a lot of work to do just to fill out the roster - likely someone has to go. I don't really have an opinion on Ayton currently, haven't watched much of the Suns.
What happened to reaves? He doesn’t look like he even belongs on an nba court anymore, let alone the 100 mil nonsense i’ve seen on here
Sign Josh Hart 3 years 54 million. Sign Jakob Poeltl 3 years 63 million Sign Grant Williams 3 years 54 million Trade KMJ+Garuba+Christopher+#20 to move up as high as possible this year. Tate+Ty for Alex Caruso. Draft Amen Thompson at 3 and Hood-Schifino with #12 Sengun/Poeltl Smith/Williams Hart/Eason Green/KPJ Caruso/Thompson/Hood
I'd be interested but tbh far more interested in CP3. While Ayton is the better player I think CP3 has a lot more to offer in terms of mentorship and filling a major need for us. At $30m per season for just 2 seasons (this coming season partially guaranteed, second one 100% non-guaranteed) he'd be very low risk. Major load management would not be an issue with us, as long as he can give us 30 minutes per game for 60+ games it's worth it. Certainly would be amazing to take Green and/or KPJ under his wing, it seems to have helped SGA and several good backup PG's have emerged wherever CP3 has gone. Not my favorite player at all, but strategically speaking it's a good option and sets a good foundation for the future while retaining cap flexibility. I'd be comfy KPJ and Tyty learning the ropes behind CP3 and starting sometimes in the regular season. Not sure he'd have interest, but if it were possible that's a great addition no matter who we draft. As for Ayton I think the Suns are going to discover he's more reliable and fills a greater need than CP3. Under a new coach and with CP3 gone they could see a lot more offensive production from Ayton which they need from the interior. I think they can sign someone to adequately replace CP3 for the minimum like a Schroeder or a Beverley is perfectly fine for the Suns' purposes, I think Ayton is harder to replace. I really think CP3 is the one they are going to have to dump.
https://www.youtube.com/live/LIAgGNQh1zg?feature=share These guys say exactly what I’ve been saying. Sign Harden or run it back with KPJ, Draft Miller over Henderson(he looks suspect), and just fill the bench with a few vets Really a simple off-season
