With each passing year, the Center position become less talented and deep. Centers or Big Men retire - Shaq, Rasheed , many more get injured and we hope for recovery - Yao, Oden, Pryzbilla or Should Retire - see Miami Bench. So with each passing year, Free Agency drives up the prices of centers. See Brendan Haywood signing. There are a few centers who enter the league via Draft (Cousins) or through new opportunities (Gortat) but the Retired/Injured/Should Retire list is much larger than this list resulting in lucrative deals for Bigs and cap-unfriendly deals for teams. My suggestion is that we acquire a guy signed in previous years - when there were more Bigs in the league and thus more reasonable contracts than overpaying for guys who have played limited minutes - Gray, Fesenko, etc. Plus Bigs can die and to lesser extent resurrect at a moments notice so it's better to have a Big on a shorter deal than a longer one IMO. Teams to target would be small market teams, teams with center depth, teams that undervalue their bigs. Also trading is a great way for us to trim down our roster size as we are crowded. Here's a few guys to get discussion going but I'm sure there are many more: Joel Anthony - 6'9, undersized but not compared to Chuck. Good contract if he's playing 15+ mpg per game. Only 28. No offense but we've got a ton of that. They've got the Big Retirement Trio there but they also have Pittman and a desire to bring in bodies like Curry. They will be a destination for ring chasers for the next few years so they can acquire bigs as they have been doing that way. They need a point badly as they can't pay Mario that much. Dragic and Hill for Joel and a 2nd Rounder? Something like that? Omer Asik - as has been discussed. Semih Erden / Ryan Hollins - 1yr left on contract? These would be project players. Not much risk, and not much needed to acquire these guys. Zaza - Dragic & Hill for Zaza (27yrs old and 2yrs left on contract @4m) and a 2nd rd pick type deal would be ok. Larry Sanders - deal surrounding him and Dooling for Dragic, Bud, and Hill? That's just a quick glance at a few Eastern Conference teams...I'm sure we can make a play on some other guys in the East as well as some guys in the West. Feel free to add other guys and discuss.
In the West, projects like Ian Mahamni, Favors possibly - Vets like Biedrins and Okafor. I'd rather trade than sign.
I like that Larry Sanders one! We get Dooling a nice veteran and a nice young center. Plus we also get rid of Hill. But losing Dragic and Bud would not be nice. Luckily we acquire Morris and Flynn. I see where you are going with this.
I agree with your reasoning that we need to target a center through trade, and at first I thought the players you've listed were underwhelming (other than Asik). But after a while, I see the logic in some of your choices. Asik is a no brainer. He's young and he would help us immediately. The ideal situation. Erden and Hollins aren't really good. Erden may show some potential, but he won't ever be the great defensive center. Hollins is 26...I think at that point he's no longer a project, but just a scrub. Decent defender, but no that good of a player. He would just be a really bad band-aid. Larry Sanders is a good mention. The guy is a good rebounder and shotblocker, and despite being only 6'10, he has a standing reach of 9'4 and a giant wingspan. He could potentially be the answer at center in the future. That said, I wouldn't give up both Chase and Dragic for him. Zaza is one player I would stay away from, not because he's bad, but because whoever we get needs to be the longterm solution. Zaza isn't that guy. I wouldn't mind having him on our team, but he isn't starting material, and to me, he isn't worth losing Dragic to acquire.
I would love to have Sanders too, but to rely on Flynn at backup point guard from what we've seen in his career is suicide. Also, who knows if Morris will work out at the 3.
Well Dooling would be a good backup and there is also T-Will too and Morris I think can be a really good SF.
they key here is to get a big man who can clog the paint and block shots... the hybrid pf/c's don't help the rockets... we need a big man... as in BIG!
I agree Zaza is not the ideal starting center for the future. But he's 27 and has proven to be serviceable. I like Dragic too. How much do you think it'll cost to resign him if he replicates last years numbers? You could always ask for a future first pick or other consideration to balance out deal.
When I think s&t I think RFA - which RFAs do you like? And wouldn't we have to offer the most lucrative contract to the player or else another team will get that players services? I may be wrong...
I still think we're giving them too much. Larry Sanders may be a very good player one day, but there's no guarantee. He only played 14 minutes for the bucks, so he's a relative unknown.
'Cole Aldrich' the former (2010) 11th overall pick, Is a guy I would target in a trade deal for a starting center. His one of the few young bigs that I feel could start and be effective if given the opportunity. He is a grind it out defensive center with great size at 6'11 w/shoes, 7'5 wingspan and 9'3.5 standing reach. He has a low center of gravity, which helps him with his post positioning and defending the post(similar to Chuck). His also a mobile big, that can block/alter shots and is a good rebounder. Overall his a rim protector and intimidator inside the paint, that has the talent defensively to one day anchor an elite team defense, and make up for any mistakes of the perimeter players. I think he could be available for the right price. Given that OKC, who despite being young are competing in a win now mentality, would move him to feel in a need. So looking at their roster they need more scoring off the bench. With James Harden now moving up to the starting line-up and Jeff Green traded to Boston. So I would offer Chase Budinger, who's scoring ability would be a welcome addition to the OKC bench, for Aldrich and see if they bite.
well at least we are creating space on the roster by giving Bud, Dragic, and hill away. Let them keep Dooling and we get like 2 2nd round picks and sanders. Then we sign a vet fa pt guard such as carlos arroya or jason williams.
Maybe we can use Scola+Fillers for Dalembert in a Sign and Trade if the Kings decide they dont want to just let him leave without getting anything in return. They could play Cousins at 5 with Scola at 4. Same could be said about NeNe, Denver dont have a legit PF but they have Mozgov/Birdman and Koufos as Centers. Scola would be good fit in Denver playing for George Karl.
I approve. I'm sure other teams would offer more than Bud though if they knew Cole was on the market.
Or we can always try to go after Dwight Howard!!! Trade Hill, Scola, Flynn, Lee, Thabeet and 2 future protected 1st rnd picks for Howard,Duhon, and quentin Richardson The magics pick up young talent and get rid of expiring contract and old veterans. You never know - Thabeet/Hill can grow into a fine Center, Flynn can grow into a fine guard, 2 1st rnd picks to add more young talent, Lee can someday be 6th man of year, and Scola a great pf. The rockets get needed center, a good backup point guard, and a vet starter small forward.
Chicago: Asik for Courtney Lee Golden State: Biedrens for Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet According to Real GM, the dollars work. Chips may not.
I think the game has changed such that centers no longer are as important as gaurds. I think it is for the better. Lets be honest everyone was trying to be like mike not hakeem. With shift in the rules I doubt centers can have the impact they once did. Dwight is arguably better than he was in 09, but turk wasn't as good and they didn't have rashard and they didn't hit their threes so they lost in the 2nd round. I think the key is to guy who rebound and defend.
