Has anything happened with Swift yet? He'd be the perfect player to target with our MLE (maybe not full, but some of it). Try and package MoT & TE / draft picks to Seattle for AD, Potapenko, etc., and sign Stromile Swift. Sounds like a plan to me.
I ruled out getting swift along time ago. Memphis has basically scared everyone away from offering him a contract because they will match. We could never use our TE with a sign and trade because we are in the same division. All we can offer is our MLE and that will be surely matched by West.
What about Gerald Wallace? Why would the Bobcats need Okafor, Fizer and Wallace? I would much rather get G. Wallace for cheap than overpay for Swift. I think the trick is to add athletic PF's to go after rebounds ala Ben Wallace and Carlos Boozer.
He is Charlotte's SF of the future. He's only 21 years old with lots of potential, I doubt he gets moved. As far as Swift goes, I think its worth a shot. We make the offer and if Memphis matches, so be it. However, if something unexpected happens and West doesn't match the offer we get Swift, then focus all efforts on using the TE to land a PG (Snow?) and to try to move Taylor to possible suitors (i.e. Cleveland).
Swift has a tender offer at almost $6 million for next season, so he will not sign a MLE deal. I think he would rather play out this season at $6 million and go into next year unrestricted in a weak FA class.
I think the Hawks are going to offer Swift a decent deal that will be well above the MLE. They are way under the cap with money to burn and no one to give it to. I wouldn't be surprised to see them throw out a 5yr 50M offer similar to what Okur got in Utah. I think at 10M/yr that would be a bit too rich for Memphis. I think Swift would be a great counterpart to Yao on the front line but I dont see us being able to get him unfortunately.
I agree. I also wonder how much of The Logo's words are meant to dissuade others from offering an MLE deal, so Grizz could resign him cheaply.
$10 million a year for Swift (or for Okur) is crazy. In 4 years, Swift has started exactly 56 of 292 games played, 19.2% - for a crappy team most of that time. I think he's worth the full MLE, but not more.
I think Atlanta views Harrington as a 4, so they probably won’t give Swift that big a contract. At this point, I’d be willing to just go ahead and give Swift the full MLE. If the Grizz match, then oh well, not like there’s anyone else out there worth giving the MLE to.
I doubt that the Grizzlies have scared teams away from offering the MLE. Swift doesn't want to sign for so little. I'm sure he would reject and has rejected MLE offers. The salary-room teams who lose the K-Mart and other name-players derbies will come to him as a consolation prize. Anyway, I'd rather have Griffin. While Swift has a great name, he never really blossomed as he should have.
What people are really worth and what the MARKET is dictating are two different things. Using MARKET prices, is Swift worth as much as Brian Skinner, Brian Cardinal, Etan Thomas at the FULL MLE? How about Foyle at 8M per year? Swift is young and has upside and has played well. Guys like that are getting around 8-10M per year.
