The doors on free agency may be closing very soon. I think Geoff Petrie is one of the best GMs in the NBA. Walker will make them better. IMO, Walker would help us more than Swift.
I'm one that doen't want AW on this team. After reading the epic thread on his plus side, I could accept AW if he comes here for the MLE - and not a cent over that amount. This is a clear indication he wants more than the MLE to play next year, as the Kings haven't used theirs yet. That prices him way out of what we should pay for him. If he gets more than the MLE to goto the Kings, I'll be quite happy. It means one of our conference rivals has downgraded over the offseason.
You do know that a guy like Walker is worth more than the MLE. If we want to get a good impact player, we need to spend the money. CD is obviously gonna try to get as much as he can w/ the MLE, but 5M per season isn't a lot of money now a days, especially for a guy who puts up 20 & 9 for his entire career. I don't see how this would be a downgrade. Walker is a like Webber but w/ a 3-pt shot. The Kings offense needs guys that can pass, guys like Skinner/KT/Williamson aren't good passers, Walker (w/ a controled shot selection) would be a nice fit w/ the Kings w/ his shooting and passing ability.
Unfortunately, you can't just spend money willy nilly in this league because of the cap. As a result, you have to weigh a players value not only in terms of what he can bring to your team, but also what having him on the team will prevent you from being able to acquire in the future. Walker is enticing, but we don't want to get into another Cato/Maloney/Mo Taylor situation.
Hopefully this is a sign that Walker knows that Rocks are closing in on Swift and that he is no longer an option!
I probably should have been more specific, I didn't mean that we need to throw money around. But good players can demand more money, like you said, teams need to weigh their value and see what they can bring, but the MLE usually isn't enough to get good impact players. Willis- Did CD give Stro a deadline? Or did he just say we should hear from him on Monday, giving him the weekend to mull it over?
After seeing what Bobby Simmons and Larry Hughes got (good gosh), I honestly don't know how Swift or Walker or any player that the Rockets have targeted so far could accept the MLE. I hope I'm wrong there, but any player of significance is going to want to cash in on the generosity of some of these owners/GMs. In the case of Walker, his next contract will span over what is supposed to be the prime years of a player's career -- I'm sure he's wanting to maximize it. My hunch is the Rockets are Stromile's top choice. I'm personally surprised that the Rockets are "waiting" to hear from him on what is likely a full MLE offer. If that is indeed the case, the fact he didn't outright reject it yet is a damn good sign. Even if you're not overly thrilled with Stro's game, that has to be considered a coup at this point to get a player like that for the full MLE.
I think most people are thinking the same thing... but I think what Stro is seeing is that most, if not all of the good upcoming teams have used their cap room already on free agents that were higher in the pecking order (Allen, Simmons, Hughes, Redd). For him, now it really is a choice between a perfect situation and probably another $3.5 million per year than we could offer with a terrible team like Atlanta. I think the fact that he sat on the bench and get limited minutes on a mediocre team his whole career really helps our chances. Of course, best case for him is a SnT to a good team, but he doesn't necessarily have a lot of control over that. And I definitely agree with you also on the possibility of getting him for the MLE. That truly would be a coup... god knows that's not MoTay money, it's not something that would really hurt us if it ended up not working out, as opposed to a SnT.
BS and LH went to 'less desirable destinations' where gthey had to be OVERpaid to get signed. I am satisfied with the idea that the Rox as SS's choice but money talks, and an SnT is likely wherever he signs IMO. As for AW, he, too, is an SnT prospect and StrAinge, I have heard, would like MJ, so -- ??? Let us not forget what the Lux Tax cuts may do to all the leaguewide equations.
No question. I have said this before, when the music stops the Rockets dont want to be the team without a chair here. Chances are that Walker is the Rockets "plan B" and they know other teams are going to pounce on Walker if given the chance. Clearly Swift is our #1 option but we cant wait forever. The Rockets need to know if Swift wants to be here, otherwise the Rockets have to move on.
Clutch, I do agree that the Rockets are Stro's #1 choice. But he does want the money. My guess is that Swift's agent has been on the phone all day today and tonight to call the under the cap teams to gauge their interest in Swift and to call around for potential S&Ts. If Stro doesnt get a solid answer from these GMs perhaps he will just go with what the Rockets are offering since he knows he will get decent money at a place he really wants to play. On the other hand if Stro gets a feel that one of these GMs (Hornets, Hawks) are willing to pay 8M+ for his services, he probably will tell the Rockets that he isnt ready to committ to us yet and then we will tell him that's fine, but we are going to look elsewhere for the time being as they cant wait forever.
That whole things sounds right on the money to me. Given this market I think Stro's value is somewhere around $8.5 mil/season, but if his agent can't get a commitment, I feel like he'll be here.
I can't see the Hornets being a fit, but the Hawks? They seem to have other players prioritized. The Cavs are possible, particularly if Ziggy wants out. The Knicks have no SnT ammo. If they did then Kwame would be theirs. James a Knick, I'd guess. Of course, they still have MoT and Rose and Swseetney and Williams. O Harrington is never mentioned, and Marshall seems forgotten?
The diff between the salaries of Hughes & Simmons to Swift is that they are both SCORERS and have gone to teams that need more firepower. No offer/signing yet has gone to someone that doesn't score (Simmons got the smallest offer & get the least amount of points). The guys are getting about $0.5m per ppg they average (on the per year average salary). The L always overpays scorers. Swift is not a scorer, so he can't put himself into that price range. Nor is he a lock down defender/rebounder like Wallace. He's in between at this stage, so the MLE with no state income tax (I think this goes up to 12.5% a year) is a pretty good deal. Guici888: While I see your point about him being a great fit for the Kings, I see him as a negative at a salary above the MLE for a few reasons. 1) it would/could put them into the LT region and make it harder to do large trades in the future. 2) i doubt he'll have better shot selection or shoot less 3s in their offense 3) potential to be a locker room cancer. From what I've read about him, he wants to be "the man" on whatever team he plays for, which leads to disharmony and poor(er) performance. He needs this part of his ego removed, and that can only be done by reducing his salary to "second tier" levels.
I really don't see why Sac would be interested in Walker when they have 15+ mill already locked into the pf position in Skinner and KT. And KT was a solid starter for them. Plus, they have a gaping hole at sg right now. Like another poster on the board asserted, this could simply be somewhat of a smokescreen by AW's agent to get more interest in AW.
harumph, the Kings lockerroom may be very chaotic next season. Both Adelman and Peja will be in the last year of their contracts, and Bibby (the supposed team leader) has questionable leadership skills. Talent-wise, the Webber trade was good for them, but Webber's departure has left a gaping hole in their team chemistry. After reading your post, I've re-thought the whole situation. If Walker goes to Sactown, he will fill up that leadership void and then some. He could end up alienating Peja just like Webber, and re-signing Stoiky is a top priority for their franchise. (Personally, I think Peja is a huge teaser masquerading as a franchise player. He has no guts, no heart, no mental toughness and is one of the biggest chokers in the NBA. He'd be worth a max contract if he could stroke that jumper with icewater in his veins. Enough of Peja and back to the point: I still think signing AW will make the Kings better because his passing skills fit the Adelman way of playing. But the downside could be huge if he goes there with the wrong attitude. I think since AW is older, has made his money and would be going to a completely alien environment, he will calm down and focus more on winning. However, unlike here, the Kings could be the most likely place where his worst traits could come to the surface. With his head on straight, AW is easily a top 15-20 player, that's why I'm willing to gamble on bringing him here. He could push us into 60+ wins elite status
What I'm worried about is if the Suns match the offer for JJ (which they said they would), they could get a little desperate. I'm not saying they will throw out a HUGE deal, but by not having to commit 14M, they might think 8-10M for Stro isn't bad at all and just might offer it for the hell of it. The Knicks actually have more S&T ammo then we do. First, they're not a conference rival and they have big expiring contracts in Tim Thomas and Penny Hardaway (who is a hometown guy). Also, the Knicks have never been shy in taking bad contracts, so I don't think this would be any different. This summer is starting to heat up.
