So it will take a long time to just draft players with out picks, let current contracts expire and try to sign players. That is certainly a reasonable method. It may be out best shot at getting a title in the next 10 years; hope to get lucky on a few of our many picks, have really good young players on cheap salaries, and make Boston an intriguing place for a FA like Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Marc Gasol, Cousins, Curry Lillard, Irving, etc. Of course, one or more of those players would need to become a UFA and would have to have had their current team fall apart around them to motivate them to sign elsewhere.
But, what if we cashed in trade exceptions, tradeable contracts, and future picks to build a Grizz/ATL/POR/SA type contender, ie without a real superstar. It's interesting; remember Z-Bo was an untradeable contract until he ended up on a great team. SA seems like they are built around superstars, but not really any more; you could find 8 guys of comparable talent to their top 8 now, and if you get them to play team ball, they could be as dangerous.
So who is out there that could be had for our assets and might be available? I'd at least consider targeting the following:
1. Carmelo Anthony. He's a very good player who has the "loser" stink...he's going to be very controversial, but here's the thing: no one in the NBA was a "winner" until they were a "winner." KG, Lebron, Pierce, all had the loser label at some point, and of course had tons of theories about "selfishness," "Softness," "unclutchness," written about them as truth until, oh, whoops, they won the title, and the narratives needed to be re-written. So what is known about Carmel? He has some flaws. He's probably learned some bad habits. He is a competitor. He won the title as a freshman at syracuse. He's been the alpha dog on Team USA when surrounded by all-NBA talent. It's a gamble, but intriguing; He's ridiculously highly paid for 3 years AFTER this one, but his current contract might be comparable to rumored new max contracts when the huge new TV deal kicks in.
2. Derrick Favors. I love him. Locked in at 12 million or so for 3 more years. He's a valuable guy on defense, grabs boards, and a useful (and potentially more than that, especially in the pick and roll) offensive player. He could potentially be available too as Utah tries to keep pay roll low and build an Offense/Defense frontcourt with Kanter and Gobert that might be cheaper and younger than with Favors considering their current other contracts to Hayward and Burks, the need to re-up burke, and the presumed desire to time true contending for Exum's prime (and max deal).
3. Bosh. Highly paid, but about the age that the C's got KG and had a very good KG for 5 following years. Hmm. Definitely showing he's got some stuff left in the tank at this time. Highly paid though.
4. Al Jefferson. Comes with some "ifs." Like, if your other big is a defensive guy who can shoot from midrange at least. He'd need to fit on a team like Zach Randolph currently does, so it's possible. Of course he's a FA either this offseason or next, depending on his option. If you could get him a sub-max, maybe (currently 29 years old).
5: Depends on the direction ATL wants to go, and how they do this postseason.
5a. Jeff Teague. If they want to get cheaper and younger, maybe they make him available and go with schroder. Just owed 8 million per year the 2 years after this one at age 26.
5b. Horford. Careful here. He's lost a step on offense since his pec muscle stuff, still valuable on D, still good, but what's the price? he's 28 and owed 12 million next year then an FA; do you bet on him getting healthy again and having another 3-4 years of 15-17ppg / 7-9 rpg with above average D? What's he going to get as a UFA?
6. Lance Stephenson. Young, dynamic, all-around. Team friendly ~9 million per year 2 eyars after this one. A major headache; is Stevens the coach to contain him???
7. Larry Sanders. Locked in at 11 million per year for 3 years after this one. Not progressing on offense currently; do you bet on your team to keep him engaged and teach him how to at least be a contributor on offense?
8: Phoenix...what do they do? Who doe they keep?
8a. Dragic. Very good, about to be a UFA. maybe acquirable in a S+T, but what's his $$$ asking price? C's wont really have capspace to sign outright.
8b. Bledsoe: 25, rugged defender, great athlete, putting it together for more than 1 season of evidence now. Locked in at 13.5-15 million per year for 4 seasons after this one.
8c. Isiah Thomas: Offense from the PG spot. Need to make up the defense elsewhere. But controlled at less than 7 million per year for 3 years after this one; not bad for a 25 yo 15 ppg, 20+ PER on good shooting.
9. Greg Monroe: If your offense needs a Z-bo/Al Jefferson type and you can swing a S+T, he's a young option. Looking more like DET wants to keep him though.
10. Jrue Holiday: I thought I'd heard they were disappointed in him, but I can't remember where, so I may be mistaken. But he's a solid all-around PG, young at 24, and controlled at 11 million for 2 more years after this one. So maybe the cost of acquiring him is taking Evans or Gordon off their hands. Or maybe they realize Davis is going to be very good for a very long time, and this current supporting cast isn't going to get it done, so they want to re-start a slow, smart, long-term build around Davis, especially if they miss the playoffs.
11. Taj Gibson. Very good, elite defender, maybe being squeezed out of Chicago who has quite a few bigs and a few large contracts with Butler emerging as a star FA who will need to be re-upped; if they keep Gibson their cap is at 61 million WITHOUT Butler's max deal for a team that historically hasn't really payed the tax much. Gibson is locked in at 8.5/8.9 million for 2 more years after this. He is a bit old at 29, so careful with his next deal.
12. Reggie Jackson. 24 yo, going to be an FA for a contender; duplicated some of their other production. They might hesitate given the failure of the Harden trade, but maybe a S+T to hive OKC a few young assets for them to keep filling holes around Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka. But what's his contract? Is he a max guy?
13. Hibbert. He's only 28, but it feels like an old 28. Rebounding falling off, but still impactful on D. Might be a FA after this season (player option), so would have to be a S+T most likely. Do you want to re-up him as a FA? What's he worth?
14. Irving. Long shot, but what if they decide he's the one that doesn't fit and they need some different upper level role guys around Love+Lebron? 22 yo, on a max deal (pre-new TV deal), elite scorer, locked up 4 years after this.
15. Or, shocker, if Love bails? Kevin Love. He'll be a 27 yo FA wanting the max, either by capspace or S+T. Might be worth it since the cap will shoot up the year or two AFTER he signs his max deal.
Any one else to add? So, if you want to build with Trade exceptions, trading contracts, and trading picks, who do you target?
It's a fantasy world, but if you're willing to really give a way a lot of furture assets (like 3 firsts this year and 3 firsts next year, using up the TPE, and trading most of our guys), you can almost see a scenario in which the C's go into the next 3 years with:
Holiday or Bledsoe or Dragic or Jackson
Bradley (Defense, corner 3's)
Carmelo
Horford
Favors
with maybe crowder, olynyk, zeller, FA's and other trade pieces in off the bench.
Do you do it?
Topic: How would you rebuild through TPE, picks, contracts by trades? (Read 1203 times)