If there's no KD/Horford, or KD/any other combination, how would you feel if free agency brought Whiteside and Ryan Anderson?
Consider:
1) We should have about $37 million in cap space if we keep Amir and Jerebko, and let the other free agents walk.
2) We need 3-point shooting and interior defense.
3) We need players at the 4 and 5.
If Whiteside gets the max ($22 mil in year 1), Ryan Anderson could get the remainder of the cap room (about $15 million in year 1.)
This means we could return a better version of last year's team. There's probably a downgrade with Rozier and Brown taking Turner's minutes, but it might not be huge, and it benefits giving both of those players opportunity to develop in NBA games, as well as giving Smart more opportunity to run an offense. And it means we're replacing Zeller and Sullinger with Whiteside and Anderson, which is unquestionably an upgrade.
The roster could look like this:
PG: IT, Rozier, Jackson
Wings: Bradley, Smart, Hunter, Young
Swings: Crowder, Brown, Jerebko
Stretch Bigs: Anderson, Olynyk, Bentil
Interior Bigs: Whiteside, Amir, Mickey
(I realize that's 16 players. There would presumably be a camp death match between Hunter, Young, Mickey, and Bentil, with the loser off the team. My gut says James Young loses, but I like the idea of training camp battles.)
I freely admit that's not a title club. But it's another step forward, returning most of the key elements of a 48-win team, and offering some significant improvements on some departures. It also offers development time for young players to carve out larger roles for themselves if they earn it. It should allow us to create separation between us and the 3-8 crowd. Indiana might take a jump next year, but if DeRozan leaves, Toronto could fall. And if we get Whiteside, that should knock Miami down a rung as well.
Furthermore, it leaves enough cap space for a max player next summer to join, after Amir and JJ depart. Alternatively, it means we still have their very tradeable, expiring contracts to strike on a major trade this year.
Would this be a team you could get behind, as another step forward? Or if this is the best we can do without Durant, do you still want to blow it all up?