Like most people I'm already comfortable with taking the long road and wait for our younger prospects to blossom. Still if we want to compete within the next 5 years, we need to make our moves this summer, last chance. There are lots of threads and rumours about a signing of Gordon Hayward, but to me Blake Griffin is a far more logical candidate to go after.
But creating the cap space to be able to sign him is difficult and adding Griffin alone isn't enough as the Celtic's organisation has already told that it's two players away from contending. And we don't want to throw our promising future in the ditch, while getting that second stud and it has to be sustainable to be worth it. I think there's a way if all things work out, so let's look at my proposal. Also I tried to be as accurate as possible with salaries and CBA rules, but it's very hard.
Released/trades/picks/cap space/signings:
Released: James Young, Gerald Green, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Mickey, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk
3-way trade with Brooklyn and Portland: Brook Lopez to Boston, Al Horford to Portland, Evan Turner + Meyers Leonard + Portland draft picks to Nets
Trade with Indiana: Paul George to Boston, Avery Bradley + Jae Crowder + Tyler Zeller + Brooklyn '18 1st+ LA Clippers '19 1st to Indiana
Picks: 1st: Markelle Fultz, 37th: Thomas Bryant
Cap holds and cap space (thanks to Jvalin and others):
Cap holds (12 players): Lopez (22,6), George (19,3), Fultz (7,0), Thomas (6,3), Brown (5,0), Smart (4,5), Rozier (2,0), Zizic (1,6), Jackson (1,4) + 3 spots (0,8) = 71,3 million
Cap space: 102 - 71,3 = 30,7 million (necessary for max contract 7-9 years: 30,6)
Sign: Blake Griffin (132/4), Free agent (PF) (for MLE), Gerald Green (vet min), Jonas Jerebko (vet min), Abdel Nader (1,3) and Ante Zizic (1,3)
Stash: Guerschon Yabusele and possibly late 2nd rounders
Season 2017/2018
Isaiah Thomas PG 6,3
Demetrius Jackson PG 1,4
Terry Rozier PG 2,0
Markelle Fultz PG 5,9
Marcus Smart PG 4,5
Gerald Green SG 2,3
Jaylen Brown SF 5,0
Paul George SF 19,3
Abdel Nader SF 1,3
Blake Griffin PF 30,6
Jonas Jerebko PF 2,1
Free agent PF 4,3
Brook Lopez C 22,6
Ante Zizic C 1,3
Thomas Bryant C 1,0
Total salary: 109,9
Salary cap: 102
Luxury tax: 122
Main rotation:
Thomas Smart George Griffin Lopez
Fultz Rozier Brown Free agent Zizic
Then let go of Brook Lopez, sign Paul George to the max (140/4), resign Isaiah Thomas (96/4) and Marcus Smart (40/4), bring Yabusele over and sign a free agent (a center) for the MLE.
Season 2018/2019 (and beyond)
Isaiah Thomas PG 24,0
Demetrius Jackson PG 1,4
Terry Rozier PG 3,2
Markelle Fultz PG 6,9
Marcus Smart PG 10,0
Gerald Green SG 2,4
Jaylen Brown SF 5,1
Paul George SF 32,4
Abdel Nader SF 1,3
Blake Griffin PF 32,1
Guerschon Yabusele PF 1,6
Jonas Jerebko PF 2,2
Free agent C 4,6
Ante Zizic C 1,3
Thomas Bryant C 1,0
Total salary: 129.5
Salary cap: 108
Luxury tax: 130
Main rotation:
Thomas Fultz George Griffin Zizic
Rozier Smart Brown Jerebko Free agent
Remarks:
- I don't like letting Olynyk go for nothing, but this is the only way.
- trading Horford is necessary to create that extra cap space for a max free agent and the ability to keep 2 new stars + Thomas after next season.
- Crowder gets superfluous when we trade for George, but has good value, so logical to trade him, Bradley instead of Smart is necessary for cap space. And we need to add the '18 Nets pick to make the trade interesting for the Pacers.
- I hope my calculations for the cap space are complete and accurate.
- In 2018 there won't be a lot of teams with max cap space and probably reluctant to pay Thomas a max contract, so to me that salary is already on the high end.
- A player like George that plays for a contender will not leave that situation for a childhood crush on the Lakers. The Lakers don't have anything appealing that makes George believe that he can win a championship there.
- I would say that the 2017/18 team is absolutely stacked, but in 2018/19 it get's thinner. Though on the other hand Rozier, Fultz, Brown and Zizic may have made big leaps forward.
- We are able to stay under the luxury tax. Get our stars and also maintain a young core for the future.
Topic: Ultimate effort to build a contender right now (Read 1252 times)