2013 Free Agents

[Natebishop3]

The only guys we have under contract after this season are:

Aldridge
Batum
Lillard
Matthews
Leonard
Jeffries
Claver
Freeland
Barton

Here is a list of all the free agents for this summer.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/2013-nba-free-agents/

I think we should either look at adding a starting level shooting guard, or a small forward and moving Batum to guard. Here are some of the guys that stand out to me:

JJ Reddick
OJ Mayo
Jarrett Jack
Josh Smith

We could sign Reddick or Mayo and bench Matthews, no problem. I think Reddick would fit right in, although he's getting on the old side. Mayo is a much more dynamic scorer, and fits our window, but has his attitude changed?

Jack was a guy that I really wanted to get rid of back in the day, but I think he's grown a lot as a player and as a point guard. I think he'd be a great as a scorer off the bench. The question is how much he'd want.

Josh Smith would be the home run for Olshey in my opinion. Sign him to a big deal, start him at small forward and move Batum to shooting guard.

Lillard
Batum
Smith
Aldridge
Leonard

That team would be crazy athletic.

 

[santeesioux]

If Mayo can maintain his level of play, he would be a big pick-up imo.

 

[Natebishop3]

If Mayo can maintain his level of play, he would be a big pick-up imo.

Mayo would be a gamble. I think he will still require a big contract to steal him from Dallas, and this season could be an anomaly. Smith would require all our cap space, so if we could get Mayo and Jack for around 7 million each, that would be huge, but I'm not sure that could be done. Or Mayo for 8 million and Jack for 6 million.

 

[illmatic99]

Smoove + more development from Nic and Dame + a decent bench could make us a top 3 team in the West.

Oh, and I don't like a Dame/Mayo combo. Too much duplicity in their ways of scoring.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Would you guys rather sign guys like jarrett Jack and carl landry? Or just go for a homerun like al jefferson or Paul millsap?

 

[Rhal]

Would you guys rather sign guys like jarrett Jack and carl landry? Or just go for a homerun like al jefferson or Paul millsap?

Would rather go jack/redick/resign hickson more then any other scenario.

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[RR7]

I don't like the idea of Smith at SF at all. I do like the thought of Batum at SG, if we can find a SF, however.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I think with Lilliard, LA, Leonard, Matthews and Batum we have a plenty good starting lineup for the near future. I really like JJ as a backup big. Aside from that none of our players are more than marginal NBA level players at best. So I'd argue for 2 or 3 lesser players to add bench depth for any position.

 

[Rhal]

I don't like the idea of Smith at SF at all. I do like the thought of Batum at SG, if we can find a SF, however.

If we got smith id want to play him at the three but only if we have two good 3p shooters in when he is in. Cant have him hoisting up threes or 18 footers

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[HailBlazers]

The only guys we have under contract after this season are:

Aldridge
Batum
Lillard
Matthews
Leonard
Jeffries
Claver
Freeland
Barton

Solid Core right there. Would really like those bottom three rookies to get minutes this year so that they can be legit second options next year.

 

[Further]

I think Mayo will go for closer to 10 in the offseason.

Jack and Redick make sense. I don't however think we will be able to keep Hickson, he is really raising his value. So getting a big to share time with Meyers is the second most important move behind a back up PG. third would be just more bench talent.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Would rather go jack/redick/resign hickson more then any other scenario.

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Agreed; Those three plus one of Claver/Barton/Freeland (after some big improvements) would round out the bench nicely (if Leonard starts for us next season).

 

[HailBlazers]

Like the idea, but want no part of any Blazer re-treads. Andre Miller being the only exception. Or Juan Dixon

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Like the idea, but want no part of any Blazer re-treads. Andre Miller being the only exception. Or Juan Dixon

Why not? Jarrett Jack is a really good player and can play the 1 or 2 which would give us a nice little guard.rotation

 

[KingSpeed]

Good thread. Thanks for initiating this, NB. Batum has been so effective at the three, why would we want to change that? How is Reddick's defense? Matthews has been great on defense and last I checked, he's like second in he league in three point percentage for players who have taken 40 or more threes (Mayo is first). I think Jack and Reddick off the bench is good. Start Leonard and suddenly, you have a great bench: Reddick, Jack, and Hickson. I don't think we have to make it more complicated than that. I think we have to worry about disturbing chemistry with Josh Smith. Would he be interested in being the 4th option, I don't think so. We don't need more starter level players. Just a few scorers off the bench. Jack/Reddick/Hickson solves that.

 

[KingSpeed]

Would rather go jack/redick/resign hickson more then any other scenario.

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Ha, I just overlooked your post. We're on the same wave length.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

If we sign Jack and Redick and re-sign Hickson, then we'd just be a James Johnson or Jonas Jerebko away from having an all-JJ lineup.

 

[KingSpeed]

If we sign Jack and Redick and re-sign Hickson, then we'd just be a James Johnson or Jonas Jerebko away from having an all-JJ lineup.

Haha nice.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I can't say any of them light my fire. My fave would be Josh Smith, but not to play at SF, and I still prefer Aldridge at PF. I want a center and a REAL backup PG (which means not Jack: he may have got better than when he was driving us crazy but you don't acquire court vision, you're born with it), and there aren't any of either. Maybe we can use our capspace to do lopsided trades.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I like Redick.
Tony Allen?
Marvin Williams. If you forget about the "Chris Paul/Deron Williams" stuff, and look at him as a 7th-man big, you can do a lot worse than toss somewhere close to a MLE at him.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I don't like the Mayo gamble, and I'm two years clean from my Smoove obsession.

 

[julius]

I don't like the Mayo gamble, and I'm two years clean from my Smoove obsession.

Smoove?

You mean, Dr Smoov?

[video=youtube;bq1_6D9QS9Y]

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Smoove?

You mean, Dr Smoov?

[video=youtube;bq1_6D9QS9Y]

"Blaster! Aww shit!"

 

[Natebishop3]

But can we use the cap space AND re-sign Hickson?

I would like to add Reddick and I think Jack would be a good pickup. There aren't a lot of guys on the free agent list who would be willing to come off the bench, but are also quality players. Reddick and Jack would shore up our back court.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

But can we use the cap space AND re-sign Hickson?

Per Storyteller, the 8 contracts we have guaranteed for next year total 43.2M. Our draft pick (assuming we have one) will be an additional 2-3M. Hickson's cap hold will be 7.6M. So, that's basically 12M available to sign Hickson AND free agents, or about 5M available to sign free agents while retaining Hickson's bird rights.

So the short answer is, no, we really can't.

 

[Natebishop3]

Per Storyteller, the 8 contracts we have guaranteed for next year total 43.2M. Our draft pick (assuming we have one) will be an additional 2-3M. Hickson's cap hold will be 7.6M. So, that's basically 12M available to sign Hickson AND free agents, or about 5M available to sign free agents while retaining Hickson's bird rights.

So the short answer is, no, we really can't.

Well, if that's the case, I think we should seriously consider a deal with Orlando. I wonder if they'd do a trade of Reddick for Hickson and Babbitt? At least that way we'd get Reddick's bird rights and we could go after someone else as well.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Nikola.

Pekovic.

 

[Sinobas]

I wouldn't throw a big contract at Pekovic or OJ Mayo. There are really no realistic options out there worthy of a max level contract, which is usually needed to land the best FAs. Our biggest need is for a backup PG. I'd look at Jarrett Jack or Beno Udrih. Also, we should definitly re-sign Hickson unless someone makes him a ridiculous offer.

Another good pickup would be Chase Budinger. He could backup the 2/3.

 

[magnifier661]

Fuck that ball hog Mayo. So we got around 5 mil to sign a free agent? I think we better show some promise this season. Maybe we get lucky and find a vet that will play for a little less and be our main guy off the bench. I doubt we get a starter though; unless it's via lopsided trade.

 

[Sinobas]

Well, we could always renounce our bird rights to Hickson. Would the Blazers give him a 7.5 million per year contract? I'm thinking not. So why not renounce him, clear get your 12 million in space and play the FA market. 4 mil is the best Hickson could get this year.....maybe his value would go up a little next off season...