Official: you be the GM (what would you do)

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My perfect summer

Livingston
Pierce
Sanders or Hibbert
 
If you want defense then go for Aminu and Collision and let Mo walk.

The unanswerable problem I see to the main complaints by mm is not solvable by free agency alone. We simply can't become a much better defensive team and make our bench more potent offensively by signing one mle player and a bae player. Enough offense and enough defense from 2 guys won't fix both problems as players with enough of both skills are very good starters elsewhere.

I'm not sure you need to make the bench more portent. I've said for years that Portland will be a much better team with Wes Matthews off the bench. Ideally we should try to add a starting caliber swing man like Marion and move Nic to the SG and Matthews to the bench. Try ad add a big like Hawes or someone as well? and a player like Bayless (I still love him) Then make that second unit an energy unit who changes tempo.

Marion is a very good defender and the second unit would have a lot more athleticism and be able to spread the floor with Matthews, Hawes, Bayless

I think a unit of Bayless, Barton, Matthews, Robinson and Hawes would be pretty disruptive
 
I'm not sure you need to make the bench more portent. I've said for years that Portland will be a much better team with Wes Matthews off the bench. Ideally we should try to add a starting caliber swing man like Marion and move Nic to the SG and Matthews to the bench. Try ad add a big like Hawes or someone as well? and a player like Bayless (I still love him) Then make that second unit an energy unit who changes tempo.

Marion is a very good defender and the second unit would have a lot more athleticism and be able to spread the floor with Matthews, Hawes, Bayless

I think a unit of Bayless, Barton, Matthews, Robinson and Hawes would be pretty disruptive
I like your thinking.
 
OK so how do we add a starting caliber wing, Spencer Hawes and Bayless with a 5.3 mil MLE, a 2.0mill bae and veterans minimums?
 
Good list. I'd still love for the Blazers to somehow get John Henson from Milwaukee

They're going to want to move Sanders over Henson. He would be a huge risk, but Sanders is the defensive big that we need.
 
OK so how do we add a starting caliber wing, Spencer Hawes and Bayless with a 5.3 mil MLE, a 2.0mill bae and veterans minimums?

Well, we could do a sign-and-trade for Deng or Ariza. That's really the only way. Throw the full MLE at Hawes. I don't know if I can take more of the B-Rex though. I had enough of Bayless in his first stint. There are better point guards out there.
 
OK so how do we add a starting caliber wing, Spencer Hawes and Bayless with a 5.3 mil MLE, a 2.0mill bae and veterans minimums?

Well, Mo would have to walk. Hopefully someone read the Leonar_ is a good rebounder thread and trades for him

I don't have the answer of how, but none of those names would be ridiculous to get.
 
Don't get hung up on the name. A player like him
At first glance I was a bit leery of your mention of Bayless...but I admit I haven't been following him...upon further reflection, as a backup I'm sure he'd be fine. I like his toughness, we need that kind of toughness, and he's certainly had a few years of seasoning since his Blazers days.
 
OK so how do we add a starting caliber wing, Spencer Hawes and Bayless with a 5.3 mil MLE, a 2.0mill bae and veterans minimums?

We convince Cleveland to do a S&T with Hawes, use our MLE to sign said wing, and get the best PG our BAE can get?
 
We convince Cleveland to do a S&T with Hawes, use our MLE to sign said wing, and get the best PG our BAE can get?

Wes/Leonard/Claver for Deng.

MLE for Hawes.

BAE for Livingston.

Dame/Livingston
Nic/CJ
Deng/Barton
LA/Robinson
Rolo/Hawes
 
Wes/Leonard/Claver for Deng.

MLE for Hawes.

BAE for Livingston.

Dame/Livingston
Nic/CJ
Deng/Barton
LA/Robinson
Rolo/Hawes

In Lu and LMA, you'll have a pair of starting forwards who take lots of the least effective shots in the game.

Something to think about.
 
In Lu and LMA, you'll have a pair of starting forwards who take lots of the least effective shots in the game.

Something to think about.

So what you're saying is, Deng will fit right in with Stotts team concept!
 
Ok so Livingston is going to take $2 mil a season?
 
Ok so Livingston is going to take $2 mil a season?

He only made 1.3 million last season. He's due for a raise, but I'm sure there's still questions about his long term health. I don't think anyone is going to sink a huge contract into him. He might take 2 million to be the primary backup to Dame if he's guaranteed Mo minutes (25ish a game).
 
If you really want to shake things up trade Wes + Wright + CJ and Leonard for Deng and Waiters, then Sign Hawes and DJ Augustin
 
Augustin would be a massive liablility on defense; as bad or worse than Mo.
 
If you really want to shake things up trade Wes + Wright + CJ and Leonard for Deng and Waiters, then Sign Hawes and DJ Augustin

I don't like Augistin. I think we could find a better point guard to come off the bench. I really like Chalmers, but he made 4 million last year and I don't see him leaving Miami.
 
I'm not at all, just trying to please the people who seem to think we need a major overhaul to take the next step.
 
Are some of you under the idea that Wes needs to be moved?

I like Wes a lot, but he's so streaky, and with Batum being inconsistent about when he scores I think we need another consistent scorer in the starting lineup. Someone like Deng would be great. We ran into a lot of trouble this season when both Nic and Wes were off. Plus, they're both prone to taking wild shots. I really want a stable scorer in the starting lineup. Someone has to be moved and I think Nic is too important to our offense.
 
If you really want to shake things up trade Wes + Wright + CJ and Leonard for Deng and Waiters, then Sign Hawes and DJ Augustin

That is actually a pretty interesting idea for both teams. Waiters played well towards the end of the season. But Wes would give them the veteran leadership they need.

We could play Nic and Deng together with Damian and LA and ROLO. I think this is very intriguing

Except can you include Deng in a sign and trade with other players?
 
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I like Wes a lot, but he's so streaky, and with Batum being inconsistent about when he scores I think we need another consistent scorer in the starting lineup. Someone like Deng would be great. We ran into a lot of trouble this season when both Nic and Wes were off. Plus, they're both prone to taking wild shots. I really want a stable scorer in the starting lineup. Someone has to be moved and I think Nic is too important to our offense.

Wes fits with the team like a glove. And while I agree with the idea the team could use another scorer in the lineup. When Nic decides he is going to coast. I don't know if it should be at the cost of one part of the heart of the team. I like Wes in a bench role. A role Mo served last year. If you could get Deng using CJ and parts, I think that helps the team more. I know you need money to make that happen. Which CJ doesn't have. Unless you can cap space to soak up a contract.
 
Wes fits with the team like a glove. And while I agree with the idea the team could use another scorer in the lineup. When Nic decides he is going to coast. I don't know if it should be at the cost of one part of the heart of the team. I like Wes in a bench role. A role Mo served last year. If you could get Deng using CJ and parts, I think that helps the team more. I know you need money to make that happen. Which CJ doesn't have. Unless you can cap space to soak up a contract.

Nobody thinks Wes can play off the bench. He isn't accustomed to that role, even though that's what he was originally signed to do.
 
Nobody thinks Wes can play off the bench. He isn't accustomed to that role, even though that's what he was originally signed to do.

I don't think he can be the "go to" guy off the bench, but if they sub him in early enough so he plays with the starters as well as the bench players, it would work. But I think he would need to slide to the 3 spot with the 2nd unit so someone like CJ could play SG.
 
If there has to be an odd man out in the group. Why not Nic?

What do you think his trade value is?
 
To me this is very simple... I get that we aren't great defensively, but Wes and Nic both can be very good defensively, Robin is ok, and Lamarcus is actually pretty dang good. As a Team we are middle of the pack at 16th with a Defensive rating of 104.7 pts per 100 possesions, by comparison the Heat are rated at 102.9 per 100 and rank 11th. We rank 4th for offensive rating.

Our starters were the highest scoring starting lineup in the league. To be fair our starters also played the most number of minutes of any starting lineup. Our Bench was the least productive bench in the league.

In a Nutshell our Defense isn't our biggest weakness, it's our bench.

Interesting Stat that came from this. If you look at the 4 teams in the conference finals, this is how they rank in terms of bench minutes played. Spurs #1, Thunder #3, Heat #8, Pacers #23. Now you might be thinking, well that's because their starters blow out the opponents and can coast more, but out Net rating (ORTG VS DRTG), which is based on scoring per possession total points, has us ranked 8th with a +5.6. Again by comparison, Heat #3 (+7.8), Pacers and Spurs #4 (+7.2), Thunder #7 (+6.4)
 
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