Who knows, maybe we can get David Stern to raise the roster limit from fifteen to twenty players? Seriously, the object is not to have a bench that is fifteen deep with each guy equally capable of being a rotation player, the goal is to stockpile talent for just long enough that you can then package them together to go out and get guys to surround Roy, Aldridge and Oden; guys that can play solid complimentary roles.
Holding on to players for too long, especially a bunch of young guys all operating on rookie scale deals will eventually lead to some major discord as 4 or 5 will eventually be left sitting on the bench to rot, watching their limited window of opportunity at a career and financial security narrow and eventually close up.
I know guys like Channing, Ike, etc. have been playing the part of the "good soldier" (which is much to their credit as professionals) but these guys are former lottery picks with probably enough game to at least be rotation players on another less deep team, to hold on to them and deny them an opportunity to prove themselves in what essentially amounts to a contract year seriously puts in jeopardy their ability to get picked up or get paid what they are "worth" over the summer. In fact I would argue that the mix of players KP has put together carries a serious risk of imploding unless he does a better job of staggering the ages and contract status of this roster.
You're kidding yourself if you think this team -- as currently constructed -- will look the same this time next year.
