Zombie Summer of 2016 NBA Free Agency

[OSUBlazerfan]

Since the Blazers didn't hamper their cap flexibility for 2016 during this trade deadline, I started looking at the possibilities in Free Agency.

http://hoopshype.com/2016/01/16/nba-free-agency-2016-the-top-players/

Olshey has always had 'his guy' targeted and offered at 12:01 EST opening day of free agency. So who is he targeting this year?

Looking at the options, the only ones that really make sense are:

Durant - Unrestriced - Will sign a one-year deal most likely with OKC
Drummond - Restricted - Will get maxed no matter what and matched by the Pistons
Al Horford - Unrestricted - Will get maxed out by someone
Demar Derozan - Player option - Will probably opt out and get maxed by someone
Harrison Barnes - Restricted - Will get maxed out, but the warriors will probably not be able to match
Chandler Parsons - Player option - no idea here, but i doubt the Blazers would max him
Nicolas Batum - Unrestriced - Doubt the Blazers go back to that well.

So NO basically I believe has to decide between Horford/Derozan/Barnes.

I think he goes after Derozan. What do you think?

 

[Scalma]

Barnes.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Barnes.

There's risk he gets retained and NO will be left holding the bag. I think Barnes is > than Derozan for us.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Reporters have speculated that Batum will be offered the max on the first day of free agency. Batum loves PDX, and made sure to say so in multiple ways last time he was here. SF isn't our biggest need, but he is very desirable, despite some grumblings here.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Terrance Jones.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I think Marvin Williams would be a decent under the radar pick up

 

[rotary111]

What do you guys think of Warriors Festus Ezeli? He has shown some real promise but could be more of the same for us. Stealing him and Barnes from the back to back champs could be nice for us.

Sent from my SM-G900P

 

[Draco]

I don't think we target any of those players. Drummond and Barnes are locks to be matched. Horford, Batum, DeRozen, Parsons all stay with their current teams for the max and grab that 5th year. Durant isn't realistic and is frankly just a waste of time when so many other free agents will decide in the first couple days.

I expect an Aminu or Ed Davis type of signing. Neil has a history of trying to buy low on very undervalued players.

Kent Bazemore and Boban Marjanovic are more the types of players I could see us target. Perhaps Festus Ezeli depending on what else the Warriors do. Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, maybe Al Jefferson if we look for a veteran and they have less than expected contract offers.

I think we will primarily focus on our own free agents and extending CJ, Plumlee.

 

[TBpup]

I don't think we target any of those players. Drummond and Barnes are locks to be matched. Horford, Batum, DeRozen, Parsons all stay with their current teams for the max and grab that 5th year. Durant isn't realistic and is frankly just a waste of time when so many other free agents will decide in the first couple days.

I expect an Aminu or Ed Davis type of signing. Neil has a history of trying to buy low on very undervalued players.

Kent Bazemore and Boban Marjanovic are more the types of players I could see us target. Perhaps Festus Ezeli depending on what else the Warriors do. Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, maybe Al Jefferson if we look for a veteran and they have less than expected contract offers.

I think we will primarily focus on our own free agents and extending CJ, Plumlee.

So no moving the needle....

 

[riverman]

I like that Olshey mentioned he'd fielded a ton of calls from teams that wanted guys from the roster now...and he said we wanted them more so no deal

 

[Draco]

So no moving the needle....

Adding Varejao salary for next season is an indicator the team doesn't plan to chase needle movers.

Gerald Henderson could be our main target. Yes he's a bit older than our core but if he finishes the season well and we can lock him up for 3 years I think we do it. Nothing better out there in available free agents.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Olshey has gone after max guys before, the aminu's and Davis's were after failed attempts

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Adding Varejao salary for next season is an indicator the team doesn't plan to chase needle movers.

Its 2 million in cap......

 

[riverman]

Adding Varejao salary for next season is an indicator the team doesn't plan to chase needle movers.

Gerald Henderson could be our main target. Yes he's a bit older than our core but if he finishes the season well and we can lock him up for 3 years I think we do it. Nothing better out there in available free agents.

I get the impression Neil is confident in creating needle movers with Stotts at the helm...CJ wasn't a needle mover 2 years ago

 

[oldfisherman]

The priority will be to re-sign our own FA players NO wants to keep.

Besides the names already mentioned in this thread as under the radar prospects, I would add the Pacer’s 2 FA centers Ian Mahinmi & Jordan Hill to the list.

 

[Draco]

Its 2 million in cap......

Look at the Magic, they could've kept the first round pick from Cleveland and had Varejao salary. Instead they are aiming to have more free agent flexibility so they let us have the draft pick.

I'm glad Neil valued a pick more than free agent cap room.

 

[Scalma]

Batum is gonna end up in SA somehow.

 

[riverman]

Batum is gonna end up in SA somehow.

I predict New Orleans..his favorite city here, or Toronto

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I wouldn't be quick to think Parsons stays. Dallas isn't set up well in the future. I'd gamble on him if his knee is ok. Dame and him seemed to get along very well at team USA after "the shot"

 

[KingSpeed]

Don't want DeRozen. We are set with CJ and Crabbe. There is only one basketball and a finite amount of minutes to go around.

 

[santeesioux]

I would definitely try Parsons if he's healthy because as mentioned, Dallas is going nowhere but down, and then a toxic offer to Barnes if that doesn't work. Outside of Batum I don't think any of the other guys are realistic unless Derozen hates Canada and is as big a friend of Lillard as we've been led to believe.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

From a roster POV, it makes the most sense to go after a PF.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

From a roster POV, it makes the most sense to go after a PF.

I agree. But we need talent. If Parsons signed I'd go with aminu at the 4.

But yeah, I think a scoring 4 that plays decent defense (I'd love millsap, but hes older and no free agent) would really improve the team

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I agree. But we need talent. If Parsons signed I'd go with aminu at the 4.

But yeah, I think a scoring 4 that plays decent defense (I'd love millsap, but hes older and no free agent) would really improve the team

I'm currently on the Ryan Anderson Bandwagon...

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I'm currently on the Ryan Anderson Bandwagon...

I wouldnt mind that addition. Not a fan of his d, but he definitely can score and I think would be a realistic free agent target for us. Especially because I think meyers leaves this offseason

 

[Scalma]

Ryan Anderson is an undersized Meyers Leonard. No thanks.

 

[Natebishop3]

Parsons would be a solid get. So would Horford. Either one of those guys would really help our team next year.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Ryan Anderson is an undersized Meyers Leonard. No thanks.

Well, we probably won't get him, so you can be happy. However, if you think RA and Biebs are similar, I would strongly disagree. The reason Biebs is really a center is that he can't move his feet enough to move from the paint to a shooter and vice-versa. He also can't dribble. Not only can Ryan Anderson move his feet and dribble, he can go around defenders and score. OTOH, Biebs can guard centers, Anderson can't. Anderson is a 4-3, Biebs is a 5 on a team with 2 other 5s.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Ryan Anderson is an undersized Meyers Leonard. No thanks.

Leonard is never going to average close to 20 ppg

Or even 17 ppg.

 

[Draco]

Kind of interesting how Dwight Howard had no value; they couldn't even get a first round pick for him. An injured Donatas Motiejunas on an expiring contract was worth more.

Really makes you wonder what Dwights free agency will look like. He's burned bridges with a number of teams. With so much small ball there's very few teams out there in need of a center, and a flood of available restricted free agent centers. I think he will expect Houston to offer a multi year deal and they'll decide to go in a different direction.

If a team needs a center he might be available for just a huge one year contract. There will be a team with boatload under the cap left when the other top free agents sign elsewhere first. A team could sell him on rebuilding his value; the team is protected from long term salary with his injuries. Similar to the Rondo deal last summer but for double the money.

With us already having Plumlee and Davis it probably doesn't make sense here.