Now that the season is over for us, what players do you think the Bobcats should pursue this offseason? Here's my take... Assuming we draft Chris Paul, shooting guard is the next position that needs to be upgraded. The two guard was the Bobcats' most inconsistent position this season having so many different starters (Kapono, Eddie House, Steve Smith, Bogans, Rush, and even Hart). There will be many great players who can fill that need. 1. Michael Redd, Milwaukee: If Redd decides to test the market, the Bobcats should definitely go after this guy. Redd is still young (26) and he's a proven scorer which is what the Bobcats need. If Charlotte had someone who can consistently score 20 points per night, they would be greatly improved. That factor would be the difference in that league leading 22 games decided by 3 points or less. Having a scorer would put the Bobcats on the opposite side of those games. However, Redd is definitely going to get a lot of suitors with Milwaukee and Cleveland being major players. One can only dream... 2. Joe Johnson, Phoenix: If the Bobcats are unable to land Redd, Johnson should be their next target. While he's not quite the scorer Redd is, Johnson has proved he can take over a game numerous times. He shot a great 3PT percentage this season (47%) while finishing 10th in 3 pointers made. Johnson is still young at 24, and the Bobcats future would look great with him. However, I don't see why Johnson would leave a team with the best record in the NBA and sign with a team that had the 2nd worst. However, money talks and Charlotte could offer more than Phoenix could be willing to offer. Other teams will also be in the mix, like Cleveland who is sure to target him if they are unsuccessful to get Redd. Johnson is also restricted, and Phoenix says they will match any offer but I'm sure they'd want to avoid luxury-tax land and paying JJ $7-8 million a year will put them dangerously close to the threshold. Especially since they will be giving Stoudemire a max deal. 3. Bobby Simmons, LA Clippers: Simmons will be one of the more coveted free agents since he's unrestricted and teams shouldn't have to break the bank to sign him. Sounds perfect for the Bobcats. Simmons kept improving through the course of the season. In February, Simmons averaged 20 ppg, making 50% of his field goals and 57% of his three pointers. That's amazing. He's young, versatile and a great rebounder for his size. What is there not to like? 4. Ronald "Flip" Murray, Seattle: Filled in quite well for Ray Allen last season, scoring 20 points or more in 10 of the first 11 games. However, this season he hasn't been used as much and has somewhat fallen out of the Sonics' rotation. Undersized at 6'3" and his defense is suspect. Still could be an interesting prospect for the Bobcats. Also a restricted free agent. 5. Marko Jaric, LA Clippers: Another Clipper. Jaric can play either guard spot, so that's very appealing. Has great 3 point range, and is one of the leaders in steals per 48 minutes. The only knock against him is his durability. Injuries have been a problem the past couple seasons. Teams looking to upgrade at PG are also sure to go after him. The Bobcats also need more depth at center, but don't look for them to try to find some high talent to fill that need. They are content with Primoz and would want to save more of their cap space for the 2007 offseason.
yall might want to make a run on strolime swift. just think, okafor and swift in the paint. both are young and developing. think about how it would be like 3 or 4 years from now. damn!
you guys may want to keep in mind that you only receive 2/3 of the NBA salary cap this year. it might not be all that wise to throw a ton of $$$ at any free agents, cuz if whoever you sign turns out to be a bust, you'll be screwed. it sounds tough, but it's going to be another year till the cats can really be competitive in the FA market. i'm sure its tough on you guys as fans, i'm sure i'd have already lost interest that said, your management really seems to have a good plan for the franchise. i think the cats would be wise to grab paul or deron williams and re-sign restricted FA gerald wallace before he hits the open market, and also re-sign one of keith bogans or rush (i think bogans is a better bet-he's tough on D, rebounds well for a guard and could develop into a real key 6th man for you guys who can defend, rebound and score in spurts...). that way, you lock up the only key FA's your franchise has, while also getting a real solid PG for the team to grow with. after next year, when you receive the full cap, you can make a run at some vets to help in a playoff push. but your organization is really off to an impressive start!
Seeing as Paul may be snatched up by the Hornets now that they likely aren't going to keep Dickau, I say take a chance on Deron Williams. Then with our second 1st rounder, take either Martell Webster, Antoine Wright, or Danny Granger. Lets say we take Webster and D.Williams, we could have a solid lineup in the long run. C- Primoz Brezec/Emeka Okafor/Melvin Ely PF- Emeka Okafor/Melvin Ely/Malik Allen SF- Gerald Wallace/Jason Kapono/Martell Webster/Theron Smith SG- Martell Webster/Keith Bogans/Kareem Rush/Matt Carroll PG- Brevin Knight/Deron Williams/Jason Hart/Cory Alexander Brevin can mentor young Williams which will only do good for him and maybe if Knight eventually leaves Williams will ready to be a starter. As for Webster, I think he can start right away. From what i've seen from him he is a very solid player which I think is possibly one of most NBA ready high schoolers this year. Webster is a great shooter which we could always use and plus he can switch over to the SF position when it's needed.
A new article came out and it said the Hornets are going to bring Dickau back and go after Marvin Williams in the draft. They actually have Marvin ahead of Bogut. Players I'd like to see them bring back... Brevin Knight, Gerald Wallace, Matt Carroll, and Keith Bogans The Bobcats will likely end up drafting Chris Paul, which gives them two great building blocks to go along with Okafor. With the second pick they will have a lot of options to choose from. I really like Danny Granger on the team, because he gives them more athleticism and he's NBA ready. They should go after a shooter in the free agent market. Kyle Korver, Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Marko Jaric, Vladimir Radmonivic, or Joe Johnson After bringing back the players mentioned above, and having two guaranteed rookie contracts on their books, I think Bobcats will only be able to land one big name free agent, or two smaller free agents. I would like to see them go after Jaric and Radman in the off-season to balance out the offense, and really make it easier for Brezec and Okafor on the inside. PG - Paul/Knight/Hart SG - Jaric/Bogans/Carrol SF - Radman/Wallace/Granger PF - Okafor/Radman/Ely C - Brezec/Ely
Free agents I'd like to see the Bobcats grab over this offseason (they only have 4 players under contract, then adding the two guaranteed 1st round draft picks will make it 6, thus there are still 6 active spots and 3 IR spots, so I think they can sign every single one of these guys): 1. Larry Hughes If I were the Bobcats, I would consider taking a gamble on Larry Hughes. Although he's always an injury risk, he's still in his prime at age 26 and proved he could have been an all-star this season (missing due to the injury). He's not the shooter the team needs, but he's an effective scorer in all situations and knows how the share the ball, too. I'd bet he'd be looked over by teams who are salivating after Allen, Redd, or Johnson, who are the "hottest" guards in the league. I'd go with a strong offer, like the contract offered to Q-Rich, at about $7.5 million a year, still giving them $10 million after signing their draft picks to sign other players. He's also unrestricted unlike many other free agents - the only worry is that Washington will be bidding hard for his services. 2. Vladimir Radmonivic Another undervalued guy who's been stuck behind Rashard Lewis. At 25 years of age, he's still improving as well. He's also inexpensive in comparison to some of the other bigger names, probably able to be had for just about $5-6 million a year. Although he's restricted, there's a chance the Bobcats can get him if the Sonics are tied up in re-signing Allen and/or Murray. 3. Sarunas Jasikevicius Someone has to give this Lithuanian sharpshooter a chance. If he really wants to play and thinks he can win on any team, why not the Bobcats? He'd likely be fighting for minutes still on other teams, which is not as likely here. I'm not sure how much money it would take to get him here, though, as he's getting good money in Europe. 4. Darrell Armstrong Unless the Bobcats are overstocked at the point, I think Armstrong would be a welcome addition as a veteran player-coach type. He'd likely sign for the minimum and I think he only wants to play for a year - so why not return to Charlotte? He played with the Hornets and hails from NC originally, although he lives in Florida in the off-season (where he got his first shot with the Magic). I'd also like them to re-sign Wallace, Knight, and Carroll. Wallace is under the team option of the rookie contract, while Knight will probably have the most competition to sign him. Still, they could probably get all of these guys and still be at about $29 million for the year, and in good shape for 2006 (although the big assumption is that no one will overpay for anyone.)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">A new article came out and it said the Hornets are going to bring Dickau back and go after Marvin Williams in the draft. They actually have Marvin ahead of Bogut. Players I'd like to see them bring back... Brevin Knight, Gerald Wallace, Matt Carroll, and Keith Bogans The Bobcats will likely end up drafting Chris Paul, which gives them two great building blocks to go along with Okafor. With the second pick they will have a lot of options to choose from. I really like Danny Granger on the team, because he gives them more athleticism and he's NBA ready. They should go after a shooter in the free agent market. Kyle Korver, Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Marko Jaric, Vladimir Radmonivic, or Joe Johnson After bringing back the players mentioned above, and having two guaranteed rookie contracts on their books, I think Bobcats will only be able to land one big name free agent, or two smaller free agents. I would like to see them go after Jaric and Radman in the off-season to balance out the offense, and really make it easier for Brezec and Okafor on the inside. PG - Paul/Knight/Hart SG - Jaric/Bogans/Carrol SF - Radman/Wallace/Granger PF - Okafor/Radman/Ely C - Brezec/Ely</div> dude, i'm not totally up on the salary cap, but don't the cats have very little cap space cuz of the restrictions put in place by the league for them being an expansion franchise? I mean Gerald Wallace, Kareem Rush and Keith Bogans are all restricted free agents, and they will have to re-sign at least two of them. Wouldn't that, combined with the money they'd have to pay to a top 3 pick, set them in a place where they have very little room to make a run at free agents? i mean, the main attraction that charlotte could offer any F.A is that they could give em a bunch of money. they're not a contender, so no F.A is gonna want to come to Charlotte for little money. i dunno about that. i think that with two first round picks to sign, plus two quality young free agents, there isn't gonna be much room under the cap to spend on outside free agents. oh and i forgot-brevin knight is an unrestricted free agent, so after the kind of year he's had, teams are gonna throw big bucks at him. look at the contracts that guys like rafer alston and troy hudson got. they're in the same class (well, alston is for sure) that knight is in-a veteran, free agent PG, and that's valuable to a lot of teams, and like we learned last offseason, teams WILL throw a lot of money at those guys. so it's gonna be tough to re-sign two of the young F.A's, cuz they are gonna get offers from other teams, and it's gonna be even tougher to re-sign them AND knight. i think that the cats would be wise to lock up gerald wallace first and foremost. he's an exciting, athletic player who's game is consistent with what bickerstaff is trying to make that team. he can run, shoot a little, get out and defend, create pressure. that's the kind of player that bickerstaff favors. after that, they should try and lock up bogans, cuz he's a real good perimeter defender and rebounder. they can prolly get carroll back for a cheaper price than rush, so if there's money left after re-signing the first two guys that i mentioned, that's where the money should go. i don't think that keeping knight is of utmost importance, cuz hart isn't a bad player and their top draft pick will most likely be a PG. so there's a solid tandem there. the cats' 2nd first round pick will most likely be a wing player who can score-that's likely going to be the type of player on the board around the time that charlotte picks in the middle of the 1st round-a guy like webster, granger or wright. you can always find another shooter/scorer; guys like wallace and bogans aren't all that common. plus they still have kapono, who i don't think is a F.A. either way, they'll prolly be able to bring back carroll relatively cheap, so a scoring wing isn't all that important of a position to fill for this team. i think the frontcourt is solid and that little money or picks need to be used there. but i think that the cats should worry about locking up bogans and wallace, plus their 1st round picks, not about bringing in a bunch of free agents. cliffs: i don't think the cats should be as concerned with signing free agents as they should be with keeping their guys and building through the draft, due to their limitted cap space.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Schaddy:</div><div class="quote_post">dude, i'm not totally up on the salary cap, but don't the cats have very little cap space cuz of the restrictions put in place by the league for them being an expansion franchise? I mean Gerald Wallace, Kareem Rush and Keith Bogans are all restricted free agents, and they will have to re-sign at least two of them. Wouldn't that, combined with the money they'd have to pay to a top 3 pick, set them in a place where they have very little room to make a run at free agents? i mean, the main attraction that charlotte could offer any F.A is that they could give em a bunch of money. they're not a contender, so no F.A is gonna want to come to Charlotte for little money. i dunno about that. i think that with two first round picks to sign, plus two quality young free agents, there isn't gonna be much room under the cap to spend on outside free agents. oh and i forgot-brevin knight is an unrestricted free agent, so after the kind of year he's had, teams are gonna throw big bucks at him. look at the contracts that guys like rafer alston and troy hudson got. they're in the same class (well, alston is for sure) that knight is in-a veteran, free agent PG, and that's valuable to a lot of teams, and like we learned last offseason, teams WILL throw a lot of money at those guys. so it's gonna be tough to re-sign two of the young F.A's, cuz they are gonna get offers from other teams, and it's gonna be even tougher to re-sign them AND knight. i think that the cats would be wise to lock up gerald wallace first and foremost. he's an exciting, athletic player who's game is consistent with what bickerstaff is trying to make that team. he can run, shoot a little, get out and defend, create pressure. that's the kind of player that bickerstaff favors. after that, they should try and lock up bogans, cuz he's a real good perimeter defender and rebounder. they can prolly get carroll back for a cheaper price than rush, so if there's money left after re-signing the first two guys that i mentioned, that's where the money should go. i don't think that keeping knight is of utmost importance, cuz hart isn't a bad player and their top draft pick will most likely be a PG. so there's a solid tandem there. the cats' 2nd first round pick will most likely be a wing player who can score-that's likely going to be the type of player on the board around the time that charlotte picks in the middle of the 1st round-a guy like webster, granger or wright. you can always find another shooter/scorer; guys like wallace and bogans aren't all that common. plus they still have kapono, who i don't think is a F.A. either way, they'll prolly be able to bring back carroll relatively cheap, so a scoring wing isn't all that important of a position to fill for this team. i think the frontcourt is solid and that little money or picks need to be used there. but i think that the cats should worry about locking up bogans and wallace, plus their 1st round picks, not about bringing in a bunch of free agents. cliffs: i don't think the cats should be as concerned with signing free agents as they should be with keeping their guys and building through the draft, due to their limitted cap space.</div> limited cap space? wtf are you talking about!
I thought signing your own free agents doesn't count against your cap space? I don't think players like Wallace, Bogans, Carroll, or Knight will command much in terms of being paid. The Bobcats should be able to bring Bogans and Carroll back for $1 to $1.5M, Knight is worth at the most $3M, and Wallace is probably worth $2.5 to $3M per season. Brevin Knight is a luxury at this point, especially if they draft Chris Paul. They might be able to sell Knight by offering him a career after basketball with the franchise. They should have enough to grab Radman or Jaric. 2005/06 Charlotte Bobcats Payroll: $10.5 million 2005/06 Estimated NBA Salary Cap: $45 million Roughly: $34.5 million under cap I wouldn't bring back Kapono or Rush The attraction the Bobcats can offer is playing time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">I thought signing your own free agents doesn't count against your cap space? I don't think players like Wallace, Bogans, Carroll, or Knight will command much in terms of being paid. The Bobcats should be able to bring Bogans and Carroll back for $1 to $1.5M, Knight is worth at the most $3M, and Wallace is probably worth $2.5 to $3M per season. Brevin Knight is a luxury at this point, especially if they draft Chris Paul. They might be able to sell Knight by offering him a career after basketball with the franchise. They should have enough to grab Radman or Jaric. 2005/06 Charlotte Bobcats Payroll: $10.5 million 2005/06 Estimated NBA Salary Cap: $45 million Roughly: $34.5 million under cap I wouldn't bring back Kapono or Rush The attraction the Bobcats can offer is playing time.</div> hmm. well that puts a different spin on things, doesn't it? i think they should spend their money on solid vets, though. guys who defend, who know the game. guys who have something to teach and give to the young players. cuz that's the foundation of this team, anyways. any F.A they bring in most likely won't be a piller of their franchise-okafor and their top pick will be the pillers.
Well, the Bobcats have about $20 million in cap space even with the expansion team restrictions (75%, which is about $30 million total). I don't think the Bobcats can go over though, although they can use their MLE. The only way teams can go over is with exceptions or by re-signing players who have Bird rights, and Bird rights don't transfer normally (obviously no one on the team has Bird rights, because there's no way they could have been on the team for 3 years). I could be wrong and there could be a Bird-rights-transfer-exception for expansion teams, but if there is, it's not apparent from any documents I have. While Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff has been on record as saying he would be conservative until the summer 2006 offseason, there are few big names in that offseason. (The top names are Shaq and Ben Wallace, then the second tier is Tayshaun Prince, Drew Gooden, Jason Terry, Keith Van Horn, Tim Thomas, Nene, Mike Dunleavy, and Cuttino Mobley.) I'd rather spend a little money now, to invest for the future (although another set of top draft picks would be awesome for the Bobcats as well).
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Zhone:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, the Bobcats have about $20 million in cap space even with the expansion team restrictions (75%, which is about $30 million total). I don't think the Bobcats can go over though, although they can use their MLE. The only way teams can go over is with exceptions or by re-signing players who have Bird rights, and Bird rights don't transfer normally (obviously no one on the team has Bird rights, because there's no way they could have been on the team for 3 years). I could be wrong and there could be a Bird-rights-transfer-exception for expansion teams, but if there is, it's not apparent from any documents I have. While Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff has been on record as saying he would be conservative until the summer 2006 offseason, there are few big names in that offseason. (The top names are Shaq and Ben Wallace, then the second tier is Tayshaun Prince, Drew Gooden, Jason Terry, Keith Van Horn, Tim Thomas, Nene, Mike Dunleavy, and Cuttino Mobley.) I'd rather spend a little money now, to invest for the future (although another set of top draft picks would be awesome for the Bobcats as well).</div> cap knowledge
The Warriors cap issues make trading Mike Dunleavy and Rodney White the most viable moves for them-and the Bobcats are the natural fit. Both were NC college players,and Charlotte can deal with moderate contracts after next season. The # 13 pick would work for the Warriors. White is athletic but really needs playing time to become a talent. Dunleavy improved quite a bit,got tougher,and mainly he's got good smarts for a young player,as well as shooters touch. The Warriors have several RD2 picks in 07,the Hornets may be able to get one or two of them in the package. It could work for both teams.
Good stuff, REREM. Of course if I was the Bobcats I might think twice about how the defense will work since Brezec plays a lot like Troy Murphy, (minus the rebounding/ability to drive) and Dun can get burned on the drive quite a bit. But, it's sometimes better than having a small forward that can't shoot or doesn't know when to pass. His defense isn't that bad since he got tougher and more aggressive. He tries at least rather than gives up and watches.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Schaddy:</div><div class="quote_post">you guys may want to keep in mind that you only receive 2/3 of the NBA salary cap this year. it might not be all that wise to throw a ton of $$$ at any free agents, cuz if whoever you sign turns out to be a bust, you'll be screwed. it sounds tough, but it's going to be another year till the cats can really be competitive in the FA market. i'm sure its tough on you guys as fans, i'm sure i'd have already lost interest</div> Although I'm pretty late at replying, and what I'm about to say has pretty much already been said... Even though we only get about 2/3 of our total cap space to spend, we still are in the upper tier this season of teams with the highest cap space. We have $20 million to spend, and I believe the only team that has more is Atlanta. I also know that it would not be wise to spend all that money right away. However, I don't think that means the Bobcats should totally disregard the talent that is going to be available this offseason. If the Bobcats have a shot at landing someone like Joe Johnson, they should definitely take it. Strike while the iron's hot, as the saying goes. And I'm sure Bobcats' management will take a look at some of these players. I can see them realistically pursuing Johnson, Simmons, Radmanovic, or Korver. Unlike the NFL, it's very rare to see NBA teams built through the draft. Free agency plays an integral part in building a successful NBA franchise. I also believe the Bobcats will bring back Brevin. Bickerstaff called Knight the team's MVP. In an interview I saw on TV, Brevin talked about how this season has been the best time he's had during his NBA career and that he definitely wants to return. If the Bobcats were to draft Chris Paul, I wouldn't mind having Brevin backing him up and having the veteran leadership to guide Paul through the season. PG Chris Paul / Brevin Knight / Jason Hart SG Joe Johnson / Jason Hart / Matt Carroll SF Gerald Wallace / Danny Granger / Bernard Robinson PF Emeka Okafor / Melvin Ely C Primoz Brezec / Melvin Ely / Free Agent With that type of lineup in the Bobcats' second season, they would be quickly headed in the right direction. The Bobcats would still have plenty of cap flexibility to make any key trades or spend on any key free agents during the next offseason. The Bobcats won't be great next season (maybe a 25-30 win team). But when year 3 comes around, if they play their cards right, watch out.
As was mentioned above, the only reason any player would choose to sign with the Bobcats is to get more playing time. Do any of you actually believe that you could ever get Joe Johnson? Come on. Be realistic.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MaxBallin:</div><div class="quote_post">Do any of you actually believe that you could ever get Joe Johnson?</div> Yes. What team do you think this is? Atlanta? New Orleans? The Bobcats have two lottery picks. If the Bobcats come away with a very good draft, the team will just look all the more inviting to potential free agents. They would have a solid foundation laid out, and a very bright future. Many NBA experts see this, and players will as well. Charlotte is also getting a brand new state-of-the-art arena with better facilities, etc. Players could find that more alluring. Really, I don't see what there is not to like with the direction this team is heading. It's all uphill, not down. The biggest thing is, as said before, despite the league's salary cap restrictions on the Bobcats, they still have $20 million dollars worth of cap space. That's enough to make any legit offer to a player like JJ, Hughes, etc., and to still re-sign our own key free agents like Brezec, Wallace, and Knight. I name Joe Johnson because he's the only player I can realistically see Bickerstaff offering big money to. He fits the mold perfectly for the type of player Bickerstaff wants. And all it would take to lure young players like Johnson to this team is to offer them more money than most teams would. Johnson isn't a player nearing the end of his career looking to be on a contender. He's only 23 years old. He has many years ahead of him. Many good years at that. Now, I'll rephrase the question. Do I think the Bobcats have a chance at landing Joe Johnson? Yes. Do I think they will land Joe Johnson? Probably not. I believe Bickerstaff will shy away at offerring any player right now max dollars, and that may be what it would take to pry JJ away from Phoenix and other potential suitors. However, if the Bobcats can get him for just $8-9 million a year, then they should go for it. "If there is a guy out there who you think could be part of your core group in the future -- a significant contributor -- I think you'd have to go for it," Bickerstaff said. Then he added a "but." "We have to spend it wisely. ... We have to (avoid) egos getting involved because you want to win. We've got to do what's best for the franchise over the long-term period. My winning (as coach) is not important, and we need to control that ego part of it." Source: Charlotte Observer (registration required) That reiterates my point that Bickerstaff will be interested in acquiring JJ, but would shy away if max dollars is what it takes to get him. That quote also shows how smart and dedicated this management is at making this team successful in the future.
Excellent post Triple, couldn't have said it better myself. Anyway, i've been looking at different draft scenarios lately and one draft scenario that is starting to intrigue me more and more when I look at it, is drafting Chris Paul and Danny Granger. While Chris Paul is pretty much the duh! pick, I've been reading a little bit about Granger and he sounds like he could be the perfect choice for our second 1st rounder. He has a excellent all around skill set to him and probably would be going higher if he wasn't going to such a low profile school, New Mexico. Landing Granger and Paul could give us one hell of a defensive lineup along with Primoz, Emeka, and Gerald. Plus with this, you can move Wallace to SG and put Granger at SF which could be very scary, that is assuming we don't land a FA SG this summer. The starting lineup could most likely look like this: C- Primoz Brezec PF- Emeka Okafor SF- Danny Granger SG- Gerald Wallace PG- Chris Paul What do you guys think?
The Bobcats would be lucky enough just to grab a player like Flip Murray or Marko Jaric...I really dont see them grabbing a top 10 free agent this year...the Bobcats might be an attraction to a young player needing PT but they're not really going to attract a top-tier FA because they're about 3-4 years away from being playoff contenders...
