10 Mid-Level Exception Targets for Free Agency

https://youtu.be/lAugraI-Tno

Let me know what you think of the guys I've listed, and if I missed anyone you would target.

 

Nice video...
Two older additions but serviceable players: Ibaka & Dragic...4/5 & a back up pg to Dame that can still gun sling.
I like Kelly O as a back up big.

 

Is take Dragic because he ALWAYS kills us.

 

Yeah, if he keeps this up he’s going to hit the big time and we can all say “we virtually knew him when”.

 

I agree with you that we should look for someone else besides Melo for PF. Also agree we need a good backup PG. I wonder if Olshey agrees. Does he like Melo too much? And does he like Anf too much to bring in a backup PG; cuz isn't it Anf who would lose minutes, not Trent?
If we could get Marvin Williams and Jeff Teague, I would be happy.

 

Hollinger has an idea: "In particular, putting Saric on the ball more often could unlock some of the second-year version. He’s been marooned as a floor spacer in lineups in Minnesota and Phoenix, but that’s not really what he does. Let Dario dribble! Operating as a second-side ballhandler or in a prominent role with the second unit, he can flourish. Maybe that team is Phoenix. The Suns can give him a $10.4M qualifying offer to have matching rights, and I don’t see any team going above that number. (Nor would I recommend it). But if he’s a casualty of their cap machinations, he’s a good target at midlevel-ish money."
– via John Hollinger @ The Athletic

 

After Tolliver, Hezonja, and the corpse of Melo if we got a player such as Saric it would feel like we added an Allstar.

 

Blazer Mid-Level Targets:
1) ET
2) Steve Blake

 

Give me Saric already!!

 

What's Brian Grant up to, these days?

 

It’s interesting that you brought up Kelly Olynyk as a trade option for Trevor Ariza. I would do that trade if we sign Harkless. Harkless is essentially Ariza but younger and we could probably get him somewhat cheap. Most of the free agents are gonna look for a one year deal so they can get even more money next year after all the crap the nba have gone through this year. So let say we get Harkless on a one year 5 mil deal. Then I would love to get Marvin Williams on a one year 4.6 mil deal. I would also sign Augustin on a min deal if we can. Then trade both of our picks for Boston 17 and 30 pick. Draft Oturu and Bolmaro. Resign Gabriel to a min deal
Dame/Simons/Augustin
CJ/Trent/Bolmaro
Harkless/Hood/Little
Collins/Williams/Gabriel
Nurkic/Olynyk/Oturu

 

the 4 free agents i would consider for most or all of the MLE are Millsap, Ibaka, marcus Morris and Saric. all powerfwds and each would compliment either Nurk or Zach as the starting PF/back up center in our front court rotation. Ibaka could also back up either of them. I also like josh jackson and how he seems to have turned a negative into a positive in the g league. i think he can be a rotation player in the near future. likely pretty hungry and looking for an opportunity to show he belongs back in the NBA. i wouldn't spend all of it on him though. if it is going to be split up (the exemption) the perennial fave, Kyle O'Quinn, harry giles or maybe noah vonleh would be worth a look for frontcourt depth IMHO. i like shaquille harrison's size and versatility, ditto jordan mcrae.
Denzel valentine, alec burks, shabaz and glen robinson, if he opts out. it is going to be a tough road to get any of the top players in, and with everybody else shopping with the the mid-level also, i am prepared to be underwhelmed

 

I heard he's been working out and put on 20 pounds of muscle.

 

Appreciate it! Honestly, I think the biggest thing for me was to stop trying so hard. I tried to force a certain type of voice in the past and now I just try and be myself and be natural.

But it's been hard for me to tell how much better it is, so hearing it's really improved means a lot!

 

I wonder if we'll have enough room under the hard cap (or tax, if Jody wants to avoid that) to use the Full MLE and Bi-Annual Exception, because signing Teague with the MLE and Williams with the BAE sounds very reasonable to me! And yes, I think Trent is more entrenched than Anfernee at this point, but at the same time we need a secondary ball-handler next to C.J. and I don't have a ton of confidence in that area of Trent's game.

 

Appreciate it! At the end I did not that Ibaka and Dragic would be really good fits, however I think they'll get higher offers than the MLE so I didn't include them on this list.

But my off-season pipedream would be:
SAC Gets: 14th Pick
POR Gets: Nemanja Bjelica (TPE), 35th Pick

Resign Whiteside

Then to get Dragic either with the MLE, or via sign-and-trade by sending Miami Ariza.

If we traded Ariza for Dragic, then use only part of the MLE on Harkless.

The money is a bit suspect in this scenario but we might be able to make it work while avoiding the tax.

Starters - Lillard / McCollum / Ariza or Harkless / Collins / Nurkic
Bench - Dragic / Trent / Hood / Bjelica / Whiteside

That might be the best bench in the entire NBA. If we couldn't get Dragic, replace him with Teague. Either way, unless Olshey catastrophically fails, we should have a top 10 bench going into next season.

 

I do have a business plan that I've been working on for a year, and I hope it comes into fruition by 2021! Can't disclose anything about it yet though, but I'll update you guys when I can

 

I wish! We could have a really good bench next year. This off-season might be more exciting than people are expecting!

 

I would really like to have Dragic but there is one problem. There was a big rumor going around that Miami will offer him a one year $19 mil deal so there is no way we can match that offer