It seems to me we still have the ability to re-sign Hendo. Based upon the cap and salary figures I've seen, we had $5,617,720 in cap space before FA period began. We need $16,393,443 to sign Turner. $16,393,443 - $5,617,720 = $10,775,723 that we need to clear. Kaman gets you $6,520,800 Roberts gets you $3,711,422 Add those up and you get $10,232,222, or ~$500K short. We can cut either or both of MOntero and Alexander to come up with that money. What this does is allow us to keep Hendo's bird rights (no need to renounce him). In turn those allow us to sign him up to his MAX, going over the cap to do so. And we'd still be able to do likewise with Leonard, Harkless, and Crabbe.
Why....? We just signed his replacement. If we bring back all our RFAs, we are already pressed for playing time. Dame CJ/Crabbe Hark/Turner Aminu/Leonard Plum/Davis
Because he's a good player. He played both SG and SF for us. If Stotts wants to run with 4 guards on the floor at once, he's in the rotation. If any of our guards is injured or misses games, he's the guy who'd fill in.
If Portland brings back Crabbe and Harkless, I just don't see where Henderson fits. There just aren't the minutes. Dame - 36 / CJ - 12 CJ - 22 / Crabbe - 26 Turner - 32 / Harkless - 16 Aminu - 32 / Vonleh - 10 / Harkless - 6 Plumlee / Leonard / Davis Harkless is only getting 22 minutes in that example as it is. It just doesn't seem like it would be a good use of money to sign Gerald.
I don't think that's how you should be figuring minutes. Dame + CJ + Turner + Crabbe + Aminu might be a lineup we see a lot of. And you'd use Harkless and Hendo to rest one of those four guards. You also have to consider what happens if, CJ, Dame, or Crabbe have to miss a game, get into foul trouble, or miss a stretch of games. And why wouldn't you play the guys who are playing the best?
If this free agent period taught people.....YET AGAIN, is that we don't land big free agents. having as many assets as possible is the best way for us to improve. Having guys like Henderson allows us to maybe move he and others at the deadline for a difference maker. That's why
Neil still has the ~$10M in cap space to use or lose. As soon as any combination of our RFAs sign offers that combined are greater than that $10M, he's on the clock.
