I am, in general, not a huge Neil Olshey fan. But I have to concede that he (or someone he employs that he listens to) has shown a talent for finding players that are castoffs from other teams but that play a bigger role for us. Players like Mason Plumlee, Aminu (although he was coming off a great playoff performance), Moe Harkless... and actually, come to think of it, there aren't that many. But be that as it may, are there any players out there that could be more useful for us than the team they're currently playing for, and might be available cheap? Here are a couple of suggestions: Kyle "Slo-Mo" Anderson. I have always liked his game and thought he could be useful, but has he found a home in Memphis? The thing is, Memphis have a slew of young players and might think that he stands in the way of development. Frank Ntilikina. A very similar player to KA: big guard, not especially athletic, very cerebral, good defender. As with KA, his stats look anemic but his +/- numbers tend to be good. I see both of them as better (and a fuck-ton cheaper) versions of Evan Turner. A lot depends on whether Thibodeau likes him. Tyus Jones. Could be the perfect backup PG, and another member of the crowded Memphis backcourt, although they might lose De'Anthony Melton, which might make them more likely to hang on to him. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Another player I have long wanted - I wanted us to draft him, in fact. To be honest he has looked pretty much useless in the NBA so far... UNTIL THE BUBBLE, when suddenly he looked like the player I always thought he could be - a prototypical NBA small forward. But with Joe Harris, Caris Levert, Taurean Prince and Kevin Durant, is he surplus to requirements in Brooklyn? He's the closest thing to a Harkless-type, only a better 3-point shooter. Dante Exum. He's probably the biggest name on this list, and has a $9M/yr contract, so probably doesn't qualify as a "bargain". Like the others, he hasn't shown that much, and indeed might be looked on as a bust. But I hold out hope that, like similar player Shaun Livingston, he could have a late-career renaissance, now that he has finally got over his slew of injuries. He also fits the "better Evan Turner" mold. We need ball-handling and defense, and those are two strengths. He also shot 35% on threes on a respectable volume, so he's not like fellow Aussie "next big thing" Ben Simmons from distance that he used to be. Nicolas Batum. Just checking to see if you were paying attention.
You just know it's going to be Jeremy Lin....the Melo return worked so well how can we not reinvent this guy's career? After China he'll be cheap. It's a perfect Olshey move....think Stauskas!
DeMarre Carroll is probably available, and for a while there I always got him confused with Jae Crowder.
MAYBE, although only if he's desperate, because he's probably paid a shit-ton in China. I like Lin, but the one area he's weakest in (defense) is our biggest need, so he's not a good fit. I predict we only sign him if either Dame or CJ goes down with a serious injury.
SLO mo makes $9.7 for the next 3 years so he needs to be seen as a significant upgrade. Would have to be acquired through trade. I personally like his fit but his limitations are significant.
I posted this because Slo Mo looks good, but I wonder if Caleb Martin or Isaac Bonga are gettable? Probably not, because Washington and Charlotte both need good young players even more than we do.
yup is a very savy team defender and underated distributor. when jones' was left out of the bubble he spent some time on the court as the lead point man for memphis when morant sat and shown out well. still lacks the "3" part of being a 3&D wing though. does he start ahead of collins? he will likely shoot better after full recovery from shoulder injury. looked improved in bubble. Simmons extra-extra-lite, but in the right role......
I like the first deal a LOT better! Ariza could actually be a short term asset for the team and buy us an extra year to find a decent wing.
No, and you can't make me. Hopefully, whoever they sign, they can either trick someone into trading more for him than he's worth, or he actually performs well here. Because historically players he got rid of (wasn't trying to re-sign and either traded or let go as a FA) have been shitty after it, cept for like 1 player.
Jabari Parker could probably be had for very cheap and still can ball with upside... obviously there are the injury concerns that are really serious but that's why he's in the bargain bin.
Not really a fan. He strikes me as a poor man's Carmelo in that he's a poor defender and needs to be the focus of the offense, despite being inefficient. I want someone to move the ball and play D - is that too much to ask!?!?
