[ official ] 2016 summer moves

Ideal summer moves? If anything the playoffs showed what we need to change/improve on.

*Harkless and Aninu are too similar to be starting together.

*The frontcourt depth isn't there. We went into this series without a PF.

*CJ is a pure SG and without Lillard the offense stops into ISO's for CJ - a legit backup PG is needed.

[free agents]

Kevin Durant: Pipe dream but one worth pitching: We have a top 5 coach and a top 3 GM. We have a lot to sell him on.

Evan Fournier: A legitimate scorer and outside threat. Definitely one dimensional though. Will command a max deal.

Jan Vasely: Has a perfect skillset for the Stotts system. Has rapidly developed in Europe. A defined role made all the difference. A legit center entering his prime. A full MLE offer?

[trade]

Mid-first: Tyler Ulis: He'll get picked a lot lower than he should because of his height. Has everything you want in a PG.

 

Sign Horford in FA or (dream) somehow put a package together for Millsap. Basically raid Atlanta. They got exactly what we need.

 

Needs:

Legit 17-20 ppg third scorer to pair with Dame and CJ
A low-post threat, ideally at the PF position
Another interior defender.

 

Well, Al Horford. Paul Millsap.

I'm repeating myself yeah.

 

Got to wait until the ending of the season and hot stove reports start before we get read. But if its two or three small signings and buy a late round draft pick..... then we might as blow up this group as well.

 

Question: If we have $30M some cap space left to burn and Durant and Horford are off the table, could we sign Gasol to a 2yr, $30M contract, with the first year paying something like $25M and the second paying $5M?

Theory: I know $25M for one year is overpaying him, but if the money is going to go unused then it doesn't matter what we pay him. And if we overpay him now, we could drastically underpay him next year which would leave us with more cap space cap that we could ACTUALLY USE, while also improving us in the short term.

 

PG: Lillard
SG: McCollum
SF: Aminu*
PF:
C: Plumlee

I look at what he brings I believe Aminu should be backing up SF and mostly PF - like how Dallas used him. He's WAY too inconsistent to be relied on as a starter.

 

Feels like Aminu's been getting much better as the season has gone on, especially in the playoffs.

 

It's time to stop messin around and go for it all. It's time for Olshey to take the next step and make this a contender. The timeline has been accelerated. It's go time. Get that meeting with Durant. If that doesn't work go get Whiteside. Blazers are so close I can taste it. Fuck the cake.

 

Fournier? Dude is a RFA first, and second, a shooting guard. Were gonna give a max contract to a bench player? Nah.

 

MY OFFICIAL PIPEDREAM:
Trade Cash, 2017 1st, for late first round pick, draft Taurean Prince
Trade Aminu, Davis, Vonleh, Cleveland's 2018 1st Round Pick, our 2019 1st Round Pick for Paul Millsap
Sign Kevin Durant ($27M)
Sign Pau Gasol ($10M)
Sign Bones Jones (Min.)
Sign David Lee (MLE)
Sign Jan Vesely (BAE)

Match Allen Crabbe

Lillard (36) / McCollum (12) / Jones
McCollum (24) / Crabbe (24) / Connaughton
Durant (36) / Prince (12) / Montero
Millsap (33) / Lee (15) / Alexander
Gasol (28) / Plumlee (20) / Vesely

Lillard, McCollum, Durant = 36min
Millsap = 34min
Gasol = 28min
Crabbe = 24min
Plumlee = 20min
Lee = 15min
Prince = 12min
Connaughton, Montero, Alexander, Vesely, Jones = Developmental Players

 

Aye. Absolutely zero need for Fournier. He's not a better SG than McCollum and he's not a better SF than Aminu.

 

Fournier is 6'7 and split time between SG and SF last year. He is also a 3rd ball handler that we need and he's only 23 years old. Those would be the reasons the bring him in.

Reasons not too? He's an average defender at best, and he'd like cost $20M to get Orlando not to match, which would be overpaying him in my opinion.

 

You cannot take a guy like Fournier at $20M a year, I just don't buy into that idea at all. DeRozan is better than him and could probably play SF too yet I'd not go for him either. We'll (IMO) need to keep McCollum beyond this season so it's another $20M offer Blazers will have to fork out so better keep that money and go for rotation players instead, keep the big money for a big man.

Is it at all possible that Cousins will be available? Though the price would be higher than Millsap definitely and Millsap is a far better match for the current team.

 

20 Predictions:
1.) Brandon Ingram goes #1
2.) Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel gets traded.
3.) Harrison Barnes signs a max contract with a bad, small market team such as the Magic, Bucks, 76ers,
4.) The Heat lose out on signing their own free agents (Whiteside, Deng) in order to chase Kevin Durant
5.) They don't sign Kevin Durant
6.) Hassan Whiteside signs with the Lakers
7.) Dwight Howard signs with the Mavericks for way too much money
8.) Al Horford signs with the Blazers or Celtics
9.) After losing Al Horford, the Hawks trade Paul Millsap to the Celtics for Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and draft picks
10.) They also trade Jeff Teague to the Jazz for Rodney Hood
11.) The Clippers don't do anything of notice and still fool themselves into thinking they can win a ring
12.) The Rockets miss out on everybody and try to patch up their roster by overpaying for Ryan Anderson and Ian Mahinmi
13.) Jeremy Lin returns to the Knicks
14.) Mike Conley's free agency drags on and on, becoming nearly as dramatic as Kevin Durant's
15.) Greg Monroe gets traded.
16.) The 76ers sign Bradley Beal to a max offer sheet, the Wizards are hesitant to match
17.) Nic Batums top 3 suitors are the Hornets, Wizards, and Bulls.
18.) Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce retire
19.) Pau Gasol signs with the Spurs
20.) Jamal Murray wins Summer League MVP

 

Yeah but Derozen isn't that much better than Fournier IMO and Fournier is improving while Derozen has peaked. Not saying we should pay Fournier $20M though...

 

I'm gonna TRY to be realistic

1. Trade Vonleh for Kyle Korver plus #44 overall pick and 2017 2nd round pick.

2. Draft Gary Payton II with #44 overall pick.

3. Sign Al Horford to super max.

4. Match Crabbe and Harkless, have Meyers sign the Qualifying Offer.

5. Extend CJ and Plumlee.

Dame / GP2
CJ / Crabbe / Montero / Patty
Aminu / Korver
Horford / Harkless / Alexander
Plumlee / Meyers-Davis

Not MAJOR changes but we get more offensive firepower. And a lot of different lineups to be thrown at others.

 

A bold yet quality list.

1.) Brandon Ingram goes #1 - Simmons goes #1, book it.

14.) Mike Conley's free agency drags on and on, becoming nearly as dramatic as Kevin Durant's - Not sure about this, I think he re-signs with Memphis or goes to Houston, where he ultimately won't fix things as the problem is too Harden to solve overnight.

15.) Greg Monroe gets traded. - He's not going anywhere for at least one season, but you could be right about their first trade piece should they fail to find success. Maybe a mid season trade if they aren't winning?

16.) The 76ers sign Bradley Beal to a max offer sheet, the Wizards are hesitant to match - I don't think anyone will offer Beal a max after such a disappointing season.

18.) Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce retire - 1/2. Pierce may be done but I don't think Duncan goes anywhere unless they win the title.

 

I like this list a lot.

Who could Blazers offer to get Okafor to sign? If you got someone like Horford whose interior defence is decent, you might actually get away with Okafor's suspect defense to take advantage of his incredible offensive potential.