If we use cap space we have to renounce the MLE, trade exception, and the rights to some of our free agents. If Olshey is correct from his draft press conference in that a lot of our free agents have expressed a desire to stay here it might be best to keep most all of them. The growth our team displayed the last two years before the Wes injury was in a large part due to the familiarity and lack of roster turnover. Then Wes got injured; Afflalo got injured; LMA thumb bothered him and Nic was inconsistent. But that core group was close to contending and I'm not sure blowing it up is best. Obviously we will now have a new starting 5 but we can still keep the majority of the core together. Resign LaMarcus, Wes, Rolo and Afflalo. Use the MLE on the best free agent SF we can get. Bring back Wright as a stretch 4 and help at the 3. Keep the $3.3 million trade exception from the Batum trade for adding something else during the next year. Our depth chart would be: Rolo Plumlee Vonleh LMA Leonard Wright Wes <MLE> Crabbe AAA Henderson Pat Lillard CJ Frazier I like really like that second unit, best looking Blazer one in a long time. Overall that roster has a nice mix of veterans and youth with upside.
I would agree that it might be a good option but I don't think that entices LMA at all. If you try to sell him on this plan then I think he is gone.
Ya, these early exits from the playoffs are the bomb diggity. Hey, at least they're a great group of guys
I think Olshey is going "all in". I love Wes and Lopez a ton, but I doubt they play another game as a Blazer
This team was never close to contending. Regular season wins do not mean you're close to contending. Also, we rack up EARLY SEASON wins and then slide once the rest of the league rounds into shape. We were the Raptors of the West.
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand the whole "keep the core together" philosophy... Yes, they're great guys, but they're not built to win a championship. Lopez has shown that he's an average to below-average starting C, Wes is coming off an injury that will literally affect his already sub-par athleticism (and, by the way, wants $15M per year and wants to be a bigger focal point in the offense). I get the fan part of it, but Neil's trying to win a championship, not hang out with nice guys. I just don't get how so many fans have those blinders on...
So, like last year... minus Batum. Not seeing the appeal. If "keeping the guys together" was the goal, then Batum was one of my most important guys.
Let it bake and it burned. Being under the cap, you can only sign outside FAs basically up to the cap. Then you get the room, bae, and vet minimum type exceptions to use. Sign enough of your own guys, you can go as far over the cap, even in to LT. Barely go over the cap and you get the MLE. My thinking is you're not getting Afflalo back, or if you do it's because you're not getting Wes back. And maybe you're not getting Wes back. RoLo for big dollars seems like a mistake to me. I don't think it would be horrible to sign both LMA and Wes, but Wes is a gamble due to his injury situation.
I'm not sure Wes, Rolo,Freeland or Afflalo return next season. I think DWright, Crabbe, Kaman and even possibly Gee may be back
yech..Rather hang on to Rolo..AA has opted out so fuck him, let him go..not a bad guy, just did not fit. Freeland has the heart of a lion, would like to keep him as the 15th player. Wright can be an assistant coach, Kaman is expendable if we retain Plumlee. Gee would make trade filler if need be and Wes may or may not fit here, dependent upon LMA.
I'm not a capologist, but even if we're below the cap, we still get 1) the $3.5 mil exception we got from the trade we just did 2) room exception
I'm just really excited about bringing in so many guys who take it to the rack and slash. Gives our pure shooters less shots but fresher legs when they do shoot.
yeah...I am with you on this. We have not had a slasher for a while..hmm Wallace was the last that comes to mind...Wes does a good job of creating if given the chance, but being one of two guys (Lillard being the other), it gets easy to defend.
We would get the room exception which is basically half the MLE. But no we'd have to renounce the trade exception.
An exception is, by definition, a means to exceed the cap. MLE and TPE count against the cap. If you aren't over including exceptions, you don't get to use them. They can be renounced.
