We really didn't get to see enough of AA to make a decision. That injury was extremely unfortunate. I think if AA stays healthy, we get more time to gel and we have a better shot at this first round matchup. Having him go out for two weeks was a real unfortunate turn of events.
I know that Adrian Peterson types are rare, but I just have this gut feeling (probably homerism) that Wes will return from his Achilles tear similarly to how AD came back from his ACL--ahead of schedule, and better than before his injury. As to the question at hand, I want to keep them all. I feel like we saw something special in the brief overlap of Wes' healthy games and Afflalo's time in Portland, and I feel like we were robbed of the opportunity to see what it could have become. If LA stays (which I believe he will), I am excited about the possibility of another iteration of the squad we had at the beginning of March, hopefully with CJ getting all the minutes that Blake had been getting before. Most seem to disagree, but I firmly believe that prior to Wes' injury, we were absolutely a title contender. We need to build on the gains we saw this season.
Agreed but I just hope LMA sees it that way. If he goes along the rest will follow (the rest that we want that is).
The worst part about this whole "Wes free agency" thing is that we could very easily overpay to keep him. We have no idea how he's going to look next season. We're basing his value entirely on a hunch. He could come back stronger than ever, or he could come back as a shell of his former self. We simply don't know. So we're going to have to determine value based on projections and medical analysis. That's a tough spot to be in. What if we sign him to a big contract and he comes back looking like Brandon Roy's final season here?
Which is why I think it would be best to have 2 year deal with 2nd year a player option to protect both him and (to a certain extent) us. I would say we get the option but I think he has earned it so give it to him instead.
I don't understand why he would opt out anyway. I mean its entirely possible because he wants a multi-year contract, but you would think that he would want to wait until next summer when the new cap kicks in. Unless, of course, he doesn't think he's good enough to get a mid level-type salary next summer. If that's the case, then we wouldn't want him here anyway.