All right, you're the GM of the warriors. What do you do? If it were me, even knowing we're one of those teams that could possibly sneak into the playoffs this year, I would start collecting draft picks, even future picks if I could. I would try to go the Portland Trailblazers route and find those core guys at the 1-7 picks. If big name signings in free agency isn't something we do well in, let's get those draft picks and do it smartly. I say f the BAP pick, go for the guy that the team likes and can help them at a position they need. Don't double stack positions unless the guy is absolutely better than what you have and its either a.] a point guard b.] a big man closer to the side of playing some center. I've learned that picking the BAP for a position you don't really need is only good for teams that have a complete team. We don't! We don't even trade well for redundant positions that we might have. Like wtf have we done with the Ellis/Curry situation. We try to ride it out rather than taking advantage of trades that might actually improve us defensively. I would also hire better scouts and more of them. I would make more moves to acquire D-league players that other teams might be willing to trade. If there's a big that's averaging 16-10 down there in the minors, maybe he could help us. Also, I'd look overseas. Here's the guys on the no-trade list: Steph Curry - reason: great basketball iq, he makes other players better, he's got unlimited range, and he's a tough player with a great attitude. He'll probably have a longer career than more athletic, scoring type of guards because of his style of play. Not a franchise guy David Lee - reason: he makes everyone better, he is a great defensive rebounder, he can score in the post from either side and has a decent midrange game. Greate attitude, a winner, and he probably won't lash out like a guy like Sjax would. Not a franchise guy Obviously, I want more out of the SG or SF spot. I would like a swingman that can play good defense and shoot the ball. Even as crappy as a guy like Danny Granger is playing right now I'd try to land him. I'd try to go for Rudy Gay or OJ Mayo if I could. Even Nick Batum. Basically, I want a Joe Johnson or Grant Hill type of guy. You know somewhat, athletic, good midrange game that can attack the basket, rebound, pass the ball a bit, and disrupt the other team's offense. For shooting guard, I really want somebody like a Nick Young only better defense and more passing or a Monta Ellis only bigger and better defense. I like the midrange game (which Ellis has), the ability to score at the rim, and occasionally hit the three when its needed. For center, all I really want is somebody that can do what Dampier did in his free agency. 10/12 with strong defensive interior presence and uses a lot of body/footwork on defense rather than hands, average to above average post footwork for scoring the ball at point blank ranges and has decent offensive awareness to pass the ball out of the post before he's double teamed. Easier said than done, but that's the kind of players I'd want assembled. We need enough quickness, strength, and IQ to play the type of defense we can't seem to play.
I'm going to start over. Just like Ainge did. Acquire as many picks as possible, stockpile them and see if you can get someone or just get lucky with guys like Ibaka and Westbrook (Durant went No. 2). I love Curry but even MJax does not trust him, he gives the ball to Nate instead. That's not a good sign so I'd have to let him go. I thought MJax would have put it all in Curry's hands but instead its just the opposite. Get bigger with him if possible. Lee? Probably stays because who wants that contract? He plays hard. His D is bad but his post play has been better; why don't they go to him late down low? Maybe he'll start getting more calls (he gets less than any big guy who attacks.) Monta? Sorry, thanks for the memories but he's the epitome of the big scorer on a bad team. I wish they would come up with a +/- for individual matchups because I know he gives up a lot. Tyler is a keeper because he's got size and is cheap. Everyone else is available. They are not going anywhere soon.
Agreed, then you fill out the rest of the roster with hard-working role-playing veterans that know how to play defense. Example, Battier, Raja Bell, etc.
FWIW, I asked someone who was a serious bidder two years ago about Biedrins and he said he would not have amnestied Biedrins either. Guys when you are paying the freight for $27M its not as easy as it looks to just let them go.
Serious bidder in what? Buying the W's? Trying to be realistic, here's a scenario based on the hypothetical Asik acquisition I've posted about before: Trade Monta and McGuire for Asik, Korver, and Brewer at the deadline. I'd also try to squeeze a pick out of Chicago but for the sake of trying to remain unbiased lets say there are no picks swapped. Dump Dorell for a 2nd rounder and an expiring or trade exception. Hes probably got more value than a simple dump but I figure we'd rather have the cap space outright than swap a role player for a role player. If we're lucky maybe we dump him on a contending team for a late 1st. For the second half of the season you run with Curry, Klay, Rush, Lee, Asik starting with Nate, Korver, Brewer, Udoh, Beans as second unit. I would hope they somehow get back into the bottom 7 for that pick. If I'm GM I shut down Curry well before the end of the season and claim that he needs more rehab on that ankle and/or its not worth it for him to play and risk further injury if the foot/ankle isn't 100%. I probably shut down Lee at some point too and say hes had nagging injuries. Not only can we tank but we can give Jenkins and Tyler big time burn down the stretch to evaluate With those two trades you shave 4.5 million off the books for the offseason. That brings us to 41.5 mil of total salary, and if the salary cap remains at 58 million we'll have 16.5 mil free to work with. I would expect Asik to get at least 5-6 mils on a 3 year-deal with the last being a player option (he'll want a raise since he'll be starting). I assume we can test the market with our cap and then re-sign Asik over the cap later, however. It would be absolutely huge if we did get our 1st round pick because there will be some nice prospects around the 7 spot. Harrison Barnes, Sullinger, Perry Jones, etc. You're talking about a potential core piece or a prospect that can get you a core piece. I don't think we have a shot at Dwight or Deron in the offseason. There aren't many other big name FAs out there. I would look more toward teams who want to rebuild and are looking to dump players. Either take on salary + picks/prospects or try to get a highly paid core piece on the cheap from a team looking to dump them; Gasol, Joe Johnson, Granger, Melo possibly. Perfect world scenario; we get our lotto pick this year and Curry and Klay do well in starting positions. With the cap room and three blue chip prospects you should be able to land a star player while retaining at least one, and possibly two of your quality prospects. Two potential acquisitions I would keep in mind: Curry for Rondo and Lee for Gasol. Gasol seems to be on the way out in LA, hes declining and making 19 mil/year. Lee is in his prime, a good fit next to Bynum, and he'd be a pretty nice immediate replacement for Pau to extend the Laker's window. Not sure how much extra we would have to add to make that go through given that Pau is paid so highly and getting old. Rondo, likewise, has been rumored to be on the way out. Boston is going after Dwight and could want Curry for a few reasons: a) if we can take on Rondo-for-Curry we take a lot of salary off their books, helping them to add Dwight plus take a shot at more FAs or retaining KG/Allen. b) If you sign Dwight you free up more cap room but you also could flip Curry for Deron, who would want to play with Dwight. c) perhaps you like Curry next to Dwight more because hes easier to get along with and hes got a deadly 3 pt shot. We could add a star now or just roll with those 3 prospects and hope they turn into a contending core or a better star becomes available down the line. Korver and Brewer are ~9 mil of expiring contracts to move at the deadline as well. We would have Curry, Klay, #7 prospect (ideally), Udoh, Tyler, plus we have NJ's second, which will be a high second, and whatever pick we get from trading DW. Maybe you package the NJ pick and DW pick for a mid-late first from a team who would rather have second rounders. That's a solid crop of prospects to work with. Lee is movable at this point IMO but hes also not bad to have around if you do land two stars (or develop a star or two) and want him to be 3rd banana. Biedrins is a sunk cost. Use him as a backup or just bench him outright and wait for him to be an expiring contract. I don't think buying him out does us much good at this point, just admit that hes donezos and wait for his contract to become an asset.
Yep, guy was a serious bidder for the W's but lost out to Lacob/Gruber. Dorell needs to go. Rush is a better, cheaper player. Someone can use him right? He's lost with a mediocre team like the W's.
