Now that the draft is over and because I'm bored, here is what each team should do in free agency.
( ) = signed or re-signed via FA
* * = traded for
Cap for 2016 is $67.1M
Golden State - $83.4M
Biggest need: Keep Draymond Green. Find value for David Lee.
There is a fallacy if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. There is also the notion if you aren’t moving forward you’re moving backward. The Warriors only have one free agent, period. Not just one key player, just one total. It’s Draymond Green, likely their second most valuable player and most valuable defender, but they hold his restricted rights, so they can match any offer he gets.
They also have a $15M trade chip in David Lee, so they can use that for assets should they chose to do so, and what a great position to be in financially. Normally being capped out is a bad thing, but a year away from the cap jumping by $30M, Lee coming off the books isn’t even an issue. They did just win a title while not playing him, so it’s not like this is the 18 points, 10 rebounds player of yesteryear, and he’s 32.
They definitely can use a back up perimeter player who can shoot. I don’t think Brandon Rush is that guy. The closest SG’s on the market who might come in via free agency at the league minimum would be Jason Terry or Gary Neal. I doubt Neal would consider that.
Sadly, not really addressing any trade scenarios just yet, so this one will be boring.
SF: Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala
PF: (Draymond Green), Marreese Speights, David Lee, Kevon Mooney
C: Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli
SG: Klay Thompson, (Jason Terry)
PG: Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston
LA Clippers - $65.3M
Biggest need: Keep DeAndre Jordan or make sure that cap asset doesn’t go away. Small forward who can shoot and/or defend.
Hearing that Jordan doesn’t get alone with Chris Paul in the national media doesn’t bode well for keeping a man with a lot of options. In that Dallas seems to be his biggest suitor, there might be a fair option especially since they’re under the cap, not that Dallas has to agree to a sign and trade scenario. It would, however, get Jordan the fifth year, which I would think have to benefit Dallas to a degree.
I’m projecting a sign and trade with Dallas involving Jordan and Tyson Chandler.
SF: (Paul Pierce - min), Lance Stephenson, Jordan Hamilton, Branden Dawson
PF: Blake Griffin, (Andrea Bargnani)
C: (Tyson Chandler), (Jason Smith - min)
SG: JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, CJ Wilcox
PG: Chris Paul, Austin Rivers
LA Lakers - $38.6M
Biggest need: A rim protector up front, and a true SF
Part of me still thinks LaMarcus Aldridge will end up back in Portland for reasons I’ll put in the Portland section. Not even sure why Aldridge would want to come to a team where the biggest piece they already have in place is a guy who plays his position. So if not Aldridge, the focus shifts on…I just tend to think they will strike out on the bigger names.
SF: (Mike Dunleavy), Nick Young
PF: Julius Randle, Ryan Kelly, Larry Nance
C: (Kosta Koufos), Tarik Black, Robert Sacre
SG: Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson
PG: D’Angelo Russell, (Ronnie Price)
Phoenix - $44.4M
Biggest need: More size
Phoenix doesn’t seem to be a team that is prime to land any major free agents or make any moves that won’t involve busting up their core. However, their core took a step back last year in the West, and it doesn’t look like they will recapture the magic they had in 2013-2014. Signing Isaiah Thomas upset Goran Dragic enough that he wanted out, and the steal of the previous year turned into the loss of their best player.
It seems like PJ Tucker isn’t the greatest chemistry guy either.
They certainly have enough money in cap space to go get someone, but outside of SF upgrade, not sure how they’d spend it.
SF: PJ Tucker, TJ Warren, Danny Granger
PF: Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer
C: Alex Len
SG: (Brandan Knight), Devin Booker, Reggie Booker
PG: Eric Bledsoe, Archie Goodwin
Sacramento - $54.9M
Biggest need: Upgrade at PG and SG and sanity in the front office
For a team that has two member of Team USA, who have played well for Team USA, one would think Sacramento would have a stronger team. Their other three pieces are either subpar or not good fits. Jason Thompson is a bad fit with DeMarcus Cousins. Willie Cauley-Stein will help them defensively, so his drafting actually makes their front court pretty strong. The back court is filled with mediocrity and up to now dead weight at SG.
SF: Rudy Gay, (Alan Anderson)
PF: Willie Cauley-Stein, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry
C: DeMarcus Cousins, (Darrell Arthur)
SG: Ben McLemore, Nik Stauskas
PG: Darren Collison, Ray McCallum
Players still on the board:
Joe Ingles
Thomas Robinson
Luis Scola
Greg Smith
Josh Smith
David West
JJ Berea
Andre Miller
Rajon Rondo
( ) = signed or re-signed via FA
* * = traded for
Cap for 2016 is $67.1M
Golden State - $83.4M
Biggest need: Keep Draymond Green. Find value for David Lee.
There is a fallacy if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. There is also the notion if you aren’t moving forward you’re moving backward. The Warriors only have one free agent, period. Not just one key player, just one total. It’s Draymond Green, likely their second most valuable player and most valuable defender, but they hold his restricted rights, so they can match any offer he gets.
They also have a $15M trade chip in David Lee, so they can use that for assets should they chose to do so, and what a great position to be in financially. Normally being capped out is a bad thing, but a year away from the cap jumping by $30M, Lee coming off the books isn’t even an issue. They did just win a title while not playing him, so it’s not like this is the 18 points, 10 rebounds player of yesteryear, and he’s 32.
They definitely can use a back up perimeter player who can shoot. I don’t think Brandon Rush is that guy. The closest SG’s on the market who might come in via free agency at the league minimum would be Jason Terry or Gary Neal. I doubt Neal would consider that.
Sadly, not really addressing any trade scenarios just yet, so this one will be boring.
SF: Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala
PF: (Draymond Green), Marreese Speights, David Lee, Kevon Mooney
C: Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli
SG: Klay Thompson, (Jason Terry)
PG: Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston
LA Clippers - $65.3M
Biggest need: Keep DeAndre Jordan or make sure that cap asset doesn’t go away. Small forward who can shoot and/or defend.
Hearing that Jordan doesn’t get alone with Chris Paul in the national media doesn’t bode well for keeping a man with a lot of options. In that Dallas seems to be his biggest suitor, there might be a fair option especially since they’re under the cap, not that Dallas has to agree to a sign and trade scenario. It would, however, get Jordan the fifth year, which I would think have to benefit Dallas to a degree.
I’m projecting a sign and trade with Dallas involving Jordan and Tyson Chandler.
SF: (Paul Pierce - min), Lance Stephenson, Jordan Hamilton, Branden Dawson
PF: Blake Griffin, (Andrea Bargnani)
C: (Tyson Chandler), (Jason Smith - min)
SG: JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, CJ Wilcox
PG: Chris Paul, Austin Rivers
LA Lakers - $38.6M
Biggest need: A rim protector up front, and a true SF
Part of me still thinks LaMarcus Aldridge will end up back in Portland for reasons I’ll put in the Portland section. Not even sure why Aldridge would want to come to a team where the biggest piece they already have in place is a guy who plays his position. So if not Aldridge, the focus shifts on…I just tend to think they will strike out on the bigger names.
SF: (Mike Dunleavy), Nick Young
PF: Julius Randle, Ryan Kelly, Larry Nance
C: (Kosta Koufos), Tarik Black, Robert Sacre
SG: Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson
PG: D’Angelo Russell, (Ronnie Price)
Phoenix - $44.4M
Biggest need: More size
Phoenix doesn’t seem to be a team that is prime to land any major free agents or make any moves that won’t involve busting up their core. However, their core took a step back last year in the West, and it doesn’t look like they will recapture the magic they had in 2013-2014. Signing Isaiah Thomas upset Goran Dragic enough that he wanted out, and the steal of the previous year turned into the loss of their best player.
It seems like PJ Tucker isn’t the greatest chemistry guy either.
They certainly have enough money in cap space to go get someone, but outside of SF upgrade, not sure how they’d spend it.
SF: PJ Tucker, TJ Warren, Danny Granger
PF: Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer
C: Alex Len
SG: (Brandan Knight), Devin Booker, Reggie Booker
PG: Eric Bledsoe, Archie Goodwin
Sacramento - $54.9M
Biggest need: Upgrade at PG and SG and sanity in the front office
For a team that has two member of Team USA, who have played well for Team USA, one would think Sacramento would have a stronger team. Their other three pieces are either subpar or not good fits. Jason Thompson is a bad fit with DeMarcus Cousins. Willie Cauley-Stein will help them defensively, so his drafting actually makes their front court pretty strong. The back court is filled with mediocrity and up to now dead weight at SG.
SF: Rudy Gay, (Alan Anderson)
PF: Willie Cauley-Stein, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry
C: DeMarcus Cousins, (Darrell Arthur)
SG: Ben McLemore, Nik Stauskas
PG: Darren Collison, Ray McCallum
Players still on the board:
Joe Ingles
Thomas Robinson
Luis Scola
Greg Smith
Josh Smith
David West
JJ Berea
Andre Miller
Rajon Rondo