not sure what the Salary Cap ($55 mil???) or how this works, but we could just do it for those two enders without Claxton. that puts the Hawks at like $53 million. maybe take Lue instead, which is about $3.5 million and ends after next season
if we take on Speedy's contract then we deserve that #3 pick
Claxton's deal...well I certainly don't love it. Represents that class of deal (middling vet aat or above the MLE) that I abhor unless filling a very particular gap. But he's a better playuer than he showed last year, and quite dynamic as New Orleans' 6th man -- of course he mgiht end up starting here for a bit until we found or developed better, but he could have a role even once we were up to speed in a Bobby sort of way. And it still is less than half as big as Mike's deal, so we still shave 7 million off the cap at the end oif next year -- actually $8 mil off the cap, because while Mike's deal goes up, Speedy's does something nifty and goes DOWN. Gets cheaper every year. I want to get #3-#5 somehow, but if the above was the best we could pull, I think it would be a step in the right direction for rebuilding. Significant cap room, disposable fill in vets with enders, and then of course another lottery pick.
And watch this:
Then:
1) Twist Riles' arm a bit and get that #20 and JWill out of him for Ron. (plausible)
2) If they do nothing more spectacular, call the Bulls up and offer them 2 conditional deals: either a) if Yi is still there at #9, we trade them #10 and Reef in exchange for them holding Yi for us. Or if he's not, then trade them Reef for their two 2nd round picks (I think they are far enough uner the cap to absorb this, but may depend on the qualifying offer to Nocioni). (plausible)
3) Call up Ainge, point out he does not have a center, offer him Miller and the #10 for the #5, and see how he reacts. If he agrees, then have him sit on Yi, we take the guy of his choice at #10, and then we trigger the 2 2nd rounder deal with Chicago for Reef. (eh, maybe plausible, even if not, you still have the #10 and Brad, who SOMEBODY must want.
)
Who knows, you could come strutting on home with maybe the #5, #11, #20 and two 2nd round picks and boom, it would be an instant rebuild with draft picks and $20+mil of enders (JWill, Wright, Johnson, Ratliff). Of course last time we did that (1990) we screwed up. But we screwed up by drafting like **** that year. This year with the sort of ammo above you could end up with Yi, Jason Smtih AND Thaddeus Young. Or Yi, Young AND Splitter. Or... And that's not to mention Fesenko and whoever as 2nd rounders. Or the huge cap room allowing us to sign a majro free agent, or two, next summer.
Intricate dream scenario, but nothing there is impossible. Ainge is the only one that's a stretch, and maybe not. He's already got a young PF, and could get a help-now center in Brad and a Hawes/Green type guy from our #10.
Holdover Kids
Kevin
Cisco
Douby
Price
Williams
Picks
#5
#11
#20
#49
#51
Non-liquidated salaried vets
Thomas
Claxton
Salmons
Enders
JWill (ending)
Ratliff (ending)
Wright (ending)
Johson (ending)
And there's your 1 yr rebuild roster. Yr 2 will be another lottery pick, and huge caproom for a FA (some would go to resigning Kevin). Then you're off.
