Moute and Landry are exactly the kind of role player veterans we want on this team. Smart, high bball IQ, the know Exactly where their strengths lie and they rely on those strengths. This FO was going to be tied up until the Outlaw, Salmons, Jimmer, Thornton, and Hayes expired. Which is roughly 27 mil of our salary this season FYI
This seems to be it in a nut shell. The 5 people mentioned have little value to us and I am beginning to wonder about Vasquez as number 6. GV's main skill seems to be that he is a leader and is 6'6" and that's a good start. It is way too early to judge, I realize, especially about him. Given another reliable shooter, and I don't consider Thornton as reliable, all we need at PG for the starter is leadership and a predictable game. The part of IT's game that drives me nuts (a short trip, to be honest) is that he needs to trust that others on the court can score and he doesn't need to be the entire show. He is still young especially for a PG so I suspect he will improve. The Mutt and Jeff pair of IT and Vasquez is just fine so far given we are three games into the season. IT is perfect off the bench if the bench has no shooters.
IF we have no shooters. Unfortunately he now comes off the bench with the guy who may be our best shooter and he hasn't figured that out these three games into the season.
The only way any of these 5 can be used in a trade is to bundle a two for one deal and at this point, I would rather keep our own expirings unless a great deal falls into our lap. We need to seriously shop Thornton and Hayes as a pair in a 2 for on trade. Neither has much to offer another team but certainly someone might like Thornton.
I see PPat being let go unless he gels with the team and his shooting picks up. Perhaps he isn't as good as some people thought or maybe he just isn't comfortable with his team mates. I doubt the latter but he will be given a chance. He really couldn't be in a more perfect situation and is blowing it. For a guy who is supposed to be a shooter (same with Thornton), he can't shoot.
We picked up Outlaw because he was an inexpensive veteran whose salary was going to be paid in large part by another team. I don't think that was much of a bargain. I do not understand the acquisition of Salmons and that whole draft day fluster cluck concerning Salmons and Jimmer. They both have not offered much. It seemed like the FO had Jimmer targeted and saw a way of acquiring another player in the process. Turns out the other player is an albatross.
We are desperate for above average skill. We are over our heads in average to below average skill that are not useful on the court and maybe are not desirable in a trade. It's a mess and the requirement that a certain minimum be met in salaries does not make it easy to acquire a major free agent. In other words, it is difficult to have cap space. I sure don't know how to get out of this mess but a good start would be to resist the impulse to acquire people that are of little use.