A peek inside Front Office strategy next year?

[HighFlyingMonkey]

David Bienick ‏@kcrabienick 1h Kelly says with good mgmt, #nbakings current lineup could experience "miracle" turn-around next season.

That's Chris Kelly, one of our whale investors. I'm wondering how prevalent this thought is amongst the ownership group. I tend to agree with this sentiment. I'd love to see an Evans/Cousins led team make a huge turnaround next year with good management and a good coach.

I hope they try to upgrade the SF position though.

 

[ParniValjak]

I think part of the thinking is that there just won't be enough time on the clock to do a massive overhaul of the roster. If we can extend Cousins and re-sign Reke, that is good enough for me. Would I like some roster overhaul?! Sure but it won't be something that can get done overnight.

I think its a given that we will have a new coaching panel and front office and the player overhaul will start slowly after that. The team has enough talented pieces that a good coach can get the best out of and that is why I always claimed that with a guy like Adelman, this team would have made the play offs this year despite having mismatched pieces on the roster. I still think this is the case but I would like to see a roster overhaul with Reke/Cousins as only "safe" players.

 

[Livinthedream]

I think it's the right strategy for sure. The new ownership really won't know what they have until they get a better staff in place to evaluate and develop the talent on hand. Perfect examples are what happened after we let Hickson go and traded Cisco. All of a sudden they were good players again. Our roster has a lot of talent and unrealized potential. Make sure that potential can't be realized before you throw it all away.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

I doubt we see Tyreke back next year, but I could be wrong. Team will be built around Cousins, obviously. I think Patterson, JT, Isaiah are good guys to keep around. Not sure if Thornton will be back either. Depending on who our GM and head coach are, I see a complete overhaul in a GOOD way. In a perfect world, I'd love to see Brian Shaw hired as our head coach, and he'd bring in Robert F'n Horry as his lead assistant...gotta love the irony in that! I think they'd be great for this team, not sure about GM/President, though...that's a tough one. Of course, everyone is going to probably want to bring in Jerry Sloan as coach, I'd like to get fresh, hungry blood in here...and I think Shaw/Horry would be an incredible combo to coach Cousins and Co., with plenty of hardware(rings)to show off

 

[gunks]

Hoping we stick with Reke and Cousins as the building blocks. Would be a shame to give up on Tyreke because of the jackass way he was developed by jackass coaches hired by jackass owners.

Honestly, one legit 3 and a legit coach and we'll be seeing a miracle turnaround. Smart was just that bad.

 

[kpm308]

Good news. I have been preparing myself for a total gutting of the roster and the new regime starting from scratch. It's relieving to hear that they think they can make it work with a majority of the same guys sticking around. It's much more rewarding as a fan to see the guys that I've been watching since they came into the league put it together and win than a bunch of new guys.

Overall, it's good news to see someone coming in from the outside that also believes this same group can get it done in a better situation organizationally

 

[Bricklayer]

I doubt we see Tyreke back next year, but I could be wrong. Team will be built around Cousins, obviously. I think Patterson, JT, Isaiah are good guys to keep around. Not sure if Thornton will be back either. Depending on who our GM and head coach are, I see a complete overhaul in a GOOD way. In a perfect world, I'd love to see Brian Shaw hired as our head coach, and he'd bring in Robert F'n Horry as his lead assistant...gotta love the irony in that! I think they'd be great for this team, not sure about GM/President, though...that's a tough one. Of course, everyone is going to probably want to bring in Jerry Sloan as coach, I'd like to get fresh, hungry blood in here...and I think Shaw/Horry would be an incredible combo to coach Cousins and Co., with plenty of hardware(rings)to show off

If Shaw was actually hired to bring his triangle to town, you can pretty much bet Reke would be back, and IT likely gone as the one fits the triangle very well, and the other not at all. I would say Thornton would be out as well, but in his first year with us he flashed a little post game which despite his size and passing limitations might make him a viable triangle SG. In any case, the irony as a Kings fan is that Reke and Cousins are great pieces for the very system traditionally run by our downstate rivals.

Another thing, you hire Shaw as coach, all of a sudden there is a possibility you could hire his mentor PJ to be his boss. I don't know whetehr that is a good scenario or not, just something to play with mentally.

 

[Double-K]

If Shaw was actually hired to bring his triangle to town, you can pretty much bet Reke would be back, and IT likely gone as the one fits the triangle very well, and the other not at all. I would say Thornton would be out as well, but in his first year with us he flashed a little post game which despite his size and passing limitations might make him a viable triangle SG. In any case, the irony as a Kings fan is that Reke and Cousins are great pieces for the very system traditionally run by our downstate rivals.

Another thing, you hire Shaw as coach, all of a sudden there is a possibility you could hire his mentor PJ to be his boss. I don't know whetehr that is a good scenario or not, just something to play with mentally.

Kobe had vocally advocated the hiring of Shaw and then PJ, if anything, I'd like us to do it just to stick it up to him.

 

[Tetsujin]

Another thing, you hire Shaw as coach, all of a sudden there is a possibility you could hire his mentor PJ to be his boss. I don't know whetehr that is a good scenario or not, just something to play with mentally.

Which is why I've been advocating hiring JVG so as to avoid such moral quandaries.

 

[Crabwalk]

Our friends at Sactown Royalty had a #HereWeWish post where, as a fan, you could contact the potential new owners through social media or via e-mail and tell them what you want to see. I opted to shoot them an e-mail and here is what I had to say... (apologies upfront for how lengthy it is - I think it was years and years of frustration coming out on paper)

Dear Potential New Owners of the Sacramento Kings,

I would first like to start off by simply saying thank you! As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, I can't stress enough how much your efforts to save the Kings mean to this region. Today, I woke up more proud, more hopeful and definitely less stressed (lol). Sacramento's future looks bright and we have each and everyone of you to thank for this!

Here are somethings that I would like to see happen WHEN, not if, new ownership takes over:

1. From a basketball standpoint, our team is made up of many pieces that don't quite fit. First priority would be to identify who the most talented players are and build around them. Obviously this would be DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans. Cousins is still under contract for one more year but Evans is a free agent. If I understand the rules of free agency as well as I think I do, Tyreke has the option of seeking out other teams but we have the right to match whatever contract he is offered. I think it is crucial to retain Tyreke Evans. A player of his caliber doesn't come around too often. Sure, his numbers have regressed since his rookie year but this is due to many reasons: lack of good coaching/player development, non-defined role, and injuries. Tyreke has been relegated to being a role player and often times is being played out of position. A player with his talent, needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Finding the right coach that recognizes Tyreke's abilities will solve this problem which leads me to my next point.

2. Find a good defensive minded coach. This team has lacked a good coach since Rick Adelman. Finding the right coach would solve a lot of problems this team currently has. The right coach would be able to identify what he has and properly utilize and maximize his player's talents. Defense has been an issue with this team so a coach that comes from a defensive background would be welcomed. Some choices off the top of my head are Nate McMillan and Jeff Van Gundy. We need to change the culture of this team from offensive-minded-me-first-players to defensive-minded-team-oriented-players.

3. The defense needs to be fixed by first bringing in a defense minded coach and second, obtaining/retaining the right personnel. We have too many pieces that are duplicates of each other and none of which are defense oriented. Here's a break down of what I would like to see:

Keep
DMC, Tyreke

Duplicate pieces - decide between 1 of the 2
Jason Thompson/Patrick Patterson - You could make a valid case for keeping either player. JT is the ultimate role player (which we need more of) but he has a bigger contract than Patterson. Patterson seemed to fit well with the team during his brief stint but is more offense oriented. Ideally, 1 of these guys should be retained and should be the 1st big off the bench.
Marcus Thorton/Isaiah Thomas - Again, a valid case could be made for either player. 1 of these players should be retained to be your 6th man.

Of the remaining players, Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, and Jimmer Fredette intrigue me. Cole would be great 4th/5th big man off the bench, Toney Douglas brings defense and doesn't require the ball or shots to be effective and Jimmer is still unproven and hasn't had a fair chance to prove himself yet. I'm not ready to give up on Jimmer yet. If he could work on his ball handling and defense, he would be the perfect complimentary backcourt partner to Tyreke. That leaves John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Travis Outlaw, and James Johnson as players who are expendable.

In free agency, I would like to see us target players who bring some veteran leadership and fill a need. Here's a list of players I wouldn't mind seeing in a Kings jersey next season: Beno Udrih, Mario Chalmers, Andre Iguodala, Tony Allen, Kyle Korver, Andrei Kirilenko, Dorell Wright, Trevor Ariza, and Samuel Dalembert. Besides Andre Iguodala, netting any of these other free agents wouldn't be considered a splashy move but they all would fill a need and fit well with our 2 stars.

Protecting the paint is also crucial to team defense. Besides Samuel Dalembert, no other free agents strike me as possible to obtain or fit the role; however, exploring a trade for Marcin Gortat or Anderson Varajao would. I would package our draft pick with our best trade chip in an attempt to acquire a defensive player to compliment DMC.

A roster that looks like this and coached by Nate McMillan would make me a very happy fan:

Starters
DMC
Marcin Gortat
Andrei Kirilenko
Tyreke
Beno Udrih

6th Marcus Thorton/Isaiah Thomas
7th Jason Thompson/Patrick Pattterson
8th Dorell Wright
9th Toney Douglas
10th Cole Aldrich
11th Jimmer Fredette
12th John Salmons

4. Other things that would excite me as a fan: bring back Kayte Christensen and retire KJ's jersey or a tribute of some sort to our savior!

Once and Forever... Go Kings!

 

[jalfa]

Our friends at Sactown Royalty had a #HereWeWish post where, as a fan, you could contact the potential new owners through social media or via e-mail and tell them what you want to see. I opted to shoot them an e-mail and here is what I had to say... (apologies upfront for how lengthy it is - I think it was years and years of frustration coming out on paper)

Dear Potential New Owners of the Sacramento Kings,

I would first like to start off by simply saying thank you! As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, I can't stress enough how much your efforts to save the Kings mean to this region. Today, I woke up more proud, more hopeful and definitely less stressed (lol). Sacramento's future looks bright and we have each and everyone of you to thank for this!

Here are somethings that I would like to see happen WHEN, not if, new ownership takes over:

1. From a basketball standpoint, our team is made up of many pieces that don't quite fit. First priority would be to identify who the most talented players are and build around them. Obviously this would be DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans. Cousins is still under contract for one more year but Evans is a free agent. If I understand the rules of free agency as well as I think I do, Tyreke has the option of seeking out other teams but we have the right to match whatever contract he is offered. I think it is crucial to retain Tyreke Evans. A player of his caliber doesn't come around too often. Sure, his numbers have regressed since his rookie year but this is due to many reasons: lack of good coaching/player development, non-defined role, and injuries. Tyreke has been relegated to being a role player and often times is being played out of position. A player with his talent, needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Finding the right coach that recognizes Tyreke's abilities will solve this problem which leads me to my next point.

2. Find a good defensive minded coach. This team has lacked a good coach since Rick Adelman. Finding the right coach would solve a lot of problems this team currently has. The right coach would be able to identify what he has and properly utilize and maximize his player's talents. Defense has been an issue with this team so a coach that comes from a defensive background would be welcomed. Some choices off the top of my head are Nate McMillan and Jeff Van Gundy. We need to change the culture of this team from offensive-minded-me-first-players to defensive-minded-team-oriented-players.

3. The defense needs to be fixed by first bringing in a defense minded coach and second, obtaining/retaining the right personnel. We have too many pieces that are duplicates of each other and none of which are defense oriented. Here's a break down of what I would like to see:

Keep
DMC, Tyreke

Duplicate pieces - decide between 1 of the 2
Jason Thompson/Patrick Patterson - You could make a valid case for keeping either player. JT is the ultimate role player (which we need more of) but he has a bigger contract than Patterson. Patterson seemed to fit well with the team during his brief stint but is more offense oriented. Ideally, 1 of these guys should be retained and should be the 1st big off the bench.
Marcus Thorton/Isaiah Thomas - Again, a valid case could be made for either player. 1 of these players should be retained to be your 6th man.

Of the remaining players, Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, and Jimmer Fredette intrigue me. Cole would be great 4th/5th big man off the bench, Toney Douglas brings defense and doesn't require the ball or shots to be effective and Jimmer is still unproven and hasn't had a fair chance to prove himself yet. I'm not ready to give up on Jimmer yet. If he could work on his ball handling and defense, he would be the perfect complimentary backcourt partner to Tyreke. That leaves John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Travis Outlaw, and James Johnson as players who are expendable.

In free agency, I would like to see us target players who bring some veteran leadership and fill a need. Here's a list of players I wouldn't mind seeing in a Kings jersey next season: Beno Udrih, Mario Chalmers, Andre Iguodala, Tony Allen, Kyle Korver, Andrei Kirilenko, Dorell Wright, Trevor Ariza, and Samuel Dalembert. Besides Andre Iguodala, netting any of these other free agents wouldn't be considered a splashy move but they all would fill a need and fit well with our 2 stars.

Protecting the paint is also crucial to team defense. Besides Samuel Dalembert, no other free agents strike me as possible to obtain or fit the role; however, exploring a trade for Marcin Gortat or Anderson Varajao would. I would package our draft pick with our best trade chip in an attempt to acquire a defensive player to compliment DMC.

A roster that looks like this and coached by Nate McMillan would make me a very happy fan:

Starters
DMC
Marcin Gortat
Andrei Kirilenko
Tyreke
Beno Udrih

6th Marcus Thorton/Isaiah Thomas
7th Jason Thompson/Patrick Pattterson
8th Dorell Wright
9th Toney Douglas
10th Cole Aldrich
11th Jimmer Fredette
12th John Salmons

4. Other things that would excite me as a fan: bring back Kayte Christensen and retire KJ's jersey or a tribute of some sort to our savior!

Once and Forever... Go Kings!

very well put! maybe you should have given Kayte more prominence, but other than that you probably won't find any disagreement on any of those points. (okay, Tony Allen might not be the best fit, but that's it, really)

 

[Crabwalk]

Hoping we stick with Reke and Cousins as the building blocks. Would be a shame to give up on Tyreke because of the jackass way he was developed by jackass coaches hired by jackass owners.

Honestly, one legit 3 and a legit coach and we'll be seeing a miracle turnaround. Smart was just that bad.

Agreed 100% but can we also add a shot-blocking paint protecting C/PF to compensate for DMC's areas of deficiencies?

 

[Crabwalk]

very well put! maybe you should have given Kayte more prominence, but other than that you probably won't find any disagreement on any of those points. (okay, Tony Allen might not be the best fit, but that's it, really)

perhaps but imagining Tony Allen paired up with Reke in the backcourt satisfies my fetish for defense!

 

[jalfa]

perhaps but imagining Tony Allen paired up with Reke in the backcourt satisfies my fetish for defense!

yeah, for sure, but it's become really, really hard to play two non-shooters in the backcourt at the same time, especially in the playoffs (where everyone here wants to be headed, I'm sure). it's why Hollins cuts down Allen's playing time whenever the playoffs come around and why he now staggers Allen's and Prince's minutes, not letting them play together too much. it would be absolutely imperative to get an elite shooter for the 3 (which is possible, you did mention Korver) and it'd mean playing Reke at the PG again (not all that opposed to that, although Gary might rage quit NBA basketball, if that happens). it's problematic and might pose more questions than it answers, which is why I'd be careful. not completely opposed, but careful.

 

[mac]

yeah, for sure, but it's become really, really hard to play two non-shooters in the backcourt at the same time, especially in the playoffs (where everyone here wants to be headed, I'm sure). it's why Hollins cuts down Allen's playing time whenever the playoffs come around and why he now staggers Allen's and Prince's minutes, not letting them play together too much. it would be absolutely imperative to get an elite shooter for the 3 (which is possible, you did mention Korver) and it'd mean playing Reke at the PG again (not all that opposed to that, although Gary might rage quit NBA basketball, if that happens). it's problematic and might pose more questions than it answers, which is why I'd be careful. not completely opposed, but careful.

Rofl good one! I would love for us to get Korver. I'm also intrigued by JJ Redick, who somewhat fills the role we want Jimmer to fill. Decent playmaker who can space the floor, and also isn't a liability on defense.

 

[Gilles]

yeah, for sure, but it's become really, really hard to play two non-shooters in the backcourt at the same time, especially in the playoffs (where everyone here wants to be headed, I'm sure). it's why Hollins cuts down Allen's playing time whenever the playoffs come around and why he now staggers Allen's and Prince's minutes, not letting them play together too much. it would be absolutely imperative to get an elite shooter for the 3 (which is possible, you did mention Korver) and it'd mean playing Reke at the PG again (not all that opposed to that, although Gary might rage quit NBA basketball, if that happens). it's problematic and might pose more questions than it answers, which is why I'd be careful. not completely opposed, but careful.

Actually it might be more: you can't win without shooting from at least 2 of the 3 perimeter guys and 1 of 2 bigs. Seems like guys who can't shoot at all get robbed out of minutes or hurt their teams this year in PO: like G.Wallace or T.Allen.

 

[jalfa]

Actually it might be more: you can't win without shooting from at least 2 of the 3 perimeter guys and 1 of 2 bigs. Seems like guys who can't shoot at all get robbed out of minutes or hurt their teams this year in PO: like G.Wallace or T.Allen.

True, but not a concern for our team. Outside of Hayes, our bigs range from serviceable to excellent, as far as shooting is concerned. Thank god for that, too, otherwise it would seriously handicap our ability to go after perimeter players.

 

[ParniValjak]

If Shaw was actually hired to bring his triangle to town, you can pretty much bet Reke would be back, and IT likely gone as the one fits the triangle very well, and the other not at all. I would say Thornton would be out as well, but in his first year with us he flashed a little post game which despite his size and passing limitations might make him a viable triangle SG. In any case, the irony as a Kings fan is that Reke and Cousins are great pieces for the very system traditionally run by our downstate rivals.

Another thing, you hire Shaw as coach, all of a sudden there is a possibility you could hire his mentor PJ to be his boss. I don't know whetehr that is a good scenario or not, just something to play with mentally.

I am not sure we will go down the triangle offense path but either way you would think that building around Cousins and Evans would be what the new ownership group would be planning on. Everyone else is realistically replaceable.

I am also thinking that Ranadivé group would want to make a splash on a proven coach especially given the revolving door of coaches since Adelman left town.

 

[Kingster]

I doubt Vivek has as a major goal to make a media splash. That's more of the Magoofs style.

If Vivek hires someone already very familiar with the Kings roster, say a vice-GM of a western conference team, then the odds go up that there will be turnover in the near term. If he hires someone less familiar with the roster, then they probably have a longer evaluation period.

Another factor to consider is the type of individual that Vivek hires as the GM. He makes a distinction between those who are 1s, and those who are 2s. The 1s are intuitive and able to process incomplete information readily and abily. The 2s need to accumulate a great deal of data before they are comfortable in making a decision. Smart is the perfect example of a 2, as he needs to see for himself a zillion different lineups and assess the empirical results before he can make a decision on which ones he likes. A 1 will grasp intuitively what needs to be done and do it more quickly. Steve Jobs at Apple is the perfect example for a 1. Keep in mind that Vivek believes that you must have a 1 at the top of the organization. So, with that in mind, and with all other factors being equal, I would expect a Vivek GM to intuit what needs to be done fairly quickly, and then do it.

 

[mac]

I doubt Vivek has as a major goal to make a media splash. That's more of the Magoofs style.

If Vivek hires someone already very familiar with the Kings roster, say a vice-GM of a western conference team, then the odds go up that there will be turnover in the near term. If he hires someone less familiar with the roster, then they probably have a longer evaluation period.

Another factor to consider is the type of individual that Vivek hires as the GM. He makes a distinction between those who are 1s, and those who are 2s. The 1s are intuitive and able to process incomplete information readily and abily. The 2s need to accumulate a great deal of data before they are comfortable in making a decision. Smart is the perfect example of a 2, as he needs to see for himself a zillion different lineups and assess the empirical results before he can make a decision on which ones he likes. A 1 will grasp intuitively what needs to be done and do it more quickly. Steve Jobs at Apple is the perfect example for a 1. Keep in mind that Vivek believes that you must have a 1 at the top of the organization. So, with that in mind, and with all other factors being equal, I would expect a Vivek GM to intuit what needs to be done fairly quickly, and then do it.

I'm not so sure Smart is a 2 so much more than he just wants to find a way to keep everyone happy and isn't good enough to do his job in order to get consistent wins from one lineup. Hence the constant tinkering attempting to find a guy that gets hot for a stretch to carry our team to one win every 4 games.

 

[Kingster]

I'm not so sure Smart is a 2 so much more than he just wants to find a way to keep everyone happy and isn't good enough to do his job in order to get consistent wins from one lineup. Hence the constant tinkering attempting to find a guy that gets hot for a stretch to carry our team to one win every 4 games.

Yes, I can buy that as a possible interpretation of Smart's behavior. It's almost as if he needed to try out different lineups so that the players would see what worked and what didn't. Maybe he did intuit a lineup all along, but just didn't have the guts to implement it, regardless of internal politics.

 

[Bricklayer]

I doubt Vivek has as a major goal to make a media splash. That's more of the Magoofs style.

If Vivek hires someone already very familiar with the Kings roster, say a vice-GM of a western conference team, then the odds go up that there will be turnover in the near term. If he hires someone less familiar with the roster, then they probably have a longer evaluation period.

Another factor to consider is the type of individual that Vivek hires as the GM. He makes a distinction between those who are 1s, and those who are 2s. The 1s are intuitive and able to process incomplete information readily and abily. The 2s need to accumulate a great deal of data before they are comfortable in making a decision. Smart is the perfect example of a 2, as he needs to see for himself a zillion different lineups and assess the empirical results before he can make a decision on which ones he likes. A 1 will grasp intuitively what needs to be done and do it more quickly. Steve Jobs at Apple is the perfect example for a 1. Keep in mind that Vivek believes that you must have a 1 at the top of the organization. So, with that in mind, and with all other factors being equal, I would expect a Vivek GM to intuit what needs to be done fairly quickly, and then do it.

Well I'm a 1, he can hire me!

And I have complained for years about Geoff being the world's most pedantic 2.

 

[Kingster]

Well I'm a 1, he can hire me!

And I have complained for years about Geoff being the world's most pedantic 2.

Time to send him your resume!

 

[t-rex]

I'm also intrigued by JJ Redick, who somewhat fills the role we want Jimmer to fill. Decent playmaker who can space the floor, and also isn't a liability on defense.

Redick was about like Jimmer his 2nd year. In fact his stats were behind Jimmer for at least the first 3 years he was in the league. Give Jimmer some time with a decent coach. Geez.

 

[mac]

Redick was about like Jimmer his 2nd year. In fact his stats were behind Jimmer for at least the first 3 years he was in the league. Give Jimmer some time with a decent coach. Geez.

We'll be able to sign Redick for not that much more than what Jimmer will be making. You get a proven guy to fill a role and bring some basketball smarts to the team. Doesn't mean we have to get rid of Jimmer.

 

[ParniValjak]

We'll be able to sign Redick for not that much more than what Jimmer will be making. You get a proven guy to fill a role and bring some basketball smarts to the team. Doesn't mean we have to get rid of Jimmer.

What?! There will be teams out there that will drop around a $10 million per year contract on Reddick. Bookmark it! At the very least, he will be on Marcus Thornton / John Salmons type of money!

 

[hrdboild]

What?! There will be teams out there that will drop around a $10 million per year contract on Reddick. Bookmark it! At the very least, he will be on Marcus Thornton / John Salmons type of money!

Which is ridiculous, but you're right. It's going to happen. You'd think more GMs would have figured out by now that sinking that much money into a role-player is almost always a bad idea and they'd be better off getting better scouts and filling those holes with younger unproven talent, but I suppose that's easier said than done. Indiana and San Antonio have done it marvelously for years though so it's not like it can't be done.

 

[mac]

What?! There will be teams out there that will drop around a $10 million per year contract on Reddick. Bookmark it! At the very least, he will be on Marcus Thornton / John Salmons type of money!

If you say so. We'll see how much he gets. I personally doubt that he will be getting that kind of money, especially after this season where he didn't get that much PT with the Bucks.

 

[ParniValjak]

Which is ridiculous, but you're right. It's going to happen. You'd think more GMs would have figured out by now that sinking that much money into a role-player is almost always a bad idea and they'd be better off getting better scouts and filling those holes with younger unproven talent, but I suppose that's easier said than done. Indiana and San Antonio have done it marvelously for years though so it's not like it can't be done.

Spot on! You just need to look at the last two off-seasons to see that the CBA has not changed much. Average to good solid players still getting big player money (eg Ryan Anderson) and the contenders pick up bargain role players (eg Ray Allen).

You are right in saying that Indiana and in particular San Antonio are masters of finding key role players with their draft picks. If you look at the Spurs they have had their big 3 as constants in the last few years and the rest of the roster is a bit of a revolving door. They either sign players on the cheap that fit their needs (e.g. Bonner, Diaw) or they draft their players and have them play some key roles for a few years until they are due for a bigger pay check (this is a long list but off the top of my head George Hill, Splitter, Blair, Neal etc).

You would hope that this is the approach that our new front office will be strong on. Get your key guys in place (Cousins, Evans and a FA or another key draft pick) and the rest of the roster is made up of free agents on the cheap that fill the role well (eg value for money picks - remember the days of Scott Pollard, Bobby Jackson, Jimmy Jackson, Keon Clark etc) or draftees which fill the role for us and are capable of playing that role from day 1.

If you say so. We'll see how much he gets. I personally doubt that he will be getting that kind of money, especially after this season where he didn't get that much PT with the Bucks.

If you look at the last 2 off-season, JJ Reddick type of player has been getting that type of money. I don't agree with it either but the prices are ridiculous. No one thought Ryan Anderson would get the type of money he did but he did get it. A lot of teams will need a shooter and will be willing to spend some pretty big money on one.

Personally, I would not go anywhere near him even at the current salary ($6 million) but he will be getting more than that. One of the main reasons Orlando traded him was because of the salary he will be commanding in the off-season