Čarolija said:OK, I have read somewhere that Portland might cut Theo Ratliff to avoid paying luxury tax. If they do cut him would we be interested for a reasonable price??????
He is tall, decent rebounder and one of the best shot blockers in the league. Granted he is a bit on the old side but if we could sign him for part of the MLE then he could be a decent pick up.
thoughts??????
Bricklayer said:One note though --I'm still not 100% sure how it works, but in the Finley articles there has been mention of a team needing to spend its midlevel exception to sign one of these released players. Not sure if that means the whole exception, or for how long, but if it does, then getting Theo would still cost us quite a bit of money and limit our ability to get anybody else.
Bricklayer said:Much rather have a younger player like a Gadzuric or Chandler, but of course their teams know their value and are unlikely to give them up.
Bricklayer said:One note though --I'm still not 100% sure how it works, but in the Finley articles there has been mention of a team needing to spend its midlevel exception to sign one of these released players. Not sure if that means the whole exception, or for how long, but if it does, then getting Theo would still cost us quite a bit of money and limit our ability to get anybody else.
G_M said:I like Gadzuric. It seems like the Kings are committed to Miller and the high post offense. So, having a guy who is actually fairly athletic, can block some shots, runs the floor well and can rebound to balance Millers unathleticism seems smart.
Greg Ostertag said:I'd love to get Gadzuric too, but since he is restricted and all the Kings can offer is the MLE, I believe the Bucks would be willing to match. Though since they have Bogut, who knows. Gadzuric would be a great backup player for them though.
thesanityannex said:Mindaugas Katelynas went undrafted...um petrie can you pick him up.
Has all the physical characteristics an NBA team looks for in a small forward. At 6-9 and with a nice wingspan, he certainly has the body, although he is a little skinny. The most impressive thing about Katelynas is his incredible athletic ability, which rivals basically any player in this draft. He moves very well and is extremely quick up and down the floor. On top of that, he probably has the best vertical leap of any player his size in the draft, with an NCAA slam dunk contest trophy to back that up. He not only jumps for height, but also for distance, thanks to his excellent hang-time. He can receive the ball right on the outskirts of the lane, and elevate for a dunk without needing a head start to finish strong and comfortably, thanks to his athleticism and wingspan.
Offensively, Katelynas' role in college appeared to be limited from the two tapes of his we've acquired this year. His team loved to run the floor, and so does he, so he was the perfect big man to do that in their system as he usually beats most guards down the floor. This is how he scored a lot of his points, along with the many offensive rebounds he would collect. His motor is outstanding and he never stops moving for even a second. Katelynas is excellent moving off the ball as he understands the concept of team play and looks very efficient executing in set plays, as you would expect from a European prospect. He is a solid passer, and plays the game patiently, almost never taking bad shots (56 FG%, 46% 3P) and always playing within himself.
Katelynas is an excellent rebounder thanks to his physical attributes, motor and sheer desire. He knows how to box out and position himself for rebounds and has pretty nice hands as well. These same characteristics also make him a shotblocking threat when he is guarding players who are smaller than him, which will happen often in the NBA if he's playing his projected position at the 3.
In general, he is a very hard worker both on and off the court, who never complains about his role and always gives 100% effort. He is a team player who sets excellent picks and is willing to hustle and sacrifice his body to give his team an advantage. He isn't soft in the least bit and will take a charge or hit the deck without thinking twice if the opportunity presents itself. He plays the game with a lot of energy and has a great court demeanor, appearing to be an excellent teammate.
He is a very intelligent player who understands the game and has a huge upside to continue to improve thanks to his size, smarts, body, freakish athleticism, work ethic, attitude and excellent feel for the game. He's a true sleeper in this draft.
master said:What about this?:
- CWilliamson for Nesterovic. Then, trade Nesterovic to Seattle for nothing.
-Boston: Joe Smith, Bobby Jackson, Ostertag, 1 round for P Pierce
Milwaukee: P Pierce, Kenny Thomas for J Smith and 2 1 rounds (posible if
they don't keep redd)
Sacramento: B Jackson, K Thomas, G Ostertag for 1 round (or for nothing if necessary)
- Kevin Martin and a 2 round for Danny Granger
master said:What about this?:
- CWilliamson for Nesterovic. Then, trade Nesterovic to Seattle for nothing.
-Boston: Joe Smith, Bobby Jackson, Ostertag, 1 round for P Pierce
Milwaukee: P Pierce, Kenny Thomas for J Smith and 2 1 rounds (posible if
they don't keep redd)
Sacramento: B Jackson, K Thomas, G Ostertag for 1 round (or for nothing if necessary)
- Kevin Martin and a 2 round for Danny Granger
Starting lineup:
M Bibby
M Evans
P Stojakovic
B Skinner
B Miller
Bench
J McInnis (or another good pg)
F Garcia
D Granger
D Songaila
R Petkovas (or another good c)
Superman said:I think Kirk Hinrich is an "untouchable".
I'd like to have him, though I'm not sure I'd move Bibby in that scenario. I think we'd have to get a sure thing type of guy to get rid of Bibby, and there aren't many sure things that are available.
C Diddy said:Here's an idea I've been tossing around in my head. I can't check it on realgm due to one player being a FA.
Kings Trade:
Mike Bibby
Kenny Thomas
Bulls trade:
Kirk Hinrich
Antonio Davis
Re-signed Tyson Chandler
Why the Bulls do it:
They want to rid themselves of Antonio Davis massive contract so they can get better now. There are several players in FA that would help them. Hughes, Redd, Allen, Swift, Mobley are all possibilities and if they had some cap space they could make one of those moves. They also improve with Mike Bibby at PG. Kenny Thomas isnt the big man they want for the future, but for now, they have an outside presence on the front line and decent rebounder considering his size. Taking on Thomas contract is a fair trade for getting Bibby and dumping Antonio Davis
Why the Kings do it:
Everyone knows the Kings need Tyson Chandler. He can play in the post, rebound and is a tough defender. He would be the inside presence the Kings sorely need. Kirk Hinrich, to me, is not that far off from Mike Bibby. He is a young solid passer and shooter, and controls the offense laden with young guys well. He is also known for being a big game performer. If it wasn't for a run in with Carmelo Anthony's Syracuse team Hinrich would have a national title to his credit. Taking on Antonio Davis contract hurts, but it expires next year, conveniently the same time that Peja Stojakovic becomes a free agent. Thomas has a big contract that lasts through 2047 and taking on Davis for a year is worth it.
BigSong said:I cant see the bulls doing this. The front court would take a hit, and theyd end up like us with bunch of midgets. Especially if all the talk about Curry is true. Then again maybe if we threw in tag theyd do it.
Čarolija said:Mobley sign and trade could well be a possibility for us. Nene would be a nice addition
http://http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nuggets/article/0,1299,DRMN_20_3899669,00.html
Nuggets give it a shot
Free agency begins; Denver looks for bargains in market
By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
July 2, 2005
Suddenly, the Denver Nuggets have a lot less summer clout. After two summers of having plenty of money to spend, the Nuggets are armed only with the midlevel exception of about $5 million and a $1.7 million exception. But they still gave it their best on the first day of the free-agent negotiating period.
The Nuggets spent the day touching base with agents. Their primary motivation is to find a shooting guard. The Nuggets would need to get very creative to make a strong run at top free-agent shooting guards Michael Redd of Milwaukee, Ray Allen of Seattle, Joe Johnson of Phoenix and Larry Hughes of Washington. It's even a challenge with the next tier.
"I think Bobby is going to use cap room," said Mark Bartelstein, agent for Los Angeles Clippers swingman Bobby Simmons, indicating the Nuggets currently don't have enough money for his client. "But you never know. There are sign-and-trades and things that change. We're going to talk to them."
Denver also made contact Friday with Cuttino Mobley's agent, Andy Miller. Mobley, who Thursday opted out of a Sacramento contract worth $6.4 million next season, isn't about to quickly sign a deal for less, so the Nuggets likely would need to come up with a sign-and-trade deal.
"I don't know how much interest (the Nuggets) have," Miller said. "But we have a lot of interest."
The Nuggets, who can sign players July 22, were said also to have contacted agents for the top-tier shooting guards. Redd appears to intrigue them the most.
Nuggets coach George Karl knows Redd well from having once coached him in Milwaukee. But lack of money obviously is a huge drawback, with ESPN.com reporting Redd has been offered maximum deals by the Bucks and Cleveland, the first year worth about $12 million.
Denver's only chance would be a sign and trade. Any such a deal might have to include Nene, due $3 million next season, as well as another $9 million of contracts.
Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he was tied up talking with agents Friday and could not comment on free agency. Nuggets assistant general manager David Fredman said Karl also was active speaking to agents.
"We're not eliminating anything, being a non-cap (room) team," said Fredman, who declined to discuss specific players.
"We have the reputation for being creative. There are sign and trades. There's a whole gamut of possibilities."
One is patience. A rule in the new collective bargaining agreement apparently will give teams a one-time opportunity until Oct. 1 to waive a player and not pay luxury tax on him.
Michael Finley of Dallas and Allan Houston of New York are possible casualties. But they may not become available until just prior to training camp.
The Nuggets also could adhere to the status quo at shooting guard. They want to re-sign free-agent Greg Buckner, whose agent Steve Kauffman wants a "big portion" of the midlevel exception. And Karl has said he wants to retain Voshon Lenard, whose $3.27 million contract can be bought out by July 14 for $250,000.
While many candidates appear too pricey, one agent advertised a shooting guard "within (Denver's) salary range." Calvin Andrews said Charlotte's Kareem Rush, a former Missouri star, "fits the bill" for the Nuggets.
"He has a great relationship with (Denver owner Stan Kroenke)," said Andrews, who had yet to hear by early Friday night from the Nuggets. "He and Josh (Kroenke, the owner's son) were roommates at college. They're pretty close."
The Nuggets sought to acquire Rush from the Los Angeles Lakers last December. But he was traded to Charlotte, where he averaged 11.5 points in 34 games. ETC: Andrews, who also represents Carmelo Anthony, said Anthony will work out with the Nuggets in Las Vegas, where they will be Tuesday through July 15 for the summer league . . . Andrews said Anthony is likely to conduct a few clinics in Puerto Rico in August . . . Denver's Eduardo Najera expects Buckner, DerMarr Johnson and Bryon Russell to play in his charity game July 9 in his native Mexico.
hrdboild said:^ That trade (Cuttino for Nene, Najera) would be so amazingly good for us, I'd have to learn how to do a backflip because there really isn't any other appropriate response. Even if we have to throw in a future first rounder to make it happen, it's still a great trade.