The Sixers free agency thread.

[Skates]

If we can get Blake, a second rounder and a decent sized trade exemption I would be fine with it.  That trade exemption could be very valuable in the current NBA economy.  Find a team that wants to dump a decent SG with two years left on their deal because the team wants to get under the tax or to enter the FA derby next summer, or both, and you can probably get them to toss in a pick, heavily protected first or a second.

Similar to what we did to pay Minny to take Booth and Carney last year.  If not, we still have some room under the cap to use at least part of the MLE for another shooter or can take back a little more salary (subject to trade limitations of 25%) if we actually manage to move Sammy.

OT: The Griz just traded for Zach Randolph I hear, wow, that is one awfully badly run franchise, oh wait, they dealt with the Clippers, make that two awfully badly run franchises.

[Sub]

Portland may be waiting to see what happens with Turkoglu before softening on adding Outlaw.

[rickortreat]

Blake can't play.  If that's all we can get, I'd stay with Miller.

[Skates]

Blake can't play.  If that's all we can get, I'd stay with Miller.

It is not like we can just say that, Miller is unrestricted, so he decides where he goes.  The team does not want to give him more than two years and they would be lunatics if they give him a three year or longer deal.  For two years at the right number I am fine with keeping Miller. 

Blake can play, although he is more of a complimentary, quality back-up level PG.  He is a good shooter from distance, careful with the ball and no worse defensively than Miller.  Not much of a threat to drive to the hoop, but if Holiday develops quickly, he is also less likely to bitch about accepting a more limited role.  Plus he is cheaper, giving them some room to acquire another shooter.

[tk76-]

I think we have been spoiled with Thad and Speights ability to contribute as rookies.  I'm worried that Holiday might prove to be 2 years away.

[rickortreat]

There are a lot of players out there. Old vets and younger players at the end of contracts who will move for the MLE.  We could get a guy like Gortat for very little and Jack for even less. There are lots of adequate points out there who will work out with the Sixers for less than Miller.

A guy like Iverson will be begging for work and probably willing to take the MLE. Not that I'm for it, but we could bring AI back as our starting point and use Miller's salary in a S&T for that Big Man I want (Glen Davis?).

Miller's fate will be decided by the market, if someone offers him big money the Sixers can match and do a trade. If no-one offers him a deal, (unlikely, IMO) we can keep him for less.

Note that all this is going on without any discussion about Willie Green or Sam Dalembert. If Andre leaves we'll still need Willie, and Sam seems impossible to move. Anyone missing  Billy King only needs to look at these two and be glad he's gone.

[Skates]

Gortat seems to be in big demand and would not come here unless we cleared playing time by moving a big, IMO.  He is quite likely to get overpaid this summer.

Jack is a restricted FA and outplayed TJ Ford for Indy last year.  Ford may be the more available one.

Iverson - no freaking way, been there, done that, end of story.

Why would Boston want Miller and where would we play Davis, who is a guy you have to worry about regressing once he gets a bigger, long term contract?

I agree with TK, Holiday is at least a 2 year project as a starter, should be up to a 15-20 mpg role before the year is out though.  We need a starting PG to replace Miller, and Lou simply has none of the necessary skills to play the position, even in the PO.

As bad as Green and Smmy's contract were on the surface, the fact that Sammy has a big trade kicker and Green has an ETO (which he will never exercise, but still why give it to him) is what really blows me away.  Like either of these guys had any real leverage to begin with.  BK could go to an auction by himself and there would still be active bids and raises on every item, he could never help bidding against himself.

[tk76-]

Like I said at realGM, if they are really planning on handing the keys to Lou, Holiday and a min PG they better start looking to move Brand at some point.

If the next 2 years are about player development (which I'm OK with) then there is no reason to keep Brand around.  His last 2 years he will be overpaind (17/18M at age 32-34.)

I'm not saying this team is a contender these next few years regardless of the moves they make.  But an NBA quality PG (say Bibby), Thad, Iguodala and Brand is the makings of a competitive team.  But you swap in a work in progress type PG by committee and you are putting the team in full youth/rebuild mode.

Again, have no problem going with the young core.  I can also understand havving a vet PG with a couple year contract to help everyone develop (much like Miller these last 2 years.)  But having an older, big ticket PF just makes no sense to me if you are looking towards 2-3 years down the road.  Especially one who's contract will balloon over the next 4 years.

Don't sell low and move him now.  But he's got to be moved at some point (trading deadline?) if they don't get a competive PG this off season.

[Skates]

Exactly TK, moving Brand now would be nearly impossible and if posible, selling beyond low.  This draft was weak on bigs and so is the current FA class, especially with Boozer not opting out.

Wait to see how the team develops in the first half of the year.  Watch these things primarily:

1.  Does Iggy thrive in the new offense?
2.  Does Thad play at the level he did down the stretch last year and become a consistent 20+ ppg scorer?
3.  How fast do Speights and Smith develop?
4.  Can Iggy and Thad co-exist at the 2-3 positions, with each splitting only some time at other positions?

If all of these things develop very quickly, then the team is ready for rapidly rising and a healthy Brand should be kept, or traded only to fill an immediate need at PG or C.

If these things are taking a while to develop, then wait for Holiday to develop with them and move Brand if he comes back healthy and productive, trying to get both talent and cap flexibility.  Unless the team is making rapid improvements in the young core (not counting Holiday, that is too much to expect), then Brand is a luxury now and an albatross later.  If the team develops more quickly than expected, try like heck to solidify the PG position now and go for it.

[Skates]

Does anyone have interest in looking at what it might cost to sign Von Wafer. The guy is athletic, only 23 and can shoot the three from the SG position.  Not a great defender or passer yet, but a guy who seems to be improving year by year and it still very young.  Hollinger thinks he has the potential to eventually start at the 2, although that may be a stretch, at least on a good team.

He is unrestricted and a better shooter than Carney who has been discussed as a possible signing this summer.  Wafer intrigues me if he can be had for the right price.

[Sub]

Hard to get a read on a guy who's been with five teams in four years. I'm all for taking chances on young guys, but I'd be more inclined to take a shot on a guy like Rashad McCants for a year over Wafer.

[Derek Bodner]

to be fair, last year was the first time he really got consistent playing time.  He put up really good stats in a limited time, and would be a good fit here.  Can't get enough spot-up jump shooters.

The problem is, we'd then have green, williams, jrue, kapono, and wafer all who are basically backup wings.  all with decent contracts, and all who deserve at least some minutes, but all who really shouldn't start.  can't imagine him wanting to come here unless we shed some players.

[rickortreat]

I can't believe Stefanski wanted Bibby.  Fortunately Bibby didn't want to come here.  But it bothers me that Stafanski is thinking this way.  Bibby is just as bad as Miller, probably worse.

Ed should be looking at players like Jarret Jack, young free agent players coming off of contracts, who've demonstrated the capacity to play, but are caught in a numbers game because of their clubs drafting.

Still waiting to see if anyone makes a run at Miller.

[Skates]

Apparently the offer to Bibby was for just one year, an attempt to grab a guy on the cheap as a stop gap.  This tells me they view Holiday as the starter sooner rather than later, possibly in his second season, although they could always re-sign thier stop gap guy or grab another vet on a one year contract if he's not ready until his third year.

I really don't want them to rely on Lou as the starting PG, at all.

[steelerbomb]

   Wanting Bibby was perfectly alright rick. As skates stated, it was only for one season, as a stop gap while  Holiday gets some experience. Plus, with Miller wanting at least a 3 year guaranteed deal, why would stefanski want to give that ? J.Jack would make the least amount of sense. No PG skills at all. A horrid shooter and defender. If the Blazers end up signing David Lee, but still want us to sign & trade Miller to them, then they will have to PAY a high price if they want to hold on to players like Outlaw, or Webster, but just want to give us Blake, and other scrubs, like Frye. If I were ed, I would demand TWO, unconditional 1st rounders with no protection. Either that, or hang up the phone. I also would demand the draft rights to Cunningham as well in any such sign & trade.




  It's called " Hard ball " Ed, ask Chris Matthews how to play it if you do not know how :-)