2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[DanSchwartzgan]

I know  I guess his price will not be huge and he would be a great 6th man for us. So why not (for example) Johnson+Brunson or Johnson+2027 FRP.

Another interesting option for a bit overpaid player who can play would be Rozier, another salary match for Johnson. I assume Charlotte will want to move Ball in the starting five soon. Than they basically have to decide between Rozier or Graham.

I think the long term plan is Ball plus Graham.  Other than money, there isn't a reason why they can't keep all three.  However, money might prove important as they can generate significant space in 21 if they move Rozier for an expiring deal (see below from Charlotte Preview from The Athletic).  The question is the fit on Dallas.  He'd be a very expensive sixth man providing an expiring deal in 22 instead of Johnson's expiring deal in 21.  

I can see the appeal.  He had a good defensive reputation in Boston and hit 40% of his 3's in Charlotte last season.  But, his teams are normally MUCH better when he sits than when he plays.  He's always negative on a RPM basis (but not as much as on-minus-off).  Do you sit Brunson (the 28th best PG in RPM last season) in favor of Rozier at 10 times the money?  I think it was much easier to forecast a  renaissance for JRich than it is for Terry.  With that said, I thought your comment deserved a little more attention.
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Nonetheless, Charlotte fans can reasonably be excited about where this is headed. Ball’s size should allow him to defend 2s comfortably, which means he won’t push Graham off the floor. Graham, in turn, should benefit hugely from Ball’s deft passing setting him up for open 3s. With those two, Hayward and Washington, one can see the foundation of a real Charlotte offense in future seasons.

Ball came off the bench in the first two preseason games, and given the short runway to the regular season, one suspects he’ll begin the regular season as a reserve as well. Nevertheless, this is just a matter of time. Ball’s size and skill profile fit perfectly next to Graham in particular, while Terry Rozier is the one prominent player on the current roster who is unlikely to be part of the long-term plan. Sooner or later, Ball will be starting in his place.

What’s the next step?

Charlotte has some kind of a foundation now with a Hayward-Ball partnership in the backcourt and maybe a few interesting pieces around them like Graham, Washington and Bridges. Now what?

The first step in whatever is next is figuring out whether to give Graham a contract extension. It’s not an open-and-shut case because his cap hold is going to be so much lower than whatever his extension dollars become. Charlotte is also capped at offering him $12 million in 2021-22, or $54 million over four years, which could make it a moot point if Graham perceives his value to be greater. Graham is on a minimum deal, but if we presume Graham hits the starter criteria, his cap hold will be $5.7 million.


That amount matters, especially if the Hornets can move the redundant Rozier’s $18 million salary. Even after the Hayward deal and the Batum stretch, Charlotte is positioned to have significant cap room next summer. The exact amount depends in part on where the first-round pick lands, but a rough guesstimate is $20 million. It becomes max room if the Hornets can move Rozier but significantly less if Graham extends at $12 million.