04-07-2021, 04:35 AM
(04-06-2021, 04:05 PM)bearforce1 Wrote: Average NBA vet starter money is ~$16M, so I think JRich would find offers more than $12M somewhere. He hasn't been amazing here, but I think he will still have value around the league.
My current dream offseason scenario is to SnT JRich (plus stuff) for Lonzo & then go over the cap to retain THJ. Ball compared to JRich is younger, great defensively, better secondary playmaker, & shooting nearly 40% from 3 on 8 attempts per game. Pels are not going to let him walk for nothing - at least they would get a replacement starter back in JRich with some vet leadership and maybe one of our projects and/or a pick.
I don't know what it would take contract-wise to get Ball ($80-100/4yrs?) or what the "plus stuff" could be, but I think the talent and fit would be a nice upgrade esp. if he can keep up the 3pt shooting.
If you look at what Dallas has asked JRich and DWright to do, and if you ignore the last name and the dad and the agent, then Ball is probably the best fit among the RFA's (maybe among all free agents). He solves so many of our issues. Keeping some combination of Luka, Ball and Brunson on the court at all times (and all 3 occasionally) would be a great situation for years to come. Ball also makes great sense for NY and Chicago, so he will get paid. I think the estimates of $20mm seem low.
I like your idea. In theory JRich might be attractive to the 28th ranked D in the league. But, I have a hard time seeing them going after the spacing you'd have with a Bledsoe/Richardson back court. They have a lot of mediocre three point shooters and would be losing their best one (in both attempts and percentage) in Ball. Do you envision Lewis taking over at PG and Bledsoe to a third guard role backing up Lewis and JRich? Lewis is an improving 3 point shooter, but he doesn't take very many. As has been said, something like this takes four parties to agree.
The other thing to consider is the competition. Are we more attractive than NY and Chicago? Would NO prefer to send him out of conference? Is JRich more attractive than the S&T package the others could provide. This is a lot like the Collins talk except you are calling NO's bluff instead of Atlanta's, the competition is Chicago and NY instead of Charlotte and San Antonio and the agent is Rich Paul instead of Jeff Schwartz. That is a lot to overcome. It might improve your odds to just throw out a really big number and call New Orleans's bluff rather than trying to complicate it with a double S&T.