05-04-2021, 07:32 AM
Enjoyed the KP/Charlotte proposals. I'm a bit surprised that no one brought up the fact that Charlotte can simply sign their center through free agency. They can get to about $25mm including the cost of their mid-first pretty easily if they are willing to let go of Monk. So, they could bid for Collins. Or, keep Monk and have $12mm for players like Holmes and Harrell. This places a natural ceiling on what they might bid for KP. If you assume they wouldn't land Collins, the decision is KP at some cost vs. some of the many bigs we discuss here for Dallas at something north of the MLE.
Of course, there are things a healthy KP can do that these MLE-Plus centers can't. There is also the possibility Charlotte doesn't think it can land any of those guys. As we've seen here the last two summers, there is power in certainty rather than sitting around hoping this or that falls your way. Charlotte has done a nice job of adding Rozier and Hayward the last two summers to the younger players they've accumulated the last few years. The picks of Graham, Ball, Washington, Bridges and (finally) Monk look to be good ones. Monk took some time, but looks like a future Lou Williams sixth man of the year type. They do have some excess on the roster, but Hayward is the only player you'd call expensive and he and Rozier can fall off before you have to start paying all these good rookies. The appeal of Charlotte is they will have to thin the herd at some point. Will Rozier be happy backing up Graham and Ball? If you are going to pay a sixth man, shouldn't it be Monk instead of Rozier who can walk in a year? If you get a center, someone from among Washington, Bridges and Hayward is a bench player. But all three look like starters. Charlotte has excess talent in some areas and a huge hole in another and some of that excess talent is going to want to get paid soon. Teams plan these things out 2-3 years in advance.
Yes, we've seen double sign and trades. BYC can still be an issue, especially when a player is getting a big raise. That isn't a problem if the receiving team still has cap room after the deal (which would likely be the case if a S&T Graham or Monk was coming here with KP as part of the outgoing). BTW, could we please use the right room number for Dallas. It is $34.4mm without WCS. Not $34mm and then another $4mm if you move on from Willie. The stakes of such a trade and the additional work both teams need to do would seem to indicate this wouldn't be a S&T deal on either side. Too much uncertainty as Free Agency opens. It would best be accomplished as a draft day deal or a draft day (pre-moratorium) deal that is agreed to, but executed in the new NBA year. Neither team would do a deal this big as a fall-back position or allow a S&T player to gum up the works on a deal this big.
It is hard to know what the actual components would look like. I feel strongly it would be Rozier rather than Graham. He's really a pretty good alternative for Dallas when you consider the free agent guards we'd be looking at for similar money. I focused on Bridges mainly because some of the original conversation seemed to miss the fact he's really breaking out all of a sudden. Truth is, Washington would probably be the better fit next to DFS. Of course, the question really is what does Charlotte think would fit best next to KP? I'm fine with either coming here as I think we would add Holmes and switch everything. Charlotte can do either version under the cap and retain room for Monk's hold. If Charlotte wants to stay over the cap, they'd need to add some outgoing salary and trade match KP's income salary.
I get that everyone wants us to get this seed and match up against some specific team and win a first round series. It is arguably more important for long term team building that KP play well no matter the outcome. To get the highest value for him (if you assume he will be traded), you have to have him play well on the bigger stage of the playoffs and finish said playoffs completely healthy.
Of course, there are things a healthy KP can do that these MLE-Plus centers can't. There is also the possibility Charlotte doesn't think it can land any of those guys. As we've seen here the last two summers, there is power in certainty rather than sitting around hoping this or that falls your way. Charlotte has done a nice job of adding Rozier and Hayward the last two summers to the younger players they've accumulated the last few years. The picks of Graham, Ball, Washington, Bridges and (finally) Monk look to be good ones. Monk took some time, but looks like a future Lou Williams sixth man of the year type. They do have some excess on the roster, but Hayward is the only player you'd call expensive and he and Rozier can fall off before you have to start paying all these good rookies. The appeal of Charlotte is they will have to thin the herd at some point. Will Rozier be happy backing up Graham and Ball? If you are going to pay a sixth man, shouldn't it be Monk instead of Rozier who can walk in a year? If you get a center, someone from among Washington, Bridges and Hayward is a bench player. But all three look like starters. Charlotte has excess talent in some areas and a huge hole in another and some of that excess talent is going to want to get paid soon. Teams plan these things out 2-3 years in advance.
Yes, we've seen double sign and trades. BYC can still be an issue, especially when a player is getting a big raise. That isn't a problem if the receiving team still has cap room after the deal (which would likely be the case if a S&T Graham or Monk was coming here with KP as part of the outgoing). BTW, could we please use the right room number for Dallas. It is $34.4mm without WCS. Not $34mm and then another $4mm if you move on from Willie. The stakes of such a trade and the additional work both teams need to do would seem to indicate this wouldn't be a S&T deal on either side. Too much uncertainty as Free Agency opens. It would best be accomplished as a draft day deal or a draft day (pre-moratorium) deal that is agreed to, but executed in the new NBA year. Neither team would do a deal this big as a fall-back position or allow a S&T player to gum up the works on a deal this big.
It is hard to know what the actual components would look like. I feel strongly it would be Rozier rather than Graham. He's really a pretty good alternative for Dallas when you consider the free agent guards we'd be looking at for similar money. I focused on Bridges mainly because some of the original conversation seemed to miss the fact he's really breaking out all of a sudden. Truth is, Washington would probably be the better fit next to DFS. Of course, the question really is what does Charlotte think would fit best next to KP? I'm fine with either coming here as I think we would add Holmes and switch everything. Charlotte can do either version under the cap and retain room for Monk's hold. If Charlotte wants to stay over the cap, they'd need to add some outgoing salary and trade match KP's income salary.
I get that everyone wants us to get this seed and match up against some specific team and win a first round series. It is arguably more important for long term team building that KP play well no matter the outcome. To get the highest value for him (if you assume he will be traded), you have to have him play well on the bigger stage of the playoffs and finish said playoffs completely healthy.