Around the league: June 2014

[carey]

I already really turned off by this FA period. You got every FA outside of Miami getting 20-40% more than they should and then you got two dudes in Miami supposedly about to take 20-40% LESS so they can add more pieces.

The NBA it's FAN-tastic.

At the rate we're going expect to match Bledsoe on an offer sheet, throw a max offer at Hayward that'll be maxed and throw a max offer at Monroe that may or may not be matched. Either way, having Bledsoe and Monroe as your two maxed players is not a recipe for building a successful team.

[carey]

Bummer injury news for Patty Mills: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/ ... zstap.html

A shoulder injury has forced a devastated Patrick Mills to withdraw from Australia's world cup campaign as the NBA championship-winner faces up to seven months out of action.
Fairfax Media can reveal Mills will have surgery in the coming days to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

Mills played through pain during the season and scans revealed the wear and tear injury just two weeks after he helped lift the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA title and on the first day of free agency.

[TOO]

Damn.. Mills had earned himself a decent contract this year too.

[Phoenix219]

5/60 is "fair" for Gortat? Uh, ok.

You always overpay for bigs, especially with his production. 12 seems about average / proper for the present day.

[Superbone]

5/60 is "fair" for Gortat? Uh, ok.

He loves his ex-Suns.

P219 is the most loyal Suns fan I know. Once a Sun, always a Sun.

[TOO]

5/60 is "fair" for Gortat? Uh, ok.

He loves his ex-Suns.

P219 is the most loyal Suns fan I know. Once a Sun, always a Sun.

Different strokes man.. different strokes.

[TOO]

11pts 8.5 reb 1.7blk 6M next year

13pts 9.5reb 1.5blk 12M next year


Someone isnt getting paid properly.

[Ring_Wanted]

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/484137080126070784

Ok, this FA period is already out of fucking control.

It's the full MLE for 'just' three years and the Ws were absolutely desperate for a backup PG. Livingston is as good at that role as it gets and they are also capped out the next two seasons. So even if the player is objectively overpaid say 1M per, I don't think this is a bad move.

One effect to this is that they are out of money to spend on Channing Frye unless they use part of the Trade Exception from the Richard Jefferson dump, which gives us leverage if Kerr and Gentry really want their stretch forward.

[Ring_Wanted]

11pts 8.5 reb 1.7blk 6M next year

13pts 9.5reb 1.5blk 12M next year


Someone isnt getting paid properly.

Probably neither as one has become somewhat underpaid and the other is clearly not worth the total he'll receive.

But the disparity is understandable. RoLo is not the two way player that Gortat is, and above all context matters. Robin Lopez had backup/default starter status in NO and wasn't impressive at all, showing his usual poor rebounding totals and far from spectacular defense, if true that he was effective on offense. That screams 5M per. It's been in Portland where he has become a more prolific rebounder and where his size has finally been felt as a defensive presence (at least since 2010) next to Aldridge. If he was a FA today he'd command more than those 5-6M.

On the other hand, Gortat is one of the heroes of a franchise that is finally back to respectability and also had a terrific playoffs. And of course there was a big market for him to use as leverage in negotiations with the Wisards. The fifth year is the biggest surprise to me, unless 12 per is actually down from what Washington was willing to pay annually.

[ShelC]

I definitely don't love that deal, but that's about the going rate for bigs unfortunately. And if you're in Washington's position, you don't want to let him get out onto the market thinking over a 9 or 10mil deal. Offer 12 and get it done and move on, especially in the east where he's one of the top bigs and your team is on the rise. Always liked Gortat's game. He'll take you to the promised land.

[ShelC]

So the Pacers supposedly showed Lance a lot of love, putting a movie together about him and screened it for him and his family, made his mom cry...he's going to talk to other teams because he wants more than the 5 years 44 mil the Pacers offered. Crazy.

[Ring_Wanted]

5/44 is not up to what we are seeing in recent seasons, not just this summer. I think 11M per is what gets it done, and probably the player can get more from teams like Charlotte or Atlanta. Indiana has the 5th year card but if you are paying below market value it is of no use.

[Sunsfan4life]

I think Indiana is perfectly fine with letting him walk. Honestly, Stevenson seems like the type of player who once he gets his money will lose the edge that made him so effective in the first place.

I'd pass on him all together...

[ShelC]

I guess, but he's an 8mil a year player at best. It's contracts like those that kill teams. Lance is probably using Batum (4 years 46mil) and Iguodala (4 years 48) as benchmarks. You can't pay those guys like they're your 2nd best player when they aren't.

[Mori Chu]

I agree. Lance is bat shit insane anyway; they shouldn't commit any more money to him than that. But he's right to look for other teams because somebody (I'd guess the Lakers) will pay him a lot more.

I don't mind that Gortat contract in terms of yearly salary, but the number of years is the rough part. I don't think Marcin will be worth that amount when he's 35.

The Shawn Livingston contract actually seems very fair to me. He had a great season last year for Brooklyn and he fills an urgently needed role for GS. Way less crazy than the Meeks deal.

Mills's injury is sad, but it may help the Spurs retain him. Probably pulls most of his FA market out from under him, so I bet the Spurs can actually get him on a fair deal now rather than some $9m/year monstrosity based on his solid 2014 playoffs. Overpaying a guy like Patty Mills is only going to lead to heartbreak down the road.

[ShelC]

The key with Livingston is health, which after a few years back now, seems to be OK. He really looked good and explosive this season. And he'll be a great fit next to either Curry or Thompson (assuming he's there) and take the onus off of Iggy from having to handle the ball and distribute.

[ShelC]

Avery Bradley just got 32mil over 4 years which is insane to me. Only took a few summers before GMs got back to their usual antics.

[Ring_Wanted]

Avery Bradley just got 32mil over 4 years which is insane to me. Only took a few summers before GMs got back to their usual antics.

Heh. Now tell me that you prefer that to paying Bledsoe 12M per.

[ShelC]

No way. Bradley's worth 4, MAYBE.

[Ring_Wanted]

No way. Bradley's worth 4, MAYBE.

He quietly put up 15ppg on nice %s , while being a highly regarded defender (no passing whatsoever though). Not worth 8M per but MLE or a tad above it would have been fair in my opinion. George Hill status as one of those deals that don't look ridiculous but end up bothering you enough to want to get rid of an otherwise perfectly functional player.