Make your Free Agent Pick: Who you got?

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Of the options given, which free agent acquisition would you put highest on your list?

[thedoper]

1. Horford
2. Al Jefferson - I think he would be a great pair to Towns
3. Hassan Whiteside (highest risk for sure)
4. Barnes - My favorite of the wings next to Durant
5. Noah

I really just want us to use free agency to look at our team position gap, to me that is size in the front court. I don't want another wing in Free Agency, unless it is just a mid-level specialist shooter. Let Thibs have a year to evaluate our talent (particularly Wiggins, Lavine and Bazz) up close and start wheeling and dealing more at the deadline into next season. I really don't want a player that Thibs will feel obligated to put infront of our youth at the wing unless it was another young, long term guy like Barnes.

[Coolbreeze44]

Tough one for me, but I would put Horford just ahead of Barnes. The need for a quality big feels greater to me. Hopefully we can find a shooter in the draft.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I put in the first vote for Deng, but this is a tough one. While I endorse looking for BPA in this year's draft, who we target in free agency will be all about need. And there should be more clarity about needs by the time free agency opens in July, specifically:

1) our draft pick: if it ends up being Bender, Poeltl or Sabonis, we may think a big is less of a need.

2)Assessment of KG and Pek's health. I'm sure Thibodeau will be spending time with both of them and Kander to assess how he thinks they may be able to contribute next year.

3) Thibs' thoughts about Adreain Payne. While Flip liked him (perhaps too much), Sam didn't seem to. But AP came out of college 2 years ago as a reputation as a guy who worked hard and played tough defense. Does that sound like a guy that Thibs might like? AP was ineffective in limited minutes last year and didn't play much his rookie season, but perhaps he was a guy Sam failed with. He's long, athletic and physical, and maybe he's a guy Thibs can develop.

If we draft one of the bigs mentioned above, we may find ourselves with fairly solid big man depth with KAT, G, Belly, lottery pick, AP and some possibility of KG/Pek. But if we draft a wing, and neither KG nor Pek seem likely to contribute next year, my top free agent target would become Horford.

[Monster]

I put in the first vote for Deng, but this is a tough one. While I endorse looking for BPA in this year's draft, who we target in free agency will be all about need. And there should be more clarity about needs by the time free agency opens in July, specifically:

1) our draft pick: if it ends up being Bender, Poeltl or Sabonis, we may think a big is less of a need.

2)Assessment of KG and Pek's health. I'm sure Thibodeau will be spending time with both of them and Kander to assess how he thinks they may be able to contribute next year.

3) Thibs' thoughts about Adreain Payne. While Flip liked him (perhaps too much), Sam didn't seem to. But AP came out of college 2 years ago as a reputation as a guy who worked hard and played tough defense. Does that sound like a guy that Thibs might like? AP was ineffective in limited minutes last year and didn't play much his rookie season, but perhaps he was a guy Sam failed with. He's long, athletic and physical, and maybe he's a guy Thibs can develop.

If we draft one of the bigs mentioned above, we may find ourselves with fairly solid big man depth with KAT, G, Belly, lottery pick, AP and some possibility of KG/Pek. But if we draft a wing, and neither KG nor Pek seem likely to contribute next year, my top free agent target would become Horford.

On AP I think it was obvious to me Sam gave AP opportunities. It became more and more clear of 2 things with AP.

1. He was not productive and especially not a guy you could put out there and know what to expect. That was something Sam has mentioned multiple times both when he was the coach during the season and after the season he mentored Having guys that stay in their lane do what is best for the team. Payne was all over the place. He seems clueless in general.

2. Sam lost confidence in him and played Greg Smith over him any chance it was reasonable. He would play AP when he thought Smith wouldn't be able to stay with a guy that was quick or a stretch 4 but it seemed down the stretch these were spot mins and Sam (unlike much of the rest of the year letting his bench guys stay out there) wasn't interested in keeping him out there. It's very difficult for me to make any type of argument for Sam to have played him any more than he did. He was basically a bad player overall and his best minutes were at the beginning of the season.

I've already written too much about Payne but it's seriously because I respect LST as a poster and I like to talk Wolves but Payne shot a lower FG% percentage than Ricky Rubio. He shot 38.3% on 2 point shots. That's AWEFUL. He is a below average rebounder and his hustle runs him out of plays often. Payne should basically have nothing to do with what this team is doing in the offseason. Any decent basketball mind coming in probably is finding a way to dump the guy. If Thibs thinks he can get something out of him great that saves Glen some money from possibly just cutting him (assuming some other team doesn't want to take a shot on the Payne train) but I wouldn't hold my breath on Payne being useful even though he actually has skill plays hard and has some physical traits that are in theory useful. Oh and he has been healthy as a Wolf. That's something.

[Monster]

As other people have said there is some info we don't have yet but without knowing what draft slot we have and what draft pick we have I decided to go for a long term upside pick in Harrison Barnes. Why? He turns 24 in a few weeks and this team can use a big defensive wing that can hit 3's. On top of that he can play as a small ball PF. So basically you can get a possible young long term piece for big money (which all these would be and they are all gambles in one way or another) that does actually fit this team. His local ties would be fun too but that's just a little bit of a bonus.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Rather than picking one player we should target, I'm going to offer up three criteria I think the Wolves should consider in free agency...in order of importance:

1) We need to be certain that free agent contracts offered don't jeopardize our ability to pay all of young studs what they will be looking for at the end of their rookie contracts...keeping this core together has to be a top priority.

2) Fill both an immediate and long-term need

3) Thorpe mentioned in his 5 by 5 that he's not sure Lavine and Gorgui are starters on contending teams, and even though I like both of them, I tend to agree...having them as first big and wing off the bench is a better role for them right now. We need to sign a free agent(s) that meets this goal.

I'm concerned that locking into $27 million for 4 years for Horford might hurt us with criteria 1. Anyone else have this concern?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Let me throw out a weird question. If you were Kevin Durant, and your only two criteria for choosing your next team were:

1) the team needs to have the cap space to pay you a max contract, without doing any restructuring that involved giving up key pieces.

2) the chance to win the most possible championships over the next 9 years (4 years on his first max assuming he leaves Atlanta, plus another max contract).

What team would be your first choice?

[Coolbreeze44]

Let me throw out a weird question. If you were Kevin Durant, and your only two criteria for choosing your next team were:

1) the team needs to have the cap space to pay you a max contract, without doing any restructuring that involved giving up key pieces.

2) the chance to win the most possible championships over the next 9 years (4 years on his first max assuming he leaves Atlanta, plus another max contract).

What team would be your first choice?

Golden State, then Minnesota

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Let me throw out a weird question. If you were Kevin Durant, and your only two criteria for choosing your next team were:

1) the team needs to have the cap space to pay you a max contract, without doing any restructuring that involved giving up key pieces.

2) the chance to win the most possible championships over the next 9 years (4 years on his first max assuming he leaves Atlanta, plus another max contract).

What team would be your first choice?

Golden State, then Minnesota

Golden State is well over the cap (including Durant) without giving up players they want to keep (Iggy, Barnes, Bogut, etc.)....they could do it, but it would take a lot of work to get there.

BTW, it's been reported that Durant is not keen on returning to Washngton to play...he said his one trip back there last season was stressful.