FA Predictions

[northernhoops [enjin:9491634]]

Kings making room for Rondo? Thompson, Landry and Stauskus all to Philly!

And Matthews/Ellis

[worldK]

Thats a decent haul for the sixers. They are not getting any free agent to sign with them.

Thompson/landry along with okafor and noel gives them pretty good depth at the 4 and 5. With the cap skyrocketing and teams going crazy with the money being thrown around. Contracts like that of thompson and landry will be easier to move down the line.

Stauskus gets an opportunity to play and his shooting will be beneficial to okafor. The sixers needs nba players badly.

Good deal for the kings as well. They clear salary and we all know that the sixers is the official dumping ground option for all teams that are looking to dump salaries. They took the kings offer so yehey for the kings. Now they have space to chase free agents they desire.

[Monster]

Thats a decent haul for the sixers. They are not getting any free agent to sign with them.

Thompson/landry along with okafor and noel gives them pretty good depth at the 4 and 5. With the cap skyrocketing and teams going crazy with the money being thrown around. Contracts like that of thompson and landry will be easier to move down the line.

Stauskus gets an opportunity to play and his shooting will be beneficial to okafor. The sixers needs nba players badly.

Good deal for the kings as well. They clear salary and we all know that the sixers is the official dumping ground option for all teams that are looking to dump salaries. They took the kings offer so yehey for the kings. Now they have space to chase free agents they desire.

Good deal for the Sixers they get a young prospect and Landry and Thompson are decent players and might be guys they can send to a team needing a vet at a trade deadline and get some more 2nd rounders or whatever. It doesn't hurt to have a couple solid vets like those guys either to help the young guys.

Edit it gets better for the Sixers

@ZachLowe_NBA: Sixers will receive a protected 1st-round pick from the Kings, and swap rights w/ Sacto in the 1st round of two other drafts, sources say.

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

This may be the last year the Sixers can accumulate picks to absorb bad contracts, so good for them. We will have a ton of capspace next year, but I think most teams will have cap space so it won't be as valuable as it was in the past.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Man you put Horford or Durant on our team with Wiggins, Towns, Lavine and Ricky. That might be the top team in the West that first year or the year after. I wish one of these max guys would see what we are building and just say fuck it, I want titles and I can do it in MN with what they are building. Could you imagine a small ball lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Durant/Towns? Or a big lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Towns/Horford?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

CAVS CLOSE TO RE-SIGNING THOMPSON
Sources told ESPN that the pact is expected to exceed $80 million over five years to keep the promising power forward in a frontcourt that will also feature Kevin Love after Love announced that he's staying in Cleveland."

So... 80 mil per year over 5 would be 16/yr. That's insane for Thompson. I'm sorry but that money should be going to Mozgov. Even in the new cap era this is an overpay for Thompson IMO.

Yeah it's a lot. On this board we talked a lot last summer about what he might get if he came here and got a bunch of minutes but none of us would have expected him to get paid like that staying in Cleveland.

Dan Gilbert is worth 4.8 billion dollars. They just signed a new TV deal that's worth billions and that doesn't account for other revenue. The whole deal with owners crying over having to pay the luxury tax like they'll go poor or something is the biggest crock that the public has bought into

I think you're wrong about the owners not being worried about the lux tax...they hate it, and really try to avoid it. We all think that if you already have $4.8 billion, why worry about another $20 million. But that's not how they think, and not how they became billionaires...every dollar counts. Owners haggle with their GMs over a couple hundred thousand dollars of salary!

Now, look at what the Cavs have done. With the bizarre Shumpert and TT deals today, and being on the hook for $63 million with the Big 3 alone, I now have the Cavs 2015-6 payroll at $115 million for just 11 guys! Let's say they fill out their roster for another $2 million. That puts their payroll at $117 million, and with the lux threshold at $82 million and a 1.5 multiplier, Gilbert will be coughing up $53 million in luxury tax. Yikes! And if they stay above the threshold the following year, I think the multiplier increases to 2.5!

The Cavs are probably valued at about $500 million right now. How do you think Gilbert feels about having to write a check for over 1/10 of that to pay his luxury tax? My god, how does he even come up with $53 million in liquidity to write that check?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Man you put Horford or Durant on our team with Wiggins, Towns, Lavine and Ricky. That might be the top team in the West that first year or the year after. I wish one of these max guys would see what we are building and just say fuck it, I want titles and I can do it in MN with what they are building. Could you imagine a small ball lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Durant/Towns? Or a big lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Towns/Horford?

Yeah, it's really exciting to think what we are going to do in free agency next year. Flip will have the year to analyze what this team needs to compete for a championship, and will clearly have the cap space to get it done. And while we have not been in the conversation ever for the top free agents, I have to believe that is going to change. Any free agent visiting here next July will see a roster stacked with young talent, a state of the art workout facility, and a beautiful early July Minnesota day...and the ability to offer one or two max deals without restructuring. I can't imagine many more attractive situations than that. We should at least be in the conversation for Durant, but I think Flip will conclude that we are set at SF and look elsewhere. Maybe Ricky suffers another injury or doesn't improve his shooting, and Flip decides he needs a PG who defends better, shoots better and plays 75 games a year...Mike Conley. Or maybe Towns proves he is a very good stretch PF and Pek doesn't put his injury issues behind him, and all he needs is a great center to contend...Horford or Noah. Or maybe he goes after a PG and a C.

The point is this. This team is on the rise and may become an attractive free agent destination, and Flip will have lots of space to play with in a year.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Yeah that Shumpert contract was one of the real eyebrow raising moves of the day. Zach Lowe said he figured that's what he would sign for on the market but idk about that. His whole finals run was a disaster and he has almost no offensive game. I was thinking he would get maybe $7M per year but if the Cavs are going nuts with their money than why not.

And yet Matt Barnes is making $3.5M... and was traded for virtually nothing. If they were on the same team... I have a sneaky suspicion Barnes would carve into Shumpert's role as the season went along. That's what he does wherever he goes.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Man you put Horford or Durant on our team with Wiggins, Towns, Lavine and Ricky. That might be the top team in the West that first year or the year after. I wish one of these max guys would see what we are building and just say fuck it, I want titles and I can do it in MN with what they are building. Could you imagine a small ball lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Durant/Towns? Or a big lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Towns/Horford?

Yeah, it's really exciting to think what we are going to do in free agency next year. Flip will have the year to analyze what this team needs to compete for a championship, and will clearly have the cap space to get it done. And while we have not been in the conversation ever for the top free agents, I have to believe that is going to change. Any free agent visiting here next July will see a roster stacked with young talent, a state of the art workout facility, and a beautiful early July Minnesota day...and the ability to offer one or two max deals without restructuring. I can't imagine many more attractive situations than that. We should at least be in the conversation for Durant, but I think Flip will conclude that we are set at SF and look elsewhere. Maybe Ricky suffers another injury or doesn't improve his shooting, and Flip decides he needs a PG who defends better, shoots better and plays 75 games a year...Mike Conley. Or maybe Towns proves he is a very good stretch PF and Pek doesn't put his injury issues behind him, and all he needs is a great center to contend...Horford or Noah. Or maybe he goes after a PG and a C.

The point is this. This team is on the rise and may become an attractive free agent destination, and Flip will have lots of space to play with in a year.

1. EVERY team will max cap space. Many of them can add two MAX guys.
2. Practice facilities? We talking about practice facilities?
3. We're not in the conversation for Durant. In fact, I highly doubt we land anybody of significance... or even in discussions with them. Remember, the Wolves are JUST entering a honeymoon phase as we found out about the young guys.
4. I think one thing that needs to be looked at in the next CBA is state income tax. Texas and Florida teams can offer a HUGE advantage because of no state income tax. So, over a $100M contract... that can be millions of dollars. I think it's even greater compared to Toronto who takes out even more taxes...

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Man you put Horford or Durant on our team with Wiggins, Towns, Lavine and Ricky. That might be the top team in the West that first year or the year after. I wish one of these max guys would see what we are building and just say fuck it, I want titles and I can do it in MN with what they are building. Could you imagine a small ball lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Durant/Towns? Or a big lineup of Ricky/Lavine/Wiggins/Towns/Horford?

Yeah, it's really exciting to think what we are going to do in free agency next year. Flip will have the year to analyze what this team needs to compete for a championship, and will clearly have the cap space to get it done. And while we have not been in the conversation ever for the top free agents, I have to believe that is going to change. Any free agent visiting here next July will see a roster stacked with young talent, a state of the art workout facility, and a beautiful early July Minnesota day...and the ability to offer one or two max deals without restructuring. I can't imagine many more attractive situations than that. We should at least be in the conversation for Durant, but I think Flip will conclude that we are set at SF and look elsewhere. Maybe Ricky suffers another injury or doesn't improve his shooting, and Flip decides he needs a PG who defends better, shoots better and plays 75 games a year...Mike Conley. Or maybe Towns proves he is a very good stretch PF and Pek doesn't put his injury issues behind him, and all he needs is a great center to contend...Horford or Noah. Or maybe he goes after a PG and a C.

The point is this. This team is on the rise and may become an attractive free agent destination, and Flip will have lots of space to play with in a year.

1. EVERY team will max cap space. Many of them can add two MAX guys.
2. Practice facilities? We talking about practice facilities?
3. We're not in the conversation for Durant. In fact, I highly doubt we land anybody of significance... or even in discussions with them. Remember, the Wolves are JUST entering a honeymoon phase as we found out about the young guys.
4. I think one thing that needs to be looked at in the next CBA is state income tax. Texas and Florida teams can offer a HUGE advantage because of no state income tax. So, over a $100M contract... that can be millions of dollars. I think it's even greater compared to Toronto who takes out even more taxes...

I'm not on board with any of your 4 points, abe.

1) Even with the cap going up next year, with the money being thrown around this year by most teams, you can't argue that the Wolves won't be in a more attractive cap position than most of their competition. Sure, some will be able to offer one more max deal, but I don't think many will be able to offer two (keep in mind that as the cap goes up, the size of a max deal goes up proportionally...two max deals will likely be north of $60 million per year!). If we can tell Joachim Noah that we will also be bringing in Mike Conley, and vice versa, that is a very powerful selling point that most teams will not be able to make. As for your point about every team being able to offer at least one max deal, explain to me how the Cavs, who will be around $115-120 million this year, will be in a position to offer another max deal next year.

2) Casual athletes like us can mock the importance of a state-of-the-art practice and training facility, but it seems to hold a lot of importance to guys who make millions of dollars by keeping their bodies in good shape. Even in college, it's often brought up as a major factor in recruiting...both positive and negative. And the Wolves opening up their new facility was deemed significant enough by Silver to actually warrant a visit to a team not located on a coast.

3) Neither of us can offer any proof one way or another whether Durant will take a look at us, but I can't imagine he would categorically disregard us. I think he will be eager to get out of the hell hole that is Oklahoma City and I would think joining John Wall in his home town of DC would be his first choice, but we would have a lot to offer. Durant is only going to be 27, and he is going to want to join a team that is built to contend long-term. If Towns turns out to be the player we all think he can be, Durant would have to consider a starting unit of Noah, Towns, Wiggins, Rubio and himself (with Shabazz, Pek, Martin, LaVine, Jones, Dieng et al on the bench) one set up to win multiple championships before he gets too old.

4) State income taxes get brought up sometimes, but it's a false narrative. Otherwise, nobody would ever choose to play in California or NYC. First, pro athletes pay taxes in every state in which they make their money, so only half of their salary is subject to taxation in the state they reside in. Minnesota gets a taste every time Kobe Bryant comes to town. Secondly, states need to earn their revenue somehow, and if it's not coming from income tax, it's coming from sales tax, property tax, etc. Finally, the bite of the state tax is reduced by 39% by the federal deduction the player gets. So, Duane Wade may get a break in Florida because they have no state tax, but he is still paying in the states he works in 41 days and is paying a whopping sales tax on everything he buys and a whopping property tax on his $20 million shack. Taxes just aren't a significant factor when it comes to choosing a team.