2014 Free Agents

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

In order to create cap space, I more than realize we'd need to make a trade or two to get room, and this likely means Barea and/or Mbah a Moute and/or Budinger being dealt. I don't see Brewer going anywhere, by the way. He's played pretty well this season, regardless of if you don't like his contract. I still think it's possible, not easy, to move any one of those guys, though. I just don't know how we could move one and basically take back nothing.

Reasonable-ish guys I'd love to sign:

- Trevor Ariza

- Rudy Gay

- Jodie Meeks

- CJ Miles

- DJ Augustin

- Steve Blake


Ariza/Gay (one of them) would be really good for our starting SF spot. I still think Corey's best off the bench even though he's been productive this year. Ariza's an efficient, two-way player. We really, really need at least one of those. Gay's a closer. He wants the ball late in games. He can also create his own shot. I'm a little worried about his price tag, but I do expect him to opt out of his player option and get a long term deal.

Meeks/Miles is your 3P shooting, defense-playing wing off the bench that can spot start without killing you. I really want us to get one of these guys. Shouldn't be too expensive. Been really good to see what a player Meeks has turned himself into.

Blake/Augustin. Both of them are better than Barea. I think DJ's the cheaper option of the two, and if you watch a Bulls game you see that he can be a big factor in games. Always had the talent too. Man it'd be nice to have a real backup point guard.

Anybody else? We could use a post scoring big, but there's just not too many of them on the open market. All this is for nothing, though, if we can't get rid of a few contracts ourselves.

Edit: Post-scoring big might be found via draft in McDermott if we miss the playoffs and he slips to us. Never know.

[Lipoli390]

Cam -- I like your list. Hopefully Flip can pull off some moves this summer that allow us to land a couple of them.

[bleedspeed]

I would add Jimmy Fredette and Ben Gordon to the list. He would be a good off the bench SG.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

If we end the season on a strong note and with some good play, I can see the front office trying to roll with this core group for one more year (as opposed to blowing this thing up during the offseason by unloading Love during the draft). So, if you assume our core group of Love, Pek, Martin, and Rubio will be back, then our needs are as follows:

1) A good two-way starting SF, just as you say Cam. Not sure how we do this when we already have ~ $20M tied up in Budinger, Brewer, Mbah Moute, and Shabazz, but none of those guys are great fits in our starting lineup. Brewer and Mbah Moute can't shoot. Budinger can't defend. And Shabazz has struggled to find minutes. I'd be fine with keeping Shabazz on his rookie deal and look to unload one or two of the other guys to make way for a guy like Ariza. Not sure it's possible though.
2) A new backup PG (assuming JJ gets traded)
3) A new backup PF (Cunningham is a UFA after this season)
4) A combo guard shooter. I like the Meeks suggestion.

So, lots to do this offseason even if the plan is to keep the existing core group together.

[markkbu [enjin:6588958]]

If we end the season on a strong note and with some good play, I can see the front office trying to roll with this core group for one more year (as opposed to blowing this thing up during the offseason by unloading Love during the draft). So, if you assume our core group of Love, Pek, Martin, and Rubio will be back, then our needs are as follows:

1) A good two-way starting SF, just as you say Cam. Not sure how we do this when we already have ~ $20M tied up in Budinger, Brewer, Mbah Moute, and Shabazz, but none of those guys are great fits in our starting lineup. Brewer and Mbah Moute can't shoot. Budinger can't defend. And Shabazz has struggled to find minutes. I'd be fine with keeping Shabazz on his rookie deal and look to unload one or two of the other guys to make way for a guy like Ariza. Not sure it's possible though.
2) A new backup PG (assuming JJ gets traded)
3) A new backup PF (Cunningham is a UFA after this season)
4) A combo guard shooter. I like the Meeks suggestion.

So, lots to do this offseason even if the plan is to keep the existing core group together.

Not even $100,000 over 16 million on those 4. You were close though.

[maelstrom11 [enjin:6599701]]

I'm guessing that we will go after Pau Gasol if he'll play for MLE. Or sign and trade for Shabazz, Barea, Cunningham, 1st round pick.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I'm guessing that we will go after Pau Gasol if he'll play for MLE. Or sign and trade for Shabazz, Barea, Cunningham, 1st round pick.

I'd bet that Pau stays in LA for something more than the MLE. Kobe got asked recently before the deadline if he's heard anything about Pau being dealt and he said something to the effect of how Pau's gonna be a Laker next year. You know Kobe's gonna get what he wants and he wants Pau to be there.

[The Rage Monster [enjin:8010341]]

We're in a tough spot when it comes to signing free agents. I'd say there's 3 things that attract free agents: winning, location, and money. We've showed little improvement these last few years and don't really have young promising players. I think Minnesota is great and we like basketball but this will never be a destination players are looking to come to. This leaves money, I think the worst thing we can do is to continue to overpay for average to below average free agents. Cap space needs to be our friend so we can occasionally take on bad contracts to get extra picks. In my opinion the way teams like our need to get role players is through the draft.

With that said our best chance to improve the team while keeping Love is to trade Pek.

[Brandon BassHole [enjin:8183321]]

Its gonna be really hard to bring in free agents for low contracts if they think K. Love is gonna leave

[Lipoli390]

We will be well over the cap and near the luxury tax threshold this summer and I have a hard time seeing realistic scenarios under which we can keep our core and still clear the space we'd need to make hay through free agency. So I've come around to to the point where I agree with Rage. Our primary initial objective this summer should be trading Pekovic for the best deal we can get. Unfortunately, his recurring ankle problems and 4 remaining years will limit what we can get, but he'll still have nice value in the market. I'd also try to deal Martin, Budinger and Brewer, but I realize they won't be easy to get a good return in return.