Minnesota Sports Forum

TheSP wrote:
With all the money available next year it's going to be a sellers market. Nobody worth going after will need to accept a prove it offer.

If all players in my list would get better and longer offers elsewhere, I would still probably try to get one of them by offering two years contract with higher salary per year for one of the guys in top of my list. Then save rest of cap space to end of free agency period since at least last year teams made best bargains lately when most of the teams had already wasted all their cap space. If there isn't anyone that would be worth of signing left, then I would save cap space for next year.

My summer 2017 targets would be:
Dennis Schroeder
- Unfortunately I'm pretty sure Atlanta will match any offer
Tony Snell
- If we cannot get him via trade, let's just sign him
Andre Roberson
- He is really good defender but not much shooter. Hopefully he would learn to shoot already in Oklahoma, because I have no faith that anyone would learn it while playing for Wolves.
Jonathan Simmons
- How Spurs always find these bargain type of 3&D guys and if they are not good shooters already, they will at least learn to shoot when they play for them
Mike Scott
- 3&D stretch four who is not much a rebounder. How also all Atlanta players that are not originally shooters learn there suddenly how to shoot?

Q12543 wrote:
Good points Mikkeman. You do wonder how much he benefits from the greatness of Curry, Green, Thompson, Iggy, etc. Golden State certainly didn't miss a beat when he was out injured.

But at some point, it feels like we need to throw a lot of money at an established vet that isn't 100 years old. Horford, Barnes, Batum - I like all those names and I'm OK with overpaying someone that is a known quantity and still in the peak portion of their career. The thing about Barnes is that he is still young enough that he may still have a little room for further improvement, whereas Horford and Batum have hit their ceiling (and in Horford's case, he may begin tailing off a bit soon).

I would be ready to spend if correct player for proper position would be available. My ideal target would have been Khris Middleton. Young and improving player that is good defender and shooter and has already proven that he can be that also in some less than perfect environment. (Milwaukee has been quite a mess). Unfortunately he was free agent already in last summer.

I don't see anyone perfect available next summer. (Batum and Barnes are best options) But maybe some similar young player improves enough that he could become our target next summer.

Mikkeman wrote:

If all players in my list would get better and longer offers elsewhere, I would still probably try to get one of them by offering two years contract with higher salary per year for one of the guys in top of my list.

Exactly. I would offer 2-3M more a year on a 2 year contract. If you are going to overpay it is not a big deal to do it on a short deal. If the player and agent are confident they will take the deal and go for another contract in 2 years.

I think Horford is still the dream. He would bring some legit vet presence, D, and a real great energy match to Towns.

thedoper wrote:I think Horford is still the dream. He would bring some legit vet presence, D, and a real great energy match to Towns.

I used to drive the Horford wagon, and have been a fan of him for a decade now (Florida Gator fan), but...

The realist in me doesn't really think he'd look here over other options he'll have. I'm turning focus to one of the most lethal stretch 4's in the game, Ryan Anderson. We need some spacers BAD.

Camden wrote:

thedoper wrote:I think Horford is still the dream. He would bring some legit vet presence, D, and a real great energy match to Towns.

I used to drive the Horford wagon, and have been a fan of him for a decade now (Florida Gator fan), but...

The realist in me doesn't really think he'd look here over other options he'll have. I'm turning focus to one of the most lethal stretch 4's in the game, Ryan Anderson. We need some spacers BAD.

It is true that with Rubio and Wiggins in our starting lineup, we will need badly some shooting. Unfortunately with KG playing only very limited minutes (and maybe not playing at all next season), we might need even more some defense unless KAT improves a lot. KAT has already all physical tools to make our team great on defense but still team defense is much worse when KG goes to bench. Of course if we will get a new coach that is really strong in defense like Thibbs, then maybe shooting is even more important than defense when free agents are considered.

Mikkeman wrote:

Camden wrote:

thedoper wrote:I think Horford is still the dream. He would bring some legit vet presence, D, and a real great energy match to Towns.

I used to drive the Horford wagon, and have been a fan of him for a decade now (Florida Gator fan), but...

The realist in me doesn't really think he'd look here over other options he'll have. I'm turning focus to one of the most lethal stretch 4's in the game, Ryan Anderson. We need some spacers BAD.

It is true that with Rubio and Wiggins in our starting lineup, we will need badly some shooting. Unfortunately with KG playing only very limited minutes (and maybe not playing at all next season), we might need even more some defense unless KAT improves a lot. KAT has already all physical tools to make our team great on defense but still team defense is much worse when KG goes to bench. Of course if we will get a new coach that is really strong in defense like Thibbs, then maybe shooting is even more important than defense when free agents are considered.

Agreed. This squad seems to have a ton of offensive potential on it, although not all of these guys have put it together yet. And we have a coach that runs an outdated offensive system.

Defense is a different story. This team is a bottom 2 or 3 defensive team without KG and Prince on the roster.

I sort of toggle back and forth between what we need more - 3-point shooters or plus defenders. The answer is we need both desperately, which is why someone like Batum or Barnes is so appealing. They can do both pretty well.

I'll just stay it again. Stay AWAY from Barnes. FAR AWAY.


There's 5 free agents that I'd like to see the team look at (and obviously who we pick factors in as well)

Horford
Batum
Noah
Fournier
Crabbe


That's pretty much the list right there.

Brandon Jennings should be on our list if we don't draft Dunn. Evan Fournier, Ryan Anderson, and Batum would all be great additions.

bleedspeed177 wrote:Brandon Jennings should be on our list if we don't draft Dunn. Evan Fournier, Ryan Anderson, and Batum would all be great additions.

Remember when Jennings went to Europe instead of college... and proceeded to rip Rubio?

"Yeah, I think I'm a better player than he is," Jennings told reporters after working out for the Sacramento Kings on Friday. "I just shoot the ball better than he can. The only thing I've seen him do sometimes is when he has a home run pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype. I can't even front. I'm just going to be real with you guys."

Wonder how that guy would dig being Rubio's backup while making about 1/2 as much money?



[Note: As for Jennings the shooter: He's 39.0% for his career.]