Looking back

[Porckchop]

Does anyone here wish they had made more of a push for a bigger FA ? Putting aside the financial implications down the road who would've made this team most competitive? Besides Durant.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Horford... But a lot of posters here were fearful of a big move like that.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Hard to argue with Horford, as he checks the box in a lot of areas: Solid defense, great passer, veteran leader, smart decision maker, etc. Oh, and he has been one of KAT's mentors. Geez, he would have been a great fit here.

[Duke13]

I was fearful, more for financial implications and I wasn't sure this team was ready to win big right away, which it turnout they aren't. I doubt a couple good vets would help the process, but ultimately these game might need to go thru this.

[bleedspeed]

We should have gone after Durrant.

Seriously if Pek was not hurt this team would be tough. He is the type of guy this team needs in a bad way.

[Monster]

If you put aside financial implications...sure sign whoever would come here. I don't think anyone would have been against a top level free agent if money really didn't matter but it very much does. And let's also be straight up here some guys like Horford weren't coming here. If this team had signed a better fringe starter who played better than expected like. Gerald He detain has for the Sixers that may have been a pretty big boost. The good news is Aldrich is the only guy from last summer that will be getting paid any money if they just want to sign more guys so that's a good thing and his salary in the 3rd year isn't guaranteed.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

The bigger FA's that would have been even close to what they were getting paid weren't coming here. We wouldn't have gotten a meeting with Horford or Durant. Those players don't want to go to a bad team that they have no previous ties with to play with a bunch of kids. So you are looking at a Harrison Barnes level of guy who got a max deal and isn't worth near that much money. I don't think we had nearly the options we'd like to believe we had to improve the team and the options we did have were back to overpaying to get guys here which we could only afford for a shorter deal length that not many decent sized pickups took last summer. Years and money went flying last summer and we couldn't afford to do either if the guy was gonna be an overpaid role player. We're a bad team. "Just sign them in the off season" doesn't work for us yet.

[MikkeMan]

Does anyone here wish they had made more of a push for a bigger FA ? Putting aside the financial implications down the road who would've made this team most competitive? Besides Durant.

At least I'm happy that they didn't spend more. Looking back last summer, it seems that many teams in west have handicapped themselves badly by giving ridiculous contracts to marginal players.

How it would feel to owe average of 34 millions per year for still three more years to Luol Deng and Mozgov?
Or 47 millions for three more years to Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Evan Turner?
Or 56 millions for three/four more years to Parsons and Conley? I know that both are good when healthy but I'm not sure if they can keep Zach Randolph in next summer with that much money used for those two players.
Even 32 millions per year for three more years to Solomon Hill, Asik and E'Twaun Moore looks really stupid now.

[AbeVigodaLive]

The bigger FA's that would have been even close to what they were getting paid weren't coming here. We wouldn't have gotten a meeting with Horford or Durant. Those players don't want to go to a bad team that they have no previous ties with to play with a bunch of kids. So you are looking at a Harrison Barnes level of guy who got a max deal and isn't worth near that much money. I don't think we had nearly the options we'd like to believe we had to improve the team and the options we did have were back to overpaying to get guys here which we could only afford for a shorter deal length that not many decent sized pickups took last summer. Years and money went flying last summer and we couldn't afford to do either if the guy was gonna be an overpaid role player. We're a bad team. "Just sign them in the off season" doesn't work for us yet.

The one thing about Barnes... he actually turned out pretty damn good in Year 1. Better than almost anybody predicted:

20.2 ppg / 5.3 reb / 47.3% fg

But there's more. Dallas is thin up front. So Barnes is playing PF defensively. Big deal? Consider how unwilling other guys have been in the past. LeBron James resisted it for a long time. Carmelo Anthony continues to refuse it even though it would help his team win games. Both are bigger/stronger than Barnes.

I give Barnes credit for taking that beating night after night because it's best for the team. That level of production + level of sacrifice for the team + all the big contracts for only slightly less money last summer that have been busts = I don't think we can rip on his contract nearly as much.

[bleedspeed]

Barnes would have been a great fit here. It was a risky move for sure though. Glad it worked out.