Official 2016 Free Agency Thread

I love Paul George. But I'm not going to gut the team to do it. We have a pretty nice core going...give away too much of it and we're back at square one.

Plus I don't know that Indy would do that trade even if we threw in Randle or Russell along with the pick.

 

I'm going to gut a team for Kobe 2.0

 

No kidding. Paul George is good but not 2004-05 Kobe good. And we still had Lamar and Caron on that team. You guys seriously want to start over with a team with just Paul George and Lou Williams? Say hello to mediocrity for another 5 years.

Please, no trades.

 

PG is not a top5 player
That being said, i would LOVE to have him on the Lakers, just not for our entire young core and a possible top2 pick.

 

Didn't Dwayne Casey just compare preparing for PG to a young Kobe? He's that good.

 

Russell, Randle, and #1 for PG? Hell no.

 

It's moot anyway, Bird won't bite on that offer.

 

If by young Kobe he means 22-year old Kobe, then maybe. But at the same age that PG is now, Kobe was way better.
I like PG a lot, I would love him on this team, but he is not close to the offensive monster Kobe was IMO

 

I would only give that trade a go if we have 2 other allstars lined up to join. (think 2010 Heat) If we're signing PG in hopes of "attracting" other FA's that is a horrible plan. With Simmons/Ingram, we will have a collection of young talent that other teams will envy in a couple of years. As the Cavs/GSW begin to decline, we will flourish. I wouldn't give that up for a kneejerk trade for George or Butler.

 

Thank you. Kobe was the best player in the world during his prime. An unstoppable force that instilled fear into opposing teams. Paul George doesn't even belong in the same sentence.

 

100%. Which is why it makes no sense to do the PG trade. We are gonna need those pieces for when Kobe 2.0 ACTUALLY comes around

 

I was thinking about this the other day; if we are fortunate enough to keep our pick, I think the list of targets have included: Cousins and Butler. George is speculative and coming from a C Bags fan. Either way, if we do trade the pick, what about Gordan Hayward? Why would Utah do it? From what I read by Zach Lowe:

'Utah has at least seven players 25 or younger it might consider part of its core. That core hasn't produced a single winning season, but each member of it is appealing enough that Utah won't be able to afford all of them once their next contracts kick in. Hayward can already hit free agency after next season, just as the cap skyrockets to a record $108 million, and he'll demand a max contract. Gobert can start extension talks after this season, and if he finishes strong, he will enter negotiations confident a max offer awaits on the other end. Favors and Hood are further from free agency, but the Jazz have to project mammoth raises for both -- and possibly a third max deal for Favors, meaning three players that have won basically nothing could suck up 85 percent of Utah's cap. They have a chasm at point guard that Exum might not be ready to fill. Utah's payroll could crack $120 million before factoring in any outside free agents, ritzy territory for a small-market franchise with little history of paying the luxury tax.

"All teams will have to deal with this issue," Utah GM Dennis Lindsey told ESPN.com. "Maybe we'll have to deal with it a little more, with so many young players, and having had some good fortune in the draft. It's going to be tricky for everyone."

Hayward understands that financial realities could break up a team on the rise. "I'm constantly thinking about that," he said. "Contracts are so short now. A lot of our guys are on their rookie deals, and they'll come up for extensions. It all might determine whether or not I stay in Utah."

Utah has acted boldly before in the face of tough choices, and the bold move at next month's trade deadline would be flipping Hayward or Favors as their values crest. Hood and Burks could absorb most of Hayward's playmaking duty. Dealing Hayward now would act as a hedge against his free agency and perhaps land Utah a top-five pick -- one last shot at finding that elusive superstar. The Jazz have to at least think about calling Boston and Brad Stevens, Hayward's college coach, about a deal sending Hayward to the C Bags for the Nets pick, and maybe another first-rounder if Danny Ainge wields his arsenal with the hyperaggression that had Boston dangling four first-round picks for Justise Winslow.'

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14647616/the-jazz-hope-enough-money-their-rebuilding-plan-work

Thoughts? Opinions? He's a player we could probably keep our cap space with without parting with any other assets. Cousins is a headcase, Butler is reportedly staying in Chicago, and Bird would wants a king's ransom for George. In the immediate short-term you improve, grab a proven commodity in Hayward, and allow Russell, Clarkson, and Randle to see what they could do. In addition, you have other cap space to add additional talent. Just a thought.

 

Gordon Hayward

Points per game: 19.7
Rebounds per game: 5
Assists per game: 3.7
FG%: 43.7
3 point percentage: 34.9
TS% 55.9

 

I strongly disagree with posters who are saying they would trade Russell/Randle/Clarkson/Pick...then we would have PG & who?
If nobody ends up joining we are just stuck with PG & no assets gambling on who MIGHT want to come.
The Pacers were 7th int he East. PG won't take us tot he playoffs by himself in the west.

 

Yes.

 

I would not want to part ways with Russell/Randle...pick & Clarkson is the most I'd do for whatever we can get if that's enticing. If not I stay with the core & wait for FA to want to come and not just be here because we offered their team everyone on our roster.
If for any reason it would come down to either Russell OR Randle + Clarkson + pick...then I'd maybe think about it.
Pairing Russell/George or Randle/George would be a better start than gutting the entire roster.

 

I like Hayward, but I'm not so sure I like him at the expense of a top 3 pick.