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Before I get headlong into the playoffs and forget, I spend a good deal of time in the "upcoming free agents" page. I want to look at a number of the top players, their morale and ambition and see how what they're "saying" correlates to whether they re-sign or end up in free agency. By position, just guys rated 75 and up(ie guys we could be interested in that would be more than depth/filler for us).
Point Guards
Chris Paul - 95 OVR - NO - Player Option - "would like to re-sign with the team"
Deron Williams - 92 OVR - Player Option - "would like to resign with the team"
Derrick Rose - 87 OVR - CHI - "Its time for me to move on"
Russell Westbrook - 86 OVR - "Oklahoma City is where I belong. Lets get a contract signed once the season is over"
Chauncey Billups - 84 OVR - "I'd l ike to remain with the Nuggets next season" - note, 35 y/o.
Mo Williams - 81 OVR - CLE - Player Option - "I'd like to remain with the Cavs"
Jameer Nelson - 81 OVR - Player Option - "I'm likely going to re-sign here in Orlando"
Ramon Sessions - 77 OVR - MIN - player option - "It would be foolish for me not to test my value in free agency"
DJ Augustin - 75 OVR - CHA - "I'd like to re-sign with the team in the offseason"
So most of these guys "want to get a deal done", we'll seehow that goes. Derrick Rose is obviously going to be the prize of the free agent market if these statements have any grain of accuracy. His morale is at a dead zero.
Also noteworthy are Jameer Nelson and Mo Williams. both have player options, $8.5 million and $8.1 million. Both are rated in the low 80s and would get more in free agency. It'll be interesting to see what they do.
Also, i still haven't figured out what I want to do with Augustin yet.
shooting guards
OJ Mayo - 87 OVR - 24 y/o - MEM - "I might re-sign with Memphis, but not before i test free agency"
Eric Gordon - 79 OVR - PHI - "I'd like to re-sign with the 76ers"
Kirk Hinrich - 78 OVR - CHi - "I feel unsettled about not having a contract for next season, but I'm not going to commit to re-signing just yet"
Rudy Fernandez - 75 OVR - POR - "I've already decided that I'm going to test the free agent market this summer"
The SG Market is pretty dry sadly. We would obviously break the bank for OJ Mayo if he ends up in free agency. That would be a dream come true for us and would immediately vault us into a title contender. Kirk Hinrich is 31, he's a pretty good defender and can still shoot, he'd be an ok pickup too.
Small Forwards
Carmelo Anthony - 92 OVR - DEN - "I'd like to hammer out the details of a new contract"
Michael Beasley - 80 OVR - MIA - "Sorry, but I plan on entering free agency this summer"
Rashard Lewis - 79 OVR - Orl - Team Option - "I'll most likely be interested in a new contract when this one expires"
I've been leaving out guys with a team option, but Lewis' option is for 22 million. Orlando may well let that go. the other guys with team options are guys like Stephen Curry who are still in their rookie contract. We just re-signed Gerald Wallace and gave him a no-trade clause. If Carmelo decided he wanted to come to Charlotte we'd obviously do it and figure something out, otherwise, not looking at signing a SF in the offseaeson.
Power Forwards
Kevin garnett - 90 OVR - BOS - "Would like to re-sign with the team"
Anthony Randolph - 81 OVR - GS - "I'd like to remain with the Warriors"
Kevin Love - 80 OVR - MIN - "once the season is over i'd like to work on a new contract"
Lamar Odom - 78 OVR - OKC - "i'm leaning towards re-signing with the team"
Antawn Jamison - 75 OVR - WAS - "I'm likely going to want to re-sign"
Not a lot here at all, luckily we have samuel padgett and don't really care. Though I'll point out a fear in the coming seasons... Padgett still has two years of team options left, but he says "the idea of entering free agency is very enticing to me, but i don't know if that is my best option." I really want to build around padgett and keep him in Charlotte for 10 more years, so hopefully he gives me that choice.
Centers
Dwight Howard - 92 OVR - ORL - Player Option - "I'll be moving on to a new team next season. With my treatment lately, it look like Management is in agreement"
Brook Lopez - 83 OVR - HOU - "I'd like to re-sign in the offseason"
Nene - 81 OVR - NYN - "I'm thinking i want to come back next year"
Emeka Okafor - 79 OVR - NO - "I'd liketo remain with the hornets next season"
Chris Kaman - 78 OVR - LAC - "I'm leaning towards re-signing"
Howard, eh? Interesting.
So, my budget for next year says I have $34.83 million available under teh cap. Padgett's team option will be $4.6 million, Henderson's last team option is $3.1M, Diop's player option is $7.37M. That totals 15.07 million, leaving me with $19.76 million, assuming I let Augustin go.
My roster next year with players I have locked up:
PG Felton - ??
SG ?? - Vucacic
SF Wallace - Henderson
PF Padgett - ??
C Chandler - Sparks
If it wasn't for Diop I could be a serious player for any free agent in the market. Still, I'll have the juice to at least make a legit offer to Rose or Mayo, assuming they do end up available.
But first, lets get out of the first round of the playoffs! We'll definitely be returning to this post to see who really ends up in free agency and compare against what everyone wanted going into the offseason.
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