Note: the intricacies of the NBA salary cap are unknown to me, as I’m more of an NFL/MLS fan. So I have read the Wikipedia article on the NBA cap, but that doesn’t mean I fully understand it. If I get something wrong, feel free to correct me.
With first place in the East almost locked up, Coach J turned his attention to some possible offseason moves he could make to pick up some veterans for the team this offseason. Which players will be sticking around next year? Which will he let walk? He’s assuming there will be at least a $10 million cap increase, up to $80 million, and the luxury tax level should be above $90 million.
So given the contract situation, how does the roster break down?
Essential
- Alonzo Mourning - $16,700,000
- Larry Johnson - $16,700,000
- Kendall Gill - $10,200,000
These 3 make up the core of the team and will hopefully be in Charlotte for the next 10-15 (or 20) years. All three contracts expire in 2018, so the Hornets will need to make sure that there’s plenty of cap space available in 2 years.
Useful Players
- Avery Bradley - $8,270,000
- Dell Curry - $6,500,00
These players have added a lot of value this year and would be nice to keep around. However, their deals expire at the same time as the guys above. Curry is getting older and should look for less money, but Bradley is on the rise and could ask for a deal similar to what Kendall Gill is expecting. Charlotte may only get another 2 years of Bradley before they trade him or let him walk.
Expiring Deals
Gibson has been wonderful for the Hornets this year, but $9m is a lot of money for a backup PF, and Coach J has aspirations to upgrade other positions. There should be teams willing to take on his expiring contract and allow the Hornets to pursue their offseason targets.
Team Options
- Kelly Olynyk - $3,090,00
- Andre Roberson - $2,180,000
- Bryce Cotton - $980,000
Kelly Olynyk will definitely be coming back, as his $3 million price tag is a bargain to be a sharp shooting backup big man. Roberson has been very valuable this year, but he’s such a liability on offense, the Hornets will let him test free agency before bringing him back. Bryce Cotton will be lucky to be on a roster next year, but does have a decent 3 point shot.
Player Options
- Cole Aldrich - $1,230,000
It would be great if Aldrich chooses to come back, but at a number that low, it would be a shock if he doesn’t test the market.
Free Agents
- Kenny Gattison, PF
- Ramon Sessions, PG
- Robert Williams, PG
Gattison and Williams will be let go. Sessions will be a nice backup PG, but Coach J wants to see how the draft and free agency goes before committing to him.
So, if all goes according to plan, these will be the Hornets players sticking around (in a depth chart format):
PG – Avery Bradley
SG – Dell Curry
SF – Kendall Gill
PF – Larry Johnson
C – Alonzo Mourning
6 – Kelly Olynyk
That leaves a lot of spaces to fill. The Hornets need at least 2 more big men and 3 more guards/small forwards. Coach J knows that at least one of those will come in the draft, but there isn’t a ton of cap room to sign another 5-6 players.
Targets
Who will the Hornets pick up via trades or free agency to supplement the returning players? Coach J will assume he has about $61,500,000 in salaries, which leaves $18.5 million in cap space to sign players.
Free Agency
In priority order, here are the players Coach J wants to go after. You’ll notice that he’s going after his former Wisconsin players.
1) Joey Fletcher, PG, 22
Fletcher has had an amazing rookie year and the Hornets need a true point guard. Will he be willing to leave New York? Can he be even better running a fast-paced offense and away from Carmelo’s black hole? Coach J wants to go all-in to get the young PG, but we’ll see what’s possible.
2) Wallace Anrin, SG, 27
Anrin’s foot should be mostly healed, but he’ll need to get back into games shape. The biggest concern may be his high salary demands. Despite sitting out a year, he still may be asking for more than $8 million a year. Anrin would immediately slot into the starting lineup alongside Kendall Gill, moving Dell Curry to the bench if signed.
3) Paul Noonan, SG, 29
Paul Noonan would give the Hornets another deadly 3 point shooter…provided Noonan can stay clear of his previous life troubles. Coach J believes he can surround Noonan with positive influences and
4) Romain Martin, SG, 29
Martin would provide a solid shooter off of the bench and could play the 2 or the 3. Coach J would like to sign him regardless, but Martin does play like a poor man’s Wallace Anrin, so is a decent consolation prize. He also may be able to fit into the mid-level exception.
5) Veteran big man (David West, Nene, Larry Sanders)
Coach J will need another player to come off the bench alongside Olynyk (and maybe Aldrich). Whoever Coach J can get for cheap would work fine here.
6) Chief Bing, C, 25
It would be great for Coach J to get “The Chief” but he expects his price to be a bit high, and Chief is good enough he likely won’t want to sit behind Mourning. Of course, if he does sign in Charlotte, Coach J could start Mourning and Bing and move Larry Johnson to SF.
7) Tommy Camper, C, 25
Similar to Chief Bing, Coach J doesn’t expect Camper to be available, but if he is and the price is right, Coach J will make it work. Camper would likely be thrilled to learn from Coach J again, and he wouldn’t have to guard Mourning anymore.
8) Hope Law, SG, 22
Hope Law looks like he’ll be one of the hottest free agents on the market this summer, and the chances for Coach J to get him are slim. If Coach J wants to break the bank for Law, that could mean the Hornets say goodbye to Dell Curry and may not be able to keep Kendall Gill long term.
9) Kevin Martin, SG, 33
A veteran with a great stroke, Coach J would be happy to add Martin to the bench for 15 minutes a game of sharpshooting.
10) Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, 21
11) Andrew Wiggins, SF, 21
It’s unlikely that either of these players are available (although the Greek Freak has been moved to 6th man in Milwaukee), but if Coach J misses out on his previous targets, he may choose to swing for the fences and get a super talented SF and move Gill to SG.
Trades
Dennis Schroder, PG, ATL
Schroder’s deal is expiring in ATL and he hasn’t seen a lot of playing time behind all the guards there. The Hornets may be able to unload Taj Gibson or some draft picks to get Schroder as a backup PG, and perhaps a PG for the future if the Hornets are unable to sign Fletcher.
Khrys Middleton, SG, MIL
Indicative of the ineptitude in Milwaukee, Middleton has been on the bench most of the year, with OJ Mayo starting over him. If the Bucks don't value his shooting, Coach J will.