2016 NBA Offseason Thread

[wco81]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

This could be an epic offseason if KD leaves OKC.

Otherwise, a hell of a long buildup for nothing.

Other than Durant though, you wonder if the playoffs performance will determine the fates of players like Horford, DeRozan, Barnes and others, just as it has apparently decided Vogel's fate.

[HealyMonster]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I like frank vogel, sad to see him go. With that said and as much as it pains me to say it, it was time for a change. I felt as though the decision making in the Raptors series was suspect, and at this point in the season and in Vogels tenure, is unacceptable. We had the players to beat the Raptors.

[Vni]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

This could be an epic offseason if KD leaves OKC.

Otherwise, a hell of a long buildup for nothing.

Other than Durant though, you wonder if the playoffs performance will determine the fates of players like Horford, DeRozan, Barnes and others, just as it has apparently decided Vogel's fate.

It's gonna be a great time to be a role player free agent too. They're gonna get paid big time.

[z Revis]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I like frank vogel, sad to see him go. With that said and as much as it pains me to say it, it was time for a change. I felt as though the decision making in the Raptors series was suspect, and at this point in the season and in Vogels tenure, is unacceptable. We had the players to beat the Raptors.

I think it's the worst decision Bird has made in a long time. I do agree with you some of the stuff that went on in that Toronto series was questionable and I was on here calling him out in that game 5 for his rotations, but the very next game he staggered the lineups so there was always a starter on the floor. We have to remember the guy is only 42 and still has room and time to grow as a coach.

Despite his faults he was still able to lead this team to the Playoffs every year but 1(PG injury), 2 ECF's, and frankly overachieved or met expectations every season IMO except for the 2014 end of season collapse where we still got the 1 seed. I'm also not sure there is a better defensive coach in the league right now than him. The fact that we were as good defensively as we were this year and even last year proves it isn't just the roster that is making it happen on that side of the ball with Vogel. No team in the NBA has allowed fewer points per 100 than the Pacers since Vogel took over. Our offense hasn't been great under him, but I thought it was at least acceptabe this season and it was statistically above average with a roster that isn't exactly full of reliable scorers/shooters.

We'll see. I just feel like Vogel isn't Bird's guy and never was. They didn't share the same vision this year and Vogel didn't run the team how Bird liked. That and the timing of Vogel's contract expiring I think made it easy for him to fire him. I just hope he has a guy in mind and isn't making a change just to do it.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Erik Spoelstra and Rick Carlisle are the 2nd longest tenured Coaches in the league(8 years) behind Pop's 20 years with the Spurs.

Also since the beginning of this season, 1/3rd of the league have now changed and/or fired Coaches(Houston, Brooklyn, New York, Phoenix, LA, Minnesota, Indiana, Washington, Cleveland, Sacramento).

[Checmate101]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

See Bird has Randy Wittman as one of his 6 candidates for the Pacers job

Sent from my LG-H634 using Tapatalk

[King_B_Mack]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I'm also not sure there is a better defensive coach in the league right now than him.

Tom Thibodeau

[CMH]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Erik Spoelstra and Rick Carlisle are the 2nd longest tenured Coaches in the league(8 years) behind Pop's 20 years with the Spurs.

Also since the beginning of this season, 1/3rd of the league have now changed and/or fired Coaches(Houston, Brooklyn, New York, Phoenix, LA, Minnesota, Indiana, Washington, Cleveland, Sacramento).

More execs need to understand that consistency is important.

I love that Rick Carlisle is still in Dallas. He has, in many ways, led a couple disappointing teams the past couple years. But here is Cuban understanding that 1. He hasn't worked to get him better talent and 2. Consistency is important.

I feel as if players prefer knowing their coach. Of course if the coach absolutely sucks, consistency doesn't matter but not every franchise that has fired a coach, has fired a bad one.

[z Revis]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Tom Thibodeau

I would say there's an argument for Vogel over him, but we would be splitting hairs either way.

Bottom line is the guy is a top 10 coach easily who has brought us wins and playoff success. You don't fire guys like that in the hopes of slightly improving the offense. You get him an assistant or better players to work with.

Oh well, I'm over it now. Like I said hopefully he's got a guy in mind and not retreads like I've been hearing(Dantoni Woodson Jackson and Whitman are names I've seen listed.. Lol).

[Vni]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

If Byron Scott knew his job was in jeopardy, he told me he would have played his vets even more minutes

-Mark Medina

Lol this guy Byron Scott.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Hornets News

Jeremy Lin said the Hornets “came out of nowhere” to sign him last summer.

His salary shows it.

With the market for Lin depressed following a dismal season with the Lakers, Charlotte snagged Lin for just the bi-annual exception. At least Lin – who bounced back with a solid year – got a player option for next season, when he’s due to make just $2,235,255.

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer:

Lin indicated he plans to opt out of his contract

Lin, who can opt out of next season on his contract, says he’d very much like to re-sign with the franchise this summer.

“I would love to,” Lin said Monday. “I don’t like moving every year, I don’t like packing and unpacking boxes. So we’ll see. But I’m definitely interested in coming back.”

“This is the most fun I’ve had in my six years” in the NBA, Lin said. “Being around a great group of guys and a coaching staff that really cares. I’ve learned so much about the game of basketball, particularly at the defensive end.”

The Hornets face a summer of tough choices after relying on so many players with expiring contracts.

Let’s say Charlotte renounces Troy Daniels, Jorge Gutierrez and Tyler Hansbrough and waives Aaron Harrison, whose salary is unguaranteed. The Hornets might not drop those low-cost players, but if it makes the difference between retaining a rotation player or not, they probably would. So, for these purposes, they’re out.

Counting cap holds for Nicolas Batum and Courtney Lee, Charlotte would project to have just more than $12 million in cap space. The Hornets could spend that money then exceed the cap to re-sign Batum and Lee, whose 2016-17 are likely to top their cap holds ($19,687,961 for Batum, $10,782,500 for Lee).

But that leaves just about $12 million to re-sign Lin, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson.

Charlotte has Lin’s Non-Bird Rights (technically a form of Bird Rights), but because his cap would match the match the Non-Bird Exception ($2,682,306), that doesn’t matter here. It also doesn’t matter because Lin will command far more than that. So, cap space will be needed to re-sign him.

Ditto Williams and effectively Jefferson. The Hornets could pay Williams $12.25 million next season with the Early Bird Exception, but that likely won’t be enough to keep him. Charlotte has Jefferson’s full Bird Rights, but his 2016-17 salary is likely to fall short of his cap hold ($20,250,000). So, re-signing him or renouncing him creates more room than keeping his hold on the books.

With the salary cap projected to reach $92 million, giving most teams max cap space, $12 million might allow the Hornets to keep one of Lin, Williams or Jefferson. Maybe. Lin and Williams could probably get more elsewhere, and Jefferson would have an outside chance.

Now, Charlotte would clear more room if Batum and/or Lee walk. But the Hornets have called Batum their top priority, and he sounds like he wants to re-sign. Lee has also proven valuable, and I’d be surprised if there’s not also a major effort to retain him.

Charlotte could clear extra room by trading Spencer Hawes ($6,348,759) and/or Jeremy Lamb ($6,511,628), two players whose salaries will look decent in the new cap environment. But that still might not open enough space to keep two of Lin/Williams/Jefferson if Batum and Lee stay.

Williams, a starter, would probably be the top priority. But he could also probably draw the largest offers elsewhere, so he might price himself out of the Hornets’ range.

Lin holds more value than Jefferson, even as Kemba Walker‘s backup. Jefferson has ceded the starting center spot to Cody Zeller, and Jefferson’s low-post style might not fit Charlotte anymore.

But Lin might have also priced himself out of the Hornets’ range. It’s a thin free-agent class at point guard, and teams that strike out on Mike Conley (and maybe Rajon Rondo) could extend a huge offer to Lin.

He clearly likes it in Charlotte. The question might become: How much of a discount would he take to stay?

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Festus Ezili could get $50 Mil in FA

Festus Ezeli averaged 7 points and 5.6 rebounds a game in just under 17 minutes a night in the 46 games he played last season, having missed time to have he knee scoped (he missed the entire 2013-14 season with surgery on that same knee). He’s averaged less than nine minutes per game in the playoffs, but played a key role defending the paint in the Warriors Game 2 win against the Trail Blazers.

What does that make him worth as a restricted free agent this summer?

Likely three years, $50 million a source told Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.

According to several league executives, that is likely to be what it takes to land Warriors restricted free agent center Festus Ezeli this summer. “Obviously there are health issues you’re worried about,” one general manager told Sporting News. “So I don’t think you’d want to go beyond three years. But he still has a lot of upside and he can get better in a bigger role.”

That’s $16.6 million a season, on average. The crazy number is market forces coming together on a couple of fronts. First, is that the market itself will be flooded with cash as the new television deal money kicks in and the salary cap spikes by $22 million up to an estimated (by the league) $92 million next season. Around two-thirds of the teams in the league will have the cap space for a max player, but there are not near that many players of that quality on the market. Meaning some guys are going to get over paid because teams will be looking to spend.

Second, big men in the NBA get overpaid. Always has been. Especially rim-protecting bigs right now, something needed to counter some of the impacts of small ball slashers in the half court. It’s simple supply and demand — if you want a rotation level guard in free agency you have plenty of options, but if you want an athletic 7-footer there are just a few of those around.

Still, who is going to pay $50 million for Ezeli? Maybe the Lakers.

The Lakers, a source said, will have interest in Ezeli, seeing his size and rim-protecting defense as an ideal complement to forward Julius Randle. L.A., of course, just hired Warriors assistant Luke Walton to be its coach. Ezeli had the best months of his career in November and December, with Walton filling in while Kerr recovered from back surgery, and before Ezeli’s knee injury.

The Warriors have the right to match any offer, Ezeli is a restricted free agent. Whether they would match something in the $50 million ballpark for Ezeli will be a factor of other moves they make this summer — if the Kevin Durant whispers are true the Warriors then can’t afford Ezeli, and what the team plans to do with Andrew Bogut long term.

Still, $50 million for Ezeli.

It’s going to be one wild summer

[areobee401]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Erik Spoelstra and Rick Carlisle are the 2nd longest tenured Coaches in the league(8 years) behind Pop's 20 years with the Spurs.

Also since the beginning of this season, 1/3rd of the league have now changed and/or fired Coaches(Houston, Brooklyn, New York, Phoenix, LA, Minnesota, Indiana, Washington, Cleveland, Sacramento).

I saw that yesterday. Bran Stevens is 6th in terms of years and 10th since day of hire. Crazy.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

More execs need to understand that consistency is important.

I love that Rick Carlisle is still in Dallas. He has, in many ways, led a couple disappointing teams the past couple years. But here is Cuban understanding that 1. He hasn't worked to get him better talent and 2. Consistency is important.

I feel as if players prefer knowing their coach. Of course if the coach absolutely sucks, consistency doesn't matter but not every franchise that has fired a coach, has fired a bad one.

Based on his comments yesterday, Bird seems to think that after 3 years, teams should change coaches since their message could get stale on the players after awhile.

[SPTO]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Based on his comments yesterday, Bird seems to think that after 3 years, teams should change coaches since their message could get stale on the players after awhile.

I somehow think that line Bird fed the media was just a big ol' lie. He can't be serious with that message because the Pacers' roster has had a lot of turnover in those 3 years AND there is lots of turnover in the league period. There's no way a coach's message can go stale with players coming and going.

I get the feeling he was trying to "protect" Vogel by not saying the real reason (his bonehead decision to keep George on the bench when the Raptors made that huge comeback) which was obvious to EVERYONE. Even people who don't have a dog in the fight could clearly see that Vogel cost himself his job with that.