sturt

I appreciate the different perspective, and have to agree that long-term this sets us up in a much better position, though as txting attests, for 2016-17, we're weaker. Replacing Teague, Horford and probably Scott with Prince and Howard is not a good trade, and that's essentially the trade we're having to make. Not too hard to see us as sellers next trade deadline, with Sap at the head of the list. In the meantime, we need to somehow fill a vacant #2 PG slot, and hope that among THjr, Bembry and Prince, we've got a piece of gold. Assuming this is the end of the line for Scott's tenure, my spreadsheet says we have $8,025,532 in room. We need to spend that, and then make a small trade of some kind that gets us over the salary cap so we can gain a full MLE ($5.6m).

Saw that, too. Of course, ya can't trade what you don't.... actually... have yet.

Would have to happen via trade (getting back ~150% salary)

^^^^^^this^^^^^^

I am... and have been... all for that. Whatever we do, we need to vault above the cap so we can gain an MLE.

I'm not a cynic. I'm a fan. I don't lose hope. It's bad, but look, Portland happened. You do what you can do to put yourself in a position to surprise.

So.... whoever this guy is, he's now blacklisted... these days, you'd best make sure your sources are credible, or tweet karma will get you.

I'd always assumed we were offering at least the max for 4 years that anyone else could offer PLUS the 3% bigger raises. If I'm wrong on that, then "low-balling" might be accurate, but I'm not inclined to think that way.

@NBASupes: "Decent asset."

Diesel raises a good point here... we do still have that MIN #1 that could allow us to pair it with someone and get a decent asset in return.

Not sure how to come to any other conclusion than that Horf didn't want to be here after all.... we did offer more money and more years overall. I can't fault Budcox on this one. At all. Next move? Someone made the point that DH has flourished best in his career when he's had a viable PF beside him.... and that he's never had a better PF beside him than what Sap will be. But I'm wondering what other smaller move we can make now to improve.

Have to say.... I was not real excited about that 5th year. Sounds like sour grapes, and maybe it is, but I just felt Budcox was already extending the payroll quite a bit.

No, we can just trade Tim and Splitter. Tim to whoever wants him and Splitter to Brooklyn. Mike can be traded or cut. See above for what I was responding to...

@TheNorthCydeRises: No, any trade for Sap has to create the room to sign Horf... bringing Wade here doesn't accomplish that... or am I missing something?

Can't completely assume there's a deal for Sap that they like that is better than a deal for Splitter/THjr/Scott that they like.... right?

They were in the lead, supposedly... so, now, falling back.

Full max? Dang. I have to think they received an offer for Sap that sealed the whole deal.

Is it "tonight" yet?!?!?

That, too, is a high standard. I'm not going to set expectations that high.... hopes, yes, but not expectations... ORL just went loopy on that one.

I'm sure you'd admit yourself... that's a pretty darn high standard to meet. ;) In all the years we've been convening here, not real sure if there's ever been a trade that impressed you... ?!?

Cautiously optimistic.... but the point is well-taken, if you give up Sap, you'd better get a starter who can score someway somehow. Good that there's plenty of competition... drives up the price of playing poker.

Breakfast every day for 8 years... yeah, as much as I might miss my dad, I'm confident the hole in your life is bigger than I can know... and that's saying something.

(I agree w/ Random, if there's a mod who doesn't mind making it happen.)