Early (but not too early) 2023 off-season wishlist

[sturt]

Fresh study of the new CBA this morning and its application to the 23-24 Hawks yields these nuggets...

1. Likely we're going to be.. or for that matter, any team is likely going to be... looking at paying tax if we're/they're expecting to contend.

2. Likely we're going to be functioning with 14 players, not 15... and now that I play with it for myself, I see that that 3rd 2-Way slot has everything to do with this. Teams are going to be naturally inclined to forego that 15th regular contract with it's inherent $1m+ minimum (before tax), and instead rotate their 3 two-way players on and off the big league roster over the course of the season (... ie, since you don't have to include two-ways on your taxable payroll).

3. Being above the 1st apron isn't actually that consequential for us at this point. It would only matter if we were to acquire a player through a sign-and-trade or use the MLE or bi-annual exception in free agency... in which case, we would be hardcapped. Beyond the tax itself, as I understand it, you're not penalized for paying your own players.

(It's being above that 2nd apron where you really don't want to be, because that imposes additional restrictions on making player moves.)

 

Here's a plausible version of where we could be on opening night. All the player or draft pick salary numbers come from Spotrac.
 

 

 

Noted, I've become persuaded that Darius Bazley is going to get released by PHX, and have identified him as a primo target. Effectively, as things stand in May anyhow, one of him or Bruno or Garrison is not going to be on the roster on opening night primarily because of the $10m net cost (after tax) it would cost to keep one of those as Player #15.

But you have to have 14 players minimum.

I chose to let Garrison go b/c he's older and because I'm assuming you have two wings waiting in the wings on two-way contracts anyhow.

[Gray Mule]

STURT:  When counting next season's players, don't forget our 1st round draft pick this summer.  Whoever we draft, I expect us to keep him....

[JustSomeGuy]

@Phunkabilly I think you’re missing the point. The question isn’t whether he is at his best as an individual talent. It’s about how he contributes to this team winning. 
 

He could get better. But most NBA players aren’t getting significantly better 5 years into their career and 100% of their skills degrade as they age. For a player who has been injury prone the odds are he isn’t going to become significantly better. 
 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by JustSomeGuy

[sturt]

3 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

STURT:  When counting next season's players, don't forget our 1st round draft pick this summer.  Whoever we draft, I expect us to keep him....

Roger that, Mule.

Present and accounted for..................................

 

[RedDawg#8]

https://hoopshype.com/lists/2023-nba-free-agent-rankings-top-players-available-summer/
 

We would have to cut salary somewhere but I would want to add one of the following:

Porzingas

Vucevic

Lopez

Poetl

[JTB]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

https://hoopshype.com/lists/2023-nba-free-agent-rankings-top-players-available-summer/
 

We would have to cut salary somewhere but I would want to add one of the following:

Porzingas

Vucevic

Lopez

Poetl

Yeah I thought cutting salary would be the goal too but apparently we are not in a cap friendly situation at all.

our best option is to sign and trade.

[sturt]

[sturt]

(... "big" maybe overstating it, actually, when you look at the cap space column.)

[Spud2nique]

LETS GO SIXERS!!! Bring Jaylen home !!! Take him out of that racist a$$ city !!!

 

[JayBirdHawk]

9 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

https://hoopshype.com/lists/2023-nba-free-agent-rankings-top-players-available-summer/
 

We would have to cut salary somewhere but I would want to add one of the following:

Porzingas

Vucevic

Lopez

Poetl

Ww have $162 mil in guaranteed salary. To cut salary to get under the cap of $134....we'd need to send out at least $50 million and get nothing back to get far enough under the $134 to free up money to sign any of these free agents outright. If we do a SnT, we'd then be hard capped since we are over the Tax making it very difficult to make additional moves to upgrade the roster.

[Spud2nique]

@JayBirdHawk 

 

My trade target is OG my boy from the 2017 draft, remember the two dudes I wanted were the boys from Africa, OG and Semi (Ojeleye).

 

Raps are in a retool/rebuild mode. I want OG to join OO.

What can we give? 
 

Hawks get: OG +2028 second round pick 

Raps get : CC + 2023 15th pick

 

Trae

DM

Hunter

OG

OO

Run … run  

 

Thoughts?

[Phunkabilly]

On 5/9/2023 at 8:40 AM, Spud2nique said:

LETS GO SIXERS!!! Bring Jaylen home !!! Take him out of that racist a$$ city !!!

 

Lol!  I am a little torn as to who I was rooting for... Philly, in the hopes that Jaylen may want to leave?  Or Boston, in the hopes that Embiid may want to leave?  ...I think Embiid is probably a pipe dream for us though, and JB does look damn good in a Hawks jersey...

[kg01]

You can't win with JoeLLLL.  Proof is in the pudding.  Give me BLopez all night long, Lionel Ritchie, and we'll be dancin' on the ceilin'. 

[AHF]

11 minutes ago, kg01 said:

You can't win with JoeLLLL.  Proof is in the pudding.  Give me BLopez all night long, Lionel Ritchie, and we'll be dancin' on the ceilin'. 

This year will definitely weigh heavily on Embiid's legacy.  His team has been a consistent top 4 seed for the last 5 years or so.  They've won 4 playoff series and never made it to the conference finals.  Right now they are one win away from the conference finals and if they finish off Boston they will face a team that should be beatable.  Huge difference for him if they choke and lose this series vs. losing a respectable conference finals series vs. making and/or winning the NBA finals.  

I do feel like you can win with him.  Lopez is a good player but he is clearly not his team's best or most important player and the Bucks have a pretty similar record to the 76ers except for their title season.  So a single breakout season would go a long way with Joel just like it did with Giannis.  Nobody is saying Giannis is a loser after the Bucks got bounced in the first round this season.

[Diesel]

Is anybody else hearing....

 

Giannis to the Hawks?

Seriously.  Twitterverse has a cryptic post from Giannis.... after a Hawksnation post... that said "I'm tired of the disrespect, I'm coming!". 

I know Milwaukee is in full breakdown however, you would think that making sure that Giannis is happy is the most important thing.  Is this the badass Big that was being spoken of?

 

 

[Diesel]

10 minutes ago, AHF said:

This year will definitely weigh heavily on Embiid's legacy.  His team has been a consistent top 4 seed for the last 5 years or so.  They've won 4 playoff series and never made it to the conference finals.  Right now they are one win away from the conference finals and if they finish off Boston they will face a team that should be beatable.  Huge difference for him if they choke and lose this series vs. losing a respectable conference finals series vs. making and/or winning the NBA finals.  

I do feel like you can win with him.  Lopez is a good player but he is clearly not his team's best or most important player and the Bucks have a pretty similar record to the 76ers except for their title season.  So a single breakout season would go a long way with Joel just like it did with Giannis.  Nobody is saying Giannis is a loser after the Bucks got bounced in the first round this season.

 

Funny would be Embiid vs. Jokic in the finals. 

If that happens, I say you bring last year's MVP and this year's MVP.. .put them on the table.. and Winner take ALL.  Like Hold em...

[macdaddy]

2 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

@JayBirdHawk 

 

My trade target is OG my boy from the 2017 draft, remember the two dudes I wanted were the boys from Africa, OG and Semi (Ojeleye).

 

Raps are in a retool/rebuild mode. I want OG to join OO.

What can we give? 
 

Hawks get: OG +2028 second round pick 

Raps get : CC + 2023 15th pick

 

Trae

DM

Hunter

OG

OO

Run … run  

 

Thoughts?

I'd do this for sure but would the Raps want CC?  

[JayBirdHawk]

5 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

@JayBirdHawk 

 

My trade target is OG my boy from the 2017 draft, remember the two dudes I wanted were the boys from Africa, OG and Semi (Ojeleye).

 

Raps are in a retool/rebuild mode. I want OG to join OO.

What can we give? 
 

Hawks get: OG +2028 second round pick 

Raps get : CC + 2023 15th pick

 

Trae

DM

Hunter

OG

OO

Run … run  

 

Thoughts?

I would...my only pause is his 1 year remaining and what a new contract would look like. That's leaves is 2 UFAs to sign in off season.

Raps will want more. Not sure they'll want CC since it seems they are resigning Poetl rhymes with Turtle.

[Spud2nique]

7 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Poetl rhymes with Turtle.

Nice !

[sturt]

(Seems relevant seasoning to the pot being stirred.)