5 down, 7 to go.....

[Diesel]

With Travis, we have 5 roster spots taken care of.

In the draft, I think we will get three players that will stick.

That leaves 4 rosters spots.... Who do we target?

[Diesel]

Jax, Kmart, Swift, and Crawford....

Meaning that if we built our team today with no trades and keeping three draft picks....

JT/

Crawford/Hansen

Jax/Diaw/CC

Kmart/Hendu

Swift/

So just to play Devil's advocate....

Fourteen people say..

We should draft a BU PG type... A BU or Starting C.... and A SG type...

Hmmm....

Going further into the advocation business....

D. Harris, Peja Samardiski, and Synder

Could next year's squad be:

JT/Harris

Crawford/Hansen/Synder

Jax/Diaw/CC

Kmart/Hendu

Swift/Samardiski

[CHORO44]

I went with the following:

Kobe - Won't happen

Jax - Seems to be improving

Foyle - Best center available when considering cost to performance

Crawford - Terrible shooting percentage but is improving and can break down anyone in the league when on

[Iman]

I think that would be a playoff team but it would be tough to ever get much better. I guess with Hendu and Chris Crawford's money and then getting rid of JT we might could pick up a bigtimer, and then be a challenger, especially if Devin Harris exceeds my expectations. But I wouldn't do it.

I think Kmart and Jax may both get offers larger than we should pay. I also would not sign both Kmart and Swift, we'd be athletic but a little stuck with small ball and absolutely no post offense. I'm actually mainly hoping for Jamal Crawford and some of last years guys such as Sura and Przy myself.

Luckily the draft comes before free agents anyways and I think that's where our future will come from. If we cant get Howard, Kmart becomes a higher priority (but we still cant overpay). After Howard, I trust Billy Knight to find us the best talent and I doubt it'll be Devin Harris, more likely Josh or Livingston. Then I wouldnt mind a talent search European PF or even Jefferson with our second first rounder. Fun to think about anyways, hopefully we get lucky Wednesday nite!

[Weez]

we don't have the money to sign all four of those players. you know this, don't act like it's a possibility.

[Diesel]

We have Jax, Kmart, Foyle, and Crawford....

Let's put some figures here:

Jax... about 6 year 45 million. That starts at about 6.3 million.

Kmart... about 6 year 72 million. That starts at about 9.5 Million.

Foyle... about 3 years 16 million. That starts maybe 5.0 million.

Crawford.... about 4 year 24 million. That starts at about 5.5 million.

That's about our cap... Especially after 4 million for our first rounders and 800,000 for Hansen and our second rounder. So who do we have:

JT/

Crawford/Hansen

Jax/Diaw/CC

Kmart/Hendu

Foyle/

BU C = Peja #35 pick.

BU PG = Vajacic #17 pick.

BU SF = Jo Smith #6 pick.

[pathway23]

Hey Diesel the Insider said we are interested in Troy Hudson. Did you notice that?

[capstone21]

Crawford will command more then 5.5 million on the market and Kmart wants the max. I think NJ will match at 9.5.

[KingOfKrunk]

Here is who I think we will look at:

Foyle: A good defender and rebounder

Swift: Can become a star in this league with the right team, Billy loves this guy.

SJax: He will be resigned, can become a star.

Sura: I think he finally found a home here. He has showed that even at 31, he still has a lot left in him.

Kmart: probably won't get him, but we might try.

[KB21]

I think you would get the same production from Stromile Swift at a third of the cost of Kenyon Martin.

This will be a buyer beware market. Guys like Martin, Richardson, and Crawford are going to be asking for a lot more than they are worth. It would be in the best interest of the Hawks to let the market play itself out. They may be able to get a Stephen Jackson type of signing.

IMO, Jackson is the free agent the Hawks should concentrate on when free agency begins. They know what he's capable of and the type of potential he still brings to the table. This guy was essentially a 20 ppg scorer over the last 41 games of the season. He defends well, is actually a good passer, and can play the up tempo style the Hawks want to play. Plus, he is versatile enough to play the shooting guard and the small forward position.

The Hawks have to be careful to not overpay on long term deals that will not carry this team to a championship level. I'd stay away from the Quentin Richardson's and the Jamal Crawford's of the free agent market. They are guards that shoot around 39% from the floor. That's not good.

IMO, the plums of the free agent class could be the lesser valued guys like Stephen Jackson and a guy like Troy Hudson. Stromile's restricted status makes it difficult to guage whether Billy will be able to bring him in on a cheap, one year deal.

[KingOfKrunk]

Very, very good point. Stro isn't going to be that hard to get IMO though. They already have a lot of depth and he won't be starting in Memphis with Gasol there. I think he is ready to go to the next level of stardom. Atlanta would be a perfect place for him because of his athleticism and ability to score on the fast-break. Knight wants him. If we can get Jackson, Stro, and a couple of other role players such as Arroyo and Fizer, I will have to get my krunk on.

[KB21]

I believe Stromile is a guy that Billy will definitely look at, especially if we aren't able to land Dwight Howard in the draft.

We don't know who Billy will be looking at, but we do know what type of player Billy wants to get. He wants long, athletic players that are skillful and are good in transition. He wants to transform this Hawks team into a long, athletic team that can run other teams off the floor or simply shoot over them.

Stromile fits the style that Billy wants. Another guy we could look at is Chris Andersen from Denver. Plus, we will have our 2002 2nd round pick, David Anderson, in the summer league and may give him a contract. He's an athletic seven footer that is very good at running the floor.

[pathway23]

Would we go after Stro even if we lucked out and plucked Howard or Okafor out of the draft with a top pick? I wouldn't mind it, we'd have quality depth at the PF position..

[KingOfKrunk]

I was wondering what happened to David, thanks KB.

[capstone21]

Actually I do really like Crawford a lot and think he can become a star.

I would want to sign him and Sura. I think Crawford would make the perfect backcourt mate to JT. Sura being the third guard off the bench would give us an excellent 3 guard rotation...all can play point and off guard making us a really threat. Diaw at SF will make us an excellent ball handling team for once. Draft Duhon in the second round and we have another leader who can play spot minutes.

[KB21]

He's got potential, but the only way I'd sign him is if he agrees to a short term contract that gives him a chance to prove himself. I would not give this guy a long term deal worth $5-6 million a year. Do not pay for potential. Get them cheap and let them prove themselves. Otherwise, build through the draft.

[capstone21]

One of the problems w/o locking some guys down is that they leave for other teams.

[KB21]

It's a catch 22.

You might lose them, as we might lose Stephen Jackson.

Then again, if you give them a long term deal based on their potential, you could get yourself into a contract that will not be easy to move if the player doesn't live up to his potential.

I just think it is in the best interest of the Hawks to not overpay for potential or players with delusions of granduer.

[Weez]

I think Crawford will want more than slightly above the MLE, but I stand corrected, those numbers seem fair to me. whether it'd all happen (NJ would strongly consider/probably (imo)might match that number ~they're hedgy about the max though).

but your numbers work for the most part...except you had Swift included in the original post (magically disappeared).

[Diesel]

My thoughts are simple.....

I say we draft young, we get the players we need.. We stand pat and we develop.....

Kmart - No Sir. I don't want to play his game... I don't want to overpay for him. He's not a max player and I doubt that he's worth the 12 million per year average that I mentioned....

JCrawford - Not for more than 6 Million per. He doesn't help our situation unless we trade JT. I'll return to Crawford.

Jax - Yes Sir... I would love to have Jax back for a good salary but not overpaid. I'd give him between 7-8 per... I think he has star potential. I think he bring speed, defense, and leadership.

Sura - Yes Sir. Regaurdless of which way we go with or without Terry, I think that Sura should hang around. He's a good model for Hansen and Luke Jackson (if we choose him). He's a really good off-guard in a league that doesn't have many off guard.s

Swift - YES. I would rather have Swift than Martin... WHy? Because Swift is cheaper and he rebounds Better. To tell the truth, I don't think Memphis will really let him get away. They have many guards and no real big men.

Foyle - Definitely Yes. Foyle has been mis managed in GS. I think he is probably just as good as Damp on the boards and as a little less (Slightly) than Theo as a Shot Blocker. I would love to have Foyle on the floor for 30 per....Followed by a Faster BU C who can run the floor with our runners.

Back to Crawford. I see the star potential in Crawford.. However, I would not readily match him with JT. I saw how he and Jay Williams didn't workout and he and JT would be worst. If we moved JT and picked up Crawford with Sura...It would be different. I think Sura could compliment his game just like Hinrich complimented his game.

So here's a possible lineup:

JT/Harris

Sura/Snyder/Hansen

Jax/Diaw/CC

Swift/Hendu

Foyle/Swift or Harrison (Can't believe I said him) if we can get them in the 2nd round.

If we are picking 6th.. This is what I wouldn't mind seeing. If we are planning to resign Jax... Why would we go after Jo Smith... as much as I hate to lose out on that kind of talent. If we are going to resign Jax... Sooner or later, we would have to think about trading Diaw. Diaw doesn't fit the uptempo game, nor can he take time away from Jax..... I would use his value to get a good deal with JT after we have gotten Harris initiated.