TheNorthCydeRises

So if you were Denver, what would you do? You're on the cusp of making the playoffs, if you keep the team together. Do you break key pieces of the team up just to keep from being capped out, or paying a little of the Luxury Tax? What would you do? Here's what I would do Have a sit down with Jokic, and tell him to be patient and wait one more year to get his 5 year MAX contract, so that we can lock up key pieces to be around him for the next 2 - 4 years to insure that the Nuggets are a perennial playoff team. If he doesn't want to be patient, go ahead and lock him up to a 4 year extension at the MAX. Sign Barton 4 years - 48 million ( player option after Year 3 ) See if there are any takers for Faried on an expiring deal, in return for a 2nd round pick If Chandler doesn't opt out, trade him for smaller contracts that can be moved more easily for cash or 2nd round picks If you are in the Luxury Tax for the 2018 - 19 season . . . PAY IT. The fans deserve to root for a playoff level team after 5 years of nothing.

One thing about it, if Bud does leave, Schlenk is on the clock. And he'll have 3 years to get this team back into the playoffs. If it doesn't happen, he's gone.

It would help if his legal situation was already cleared up. Really can't assess his trade value until that happens. Then again, Schlenk might give him away for a bad contract, and two 2nd round picks.

Bud is the keeper of the Infinity Gauntlet

I don't know about the net neutral position in the standings. Jokic is turning into a monster of a player, and has a good shot to at least be 3rd team All-NBA this season. If Millsap gets back close to his normal self, Denver becomes a very dangerous team next season. As for their cap situation, they like . . err, love what they have. 5 years out of the playoffs, I could see Denver re-signing a guy like Barton ( unless he gets some insane deal from another team ). Jokic's contract is a straight up dream right now, and they don't have to worry about him until the 2019 offseason. He's getting the max as soon as they can sign him next summer. So if they can find a taker for Plumlee or Faried, that's gold for them. Denver is more than OK, especially if Sap plays like Sap. Barton is really the only guy they have to worry about this offseason.

I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that Chandler opts out of his contract. I could see a scenario in which a team would offer him a 2 yr deal for 20 million. And with Schlenk's recent comments, that team may very well be the Hawks. He's not looking to make a splash on the free agent market next season, and will need players to fill out the rest of the roster. Overpaying for Chandler for 2 years, while populating the rest of the team with young players on lower level deals, is a sure fire way to construct a team that can lose, but also have mid level contracts that could be used in a trade ( if and when Schlenk decides to pull the trigger on someone ).

And someone that they don't have to pay big money to get . . . like a Fizdale.

This description is probably accurate. Curry loved that dude though.

But they've been out of the playoffs for 8 years. You want to go on an 8 year run "building an intriguing core", and not be relevant at all as a playoff team?

Now I got two teams to choose from . . .

This . . . I do agree with.

Because he could negotiate to have the Suns give up a draft pick .... Like their 2019 1st rd pick.

Phoenix will offer him the entire house because they're desperate. Booker pretty much gave them an ultimatum to try to do all that they can to build a winner. Phoenix is usually notoriously cheap, but they won't be in this instance. Hopefully Schlenk will go after David Fizdale, not only because of his coaching ability, but also because his wife is fine as hell. May as well add more eye candy in the seats, if we're going to lose.

This should surprise no one though. A new GM normally wants his own guy. Also, here's where the financials come into play. Pay attention to what Phoenix offers Bud, and see if the Hawks extend his contract to something similar. The fact that this happened the day after the season was over is not a good sign for Bud being here.

Sap will be ready to go next season. And he's in a decent position, seeing that he doesn't have to be the #1 scoring option on the Nuggets. He can function as the high priced #2 option, while also still being the 2nd most versatile player on the team. Next season, Denver will be in a very good situation to not only make the playoffs, but challenge for a top 4 seed.

With Bud, it's San Antonio that we have to watch. If the Spurs bomb out in the playoffs, I could see Pop stepping down as coach, before the wheels come completely off the Spurs stagecoach. At that point, the Spurs will go directly to Bud to gauge where his head is at.

We could've. Because the very young guys that you're banking on improving for the future, would've also improved this year, had we not tried to tank the season. Last year's squad was pretty much derailed by the piss poor play of Bazemore, and the lackluster play of the bench. This year's version of Bazemore was at least a ( + ) player overall. But like I said, it's cool. We bet not miss on this draft pick.

I'm talking about if Sap was healthy. If he were healthy, this team is easily a playoff team. As for Ilyasova, he and Sap had the exact same WS/48 number ( .106 ) . . if you count Ily's time as a Hawk, and not as a Sixer. It's all good though.

We'd be a 45+ win team, simply because by retaining Howard & Millsap, we would been a top 10 defense. I'm not as "doom and gloom" as KB is about our future. But the only thing that 2 - 3 losing seasons is going to do, is make the fan base long for the days in which we were at least mediocre. The Hawks are going to get 2 shots to land a big time player in the next 2 drafts, and one shot to land a big time free agent in the summer of 2020. If neither happens by then, we all better buckle up for an extended period of losing. They CANNOT miss on this lottery pick.

The last season in his contract will be the Qualifying Offer. He can refuse to sign the big money extension with the Suns next summer, and instead take the QO for the 2019 - 20 season, making him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. If he does that, Phoenix loses him for nothing . . and they know that. So if he makes a lot of noise about being unhappy next season, Phoenix can deal Booker to another team, and possibly get something back from him.

Anybody seen Devin Booker's rant. That's what losing does to a player. If Phoenix doesn't make a significant move to be a competitive team, Devin is going to force his way out of Phoenix. Once that happens, then what for Phoenix?

But he is skimping on the payroll to save money. The bad contracts simply mean that the Hawks need to get to the salary cap floor. He's courting teams like the Cavaliers, who are in Luxury Tax hell, partially because of the contracts given to JR Smith and Tristan Thompson. So he's like . . . if you send us a 1st and Tristian, we'll make a deal and give you someone like Kent Bazemore or Dennis Schröder.

You don't punish teams for tanking. The way to kill the tank, is to make this a TRUE lottery with even odds across the board. 14 ping pong balls. 14 draws. Forget drawing the top 3, draw the entire lottery. If you have the worst record in the league, and your ping pong ball happened to be drawn in the 14th slot . . . too bad. That's your pick. I'd rather see the lottery be done like that, than to see bad teams purposely play even worse in the last 2 months of the season, just to get a high draft pick.