FreeAgency/Trades Will Save Us, not the draft

[TheDude]

Instead of tanking to focus on getting Oden, we should really be focused on trades and free agency to bring in the players we need to succeed. Oden isn't going to make an immediate impact (even though I'd love to have him) and our team is young already and needs better proven players.

free agency. I'll have to look it over to see who is in there (if you have it post it please) but waiting for young people to develop is getting tiring and we have enough of talent that WILL eventually be great for us but if we want to compete more now, we need more veteran help.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

Instead of tanking to focus on getting Oden, we should really be focused on trades and free agency to bring in the players we need to succeed.

---

With today's political smelt-down what does "success" mean if anything anymore? I don't see why we don't "focus" upon both. DocHawk, seriously, whom do you think would be an impact FA we could get to come here, evtering into this chaos, do so for 4 years or less, and with our ownership unwilling to pay? I have no problem WANTING to improve through FAcy, but I do not believe you can count on it AT ALL given our situation. Aside from the draft, that leaves trades. Assuming you could convince a GM to work with BK after the last two trade disasters and assuming you worked within the confines of no contract longer than 4 years that didn't bring back inequitable salary despite our cap space (as ownership just isn't going to go there), whom of impact do you see us getting and for what? Remember that trades generally don't vastly improve your team, but rather retool it.

Quote:

---

Oden isn't going to make an immediate impact (even though I'd love to have him) and our team is young already and needs better proven players.

---

I think he will and is already more proven than most NBA players. Immediately Oden makes us a serious franchise. The world takes notice. His impact would increase our fan base and recruit FAs as every player wants to play with a franchise center. It simply makes their life so much easier.

Quote:

---

but if we want to compete more now, we need more veteran help.

---

We brought in Lo and Speedy and SW was the most veteran of draft picks. I'm not saying we don't need more veterans. We might. What we need more than veterans is talent, particularly at the C and Pg positions. If we win top 3 and keep the Indy pick we could solve just about all our franchise's problems right there.

In short, there is nothing precluding us from tanking, trading, and FAs and the greater likelihood of our improving the team significantly follows in that order. If you want this franchise to have its best shot, you'll want all avenues to be followed.

W

[Packfill]

I have said on a number of occasions that a trade for an established veteran big man is the best way to improve this team. A package involving some or all of Zaza, Marvin, Salim, Lue and the Indy pick should be put together to get a legit big man - someone along the lines of:

Kevin Garnett

Jermaine O'Neal

Pau Gasol

Basically the other team would have to be looking to get cap space or to rebuild and Marvin and the Indy pick are their primary objectives in such a trade.

Yes it may be giving up alot if Marvin does in fact develop, but the Hawks have a glut of small forwards and with the offense offered by the newly acquired big man the defensive potential of Smoove and the headiness of Chill is a better fit and are more developed. The team would still have plenty of youth with the aforementioned Smoove and Chill, plus Sheldon.

If you did say trade Marvin, Zaza and the Indy pick to Indy for O'Neal, I would follow it up with something along the lines of the proposed trade that was raised a few weeks ago on this board: Este and Salim for Haywood and Jarvis.

[Diesel]

FAcy has always been the way to a championship anyway.

Here's what I would do.

I would see if PTL would take Marvin/Lo for Magloire/1st (unprotected 2007). before the break. Then I would try to resign Magloire in a 4 year deal (extension).

I don't like Magloire personally, but he does everything we need. I think that the 1st would actually put us in a really good position to get a good player.

At the end of the season, I would fire Woody and his staff and hire Westhead.

[CBAreject]

If we could trade some package of our garbage to get any of those 3 big men, we would've done it yesterday.

1) Gasol does not want to be traded here

2) Minn doesn't want to trade KG (and if they did, the Lakers could give them a better package - Odom/Bynum)

3) O'Neal is a long-shot to be traded, but he's the most likely of the 3 to be traded here. Indy might consider that trade, but I still think they'd want more than their protected pick and an underachieving Marvin in return.

I have said for some time that I think the only alternative to tanking is to make a big trade for a big man. I just don't think you guys will be happy with what we have to give up to get one of those players. When you start including Marvin and Smoove, then we can talk.

Also, I think the best scenario is to let Marvin have a good 2nd half (15 ppg or so) AND tank. Then, we can use his trade value to package with a possible #11-#14 Indy pick on draft day.

How much would you poop yourself if we were able to draft Oden and package that pick/Marvin/whatever to get O'Neal, Garnett, or Gasol?

[Sothron]

Knowing the restrictions on our ability to accept contract lenghts past I believe 4 years...knowing the complete failure of Woodson and Knight in running this team...knowing the absolute debacle of the ownership situation....please someone tell me which quality players would actually want to come here. Please. I'm dying to know. What free agent would sign here? What player would want to come here??

[Guest Walter]

...and doesn't make me half as sick.

Quote:

---

I would see if PTL would take Marvin/Lo for Magloire/1st (unprotected 2007). before the break. Then I would try to resign Magloire in a 4 year deal (extension).

---

What if Portland doesn't? There goes you "plan". If they do, have you seen this draft past 5? Not only not very good but it doesn't fill positions that would help us. So if we're drafting 9 say, whom do we get that helps this team? Mind you, I'm not against ANYTHING. I'm all for any move that will long-term help this franchise. So, this is a move that can simply wait until draft day. IF Portland agrees to it and IF a player that can help us is available at Portland's pick, do the deal right then, OR IF Portland agree to it and we can package our Indy pick with Portland's to move up, consumate both at once to get a player that can help us (Thabeet?). Otherwise, no go and regardless, this "plan" is not mutually exclusive of tanking. I can tank and just aw well make this deal, so why not do EVERYTHING to improve this team's lon-term chances rather than only the least likely thing?

Quote:

---

I don't like Magloire personally

---

Thankfully, he wouldn't like us personally either. Look at our FA contract restrictions, ownership unwillingness to spend to improve, and general chaos. Magliore wouldn't sign here! His leaving for the 1st MLE out fo here would be the fastest he's run in many years.

Quote:

---

I think that the 1st would actually put us in a really good position to get a good player.

---

Just we give up a good prospect to get that CHANCE at a spot in this draft that doesn't have players that fill our needs, that chance isn't better than the likliehood of getting an even better player should we tank, and WE CAN DO BOTH!

Quote:

---

At the end of the season, I would fire Woody and his staff and hire Westhead.

---

Whatever.

W

[gsuteke]

it makes the work day go by so much faster

[DrReality]

What FA is gonna want to join this team. It is a sinking ship with no light at the end of the tunnel. This is another pipe dream.

[BusBoyIsBack]

#1 There isn't a Big Ticket FA that will want to come here. Especially Big Ticket himself.

#2 THis draft has some very solid big men that we would be foolish to pass on. Roy Hibbert or the UConn big would fit in nicely.

Hell I'd even take that Arkansas guy in FA. He's going to be a real steal.

[frosgrim]

Do you mean Randolph Morris of Kentucky??

[TheDude]

i wish we could pull of some sort of trade for Bynum. Yes, he's young but he's ahead of the game compared to the college guys. Plus he can provide the defense now for us.

[frosgrim]

Possibly, Morris wouldn't be bad either. He's matured a lot over the past year and is Kentucky's best player right now. Getting Morris only costs us cap space, which is a plus.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Possibly, Morris wouldn't be bad either. He's matured a lot over the past year and is Kentucky's best player right now. Getting Morris only costs us cap space, which is a plus.

---

I agree Morris is worth a flyer but he still has issues with playing too passive and too soft. See the UGA game last night for an example.

[Nicholasp27]

morris is likely our best hope (along with zaza/shel/solo/andersen) to be our 'center of the future'...the odds of us getting a top 3 pick this year still aren't great (as we aren't gonna be a bottom 3 team)...we could pick up someone like grey or visser or gasol with the indy pick or our 2nd, but they aren't that likely to be our 'center of the future'

unlikely we can trade for a legit prospect or sign one outright

hopefully morris will continue to grow and improve

[Diesel]

Stephen Hill.

If he comes out and he's around by the Pacer's pick, we should consider him. I saw him play....I've seen him in 2 games (LSU, Bama) this season... and he was very dominant in one and played good in the other. I think he can be a defensive big that can get us a few points here and there.. but mainly size!!.