Interesting perception of what the 2013 Free Agents are worth

[bird_dirt]

I'm all about Hickson and Teague too for that price of $7.5 mill per year. I like Evans at $8.3 mill too, with a 3 year contract, and a 4th year as a player option. All 3 of those players should still be on the "upswing" of their careers.

The T-Wolves will match any reasonable offer for Pekovic in a nano-second. You would have to really over pay to get him in my opinion.

I think Ferry will look to add to the talent base on value free agents, who are still on the upswing, and maintain cap flexibility to continue to add more next off season. You can't expect to rebuild everything in 1 off season.

Possible 2013-14 Atlanta Hawks Salaries for players NOT on expiring contracts

$12 mill - Horford

$8.3 mill - Evans

$7.5 mill - Teague

$7.5 mill - Hickson

$5.225 mill - L. Williams ($5.45 mill the next year)

$1.258 mill - Jenkins

$1.25 mill (estimated) - 1st round pick

$1.25 mill (estimated) - 1st round pick

This team could be competitive with 1 year contracts to round out the bench. Now in the summer of 2014 Atlanta would still have somewhere around $16 mill of cap space to throw at a big time free agent next off season.

Teague / Lou / 1 yr deal vet

Evans / Lou / Jenkins

1 yr deal shooter/ 1st rd pick / Evans

Horford / 1 year deal like Ivan

Hickson / 1st rd pick (Dieng or Whitney) / 1 year deal like Petro or better

Under this plan Atlanta would not have to sign veterans to minimum 1 year contracts. We would have plenty of cap room to sign a veteran SF for $5 or $6 mill, or more, on a 1 year contract.

or

We could resign Korver for $4 mill per on a 3 year deal and cut our cap space down to $12 mill for the summer of 2014. Of course we have tradeable assets if Ferry desires to change course and create more cap room for the summer of 2014. He would also have plenty of young players who could be attractive in a trade for a BIG piece down the road.

Of course the key to all of this is being able to sign young free agents targets for what they are worth.........not what they will get. Many will probably get more then they are "worth."

I like Hickson at that price a lot. Of course you have to go for Pekovic, but it would be a longshot to get him. I have a feeling Evans could end up being bargain signing somewhere (not sure it Ferry would go for him though). He seems like a player who will play better once he's out of Sac, and could play above whatever he ends up getting. Kind of like OJ Mayo a year ago.

Seeing as how there aren't any elite pgs available (cp3 isn't coming here), then I'd be in favor of bringing Teague back and hope for continued growth. HOWEVER, along with Teague here, the player I'd really like to see here is Jack. I just feel he's a really good stable, veteran presence while not being too old (younger Andre Miller type player). Just enough to push Teague to do well and probably a good mentor of sorts, and could certainly play or start for an extended amount of time should any unexpected injuries happen to Teague.

[DrReality]

Wonder if ferry will have interest in Splitter given he knows him. Good defensive guy that would play well next to Al

[coachx]

Wonder if ferry will have interest in Splitter given he knows him. Good defensive guy that would play well next to Al

Definately a possibility since he knows him personally......he knows Hickson from drafting him in Cleveland as well.

We will probably lose Josh Smith but we can supplement that by upgrading our 3 man front court rotation. With Horford and Hickson you have 2 versitile, and young bigs, who can play both PF and C. With a guy like Splitter you have a pure C who is a good positional defender. All 3 of them play within themselves. The only thing I don't like about Splitter, compared to Hickson, is age.

Hickson's 13 ppg / 10.6 rpg / .567% FG is nothing to sneeze at. His only fault is not being a shot blocker but to make up for that he has quick feet to defend pick and rolls and make switches on defense. That is why a shot blocker would be needed to supplement him.

I'd love to take a swing at Dieng or Whitney in the draft as well. Both of them are shot blocking specialist.

Edited April 3, 2013 by coachx

[bird_dirt]

I'd love to take a swing at Dieng or Whitney in the draft as well. Both of them are shot blocking specialist.

I'd really like to get Dieng too. I think he could be Mutumbo Light.

[Guest]

We have to keep our salary cap flexible no matter what. Keep adding young talent, keep playing musical chairs with our talent until we see our big fish and land him. i.e. Rockets and Harden. Stay patient just a little longer.

[Dragitoff]

I'd really like to get Dieng too. I think he could be Mutumbo Light.

If we want a shot blocker, we could beat Cuban to the punch and draft Griner!