Chad Ford is questioning BK in his latest buzz

[Spiral]

Redd, Jasikevicius, Ilkausgas joining LeBron?By Chad Ford

ESPN Insider

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The free-agent frenzy slowed down over the holiday weekend as NBA executives hunkered down for what appears to be an extended period of negotiations and trade talk.

League sources say that progress on working out the specifics of the new collective bargaining agreement is going slower than expected, and several NBA executives believe the league may extend the player-signing moratorium beyond the July 22 date already set by the league.

The good news is that this gives teams lots of time to formulate and reformulate their free-agent strategies. From the look of things, some teams need more time than the NBA can give them.

The bad news is that the moratorium leaves a number of teams in limbo. Remember, restricted free agents must wait an additional seven days if they sign an offer sheet with another team. That means many teams won't be able to settle their rosters until August.

In the meantime, every agent in the league is sitting back a little and waiting to see what Michael Redd does. Now that Ray Allen has agreed to return to Seattle, Redd is the other big domino that needs to fall (and set the market) before the rest of the free-agent class starts seeing their final offers.

Here's what we're hearing coming out of the holiday break:

Cavs: It's becoming clearer what new GM Danny Ferry's strategy is: He'd like to lure Michael Redd away from Milwaukee, bring in Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius from overseas, re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas and find a way to swap Drew Gooden for a more blue-collar, defense-oriented power forward.

It's not a bad plan, and it's one, if completed, that should propel the Cavs into the playoffs.

To make it happen, first Ferry has to convince Redd to agree to the home-state discount (Redd is from Ohio). That would mean Redd would lose a year of guaranteed money -- roughly $20 million, depending on what happens with the new cap figures.

It's a long shot. However, Redd hasn't agreed to the Bucks' huge max offer yet and is planning to visit Cleveland this week -- encouraging signs for the Cavs.

On most teams (including the Bucks), Redd isn't worth a max contract offer. He's a fantastic shooter, but what else does he do? He's not really a go-to guy, he isn't a great defender and he doesn't rebound or handle the ball well. However, paired next to LeBron and Ilgauskas, he might be worth the cash. The Cavs desperately need a shooter, and Redd's stroke could be deadly in Cleveland with LeBron and Ilgauskas commanding double teams.

Could is the operative word here. Joe Johnson was the team's first choice, but the Cavs believe the Suns will match any offer to him. Johnson was actually a better shooter last year, is three inches taller than Redd, can play the point and is a better defender -- and is two years younger, to boot. Before Ray Allen agreed to re-sign with Seattle, he was the Cavs' backup plan -- as a more versatile and experienced, but much older, choice. Hughes is also an option (and statistically the best of the top four guards), though everyone believes he'll re-sign with Washington.

Jasikevicius is next on the to-do list for the Cavs. He's also being wooed strongly by the Pacers and Celtics and wants to make a decision soon. The Cavs appeal to him because they're one of the few teams in the league that have starting jobs available. The asking price is high (he'd like the full $5 million mid-level exception), but he might be worth it. If the Cavs want championship experience in their point guard, Jasikevicius has it. He's won three straight Euroleague titles, leading two different squads. However, if the Cavs want a point guard who plays defense, they'd better start looking elsewhere. If Ferry can't sign Jasikevicius, look for the Cavs to switch gears and make a strong push for Antonio Daniels and Marko Jaric.

Ilgauskas is demanding more cash than the Cavs are willing to offer and appears to have a legitimate suitor in the Hawks. However, the Cavs believe his agent, Herb Rudoy, is bluffing when he claims that Ilgauskas really wants to play elsewhere. They've already added one fellow Lithuanian to the roster (draft pick Martynas Andriuskevicius) and are in the process of potentially adding another. Ilgauskas loves Cleveland and knows the Cavs are in position to offer him a big deal.

If the Cavs land Redd and Jasikevicius, they'll be left with roughly $9 to $11 million to offer Ilgauskas as a starting salary (again, depending on where the new salary cap comes in).

If Ilgauskas can't live with that, the Cavs might be better off going young and trying to lure Tyson Chandler, Samuel Dalembert or LeBron's favorite, Eddy Curry, to Cleveland.

If they can add a big, athletic, shot-blocking rebounder like Chandler or Dalembert to the mix, they could either keep Gooden or swap him for a more stable low-post scorer. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Al Harrington, Mike Sweetney and Chris Wilcox are all available via trade or sign-and-trade.

If they keep Ilgauskas or grab a guy like Curry, the Cavs will look for a bruising, rebounding power forward who can defend and do the dirty work in the paint that Ilgauskas and Gooden don't provide. Reggie Evans, Udonis Haslem, P.J. Brown or even, yes, Carlos Boozer could be available via trade or sign-and-trade.

Knicks: A number of team executives say the Knicks have been the most active team during the first five days of the free-agency period.

Team president Isiah Thomas is trying everything to remake the team's roster. That includes, according to multiple team executives, offering Stephon Marbury to the highest bidder. The problem is that no one seems interested in the four years, $76 million left on his contract.

Thomas is willing to trade Marbury to the Sixers for Samuel Dalembert (in a sign-and-trade), according to two league sources. To get a deal to work under the CBA, the deal would have to be expanded because of base-year issues with Dalembert. A trade of Marbury and Tim Thomas for Dalembert, Jamal Mashburn, Aaron McKie and Kevin Ollie works under the cap.

The Knicks' plan would be to move Jamal Crawford to the point, with Quentin Richardson at the two. Channing Frye would play the four, with Dalembert at the five.

Would the Sixers make that trade? They would have the most dynamic (or is that combustible?) backcourt in the league (Marbury and Allen Iverson) and would get to dump two bad contracts. But losing Dalembert at center, with only Marc Jackson left to roam the middle, would be a high price to pay.

If they can't convince the Sixers to deal, the Knicks might be willing to do a smaller deal that sends Marbury to the Hawks for Al Harrington, Tony Delk and Jason Collier. If the Hawks really want veterans (see below), this could be the way to go.

Thomas also has set his sights on several other top free agents. Thomas has been wooing Kwame Brown, Antoine Walker and Stromile Swift but has only enough cash (with the mid-level exception) to bring one guy -- unless, that is, he can work out a sign-and-trade for one and use his mid-level on another. The goal, sources say, is to sign Walker with the mid-level and work out a sign-and-trade with Washington that ships Sweetney back to D.C., where he played his college ball at Georgetown.

Hawks: So you're Atlanta GM Billy Knight, you have $24 million in cap room and you have a roster filled with young swingmen like Marvin Williams, Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Josh Childress and Boris Diaw.

In a best-case scenario, you get Childress to play the two, Smith to play the three, Williams to play the four and then use Harrington and Diaw as trade bait to help lure a center and point guard via a sign-and-trade.

Given the makeup of your team, you're looking for a young point guard who can push the ball up the floor and provide some leadership and a young big man who can run the floor, block shots, rebound and provide an anchor on the defensive end.

Instead, Knight decided that the way to go is to woo Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ray Allen with the cap room. Never mind that neither Ilgauskas nor Allen really fits what the team needs -- and that Allen immediately spurned the Hawks' overtures to return to Seattle.

Ilgauskas may be the best offensive center on the market, but he's old, lumbering, has a history of feet problems and doesn't play defense. Allen, likewise, was hardly the best long-term solution for Atlanta.

That's just part of the problem. Players like Ilgauskas and Allen have about the same level of interest in playing in Atlanta that Kenyon Martin and Erick Dampier had last year. They needed a team to make a big offer to drive up their price on the market. Surely Knight has to see this, yet he's still tying up valuable time trying to make a run at them while alienating the free agents he actually has a chance to sign.

What happened to the Hawks' stance, all year, that they would make a run at a young big guy like Dalembert, Chandler or Curry? Or a younger two-guard like Joe Johnson?

According to sources, Knight has gotten cold feet on the young guys because they're restricted free agents. Knight fears that the offers will be matched and the Hawks will go through yet another summer without a significant free-agent signing.

The fears are justified. The Sixers, Bulls and Suns are telling everyone they'll match any offer, and all three teams seem to have positioned themselves to do just that.

The question is, why does Knight care? He has nothing to lose. He has enough cap room to make two max offers. He has valuable trade assets he could offer to teams for sign-and-trades. By making a run at a young guy he likes, he locks up his cap room for seven days. If the team matches, he loses. But if he doesn't make a solid offer in the first place, he loses anyway.

Rockets: They also have been wooing Walker, hoping that Boston would be willing to take a player or two in the last year of their deals to facilitate a sign-and-trade. The Rockets have a number of tradable assets in the last year of their contracts, including David Wesley, Clarence Weatherspoon, Moochie Norris and Vin Baker. Stromile Swift and Bobby Simmons also have been targets.

Nuggets: We're still scratching our heads over Cuttino Mobley's decision to give up more than $6 million in guaranteed money to opt out of his contract with the Kings. However, it sounds like he's found a suitor in the Nuggets willing to spend their full mid-level for his shooting abilities. Denver is also taking a hard look at Jaric.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[KB21]

I guess Chad hasn't quite figured out that those restricted guys aren't worth the max, and it really seems the he simply doesn't understand that Billy is not going to overpay for a free agent.

[Spiral]

Normally I don't agree with Ford, but I feel he's dead on with what he's stating here.

[Plainview1981]

I agree with Spiral... Going after a guy like Big

Z doesn't make sense Other than driving up the price.

Because He doesn't really fit the team. Sadly, the

Hawks are going to have to continue to get the talent

from the draft and the cheaper vets and win sorta like

Chicago because the FA's the team really needs just

aren't going to sign here or the offers will be matched.

[Paul2Smoove]

I think Chad Ford is right. We didn't need Allen and Z is the oppisite of what we want in a center. I would do that deal with the knicks to get marbury and then sign Dally.

[Plainview1981]

So NO to Marbury. Trading for him doesn't make alot

of sense. He hasn't made teams better and there is

no reason to believe he ever will. In fact, he is

more likely to hold back the young player from

developing. I would only do the deal if we could

trade him before the season starts for a better

deal.

[Diesel]

I agree...

Chad is right that we have no need for either Big Z or Ray. I think our play for Big Z is actually desperation if true at all. I believe that we can do well with guys who are suitable for now. We're still developing. What's the use in getting either of these guys just to see that when we're ready to make a run, they're at the end of their career sucking up big money.

Like I said, I'd rather gamble on a cheaper, 22 yr old, Kwame who is 7 feet tall (just about) and has a great skill set than to waste money maxing out these Old guys, Dally or Curry!

[Inside_Man]

Quote:

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The question is, why does Knight care? He has nothing to lose. He has enough cap room to make two max offers. He has valuable trade assets he could offer to teams for sign-and-trades. By making a run at a young guy he likes, he locks up his cap room for seven days. If the team matches, he loses. But if he doesn't make a solid offer in the first place, he loses anyway.

---

Ford is right. But I'm not sure I believe the hype that we were after Z or Allen. That's more likely their agents talking to drive up the price. But we should be making offers to restricted FAs. Make Philly, and Chitown pay-up or shut-up.

[sturt]

1) The value to Atlanta of driving up Z's value so that Cleveland is less able to pursue others... like Curry, but not necessarily only Curry.

2) The need for any team to have that feature player on their roster, regardless of position, who is "money"... and playoff "money" at that. Allen is the only FA this time around who is a proven commodity, and if by some stroke of luck BK were able to attract him, you do what you have to do to accomodate his place on the roster (, even if that means using Childress as trade bait)... funny thing, that logic didn't seem so illogical last week when, if I'm not mistaken, Ford thought that the Hawks did the right thing in taking the best player available.

3) Who said the other FAs are not being contacted? Reports vary, but it seems that if you look at all of the sources combined, it sounds like BK has spoken with every C and every PG possible.

4) Why would talking to the best C on the market and the best player period on the market somehow seem disrespectful to these guys who aren't the best players on the market?

I appreciate the attempt on his part, but Ford just didn't think long and hard enough about the Hawks situation to offer a meaninful analysis.

[emeans]

Yep....Chad is finally right on this one. When I first heard we may go after Z, I scratched my head. I think BK screwed up last season by getting guys that didn't fit his team pitch and mold in any shape or form like Drobs and Collier. His draft was solid but his FA pursuits and signings were questionable. I gave him a pass on that last year because of the salary cap situation he got us out of.

BK has to make the right decisions this offseason in Free Agency. Z is not a fit and Ray Allen was never going to come here. He is wasting time trying to get those guys.

He has a realistic shot at Kwame and Curry and that is about it. He should concentrate on those guys and stop wasting time on older vets who want RINGS right now.

Maybe this is just postering, however he has to produce better results this offseason in FA.

[clrumph]

If what Chad said is true about BK not wanting to sign younger guys because they are restricted then he is not doing an effective job so far because of the reasons Chad stated in his post.

BK needs to get off his azz and make some offers to Dally, Curry, Kwame, Chandler, etc. otherwise we will have the worst team in the league again next year. I know we won't make the playoffs next year no matter who we sign but I at least don't want to have the worst record in the league again considering an expansion team is in our own division and we get to play them five times a year! I don't know about you guys but I'm tired of getting blown out by the Charlotte Bobcats!

[Inside_Man]

Quote:

---

I guess Chad hasn't quite figured out that those restricted guys aren't worth the max,

---

Yes, but that doesnt' mean we make NO offers to these guys.

THey aren't worth the MAX, but if it's a young player, who fits a need, who already has some seasoning in the league, who could be part of a long-term nucleus, than you should overpay some to get him, not max, but at least make the other team do some work here.

UNLESS

the owners already have an unwritten collusion aggreement in effect not to go after each other's restricted FAs.

Thoughts on that idea?

[mrhonline]

Quote:

---

But I'm not sure I believe the hype that we were after Z or Allen.

That's more likely their agents talking to drive up the price.

---

Wow, look at that. Someone smarter than Chad Ford.

Guys, where does Chad Ford gets his information?

AGENTS!!!

Why would Atlanta be rumored to go after two unrestricted FA's? Because in the case of both Allen & Ilgauskas, the agent needs to drive up the price as much as possible. (Both teams have reportedly been trying to lowball them).

So, who gets to be the lucky spender? Hmm. Atlanta - the team who could use a little PR, unrealistic or not.

Did you guys already forget that massive offer that the Hawks were going to make to Dampier last year? It turned out to be a low-end deal.

Do you remember Chad Ford claiming that the Hawks' ownership is in disarray? Jaywalker said otherwise.

CHAD FORD HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE HAWKS ARE DOING; BILLY KNIGHT DOESN'T TELL HIM WHAT HE'S DOING.

[Inside_Man]

Quote:

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CHAD FORD HAS NO IDEA WHAT THE HAWKS ARE DOING; BILLY KNIGHT DOESN'T TELL HIM WHAT HE'S DOING.

---

Yep.

The Hawks made one serious move for a FA last year, K-Mart. And when they did, we all knew it. I expect the same this year.

[Diesel]

If BK really wants Dally.. Then he should not make an offer that Philly would just Match.

For instance. IF we offer Dally a 5 yr 50 million dollar deal.. Then Philly Matches because this is an easy match for Philly.. It would be 5 yrs before we could even persue Dally...

However, if BK holds his cards and wait.. Maybe Philly will get Lazy and not offer Dally anything close to the max...

What BK has to do is tell Dally that if he holds off on signing with anybody this year, he'd give him the max next year... IF he really wants Dally...

That way, Next year, Dally becomes an uFA and we can offer him a deal and not have to worry about Philly matching...

[Traceman]

Allen is clearly the best, most proven FA out there, why would BK NOT offer him a deal? He's only 30 and he's a great shooting SG. Why will he not still be effective 5 years from now?

As for Big Z, if he's such a terrible fit for us, why does CLE want to resign him so badly? If he can be effective playing with LeBron, why can't he be effective playing with our young guys? In addition, what are we supposed to do in the halfcourt (particularly in the playoffs when the game slows down) with a guy like Dalembert or Chandler trying to post up? You can't run all the time, you have to be able to score in the halfcourt as well.

[Diesel]

The oldest player on our team is 25. The most years our main starter has been a starter is 1 yr. We don't have a guy on our team who has been a starter for longer than 1 yr.

You want to put that with Ray Allen??

Why?

So that we can rebuild again?

I understand wanting good players and I believe that Allen is a very good player, top of the line and maybe worth the contract...

BUT...

With our squad, what's he going to do??

We have made the decision to rebuild slowly through the draft. That means that we have a whole lot of players that need developing...

So we are not to the point where adding even one allstar will make us a team that can go farther than the 1st round of the playoffs. Like I said before. By the time our squad is ready to make a run, Allen, Big Z or whoever will be ready to retire...

[macdaddy]

How can you criticize BK for not getting players that don't fit with our needs. If we had actually made an offer to Z or Allen then it would be open for criticism.

I'm not sure about Kmart but I know Dampier got more money than we offered. So they didn't reject us because we suck. They got a better offer an took it.

We'll end up with a rent-a-point like D stoudamire and a young big man before its all over and we'll still have loads of cap space.

[AHF]

I'd rather do a cheaper Curry than Z. Both are good half-court scoring centers who don't do too much else. Z is a better rebounder and shot blocker but neither are impact defenders. Both can be impact low-post scorers and both have a history of medical issues.

[Diesel]

I think that's how it should be...

I would rather get Madsen, Kwame, and D. Stoudamire out of this FAcy than to spend Big money on Allen, Big Z, Curry, Swift, or Dalembert.