Forum noob here but I've lurked for awhile. I'm going to jump right in with my argument for building now instead of waiting. I will bold the essentials since I want this to be a comprehensive post.
Ferry preaches stability. My ideas lock up a starting lineup for the next four years or so. It will be a young, agile starting lineup. We have seen simply surrounding LeBron with shooters does not work, he needs players down low that can dunk and run with him. The same athletic type of player will help us on defense against the elite teams.
It's not like we were far away last year. Some strong improvements now could go a long way.
Right now a lot of people are talking trading expirings for expirings which doesn't make a lot of sense. And because Cle got Mo last year, one more long term deal will leave Cle with practically no cap room in 2010. So make two long term deals.
My theory banks on the fact that we're so far over the cap, Gilbert needs to back his words and stay there. Dropping under it for 2010, there's no way he can even spend the same money we're spending now. However, Cleveland's 2010 expirings should be extremely attractive to several teams. Expirings have never been more coveted in history. Big Ben, Z, and Sasha can all be upgraded. That's somewhere close to 29 million of cap relief in 2010 for other teams, but it's worth more to other teams because we're already so far over.
Here are some of the players being rumored. I'm sure for 29 million dollars of cap relief we could find some other options. The point is to mix and match any young near-allstar PF and C.
PFs with long term contracts available: Smith, Jamison. Other possibilities: Boozer, Charlie V.
Cs with long term contracts: Kaman, Okafor
I believe Josh Smith is the most realistic. We can ignore his trading bonus because we're over the cap anyway. He has his downsides but he's young, can guard Rashard, run the break with LeBron and cause absolute havoc being on the same defense as LeBron.
Atlanta's sole goal is to save cap relief, they even want to get rid of this year's pick but we will ignore the pick.
Smith/Claxton/$500,000 filler guy for Ben Wallace's 14 million (possibly retiring, extra bonus!) contract works. If it's a deal breaker for ATL, throw in Hickson or Jackson.
Of the centers, Okafor would be amazing but Kaman seems most realistic. LA will have a crowded front court and may even buy Z out so he can come back. Z for Kaman straight up works, and we'd still have Sasha to trade for a real role player off the bench (maybe Barbosa).
Or maybe you offer Z/Sasha/Jackson for Okafor/Bell, obviously I'd rather have him than Kaman
You can mix and max those three exciting contracts a variety of ways for a stud PF and C and end up with something like Kaman/Smith/LeBron/West/Mo. I fail to see how that isn't the best starting lineup in the league and it's just one example.
Now you can keep Varejao since you're over the cap. You keep Boobie, LeBron's favorite. You keep either Hickson or this year's first (possibly even both) to develop. You get a Pietrus type player for Sasha off the bench. Z may be bought out or else re-sign with CLE in 2010. And there's still the mid-level exception! Kidd, anyone?
What do you think? Unrealistic? I think we could at the very least get Smith and Kaman, instantly making us way more mobile and returning Varjeao to the bench. Or maybe Okafur and Jamison, who knows?
Should we hold out hope of signing Amar'e or Bosh in 2010? I don't think so because they'll be offered max by other teams, possibly home teams who can offer 23 mil to our 20 mil. And we'd still have a huge issues guarding Howard.
Maybe make one of the deals this summer and then wait and see who comes up around the trade deadline?
Ferry preaches stability. My ideas lock up a starting lineup for the next four years or so. It will be a young, agile starting lineup. We have seen simply surrounding LeBron with shooters does not work, he needs players down low that can dunk and run with him. The same athletic type of player will help us on defense against the elite teams.
It's not like we were far away last year. Some strong improvements now could go a long way.
Right now a lot of people are talking trading expirings for expirings which doesn't make a lot of sense. And because Cle got Mo last year, one more long term deal will leave Cle with practically no cap room in 2010. So make two long term deals.
My theory banks on the fact that we're so far over the cap, Gilbert needs to back his words and stay there. Dropping under it for 2010, there's no way he can even spend the same money we're spending now. However, Cleveland's 2010 expirings should be extremely attractive to several teams. Expirings have never been more coveted in history. Big Ben, Z, and Sasha can all be upgraded. That's somewhere close to 29 million of cap relief in 2010 for other teams, but it's worth more to other teams because we're already so far over.
Here are some of the players being rumored. I'm sure for 29 million dollars of cap relief we could find some other options. The point is to mix and match any young near-allstar PF and C.
PFs with long term contracts available: Smith, Jamison. Other possibilities: Boozer, Charlie V.
Cs with long term contracts: Kaman, Okafor
I believe Josh Smith is the most realistic. We can ignore his trading bonus because we're over the cap anyway. He has his downsides but he's young, can guard Rashard, run the break with LeBron and cause absolute havoc being on the same defense as LeBron.
Atlanta's sole goal is to save cap relief, they even want to get rid of this year's pick but we will ignore the pick.
Smith/Claxton/$500,000 filler guy for Ben Wallace's 14 million (possibly retiring, extra bonus!) contract works. If it's a deal breaker for ATL, throw in Hickson or Jackson.
Of the centers, Okafor would be amazing but Kaman seems most realistic. LA will have a crowded front court and may even buy Z out so he can come back. Z for Kaman straight up works, and we'd still have Sasha to trade for a real role player off the bench (maybe Barbosa).
Or maybe you offer Z/Sasha/Jackson for Okafor/Bell, obviously I'd rather have him than Kaman
You can mix and max those three exciting contracts a variety of ways for a stud PF and C and end up with something like Kaman/Smith/LeBron/West/Mo. I fail to see how that isn't the best starting lineup in the league and it's just one example.
Now you can keep Varejao since you're over the cap. You keep Boobie, LeBron's favorite. You keep either Hickson or this year's first (possibly even both) to develop. You get a Pietrus type player for Sasha off the bench. Z may be bought out or else re-sign with CLE in 2010. And there's still the mid-level exception! Kidd, anyone?
What do you think? Unrealistic? I think we could at the very least get Smith and Kaman, instantly making us way more mobile and returning Varjeao to the bench. Or maybe Okafur and Jamison, who knows?
Should we hold out hope of signing Amar'e or Bosh in 2010? I don't think so because they'll be offered max by other teams, possibly home teams who can offer 23 mil to our 20 mil. And we'd still have a huge issues guarding Howard.
Maybe make one of the deals this summer and then wait and see who comes up around the trade deadline?
