Free Agency

[JennetteMcCurdy]

Tobias Harris sighting in Birmingham today! Here we go!

He’s super last resort on my list.

What is an acceptable contract for him?

Two years is tradable. Three or more and we’re stuck.

[GreekAlex]

Tobias Harris sighting in Birmingham today! Here we go!

He’s super last resort on my list.

What is an acceptable contract for him?

Two years is tradable. Three or more and we’re stuck.

Does the average annual value matter?

What is he worth on the open market and what is paid in addition as the “Detroit tax”?

[LaSheed]

Tobias 2/40 although I've soured on the idea. Not even caring about playoff performance. Winning 14 games forces you to eliminate the negative in a playoff series.

[Snakebites]

Tobias 2/40 although I've soured on the idea. Not even caring about playoff performance. Winning 14 games forces you to eliminate the negative in a playoff series.

I’d be okay with that number and price. It’s not exciting but I’m that low on the rest of what’s available.

[LaSheed]

Tobias 2/40 although I've soured on the idea. Not even caring about playoff performance. Winning 14 games forces you to eliminate the negative in a playoff series.

I’d be okay with that number and price. It’s not exciting but I’m that low on the rest of what’s available.

It's actually become a bit deflating just thinking about it my man.

[Snakebites]

Tobias 2/40 although I've soured on the idea. Not even caring about playoff performance. Winning 14 games forces you to eliminate the negative in a playoff series.

I’d be okay with that number and price. It’s not exciting but I’m that low on the rest of what’s available.

It's actually become a bit deflating just thinking about it my man.

Yeah. People need to be ready for some underwhelming signings and/or trades.

My hope is that we’re able to make some improvements on last years core- get some solid transitional pieces- guys who can give above replacement level production and give our youth people to play off of.

It’s not a high bar I’ve set. I’m still worried I might be disappointed.

[JennetteMcCurdy]

I’d be okay with that number and price. It’s not exciting but I’m that low on the rest of what’s available.

It's actually become a bit deflating just thinking about it my man.

Yeah. People need to be ready for some underwhelming signings and/or trades.

My hope is that we’re able to make some improvements on last years core- get some solid transitional pieces- guys who can give above replacement level production and give our youth people to play off of.

It’s not a high bar I’ve set. I’m still worried I might be disappointed.

Two years is the key - in a perfect world one plus a team option but Tobias will get two years straight.

Most of these free agents I wouldn’t go more than two - max flexibility, and if they perform, they can be flipped into other assets.

[Mr Peanut]

Tobias Harris sighting in Birmingham today! Here we go!

His wife is from Michigan so not sure how much you can read into this.

[BDM22]

Tobias 2/40 although I've soured on the idea. Not even caring about playoff performance. Winning 14 games forces you to eliminate the negative in a playoff series.

I’d be okay with that number and price. It’s not exciting but I’m that low on the rest of what’s available.

That's where I'm at.

Nowhere else I can think to spend $20M...

Still think he'll have respectable numbers and some playoff team would have interest come this trade deadline or the next if the salary isn't crazy. That's the main thing. Don't sign anyone to contracts that you'd have to attach assets to get off of. I would prioritize value over everything else.

[Mr Peanut]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

[bstein14]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

From all reports, Garland is happy there and he's locked up for four more years its Mitchell who wouldn't sign an extension and all signs indicate he wanted to be in NY, LA, or Miami. I see Mitchell as the move and we're unlikely to be a player unless its being the third wheel with cap space to help get a deal done.

[BDM22]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

From all reports, Garland is happy there and he's locked up for four more years its Mitchell who wouldn't sign an extension and all signs indicate he wanted to be in NY, LA, or Miami. I see Mitchell as the move and we're unlikely to be a player unless its being the third wheel with cap space to help get a deal done.

The latest headlines on this site certainly make it look the other way around. That Mitchell is more and more likely going to extend and if he does, Garland "could" request a trade.

The main issue here is offering Ivey in a situation where they really need to pair Mitchell with a larger backcourt mate. Ivey is a bit bigger than Garland, for sure, but I imagine they'd be looking for a legit 6-6, 6-7 guard that defends to put next to Mitchell.

[Kalamazoo317]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

I don't really think a Fox/Haliburton backcourt worked, I don't think the Sexton/Garland backcourt worked, I don't think the Trey/Murray backcourt worked, I don't think the Garland/Mitchell backcourt is working, and I don't think the Cade/Ivey backcourt is working.

Seems like if you have a backcourt with two players who really want the ball in their hands, it's going to be a tough fit. Know what backcourt works? Curry/Thompson. Get me a killer off-ball movement shooter who plays great man defense to go with Cade. That's not Garland.

Would I take Garland on a value trade just for the sake of obtaining an asset and boosting our winning potential on raw talent alone? Sure. He'd at least make us better than Ivey does. But do I think it really works as a longterm fit? Not really. It'd be a piece before the piece. I doubt he comes as a price low enough to take that tact, though.

[Canadafan]

^^^^So do you think we need a great defender of smaller players like PGs or bigger like SGs next to Cade. Wonder if we should go for the Bulls style with 6'6" or more players at PG SG SF like Harper Jordan Pippen. Or should we get a small guy that defends like crazy and can shoot 3s. Or does it matter lol.

[theBigLip]

My top 3 are still Monk, Bridges and Claxton. Also we extend Fontecchio. I hope Philly gets Paul George to exhaust their cap space.

[Mr Peanut]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

From all reports, Garland is happy there and he's locked up for four more years its Mitchell who wouldn't sign an extension and all signs indicate he wanted to be in NY, LA, or Miami. I see Mitchell as the move and we're unlikely to be a player unless its being the third wheel with cap space to help get a deal done.

The latest headlines on this site certainly make it look the other way around. That Mitchell is more and more likely going to extend and if he does, Garland "could" request a trade.

The main issue here is offering Ivey in a situation where they really need to pair Mitchell with a larger backcourt mate. Ivey is a bit bigger than Garland, for sure, but I imagine they'd be looking for a legit 6-6, 6-7 guard that defends to put next to Mitchell.

Yeah I probably should have quoted the sources that led me to write the post. This is based on the Shams article from yesterday (not directly pasted here as paywalled).

Read on Twitter

[Mr Peanut]

Does anyone have any notion that a Cade/Garland backcourt could work? And if so, what would we be willing to give up to get him? I imagine the trade would start with Ivey and the 5th pick.

I don't really think a Fox/Haliburton backcourt worked, I don't think the Sexton/Garland backcourt worked, I don't think the Trey/Murray backcourt worked, I don't think the Garland/Mitchell backcourt is working, and I don't think the Cade/Ivey backcourt is working.

Seems like if you have a backcourt with two players who really want the ball in their hands, it's going to be a tough fit. Know what backcourt works? Curry/Thompson. Get me a killer off-ball movement shooter who plays great man defense to go with Cade. That's not Garland.

Would I take Garland on a value trade just for the sake of obtaining an asset and boosting our winning potential on raw talent alone? Sure. He'd at least make us better than Ivey does. But do I think it really works as a longterm fit? Not really. It'd be a piece before the piece. I doubt he comes as a price low enough to take that tact, though.

Yeah I'm dubious too. Garland played 100% of his mins at PG this year and seems like a guy who needs the ball in his hands. If the trade was for Ivey + 5 + filler I'd still consider it as it's a clear talent upgrade and maybe it works out, but if it didn't we could then consider a further trade.

[Snakebites]

Pairing two ball handlers together only works if one of them is a good off-ball player. Luka/Irving is an example- Kyrie has become a much better off-ball player.

What is Cade gonna do when Garland has the ball? What about vice versa?

This is another reason Cade is hard to build around. He's not a good off ball player but I'm skeptical that a team with him as the sole ball handler is going to work. So you need a hybrid with him- someone who's good both off ball and on ball. Oh, and that player also has to be a good defender.

Did I just talk myself out of thinking Cade should be a max guy for us? Uh oh. I hope not. Because it's happening.

[SuperBad]

How about Monk, Fontechio, Bol Bol
Grimes for Moody
Draft Buselis

We go

Cunningham/Ivey
Moody/Monk
Thompson/Buselis
Fontechio/Bol Bol
Duran/ Stewart

[Kalamazoo317]

Pairing two ball handlers together only works if one of them is a good off-ball player. Luka/Irving is an example- Kyrie has become a much better off-ball player.

What is Cade gonna do when Garland has the ball? What about vice versa?

This is another reason Cade is hard to build around. He's not a good off ball player but I'm skeptical that a team with him as the sole ball handler is going to work. So you need a hybrid with him- someone who's good both off ball and on ball. Oh, and that player also has to be a good defender.

Did I just talk myself out of thinking Cade should be a max guy for us? Uh oh. I hope not. Because it's happening.

It's very rare for teams to work out well when their best two offensive players are in the backcourt. With Luka/Irving it helps that both are special shooters, Luka is so big for a "guard," and even then Kyrie really had to be very intentional about deferring and moving to more of an off-ball role in a way that most young guys still trying to prove their salt just won't. The level of maturity and savvy Kyrie is showing as a teammate is really impressive and shocking considering how he's come off in the past.

I think the best pairings with Cade long term will be at the wing and center, where secondary creation is more typical.