Truncated Offseason Thread

[Pelicanidae]

Have you heard rumblings?

Nothing that I would put any stock in. Just conversation.

[JJackisangry]

So it's better to have 7 guards and some late picks than a starter quality centre?

Bledsoe may not be optimal but he is an NBA starting PG. He is good enough for that. Adams is a very good centre, even if he's not a superstar. I would much rather have that combination than have yet another guard clogging up our depth chart and the picks we gave up.

And no, if we end up losing Lonzo or Melli or something, that doesn't really trouble me either. I'd prefer to keep Melli if possible, but that's about the extent of my concern there.

Fair enough. I do believe if we wanted to use Hill as an asset in another deal we could fill a position of need. I?m not against trading our guards (as we have too many) but I don?t think we are getting much value here unless we plan on re-signing Adams which is a possibility.

[Biasvasospasm]

So it's better to have 7 guards and some late picks than a starter quality centre?

Yes! There has never been a worse time to pay a slightly above average starting center 25+ million. I think it is a terrible use of resources to give up 3 draft picks and a good rotation player for a playoff team for the privilege of overpaying this dude by over 10 million dollars. I think you could get 80% of his production for about 5 million. I think if you get into a playoff series, in most matchups, I think he struggles to stay on the floor. It demonstrates a poor understanding of positional value in the modern NBA. Hope I?m wrong and we look back on this positively, but I think this is a mistake. I don?t think it?s a franchise crushing mistake or anything, but I think the decision-making process here is terrible.

[JJackisangry]

Yes! There has never been a worse time to pay a slightly above average starting center 25+ million. I think it is a terrible use of resources to give up 3 draft picks and a good rotation player for a playoff team for the privilege of overpaying this dude by over 10 million dollars. I think you could get 80% of his production for about 5 million. I think if you get into a playoff series, in most matchups, I think he struggles to stay on the floor. It demonstrates a poor understanding of positional value in the modern NBA. Hope I?m wrong and we look back on this positively, but I think this is a mistake. I don?t think it?s a franchise crushing mistake or anything, but I think the decision-making process here is terrible.

To be fair Adams is very good and I don?t think he?d necessarily be a liability in the playoffs, but I agree that we may be better off just going with a stopgap (unless we plan on re-signing Adams and bringing in the big trade next season to finalize our core). I hope this isn?t a shortsighted trade as it looks right now

[Taker597]

So it's better to have 7 guards and some late picks than a starter quality centre?

Bledsoe may not be optimal but he is an NBA starting PG. He is good enough for that. Adams is a very good centre, even if he's not a superstar. I would much rather have that combination than have yet another guard clogging up our depth chart and the picks we gave up.

And no, if we end up losing Lonzo or Melli or something, that doesn't really trouble me either. I'd prefer to keep Melli if possible, but that's about the extent of my concern there.

Me and Dae will gracefully pack up Lonzo bags for him and those them down the airport escalator. Getting rid of Lonzo is a net postive move.

[HartOfaPelican]

Me and Dae will gracefully pack up Lonzo bags for him and those them down the airport escalator. Getting rid of Lonzo is a net postive move.

The fact that so many people are willing to dump Zo like he’s trash is a head scratcher for me.

He had it tough in LA. He’s had one season in NO. It would be foolish to toss him now.

I remember when people were calling for BI to be moved. Now look.....

Fact of the matter is, we are not a championship team yet. So rushing to get rid of players now is foolish. Zo is on the cheap this year with it being the last year of his rookie contract. Might as well see what he can do this year.

[ozwego15]

Free agent Harry Giles has agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 22, 2020

[ozwego15]

Free agent guard Bryn Forbes has agreed to a two-year deal with the Miwaukee Bucks, his agent Mike Lindeman of @excelsm tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 22, 2020

[DaPelFromHell]

I liked both Forbes and Giles. Forbes is a good spot up shooter to space the floor. And Giles would of been a decent 5th big that?s still only 22.

We really only need a 5th big. I think we have plenty of guards. Another wing could be good, but I?m hoping NAW gets promoted to the regular rotation. I still wouldn’t mind adding Torrey Craig or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

[AusPel]

Another thing that scares me about Adams is that he's got the body of a guy 4 or 5 years older than him due to all the punishment he's taken over the years.

[AusPel]

Atlanta is submitting an offer sheet on Bogdan Bogdanovic, source tells @TheAthletic.

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) November 22, 2020

[Pelicanidae]

Another thing that scares me about Adams is that he's got the body of a guy 4 or 5 years older than him due to all the punishment he's taken over the years.

I'm not really sure what you're referring to. If it's just the fact that he doesn't have a crazy vertical or something then like, okay, Tim Duncan could never jump over a postage stamp who cares?

I'd get it if he was super injury prone or something, from the bumps and tears over time, but he's not really. Out of the 6 seasons prior to this last one (where everyone played fewer games due to cancellation) he played at least 80 games 4 times. The two seasons he played fewer than 80 games, he played 76 and 70.

[Pelicanidae]

Free agent Torrey Craig has reached agreement on a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, his agents Dave Spahn and Austin Brown of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 22, 2020

[Pelicanidae]

This is my one real issue with this off-season so far: wings. What the heck is going on with the wing situation?

The Pelicans have been notoriously thin on the wing, lacking real Small Forwards, for ages. We finally get one in Ingram who's good, and then Kenrich goes and we trade Miller and it's like, what now? We have one small forward.

Gotta think Griff has something in mind for that.

[AusPel]

This is my one real issue with this off-season so far: wings. What the heck is going on with the wing situation?

The Pelicans have been notoriously thin on the wing, lacking real Small Forwards, for ages. We finally get one in Ingram who's good, and then Kenrich goes and we trade Miller and it's like, what now? We have one small forward.

Gotta think Griff has something in mind for that.

Yeah I'm baffled. I thought when we'd seen the end of Dell, surely the new GM would recognise the importance of wings. But Griff seems equally as ambivalent

[DaPelFromHell]

Damn Torrey Craig just signed with the Bucks

Well Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is up next for me. High energy player that can guard multiple positions, just can’t shoot it.

Glenn Robinson III or Kent Bazemore would be the others that offer more on the offensive end

I think Griff sees the team having 4 guys that can play small forward if needed. BI, Hart, NAW, & Lonzo. But after BI we really don’t have a true small forward

[Taker597]

This is my one real issue with this off-season so far: wings. What the heck is going on with the wing situation?

The Pelicans have been notoriously thin on the wing, lacking real Small Forwards, for ages. We finally get one in Ingram who's good, and then Kenrich goes and we trade Miller and it's like, what now? We have one small forward.

Gotta think Griff has something in mind for that.

Well, I think we figured out that's it's not a Gentry thing.. Being a one man ahow at wing and at 5 spells lottery pick.

[ozwego15]

The deal is guaranteed for $163M and could increase to the $195M by meeting the All-NBA criteria for the 2020-2021 season. https://t.co/llOeo4t1Xl

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 22, 2020

Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a five-year, $195M designated rookie max extension, his agents Ty Sullivan and Austin Brown of @caa_sports tell ESPN. Story soon.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 22, 2020

[AusPel]

We have at least 5 rosters spots to fill, maybe 6. That's not a small amount. Isn't it probably time to start taking at least a risk before the wing cupboard is completely bare?

[Pelicanidae]

Well, I think we figured out that's it's not a Gentry thing.. Being a one man ahow at wing and at 5 spells lottery pick.

Well part of the issue is that good SFs are rare. That's why even fairly mediocre ones like Jae Crowder never have trouble finding a contract: it's one of the most important positions in the league, and there aren't enough good ones. The ones who are actively plus players tend to get paid a ton. For example, if you look up last year's contracts (I use last year since it's the last completed year before contracts were impacted by this weirdness) you find that 8 of the top 20 highest paid players in the league are SFs, the same as PGs. That means that 16/20 of the league's highest paid players are either PGs, or SFs, which tells you a lot about who tends to be the most impactful and who teams value most highly.

So I get that. It's not like Griff could just go pick up some super special SF for the min or something, we all understand that. But nobody at all? Not a single name? There's no plan to try and put anyone on the wing alongside Ingram? Even re-signing Kenrich would have been better than nothing, at least he's a great team defense guy.

[Pelicanidae]

Pelicans: *sign 6'7 Naji Marshall to a 2 way*

Pelicans:... Well, that's the small forward situation sorted.

[hornetzplaya]

Well part of the issue is that good SFs are rare. That's why even fairly mediocre ones like Jae Crowder never have trouble finding a contract: it's one of the most important positions in the league, and there aren't enough good ones. The ones who are actively plus players tend to get paid a ton. For example, if you look up last year's contracts (I use last year since it's the last completed year before contracts were impacted by this weirdness) you find that 8 of the top 20 highest paid players in the league are SFs, the same as PGs. That means that 16/20 of the league's highest paid players are either PGs, or SFs, which tells you a lot about who tends to be the most impactful and who teams value most highly.

So I get that. It's not like Griff could just go pick up some super special SF for the min or something, we all understand that. But nobody at all? Not a single name? There's no plan to try and put anyone on the wing alongside Ingram? Even re-signing Kenrich would have been better than nothing, at least he's a great team defense guy.

I pretty sure Griff and Langdon have talked to MANY FA's about coming here and sure we have "Potential" to be a great team but we aren't a desirable destination for most players. I'm sure we'll get someone eventually or at least trade for a couple of wings but unless we have an excessive amount of money to spend there won't be many that looks our way.

[Pelicanidae]

I pretty sure Griff and Langdon have talked to MANY FA's about coming here and sure we have "Potential" to be a great team but we aren't a desirable destination for most players. I'm sure we'll get someone eventually or at least trade for a couple of wings but unless we have an excessive amount of money to spend there won't be many that looks our way.

Well sure I know that, I've said as much about a million times whenever people go ''why didn't we acquire X player for Y price when someone else did!''

But nobody? Just no-one, at all? Even Kenrich didn't want to re-sign here? Or is there already a ''yes, we'll sign you'' deal with someone under the table waiting for the Adams trade to be concluded? Or is there a trade they have in mind but are still talking through?

Any of these things could be true and it's annoying knowing very little.

[DaPelFromHell]

Don’t know how to embed tweets lol. But this tweet from Woj is the reason I wanted Craig


“An important fit for the Bucks, especially because of the way Craig can guard all over the floor. With Denver, Michael Malone used Craig to defend many of the elite wings in the Western Conference.”

[hornetzplaya]

Well sure I know that, I've said as much about a million times whenever people go ''why didn't we acquire X player for Y price when someone else did!''

But nobody? Just no-one, at all? Even Kenrich didn't want to re-sign here? Or is there already a ''yes, we'll sign you'' deal with someone under the table waiting for the Adams trade to be concluded? Or is there a trade they have in mind but are still talking through?

Any of these things could be true and it's annoying knowing very little.

Its a gift and a curse. I love how everything is unknown till the deal is pretty much done. However I'm with you about knowing very little about our intentions. I just have a huge gut feeling we're gonna be surprised with a trade coming within the next few days for some decent role players coming in.

Teams that need a PG are my teams that I'm watching closely just cause we have an abundance of them.