Who will Danny visit at 12:01 AM July 1?

[winsomme]

Has to be Wallace.  He is to good of a fit for both SA and Clev.

I think CLE has become less attractive to Sheed, but ORL is now in the conversation I would bet.

the team I'm worried about for Sheed are:

SAS
DEN
ORL

[celts34pats55]

I think you got to talk to Josh Childress (RFA). I doubt Atlanta would keep him, Mavin Williams, Joe Johnson, Crawford, and Maurice Evans. A backup plan would be Matt Barnes. Both players are under 30 and would provide great energy off the bench.
As for big men, Nesterovic and Robert Swift could provide size.

I'd LOVE Childress, but Atlanta can match. I've been thinking Barnes all along, and can you really imagine Ainge not going after his binky Swift?!? Barnes or Grant Hill, and Swift or Birdman and I'll be reasonably happy.

[celts34pats55]

Curt Schilling

[PosImpos]

I really honestly don't know.  I think the guy we really need and who would make the biggest difference is a guy none of us is really expecting.

Here's some ideas of guys we've talked about a little bit but don't fall into the obvious champion-seeking ring guys whose names get thrown around most (Hill, Sheed, Dice etc).  These are all supposedly unrestricted FA's.

LLE:

Keith Bogans
Quinton Ross
Von Wafer (?)

MLE:

Gooden
Nesterovic
Anthony Parker
Zaza Pachulia
Al Harrington (unlikely I know but...who knows?)

If we could somehow get a guy like Harrington who puts up big numbers (Harrington had something like 20-6 this year and can hit 3's) who have starting gigs on other teams to take the MLE and play for us, that would be huge.  It's extremely unlikely though.  Zaza probably won't play here either. 

If we managed something like Parker and Nesterovic that wouldn't be a terrible off-season, though.  Perhaps we could also sign Q. Ross or Bogans for the minimum.

I know the guys listed are either not that attractive as players (either for their skills or their personality) or very unlikely to come for the LLE / MLE, but like I said, I have a feeling we're going to have to hope for guys that don't spring to mind immediately.  I have a feeling Hill, Sheed, McDyess, and Gortat are going to end up elsewhere.

[PosImpos]

Curt Schilling

He's too busy making video games.

[Change]

Is Al Harrington available? He can be perfect off the bench, instant offense. I think he is a 4, correct me if im wrong.

[PosImpos]

Is Al Harrington available? He can be perfect off the bench, instant offense. I think he is a 4, correct me if im wrong.

He's listed as an unrestricted free agent on ESPN.  I think he has a player option though - so he could stay with the Knicks (so just like Eddie House). 

He's a 6'9'' PF but he can hit the 3 and I would imagine he could maybe be mobile enough to play minutes at the 3 possibly.

He put up averages of 20 points 6 rebounds and .364% from 3 last season, which was his best season in a while (with a PER of just a bit less than 16). 

If we could sign him for the MLE, I think he'd be a great 3rd big and 6th man.  That said, there isn't any indication based on his career that he'd be interested in taking less money to come off the bench. 

Definitely not one of the more likely options out there, but one of the ones that hasn't been discussed much, and I'm of the opinion we aren't getting the guys that get talked about most often (Dice, Sheed, Hill, Gortat).

[Change]

Is Al Harrington available? He can be perfect off the bench, instant offense. I think he is a 4, correct me if im wrong.

He's listed as an unrestricted free agent on ESPN.  I think he has a player option though - so he could stay with the Knicks.  He's a 6'9'' PF but he can hit the 3 and I would imagine he could maybe be mobile enough to play minutes at the 3 possibly.

He put up averages of 20 points 6 rebounds and .364% from 3 last season, which was his best season in a while (with a PER of just a bit less than 16). 

If we could sign him for the MLE, I think he'd be a great 3rd big and 6th man.  That said, there isn't any indication based on his career that he'd be interested in taking less money to come off the bench. 

Definitely not one of the more likely options out there, but one of the ones that hasn't been discussed much, and I'm of the opinion we aren't getting the guys that get talked about most often (Dice, Sheed, Hill, Gortat).

Tp, thanks. Al would be a steal if we get him for the MLE.

[Tradetime]

I really honestly don't know.  I think the guy we really need and who would make the biggest difference is a guy none of us is really expecting.

Here's some ideas of guys we've talked about a little bit but don't fall into the obvious champion-seeking ring guys whose names get thrown around most (Hill, Sheed, Dice etc).  These are all supposedly unrestricted FA's.

LLE:

Keith Bogans
Quinton Ross
Von Wafer (?)

MLE:

Gooden
Nesterovic
Anthony Parker
Zaza Pachulia
Al Harrington (unlikely I know but...who knows?)

If we could somehow get a guy like Harrington who puts up big numbers (Harrington had something like 20-6 this year and can hit 3's) who have starting gigs on other teams to take the MLE and play for us, that would be huge.  It's extremely unlikely though.  Zaza probably won't play here either. 

If we managed something like Parker and Nesterovic that wouldn't be a terrible off-season, though.  Perhaps we could also sign Q. Ross or Bogans for the minimum.

I know the guys listed are either not that attractive as players (either for their skills or their personality) or very unlikely to come for the LLE / MLE, but like I said, I have a feeling we're going to have to hope for guys that don't spring to mind immediately.  I have a feeling Hill, Sheed, McDyess, and Gortat are going to end up elsewhere.

God, I hope Ainge is not considering the likes of Nesterovic and Pachulia. Maybe Zaza will refuse to come here after his and Garnett's scuffle, and save us some face (if we even are considering).

Other non-scintillating names like Bogans and Quinton 'no offense to speak of" Ross.
Are we that bad that we should aim for guys like this?

[PosImpos]

I really honestly don't know.  I think the guy we really need and who would make the biggest difference is a guy none of us is really expecting.

Here's some ideas of guys we've talked about a little bit but don't fall into the obvious champion-seeking ring guys whose names get thrown around most (Hill, Sheed, Dice etc).  These are all supposedly unrestricted FA's.

LLE:

Keith Bogans
Quinton Ross
Von Wafer (?)

MLE:

Gooden
Nesterovic
Anthony Parker
Zaza Pachulia
Al Harrington (unlikely I know but...who knows?)

If we could somehow get a guy like Harrington who puts up big numbers (Harrington had something like 20-6 this year and can hit 3's) who have starting gigs on other teams to take the MLE and play for us, that would be huge.  It's extremely unlikely though.  Zaza probably won't play here either. 

If we managed something like Parker and Nesterovic that wouldn't be a terrible off-season, though.  Perhaps we could also sign Q. Ross or Bogans for the minimum.

I know the guys listed are either not that attractive as players (either for their skills or their personality) or very unlikely to come for the LLE / MLE, but like I said, I have a feeling we're going to have to hope for guys that don't spring to mind immediately.  I have a feeling Hill, Sheed, McDyess, and Gortat are going to end up elsewhere.

God, I hope Ainge is not considering the likes of Nesterovic and Pachulia. Maybe Zaza will refuse to come here after his and Garnett's scuffle, and save us some face (if we even are considering).

Other non-scintillating names like Bogans and Quinton 'no offense to speak of" Ross.
Are we that bad that we should aim for guys like this?

Our bench is that bad, yes.

Ross and Bogans could sign for the minimum and could at least do more than TA...not turn over the ball all the time and hit some open jumpshots (3's in Bogan's case).

Nesterovic could be a somewhat-decent 4th big / backup center for 10-15 minutes a night.  Zaza would be a bit better than Rasho, and he's young.

Right now our bench looks like this:

Pruitt, Lester-Fester (trying to think of nicknames)
House (player option), TA, Giddens
Walker
Scal

Moore is gone (I hope so anyway), Marbury may or may not be back, BBD is a question mark, Powe is a question mark.

We have no backup PG, no backup SF, and no real backup C (no, BBD doesn't count).  We also have no backup SG besides House who has been able to consistently get into the rotation.

Our bench needs a lot of work and we only have minimum contracts, the LLE, and the MLE to work with.  It's going to be tough.

[Tough Juice]

I heared whispers on Allen Iverson

[pumpfake]

i'm kind of liking the al harrington idea, he can go 3 or 4 which is nice.

 another potential 3-4 if he wouldn't mind taking less money is villanueva.

marion would be ideal but supposedly he wasn't happy in phoenix not being a star and not getting star money... but a couple of losing seasons might have altered his opinion.

we could alway try for artest. though always crazy, he seemed very positive in houston, and now that ming's foot isn't healing, he may want to get out of houston and come get a ring for less money.

i don't picture sheed caring about another ring, i would guess he'd prefer money and a longer deal that we shouldn't give him.
and did mcdyess get a ring with detroit or did he go there after? he would be perfect.

i also like pachulia, gortat and oberto if he gets bought out, great back up centers

finally, i think bibby would be great, though it's hard to see him playing short minutes in a bench role.

[bobdelt]

although they cant probably afford him i think marion would light up the garden off the bench.

I dream of that. But I think Marion will want more than the MLE. Oh man, we'd be so good. Rondo and Marion & KG running the floor. RA would be open for 3's all the time. PP will get plenty of rest for the post season. Same with KG. 

[Mon]

I hope Marion but it is a pipe dream.

Realistically, McDyess is a safe and productive target.

[vagrantwade]

Mrs. Ainge?

TP Cus I was thinking the same thing.