So, we're taking it in 2019 right?

[GreenEnvy]

Yes. I think so. GSW look tired (from recent title and near-title runs) and ripe for a beating from a young hungry talented team. GSW not as hungry as they once were.

If HOU or anyone else besides GS wins this year, I don't see them losing next year. Maybe a loss is all that is needed to kick the complacency. KD went to GS to win multiple championships. While they might not win 6 like Lebron/Wade/Bosh's Heat, it is conceivable that GS wins 3+ more.

Danny has some work to do before the Celtics are better than GS.

I think they are gonna have serious issues retaining everyone in a couple seasons. I could see Klay being offered some crazy money from someone and GSW not willing to come close. That’s the same season Curry is now making $40M, Livingston+Igulodola are around $25M, Green the last year of his contract at $18.5M. Then you have to add whatever Durant will get.

Let’s just say that’s $110M (for 5 players). Are you gonna go out and start Klay at $25M+? You’ll be looking at easily $150M before taxes for a team that’s not exactly young. Could you imagine being at $180M+ per season when they are all early-mid 30’s? Paying repeater taxes the whole time.

I’m not as convinced that they will be a lengthy dynasty as some are. The owner may shell out the bid money to keep ‘em together but other teams are coming for them. They aren’t invincible.

[JHTruth]

It might be one of those years where the defending champs might or a Lebron team isn't the favorite, how's that for saying something while dodging the jinx?

But holy cow. If we can keep Monroe especially, and Irving and Gordy come back 100%, at least by Christmas... all 5 starters and at least 3 bench players could legit average 20 on most teams. That's the top 8, possibly a playoff rotation by itself. I mean, if we really did roll with those 8, we're going to see some 140, 145 point games pretty often.

Don't know if it could happen, but I'd love to "keep the band together".  10-man rotation:
Horford
Irving
Hayward
Brown
Tatum
Rozier
Morris
Smart
Monroe
Theis

We don't have much leverage with Monroe. From what I understand, we can only offer him $5 mil? due to the way that we signed him. I doubt that will be the highest offer.

Resigning Smart will likely put us into luxury tax depending on how much he wants and what the luxury tax is for 2019. If we use the projected numbers, it turns out to leave bout 15.5 mil worth of space for him. Anything more than that and I think that if Danny is smart, he will let Smart walk for free to avoid luxury tax for 1 more year because after 2019-2020, we're going to be in luxury for a long time. I don't see it happening because I think Smart is going to ask for and get closer to 20 mil and Danny will let him walk, otherwise the extension could have been done this season.

Rest are already under contract through 2018-2019.

Couple of things. We have two ways of signing both Monroe and Baynes. We can give them a contract with first year being 20% higher than this year with 5% increases for each year thereafter. So Baynes starting at $5.4 million per and Monroe at $6 million. If we don't become a taxpayer first, we also have the MLE worth about $8.7 million per who if we thought one of those players were worth it we could give to them instead of the 20% raise route. We only have one MLE.

Second, Smart is a RFA that has shown to be a horrible shooter, extremely inefficient scorer, with poor decision making ability at times that is a great defender. Players like him don't make $15 million per season and there certainly isn't anyone out there giving him $20 million per. Ainge didn't give Smart an extension meaning there was definitely a decent gap in values between what management and Smart thought he was worth. My guess is Smart punching a picture and cutting himself costing him 11 games didn't help his value.

In a market thats very limited and given Smart is a RFA, I have trouble seeing Smart getting more than Andre Roverson money of $10 million per and doubt he will get even that. My guess is some team will offer the MLE, around $8.7 per year.

Would you match $10-12 mm offer to Smart, Nick? At what point would you let him walk?

Good stuff here.

Me, I offer Monroe the full MLE on day 1. I think this is a great place for him to be long term, and I hope he takes it.

Smart:  QO is looking more probable all the time. There just isn't much big money in the market this year.

I think Smart will realize he needs to take the QO and run. The big money has completely dried up and some big FA's hitting the market (Bron, PG, etc). Smart is not a big $ guard in the era of the 3 pt shot. He's a decent ballhandler and plays solid D, but can't shoot a lick. Just don't see a huge market for a guy who has struggled with injuries and boneheaded behavior..