An Offseason I Can Live With: Hayward and Howard

[meangreenmachine]

Assuming Durant is off the tables again, I can live with the following:

- 3, 51, 58, Rozier and Johnson to Utah for Hayward and Mack, Butler alumni who work great under Stevens. This has the added bonus of making Stevens VERY happy to be reunited with his boys.

- 16, 23, 35 and 45 to Orlando for 11, which is used to select Poeltl

- 31 used to select Gary Payton II

- Take the option on Jerebko

- Convince Howard to try revitalizing his career in Boston

1: Thomas, Mack, Payton
2: Bradley, Smart, Hunter
3: Hayward, Crowder, Young
4: Jerebko, Olynyk, Mickey
5: Howard, Poeltl, MLE

That is a deep roster with three potential all-stars in Thomas, Hayward and Howard and an all-defensive guard in Bradley (and aspiring all-defensive guard in Smart). I could see us winning 55-60 games and making a run against Cleveland, all the while keeping our fingers crossed that we add an elite PF like Harry Giles or Bam Adebayo in the next draft.

Think about it this way: If we fielded the above team and either Kyrie Irving or LeBron James was sidelined for the playoffs due to injury, would we not be the favorites in the East? Anything could happen in the NBA Finals.

[action781]

You'll find a lot of people on this board are not OK with signing Howard, but I am cool with it.  If we wanna get Hayward though, I'd rather wait to sign him next offseason and use the #3 to bring someone else in or let that #3 pick develop.

I do think more and more lately that Durant is completely a nonrealistic dream.

[biggs]

You'll find a lot of people on this board are not OK with signing Howard, but I am cool with it.  If we wanna get Hayward though, I'd rather wait to sign him next offseason and use the #3 to bring someone else in or let that #3 pick develop.

I do think more and more lately that Durant is completely a nonrealistic dream.

I agree on waiting for Hayward. Word is he wants out.

[meangreenmachine]

You'll find a lot of people on this board are not OK with signing Howard, but I am cool with it. 

We have never scored a top free agent before, so we need to be realistic. I mean, yeah, it's not like getting a 25 year old Howard, but I think Howard still has a few years left in his tank. The only reason he is available is because of his age and prior problems with ball hogs who rest on defense. One look at the dude and you can tell he takes care of himself like Karl Malone, who played beyond 40 and had some of his best performances in his early 30s. This team does not have ball hogs who refuse to give it their all on defense, so I would imagine Howard will find that appealing. Howard is also surely aware of how smart Stevens is, and how smart people will properly utilize Howard's talents.

If we wanna get Hayward though, I'd rather wait to sign him next offseason and use the #3 to bring someone else in or let that #3 pick develop.

I can also live with this, but I would really love to make a run this year while keeping Stevens very happy. If moving the three gives us a shot at a championship this year (a playoff injury to LeBron or Irving and I would see this new team as the favorites in the East), I say take that shot.

I do think more and more lately that Durant is completely a nonrealistic dream.

Oh well.