Are talks with Joe Smith Dead?

[Roy Hobbs]

OKC coach doesn't want Smith to be bought out.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/57540/20090225/okcs_brooks_doesnt_want_smith_bought_out/

Good! Now the Cavs can't have him.

I hope so.  The article says the coach doesn't want to get into the business side of it, and that he's not involved in the decision.  I hope, though, that he wouldn't be speaking out if he thought a buyout was likely.

[Mr October]

Danny Boy must have known that Smith would not be bought it out. He jumped quickly to get Moore and must have had a gut feeling about Starbury. It almost looks as if he knew that Moore would come here before the release was even announced.

2 years and 2 pickups after the trade deadline. It is good to know the luck of Irish is shining on us once again!

I agree. This was all conveniently perfectly orchestrated. I'm sure Ainge tried some trades on for size... but knew there was a high chance a couple players would become available 1 week later.

I'm sure all GMs and agents casually chat to gage interest, even when players are signed onto other teams.

[GJPBoston]

I know winning the championship this year is the priority and focus, but what about next year?  We still need a PF or C with length who can hit the open shot.  The Cs may not (probably will not) re-sign both Davis and Powe over the summer.  Does anyone think Joe Smith is a possibility to sign over the summer for a 2 year contract?  I'd rather have McDyess, though it may be both will be out of our price range.  I suppose you have to throw Miki Moore in the mix too depending on how things go during the playoffs, though he is clearly not at Smith's or McDyess' level.

[the_Bird]

I know winning the championship this year is the priority and focus, but what about next year?  We still need a PF or C with length who can hit the open shot.  The Cs may not (probably will not) re-sign both Davis and Powe over the summer.  Does anyone think Joe Smith is a possibility to sign over the summer for a 2 year contract?  I'd rather have McDyess, though it may be both will be out of our price range.  I suppose you have to throw Miki Moore in the mix too depending on how things go during the playoffs, though he is clearly not at Smith's or McDyess' level.

You know who I think we sign this summer?

'Sheed.

First of all, very few players are getting more than the MLE this year.  Teams under the cap are almost exclusively teams that are having trouble selling tickets.  Everyone's hurting BAD because of the economy.  Salary caps and luxury tax limits are shrinking - plus, EVERYONE is gearing up for the summer of 2010.

'Sheed doesn't sell tickets.  He's had a bad year.  He's not someone you rebuild around.

But, he can play center.  He's got range.  He's buddy-buddy with KG.  He wants to be in a winning environment.  Detroit, I think, is going to let him walk.  And, I think he's got a good chance of getting hooked up to the Rejuvination Machine.  Put him in a frontcourt rotation with KG, with Perk to help with the dirty work, and with either BBD or (hopefully) Powe?  That's a helluva frontcourt, and he won't have to play 35 minutes a night.  Start him or have him come off the bench, but 25-30 minutes a night.

Helps take some physical pressure off KG. 

And, I don't see him getting offers much greater than three years at the full MLE.  That seems to me to be about right for a guy of his skill level, at this stage of his career, in this macro environment. 

THAT'S who we're targetting over the summer.  Joe Smith, he'll be a LLE guy; you'd like him, but he's not going to really get paid this summer, either.

[Quinn]

I know winning the championship this year is the priority and focus, but what about next year?  We still need a PF or C with length who can hit the open shot.  The Cs may not (probably will not) re-sign both Davis and Powe over the summer.  Does anyone think Joe Smith is a possibility to sign over the summer for a 2 year contract?  I'd rather have McDyess, though it may be both will be out of our price range.  I suppose you have to throw Miki Moore in the mix too depending on how things go during the playoffs, though he is clearly not at Smith's or McDyess' level.

You know who I think we sign this summer?

'Sheed.

First of all, very few players are getting more than the MLE this year.  Teams under the cap are almost exclusively teams that are having trouble selling tickets.  Everyone's hurting BAD because of the economy.  Salary caps and luxury tax limits are shrinking - plus, EVERYONE is gearing up for the summer of 2010.

'Sheed doesn't sell tickets.  He's had a bad year.  He's not someone you rebuild around.

But, he can play center.  He's got range.  He's buddy-buddy with KG.  He wants to be in a winning environment.  Detroit, I think, is going to let him walk.  And, I think he's got a good chance of getting hooked up to the Rejuvination Machine.  Put him in a frontcourt rotation with KG, with Perk to help with the dirty work, and with either BBD or (hopefully) Powe?  That's a helluva frontcourt, and he won't have to play 35 minutes a night.  Start him or have him come off the bench, but 25-30 minutes a night.

Helps take some physical pressure off KG. 

And, I don't see him getting offers much greater than three years at the full MLE.  That seems to me to be about right for a guy of his skill level, at this stage of his career, in this macro environment. 

THAT'S who we're targetting over the summer.  Joe Smith, he'll be a LLE guy; you'd like him, but he's not going to really get paid this summer, either.

Should we really mess with the starting lineup?
I love 'sheed, I always have. I think he's a heck of a player.
I'm just not sure how well he'd really fit...

[Fafnir]

I know winning the championship this year is the priority and focus, but what about next year?  We still need a PF or C with length who can hit the open shot.  The Cs may not (probably will not) re-sign both Davis and Powe over the summer.  Does anyone think Joe Smith is a possibility to sign over the summer for a 2 year contract?  I'd rather have McDyess, though it may be both will be out of our price range.  I suppose you have to throw Miki Moore in the mix too depending on how things go during the playoffs, though he is clearly not at Smith's or McDyess' level.

You know who I think we sign this summer?

'Sheed.

First of all, very few players are getting more than the MLE this year.  Teams under the cap are almost exclusively teams that are having trouble selling tickets.  Everyone's hurting BAD because of the economy.  Salary caps and luxury tax limits are shrinking - plus, EVERYONE is gearing up for the summer of 2010.

'Sheed doesn't sell tickets.  He's had a bad year.  He's not someone you rebuild around.

But, he can play center.  He's got range.  He's buddy-buddy with KG.  He wants to be in a winning environment.  Detroit, I think, is going to let him walk.  And, I think he's got a good chance of getting hooked up to the Rejuvination Machine.  Put him in a frontcourt rotation with KG, with Perk to help with the dirty work, and with either BBD or (hopefully) Powe?  That's a helluva frontcourt, and he won't have to play 35 minutes a night.  Start him or have him come off the bench, but 25-30 minutes a night.

Helps take some physical pressure off KG. 

And, I don't see him getting offers much greater than three years at the full MLE.  That seems to me to be about right for a guy of his skill level, at this stage of his career, in this macro environment. 

THAT'S who we're targetting over the summer.  Joe Smith, he'll be a LLE guy; you'd like him, but he's not going to really get paid this summer, either.

Should we really mess with the starting lineup?
I love 'sheed, I always have. I think he's a heck of a player.
I'm just not sure how well he'd really fit...

Sheed could be okay with coming off the bench, who knows. It'd be a huge upgrade no matter how we shook it out for our backup big men. Though Sheed is now a shell of what he once was. Jacks up so many silly threes...

[Mr October]

Oh, no doubt. Sheed would be my #1 target for the MLE, as long as he is cool playing 24 minutes off the bench. That would be amazing.

[the_Bird]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench.  

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around.  

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

And yeah, he's probably as much to blame for Detroit's mediocrity as Iverson (who *might* be the one person to get paid this summer, since he can still sell tickets).  But, doesn't he strike you as the kind of guy who just needs a fresh start every couple years?  He's old, but he's not ancient, and it sometimes just seems like he's going through the motions.  Put him back in a new environment, fighting for a title again, and I bet he's got a little bit more left in the tank than he's showing right now.

[Bankshot]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench.  

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around.  

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

[the_Bird]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench.  

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around.  

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

I'm coming around to BBD, especially with how he's able to play D.  Still, it's so rare to see someone who's got such a classic low-post game (Powe); it's harder to find someone who can really score down low, versus a jump-shooting big man.  Maybe it's more valuable to have a big who can stay out of the way and stretch the D a little, I don't know - but I'm a sucker for old-school post-up play.

[Mr October]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench. 

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around. 

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

Signing Sheed doesn't mean we'd have to loose both Powe and Davis. One of them should absolutely be resigned.

[the_Bird]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench. 

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around. 

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

Signing Sheed doesn't mean we'd have to loose both Powe and Davis. One of them should absolutely be resigned.

That's why I said having BOTH of them would be unnecessary.  The only way they both come back next year is if we strike out on signing an impact big man.  'Sheed, McDyess (who I like, but would like better if he could play the 5), I wonder even what's going to happen with David Lee.  I mean, this economy REALLY is in the crapper; is anyone going to pay more than the MLE for ANYONE this offseason?  I don't think Lee's a fit, but teams who might be thinking of 'Sheed/Dice would also be thinking about going for Lee.  There's probably only going to be a couple of teams even wanting to spend their full MLE.

I'll put it down on record that this is going to be the crappiest offseason for an NBA free agent, well, in a long, LONG time.  If Wyc + Co. are willing to be one of the teams with a checkbook, they should be able to do some good things.

[Quinn]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench.  

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around.  

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

I'm coming around to BBD, especially with how he's able to play D.  Still, it's so rare to see someone who's got such a classic low-post game; it's harder to find someone who can really score down low, versus a jump-shooting big man.  Maybe it's more valuable to have a big who can stay out of the way and stretch the D a little, I don't know - but I'm a sucker for old-school post-up play.

I'd much rather have Powe.
He and Perk are more physical player, where as KG and 'sheed aren't afraid to move towards the basket, their game is more geared towards jumpshots.
I feel like BBD's game is more along the lines of a shorter range 'sheed...and powe would be a great physical presence off the bench.

[fairweatherfan06]

I think we'd have a shot at McDyess and Smith over the summer (though Rasheed Wallace would obviously be the dream acquisition but possibly too pricey) as Baby or Powe will go away I'm pretty sure.  I think we could keep Moore as a second or third string center provided he does decent this post season and doesn't want too much money.

[Bankshot]

Who says he has to start?  You've got 96 minutes between the PF and C spots in a game; I could easily Perk, KG, and 'Sheed all averaging around 30 a game, and I tend to think it would be better to have 'Sheed off the bench since his skillset is somewhat duplicitive with KG (at least on the offensive end; I'm fine with 'Sheed playing defense against centers).

He's be a key component to the team, whether starting or off the bench.  

Now, this would make having both BBD and Powe completely unnecessary; at most, there would be 15-20 minutes a game for another backup big.  Maybe you bring back whovever's going to be cheaper; I'd do what I could, within reason, to keep Powe around.  

It'd be like having a non-hippie Bill Walton off the bench again.

Personally, I'd rather have BBD around for the long term.  Much smarter player.

On Sheed?  Love to have him next season.  If we don't get him, I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Moore, depending on how he does this year, of course.

I'm coming around to BBD, especially with how he's able to play D.  Still, it's so rare to see someone who's got such a classic low-post game; it's harder to find someone who can really score down low, versus a jump-shooting big man.  Maybe it's more valuable to have a big who can stay out of the way and stretch the D a little, I don't know - but I'm a sucker for old-school post-up play.

I'd much rather have Powe.
He and Perk are more physical player, where as KG and 'sheed aren't afraid to move towards the basket, their game is more geared towards jumpshots.
I feel like BBD's game is more along the lines of a shorter range 'sheed...and powe would be a great physical presence off the bench.

Baby can play inside too.  When he plays with Powe, he has to play on the outside.  When he plays with KG or otherwise gets to play inside, he rebounds well, he gets to use his passing skills and mix his game up a bit.  He's not a one trick pony.  It's the pairing with Powe that hurts his game, imo.  He's reduced to mainly a jumpshooter.

Because Powe always plays inside, he has the opportunity to be a good passer, but he never does it.  He would rather throw up a crap shot over three defenders than pass out of the post.  Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer to keep both to be honest.  It's just that I think in the long run, Baby's versatile game would be more useful.