Mentoring a bridge to the next era

[fairweatherfan06]

Just a thought but maybe Danny's approach to the era after the Big 3 should be a mentorship type deal.  The Big 4 for good or bad are making a final hurrah next year, but Danny want's to keep cap flexibility for whatever comes in 2012.  Which means no long term contracts but he still wants to contend.  So my thought is  he should go out and find low risk high reward players to be understudy's for the the starters this year and if they prove to be viable starters for the future so be it but even if they don't perhaps they increase their value and become valuable trade chips or being that they are expiring deals they are stopgaps for this year and their cap space will be used on someone else.  Your own examples are welcome but here are mine.

1 Caveat WE NEED A STARTING CENTER. Not sure what to do about that I'll hazard a guess at the end but I'll start with the other positions.

PF: Baby I love him but he needs to go.  That being said I'm gonna steal an idea for another thread.  Jason Thompson has been kind of available for awhile, we trade with the Kings all the time and he has the physical tools to be a good understudy for KG and can be had for a draft pick or Marquis Daniels trade exception.

SF:  This is covered Jeff Green will almost certainly be back playing behind Pierce.

SG: We really need a backup for Ray, lot of people like Rudy Fernandez who is likely available and can be acquired by the same means Jason Thompson could be.  But my vote would be for Kelenna Azubuike.  He got injured and fell out of the Knicks rotation so he has something to prove, but he shoots, slashes and defends and is Rondo's college teammate, I think he'd play here for a year on a make good contract to build up his value for us or elsewhere in 2012.

PG: Also covered Delonte behind Rondo and Bradley behind them.. THAT WAS EASY.

Starting center...this is the toughest one to keep with the plan because any MLE target will likely want multiple years, and all of the expiring starting level centers around the league (Okur, Kaman)  would require more in a trade than we can offer.  And drafting a center is hardly ever a sure thing, and even when it seems to be (Sam Bowie, Greg Oden) that can go horribly wrong but in this weak draft who knows.  So my thought is to get a guy like Pryzbilla or Ajinca and hope for the best.  Deandre Jordan is unrestricted (despite some reports) so I don't think he's a bad option however he'll likely get offered more years and money elsewhere.

Roster looks like:

Rondo/West/Bradley
Ray/Azubuike/T-Mac or Battier
Pierce/Green/T-Mac or Battier
KG/Thompson/First Rounder
MLE Center Player on 1yr deal/Jermaine Oneal/Shaq or Minimum center

[Junkyard Dawg]

With Delonte's injuries I don't like that PG position.  I'd rather have Delonte/Wafer backing up Ray and Arroyo to backup Rondo.  I don't see any problems with that backcourt.

I would have no problems with Azubuike or especially Thompson.  Go get them if we somehow can.

T-mac?  no thanks.  Battier?  How could we possibly get him and how is he a 3rd stringer?

I agree that Center will be an interesting position for next year especially (as many of us are hoping) if there is some way for D Howard to end up in green.  I dunno if the organization is gonna want the JO/Shaq headache again.