Josh Smith to have 5-6 suitors when free agency begins

[BleedGreen1989]

Marc Stein: RT @ramonashelburne: Josh Smith expected to have 5-6 suitors when free agency begins (HEARING DETROIT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE 5-6) Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Really interested to see how his value plays out. I have no interest in paying him max, but if his value drops to $10-11mill, would that change anybody's mind?

(If you're a pro-tank guy, no need to answer. We know your opinion.)

[KGs Knee]

His max is somewhere around $17m per.  That might be a little much, but he's easily worth right around $15m per, in my opinion (for the right team).

[PhoSita]

You don't have to be a tank guy to not want to invest a lot of money (yes, 10-12 mil a year for 4-5 seasons is a lot of money) to have a core of Rondo, Josh Smith, and Jeff Green.

[chambers]

He's a gambler but I'm pretty sure Ainge won't go near him.
he might even call up and go through the motions so the press can report that he pursued Smith but I can't see why Danny would think about giving him 15-16 milly unless we get a big trade exception and can sign Howard with Josh Smith.

Only way I can see this happening is if we really are going after this GiGi Datome guy and if he's any good.
I can't imagine Datome is that good if he's still over in Europe.
Could he start for a contender at SF?
More likely Danny passes on this batch of free agents because they suck.
Hopefully we keep Rondo and Green but Rondo doesn't play.
Grab a top 5 pick and then go after the next crop of decent free agents.

[clover]

Marc Stein: RT @ramonashelburne: Josh Smith expected to have 5-6 suitors when free agency begins (HEARING DETROIT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE 5-6) Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Really interested to see how his value plays out. I have no interest in paying him max, but if his value drops to $10-11mill, would that change anybody's mind?

(If you're a pro-tank guy, no need to answer. We know your opinion.)

Any chance Detroit would give up a Drummond or Monroe, along with Knight, as part of a package for Rondo, were they to land Smith?  Maybe also as part of a lure for Smith?

[Who]

Marc Stein: RT @ramonashelburne: Josh Smith expected to have 5-6 suitors when free agency begins (HEARING DETROIT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE 5-6) Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Really interested to see how his value plays out. I have no interest in paying him max, but if his value drops to $10-11mill, would that change anybody's mind?

(If you're a pro-tank guy, no need to answer. We know your opinion.)

Any chance Detroit would give up a Drummond or Monroe, along with Knight, as part of a package for Rondo, were they to land Smith?  Maybe also as part of a lure for Smith?

That would be such a great deal for Detroit. Yeah, I think that is possible. I doubt they give up Drummond though. I think it would have to be Monroe. Monroe and parts for Rondo if they get Josh Smith.

G - Rajon Rondo
G -
F -
F - Josh Smith
C - Andre Drummond

Heck of a starting place to build a top quality team.

[Birdman]

Heck yeah i would trade Rondo for Knight and Drummond or Monroe...

C-Drommond/Monroe
PF-Sullinger and Humphries
SF-Green and Wallace
SG-Bradley and Lee and Brooks
PG-Knight

Not bad

[DoverCeltic]

Heck yeah i would trade Rondo for Knight and Drummond or Monroe...

C-Drommond/Monroe
PF-Sullinger and Humphries
SF-Green and Wallace
SG-Bradley and Lee and Brooks
PG-Knight

Not bad

But it wont win championships. Is that not the point of the NBA? Winning the title? I dont want a team that will make it to round 2, MAYBE 3 and then get knocked out. That team severely lacks a good backup PG, a scoring SG (if Lee plays like he did last year, and assuming Brooks isnt traded for a PG), and then we still have Wallace to deal with.

[clover]

Heck yeah i would trade Rondo for Knight and Drummond or Monroe...

C-Drommond/Monroe
PF-Sullinger and Humphries
SF-Green and Wallace
SG-Bradley and Lee and Brooks
PG-Knight

Not bad

But it wont win championships. Is that not the point of the NBA? Winning the title? I dont want a team that will make it to round 2, MAYBE 3 and then get knocked out. That team severely lacks a good backup PG, a scoring SG (if Lee plays like he did last year, and assuming Brooks isnt traded for a PG), and then we still have Wallace to deal with.

Drummond or Monroe could be a quality center on a winning team in a couple of years, however, after the C's have the opportunity to upgrade at some more positions.

[LooseCannon]

Any chance Detroit would give up a Drummond or Monroe, along with Knight, as part of a package for Rondo, were they to land Smith?  Maybe also as part of a lure for Smith?

The rumors I've read are that they want to take a year to see if Drummond and Monroe can co-exist on the floor.  Detroit has the cap space to land a max-contract guy, so they don't need to do a deal to make room for Smith.  If it doesn't work out, Detroit shopping Drummond or Monroe for a 2014 draft pick could be interesting.

If Detroit is interested and Josh Smith wants to get paid, I have a hard time seeing other teams out-stupiding the Pistons in over-paying for Smith.

[BleedGreen1989]

Any chance Detroit would give up a Drummond or Monroe, along with Knight, as part of a package for Rondo, were they to land Smith?  Maybe also as part of a lure for Smith?

The rumors I've read are that they want to take a year to see if Drummond and Monroe can co-exist on the floor.  Detroit has the cap space to land a max-contract guy, so they don't need to do a deal to make room for Smith.  If it doesn't work out, Detroit shopping Drummond or Monroe for a 2014 draft pick could be interesting.

If Detroit is interested and Josh Smith wants to get paid, I have a hard time seeing other teams out-stupiding the Pistons in over-paying for Smith.

Drummond I would assume is untouchable but if Detroit wants to make the playoffs and ends up signing a Smith/Igoudala, I could see them parting with Monroe for Rondo. (Once Rondo proves he's healthy of course)

Something else to note, Dumars is in the last year of his GM contract so I can certainly see him wanting to make a big splash and really change this Detroit team.

[Evantime34]

You don't have to be a tank guy to not want to invest a lot of money (yes, 10-12 mil a year for 4-5 seasons is a lot of money) to have a core of Rondo, Josh Smith, and Jeff Green.

I think if we could get him for 12-14 that is excellent value. Rebuilding isn't just about being awful to get high lottery picks, it is about building assets so you can move them in the future.

However, if we go any higher than $14 Mm I don't tink it makes sense unless you believe our core with Smith added to it will put us in the top 4 (if they are in the top 4 the improvements of their young players plus the multitude of draft picks would allow them to grow into a contender).

In the end with that many suitors I don't see anyway Smith comes here at a discount, which means it'll be unlikely he comes here at all.

[rondoallaturca]

You don't have to be a tank guy to not want to invest a lot of money (yes, 10-12 mil a year for 4-5 seasons is a lot of money) to have a core of Rondo, Josh Smith, and Jeff Green.

I think if we could get him for 12-14 that is excellent value. Rebuilding isn't just about being awful to get high lottery picks, it is about building assets so you can move them in the future.

However, if we go any higher than $14 Mm I don't tink it makes sense unless you believe our core with Smith added to it will put us in the top 4 (if they are in the top 4 the improvements of their young players plus the multitude of draft picks would allow them to grow into a contender).

In the end with that many suitors I don't see anyway Smith comes here at a discount, which means it'll be unlikely he comes here at all.

Personally I'd bring that number down to $12M. Ideally, if Smith can be had for $10-12M, I think that makes it worth investing in him despite all his flaws. However, it certainly won't be a competitive offer since I can easily see another more desperate team giving him close to $15M. However, is Smith willing to sacrifice that money for a chance to play with Rondo on a contender?

If we nab Smith for $12M, we're paying Rondo, Green, and Smith a combined $32M, which is only about 55% of the projected salary cap next year. That is an absolutely phenomenal position to be in to round out the rest of the roster into a contender.

[gar]

If we don't land JSmith or AJefferson or Drummond or Monroe (or equivalent) Rondo will be gone.

Rondo would not be part of any tanking scenario. C's can still be good (not great) if they just add one or two pieces and then see what 2014 brings (assuming you use picks to trade up). So the picks can be for trades or to move up. No need to wait 4 years.

[BudweiserCeltic]

For a team that doesn't have any cap space, spending the max or something close to it for Smith is really of no concern.

If a team has cap space, spending it on Smith would be a mistake, unless you already have a core of 3 or 4 talented players already signed, and Smith is simply the missing piece of the puzzle.

As it is, I don't see the Celtics playing the cap game any time soon. Though there'll be a lot of cap room within a couple of years, but at the expense of not having anyone under contract, so that's kinda of a faux cap space I really want no part of and really of little use.