Salary cap strategies

[JCSunsfan]

With the cap going up significantly, and very few real quality NBA free agents on the market this summer, some very mariginal players are going to get paid lots of money. So what is the strategy for the Suns? Here are some options:

1. Go for the top players and see what happens. Call Rich Paul again and make a pitch to LeBron. Get in the Durant sweepstakes.

2. This might be the summer to make a pitch for a quality restricted free agent like Andre Drummond. Sure Detroit will match, but maybe there is a RFA that would surprise. Harrison Barnes?

3. Throw max money at a second tier, risky player like Whiteside, Batum, Connoly because you think they are more attainable. This is what Dallas did this last summer.

One other thought is to simply stand pat. If you can get the really big difference maker do it, if not, do not spend the money--even if you fall below the cap floor.

The penalty for falling before the cap floor is that you will be charged that salary anyway and it will be divided up among your present players. So what's wrong with that?

1. Your present players get a bonus because you did not overspend on marginal players.
2. The best thing is that it is just that, it is a bonus. YOu still maintain your cap flexibility going forward. No contract commitments to marginal players.
3. As long as you have the players you want, the cap floor is fairly meaningless. Much better to pay your present players extra than to commit to bad contracts just because you have to spend more money.

I would love to have an intelligent discussion on the philosophical approach to free agency going forward.

 

[elindholm]

Will the cap floor be going up too, or just the ceiling?

 

[Catlover]

I'm not concerned about the floor, I don't think it factors in to the strategy used. Given our current state, I doubt we'll attract any premium players and I don't think the next level player is going to change our fortune greatly. I'd maintain flexibility the first year or so and see where our needs are in 2 or 3 seasons from now.

Despite the anti-Knight sentiment here I really don't believe we know just what we have in him. Bledsoe's knees make him another question mark. Len is still early in his development and the opinions on him range from mediocre backup center to all star big man. Warren can score but we still don't know whether he's a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 6th option. And to that we add a top prospect in this draft and a Euro player in the next year or two. So I don't think we need free agents as much as we need to determine which of our players we want to replace with free agents.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm not seeing any young quality players that are obtainable to go after (like IT). Maybe the Suns should think trade with some of their draft picks.

Also the Suns might sign a veteran PG like Jarrett Jack to back up Bledsoe. I'm thinking the Warriors will keep Harrison Barnes. It might be the time for the Suns to stay pat.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Will the cap floor be going up too, or just the ceiling?

Its basically 90% of the cap. Again. It would be a valid strategy to go below the cap floor if there are no players you really want. Just pay the "penalty"

 

[RON_IN_OC]

With the cap going up significantly, and very few real quality NBA free agents on the market this summer, some very mariginal players are going to get paid lots of money. So what is the strategy for the Suns? Here are some options:

1. Go for the top players and see what happens. Call Rich Paul again and make a pitch to LeBron. Get in the Durant sweepstakes.

2. This might be the summer to make a pitch for a quality restricted free agent like Andre Drummond. Sure Detroit will match, but maybe there is a RFA that would surprise. Harrison Barnes?

3. Throw max money at a second tier, risky player like Whiteside, Batum, Connoly because you think they are more attainable. This is what Dallas did this last summer.

One other thought is to simply stand pat. If you can get the really big difference maker do it, if not, do not spend the money--even if you fall below the cap floor.

The penalty for falling before the cap floor is that you will be charged that salary anyway and it will be divided up among your present players. So what's wrong with that?

1. Your present players get a bonus because you did not overspend on marginal players.
2. The best thing is that it is just that, it is a bonus. YOu still maintain your cap flexibility going forward. No contract commitments to marginal players.
3. As long as you have the players you want, the cap floor is fairly meaningless. Much better to pay your present players extra than to commit to bad contracts just because you have to spend more money.

I would love to have an intelligent discussion on the philosophical approach to free agency going forward.

This will be based on the league's (players) assessment of the Suns ownership and front office, IMO. Durrant and Lebron are chasing rings, more so than $$.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This will be based on the league's (players) assessment of the Suns ownership and front office, IMO. Durrant and Lebron are chasing rings, more so than $$.

Yes. They will get their money anyway.

 

[sunsfan88]

JC, out of the star players you mentioned like LeBron, Durant, and Drummond, Harrison Barnes is the only possibility of maybe happening. It would take a max offer but I can see GSW not matching that especially if their going after Durant. Even if they don't get KD, I doubt they want to pay their 4th or 5th option that much money.

By Connoly I assume you mean Conley as in Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies. I like Conley and I do think that a Conley/Bledsoe backcourt with Booker as 6th man would work. Or even trading away both Bledsoe and Knight and going with a Conley/Booker backcourt could work.

Batum is very injury prone so I'm not sure I would throw the type of money at him that he will command.

 

[SirStefan32]

Of course you make a pitch to LeBrons and Durans of the NBA. It's not going to work, but you have to try. Then, you offer some one-year deals and overpay. Otherwise, sit on the cap, continue developing youngsters and look for trades.

 

[JCSunsfan]

JC, out of the star players you mentioned like LeBron, Durant, and Drummond, Harrison Barnes is the only possibility of maybe happening. It would take a max offer but I can see GSW not matching that especially if their going after Durant. Even if they don't get KD, I doubt they want to pay their 4th or 5th option that much money.

By Connoly I assume you mean Conley as in Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies. I like Conley and I do think that a Conley/Bledsoe backcourt with Booker as 6th man would work. Or even trading away both Bledsoe and Knight and going with a Conley/Booker backcourt could work.

Batum is very injury prone so I'm not sure I would throw the type of money at him that he will command.

I agree with your assessment of LeBron and Durant. Its just a wild idea. But we all know that McD will make the phone calls on those anyway. Drummond will certainly get a max deal. It might be good to go ahead and make the max offer anyway, just so Detroit has some competition.

Sorry I mispelled Conley. I agree about him. I am not sold on Batum and I think he is redundant on our roster anyway. There is just not alot out there for free agency unless you think Whiteside is a star.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Of course you make a pitch to LeBrons and Durans of the NBA. It's not going to work, but you have to try. Then, you offer some one-year deals and overpay. Otherwise, sit on the cap, continue developing youngsters and look for trades.

This is what I am advocating. But I am not sure you even have to offer the one year deals. If there is someone you want, fine. If the roster is what you want as is, just pay the cap floor fines and go with it.

 

[SirStefan32]

This is what I am advocating. But I am not sure you even have to offer the one year deals. If there is someone you want, fine. If the roster is what you want as is, just pay the cap floor fines and go with it.

Yeah, and essentially you give your players a little bit of a bonus, which is probably better than simply signing someone for the same of signing someone. I like it!