I'm gonna use this thread for some "off-season" research but I'm happy for people to chime in, give their opinions or bash the stuff I post. Compliments are welcome too lol

Chapter One: 3 point shooters possibly available:

Anthony Morrow GSW - shot 46.7% hit 86 of 186

Kelenna Azubuike GSW - shot 44.8% hit 94 of 210

Bobby Simmons NJN - shot 44.7% hit 117 of 262

Eddie House BOS - shot 44.4% hit 151 of 340

Matt Bonner SAS - shot 44% hit 118 of 268

Jason Kapono TOR - shot 42.8% hit 98 of 229

Steve Blake POR - shot 42.7% hit 140 of 320

Raja Bell CHA - shot 42.1% hit 114 of 271

Keyon Dooling NJN - shot 42.1% hit 99 of 235

Ben Gordon CHI - shot 41% hit 173 of 422

Not sure that's gonna matter, but I'll probably use it as a starting point for some more ideas I'll have before July 1st rolls around.

I have no idea who Morrow is but everyone else on that list is known to me and many have shitty contracts or are on teams that wouldn't mind shifting them elsewhere. Some are even free agents!

Chapter Two: Major Trades

This is where the question comes in. Back in the good ol' days when I knew a lot about the CBA it was possible to spend all your cap space and then make a trade where you took back more salary that put you over the cap limit.

This is a retarded question but: Is that still the case?

I'm not talking about trades that don't work without cap space. I'm talking about regular trades, taking back salaries that work within the 125%.

Assuming the rules haven't changed in regards to this here we go:

1) Detroit trades to Phoenix

Richard Hamilton
Tayshaun Prince
Amir Johnson

Detroit gets from Phoenix

Jason Richardson (2 years $12.2 mil)
Goran Dragic (2 years $1.7 mil - Who the fuck is this dude?)
Amare Stoudemire (2 years $15 mi)

We deal out $23,979,167
We get back $28,992,771

It fits within the 125% allowed, so in theory we could spend ALL our cap space and then make this trade.

We clean up their payroll in order to get Amare - do they do it? Who knows?

2) Detroit trades to New Orleans:

Richard Hamilton
Tayshaun Prince
Amir Johnson

Detroit gets from New Orleans

Tyson Chandler (2 years $11,350,000)
David West (3 years $9,862,500)
Morris Peterson (2 years $5,592,240)

We deal out $23,979,167
We get back $26,084,740

Again, it fits within the 125% allowed, so in theory we could spend ALL our cap space and then make this trade

Again we clean up their payroll (and kill their frontcourt) to land West

3) Detroit trades to Toronto

Richard Hamilton
Tayshaun Prince
Amir Johnson

Detroit gets from Toronto

Chris Bosh (1 year $14,410,581)
Marcus Banks (2 years $4,260,000)
Kris Humphries (1 year $3,200,000)
Jason Kapono (1 year $5,784,480)

NOTE: When I did this trade Humphries was BYC and only counted as $2,552,913 outgoing. Doesn't matter cause it worked, and his BYC status expires on July 1st.

We deal out $23,979,167
We get back $27,655,061

Same as the previous 2 deals - it works within the 125% framework and we take back all their shitty deals in order to land Bosh. They can rebuild around Barg, Jose, Rip and Prince.

Chapters Coming Soon:

Assist to turnover ratio
High volume 3 point gunners
Big men with good work rate (aka not Carlos Boozer)

For 3P shooters, there's also Wally Szczerbiak... if you only care about the regular season. It's a sad commentary that Sheed's shot more 3P shots than most of your available 3P aces listed.

I don't think Wally is gonna leave Cleveland and I don't value him at all.

That's why he's not listed.

If I remember correctly you were a cap guru on realgm... like you I have lost step with the new cba... I believe the new rules allows 25% salary difference... this is up from something like 15% from the old cba.

Of your chapter one the only player I like is Kelenna Azubuike... the others are either old, or a defensive liabilty, too selfish or contract too high.

Chapter two:
I wouldn't do the Amare deal... it's sounding like he's all about the Knicks in a year.. don't want to empty the cupbard for a one year loaner.

For the Hornets trade... I like what's coming back (Chandler & West) ... I'm thinking we could get those pieces by leveraging the cap room instead of both Rip & Tay.
Side note: West has a huge wingspan (7' 3") which allows him to get that baby hook off anytime he wants.

The Toronto trade... without checking how many of those contracts are expiring I agree with the concept of securing your big first and filling in perimeter players later... I'm down if Bosh signs long term (and none of the other contracts are boat anchors).


I'd like to revisit the "all sleeper players" sometime soon.... Example Ty Thomas.

Gotta agree with Merc on chapter 1. I don't really find any of those options particularly appealing, but you are right that the position sorely needs to be addressed.

Chapter 2, now that Bosh trade is quite interesting. If I were Toronto, I would do this deal without Amir Johnson included.
This would net them enough cap room to max Boozer. Calderon, Rip, Tay, Boozer, and Bargnani would be better than us at least this season.

We would be pretty stripped down with that trade, and would need to use Kwame and Amir's contracts to get something decent. I could see an Amir and Kwame for David Lee, Kaman, or Camby straight up.

Kaman, Bosh, Afflalo/15, Kapono, and Stuckey? Decent, but certainly a work in progress.

I could do a chapter on "sleepers".

Thomas is 1 guy I heard the Bulls wouldn't mind moving.

You guys throw out names, too.

The trades are not what I would do, but more about the money we would need to send (Kwame, #15, AA = approx $10 mil) and what we could take back to make a deal possible.

The deal with Toronto would have to be agreed to "in principle" before we spent a cent. This helps us build a better team, and if we get everything done pretty quickly the trade goes down and Toronto get their cap space to get people too.

But we go first cause we're creating more cap room for them by taking those deals.

You gotta remember that we aren't gonna sign 3 star players with our cap space. You can get 1 star and then 2 role players to round out the starters (Stuckey and Bosh). The bench would be set with Kwame, Maxiell, Kapono, AA and Bynum so...

You could spend big money on a C to team with Bosh and buy a role playing SF and SG or more likely you would sign Gordon and then get a role playing C and SF.

Here's what I would hope to do:

Sign Ben Gordon to a 5 year deal starting at $8 mil
Sign The Birdman to a 4 year deal starting at $5 mil
Sign Ariza to a 4 year deal starting at $5 mil

(from all reports the MLE should be less than $5 mil)

We then do the Toronto trade.

Team:

C: Birdman/Kwame
F: Bosh/Maxiell/Humphries
F: Ariza/Kapono
G: Gordon/AA
G: Stuckey/Bynum/Banks

Plus our rookies.

Good team? Bad team?

I think that team is better than it looks on paper, P. When I look at that chart and see Ariza and Birdman, I feel a little nervous that we're counting on them as starters, but I think it could work really well. Birdman is a nice defensive big to pair with Bosh, you still have Kwame off the bench, and Humphries can play.

If nothing else, that team you fielded is very different, which would be very exciting to watch. I'ma shutup now, because I can't think of any improvements. Good plan, P!

I like the mix on that team P. You've got 3 scorers and two solid role players in the starting 5. You have a bench scorer on the wing too. My only concern would be at center (Anderson isn't really a heavy minutes guy), but Bosh can slide over if need be, and I think Kwame has played pretty well when given minutes. I would think about starting him and see if the second unit can be an up tempo running team.

I might even consider putting Gordon in the Manu role (33 MPG, but off the bench). That way you establish Stuckey and Bosh (with Kwame, Ariza and Kapono out there to compliment). The bench unit can run teams off the floor with Bynum, Gordon, AA, Anderson and Max. There would be some overlap of Stuckey/Gordon with both playing 30+ MPG, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Too bad we'd need a smart coach to figure that out.

I'd Coach - it's my fucking team, yo!

If you 2 can't poke holes through that team (and Chris - you really tried, didn't you?) that tells me that I have found the Holy Grail of Plans!

Therefore, this thread is now completely useless!

3 point shooters? Check (Gordon and Kapono)

Extra Ball handler? Check (Gordon and most likely not Banks)

Improved Interior Defense? Check (Bosh, Birdman, Kwame and motivate Max)

All I gotta do is actually Draft 4 guys and that team is COMPLETE!

I'd Coach - it's my fucking team, yo!

If you 2 can't poke holes through that team (and Chris - you really tried, didn't you?) that tells me that I have found the Holy Grail of Plans!

Therefore, this thread is now completely useless!

As I mentioned in another thread...find a way to get Lee instead of Birdman (and all parties would likely do the deals)...and you'll be king. I'd still do this set of moves though, but would prefer Lee next to Bosh.