re: Harrison Barnes should we...

GSW will match unless Durant is coming.
Sadly, even if they aren't matched, it's probably not a bidding war we can win.
"Mo Speights Calls Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli ‘Future Lakers’" LakerNation
Both positions of need in LAL.
Imagine LAL getting the 1.3 or 1.4... 61.3% Chance they either get the 1.3 or don't have a pick at all. They for sure are going to be looking at other options. They might even see Ben Simmons as a Point Forward, at the 4. Which doesn't stop them from going after Harrison or Festus. Neither does Dragan Bender or a trade. Only players taking them off the LAL board are Brandon Ingram, and Nicolas Batum.

I think Batum will probably stay in Charlotte.
Can you imagine LAL adding Ben Simmons..
Then signing Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and ... DeMar DeRozan.
They have the money for 3 MAX players and then some to be added to that young core, and they aren't likely to be in this draft position again.

Go farther, what if they get 1.3, and trade Dragan Bender and D'Angelo Russell to SAC for Boogie. Then they are signing Harrison Barnes, DeMar DeRozan, and Mike Conley?

It's so fun to spend other teams money.

With the limited minutes that Festus is getting behind Bogut and Speights this post season, it's probably easy for them to let him go, especially if they are offered something in exchange. Then if Durant wants to come next season, they can let Harrison get his max money elsewhere too, and also maybe get something in exchange. So for sure it is possible they let BOTH leave. GSW is in a great spot. It will be a matter of preference, not cap, who will be starting for them next season. There will be no pure cap casualties here.

If they wanted to keep both Barnes and Festus though, it's possible.
(here are some projected NBA salary cap numbers going forward, with some analysis and explanation LINK / LINK )


With that $89MM-92MM number being thrown around for next year, and only $74MM+ committed (including Shaun Livingston who will likely be reworked and extended) they can get under the cap with the holds in place for Harrison and Festus, and sign them over. A back to back champion and the most popular team in the league COULD for sure do that.

With some creative deals closer to $18MM per than $20MM, BOTH guys can be kept long term. They should be able to squeeze Speights and McAdoo in there too, because Festus might not draw near that full $ value. Keeping the core team near fully intact for NEXT year. Then you can give Steph whatever he wants in 2017-18, because no way then 33 year old Bogut and 34 year old Iguodala are being extended.

If they want to keep Klay, Draymond, Harrison, Festus, and Steph.... the cap and tax are expanding at the perfect time for them to do it. Crazy to think that in 2 years from now they can have: Steph Curry, 30 - Klay Thompson, 28 - Festus Ezeli, 28 - Draymond Green, 28 - Harrison Barnes, 25 ... ALL locked up, in their primes.

Bench of Livingston, 32 - Speights, 30 - McAdoo, 25 - Kevon Looney, 22?

SCARY good.

From what I hear, they can shed Bogut pretty easy and free up space right now. Its hard to believe the Durant thing, but this summer would be the time to move. I still don't think they would let Barnes just walk. I'd rather keep Barnes and lose Iggy+Bogut, then sign Duarnt. They are in a great spot and going to be hard to topple anytime soon..

well we do have cap space to absorb the contract without having to send back salary, which is an asset

if a team is trying to add cap space to go after new FAs, not taking back salary is a big deal

I initially did not want Rudy Gay, but now I'm all in to get him.
I would jump for joy if we found a way to get Gay, Bazemore or Crabbe, and Hield or Dunn.

So you're against signing a guy like Barnes or Batum but are willing to take on a Rudy Gay for nearly $30m for the next two seasons?

Rudy has a more well rounded game. I've still got him rated as the 12th SF in the league. His stats are proven at a higher usage rate, which he'd maintain here.

The $5MM per year savings, between Rudy and the FAs will be significant in signing or resigning a SG too... whether we draft one or not.

If it comes down to a FA, it's Barnes over Bazemore because of the edge at 3-Pt shooting and Offensive rebounding.

*We're all jumping on the Rudy Gay train. Choo-choo!

Yeh I was just saying Gay over Barnes or Bazemore, for cash reasons.
I see Batum more as a SG here. Similar to his role in Charlotte. Gay+Batum? Ok. :)
Hell, we are so gangsta.... If Ryno walks for nothing we just sign Barnes and Batum!
Lakers who? PELS son! They don't even know it.

quote:

---

including Shaun Livingston who will likely be reworked and extended

---

You do realize that this is the NBA and these types of deals very rarely occur, right?

Neither plz