re: If We Sign Holiday, What Next?

To me losing Jrue and gaining Rubio doesn't really do us a whole lot of good. You've got a guy for a year that maybe can distribute better, but you still have a variety of issues and really wouldn't improve THAT much.

My want would be to pair Jrue and Rubio (obviously that would mean Jrue got less than 25 per and you could make a trade for Rubio work.

That's true. It also keeps us more flexible in the future, which is a plus.

I'm really not for keeping Jrue for anything more than 22-23 per (and even that is high to me).

Bledsoe

TBW has an article out this morning regarding Jrue

NBA Free Agency: Hints now point to Jrue Holiday re-signing with the New Orleans Pelicans

This is the part of the article that really gives me pause

quote:

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“I think New Orleans is prepared to spend, from what I understand. I think ownership understands the point in time they are with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Even if you don’t look at him as a $30 million point guard, he’s about to head there from what I understand; it will be very close.” Windhorst is one of the more connected NBA writers working for ESPN so listening to him detail the notion that the Pelicans are leaning towards meeting Holiday’s contract demands shows the two parties are no longer far apart on the terms as once presumed.

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If this, in fact, true then Dell is competing against himself again and is now unprepared to walk. Maybe it's the maybe using past history as future plans either way if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

I guess I should have said they dumped Frazier for a reason. A precursor to creating cap space.

OK, so I have been playing around with potential off-seasons myself for the shits and giggles of it...

Thoughts on this?

Re-sign Jrue Holiday - 4yrs $100m
Re-sign Dante Cunningham - 3yrs $15m

Sign Justin Holiday to a slightly less MLE - 4yr $30m (this helps make room to sign Frank Jackson using exception)

Sign Jonas Jerekbo to BAE - 2yrs $6.5m

Trade E'Twaun Moore, Quincy Pondexter, and a Top 5 Protected First for Evan Fournier & Mario Hezonja (if salary doesn't work then sign Casspi to Vet Min)

Trade Alexis Ajinca & Axel Toupane for Kyle O'Quinn

Jrue Holiday / Quinn Cook / Frank Jackson
Evan Fournier / Justin Holiday / Jordan Crawford
Solomon Hill / Dante Cunningham / Mario Hezonja or Omri Casspi
Anthony Davis / Jonas Jerekbo / Chieck Diallo
DeMarcus Cousins / Kyle O'Quinn / Omer Asik

Pros:

You have multiple lineup options - Jrue can play the 1 or 2, Justin can play the 2 or 3 as can Fournier, if you want to go small Solo or Dante can play the 4...you have shooting with Jrue, Justin, Fournier, Jerekbo...you also have guys that can play offball at guard or on


Cons:

You are now hard capped having used both the MLE and BAE and you have used your last trade chip in your 1st rd pick to enhance roster during season...would still have the TPE from the Buddy/Boogie trade however

Don't know if this is a tax team but I'm pretty sure it's damn close. May have to stretch Asik to avoid it.

Jeez - so many wings in Your team...

that's a one year team though
I don't think you could then re sign cousins and not be a tax team but someone smarter than me would have to do the math

plus Marios deal is coming up

Yeah, for some reason I was thinking Fournier was closer to $12-13m than $17m. That changes things, clearly.

I also like the idea of Jerebko, but I don't want to be hard capped and want to avoid the tax line.

This all points back to why Jrue's $25m contract is more of a hindrance. If you get a Rubio, Bledsoe, Lin who's cap number is far less then you've got more depth and more flexibility. Sure the fit may or may not be as good but they'd make it work versus the overpay that's surely coming.