re: Official Pelicans Free Agency Thread(Updated with transactions)

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Why shouldn't we sign him?

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Not to say that we shouldn't either, but I could see how Salmons would fit better. I have read that Hamilton is known to be somewhat of a knuckle head, while Salmons can give the team some Vet leadership that this young team now lacks without Morrow and Smith. Being that both players are pretty close to equal on the court, and are temporary pieces, the off court issues could be a big deciding factor.

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I mean as soon as we can move him. You don't pay $15 million for a 6th man, and you don't pay $11 million for a 6th man when you're already paying $10 million for Ryno to be a 6th man. The day they signed Tyreke is the day they said Gordon is out, it's just taking longer than expected to move him.

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The way you said "turn Gordon into a starting SF", kinda sounded like "playing Gordon at SF". I think what the guy thought you were saying

Someone on PR pointed what might be the most significant aspect of this trade, one less person for AD to compete with for starting spot on the All Star team, which is important because 2 All Star starts these next 2 seasons would mean he's eligible for the Rose Rule veteran level max extension.

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When you add in the new rule that there are 2 front court players rather than a PF & C, and the chances of Davis starting get a lot more likely.

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I have a feeling Davis will start 2 ASG and will make 2 All-NBA teams before his extension kicks in.

SI gives offseason grades to the Southwest. Mahoney was one of the guys who liked the moves last year, not as much on board this summer.

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Best move: Acquired Omer Asik to play alongside Anthony Davis.
Worst move: Surrendered a first-round pick for Asik protected so that it will likely convey at No. 19 or better.

Analysis: The biggest move of New Orleans' offseason was both well intended and poorly executed. Pairing Davis with Asik makes a great deal of sense, particularly as a remedy for what was the sixth-worst defense in the NBA last season. Asik is so tremendous in terms of walling off ball handlers from the rim as to make a very real and quite significant difference in that regard -- both for his work alongside Davis and without him. The problem, though, is that in dealing with a Rockets team lacking in any real leverage, the Pelicans nonetheless surrendered a quality draft pick. The protection on the outgoing first-round pick bears what has become a Houston trademark: Double protection, ensuring that it falls neither in the top three nor the bottom 10. As a result, the Pelicans will very likely surrender a pick somewhere between No. 4 and No. 19 in this deal -- a concession to a Houston team that was under the gun in needing to dump Asik's contract.

Perhaps there were other callers on the line for Asik's services, or maybe New Orleans sees Asik as such a unique complement to Davis that he's worth giving up such an asset. Still, the way this trade contrasts with the Rockets' subsequent salary dump of Jeremy Lin (in which Houston gave up its own unprotected first rounder to the Lakers in exchange for taking Lin's salary) doesn't reflect particularly well on New Orleans' rate of exchange. Quality acquisition, questionable move.

There was also a bit of weirdness in the Pelicans' small forward shuffle, which on its face conveys a preference for John Salmons (who was signed for the veteran minimum) over Omri Casspi (who was waived after acquisition from the Rockets). I can't say I follow the basketball calculus that would put Salmons over Casspi, but that swap doesn't register enough import to warrant much of a fuss. The rest of the Pelicans' offseason was similarly muted in impact. Anthony Morrow and Al-Farouq Aminu depart without clean replacement, but neither was so essential as to make their exits all that painful. Gone is Brian Roberts, though No. 47 overall pick Russ Smith could be an interesting candidate for replacement. New Orleans rolls on, and should Davis maintain or improve upon his play of last season for a Pelicans team with better injury luck, this could be a surprise entrant into the Western Conference playoff race.

Grade: C+

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The Asik critique is fair to me. And not the worst grade in the division either.

LINK

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Perhaps there were other callers on the line for Asik's services, or maybe New Orleans sees Asik as such a unique complement to Davis that he's worth giving up such an asset. Still, the way this trade contrasts with the Rockets' subsequent salary dump of Jeremy Lin (in which Houston gave up its own unprotected first rounder to the Lakers in exchange for taking Lin's salary) doesn't reflect particularly well on New Orleans' rate of exchange.

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The thing is Lin and Asik aren't comparable. It's a good defensive center that 75% of the league would start vs. a bad starting/good backup PG. Asik was almost definitely in higher demand.

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Not much quality in next years draft

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There's quality every year in every draft.

The critique here is that the Pelicans are no sure thing playoff team even if things go right. The West is just tough. Missing the playoffs and then losing a lottery pick, even a late one, would suck.

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The thing is Lin and Asik aren't comparable

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I tend to agree. Same time, no one offered up a 1st last fall for Asik when they could have had him for 2/$23 instead of 1/$15. Asik is elite on defense, but a zero on offense. The market for those types of guys is considerably smaller, even accounting for his position.

That said, the Asik move suffers because of the moves last summer, particularly the Holiday extra draft pick price they paid. If it's the 1st draft pick they give up in the AD era, not a big deal. If it turns into a 2nd lottery pick in 2 years, that's a problem.

None of this is to say it can't work. They have good talent and should be in the thick of the playoff race. It's just a string of high risk moves. If they don't work, the new brain trust will have a hell of a mess to clean up.

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The thing is Lin and Asik aren't comparable. It's a good defensive center that 75% of the league would start vs. a bad starting/good backup PG. Asik was almost definitely in higher demand.

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Certainly depends on demand. However, the Rockets could not get a #1 for him the previous year when he was not getting $14 million and when the Rockets were not under extreme pressure to unload his salary. Demps has proven to not put much value on 1st rounders and I think the other GMs take advantage of that when dealing with him.

Over the weekend the Love for Wiggins trade we all knew was coming went down.

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Cleveland Cavaliers add: Kevin Love
Cleveland Cavaliers lose: Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and 2015 first round pick (Miami)

Minnesota Timberwolves add: Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Thaddeus Young and trade exception
Minnesota Timberwolves lose: Kevin Love, Alexey Shved and Luc Mbah a Moute

Philadelphia 76ers add: 2015 first round pick (from CLE via MIA), Alexey Shved and Luc Mbah a Moute
Philadelphia 76ers lose: Thaddeus Young

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LINK /

Philly is collecting a lot of assets, and I know someone mentioned the "Houston Plan" in connection to their strategy, but one BIG difference between Philly and Houston, is Houston collected all of their assets while stranded in NBA Purgatory on the playoff bubble. I can't imagine the next James Harden wanting to go to a bottom of the league Philly team.

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Nobody is going to give up much to bring him in as an expiring.

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Actually I believe there is a "no-trade" clause attached to the QO. He isn't staying in Detroit after this season, though. There will be a ton of big men free agents next season.

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Actually I believe there is a "no-trade" clause attached to the QO

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He could waive the no-trade clause.