re: Free Agents that we should target

We drafted Sam Merrill with the 60th pick last year (last pick of the draft), then traded him to the Bucks. He played 30 games for them this season, starting two. He wasn't that bad. He shot 45% from 3pt. He didn't play that much, but still filled a spot for a time. We can't find 1 or 2 of those this year?

dream scenario is
1. Jaxson becomes a defensive force and can knock down a 3 if needed. If this happens, it opens up so many options.
2. Naji becomes a starter quality SF that can knock down 3's consistently and be a great defender.
3. NAW becomes an efficient scorer, better 3 point shooter, and commits less turnovers, and is a no doubt starting SG in the league.
4. We draft Davion Mitchell, and he starts at PG and actually contributes immediately, similar to how Brogdon did in Milwaukee.
5. Sign McDermott and he does what we been needing Melli to do the last 2 years.


BI needs to step up and be the leader he and everyone else keeps claiming he is. Learn how to finish games for us and we'll be a 47+ win team. If he can't figure it out, he needs to go. He's going into his 6th year. If you're not our closer, then you're too expensive to be on this team. We could probably give NAW his shots and get the same point production, especially if NAW hits his 3's at the rate he did to close the season out in the final 19 games, shooting 38% from 3.
BI has got to figure out how to close games for us. I think he can figure it out. I think he tried to go at it with the Kobe mindset, and he's not Kobe, and he's got teammates that can help him.
I don't mind him taking wide open mid range jumpers off the dribble. I don't like him taking turnaround hand in the face mid range jumpers. Get to your spot and get your shot off, if you can't, kick it out and find an open spot on the 3 point line to hit an open 3, something he does at an elite rate.
But all of that should be happening after Zion kicks it out to him, b/c Zion should be the one with the ball in his hands late, and i'm ok with him making mistakes along the way. That's how you learn.

i agree.
Naji being a perfect example of that.


It's not like anyone should expect to find a Naji or any 2nd round pick to even make the team each year, much less play minutes. Finding one every 2 or 3 years, assuming you're actually trying, doing legitimate scouting, and picking guys that you know will fit your culture, is reasonable. But when you just give the picks away for cash, or thrown in for worthless deals, it just irritates the crap out of me. There's a handful of players almost every year that become contributors that go in the 30's.

I am not sure that we are all thinking about this properly. Someone help me if I am wrong here.

I do not believe that we are going to be under the cap, so our primary option to acquire a free agent is to use the mid-level exception, which is $9.7 million. If we want to acquire someone for more than that, we could do it via a sign-and-trade with Lonzo, right? But we aren't going to just sign any of these guys for more than 9.7.