The road to a championship roster will require carefully identifying and collecting the right players to surround their triumvirate.
Current Roster (screenshot directly from HoopsHype):
Current cap is $58.6M
Current tax is $71.7M
Assets:
Draft rights to Nikola Mirotic
Own first round draft pick (likely #18-21)
Charlotte Bobcats first round draft pick (likely #15-18)
Own second round draft pick (approximately #48 overall)
Amnesty provision available for Joakim Noah or Carlos Boozer
Get rid of Carlos Boozer's contract.
- Option #1: Use the amnesty provision to cut Carlos Boozer.
- Why I would do it: It's a single season buyout for a player who simply isn't worth the $16.8M salary cap hit. Because he is still somewhat effective offensively and as a rebounder, a team well under the cap may bid on his contract to soften to financial hit by $4-6M.
- Option #2: Trade Carlos Boozer (and his now expiring contract) and their own first round draft pick on draft day to a rebuilding team with cap space for a second round pick (#37 from Utah, or #32/#39 from Philadelphia). The Jazz and Sixers are the best candidates, as they both have second rounders in this draft and are expected to be below the salary floor).
- Why Chicago should do it: This frees up a huge amount of space for me to work with, without using the amnesty provision that owner Jerry Reinsdorf may refused to allow. The cost is moving down 12-20 spots in the draft. The Bulls likely cannot afford or find playing time for two first round rookies next season anyways.
- Why Uta/Phi should do it: These teams have hoarded cap space with the express purpose of "renting" it out in exchange for first round picks or trades. This fits that strategy to a T. As a bonus, Boozer is a good locker room guy and a veteran who can still play a little. He even has history with the Jazz.
NBA Draft:
Let's assume these picks will be #16, #19, and #48. It's a bit too early to do a mock draft, as there are still a few weeks before the deadline for college players to declare. No matter what, I would try and package these picks to move up (or out), as there will not be much playing time for rookies next year. It is a fairly strong draft though, so getting a solid role player for the bench isn't out of the question.
Free agency:
Let's assume these picks will be #16, #19, and #48. It's a bit too early to do a mock draft, as there are still a few weeks before the deadline for college players to declare. No matter what, I would try and package these picks to move up (or out), as there will not be much playing time for rookies next year. It is a fairly strong draft though, so getting a solid role player for the bench isn't out of the question.
Free agency:
Once I've rid myself of Boozer's contract and used both first round draft picks and my second round pick, I will have about $50M in committed salaries to 9 players. That leaves 3 roster spots and something around $10M in cap space to fill out the roster in free agency.
My first goal in free agency will be to attempt to sign Nikola Mirotic. From what I've seen (big props to DraftExpress), Mirotic seems to have a game similar to Louis Scola if the Argentine also had a lethal 3pt shot. That's a nice combination offensively, and at 23 years old Mirotic should be valuable as a bench scorer in the NBA right away. He has played at an All-Star level for Real Madrid for the past 18 months or so, and finally has the flexibility to arrange a buyout and come to the NBA if he wants.
Valuating Mirotic is something I already spent and entire post on, which you can read here. My guess it that a three year contract of $6M per year should get it done.
Next, I'll work to re-sign Kirk Hinrich. It seems that after a few down seasons, Tom Thibodeau discovered that the best way to use Hinrich is to limit his minutes. Playing fewer than 30 minutes a night, Kirk's shooting statistics have risen to career-bests. Even at age 33, he's still a very good role player especially because he can defend both guard positions. I think the veteran minimum of around $1.5M is fair for Captain Kirk.
Next I would try and re-sign DJ Augustine. He has returned to form as a creative attacking scorer who, while inefficient, can put points on the board off the bench. He's earned Thib's trust as an "irrational confidence guy", and has played enough defense to stay on the court. I'd offer him a chunk of my remaining cap space to stay, say $1.5M, but I wouldn't chase him if another team offered him a lucrative deal.
Finally, I'd use my last scrap of cap space to sign a cheap big man to replace Nazr Mohammed. Greg Smith of the Houston Rockets is one example; he's young, long, and shown some flashes as a rebounder and rim protector. Buried on the bench behind Dwight Howard and former Bull Omer Asik, the market for his services will probably be depressed.
End game
After all these wheelings and dealings, here's what my roster looks like:
PG: Rose, DJ
Wings: Butler, Hinrich, Dunleavy, Snell
Bigs: Noah, Gibson, Mirotic, Greg Smith
Other: Two first round rookies and one second round rookie
Two All-NBA first team candidates in Rose and Noah. The league's second best coach (after Pop). A deep and battle-proven group of role players, lead by Gibson and Butler. A wildcard with tons of potential in Mirotic. Two top-20 picks in a potentially great draft. This recipe is good enough at both ends to contend for a title, and it's all possible under the salary cap, let alone the tax line.
