Here's what the roster would look like after what I'd consider a PERFECT SEMI-REALISTIC off-season.

PG: Mike Conley - gives a hometown discount and signs $95M/5yr. deal to help team build a competitive roster.
SG: Tony Allen
SF: Thaddeus Young - trade Brandan Wright & 2016 #17 pick for Thaddeus Young and Willie Reed (cheap throw-in)
PF: Pau Gasol - sell him on finishing his career where he started alongside his brother. Sign to a $27M/3yr. contract
C: Marc Gasol

---------------------------------------------------
C: Zach Randolph - sell him on being a key reserve at a position that fits his style in a changing NBA game. Also allows him to finish career in the city that he loves.
PG: Mario Chalmers - resign to a $15M/3yr. deal
SG: Lance Stephenson - not much of a market for Born Ready, I'd imagine. Great fit here. Decline Team Option & resign to a $10M/2yr. deal with a player option for the 3rd year.
SF: Mike Miller - Bring him back to play key, LIMITED minutes. Sign to the veteran's minimum. One year deal @ a little over 1.5M
PF: JaMychal Green
PF: Jarrell Martin
C: Willie Reed - throw in via BKN trade. Cheap 3rd big. Only 26 years old too.
PG: Xavier Munford - cheap, young 3rd PG
SF: Dorian Finney-Smith - 57th pick in 2016 Draft


That would essentially give us a very flexible & talented 8-man rotation, with some very capable guys able to give quality spot minutes (Miller, Ja. Green, and Martin)

Reed, Munford & Finney-Smith could easily be subbed for Alex Stepheson, Andrew Harrison, and DJ Stephens as far as I'm concerned. Just need cheap, young guys to fill out the bottom of the roster.

That roster, plus cutting Jordan Adams & Vince Carter (saves us $2M) would put us just over the $94M salary cap but I think puts us squarely in the conversation for 3rd best team in the West.

An 8-man rotation of:

Conley, Allen (SG/SF), Young (SF/PF), The Gasol Bros (PF/C), Z-Bo (C/PF), Lance (1-3), and Chalmers (PG/SG) gives us a lot of flexibility. That's key in today's NBA.

Welp, this exercise was short lived.

Nets traded Thad Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick and a 2nd rounder. Hard to believe we didn't try harder than that - a 28 year old combo-forward that averages nearly a double double. Would help immediately.

Can't imagine our draft pick at #17 being that guy...

But his salary is $12M per, so that may be a sign that Mike isn't going to give us a discount. Can't bring on a big number contract right now if we don't know that...

(06-23-2016 01:14 PM)HometownTiger Wrote:  Welp, this exercise was short lived.

Nets traded Thad Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick and a 2nd rounder. Hard to believe we didn't try harder than that - a 28 year old combo-forward that averages nearly a double double. Would help immediately.

Can't imagine our draft pick at #17 being that guy...

But his salary is $12M per, so that may be a sign that Mike isn't going to give us a discount. Can't bring on a big number contract right now if we don't know that...

They're going to max Conley.

Draft a bum.

And same old, same old.

SMH

People sure do overrate Thad Young

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

He's had solid career numbers on multiple playoff teams...

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and .5 blocks per game over an 8 year career is a really solid NBA player, especially given he has been on multiple playoff teams...

(06-23-2016 01:23 PM)HoopDreams Wrote:  

(06-23-2016 01:14 PM)HometownTiger Wrote:  Welp, this exercise was short lived.

Nets traded Thad Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick and a 2nd rounder. Hard to believe we didn't try harder than that - a 28 year old combo-forward that averages nearly a double double. Would help immediately.

Can't imagine our draft pick at #17 being that guy...

But his salary is $12M per, so that may be a sign that Mike isn't going to give us a discount. Can't bring on a big number contract right now if we don't know that...

They're going to max Conley.

Draft a bum.

And same old, same old.

SMH

Conley may give a discount. But it might be 90% of max instead of max.

At the least, he'd get the same sized contract as Marc.

To be honest, I'm conflicted if I'd rather just offer a reasonable deal for his abilities, experience, and a reward for being better than his past contract, and if he walks and gets overpaid by someone else, so be it. We aren't winning a championship unless Wade and Deyonta end up being the best picks in NBA draft history, we sign free agents who are beyond great, and Fizzdale coaches from the start like Steve Kerr. If we can't win a championship, why lock up the cap space on a player who would be more overpaid than Rudy Gay was? Our draft situation is screwed, but it might be worth it to look to mediocrity with a last hurrah for grit-n-grind and be ready for a reset when Marc's contract expires (possibly trading Marc in two years).

@GaryBedore Brannen Greene will be playing summer league ball for the Memphis Grizzlies, his agency confirms. Scouts say he has NBA skill - shooting

The attributes that will be Greene's ticket to a professional career — whether in the NBA or elsewhere — are his size and his lethal jump shot. The 6-foot-7 guard shot 49.2 percent from behind the arc this season and 42.2 percent from his career, good enough to make him one of college basketball's most feared perimeter marksmen.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-...08603.html

(06-28-2016 01:39 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and .5 blocks per game over an 8 year career is a really solid NBA player, especially given he has been on multiple playoff teams...

WGAS - he's not coming to Memphis.

Former Texas Longhorns basketball player Jonathan Holmes will get a second NBA opportunity as he will join the Memphis Grizzlies' summer league team.

Holmes, who played at Texas from 2012-15, earned a training camp invite with the Los Angeles Lakers last year, but a shoulder injury derailed his chances to make the roster.

A 6-foot-9, 242-pound forward, Holmes can play inside or out for a team at either the 3 or the 4. Holmes averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds over his four-year career at Texas.

Holmes played for the Boston Celtics in the summer league last year and averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds, while shooting 46.4 percent behind the arc to earn the attention of the Lakers.

The 2016 NBA summer league will take place from July 8-18 in Las Vegas.

@Justin_Albers

Former Butler guard Kellen Dunham (@KellenDunham24) tells me he will play with the Memphis Grizzlies in Summer League.

He is an extremely efficient shooter (43.8% from the field and 42.9% from three) and his shooting ability made him such a dangerous threat whenever he touched the ball. He’s not just a spot up shooter, as Dunham showed that he has a pull--up jumper game as well. It was extremely beneficial for Dunham to develop this game considering he could just pump fake off a catch and shoot, go right past the defender, and pull up for a simple mid-range jump shot. He has insane range and can hit a shot from anywhere on the court.

Dunham is one of those "microwave" type shooters as he gets hot in a hurry and doesn’t stop when he gets going. His ability to create space between him and his defender, whether it is off a screen or not, is what makes him such a good shooter. When you give him space on a jump shot, it’s usually going in. Dunham is also a very good free throw shooter and it allowed him to stay on the court during late game situations when Butler needed to knock down key free throws to seal a game.

(06-29-2016 08:02 AM)HometownTiger Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 01:39 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:36 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  People sure do overrate Thad Young

If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and .5 blocks per game over an 8 year career is a really solid NBA player, especially given he has been on multiple playoff teams...

Has he ever played on a playoff team? All I remember is the Sixers and Nets. I like Thad as a 6th or 7th man but to give up a draft pick for him would be ridiculous. He's a 6-7 4 man

(06-29-2016 11:45 AM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-29-2016 08:02 AM)HometownTiger Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 01:39 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:41 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  If anything he is constantly underrated. 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals and .5 blocks per game last year. That is a really solid player...

Who did he play for?

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and .5 blocks per game over an 8 year career is a really solid NBA player, especially given he has been on multiple playoff teams...

Has he ever played on a playoff team? All I remember is the Sixers and Nets. I like Thad as a 6th or 7th man but to give up a draft pick for him would be ridiculous. He's a 6-7 4 man

Yes, went to the playoffs with Philadelphia 4 times and with the Nets last year, so 5 out of his 8 years in the league...

Personally, I would have given up a late teens pick that lands a completely unproven rookie for a 28 year old forward coming who can immediately contribute around 15 points and 10 rebounds. Does not really matter though since the Pacers traded for him.

(06-29-2016 12:04 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-29-2016 11:45 AM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  

(06-29-2016 08:02 AM)HometownTiger Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 01:39 PM)Tygrys Wrote:  

(06-28-2016 12:49 PM)Brother Bluto Wrote:  Who did he play for?

14 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and .5 blocks per game over an 8 year career is a really solid NBA player, especially given he has been on multiple playoff teams...

Has he ever played on a playoff team? All I remember is the Sixers and Nets. I like Thad as a 6th or 7th man but to give up a draft pick for him would be ridiculous. He's a 6-7 4 man

Yes, went to the playoffs with Philadelphia 4 times and with the Nets last year, so 5 out of his 8 years in the league...

Personally, I would have given up a late teens pick that lands a completely unproven rookie for a 28 year old forward coming who can immediately contribute around 15 points and 10 rebounds. Does not really matter though since the Pacers traded for him.

We already have a guy that does that

Grizz need shooting and ball handling