89 FA Preview

[the goat]

Once again, free agency is upon us. Here's a quick rundown of some teams to watch for and the players to (over)pay.

5 Teams to Watch

Orlando Magic - For the third year in a row, the Magic head into FA with oodles of cap space. Hopefully, players will be more intrigued by the Florida taxes and Disney World tickets this time, because the team needs help everywhere. Most of the good free agents are near 30 or older, but there are some younger good players that would fit Pooh's timeline. For example, Wayman Tisdale could be a great option, as the Magic already tried to get him in a vetoed trade.

Seattle SuperSonics - The Sonics are an enigma. From the outside, it seems like the organization is still in the middle of a drawn-out rebuild. But the recent moves to trade down in the draft for more picks and veterans would suggest otherwise. If the Sonics are planning to fight for the playoffs this year, signing players who can chew gum and play basketball would be a good start. Someone who can score and defend at a high level, like Michael Ray Richardson, could add some needed competence to the team.

Portland Trailblazers - The Blazers added a promising big man to go with MJ in the draft, but they could use another stud if they want to go back to the Finals. Luckily for them, Jim Brogan is available to be had. The last time Brogan paired with MJ, the team made it to the promised land. So why not have a reunion? If Brogan is not a priority, the Blazers could look to bolster their big man depth.

Phoenix Suns - The Suns have been biding their time and making shrewd moves the past few years. Now they have a chance to bolster their promising young team with some heady veterans. The Suns have no obvious holes in their roster, but someone like Steve Stipanovich could be a good addition, as he could hold down the paint while Divac develops.

Washingon Bullets - When was the last time you heard any buzz about the Bullets? (Other than when they move up in the draft lotto). The Bullets have largely gone under the radar the last several seasons, but with 30 million in cap space and a nice core around Daugherty, they could dramatically change their outlook with a few key signings. A reliable big man like Bill Cartwright would add some needed scoring and rebounding.

Players Preview

2-Trick Pony: these guys will get buckets, play lockdown defense, and maybe give you a little something extra.
Darrell Griffith SG 6'4'' 190 31 A- B B- A+ C- B
Micheal Ray Richardson SF 6'5'' 189 34 A- C B+ A- C+
Reggie Theus SG 6'6'' 200 32 B C+ B+ A C- B

Big guys: big guys who do big man things (like rebounding).
Mark McNamara C 6'11'' 235 30 C+ D D- A- A C
Bill Laimbeer C 6'11'' 260 32 B- C- C B+ A C
David Greenwood PF 6'9'' 230 32 B C C B- A- D
Darryl Dawkins C 6'11'' 252 33 B- C- D B- A- D

Big guys 2: big guys who do big man things (but less rebounding).
Steve Stipanovich C 6'11'' 245 29 B+ C C A- B+ C
Jon Koncak C 7'0'' 250 26 B C- C A- B C
Herb Williams PF 6'11'' 260 31 B C- D+ A- B- C
Wayman Tisdale PF 6'9'' 240 25 B+ C- C B B- B

Beefy wings: well-rounded with good defense and rebounding, and maybe a touch of scoring.
Larry Nance SF 6'10'' 235 30 A- C- C- A B- C
Orlando Woolridge SF 6'9'' 215 29 B+ C- C B+ B- C

Plug-and-play wings: guys who can score a bit and should hold up enough on defense.
Mario Gress SF 6'9'' 236 30 B- A- C B C- D
Calvin Duncan SG 6'4'' 195 28 A- C- C- A- C B
Chris Mullin SF 6'6'' 200 26 C+ A- C A- C C
Otis Birdsong SG 6'4'' 195 34 B+ C+ C B+ C- D

Point guards: some bucket getters, and some who can barely dribble the ball.
Jim Brogan PG 6'4'' 185 31 C+ B+ B+ A- C B
Terry Porter PG 6'3'' 195 26 C+ B+ B+ B+ D B
Maurice Cheeks PG 6'1'' 180 33 C+ C+ B+ A+ D+ D
Norm Nixon PG 6'2'' 175 34 C+ C- A- A- D D

1-Trick Pony: either good at scoring or good at defense, but not both. Or they're just really old.
Adrian Dantley SG 6'5'' 208 34 A- C B- C+ C- D
Dudley Bradley SG 6'6'' 195 32 C+ C+ B A+ C C
Mike Mitchell SF 6'7'' 215 34 B+ C C B- C D
Freeman Williams SG 6'4'' 190 33 B- B+ C+ B D+ B

Predictions: Hearts will be broken, hopes will be dashed, and the Orlando Magic will finally sign somebody.

[lukeyrid13]

Good stuff. Great article and it works as a good summary for both FA but also some teams and what their needs are as well.

[the goat]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

[FlDuckFan]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

[Foxyg1396]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

It seems like most overpaid so that’s good at least

[the goat]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

It seems like most overpaid so that’s good at least

I dunno, overpaying can be pretty fun

[bellsduck]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

Ha. If you never overpay you will never sign anyone.

[FlDuckFan]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

Ha. If you never overpay you will never sign anyone.

There's a difference in over paying someone and throwing money at the wrong players in order to just sign someone. There's no use in me paying a guy over 32 a ton of money when even the addition of that player won't help me compete.

[lukeyrid13]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

Ha. If you never overpay you will never sign anyone.

There's a difference in over paying someone and throwing money at the wrong players in order to just sign someone. There's no use in me paying a guy over 32 a ton of money when even the addition of that player won't help me compete.

However, if you signed say: Jim Brogan, Laimbeer and Theus. You could have traded them all for 1-2 picks each. Stockpile the picks, suck again this year, and then in 2-3 seasons your young guys will be better, you'll have multiple picks to trade and still have a ton of cap space to sign more players.

[jibbajabba614]

Wow, I really thought the Magic would change their fortunes this year. Still rooting for ya.

Can this get some more votes? Thank you

It wasn't for a lack of trying. It wasn't a very good FA class though and I sought some advice to avoid over paying.

Ha. If you never overpay you will never sign anyone.

There's a difference in over paying someone and throwing money at the wrong players in order to just sign someone. There's no use in me paying a guy over 32 a ton of money when even the addition of that player won't help me compete.

However, if you signed say: Jim Brogan, Laimbeer and Theus. You could have traded them all for 1-2 picks each. Stockpile the picks, suck again this year, and then in 2-3 seasons your young guys will be better, you'll have multiple picks to trade and still have a ton of cap space to sign more players.

Yeah but the picks you get end up 20-29, so it goes both ways. I don’t plan on overpaying unless I’m getting an all star caliber player. I can always resign my guys to 1 yr deals and trade 2 first once I draft one or two all stars, sign 1 all star and trade for one all star. Always been my motto. Would be nice to just sign 3 all stars and be stuck paying them for 6 yrs. good if their worth it.

[offtheheezy]

Can't wait for the +5 to Larry Smith's quickness so he can play SF better.

[Craig]

Can't wait for the +5 to Larry Smith's quickness so he can play SF better.

He's gonna +5 Phil Ford's shot blocking lol

[the goat]

What if instead of claiming a +5, I claimed a -5?

[DrBradBuss]

Maybe you should trade that +5 points

[the goat]

Maybe you should trade that +5 points

Now there's an idea

Hey Ownage, what are the rules on trading points? Follow up: can I "bank" my points for later use?

(please say yes so I have an incentive to write more content for the league )