Looking at the numbers, it appears people here are changing their tune. This year may be too rich for our blood. Trey Burke is going to be a bargain option worth a draft pick. Shelvin Mack as well.
I have been saying 30% raise to the cap = 30% - 35% salary raise and it is coming true to some extent. There are people getting overpaid, but Mozgov was a 35% pay raise.
Also, hard thread to answer two because these guys won't make the same $$$.
DENG is the best player followed by Dudley, Harkless, then Hill. So, Deng is the obvious choice here. If all 4 were happy with a 2 year contract and it broke down from best to worst player as follows:
Deng: 2 year @ $15 per year (45% raise)
Dudley: 2 year @ $7 per year (50% raise)
Harkless: 2 year @ $4 per year (45% raise)
Hill: 2 year @ $2.5 per year (100% raise)
Now what do you do? I say if Luol Deng signs for 2 years, we are crazy not to grab him but I fear he wants 4 years and that would limit our options moving forward.
Dudley at $7 per year is a good pickup. Dudley @ $10 - $15 like some have suggested is not a good contract.
Harkless @ $4 million is a decent contract. $6 million would be crazy money, but he is a young player and perhaps he was going to get a 30% raise on the open market in spite of the salary bump, but more than $6 is insanity.
Hill is a real stretch. The Pacers didn't think he was worth $1.4 million this year. So... this $9 - $13 crap is insanity, but he is a younger player so again it's a little harder to evaluate worth. I guess I could see if we really liked the guy a contract for $3 - $5 million as desperate funny money or a way to hit our floor.
So, I say ALL in for Deng. Otherwise, bargain values will be available.
