2023 NBA Free Agency Thread

[Fosto]

If you were in on Brown at 30% (normal max) and out at 35% (what he got) then you were likely never really in on him. Ideally you pay less than 35% but can't always get guys perfectly paid. Paying 7-10M more per year on Brown is not what will "hamstring" Boston. Its having both Tatum and Brown AND paying $30M to the zinger, $20M a piece to Brogdon and White... and not really having the low cost contributors anymore. You can build a contender around Tatum and Brown even if they take up 70% of your cap space. You go into the tax, find budget pieces, and it isn't easy... but this is not the deal that will hamstring them imo.

Well, they also have KP. Between the three of them, they'll be eating up 100% of Boston's cap space.

 

[Udidthizz]

I don’t see Brown as a number 1 on a contender. His dribbling TO’s cost Boston dearly in the playoffs and Tatum is clearly their nr. 1. I’m also not convinced (yet) that Lauri is a number 1 on a contender. We’d have a lot of money tied up in 2 guys that are probably best suited to be a 2nd option on a contender.

 

[infection]

I don’t see Brown as a number 1 on a contender. His dribbling TO’s cost Boston dearly in the playoffs and Tatum is clearly their nr. 1. I’m also not convinced (yet) that Lauri is a number 1 on a contender. We’d have a lot of money tied up in 2 guys that are probably best suited to be a 2nd option on a contender.

How many guys in the league are real #1s on a contender? The problem is, once something becomes realistic you start getting cold feet. There are really just a couple guys that you can’t make some reasonable arguments about their flaws. And a lot of it is a survival bias. I’m nice you win, the perception changes.

 

[underdog]

Lauri is unlikely to qualify for the supermax and after one season is definitely not a no brainer at this point. The good news is that if he qualifies for it then it means that he has taken his game to another level. With Brown I'm not so sure he has another level. He is a very good player but with a trade kicker you are talking about around 70mil a year and of the course the treasure trove of assets that you move for him.

70 mill a year? Boston would pay the trade kicker bonus, not Utah, right?

 

[underdog]

I get that Boston had to pay up, but I'm glad it's not the Jazz who are paying Brown 60m a year.

Yeah a lot of dough, but he should have his best years ahead of him, time will tell if it’s too much. Here is the breakdown on his super max:

2024-2025 $52,368,085

2025-2026 $56,557,532

2026-2027 $60,746,979

2027-2028 $64,936,425

2028-2029 $69,125,872

Total $303,734,893

 

[underdog]

I don’t see Brown as a number 1 on a contender. His dribbling TO’s cost Boston dearly in the playoffs and Tatum is clearly their nr. 1. I’m also not convinced (yet) that Lauri is a number 1 on a contender. We’d have a lot of money tied up in 2 guys that are probably best suited to be a 2nd option on a contender.

I certainly think Lauri could be a number 1 on a contender team in his prime years (when he’s 27-30). He’s only 26 now. Jaylen Brown is entering his prime years, and he is also expected to get better. But most likely Brown will stay in Boston now for a while at least (unless he requests a trade at some point or Boston can’t succeed with his and Tatum’s contracts making the rest of the team too thin).

 

[LogGrad98]

Yeah a lot of dough, but he should have his best years ahead of him, time will tell if it’s too much. Here is the breakdown on his super max:

2024-2025 $52,368,085

2025-2026 $56,557,532

2026-2027 $60,746,979

2027-2028 $64,936,425

2028-2029 $69,125,872

Total $303,734,893

In-****ing-sane.

 

[infection]

I would also say that for a team like us to have a contending window, the length of a contract would be more important than the dollar figure. I’m not saying the dollar figure is irrelevant, but what I am saying is something like being anxious about your credit being hit refinancing your house because maybe you’ll buy a car later. A good interest rate on a car definitely makes a difference, but when you’re talking about a point or two on a $500-700k loan, it dwarfs a larger variance of interest rates on your $30-50k car loan. Paying a large amount for a high end player isn’t ideal, but having them under control for multiple years gives you a different type of flexibility that I’d find preferable to having a few million more of wiggle room in the cap. Yes, we should always look over these things carefully, but let’s not lose sight of the overall picture. We’re not going to get a Lexus roster on Toyota pricing.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I get that Boston had to pay up, but I'm glad it's not the Jazz who are paying Brown 60m a year.

At least he’s 26, not 33, and can defend at least one position.

 

[Fosto]

At least he’s 26, not 33, and can defend at least one position.

For sure. It is what it is. His market value is the super max, and Boston would've had to either pay it or let an all star level player just walk. I get it, but I'm glad it's not a decision the Jazz had to make.

 

[framer]

2nd Team All-NBA

26.6 PPG
6.9 RPG
3.5 APG

Great on the defensive end. Not sure what more you are expecting from him but he’s definitely worth the money. Are you insinuating we shouldn’t max Lauri when the time comes?

Maybe I'm expecting the ability to go left?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Maybe I'm expecting the ability to go left?

I suppose we just define every player by their most glaring weakness... so we shouldn't max Lauri when the time comes because we expect a player to be an above average playmaker? Jokic can't protect the rim... we don't want that problem... Giannis can't even shoot... eff outta here scrub. Luka is cute and all but defense is 50% of the game... no thanks.

Dudes shot disappeared on him in the Eastern Conference Finals... it happens. He's still one of the 20-25 most valuable players in the league if you want to win a title. If Celtics offered him in a trade right now on his current contract DA would give up a good chunk of his draft assets for the right to "overpay" him.