Should we offer Nikola Pekovic a big contract this offseason?

[Roon]

This guy is going to get some big contract offers this off season, supposedly the Trail Blazers are very interested already. He will probably command anywhere from $44-50 million over 4 years. He is averaging 16 PPG and nearly 9 RPG without Kevin Love beside him. Obviously, this guy could be a focus of a low post offensive game plan. The only flaw I see in his game is his lack of shot-blocking ability. However, we could have Biz slide into that role of shot-blocker extraordinare, a la Serge Ibaka.

The front office needs to show the fan base that they are willing to make some kind of move that puts us in the position to win. I believe that Pekovic is exactly the type of player that we need as we are in dire straits for a low post presence.

Give me Shabazz and Plumlee in the draft while adding Pekovic in free agency and I would call it an overwhelming success. I wouldn't mind seeing us add a scoring, veteran SF that could come off the bench as well (someone in the mold of a Stephen Jackson skillset).

What do you all think?

[BrotherDave]

Absolutely. If I had to throw max money at anybody, I'd throw it at him (not saying much out of this year's FAs). He's easily worth 10M per. His game is exactly what the Cat's need. He is already 27 though BUT unlike a Josh Smith or Paul Millsap, his game isn't built around athleticism. And he's more durable than Jefferson, although Jefferson is arguably a better overall player.

[StakJak]

Yes a million times

[Ezell]

Yep,with the FA pool being what it is.... id love Shabazz/Big in the draft and giving Pek the $$$ to anchor down the middle for the longterm. Not to mention the 10's of Montenegrin' Americans that probably live in and around the Charlotte area would show up!

[Plowright]

He isn't a "sexy" player, he doesnt get dunks or do anything fancy, he isn't overly athletic, but he gets stuff done... I wouldn't really want to give him a max, but were going to have to if we want him

[SWedd523]

If we offer any FA the max, I want it to be him.

[JGib23]

Looks like I'm alone on this one. I think he's a nice player but, not a max player.

I know we are desperate to make a splash but, this guy isn't a max player, he's a pretty good player. Were talking about giving max dollars or near max dollars to a player that's
A. Not an All Star
B. Not young with a high ceiling capable of becoming an All Star.

What happens in 3 years when Kemba is looking for an extension? I don't want to see us put in a situation like OKC or Memphis where we make trades that let the better talent leave because of the luxury tax.

I think if we are patient and preserve our cap space, we will be put in a position where we can get a superior talent from a team desperate to avoid the lux tax.

I'd love to have Pekovic but not at 10+ million per year.

[superb1]

Agreeable. I don't think we should offer a max contract but do go after him. He is definitely not an All Star max contract type player.

sent from the pseudo GM offices of the Charlotte Hornets

[Bogg]

I mean, he'd make a huge difference if Charlotte picked it up, but it doesn't really matter if they offer him or not. Minnesota's matching, and he's a restricted free agent. So......I don't really think it's worth tying up all your cap room for a few days.

[SWedd523]

He'd be a max player if he wasn't thee second option to Kevin Love.

With Love going for 20-25 and 12-15 every night, there isn't a lot of food left on the table for big Pek. As the main guy on a team, he could easily be a nightly 20/10 threat. He has the size, girth, and strength to be an immovable object in the post and has the intelligence to run a team oriented attack based around the high p&r with Kemba. He'd be an all-star on this roster for sure.

He's a young 27 by NBA standards in that this is only his third year in the league and has shown a marked improvement in each year to the point where he's a 16/9 guy as the second big man on his team. His game isn't predicated on athleticism and bigs usually last longer anyway. He'll be more than capable of playing at a high level for the 4 years we'll be able to offer

Besides, he's just about the same age as the other big-ish name FAs we've talked about. Josh Smith is 27, Al Jefferson 28, Paul Millsap 27, hell even Tyer Hansbrough



Kemba isn't a max player, so having Pek making the max (or close to it) won't be an issue. It's not like we hve a ton of long term money locked into other guys, so the flexibility is there for us to be creative.