Future of Bobcats

[iowabobcat]

I've wanted to do this for a while now but I wanted to wait until after the trade deadline had passed. Just wanted to know what everybody's opinion was about our future with our current roster. Basically what I am going to do is list who I think is 1) Not in our future (done after this season) 2) Short-Term (1-2 seasons) 3) Long-Term (3+ seasons). Than list who I want to see drafted and free agent targets.

Jeff Adrien- Short Term (Deserves 1 year deal to be at end of the bench)
Bismack Biyombo- Long-Term (Not a bust! He's improving just needs more time)
DeSagana Diop- No Future
Ben Gordon- Short-Term (1 year left on deal then done)
Brendan Haywood- Short-Term (Here until contract expires)
Gerald Henderson- No Future (Think he will cost to much for his skills)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- Long-Term (Will improve and become a force driving the lane)
Josh McRoberts- No Future
Byron Mullens- Long-Term (Spend money to keep him, might not be starter though)
Ramon Sessions- Long-Term (Having an above-average backup pg helps a lot)
Jeff Taylor- Long-Term (Will become great defender who can knock down 3s)
Tyrus Thomas- No Future (Amnesty needs to happen after season)
Kemba Walker- Long-Term (MUST KEEP HIM! All-Star PG in making)
Reggie Williams- No Future

In the draft I would use our 1st to get Ben McLemore and with the second 1st rounder (if we get it) Kelly Olynyk. In free agency I would go after Corey Brewer, Antwan Jamison, and Nikola Pekovic. The lineup next year would be:

PG- Walker, Sessions
SG- McLemore, Taylor, Gordon
SF- Kidd-Gilchrist, Brewer, Taylor
PF- Mullens, Jamison/Olynyk
C- Pekovic, Biyombo, Mullens

[Bogg]

1) No Future - Diop, Tyrus, Williams, McRoberts, Gordon

I just want to clarify that I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon was still here next year, but he's clearly only on the team until someone else will take him or his contract expires

2) Short Term - Sessions, Adrien, Mullens, Henderson, Taylor, Haywood

Sessions is going to have too much value next year as a productive expiring, and is too redundant with Kemba, to not trade him for value while we can. Henderson and Mullens are both due paydays this summer, so whether they're done with the team in two months or here for another half-decade depends entirely on what sort of price tag they wind up carrying and whether the team goes big or small in the draft. Likewise, Taylor depends entirely on what happens when his rookie contract is up - he's a great value on a minimum deal, but I wouldn't want to pay him $8 million a year to be a backup.

3) Long Term - Kemba, MKG, Biz

There may not even be a single all-star appearance made between the three of them, but Kemba and MKG are already solid young players, and Biyombo's potential payoff is worth more to Charlotte than any value he carries in a trade scenario. Any of the three could be had in the right trade, but these are the guys I would be focused on developing for the future.


EDIT: It's looking more and more unlikely that Charlotte winds up with Portland's first rounder this year, especially if it becomes clear that the Blazers would be better served tanking than trying in the last two weeks of the season. Brewer is redundant with MKG and you get enough rangy athleticism off the bench with Taylor as it is, not to mention that next years' top ten is heavy with small forwards. Also, whatever offer sheet Pekovic signs will be matched by Minnesota, so don't even bother tying up your free agent money for a couple days.

[iowabobcat]

I agree there is a good chance we don't get Portland's 1st rounder this year. I don't see them tanking though since this is years class is looked at as a weak draft by many and next years could be better and cost them more than this years. I know that MKG and Brewer are redundant but so is Iguodala and Brewer and it's working out fine with Denver. I think he could be a good addition as MKG's backup especially if MKG can't stay out of foul trouble next year. I think we need to take a shot at Pekovic and see if Minnesota matches because I don't think I would pay any other free agent big money, and if they don't match we fill a huge need. I think with the lineup I posted initially we could make a run at the 8th seed next year. Even if we do make the playoffs and lose our 1st, we should still get Detroit's first rounder.

[Bogg]

I agree there is a good chance we don't get Portland's 1st rounder this year. I don't see them tanking though since this is years class is looked at as a weak draft by many and next years could be better and cost them more than this years.

They're trying to keep Aldridge from demanding a trade, just payed Batum a whole bunch of money, and lucked into the rookie of the year by trading Gerald Wallace. Portland has a playoff-quality starting five, but is comically shallow and needs to round out their roster. They'll be happy drafting tenth and getting someone to anchor their bench now as opposed to waiting another year and risking an Aldridge trade demand.

I know that MKG and Brewer are redundant but so is Iguodala and Brewer and it's working out fine with Denver. I think he could be a good addition as MKG's backup especially if MKG can't stay out of foul trouble next year.

Denver didn't blow their cap space bringing in Brewer, however. If he's available on the cheap and won't eat into the teams' flexibility, then fine, but giving out medium-sized contracts to role players before your stars are in place is a good way to mire yourself in mediocrity.

I think we need to take a shot at Pekovic and see if Minnesota matches because I don't think I would pay any other free agent big money, and if they don't match we fill a huge need. I think with the lineup I posted initially we could make a run at the 8th seed next year. Even if we do make the playoffs and lose our 1st, we should still get Detroit's first rounder.

Minnesota's matching, and Pekovic will choose to sign an offer sheet with a different team anyway. The idea of acquiring him is a good one, but actually attempting to is going to be a waste of time and cap space. Remember when Indiana wasn't going to be able to afford to pay Roy Hibbert?

[iowabobcat]

Brewer is making 3.24 mil this year, if we could sign him to a 2-3 year deal for around that money I would do it.

[Bogg]

Brewer is making 3.24 mil this year, if we could sign him to a 2-3 year deal for around that money I would do it.

Yea, that's fair for a backup, my fear would be someone throwing mid-level money at him.

[SJackson1]

I see Kemba, MKG and Biyombo as our future star players and if we can get another gem in the draft we will be looking good in 3 years time !

[Bosnian-Bobcats-Fan]

Kemba MKG and Biz are our main core...add Jeff Taylor in there as well possibly mullens...and our 2013 and 2014 picks...we will have a solid team

[CableBoxCat]

If you're not on a rookie contract with a team option thru at least 2014-15, then you're not in the team's future. It's pretty much that simple.

[Wi11iWii]

I think Mullens and Jeff Taylor are both long term targets as well as Taylor will be relatively cheap to maintain even after his rookie deal is up and is versatile being able to play the 2 and the 3 and Mullens has shown much improvement this season especially on the boards and defensively as well as showing more comfort in the post. They should definitely try to keep him if they can and sign him long term before his potential peaks that way they can sign him cheap relative to what an average big with potential on any other team makes. Pekovic would be a great boost to the team but he is restricted so he might not be available. I'd like to see them go after Millsap and JJ Hickson as well but Jamison is pointless to have at such an old age on a team that won't be competing anytime soon. It would be amazing if we could get Josh Smith but that's simply unlikely.

I agree that we should definitely use the first pick on Mclemore but retaining Hendo would be nice especially since he is restricted free agent along with Mullens so we can match their deals but Hendo is expendable BJ isn't though. Looking at the roster you seem to want Taylor as more of a 2 so picking up Brewer is a smart move. We desperately need a big in free agency though. Someone already developed who can rebound and score in the paint. I just hope Pekovic is available. Him on the inside with Mullens playing on the perimeter gives use to towering big men with opposite play styles giving us a great combination for years. We'll need an extra SG too since Gordon is on the outs. Hopefully we can get a good deal for him with a draft pick for next year.