If you look back at my final player rankings for the 2011-12 Milwaukee Bucks, there was a fair amount of depth but there are no
real superstars. Unfortunately the NBA is driven by stars and it
doesn't look like any big time free agents will ever sign in Milwaukee
so my 10 suggestions for Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond
are all reasonable moves to give the 2012-13 Milwaukee Bucks a chance to make the playoffs. Much like I did last year but in a more streamlined fashion this year; here is what
Hammond should do this off-season:
#10) Exercise the $762,195 team option for Jon Leuer and the $3.5
million team option for Shaun Livingston for next season: Both of those
guys are a bargain at those prices, which makes this the no-brainer
decision of the off-season.
#9) Despite desperately needing a true center, say goodbye to Kwame
Brown and his $7 million expiring contract: Brown was essentially a salary
inclusion in the Ellis/Udoh for Bogut Trade since Brown
never actually played for the Bucks. I am almost positive that it is
against NBA rules to sign a player for $1, but even that feels like it
would be overpaying for Brown.
#8) Dangle Jon Brockman and his $1 million expiring contract for the
2012-13 season for a second-round pick: This isn't just because
Hammond has had more hits in the second round (The Prince and Jon Leuer)
than the first round (Brandon Jennings). I actually think second round
picks are an undervalued commodity in the NBA because those players are
paid very little money by NBA standards for the first few years and
teams usually have the right to match any offer those players receive
for their second contract. Plus the Bucks are much better off with an
extra pick in the second round in the 2012 NBA Draft than Brockman
riding the pine for the 2012-13 season.
#7) Read my previews of the players the Bucks should target in the
first and second round of the 2012 NBA Draft on the last two Wednesdays
before the 2012 NBA Draft: No I don't have a big ego but I do love all professional drafts so Hammond and Company should benefit from that love.
#6) Create some competition between
Ekpe Udoh and Larry Sanders for the back-up tweener power forward/center
spot behind Drew Gooden: Sadly Hammond fails to learn from his
mistakes so he keeps amassing borderline centers that project more as
power forwards instead of investing in an actual center (wait for #2
though because I have a solution for the center position). Until the
Bucks wise up, they will be in no man's land literally and figuratively
at the center position.
#5) Feel out Monta Ellis's agent to see what Ellis is currently
thinking about doing with his $11 million player option for the 2013-14
NBA season: If the Bucks play well next season, there is a decent
chance that Ellis picks up his player option. If the Bucks struggle,
Ellis will most likely decline his option so that he can test the free
agent market. Don't get me wrong, Ellis is a flawed NBA player since
his offensive prowess outshines his defensive output but is the
perfect irrational confidence guy on a talented team (i.e. a great third
banana) but is currently the first or second banana on the roster. Plus Ellis is the best shooting guard the Bucks have had since
Ray Allen, which is a direct knock on Michael Redd.
#4) Gauge the trade market for Mike Dunleavey Jr: As I said at the start of the season, I am not a fan of Dunleavey for very
petty reasons but he earned my respect last season. Add in that
Dunleavey is only (I say only by NBA standards since I am positive I
will never earn $3.75 million in my entire life) scheduled to earn $3.75
million and he is the perfect 6th or 7th guy off the bench for a
contender. Any of the current contenders would be much better off with
Dunleavey than any non-lottery draft pick (that
means any pick after the 14th pick in the first round) they could add in the 2012 NBA Draft so
Hammond should actively try to trade Dunleavey while his value is high.
#3) Low-ball Carlos Delfino to see if the Bucks can keep him on the
roster at
a relatively modest price: When you take into account injuries and raw
physical talent, Dunleavey is more valuable than
Delfino right now so that means the Bucks should try to sign Delfino for
less than $3.75 million a year or they will be overpaying for Delfino.
Fortunately for Delfino but unfortunately for Bucks fans Hammond has
had a thing for Delfino since the Detroit Pistons drafted Delfino with
the 25th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Yes that is the same draft that
the Pistons took Darko Milicic with the 2nd pick instead of Carmelo Anthony (3rd overall), Chris Bosh (4th overall), Dwyane Wade (5th overall), or David West (18th overall). I guess the only good news is that luckily Hammond hasn't tried to add Milicic to the roster.
#2) Sign two, you read that correctly, two offer sheets for
restricted free agent centers: First offer Roy Hibbert an extravagant
front-end loaded long-term contract. When the Indiana Pacers match that
contract, offer Omer Asik 50% of what you offered Hibbert. Obviously
Hibbert would be a much bigger coup thus carries a much higher price tag
than Asik but both players could start at center right now for the
2012-13 Milwaukee Bucks so adding either would be a great deal. Most
likely Hibbert and Asik will re-sign with their current team but since
both are division "rivals" (Pacers and Bulls respectively) the Bucks
would be dumb not to drive their price up at the very least and hit a
home run on the off chance that they could lure either center to
Milwaukee.
#1) Presuming that neither Hibbert or Asik actually sign with the
Bucks, offer what feels like slightly below the already inflated market
value for Ersan Ilyasova: That seems like horrible advice but since
Ilyasova is the quintessential good stats on a bad team guy last year,
he is one of the most overrated players heading for the free agent
market. Throughout the season I sung Ilyasova's praises but the last
thing the Bucks need to do is overpay for a guy that will never be a
franchise guy. Much like Ellis, Ilyasova would be a great a third or
fourth banana just not a first or second banana so he doesn't deserve to be paid like a first or second banana. That is a long way of saying that
Ilyasova deserves to be paid about or not much more than the mid-level
exception. Trust me, Ilyasova will make much more, I'm just telling you
what he should be paid on the open market.
The ten point plan seems very doable in theory. Let's hope Hammond and Company considers following at least some of my advice.
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