GAME 71: DAL(43-28) vs. CHA (36-35) | 108-129 loss

[SleepingHero]

Not meaning to pick on you SH, but I think quite a few people here spend way too much time worrying about roster spots outside of the top 8.  7 to 8 players is all that will play in the playoffs.  Guys making around $3 million isn't enough over the minimum to matter that much. The roster spots have to be filled.  Does it really matter that Brown and the rest makes an extra million or so?  Heck, I've even read one guy who was complaining about Josh Green getting a $141,000 pay raise next season.

We have three ball handlers that matter.  We have four wings that matter and probably need three in the playoffs.  We have two bigs that matter.  That's 8 and we are paying Bertans as part of the price of moving on from KP or getting Dinwiddie depending how you interpret things.  Someone like Chriss and Burke are necessary for injuries and foul issues.  Unless Brown, Frank and Boban have enough value to upgrade one of the top 8, it just doesn't matter that they make $3 million instead of $1-point-something million.  

I actually don't mind getting picked on if my ideas are getting challenged! Keep it coming.

I actually agree with what you said above. And also agree that the last 3-4 roster spots are "break in case of emergency" type of deal. But I just think we could get guys who have a better talent level for the same money than what we have right now. Burke is not a good NBA player. We'd be better off signing Dragic for the vet min this summer. Heck even career journeyman DJ Augustin would be a better fit imo, and both would cost half what Burke makes now. Sterling Brown hasn't done a single thing correct in nearly 2 months, and I could possibly count on my hand the positive plays he's had all year. A total waste of 3 mil and I'd rather develop a rookie than have him on the roster.

I don't mind Frank and I'm fine with keeping him. Boban is fine since he's an obvious culture guy. Chriss is okay too. 

Replacing Burke+Brown with a one year 10yr vet deal (1.7 mil ish..?) and rookie contract is at least 2-3 mil of savings which isn't insignificant at least to me. 
Raising our floor while cutting costs only makes sense to me. Burke and Brown aren't NBA players and are getting paid 2x what they deserve.

The real question is whether there is a realistic path in the near term that allows us to upgrade a spot without giving up too much.

I agree this is the main question that's also on my mind and all the rest is ancillary.

Like you pointed out the biggest position of need is a big. The assets they use (THJ, Maxi, RB, Green etc.) to get there just depends on how the playoffs shake out and who falls to us at the draft.

If a guy like Mark Williams or Walker Kessler is there at 23 are we clamoring to overpay for a guy like Holmes? Though that opens up a whole other bag of questions like can we trust a rookie center to play meaningful minutes on a team ready to take the next step.