VCoug wrote:There are two different exceptions we could use to resign Aldrich this Summer. There is the taxpayer MLE which starts around $3M/year and can be split up amongst multiple players. We also have his Non-Bird rights which would allow us to resign him at a salary starting at 120% of his salary this year or the minimum, whichever is higher. I believe that we could offer him a contract starting at about $1.099M which is 120% of the minimum for a player with 4 years experience. The only other way to resign him is if he agreed to another year at the minimum; the other exceptions aren't available to us because we're too far over the luxury tax.Ideally, he'd agree to a Non-Bird contract and we could use the MLE on a different player(s).
Ok, there ya go. Just wanted to see that we had options above a vet minimum deal. Didn't know if the non-Bird was for non-tax paying teams only, etc, etc.. Bottom line and we saw more of it last night -- Cole Aldrich is a very capable NBA 5-man that brings a lot to the table. Well above average rebounder and rim protector and not too terrible around the basket offensively. If we could get him to come back for a deal starting around $2mm, come back in a little better shape, etc. -- I wouldn't even mind if the next coach (Kerr?) started him in the middle next year. If we could re-sign Aldrich, add another decent, well-rounded 7' on the cheap somewhere to split time with Cole (Marcus Cousin?), grab one more PF on the cheap somewhere (a guy like Richard Howell, a DeJuan Blair clone I've had my eye on for some time now or a guy like Jamelle Hagins maybe?), maybe another cheap SF with size & talent (Devin Ebanks?), I think that might be all we need to remodel the frontcourt for next season. Then we could focus our MLE on a sensible PG upgrade (someone like Patty Mills). And just my personal opinion -- Aldrich (at increased minutes, say in the 25 min/night range) along with a guy like Marcus Cousin is so much more value than Chandler alone playing 35 mins a night. Come up with some sensible upgrades like this for the 5-spot and deal Chandler for help in other areas. All for it...Then maybe trade Shumpert to get into the low end of the 1st round this draft for another PG projected to go late 1st/early 2nd(Russ Smith, Deonte Burton?). That would be my plan to maximize a re-tool around a re-signed Carmelo Anthony (if we indeed retain Melo) on the limited budget we'll be working with (including no draft picks this year)..Here's hoping this is what Phil meant by 'shaking the bushes' for talent. We can do an awful lot going the bargain-bin route. I've always thought that..
