So What if Felton Leaves...?
by MichaelProcton on Jun 11, 2009 8:39 PM EDT
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We all know that Raymond Felton's rookie contract is up, but this summer we have the opportunity to offer him at a 4th-pick slotted $5.5 million one-year deal for the right to match any contract offer he receives. I personally don't think we should keep him given his lack of development, our current long-term commitment to D.J. Augustin through his contract, and the potential combined cost of the two players at the same position, but that's neither here nor there for the purpose of this article. After the jump, I'll run down some options to replace him in the event he does leave town.
P.S.: This was originally a comment reply, but I put enough work into it that I felt like it should be an FP.
As far as I'm concerned, we don’t need a standout player as our backup (perhaps not even as good as Felton is at his best, when he’d be a good 6th man for a contender.)
We don’t have a draft pick in what has shown to be the premium backup PG range (picks 20-30), but with the weakness of this year’s draft, as well as these difficult economic times, it may be possible to package our two second-round picks and move into the back end of the 1st round to ease the burden of a guaranteed contract to some team. At this spot, we could grab a player like Ty Lawson, Patty Mills, or Darren Collison. All are experienced lead guards who have played big-time basketball (Mills for the Aussie national team if you doubt his level of competition at St. Mary’s.)
If we stay put in the second round, there are experienced guys like A.J. Price, Dominic James, and Jeremy Pargo who could do a solid job in a backup role.
In free agency, here are some options: Marquis Daniels, Anthony Carter, Keith Bogans, Ronnie Price, Bobby Jackson, Will Solomon, C.J. Watson, Jacque Vaughn, Jarrett Jack (RFA), Ramon Sessions (RFA.) I honestly don’t see any of those guys getting a $5.5 mil/yr deal from anybody.
Finally, a trade possibility: Jamaal Tinsley-for-Nazr Mohammed is one trade that could well be accepted. They’re looking for anything they can get for Tinsley, and he was a good player outside of his off-the-court issues. Mohammed didn’t do anything at all here once Larry Brown arrived (and not much before), so anything we got for TInsley (at roughly the same salary) would be a net gain.
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I like the overall point here (slow sarcastic clap on the pun). Unless we’re getting an impact player to be a “sixth starter”, there’s no point in shelling out money for him. We’re almost as likely to get reasonable backup PG production from a cheap free agent or a draft pick or one of the very best D-Leaguers as we are from our own guy who’s going to be paid millions more than any of those other options. Why pay millions when you might be able to get away with paying hundreds of thousands?
by David A. Arnott on Jun 12, 2009 9:39 AM EDT reply actions
This.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 12, 2009 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Also...
Do you have any idea if they’d be receptive at all to picking up the late-1st I mentioned?
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 12, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Give me two years of Bobby Jackson.
Case of the beet bandit. Missing beets from all over the farm, no footprints. Inside job. Mose in socks. Boom. Case closed. -Dwight Schrute
But also I would love if we got aggressive and moved into the late first round and got Patty Mills. I know he’s short but I think that guy will be better than Augustin over the length of their careers. I’ve got no way to prove this or back it up. Only an inane gut feeling.
Case of the beet bandit. Missing beets from all over the farm, no footprints. Inside job. Mose in socks. Boom. Case closed. -Dwight Schrute
He would be a good choice.
He’s a local guy (East Spencer), and he’d be the kind of steady veteran presence Larry Brown could trust to handle running the team at the end of the game if he needed to.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 12, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
No way on Tinsley
the guy has been in too much trouble.
Fair...
I actually intended to mention that they’d need to to a lot of background checking on him to see if it was a viable option.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 12, 2009 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Why???
I must ask, why do you spend so much time bashing Felton?
Because he's not very good and he's never taken this team to any level of success.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 12, 2009 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Was he supposed to?
I mean really? Obviously you would expect him to be a part of this team’s success given there reliance on him and the fact he was drafted #5, but how is he suppose to lead this team to some kind of “level of success” when the Cats are just now putting some quality pieces around him. His rookie year he was more of a backup to Brevin Knight and Okafor didnt play most of the season. In his 2nd year May was out most of the year and he had to split time with Knight. Gerald Wallace was developing but wasnt the force that we saw this past season. I guess the cats couldve been a playoff team with primoz brezec, kareem rush and Jake Voshkuhl if only Felton played better. Then we all remember the Sam Vincent experiment and the fact that felton had to play SG next to McInnis.
So we finally get to this past season where the cats made a couple of decent trades, had some respectable, developed talent and finally let Felton play PG for more than 50% of the time. There wasnt an improvement in his individual stats, but for the first time the cats were actually in the hunt for the playoffs.
And whats wrong with a PG who averages 14 ppg, 7assists and 1.5 steals?? Sure his FG% sucks, but put a shooter on the floor with him so he’s not the only perimeter “threat” and maybe he’ll take some better shots. Also, there are some intangibles that I believe Felton brings to the floor. You can see his heart, his hustle, his swagger. You can see that he has the respect of his teammates and it sounds as though he’s earned the trust of a very difficult coach.
I like DJ, but I believe Felton is by far a better PG right now. And he’s certainly better than anyone you mentioned in the post
With all that said, Im not opposed to trading Felton if the right offer comes along. And by signing him to a qualifying offer we up our chances of getting someone good in exchange. Good players cost more money, so having felton on an inflated contract makes matching salaries more realistic. Also, it’ll be an expiring contract, something that other teams may find very appealing. Worst case scenario is that we have a very serviceable PG for another year
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