Top Upcoming Free Agents - Part 1 (RFAs)

[hardenwithnod]

I mean even look at the real life NBA this year, lots of free agents got overpaid. That's just how it goes with supply, and demand.

Our cap doesn't increase though lol

So we will never change the cap figures? Ah, I didn't know that.

[Sun Scorched]

I mean even look at the real life NBA this year, lots of free agents got overpaid. That's just how it goes with supply, and demand.

Our cap doesn't increase though lol

So we will never change the cap figures? Ah, I didn't know that.

The last time we tried, the world almost ended. So yeah....

[Silogical]

That's the problem with this league, no way are there 9 or 10 guys worth the max here. Money like that flies around and in a season or two, the same guys are traded and GAS are applauded for getting rid of awful contracts.

Certainly there's a few and for sure Exum isn't moving but some of this is crazy talk.

Most of the bad contracts getting dumped are 28+ yr olds. If you're able to snag a top tier player under 26 yrs old, you have a value contract even at the max. Remember these guys are on the low tier max.

[Ocons]

That's the problem with this league, no way are there 9 or 10 guys worth the max here. Money like that flies around and in a season or two, the same guys are traded and GAS are applauded for getting rid of awful contracts.

Certainly there's a few and for sure Exum isn't moving but some of this is crazy talk.

Most of the bad contracts getting dumped are 28+ yr olds. If you're able to snag a top tier player under 26 yrs old, you have a value contract even at the max. Remember these guys are on the low tier max.

I understand. I just never liked the strategy of throwing big money at RFA's because you were either a.)not going to get the player because it would get matched or b.)sign the player to a salary way higher than they should get and that's why it wasn't matched.

We're going to have loads of cash to spend so I'm cool with seeing all these big names out there.

[Jestor]

Allowing top teams to sign their RFAs cheaply is how the feudal system continues. So yeah, teams with cap should be forcing the hammer down. It's a better use of resources than signing UFAs who don't match a team's window or put it on the path to midtable mediocrity.

[Ocons]

I get that it needs to happen because, as someone pointed out earlier or in another thread, this is fake money we're playing with. But no team IRL floats that kind of money around just to drive up a price on an RFA. I'm not saying we allow teams to sign their RFA's cheap but offering max or near max deals for guys who are 5th starters or come off the bench is just silly.

[GreenBear]

I can see both sides of the argument, but I tend to agree with Tim here. The top teams are going to continue being top teams if they can re-sign their players at affordable prices.

It's a strategy that can certainly backfire though. It all depends on how well you think you know the other GM and how much you think they value that player.

[blackice]

It's a gamble, I feel teams that are just starting to rebuild and can handle losing time in FA with guys matching are the ones that will ensure fair contracts are being handed out.

[hardenwithnod]

Count me as one of those GMs who won't recklessly drive up the price on a RFA that i don't need, as I don't feel the risk of eating a nasty contract is worth trying to weaken a contender.

[Silogical]

It happens IRL.
PHX offered Gordon huge money (NOP Matched)
Portland offered kanter huge money (OKC Matched)
BRK offered Tyler johnson huge money (MIA Matched)
MIL offered Delevadova huge money (CLE passed)

Teams who have cap room and not much else basically have 3 options.
1. Hold out for bargains only (hinkie over the past few years)
2. Over pay for 28+ yr olds
3. Over pay for 22-27 yr olds

With 1 and 3 you might get something of value or you might come out of free agency with nothing.
With 2 youll likely get your 28+ yr old but you might come out of free agency wishing you came out with nothing.

[hardenwithnod]

Mark Cuban did it with Chandler Parsons, and the Rockets in real life too. That was a failed move though lol.

[Sun Scorched]

You guys are definitely thinking about it wrong. In a league with such massive turnover player-wise, turning nothing (cap space) into something (a tradable asset) is how you get out of the cellar.

Plus, it's a defensive move. Being more worried about other teams getting better and hoping to somehow hurt them financially 3 years down the road is laughable. Look at what BI was able to accomplish with some shrewd trading. It doesn't matter.

Would be more worthwhile to try and improve your team. That's the offensive move. Offense wins championships.

Patrick Beverley - who is this oft maligned 28 years of age - was traded for next year's NYK 1st at the beginning of this season. I signed him with cap space, he played for us for a while, and then I turned him into an asset. Half of this game is about asset accumulation.

And for the life of me, can't understand why if you can make your team better by spending fake money on players with no real world consequence, why you wouldn't.

Players I've signed with cap space include DeAndre Jordan, Patrick Beverley and Isaiah Thomas and my team is better for it. I definitely wouldn't have won a championship without Jordan, so there's that.

[Sun Scorched]

Allowing top teams to sign their RFAs cheaply is how the feudal system continues. So yeah, teams with cap should be forcing the hammer down. It's a better use of resources than signing UFAs who don't match a team's window or put it on the path to midtable mediocrity.

I mean, what's the goal of this game? To compete and hope the cards fall your way in the playoffs right?

It stands to reason that before you make the playoffs, you most likely will have to pass through "midtable mediocrity" on your way up from the cellar.

And as far as signing players that fit a "window" is concerned..... what window?

[hardenwithnod]

Those are good points too. I'm definitely going to spend money if I have it, but as a rebuild project, I have to focus on needs first IMO.

[Dennis]

I agree with everything Jace said.

[RiotPunch]

Time to shed cap and go after Okaro!!

[Ocons]

Totally agree with Jace. So naïve to offer money on players just so that those teams don't get away with a few bucks left in their pocket. It's silly. The IRL examples were all legit but the difference is, those teams were offering real money and did so because they wanted the player. Here we aren't talking about offering max deals because the guys have that kind of value or are worth it, it's being thrown around as a defense mechanism to offset "cheap deals".

I'm fine with it, if you have cap space this off-season - waste your time on RFA's. I'll go after the guys I truly want, and have a chance at, that will make our team better while you're dicking around! hahaha.

[GreenBear]

Totally agree with Jace. So naïve to offer money on players just so that those teams don't get away with a few bucks left in their pocket. It's silly. The IRL examples were all legit but the difference is, those teams were offering real money and did so because they wanted the player. Here we aren't talking about offering max deals because the guys have that kind of value or are worth it, it's being thrown around as a defense mechanism to offset "cheap deals".

I'm fine with it, if you have cap space this off-season - waste your time on RFA's. I'll go after the guys I truly want, and have a chance at, that will make our team better while you're dicking around! hahaha.

Naive is a poor choice of words that I don't agree with. It's just a different strategy, which different people typically have. You don't have to agree with it, but it can be an effective long term strategy if done intelligently, especially if it involves a rival

[Silogical]

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve is watching shitty teams lob contracts at RFAs in a lame attempt to somehow keep the league honest, while wasting an awesome chance to actually improve their own team by approaching players that are actual possibilities. But again, whatever.

Who are these possibilities? The UFAs will take a lot less money to sign with a contender. then you also have to deal with the team that holds their bird rights and they will over pay to keep their own players. Its easy to say look at all these guys ive signed in free agency when you are a contender. Jestor is right the only way to right the ship is for the bottom barrell teams to force the top teams to atleast pay fair value. if they dont the rich will just keep getting richer.

[Jestor]

You guys are definitely thinking about it wrong. In a league with such massive turnover player-wise, turning nothing (cap space) into something (a tradable asset) is how you get out of the cellar.

Plus, it's a defensive move. Being more worried about other teams getting better and hoping to somehow hurt them financially 3 years down the road is laughable. Look at what BI was able to accomplish with some shrewd trading. It doesn't matter.

Would be more worthwhile to try and improve your team. That's the offensive move. Offense wins championships.

Patrick Beverley - who is this oft maligned 28 years of age - was traded for next year's NYK 1st at the beginning of this season. I signed him with cap space, he played for us for a while, and then I turned him into an asset. Half of this game is about asset accumulation.

And for the life of me, can't understand why if you can make your team better by spending fake money on players with no real world consequence, why you wouldn't.

Players I've signed with cap space include DeAndre Jordan, Patrick Beverley and Isaiah Thomas and my team is better for it. I definitely wouldn't have won a championship without Jordan, so there's that.

And if you don't force the top teams into a position where they have to make those shrewd moves there's no change at all at the top. Yes it's defensive, but it's a necessary strategy - otherwise you're just sitting around and waiting for them to age out. And it does hurt them - look at Detroit. The last couple of years they've had to sacrifice talent in trades to stay on top. Eventually that's going to catch up to them, and they're facing a similar situation this year with FAs. Chipping away at the talent bases also narrows the distance between you and the top teams, but it does so more effectively - it's a control strategy rather than aggro, and aggro only wins in certain situations.

Your players signed with cap is an invalid argument and comes from a tone-deaf position of privilege (already starting with a superstar in AD). The fact of the matter is, in this engine and in real life, you can't win with All-NBA/All-CSL players. Daryl Morey himself confirmed this when he said their research showed over the last 25 years, championship teams have at least 2 All-NBA players, except for 2 teams who had 1 All-NBA player. That's what the Kings, for example, will never win a title as currently constructed. So signing UFAs who aren't of that quality will just lead to mediocrity at best, and not contender status.