Hoodey

To me what this team needs is a #2 with that cadillac scoring ability, both volume and efficiency, but definitely efficiency. I'd rather have a guy down low getting 17 PPG on 56% than a guy getting 24 PPG on 42%. I realize true shooting is a consideration here.

If we get a non-center, he needs to be an efficient scorer for his position, he needs a good all around game and we then need to have a pretty good #3. Right now you have to beat #3s of:

Lebron
Wade
Bosh

Kobe
Howard
Gasol

I start thinking like Jnr said about a superteam and I start with:

Rose

He's probably better than anyone on that list other than Lebron.

Now we need that #2 and three.

And here's my thing. Rose isn't a scoring swingman of an elite level. He is a 1. Any time you tell me the elite player on a team is a 1, that tells me part of what he brings is the drive and kick game. Elite 1s are never the scorers that elite 2s and 3s are, not on a percentage basis.

So we need better scorers.

Where I'd start is:

Cousins - 21.7 PER, age 21
Bynum - 22.9 PER, age 24

Anytime you start talking about a center who can put up those numbers, I like that better than a PF who can do it (a true PF, not a C/F). Why? Because if you're 7'0" 270 and you can do something, you can do it against everybody. It's not going to be like Carlos Boozer doing something, and then the Jazz play the Lakers and Pau Gasol nullifies him and makes his game difficult.

Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem aren't going to push Bynum or Cousins around and Bosh isn't going to stop them from scoring because they're self-checked like Kendrick Perkins. I think Cousins gets his percentage game locked up this year and then he'd give Miami fits. I know Bynum would on the right team. I think Bynum may struggle on Philly, because I feel that he'll be so crowded due to their lack of a player like Rose and other good players.

The cap hasn't budged off of about 58-58.7 million in around 4 years per wiki. So let's assume a cap of 58.7. Hoopshype doesn't list Rose's contract, and I'm too lazy to go through pages and pages to find the 2014 salary, but if he makes 16.3 in 2013, let's assume 18.3 in 2004. Feel free to correct me. That puts the current projected 2014 payroll at:

Rose 18.3
Boozer 15.3
Deng 14.31
Noah 12.1
Hamilton 5.0 TO
Hinrich 4.06
Gibson 3.18 QO
Butler 1.17 TO
Teague 1.07

Total: 74.49

I think our best bet is to trade Deng's expiring deal to a team under the cap for a draft pick or a team with a trade exception, say bye to Hamilton and amnesty Boozer. That puts us at:

Rose 18.3
Noah 12.1
Hinrich 4.06
Gibson 3.18 QO
Butler 1.17 TO
Teague 1.07

Total 39.86

Assume a cap of 60.7 and we'd absolutely have the money to offer Bynum a deal starting at 18 million without having to do a S&T. Now, if the team wants to participate, then you just make Deng the center of it, but then they can't have the Charlotte pick or Gibson in that deal.

Then I like the idea of having Noah, the Charlotte pick and Gibson all as bait for a #3. I'd love a trade for DeRozan, Harden or Gay at that point, but wouldn't rule out others.

I think we have to shoot to have three guys who will be the stars of tomorrow.

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Bogg

Well, at this point you'd need Bynum to demand out of Philly, because I don't see him leaving money on the table to walk next summer and the Sixers won't be interested in a sign and trade because Bynum is on of the things they were sorely lacking. Cousins might be doable if he continues to self-destruct, but it looks like Sacramento is settling into that Cousins-Robinson pairing in the frontcourt and wants to consolidate some of their backcourt(including in a salary dump). Chicago's best bet in this scenario is Cousins continuing to act like a lunatic to the point that management ships him out just be rid of the headache, but I think it's unlikely.

Firefight

I agree. And I do believe management is at least putting the team in position to make these moves. Not saying its going to happen...but with the Rose injury, it is making them look at the year after next more carefully.

With that said, the one thing that gets me about every single one of your arguments, is its almost always stat based. Yes ,stats are important, but they can also be misleading, or at least, only part of the story.

This isn't a video game. These are real kids living their dream. They have emotions, baggage (wives/kids), instabilities, egos, etc... these are all factors when putting together a TEAM. Sometimes its not all about PER.

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jnrjr79

Yeah, Cousins seems to be the guy who would be realistic to target. In the short-term, you have to see how Bynum likes Philly and whether he'll extend there. That remains an open question. Cousins might have just enough knocks/question marks on him to be acquirable for the right price.

Trading for a C is the only instance in which I'm open to moving Noah, who is near the top at the C position in the league.

Then, only as a general concern, I would say that veteran teams generally win championships. If you lose Deng, Boozer, Rip, and Noah, this team all of a sudden looks pretty darn young and perhaps not ready to win soon. Long-term, it may be worth it and is certainly an "all-in" strategy.

I do not expect Harden to be available via trade. I expect OKC to sign their big 3 and rotate minimum guys around them. Gay isn't amazing, but he could be an adequate 3rd option.

garnett

Neither are available. I think we're just going to have to get lucky in the draft.

Luke

Pray that Cousins implodes and then reinvents himself in time to be Rose's number two. It's a long shot but it's probably worth the gamble, that kid is talented.

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Firefight

How do you know this? Or is it just opinion? I'm not high on either regardless, but you sound like this is fact when I haven't heard anything that supports this....

With that said, I do think we need a number 2, but why at the center position? I'd rather find it at the 2 or 3 and roll with Gibson/Noah.

Da Grinch

if you go perimeter they need the ball to create ....and while they are doing that , what does rose do?

at least a big can inflict damage by defense and rebounding in a way perimeter players cant

plus they are generally high % scorers and with rose's pedestrian efficiency you need that.

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Bogg

As far as Bynum goes, Philly just traded their best player for him because he fills a gaping need on their team, and they fully intend to keep him around for the long term. Bynum needs to demand out and Philly needs to accommodate him for him to even hit the market again. For Cousins, the whole reason that Tyreke Evans has been rumored to be available for the last year is because he and DeMarcus don't get along. It's a clear indication that Sacramento means to build around Cousins(the selection of Robinson in the draft also supports this). Cousins has to absolutely kill his value by becoming a cancer for Sacramento to consider taking Deng or Noah plus picks for him.

Da Grinch

bynum is a difference maker right now

cousins for all his potential is not

but I find it unlikely Bynum would leave , he's almost home (he's from NJ) and they have every intention of catering to him and paying him the max. they really didn't need Iggy anymore now that turner is emerging and holiday has come along.

i think the kings obviously recognize his potential but after watching him and how hot headed players handle losing situations in general , they either need to start winning very soon or deal him because he'll poison the others.

there have been plenty of players who look like cancers and are cancers on poor teams to be anything but that on winning squads and demarcus looks like the poster boy for such a player.

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PD

Cousins would be nice to have especially to go along with Noah. However, I am not sure what to give up for him. We really don't have the assets. Our draft picks with the exception of the Charlotte's pick are not good enough. Nicoritic (or whatever his name is) may be an asset. Other than that, what else can we offer? We tend to overrate Loul and Noah, whose contracts are too large. We could always trade Thib.