TARGET #2: JOSH SMITH

I've had my eye on Josh Smith since I first saw his Oak Hill Academy highlight videos the year he was drafted back in 2004. From the very first seconds, I could tell he was going to be a special player. Fast forward 4 years, and now he's become one of the best defenders in the league and one of the top free agents of 2008.

Although Andre Iguodala is my #1 choice, Josh Smith is a close #2. Both are restricted free agents, allowing their current teams to match any offer from Golden State, but Josh Smith might be the one that is easier to obtain. This is because Atlanta ownership is in disarray, is having financial troubles, is looking towards the future in locking up Joe Johnson and other key pieces, and does not seem to have a cohesive vision that will agree to match a generous offer.

Currently, the 76ers are in hot pursuit of Josh Smith, wooing him with all they've got and dedicating all their available capspace to signing him this summer. Their highest offer is projected to be a 5 year deal starting at around $12.5 million once the new salary cap level is set. The Warriors, however, have much more money to offer as a result of Baron Davis' surprise opt-out. Hopefully, the Warriors feel that Josh Smith is worth the price and tenders an offer sheet large enough to discourage the Hawks from matching.

Josh Smith is a great fit for our fast paced style of play because of his elite athleticism. He'll be able to play all three positions in the front court under Don Nelson. His length and shot blocking ability will make him a key piece in the chaotic defensive style meant to harass the opponents into mistakes that trigger transition buckets. Smith is a terrific finisher at the rim and delivers punishing dunks that could send teammates and crowds into a frenzy while demoralizing opponents. He's shown that he has range out to the 3 point line, but will have to work on developing more consistency. At age 22, sky's the limit for this rising star, who is already considered one of the best defenders and the #1 rebounding SF in the NBA.

Birth Date December 5, 1985
Birth Place College Park, GA
Height 6-9
Weight 235 lbs.
Age 22
Position PF


ESPN Game Log

ESPN Scouting Report:

2006-07 season: Step back and look at the big picture, and you'll see Smith took another step on the way to stardom.

While questions linger about his maturity and attitude, Smith's play in the second half of last season left little doubt that he's an All-Star in the making. In the final two months of the season, Smith averaged 20.6 points, 9.8 boards and 3.1 blocks; for the season he added 3.6 points to his 40-minute scoring average while also adding one full rebound.

The best part of that stretch was how Smith cut down on shooting 3s and focused on going to the basket. Smith is a poor jump shooter who made only 25.0 percent from downtown, but fired away often early in the season -- he took 3.5 triples per game in November. By the final two months, that number was cut in half, even though he was taking many more shots overall.

That change was long overdue, as Smith was among the league's least accurate shooters from outside the basket area. On non-layup 2-pointers he made only 30.3 percent; the only player with over 200 attempts to fare worse was Stephon Marbury. He was especially bad on 2-pointers from the left side -- he only converted 27.2 percent, the fourth-worst mark in the league.

And as you might imagine, Smith's free-throw attempts ballooned once he started going to the basket more. He ranked 14th among small forwards in free throw attempts per field goal attempt.

Scouting report: Smith's leaping ability is his greatest asset, with a quick lift off the floor that helped him lead all small forwards in blocked shots per minute and rate third at the position in rebound rate. The lefty excels at taking his rebounds and heading up court with them -- he almost certainly started more transition opportunities than the Hawks' guards -- and he's a great finisher at the end of the play.

Smith is a good passer, but has a high dribble and can be turnover prone, especially when he tries to attack in the half court. That's one reason he settles for the jumper quite a bit, something opponents try to bait him into.

Smith has improved at the defensive end thanks to the usual rookie learning curve and some added muscle, but he still has a ways to go. He's an awesome weak-side shot-blocker and earned a couple All-Defense votes for it, but tends to lose sight of his man away from the ball and rarely boxes out. He also seems to get confused on coverage schemes quite a bit -- an inordinate number of opponent baskets last season ended with Smith and a teammate making confused pointing motions.

2007-08 outlook: Smith has played vastly better in the second half the past two seasons; if he can match that with some quality first-half output he has a chance at a breakout year. The Hawks are likely to be one of the league's most improved teams, and in this conference that means Smith has a shot at an All-Star berth if he can cement the gains from the final two months of last season.

The Hawks also need to extend his contract, but the finish to last season might complicate matters. Smith earned a suspension after screaming at head coach Mike Woodson late in a meaningless April game; it wasn't his first run-in either. This might give Atlanta pause when breaking out the checkbook, but ultimately the threat of an insane offer by another team a year from now should get them to commit to something in the $55-60 million range.

Most similar at age: Tracy McGrady

With Josh Smith on the roster, the defensive intensity is ratcheted up big time. The perimeter players are able to gamble more for steals and deflections knowing Smith and Biedrins or Wright are there to erase any mistakes.

PG: Monta Ellis / C.J. Watson / FA
SG: Kelenna Azubuike / Marco Belinelli / FA
SF: Stphen Jackson / Al Harrington / Anthony Randolph
PF: Josh Smith / Brandan Wright / Richard Hendrix
C: Andris Biedrins / Kosta Perovic / FA


Top 100 Josh Smith dunks (warning on lyrics)
From: mixstealer300




Josh Smith - The Highlight Reel
From: Vitch

Josh Smith - Top 10 of the 2006-2007 Season
From: NBA TV




Josh Smith - 2 Fast, 2 Furious
From: Vitch

KNBR INTERVIEWS WITH THE ROOKIES

Fitz and Brooks interviewed Richard Hendrix.















Tom and Ralph interviewed Anthony Randolph.

WARRIORS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

The Warriors are in the thick of the free agent frenzy this off-season with the unexpected opt-out of Baron Davis. All of a sudden, they are the team with the most cap space and the ability to offer the most money to any of the top free agents. While all that drama plays out, the Warriors stil lhave to get ready for two summer leagues - Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, Utah. The Warriors announced the roster and schedule on Wednesday and it goes a little something like this:


Marco Belinelli - 6'5" G 192 03/25/86 Italy
Dion Dowell - 6'7" G/F 205 06/11/85 Houston
Richard Hendrix - 6'9" F 255 11/15/86 Alabama
Rob Kurz - 6'9" F 232 03/05/85 Notre Dame
Reggie Larry - 6'6" F 255 10/20/86 Boise State
Jamaal Moore - 6'6" G/F 195 07/06/85 Rice
Anthony Morrow - 6'5" G 210 09/27/85 Georgia Tech
DeMarcus Nelson - 6'4" G 200 11/02/85 Duke
Anthony Randolph - 6'10" F 205 07/15/89 LSU
Mykal Riley - 6'6" 185 07/14/85 Alabama
Tamar Slay - 6'8" 220 04/02/80 Marshall
C.J. Watson - 6'2" 175 04/17/84 Tennessee
Brandan Wright - 6'9" 205 10/05/87 North Carolina
Ian Young - 6'3" 200 09/27/81 Auburn

Louis Amundson is also rumored to be invited to join the team, but no official word has been given on his participation.

With the exception of DeMarcus Nelson and Reggie Larry, no one from my Summer League wish list was chosen to be on the squad. My #1 guy, Julius Hodge will play for the Nets; #2 Courtney Sims with the Pacers; #3 Pat Calathes with the Heat; #4 Jamont Gordon with the 76ers.

2008 NBA SUMMER LEAGUE - LAS VEGAS, NV

Friday, July 11
Philadelphia 76ers
1:00 p.m.
COX Pavilion

Sunday, July 13 **
Dalals Mavericks
3:00 p.m.
COX Pavilion

Tuesday, July 15
Charlotte Bobcats
7:30 p.m.
Thomas & Mack Center

Friday, July 18 **
Sacramento Kings
3:00 p.m.
COX Pavilion

Saturday, July 19
Toronto Raptors
7:00 p.m.
COX Pavilion

**Game broadcast on NBA TV


2008 ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVUE - SALT LAKE CITY, UT

Monday, July 21
New Jersey Nets
1:15 p.m.
Lifetime Activities Center

Tuesday, July 22
Dallas Mavericks
3:30 p.m.
Lifetime Activities Center

Thursday, July 24
NBA D-League All-Stars
1:15 p.m.
Lifetime Activities Center

Friday, July 25
Atlanta Hawks
10:00 a.m.
Lifetime Activities Center

I always look forward to Summer League play and this year should be extra exciting with all 5 starters projected to be on the Warriors roster next season. I hope everyone could stay healthy and do well.

MAX OFFER TO BRAND IS NOT THE ANSWER

The Warriors are aggressively pursuing the services of Elton Brand by offering him a reported 5 years / $90+ million deal. OK. Suppose he agrees to this offer. Well, the Warriors will be elated that they stuck it to the Clippers for stealing Baron Davis from under our noses (and getting nothing in return). Baron, who screwed the Warriors by opting out at the last minute, is left leading a Brand-less team through the tough Western Conference. Brand will be a big name that casual and bandwagon fans recognize and see as a worthy response to losing their best player. Brand might lead us to the playoffs IF he remains healthy - he may even lead us out of the 1st round. But can he vault this team into contention? With so many holes in the roster and such a young crew, I have serious doubts.

They will probably do well initially, but after the honeymoon is over a couple of seasons later, the Warriors will find themselves saddled with a prohibitively large contract that will be difficult to move if things don't go well or in the likely event Brand falls to injury. With holes in the lineup to fill, his deal severely limits our moves down the road. With an owner that fears the Luxury Tax as much as Chris Cohan, the chances of fielding a contender if things go wrong with Brand are slim.

The Warriors should spend less money on a young rising star that doesn't have a history of injury (wasn't that the main reason they were reluctant to extend Davis?) and has a good chance of rounding out a roster of prototypical Nellie-ball players. Questions remain if Brand's body is able to withstand the rigors of a run-and-gun style of offense. It was that style of play that made the Warriors fun to watch, not necessarily Baron Davis. If Mullin assembles the best athletic and skilled players he can find, we'll have more success in the playoffs and beyond than we had even when Davis was leading the team.

If Brand didn't have that ruptured Achilles tendon, I'd be on board with the deal 100%, but that is not the case. In addition to the Achilles injury, he was forced to withdraw from Team USA because of knee problems. The reality is, even with Brand (at his age and injury history), this team is not a serious contender. There still needs to be moves made that would likely end up costing us a lot of our young guys (Wright, Randolph, Belinelli) and future draft picks in order to get to the level of a legitimate championship contender. A maximum deal to a player that averages 68 games per year is a risky proposition that can potentially be an albatross contract on the organization in the not so distant future - one deal that will be difficult to move.

Rumored deal is 5 years / $90+ million:

Year 1: $15.5m
Year 2: $16.7m
Year 3: $18.1m
Year 4: $19.5m
Year 5: $21.1m (age 34)

Warriors need to forget about this Brand dream and commit to going young and developing the youth. I'm hoping that the Clippers sweeten their offer enough to persuade Brand to stay in LA. Best case scenario is if the Clippers are forced to do a sign and trade deal for Baron that nets us picks or prospects in return. Let the young Warriors take their lumps, get a high lottery pick, and look for the next Brand in the draft - a younger, healthier version. Save the valuable cap space for a young rising star, not a falling one.

TARGET #1: ANDRE IGUODALA

Now that Baron is gone, the future rests on the shoulders of Monta Ellis - a star in the making. He might not be a true franchise player but if he can be paired with an outstanding backcourt mate that compliments his game, then the Warriors could quickly rise up the ranks as the youth develop and log more experience.

Either Monta moves over to PG and the Warriors find him a SG with point guard skills, or Monta continues playing the role of SG and Warriors search for a big PG in the mold of Baron Davis that is tough enough to defend SG's while taking on most of the playmaking responsibilities.

As of now, fans are on the brink of mutiny because the Warriors let their best player walk without compensation. They need to make a big splash soon to remedy the situation or season ticket holders will drop like flies and refuse to renew. The Warriors will be lottery bound once again while the West gets stronger and hope from the fans slowly fades away.

Enter Andre Iguodala

This is the guy that I feel is the best solution to the Warriors woes. With Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph set to take over the SF and PF positions, SG is where the Warriors should look to upgrade, particularly if that SG is able to fit well with Ellis. Iguodala is only 24 years old but he has already built himself a reputation for toughness on the defensive end, unselfish play on the offensive end, and a fabulous floor game to boot. He can electrify the crowd with emphatic dunks, lead the break with his advanced ball handling skills, help on the boards, lock down his man, and provide help defense when needed. On nights where his shot isn't falling, he is able to contribute in many other ways. Iguodala brings intensity, nastiness, and energy every night. He's the perfect guy to place next to Monta Ellis - strong, long, and versatile. He can even slide to SF while a sharp shooter like Marco Belinelli can light it up from long distance.

As a Warrior in Nellie's up-tempo style, he will thrive and likely average 25+ ppg and put up career numbers across the board, particularly in steals. He's a triple-double threat on any given night.

ESPN Game Log

ESPN Scouting Report:

2006-07 season: Iguodala blossomed after Allen Iverson was traded, getting more aggressive scoring off the dribble and taking over as the Sixers' go-to guy. It's easy to say that this only became possible because Iverson was out of the way, but I'm not sure that's totally true -- Iverson missed a bunch of games the previous two seasons and I don't recall Iggy blowing up then.

One big reason Iguodala broke out when he did is that he became a lot more comfortable shooting off the bounce from outside. In his first two seasons, over 70 percent of his shots came in the immediate basket area; last year it dipped to 47.7 percent. That's a huge, huge difference, and it wasn't because he took fewer shots around the basket -- he just took a lot more from other places.

In particular, he was much less reticent about shooting jumpers. Iguodala took only 68 long 2-pointers in 2005-06; last year he took nearly five times that amount (312). He didn't hit a great percentage (37.8 percent), but it was enough that defenses had to respect the shot and it opened more space for his fearless drives.

However, he might want to work a little on his moves on the left side of the court. Iguodala much preferred to operate from the right -- he took 27.0 percent of his 2-pointers from there compared to 15.0 percent from the left -- and with good reason. Iguodala's 27.2 percent shooting mark on 2-point shots from the left side was the second-worst of any player with more than 100 attempts. Only the Clippers' Tim Thomas was less accurate, and we expect that type of thing from Thomas much more than we do from Iggy.

Another thing Iguodala needs to do is stay under control. While his combination of driving ability and court vision yields tons of shots, he undid some of that good by ranking 60th out of 66 shooting guards in turnover ratio.

Scouting report: Iguodala is one of the league's most athletic players, with a reliable jump shot seeming to be the only barrier to stardom. The 6-6 swingman is strong on the drive, especially going right, and a skillful passer -- often behind the back -- who ranked 10th at his position in assist ratio. At many times he was the Sixers' de facto point guard, as he handles the ball comfortably and was the team's top offensive threat.

He's an explosive leaper who can finish with devastating dunks, but too often he'll hurriedly flip up slop rather than going up strong and letting his strength and athleticism do the work. Nonetheless, he ranked fourth among shooting guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, and magnified the effect of that by shooting 82.0 percent from the line.

Defensively, Iguodala is on the verge of becoming an elite player. He ranked sixth at his position in steals per minute and seventh in rebound rate, a testament to his superior athleticism. But he does much more than play passing lanes -- he's a dogged defender who can make up ground in a hurry when beaten, and only needs more experience and a few lessons in screen avoidance to become an All-Defense candidate.

Iguodala's skill from the line has yet to translate into reliable shooting from distance, but he has solid form and is only 23. Many players have started out this way before adding the 3 to their arsenal; if he's the next one he'll be an All-Star.

2007-08 outlook: The immediate future is much brighter for Iguodala than it is for his teammates, as he figures to be one of the few bright spots on a Philadelphia team that's likely to finish well out of the money. He might make the All-Star team anyway, as his second-half explosion last season seemed like the tip of the iceberg.

His strong second half is also likely to have financial rewards, as the Sixers are due to give him an extension. With Sacramento's Kevin Martin getting $55 million, expect Iggy to net at least that much, and more likely something in the mid-60s that establishes him as the Sixers' franchise player for the next several years.

Andre Iguodala is a restricted free agent, so the Warriors will have to put together a serious offer that will discourage the Sixers from matching the deal. Unfortunately, we have to overpay, but for a player with his skill and additional upside, he will be well worth it for the Warriors. His athleticism is tailor made for Nellie-ball and with more improvement in his perimeter game (similar to Jason Richardson's development) he will be a valuable piece to building a contender. A front-loaded offer of 5 years / $65-70 million might be enough to bring Iguodala to the Bay.


The Future Core

PG: Monta Ellis
SG: Andre Iguodala / Marco Belinelli
SF: Anthony Randolph / Kelenna Azubuike
PF: Brandan Wright / Richard Hendrix
C: Andris Biedrins

The core is made up of long, defensive oriented players with versatility and athleticism. We'll need a true backup point guard to help Ellis with his transition into a full-time PG. We need a backup center as well, but this is a great foundation to a future team that can contend as the the youth enter their primes.


Andre Iguodala - Somewhere i belong
From: N024




NBA- Andre Iguodala Mix
From: chezzy62




Andre Iguodala 06-07 Season Mix
From: chezzy62

THE POST-BARON ERA BEGINS

Well it looks like Baron Davis will join the Clippers and the Warriors will be losing him for nothing. He left a lot of money on the table but it ended up being a smart move if you think about it. Not only does he join Gordon, Thornton, Brand, and Kaman to form a solid team in the West, he gets to play near Hollywood and be closer to his family and friends along with the security of a long 5 year deal.

As soon as the surprise news of Davis' opt-out hit, the Warriors quickly burned the phone lines to offer Gilbert Arenas a max deal of 5 years / $101 million. However, it appears as though Arenas will stay in Washington with the Wizards who have raised the stakes by offering him 6 years / $124 million. Warriors are left with approximately $15 million in cap space once they renounce the rights to all of their free agents except Biedrins and Ellis.

The Warriors should be working overtime to get a good deal done for Biedrins because his cap hold currently stands at $10.8 million. Once they get a reasonable deal starting at around $7.5 to $8 million, that will further increase the Warriors capspace. Monta Ellis' cap hold is only $1 million, so his deal can be settled after a top Free Agent is signed.

The Question is......WHO WILL BE THE TARGET FOR THIS NEW FOUND CAP SPACE?

BARON OPTIONS

In a shocking turn of events, Baron Davis opted out of the final year of his contract leaving $17.8 million on the table. He won't be able to make up that figure as a starting salary for his next deal, but he could opt for less and take the security that goes with it. Should the Warriors pursue a long term relationship with Baron Davis by reentering negotiations? Should they facilitate a sign and trade deal that allows any over the cap to get him? Or do they simply let him walk off to La-La land to become a Clipper?

Resigning Baron

I like the idea of re-signing Davis to a 4 year deal starting at $12.5 million and tapering down to $8.7 million. That's a 4 year/$42 million contract - enough for us to keep him until he's 33 years old but at the same time, his reasonable contract allows for enough cap flexibility to pursue some of the top free agents once Jackson and Harrington come off the books int he Summer of 2010. Any deal that adds more than $10 million to the roster in the Summer of 2010 or 2011 reduces our options and must be carefully considered. Personally, I would love for Davis to stay, but I doubt he will stay for what the Warriors are willing to dish out. Warriors should be cautious about over-paying for Baron Davis' services.

Working Out a Sign and Trade

Perhaps the best option would be to try and get something in return for the seemingly disgruntled Baron Davis. It doesn't look like he wants to remain a Warrior, so shipping him out to a team in desperate need of a point guard of his caliber could bring back young prospects, draft picks, or a combination of both. As what happened to Pietrus this past off-season when he and his agent were shopping for sign and trade options, the Warriors could hold their ground and refuse to accept any deal that they are not happy with. Mullin has set a precedent that he will not deal just for the sake of dealing and that he will hold firm in his compensation requirements or there is no deal.

There are two a catches. 1. Baron Davis has to agree to the trade. This limits the number of teams the Warriors can talk to considerably. 2. Whatever salary he is offered, the Warriors must take back in trade. If a team like the Knicks or Cavaliers are willing to pay him a starting salary of $16 million, the Warriors have to take back a considerable amount to match salaries and make the trade work. Finding filler contracts to match salaries could be the deal breaker if Mullin does not like anyone they are offering back in return for Baron Davis. They cannot just receive picks or a few young prospects under rookie contracts in return. If they are lucky, the Warriors might be able to find an interested party that has an asset that we covet (Shawn Marion, Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala, etc.). If so, it's an easy win-win for both parties.

Renounce His Rights or Let Him Walk

As of now, the Warriors have a cap hold of $24.7 million and cannot consider themselves under the salary cap until they renounce his rights or until Davis signs with another team under the cap. The Clippers look like the likely candidate to work such a deal since Elton Brand just opted out of his contract leaving the Clippers enough money to sign Davis to a long term deal while retaining Brand at a lower rate than his previous contract. Until one of the two events take place (renouncement of rights or Davis signing with another team) the Warriors won't be able to make big offers to prospective Free Agents.

What was already shaping up to be an exciting off-season of activity has now turned into the 'Mother of All Off-seasons." Not only do we have to resign our key players and sign new free agents to fill spots, we have to figure out how to make the most out of this curve ball Baron has just thrown the organization. Will we start the season without a true point guard? Will we lose Davis for nothing? Will the Clippers be willing to lock in Davis and abandon their frugal ways? We will find out as the tumultuous weeks of the off-season unfold.

MESSAGE TO CHRIS COHAN

Is 1 year of the Luxury Tax going to kill you?

This could be Baron's last year - maybe even Nelly's. The window is closing fast and this may be our best chance to do some serious damage in the playoffs for a long while. Show the fans that you care about winning and understand the importance of logging as much winning basketball and playoff experience as possible for the young guys. They need to taste it. It needs to be instilled in their minds, to be part of their DNA. For Randolph, Belinelli, Wright, and Hendrix - it's important that they experience the exhilaration of the NBA post season now, so they feel the pain if they don't make it and aren't satisfied with just another 48 wins and an early vacation. Build a culture of winning.

Get a player that could help us get into the playoffs but has an expiring or a 2 year deal. Make the investment for this year, for the fans, for the team, for the organization. No more veteran minimum contracts. No more cheap solutions. This is the time to lay it all out on the line. Next year, Baron's $17 million comes off the books and then you could let the 1st stage of rebuilding begin.

Do what you can to make the playoffs next season because you never know how long it will be before you can make it back in.

Don't let the Trade Exception go to waste because you'll usually get what you pay for.

************************************************************************************

This is a partial list from Draft Express of deals that expire in 1 to 2 years. It includes players that are likely or could be available for trades or players that we could agree to taking as sweetener in an upgrade for one of our roster spots using the Trade Exception.

08/09's Expiring Contracts
RC=Rookie Contract
PG=Partially Unguaranteed

R. Nesterovic $8,400,000
Malik Rose $7,647,500
Ron Artest $7,400,000
Eric Snow $7,312,500
Drew Gooden $7,151,183
J. Stackhouse $7,000,000
Corey Maggette $7,000,000
Marquis Daniels $6,864,200
Chris Wilcox $6,750,000
Andrew Bogut $6,294,307 RC
Stromile Swift $6,200,000
Bobby Jackson $6,090,000
Matt Harpring $6,000,000
D. Marshall $5,950,894
Mikki Moore $5,784,480 PG
Marvin Williams $5,636,142 RC
Jeff Foster $5,500,000
Desmond Mason $5,400,000
Joe Smith $4,795,000
A. Pavlovic $4,696,250 PG
Steve Blake $4,590,000
Anthony Parker $4,550,000
Damon Jones $4,460,186
Jorge Garbajosa $4,250,000
Adam Morrison $4,159,200 RC
Raymond Felton $4,148,715 RC
Zaza Pachulia $4,000,000
Travis Outlaw $4,000,000
Martell Webster $3,771,133 RC
Tyrus Thomas $3,749,880 RC
Mike Conley $3,630,480 RC
James Posey $3,462,480
C. Villaneuva $3,448,050 RC
S. Williams $3,395,760 RC
Willie Green $3,388,000
Chucky Atkins $3,240,000
Channing Frye $3,163,769 RC
Trevor Ariza $3,100,000
Ike Diogu $2,912,822 RC
Randy Foye $2,815,560 RC
Chris Mihm $2,762,500
Corey Brewer $2,725,920 RC
Sean May $2,661,026 RC
Steve Francis $2,634,480
Rashad McCants $2,620,126 RC
Keith Bogans $2,550,000
Jason Hart $2,484,000
Joey Graham $2,449,184
Smush Parker $2,430,000
Saer Sene $2,252,400 RC
J.J. Redick $2,139,720 RC
Hakim Warrick $2,119,102
Acie Law $2,071,680 RC
H. Armstrong $2,032,800 RC
Nate Robinson $2,020,179 RC
Jarrett Jack $2,002,623
F. Garcia $1,983,453 RC
Eddie Jones $1,976,400
Maceo Baston $1,976,400
Jannero Pargo $1,976,400
Grant Hill $1,976,400
Luther Head $1,962,378 RC
Johan Petro $1,939,893 RC
Thabo Sefolosha $1,931,160 RC
Jason Maxiell $1,877,572
Julian Wright $1,869,600 RC
Ronnie Brewer $1,834,680 RC
Linas Kleiza $1,824,493
David Lee $1,788,033 RC
Cedric Simmons $1,742,760 RC
Brevin Knight $1,728,000
Rodney Carney $1,655,760 RC
Nick Young $1,602,960 RC
Shawne Williams $1,572,960 RC
Sean Williams $1,522,920 RC
O. Pecherov $1,446,720 RC
Quincy Douby $1,427,040
J. Crittenton $1,381,560 RC
Renaldo Balkman $1,369,920 RC
Jason Smith $1,326,360 RC
Daequan Cook $1,273,200 RC
Marcus Williams $1,262,520 RC
Jacque Vaughn $1,262,275
Jared Dudley $1,222,320 RC
Josh Boone $1,212,120 RC
Ronnie Price $1,188,000 RC
Wilson Chandler $1,173,480 RC
Kyle Lowry $1,163,520 RC
Morris Almond $1,081,440 RC
Ime Udoka $1,080,000
Jordan Farmar $1,080,000 RC
Aaron Brooks $1,045,560 RC
Maurice Ager $1,042,440 RC
Mardy Collins $1,034,760 RC
Arron Afflalo $1,015,440 RC
Alando Tucker $1,001,880 RC
Melvin Ely $998,398
S. Rodriguez $874,000 RC
Kyrylo Fesenko $810,000 RC
Solomon Jones $797,581
Leon Powe $797,581 RC
Josh McRoberts $711,517 RC
Glen Davis $711,517 RC
Dominic McGuire $711,517 RC
Aaron Gray $711,517 RC
Cheick Samb $711,517 RC
Ian Mahinmi $672,800 RC

09/10's Expiring Contracts
RC=Rookie Contract
PG=Partially Unguaranteed

Mike Miller $9,880,957
Antoine Walker $9,775,280 PG
Mehmet Okur $9,500,000
Cuttino Mobley $9,500,000
Kenny Thomas $8,775,000
Q. Richardson $8,700,000
Mark Blount $7,967,375
Darko Milicic $7,540,000
Etan Thomas $7,354,500
Hedo Turkoglu $7,354,500
Udonis Haslem $7,100,000
Antonio McDyess $6,813,050
Brian Cardinal $6,750,000
Earl Watson $6,600,000
Antonio Daniels $6,600,000
S. Abdur-Rahim $6,600,000
Jerome James $6,600,000
Luke Ridnour $6,500,000
Tim Thomas $6,466,600
Mike James $6,466,600
Tony Battie $6,292,000
A. Varejao $6,212,960
Brendan Haywood $6,000,000
Kyle Korver $5,263,636
Raja Bell $5,250,000
Rafer Alston $5,250,000
Speedy Claxton $5,209,454
Trenton Hassell $4,350,000
Greg Buckner $4,277,777
Bruce Bowen $4,000,000
Rasual Butler $3,945,000
Steven Hunter $3,696,000
Amir Johnson $3,666,666
Fabricio Oberto $3,500,000
Brian Cook $3,500,000
B. Scalabrine $3,413,793
Luis Scola $3,383,333
Damien Wilkins $3,300,000
Matt Bonner $3,267,000
Mark Madsen $2,840,000
Rajon Rondo $2,623,326 RC
Chuck Hayes $2,117,500
Travis Diener $1,740,000 RC
Gabe Pruitt $825,497 RC

RICHARD HENDRIX HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

According to my humble Warriors Big Board rankings, Richard Hendrix was the biggest steal of the draft going 23 spots lower than projected. I hope I'm right with this guy. Here's a video that was posted on YouTube yesterday, along an interview with the Pacers and an indepth scouting report from RealGM.

Richard Hendrix Highlights
from: DejanBodyroga




Richard Hendrix Interview
From: pacersvideo

Draft Report: Richard Hendrix Of Alabama
Authored by Christopher Reina - 20th June, 2008 - 10:33 am

Richard Hendrix has finely tuned NBA-ready skills at the power forward position.

With Jermareo Davidson no longer in Tuscaloosa, Hendrix was even more confident as a junior and improved in nearly every statistical category from his sophomore season with the notable exception of his free throw shooting. He shot just 53.7% from the line, likely due to an unforgivable hitch in his technique.

Hendrix’s greatest asset is how well he uses his wide frame on the offensive end of floor and his overall footwork. He uses his body to get wide and seal defenders in the post and has extremely soft hands on the catch, one of the best set of hands in the draft.

Like Brook Lopez of Stanford and Kevin Love of UCLA, Hendrix does much of his work to score in the post before he even receives the ball.

Sometimes, though, when he seals his defender ahead of catching the ball, he doesn’t hold it quite long enough.

He has great awareness of where he is on the floor and can score in multiple ways, whether with a nice touch off the glass with either hand or a power dunk. He brings the ball down to his gut excessively and can’t really dunk without a clear path to the bucket.

Hendrix also will attempt acrobatic shots when he gets fouled instead of using his big body and strength to out-muscle his way to the bucket.

Hendrix flashes well to the ball and is able to get himself open despite the constant attention he received at Alabama.

He must become a better jump shooter, which will make him a more useful player on the mid-post and on the pick and pop.

As you’d expect from a player with his skill-set, Hendrix is an effective passer with great vision and anticipation of everything that transpires on the floor. He gets flustered when doubled in the mid-post, rushing his decisions, but it is unlikely he ever sees a double team in the NBA.

He has a good motor and nice reach on the offensive glass. He gets his hands on a lot of balls and uses his soft touch on put-back finger rolls and tips.

Defensively, he will get an occasional on-ball block, but his game is clearly strength and positioning. He must work hard on every possession, and defending the quick perimeter oriented power forwards will prove difficult.

But Hendrix is a hard-working, mentally sound player who was coached in high school and is a good player to round out a roster even though he lacks some of the athleticism and quickness needed for a player of his height to truly excel on the NBA level at the power forward position.

He graduated from Alabama in three years and will bring that same business-like attitude, intelligence, and desire to overachieve to whichever team selects him.

A success story like Carl Landry in Houston definitely does help his case although Hendrix isn’t nearly as athletic.

THE SUMMER OF 2010 - FREE AGENT FRENZY

Notable Expiring Deals:

Tracy McGrady $23,239,561
Jermaine O'Neal $23,016,000
Shaquille O'Neal $20,000,000
Ray Allen $18,776,860
Joe Johnson $14,976,754
Ben Wallace $14,000,000
Larry Hughes $13,655,268
Carlos Boozer $12,323,900
Brad Miller $12,250,000
Richard Hamilton $11,625,000
Zydrunas Ilgauskas $11,541,074
Josh Howard $11,390,000
Marcus Camby $10,900,000
Manu Ginobili $10,728,130
Al Harrington $10,026,875
Mike Miller $9,880,957
Mehmet Okur $9,500,000
Quentin Richardson $8,700,000
Stephen Jackson $7,650,000
Darko Milicic $7,540,000
Hedo Turkoglu $7,354,500
Udonis Haslem $7,100,000
Antonio McDyess $6,813,050
Earl Watson $6,600,000
Luke Ridnour $6,500,000
Anderson Varejao $6,212,960
Brendan Haywood $6,000,000
Kyle Korver $5,263,636
Raja Bell $5,250,000
Rafer Alston $5,250,000
Amir Johnson $3,666,666
Fabricio Oberto $3,500,000
Luis Scola $3,383,333
Damien Wilkins $3,300,000
Rajon Rondo $2,623,326
Chuck Hayes $2,117,500

Notable Player Options for 2010:

Michael Redd
LeBron James
Paul Pierce
Dwyane Wade
David West
Kobe Bryant
Dirk Nowitzki
Richard Jefferson
Chris Bosh
T.J. Ford
Yao Ming
Amare Stoudemire

Mullin needs to play it smart. Don't add more than $10 million in salary that carries past Summer 2010. Warriors need to keep their financial flexibility so they can sign one of the many stars above in 2010 or hold it for 2011.

They have a great core of Ellis, Biedrins, Wright, Randolph, Belinelli, Hendrix, their #1 in 2009, and possibly Azubuike. Add a superstar and they could be instant contenders. Develop the young and keep playing the uptempo style that attracts Free Agents. If they are disciplined with their transactions, the Warriors could end up being a team to be reckoned with.