Wiz offseason preview on ESPN insider

[LiveStrongSkins]

Anyone have it so it can be posted? Someone from scouts inc. posted a write up on every teams offseason possibilities.

[skinsfan07]

yea someone post it!!!!!!!!!

[LILShiraz]

Don't know if this worked but here it is...

Scouts Inc. Blueprint: Washington Wizards


By Jeff Weltman
Scouts Inc.
Archive



Wednesday: Western Conference

Go to: Decision Makers Roster/Salaries Status Report The Future

Washington finished above .500 the past two years and was on pace to do so once again this year before getting hit hard by injuries.

After a slow start, the Wizards gained control of Southeast Division and appeared to be a dangerous team approaching the playoffs, spearheaded by the ability of wild-card Gilbert Arenas to take over a game. But injuries to Caron Butler and, more recently, Arenas, have weakened the team considerably and cost Washington all its momentum heading into the playoffs.

DECISION MAKERS


OWNER: ABE POLLIN
FACT SHEET
Paid $1 million for Wizards in 1964
Current franchise value: $334 million
Owner's net worth: $180 million (as of 2005)

Sources: Forbes.com, USAToday.com SCORECARD
Seasons: 43
Playoffs: 24
Division titles: 7
East titles: 3
NBA titles: 1


GM SCORECARD
By John Hollinger
ERNIE GRUNFELD
President of Basketball Operations
Seasons: 4
Playoffs: 3
Division Titles: 0
Conference Titles: 0
NBA Titles: 0
BEST MOVE: Sign-and-trading Kwame Brown for Chucky Atkins and Caron Butler
Grunfeld was able to salvage the Wizards' botched selection of Brown with the first overall pick in 2002 by stealing Butler from the Lakers four years later.

Butler became one of the league's top small forwards and played in his first All-Star game this year.

Grunfeld's first move as a Wizard -- signing Gilbert Arenas -- comes in a close second here.

WORST MOVE: Matching Etan Thomas's offer sheet
Grunfeld hasn't made many missteps since taking over in D.C., but I bet he'd like to have this move back.

Thomas's six-year, $37 million deal doesn't expire until 2010, but the Poet has trouble staying in the lineup and is only debatably worth that much money even when at full strength.


ROSTER/SALARIES


WIZARDS TEAM ROSTER
Gilbert Arenas
Pos: PG | Age: 25
Left: 2 yrs., $24.75M Andray Blatche
Pos: F | Age: 20
Free Agent Calvin Booth
Pos: C | Age: 30
Free Agent
Caron Butler
Pos: SF | Age: 27
Left: 4 yrs., $37.56M Antonio Daniels
Pos: PG | Age: 32
Left: 3 yrs., $18.6M Mike Hall
Pos: F | Age: 22
Free Agent
Jarvis Hayes
Pos: SF | Age: 25
Free Agent Brendan Haywood
Pos: C | Age: 27
Left: 3 yrs., $16.5M Antawn Jamison
Pos: F | Age: 30
Left: 1 yr., $16.36M
Roger Mason
Pos: PG | Age: 26
Free Agent Michael Ruffin
Pos: PF | Age: 30
Free Agent Darius Songaila
Pos: PF | Age: 29
Left: 4 yrs., $17.52M
DeShawn Stevenson
Pos: SG | Age: 26
Left: 1 yr., $1.03M Donnell Taylor
Pos: G | Age: 24
Free Agent Etan Thomas
Pos: FC | Age: 29
Left: 3 yrs., $20.59M
KEY Left: Remaining contract terms Red: Player option Green: Team option

TEAM STATUS REPORT

WIZARDS CAP/TAX SITUATION
Free agents (7): Andray Blatche (restricted), Calvin Booth, Mike Hall (restricted), Jarvis Hayes (restricted), Roger Mason, Michael Ruffin, Donell Taylor (restricted)
Players under contract (7): Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antonio Daniels, Brendan Haywood, Antawn Jamison, Darius Songaila, Etan Thomas

Total for players under contract: $57,645,384

First-round picks: Own pick

Team options: None

Player option: DeShawn Stevenson

Total for player with player option: $1,033,930

Estimated NBA salary cap: $55 million

Maximum cap room for Washington Wizards: None

Estimated luxury tax threshold:
$67 million (Wizards not expected to reach threshold)

Compiled by ESPN.com staff

After posting a 5-9 November, Washington went 22-9 over the next two months and by midseason appeared well-positioned to move into contention in the East. In January, the Wizards beat Utah and Chicago and twice downed Detroit. During and since that time the team has suffered injuries to each member of its three-man core: Antawn Jamison missed the entire month of January with a sprained knee; Butler broke his hand and is questionable at best for the playoffs and Arenas, who had not missed a game all season, recently suffered a lateral meniscus tear and is out for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs.

As with most other teams, the Wizards' payroll is in the $60-65 million range. This means that any significant additions to payroll will be considered with caution, as shown by last year's handling of the free agency of Jared Jeffries. After declining to match the Knicks' offer sheet to Jeffries, Washington added both Darius Songaila and DeShawn Stevenson for the same money.

The solid Songaila missed more than half the season due to surgery in the fall on a herniated disc. Stevenson, who has not missed a game all season, has been one of the club's anchors: He is one of the Wizards' best perimeter defenders and has led the club in 3-point shooting percentage with a career-high 41.6 percent mark.

Stevenson misjudged last year's market by opting out of a $3 million option with the Magic, but has effectively re-established his value this season. He signed a two-year deal with Washington, correctly figuring it would be a place he would log minutes and better position himself for this summer. With his second year being a player option, it is considered a certainty he will once again opt out and make himself an unrestricted free agent.

Excluding Stevenson, the Wizards' 2007 payroll presently stands at approximately $57.5 million, before considering cap holds and the salary slot of its 2007 draft pick. With that number reflecting just seven guaranteed contracts, the cap-hold application will be significant. In addition to Stevenson, Washington also will face the free agency this summer of two other players: Jarvis Hayes, whose rookie contract is set to expire; and second-year forward Andray Blatche, who was drafted out of high school and, at age 20, has built a foundation for future development.

Blatche, selected with the 49th pick of the 2005 draft, is long, skilled and at his best in the open court. While his offense is what gets him noticed, he has averaged 3.5 rebounds a game in just over 12 minutes and is well situated on his development curve.


THE FUTURE

With its current number of approximately $57.5 million, Washington appears soundly positioned to address this summer. The real decisions for the Wizards, though, arise the following year, in the summer of 2008.

While the summer of 2008 is an eternity away in the life of an NBA club, it must be weighed significantly in Washington's case because it is the year both Jamison and Arenas can become unrestricted free agents.

MAJOR ISSUES FOR WIZARDS

• The Big 0: Need a healthy Gilbert Arenas next season
• Summer of 2007: What to do about Stevenson, Blatche and Hayes

• Summer of 2008: Free agency looms for Arenas and Jamison

Jamison will make $16.3 million next season, after which his contract will expire. Jamison is an excellent player in his prime, and a core player for Washington. But speculation undoubtedly will swirl around him, given his talent and his contract status.

Arenas' contract is scheduled to run through the 2008-09 season, but he holds an ETO (early termination option), meaning he also might make himself an unrestricted free agent following next season. So the Wizards will have to manage their 2007 situation within the context of their much weightier '08 concerns.

With two of its three core members potentially entering into unrestricted free agency following next season (along with all the money tied up in their contracts), implications are fanning out in every direction. Conventional wisdom says the Wizards should retain their free agents this summer and then select a course with those assets under their belts. But with the future so wide open, just knowing where to begin to address all these moving parts is a challenge in itself.

Managing the roster, cap and finances of an NBA team is a very delicate balance, and this is especially true right now in Washington. Much of what happens this summer in Washington likely will not be about next season, but the long term.

Washington has shown its foresight and creativity in such situations before. Last summer Washington proved its ability to recoup lost talent while managing its budget. In looking to replace Jeffries, the Wizards identified Stevenson as a player who could deliver the same qualities for significantly less money. By offering Arenas a contract many at the time believed to be a reach, they acquired their star and hopefully cornerstone into the distant future. They acquired both Jamison and Butler through savvy trades.

In the coming summers, Washington will have several significant issues to contend with. The Wizards are likely to engage themselves in a longer-term strategy that will help them frame this summer's issues.

Scouts Inc. NBA analyst Jeff Weltman was assistant general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2001 to 2006. From 1988 to 2001, he served the Los Angeles Clippers in various personnel, scouting and administrative roles.

[skinsfan07]

thanks dude! some good stuff in there.

[LiveStrongSkins]

That option in Arenas contract worries me.

[ACW]

Paid $1 million for Wizards in 1964
Current franchise value: $334 million
Wow.:laugh:

[LiveStrongSkins]

What? A 334% increase is nothing..:paranoid:

[skins_warrior26]

The Futrue seems pretty clear.

2007 Offseason

Resign:

Blatche-4 year 26M?.....6.5M a year
(Jefferies got a contract of 5 years 30M...6M a yr)

Stevenson-4 year 30M?....7.5M a year
(Basically what Butler makes, but a year later, we'll have to pay up to retain him)

Let go:
Hayes(2.5 M off the books)

Trade:
Haywood for role player(s)/5M worth of salary or take an expiring contract


2008 Offseason

Resign:

Arenas- 6 years 102M.......17.5M a year

Jamison- 3 year 24M........8M a year
(at 31 years old I dont know, coming off a 16M a year salary)

In the Jamison situation, trade him this offseason, during next year, or just let him walk in '08. But Grunsfeld will hopefully trade him so we get some value. Now if there is a loyalty issue, we might be able to keep Jamison, then resign him for say 8M a year to be our 6th man.

The Long-term Future(next 5 years)
Arenas/A.Daniels/D.Taylor
Stevenson/Mason
Butler/Jamison
Blatche/Songalia
?/E.Thomas

This is a solid core and on top of that we have our Euro players and the drafts.

Seems pretty clear what to do. Resign Blatche, Stevenson, Arenas definitly. Trade Haywood. Only question mark is Jamison situation.

[Bounce]

What? A 334% increase is nothing..:paranoid:

Actually, I think it's a 34400% increase.

Much less impressive.

[909997]

i dont know about keeping jamison

the guy gets abused too much defensively

i mean how many times did we see the opposing forward score 35+ on us

[MoochieDC_86]

EG will definately keep me on the edge of my seat this summer and the next

[clathel]

Cut Etan now....take the hit this season not at the beginning of FA/next season

[ACW]

Cut Etan now....take the hit this season not at the beginning of FA/next season I like the way Etan's been playing lately; maybe see if he's willing to take a more incentive-based contract or something. The Etan last night (6 blocks!) was great.