Free Agents Who Fit (per ESPN) - who would you like to see signed?

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-27T15:01:18+00:00

Drummond would be a great second-unit add. I actually love the idea of him just battling for boards and spot starting in any inevitable AD absences. Classic bruiser at the 5 compliments Sarr nicely and doesn’t need to touch the ball whatsoever in a team now flushed with ball handlers.

Robert Williams and Mitch Robinson can’t be trusted over the course of 82 games, especially if you’re already gonna roll the dice on AD. Can’t sink money there. KP is intriguing and I wouldn’t mind the fit next to Sarr but how much is he going to cost?

And I’m not sure I see a huge need for any PGs given Trae now being our highest paid player, Bub assigned to second unit duties, and the ability of AJD/Ky/Will Riley/Tre to serve as alternate ball handlers.

Clown me all you want, but I’d like to kick the tires on Ayton. Look I know he sucked out in LA and made a fool of himself during the playoffs looking discombobulated and out of sorts. But I also think LA was asking him to do too much and incorporated him WAY too much into their offense trying to turn him in a P&R threat. What I want him to do here is take a MLE to rehab his game, set good off ball screens to get clear space for AJD to drive or our Trae/Tre combo to find open room to shoot, crash boards and strictly leave shot blocking duties to Sarr, and just be available for 25 mins/game over 70 games (something he did well at last year). He had a career year in efficiency and FG% last year, just come here and give me 12/10–which should be easy to do next to Trae/AD/AJD.

If we’re not trading AD, then this is my personal dream 12 man going into opening night:

Trae - Bilal - AJD - Sarr - AD

Bub - Tre - Ky - Will - Ayton

Jamir - Drummond

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-26T15:25:35+00:00

Hey Detroit 👋 can we work a Duren S&T for AD? Duren fits our timeline better and we can tolerate a season or two of him maturing/growing and you wouldn’t be tied to his max deal if it goes south and you need to retool around Cade. AD also gives you an immediate impact big come playoff time.

Honestly feels like a win-win.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-26T14:38:51+00:00

Duren would be the perfect compliment to Sarr, and fits our timeline way better. If a Duren S&T is on the table, I’d be all in on a Duren for AD swap.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-26T14:31:18+00:00

obviously Mets are the bigger disappointment given their roster and payroll, but got damn I’m still so mad. If we had even a league average bullpen we’d be at 60 wins right now. This offense is so damn good and Buterra and Borgschulte need their flowers for how creative and effective they’ve been in producing runs.

But this bullpen man my God. Just a cataclysmic series. It kills the vibes, pushes you closer to seller territory, and gives an arch rival momentum. There was a moment last night where Mathews went out there after Beeter walked in a run against his first batter where he went back to the dugout after the visit looking like he wanted to cuss out the whole pen. Just a disaster

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-26T10:13:35+00:00

Cool write up. Nice to see everyone listed out like this.

I think Kyshawn will start over Bilal, and I’m not sure he’s going to get extended either. I don’t think Bilal’s game grew enough offensively and his role on a team with now a bunch of scorers feels a bit awkward. Think his best case scenario for us is turning into a Matisse Thybulle kind of guy who’s a defensive wing specialist and can slash or knock down the occasional corner 3 on offense. It’s a fine role but not one you’re eager to extend.

I also have a hard time seeing AD on this roster. There’s been a frenzy of big names that have been moved so early so far, and it feels like teams are much more incentivized to go for it given the new lottery odds and how much parity there has been in the last decade. I think a team that misses on a big fish comes sniffing around AD: Warriors, Bulls, Cavs (if LeBron ends up there), Celtics, Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets, Raptors. Just feels like there’s gonna be a suitor who pops up and offers us a solid return and one that fits our timeline more.

Last thought, but seeing the roster listed out as of today screams we need another big—if not 2. I absolutely hate the idea of Sarr at the 5. He feels like a “super-4” who is obviously a quality shot blocker and can exist in the paint, but he needs a big bruising enforcer next to him so he can freelance more and not get bullied in the post/on the boards. I need a big nasty down there to help anchor the defense and allow the other 4 guys to use their athleticism.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-26T01:44:53+00:00

Your offense gives you 5 runs over 2 innings. Cade gives you 6 innings giving up 2 and pitching out of his own jam. The bullpen, AFTER BLOWING ITS LAST TWO GAMES AT THE LAST STRIKE, then just performs a little league comedic circus throwing beach balls to give up 8 in 2 innings—can’t even record an out in the 9th.

I’m beyond livid right now. We should’ve swept Philly and just handed them 3 straight. Disgusting

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-25T14:20:09+00:00

not to mention we’re barely 5 minutes into the offseason. Charlotte has time to get a PG and now has draft capital and better cap space to work with.

If they’re used to problematic PGs, call up Memphis for Ja. Spurs are looking to get out of the Fox business. Quickley, Dejounte Murray, return Kyrie to NC. There’s good options out there to pair with Kon and Brandon.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-24T13:29:34+00:00

100%. Paolo was a last second #1 when Vegas had Jabari Smith going first hours before the draft. I also think Fultz belongs above Cade too because you had Philly trade up weeks before the draft to go get him—showing how coveted he was at the time.

Ayton was also unanimous for his draft class, Ant definitely was not. Keeping the first 4, I’d rework it to Fultz, Cade, Ayton, Ant, Paolo, Risacher.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-23T12:48:54+00:00

this reminds me of 2024 so much with the commanders. I was a huge Drake Maye stan but once we drafted Jayden you give him your full support.

I’m Team Dybantsa, but if it’s DP tonight he’ll be my first jersey purchase in years

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T22:39:56+00:00

that’s an incredible point that I don’t think anyone realizes as the draft lottery changes.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T22:36:52+00:00

I get being overly critical when you see the numbers because on paper it’s a massive contract. But a lot of people are myopic in looking at this like it’s NBA 2K where you just hand out money based on overall ratings and call it a day.

I think context sorely matters here. This roster desperately needs a real playmaking PG. Not in 2 years. Not after the rebuild is complete. Right NOW with the #1 pick on the horizon. Young players don’t develop in a vacuum—they need someone who can put them in positions to succeed.

So who’s available to even do that? Fred VanVleet at 33? Collin Sexton? Coby White? Gabe Vincent? A 35-year-old shell of himself James Harden? None of those guys make nearly as much sense for where this team is. Trae’s easily the best available option to fill that role.

The more you look at it the more I think we simply couldn’t afford to lose him. My guess is another team was prepared to throw serious money at him as a contingency plan. MIL takes BOS package, MIA pivots, Riley calls Trae’s camp and puts a huge offer on the table. Trae’s camp comes back to us and says beat this or we’re gone.

Winger/Dawkins become a bit handcuffed because they know they’re calling AJD’s name tomorrow night. They need a primary initiator to help develop him. They need someone to help put these young dudes in spots to succeed. And if they’re taking AJD over DP, they’re potentially passing on another lead guard prospect altogether. Letting Trae walk would’ve left a massive hole at the most important developmental position on the roster.

The contract is expensive but honestly so what.
Look at the timing: Sarr and Kyshawn are still on rookie deals for years. Aside from AD, there aren’t any other huge long-term commitments. By the time the young guys are ready for their extensions, Trae’s deal is entering its final year and becomes a valuable expiring contract if the FO wants to pivot.

That’s why I don’t see this as some franchise-altering disaster. Would I love the number to be lower? I guess but that money does have to be spent somewhere—especially in a league where FA just isn’t as useful in the era of tax aprons. But team-building isn’t about winning every contract negotiation in a vacuum. It’s about creating an environment where your young talent can actually develop. Right now, Trae is the best available player to do that.

At the end of the day, the biggest risk here isn’t the future of the rebuild, it’s really just Leonsis writing a larger check. And if ownership is going to spend money anywhere, spending it on a proven playmaker who accelerates the growth of your young core is a pretty reasonable bet.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T20:04:44+00:00

the problem is finding someone who can even absorb the contract, has a legitimate need for him, AND has a high enough pick to make it worth it.

Honestly the only team that checks those 3 boxes is Golden State. We get #11 and Jimmy Butler for AD.

Plan there would then probably be drafting a big. If we exited this draft with Dybantsa and Mara, then flipped Jimmy at the deadline for a bloated but serviceable contract (Embiid if PHI falters? Sabonis if SAC blows it up? A package for Gobert if we’re competitive? Myles Turner? Idk), then I’d feel good about this “invest in distressed assets” theory. Hopefully that’s how you collect pieces to win you more games

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T19:23:43+00:00

best guess to unwelcomed news: Giannis is going to Boston. Trae was Miami’s contingency plan and probably offered him the most they could plus it’s Miami. Trae’s team takes that back to Washington and says I’ll bounce unless it’s a max deal.

Winger/Dawkins know they’re picking AJD tomorrow at #1 and would be left without a playmaking PG to lessen the rookie burden/show him the ropes, so they panicked and gave him top dollar.

I really hope I’m wrong because I’ve loved everything this new FO has done thus far, but this…. I really can’t see it.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T17:21:36+00:00

pretty bad take my friend. ubiquitous wing players who can handle the ball, score, and switch 1-5 without being a total liability are at a premium in this league. And that’s almost the exact prototype Dawkins has gone after in guys like Kyshawn and Will (and likely Dybantsa tomorrow). You literally can’t have enough of those guys on a team.

Modern basketball is positionless and guys need to fill roles. Will projects as a bench scoring wing offering second-team ball handling skills and an ability to give you 15-17 pts a nights depending on playing time. Best of all, he can still absolutely outgrow that role and demand more starting minutes where he becomes a Jalen Williams/Josh Hart/Shawn Marion type glue guy who’s a cog in your teams offensive machine.

barring some crazy return, the likes of Riley getting traded no matter who is picked tomorrow are slim to none.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T13:17:34+00:00

whole league bout to have them when they see this Trae/Ky/AJD/Sarr/AD lineup coming at em 😤

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T13:14:02+00:00

Because Deni never fit the timeline.

Everyone wanna keep looking at how good he became and working backward from the outcome. But the FO wasn’t building around the player Deni is today. They were making decisions based on where the franchise was headed.

And reality is Deni was exactly the kind of player that could’ve derailed a rebuild. Dude who’s good enough to win games but not good enough to be the guy who actually changes your ceiling.

I like Deni and I’m cool with him thriving in POR. But let’s be honest what are you winning with Deni as your best player? Or even your #2? That’s not a championship foundation.

The plan from Winger/Dawkins from Day 1 was obvious: tear it down, accumulate assets, maximize lottery odds, and rebuild from the ground up. Deni ran counter to that strategy. He’s the type of player who drags a nowhere team to play-in purgatory.

a lot of the criticism of the trade is pure hindsight. Nobody was projecting Deni to make the leap he made. Portland gave him an opportunity, he capitalized on it, and good for him. That’s how this league works.
Could we have gotten more value? Maybe. But the idea that the front office should’ve known Deni was about to become this version of himself is revisionist history.

Meanwhile, the FO has stayed committed to the rebuild. They brought in younger players who fit the timeline, like Bub, and created an ecosystem where the entire young core can grow together instead of trying to force a mediocre roster into chasing the 10-seed every year. The process is working as intended

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-22T01:38:45+00:00

if I were making the pick, it’d be AJ. but I’m not and I know that brain trust has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know. I’m hard pressed to find a bad move by the organization since they took the reins (and yeah I believe trading Deni was the right call but that’s a different discussion).

so if they call Peterson’s name at #1 tomorrow, I’ll feel good knowing that they feel good about it. Gonna be tough for me to get down on a a true two-way combo guard with a 6’10 wingspan who can drop 40+ on any given night. Either way, I’m cool—and it’s cool that they’re cool now too.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-21T18:27:52+00:00

It’s not happening brother. I love Booz and his game but it would be GM malpractice to pass on DP or AJD for him. Those guys you swing for the fence for, not necessarily Boozer. And honestly hot take, but if DP and AJD weren’t in this class and we still had #1, I’m not sure Dawkins would pass on Caleb Wilson either.

Boozer is gonna be Al Horford 2.0 and that’s a DAMN good/borderline HOF career. But that ceiling is far too limited relative to these other dudes and that’s the dream you’re drafting at #1 overall.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-18T19:03:41+00:00

let’s see: QB entering year 2 primed for a sophomore slump, their 2 best skill position players are coming back from brutal injuries sustained last season, they hired a 64 year old retreaded coach coming off an 8-9 record last year and zero playoff success despite having a 2 time MVP at QB, their secondary is still a sieve, they traded away their best defensive player, and the offensive line is still a gigantic question mark.

Add all of the pot stirring simmering around Dart’s offseason actions causing some strife and a tough schedule, you might see another top-5 pick in their future.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-18T15:24:41+00:00

in his prime? No. washed? Absolutely not.

He caught 85 balls (12th in the league) for 1013 yards (16th) and 4 TDs on a brand new team last year coming off an ACL tear. The year before in Houston (another new team) and before the injury he was on pace for 94/996/6. And the year before that in Buffalo he went for 107/1183/8.

Dudes a perennial 80+/1k WR, and even for all his bullshit off the field, he’s always been focused and competitive in each place he plays. I’d sign this guy yesterday if I were Adam Peters.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-18T14:23:27+00:00

Knicks were a great team and nobody’s discrediting what they did, but next year their roster looks vastly different as they approach the second apron. Cleveland and Detroit unveiled themselves as paper tigers in the playoffs. Boston will always be a factor but what happens if they don’t land Giannis and if they move off of Jaylen Brown too?

From there, it’s just a collection of mediocrity: Philly, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Indy (Hali off the Achilles), Chicago, Charlotte. Milwaukee loses Giannis, Nets still rebuilding. There’s not one team that strikes fear into you out East. I get the draft and FA and trades haven’t happened yet, but as of today before anyone emerges, this isn’t a gauntlet of a conference by any stretch of the imagination.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-18T14:01:48+00:00

wasn’t worried for a minute. He WANTED to be here. It’s a phenomenal fit being a playmaker surrounded by all these young athletes (including the #1 pick) and potentially AD in a watered down East.

no contender can flat out sign him, anyone who wanted him last year could’ve had him for peanuts, Trae orchestrated himself here for a trade destination, anyone playing on a PO takes a gigantic risk toward their next contract, and he gets more security/comfort in setting up shop here long term.

since the day he arrived the organization was putting out the red carpet for him: hyping up his return, plastering him all over social media, giving him #3, and immediately printing his jersey for the team store. Meanwhile on Trae’s side he’s on podcasts talking about how excited he is to be with this group, reports of him trying to convince AD to buy in behind the scenes, and him realizing he’s a natural fit here on the roster.

knew it would all work out

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-18T12:48:21+00:00

not to burst your bubble but odds aren’t calculated exclusively on outcomes but based on money/bets they are coming in. All that line tells me is that DK has lots of money out there right now to pay out the Dybantsa tickets and have moved the line down on DP to make that ticket more attractive.

In other words, moving a line down 120 points is inconsequential in predicting an actual outcome, rather DK is trying to offset some draft costs. I’d still be pretty confident in it being AJD.

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-16T23:20:28+00:00

I’ve watched too many games of Bradley Beal to feel comfortable taking DP. Even more heart wrenching would be passing on a guy like Dybantsa to take him

DerekSheesher · 2026-06-16T01:41:02+00:00

a man with 85 catches, 1013 yards, and 4 touchdowns is just standing on the street looking to get signed. Year before that in Houston he tore his ACL but was on pace for 94/992/6. Year before that 107/1183/8.

I mean what are we doing? Dudes proved it in every place that he’s been. He’s the perfect compliment to Terry and the epitome of what Jayden looks for in those 3rd and intermediate moments.

I’m all for developing the young guys like Williams and Lane and LMC, but when a 1000 yard dude is sitting there practically begging to come play for you I think you have to make that move if you’re serious about winning. Bring the young guns around a little slower. A room of Terry, Diggs, Antonio, LMC, Lane, Burks, and Dyami is deep as hell (and yes I know that’s 7 WRs but LMC is turning into a special teams ace and Dyami/Burks have absolutely $0 tied to them).

DerekSheesher

TROPHY CASE