You just missed the point. Having those player's guarantee's that the team is in the tax zone and I'm not sure that this team is willing to be long term luxury tax payer's. The luxury tax is a real hindrance to a small market team like the Jazz.
Yes, perhaps, but we're paying the tax this year. This deal only extends that one year. Obviously they don't want to pay the tax, but I have a hard time thinking they wouldn't eat another year of tax to pick up someone of Granger's caliber, as it would generate more excitement about the team, make us much more competitive, and get us further in the playoffs (all bringing in more cash).
Also I disagree that having 3 really good player's and no bench is the way to win it all.
Having three all-star caliber players, accompanied by very good role players like Millsap, Okur (yes, I know he's old and coming off injury but his game was never based off atheltic availability and he's at worst a solid role player), and Miles. That's a far cry away from "no bench". Look at our bench now; it's not like we've got dynamite guys adding 10 wins to our season.
The outlook would be pretty good in the short term but if they never get any height because of the salary restrictions having all of your money tied up in those 6 players and still not having enough height to be real competitors. So in the end the Jazz would be paying a lot more money long term for a team that is not really any better off than they would be just resigning Ak to a more reasonable contract next off season.
I think we've become so fixated on height that we can't see anything in the periphery. Jefferson and Millsap will each play, at minimum, 32 minutes per game. This leaves us 32 minutes available between the 4 and 5. Factor in Memo and he will get
at least 20 minutes. While everyone on here can argue about whether or not that is appropriate, the fact remains that most all of the minutes will go to those three guys and one of those three guys is guaranteed to be on the bench closing games, as presently constituted. How likely is it that Sloan sits 2/3 of those guys to close games? So what are we left with? We're left with an ad for a backup 4 or 5 who will play 12-18 minutes and likely
will not close any games. Would we honestly turn down an all-star who plays 35 mpg so that we can keep the possibility available that we can pick up a 12-18 minute back up?
Look, I'd love a defensive big guy as much as anyone else, but this isn't football where there are separate teams for offense and defense, and it's not hockey where you can sub-out during live action. If a defensive big is on the floor, it's because Millsap or Jefferson is not, in conjunction with Okur on the bench... and I don't think we're bringing in a good enough defender to sit those guys for any extended period of time. I sometimes feel like if we were to land circa-1990s Jordan on a max deal, everyone would be upset about how it's going to have a financial strangle on the team and that we don't need Jordan against the Lakers, we need Louis Amundson.