Interesting proposition from the Lowe Post

[Primer]

Not a bad backup plan. I'd also be comfortable with starting Vasquez and making a move in the draft to ensure we get Ennis. I think Ennis would be a good PG of the future should Lowry choose to leave. Vasquez would give us the ability to bring Ennis along slowly.

[Heatdreamer]

Sign Lowry for Stephen Curry 4/44 monies. Not as a good as Stephen and lowry is four years older, and instead of 4/40 pay the little bit of inflation , and move unto the other RFAs and than trade for Perkins +21 st for Salmons + hansborough..

[planetmars]

Bledsoe always seemed a bit overrated to me. His injury history is worrisome. Also you have to consider his contract year as well.

I wouldn't pay him the max... I really don't like that as a plan B or C. I'd rather just reclaim some of that cap space. I hope MU gets a PG in the draft. One of Ennis/Payton/Napier should be available by 20 or even 37.

[DanH]

Bledsoe's max is 25% of the salary cap. 2014-15 cap is projected to be $63.2M, so the max for Bledsoe (from any team besides Phoenix) would be a 4 year deal starting at $15.8M.

Max raises are 4.5% of the initial base salary (so $711K). So we're looking at a deal like this for Bledsoe:

Year 1: $15.80M
Year 2: $16.51M
Year 3: $17.22M
Year 4: $17.93M
Total: $67.46 (so 20M more than Lowry over 4 years)

That number is a little high, because the NBA uses a different calculation to determine max salaries based on a lower BRI.

Yeah, it's high. The real number is likely to be more like:

14.1M
14.7M
15.3M
15.9M
Total (60M)

[Nilanka]

Lowry's worth to this team goes faaaaaaaar beyond the stat sheets. His value off the court, will need to be replaced.

[imanshumpert]

Sign Lowry for Stephen Curry 4/44 monies. Not as a good as Stephen and lowry is four years older, and instead of 4/40 pay the little bit of inflation , and move unto the other RFAs and than trade for Perkins +21 st for Salmons + hansborough..

While it does make sense to sign Lowry for Curry money, that reasoning makes no sense.

Curry got that deal because he had ankle problems, and at the time he wasn't really better than Lowry is now.

[Heatdreamer]

Not sure I agree, but let's compare 2013/14 years and I would suggest Stephen Curry and Lowry though two different players are similar in benefits to the team. Curry is a better scorer and Lowry is slightly better as a team leader and defender.

[TSF]

Not sure I agree, but let's compare 2013/14 years and I would suggest Stephen Curry and Lowry though two different players are similar in benefits to the team. Curry is a better scorer and Lowry is slightly better as a team leader and defender.

Yeah, but Curry is such a deadly scorer that it changes everything about the way you play GSW. You put anybody else in that offense, even CP3 The Point God or Russell The Destroyer, and it becomes less scary. Plus he's set to be doing what he does for the next ten years, lowry isn't. If curry hadn't been locked down back when he was full of promise but usually injured, he'd be making the max right now.

[ceez]

Dunno about let Lowry walk and sign Bledsoe but I do think he'd be a more than solid plan B.

I also don't think resigning Lowry is as much a slam dunk as many think.

[Bendit]

Will Phoenix keep both Bledsoe & Dragic next year? I have always liked Dragic and pursuing him might be a good backup plan as well. He does have another year @7.5 mill. with player option yr. after (which he will not exercise for sure) so a trade would have to be arranged.

[white men can't jump]

Yeah, but Curry is such a deadly scorer that it changes everything about the way you play GSW. You put anybody else in that offense, even CP3 The Point God or Russell The Destroyer, and it becomes less scary. Plus he's set to be doing what he does for the next ten years, lowry isn't. If curry hadn't been locked down back when he was full of promise but usually injured, he'd be making the max right now.

I agree that Curry is more valuable because he's one of a few scorers in the league who can totally take over a game for stretches. But the bold is pretty far off. Curry is only 2 years younger than Lowry, and he has a history of bad ankle issues. There's no guarantee Curry will do anything longer.

[TSF]

I agree that Curry is more valuable because he's one of a few scorers in the league who can totally take over a game for stretches. But the bold is pretty far off. Curry is only 2 years younger than Lowry, and he has a history of bad ankle issues. There's no guarantee Curry will do anything longer.

Their type of game though. Lowry plays at the hole, Curry plays from the 3-point line. Look at 32 year old wade vs 38 year old Allen.