We know the optimal strategy for this FA period is to sign whatever free agents we can as soon as possible, allowing us to make largest offers initially which will use up virtually all of our cap space, hopefully land a Star (or two?), then go over the cap as needed and resign Batum = Win/Win.

But what if Batum does get that "big" offer right at the beginning of FA, and now our 3-day-to-match clock is ticking. Lets assume the offer for Batum is for an amount that we really don't want to pay (say 10+ million) but we are willing to spend that kind of money on Deron Williams or Roy Hibbert and we make one of those guys a similiar offer. Lets assume that because of the timing of Batum's offer, we have to decide whether to match on Batum before we hear back from DWill or Hibbert's agents. Rather than let Batum walk for nothing (Bad decision) or overpay Batum early in FA , thereby eating up our cap space which would no longer allow us a chance at DWill or Hibbert (Bad decision), we decide to match on Batum and then turn around and trade him to NJ or Indiana for DWill or Hibbert? Can we even do that? I don't know if I'm making sense here or not, but I don't want to see us let Nic walk, and still miss out on a DWill or Hibbert and have nothing to show for it, when we could match on Batum (even if it is too pricey of an offer) but then use him as a trade chip.

There are probably holes in my theory so tell me what I missed and let me know what kind of opportunities a sign and trade might provide us (if any) to at least hedge our bets against losing Batum for nothing and then coming up empty in FA. Go.....