Discussing Other Teams' Moves (Part III)

[LyricalRico]

^ I just don't see the Blazers adding more kids who need time to develop into NBA players, especially when you consider that Alexander doesn't project to be a superstar. I would think that they would bring Rudy Fernandez over and try to move the #13 and some of their other young pieces (Webster, Jack, Sergio, Frye, etc) for veterans with playoff experience.

[Rafael122]

Why is it that more teams are hiring basketball players who retired like 5 years ago for GM or coaching positions? Is the coaching pool that small that Vinny friggin Del Negro has a coaching job?

[LyricalRico]

It's the hot new trend, I guess. Maybe the thought in NBA circles is that they need somebody to relate to "today's player" and that older, more experienced coaches just won't be able to.

I actually like this better than seeing the same old re-treads getting hired. At least there's new blood getting injected into the league.

[spaceman_E]

Rico, I see what you're saying and I could see them moving a couple of the complementary players if they found the right deal, but I don't see them needing to add the veterans just yet. Oden is basically a rookie this year and I think they will take another season to evaluate the young guys and see who fits best with the big man. I believe Lafrentz is gone after this season and they will probably make a move for a veteran 3rd big and/or a better starting PG. This could also be one of those teams on the cusp that free agents run to in a year or two.

Also, I'm not saying Alexander is a superstar and I don't think he needs to be one for them, but I don't really see Alexander as a project either. He put up numbers in college and was big in the clutch. He's also certainly got the athleticism to hang in the NBA and played 3 full years. He probably wouldn't start over Outlaw right away, but I just think he would fit in well there. He also has a great nickname in 'Vanilla Sky.'

[LyricalRico]

Rico, I see what you're saying and I could see them moving a couple of the complementary players if they found the right deal, but I don't see them needing to add the veterans just yet. Oden is basically a rookie this year and I think they will take another season to evaluate the young guys and see who fits best with the big man. I believe Lafrentz is gone after this season and they will probably make a move for a veteran 3rd big and/or a better starting PG. This could also be one of those teams on the cusp that free agents run to in a year or two.

Valid points. They do need to see how Oden fits in and it's also possible that the West is still too difficult for them to crack the top 8 even with some vet help.

Your biggest point IMO is the possibility of them being players in free agency. I just checked and next summer, if they waive all of their non-guaranteed contracts and renounce all cap holds, they could have over $20M in cap room! And, based on what they do with that, they could still have some flexibility in 2010.

So you're idea about them taking at least another year to continue to evaluate young talent makes a ton of sense. In the meantime they clear their cap and watch as teams like the Mavs, Spurs, and Suns decline.

[fishercob]

Why is it that more teams are hiring basketball players who retired like 5 years ago for GM or coaching positions? Is the coaching pool that small that Vinny friggin Del Negro has a coaching job?

Money.

[LyricalRico]

What time is it?

Time for another of Rico's Fabulous 4-ways!



Bucks trade: Redd, Villanueva, and #37
Bucks receive: Haslem, M.Rose, Mobley, and #7

Clippers trade: Mobley, Thomas, and #7
Clippers receive: Redd, D.Lee, and #37

Knicks trade: Randolph, M.Rose, and Lee
Knicks receive: Thomas, Blount, and Villanueva

Heat trade: Blount and Haslem
Heat receive: Randolph

TRADE ID 4656517

Why for Milwaukee? They move their best player for an extra lotto pick to accelerate their rebuilding.

Bogut/Gadzuric
Yi/Haslem/Rose
Alexander[#7]/Simmons
Gordon[#8]/Mobley
Williams/Bell

Why for Los Angeles? They try to build a winner to convince Brand to stay. (I'm basing Redd's value on what Seattle got for Ray Allen last summer.)

Kaman/Pekovic[#35]
Brand/Lee
Maggette/Thornton
Redd/Giddens[#37]
Livingston/Knight

Why for New York? They bring in shooters who fit D'Antoni's system

Blount/Curry
Villanueva/Jeffries
T.Thomas/Chandler
Crawford/QRich
Augustin[#6]/Robinson

Why for Miami? They take a chance on a big time inside scorer. It also allows them to trade down. Maybe the #2 to Seattle for the #4 and Jeff Green?

Mourning/Barron
Randolph/A.Johnson
Marion/Green
Wade/Cook
Bayless[#4]/Banks

It's possible that the Clippers give up too much but overall I think it's pretty good. Thoughts?

[LyricalRico]

Double Post

[LyricalRico]

I think the Lakers showed in the Boston series that they need to have better defenders and playmakers on the bench. Guys like Walton and Vujacic, while talented, aren't cutting it IMO. How about this simple trade:

Lakers trade: Walton and Mihm
Wolves trade: Marko Jaric

Why for Minny? They will likely draft OJ Mayo to be their SG of the future and need help at SF and C.

Why for LA? They get a swingman with the size to play next to Kobe, who can play decent defense and also create for his teammates. This also up minutes for the tough and athletic Ariza and also allows them to let Vujacic (essentially a younger Roger Mason) walk if the bidding for him gets too high.

Bynum/Turiaf
Gasol/Radmanovic
Odom/Ariza
Kobe/Jaric
Fisher/Farmar

It's a small change but I think it helps them.

Another idea would be to trade Ariza and Coby Karl to New Jersey for Trent Hassell. That would give them another defender but he wouldn't help them in the triangle like Jaric would.

[Wiz99]

What the Lakers need to do is trade Odom for a defensive stopper.

Bynum coming back is like getting the #1 pick in the draft - a young budding star that will immediately help them. They don't need Odom to be their #4 offensive threat. But they do need someone who can bolster the D, stop guys at the 2 and 3 spot like Pierce, Manu.

Can't think of a trade right off the top of my head. But if I were the Lakers FO, figuring this out would be at the top of my list for this offseason.

[LyricalRico]

Odom for Richard Jefferson straight up works.

So does Odom for Kirilenko.

Odom for Artest and filler? Do they really want that kind of a headache?

[Silvie Lysandra]

Trust me.

That team as currently composed isn't going to win any titles.

They need the type of thing Detroit pulled with Sheed - a headcase who's just happens to be fiery and intense. Bynum + Gasol + Artest + Bryant + Farmar = ring; doesn't matter if it blows up afterward (and you can argue detroit never blew up, they just had to go through better teams)

[mhd]

I think a good trade would be Thabo+Hughes for Odom+Farmar. Hughes would be a better version of Ron Harper in the triangle. Thabo is becoming a top 5 wing defender in the NBA.

[Wiz99]

Odom for Artest and filler? Do they really want that kind of a headache?

Artest would make a lot of sense to me.

LA badly needs some toughness. Odom was the softest of the bunch.

And they need a defensive stopper. Artest could do great things for a 1-2 year spurt.

Phil Jackson got amazing things out of Dennis Rodman.

[fishercob]

The Lakers will have to drastically overpay. No way the Maloofs hand Jerry Buss a title for salary cap relief. They might not deal with the Lakers altogether, or if they do, they'll make them pay out the nose.

[LyricalRico]

I think a good trade would be Thabo+Hughes for Odom+Farmar. Hughes would be a better version of Ron Harper in the triangle. Thabo is becoming a top 5 wing defender in the NBA.

I was thinking about sending Hughes to LA. The problem is that he wouldn't start for them. Harper was the starting PG when he was there but Hughes would be the third guard and in order to get him minutes Kobe would have to move to SF for stretches. I don't think that's what LA needs.

The Lakers will have to drastically overpay. No way the Maloofs hand Jerry Buss a title for salary cap relief. They might not deal with the Lakers altogether, or if they do, they'll make them pay out the nose.

The Kings would want to dump their bad contracts and get a PG.

Lakers trade: Odom, Ariza, and Farmar
Kings trade: Artest, SAR, and Thomas
TRADE ID 4660873

Why for Sacramento? They dump SAR and Kenny Thomas, while getting back two young players.

Miller/Hawes
Moore/Randolph[#12]
Odom/Ariza
Martin/Douby
Salmons/Farmar

Why for Los Angeles? They get the defensive stopper and inject some heart/passion/crazy into their lineup.

Bynum/Turiaf
Gasol/Radmanovic
Artest/Walton
Bryant/Vujacic
Fisher/FA

I think that would work for both teams.

[LyricalRico]

WireTap has the Cavs interested in Al Harrington, presumably to get some scoring out of their PF position. I didn't see Cleveland and GS being great trading partners so I added a third team.

Cavs trade: Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Verajao, and Joe Smith
Cavs receive: Al Harrington, Marco Belinelli, Mark Blount, and Alexander Johnson

Warriors trade: Al Harrington and Marco Belinelli
Warriors receive: Udonis Haslem and Anderson Verajao

Heat trade: Blount, Haslem, and Johnson
Heat receive: Wally and Joe Smith

TRADE ID 4665466 (Note: Verajao has to agree to the trade.)

Why for Cleveland? They upgrade their roster with better offensive players.

Ilgauskas/Wallace
Harrington/Blount
LeBron/[#19]
Pavlovic/Belinelli
West(?)/Gibson(?)

Why for Golden State? They get a more traditional PF and upgrade their C position.

Biedrins/Verajao
Haslem/Wright
Jackson/Greene[#14]
Ellis/Azuibuke(?)
Davis/Watson

Why for Miami? They clear even more salary to go after Brand next offseason. Beasley can be moved later.

Mourning/Barron
Beasley[#2]/J.Smith
Marion/Wally
Wade/Cook
Banks/FA

Thoughts?

[fugop]

Cavs would probably rather have Haslem.

[tkunit]

how where the griz able to sign gasol jr? I don't remember them drafting him.

[LyricalRico]

^ Ironically, he was part of the trade the brought his brother to LA.