Marc Stein: 6ers/C's/Sac discussing 3 way (Dalembert)

[Mahorn at the 4]

The gist of conversations is

Philadelphia trades Sam Dalembert and
recieves Bostons' Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen and Sacramento's Kenny Thomas - all expiring contracts

Sac gets Sam and JR Giddens

Boston gets Nocioni

conversations are ongoing

TRUE HOOP

By Marc Stein

Our trusty Stephen Jackson Trade Saga, after providing us with nearly two months of good gossip fodder, unexpectedly zoomed to a pre-Thanksgiving conclusion.

So where do we go now for our trade chatter?

There is some hope, according to NBA front-office sources, for a three-way deal that is currently in the exploratory-discussion phase.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings, in considering the feasibility of a Samuel Dalembert-for-Kenny Thomas swap, have discussed expanding that concept with Boston by trying to draw in the Celtics on a potential three-way deal that would land Andres Nocioni with the Celts.

Sources further stressed over the past 48 hours that this should be classified as an ongoing conversation as the teams involved decide how much they like what’s on the table.

But the full deal as it stands, if it eventually gets that far, would send Nocioni to Boston, Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to Philadelphia and Dalembert and J.R. Giddens to Sacramento.

Taking the teams one by one:

*Boston has had interest in Nocioni from the minute Sacramento acquired him in February in the deal that dispatched Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago. That said, Boston has also been hesitant since February about acting upon that interest because Nocioni has three years and more than $20 years left on his contract after this season. That’s a lot of long-term cash for the Celts to take on -- even if Nocioni turned out to be a James Posey-style Mr. Versatile for them -- after they just signed Rajon Rondo to a lucrative extension and with decisions about the futures of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen looming. So Boston pulling out because of financial concerns likely ranks as the biggest impediment to this deal.

*Philadelphia’s determination to trade away Dalembert’s contract is a months-old story, which would appear to make Philly the most eager of the three teams to get this done. Thomas, Allen and Scalabrine are all on expiring contracts. Dalembert is making $12 million this season and is scheduled to earn nearly $13 million next season. The Sixers, frankly, don’t care who comes back in a Dalembert swap as long as their contracts drop off the payroll at season’s end.

*The Kings have interest in securing another big man to join Spencer Hawes and the fast-developing Jason Thompson in their frontcourt rotation and have pondered the merits of gambling on Dalembert for some time. And trading for Philly’s out-of-favor center certainly makes more sense than a deal for New Orleans’ Emeka Okafor, who has four years and nearly $40 million left on his contract through the 2013-14 season. It’s believed that Sacramento, even if these three-way talks go no further, will continue to field offers for Nocioni, given the Kings’ desire to have cap space in the summer of 2011 and the promising early development of rookie Omri Casspi.

More forthcoming as we get it.

[83SixersRocked]

I'd do it, with the obligatory reservations about the middle. If this goes down teams may take fewer threes.

[Kova]

I love it!! Do it Stefanski!

Let's do some math!

Our current payroll = around 63 million $
Next year payroll = around 68 million $ (if we resign carney, ivey and brezec)

Now, if we trade dalembert and take on scalabrines, allen's and thomas' contracts, we would have around 65.5 million $ this year..

They are all expirings, so next year we're looking at 54.5 million $, with carney, ivey, brezec. Without them, it would be around 50-51 million $..

Projected salary cap for 2010-2011 season is around 51-53 million $.. So the conclusion is that we are around that number for the next season..

Now, with this, we have an oportunity to become a players in summer 2010..

How? we have to make another big trade for expirings.. If we really plan for that, it would possibly happen near the deadline..

1. solution - trade Brand somehow.. His salary for 2010 is 16 million $, so if we replace that with expirings, we would have 35 million $! 16-18 million in cap space for 2010!! Just enough for a superstars (amare, bosh, lebron???, wade???) 1st year salary at maximum!

2. solution - trade another package of players, lets say green, kapono and williams.. Their combined salaries for 2010 are also 16 million $. Replacing it with expirings would give us the same position like when we trade brand, and we are 16-18 mil $ under cap again!

I prefer 1st solution, because we would lose only one player (brand), and would keep the depth.. Trading 3 role players would shrink our roster, and even with superstar signed, we wouldn't have enough depth..

Hell, I know I'm just dreaming, but still..
Any thoughts?

[Hipster Doofus]

Freaking do it! I don't care if we get ghosts in return for Dalembert's departure.

[gosixers]

I'll drive Sammy to the airport! Plus you know Scal is gonna become an instant fan favorite when we throw out our dominating white boy frontcourt of Smith, Scal, and Kapono.

[bigdavid]

Keep Sam and trade Jordan and Stefanski.

[howiezbt]

not to be a wet blanket, but does that mean we have no center other than Smith and Brezec? oy. I say pass. We are not going anywhere this year and were can still be a player in 2010 if a FA wants to come to us becuase we would have a BIG expiring deal in Daly to trade.

[LieCheatSteal]

I feel for Brand. I don't think he signed in Philly for another rebuilding situation after being in a continuous one in LA. Somehow, though, after screwing over the Clips a bit when signing with the Sixers, it seems like karma biting Brand in the butt. Excluding the one season the Clips did really well, lead by Cassell and Mobley, have they (Clippers) ever not been in a rebuilding mode?

Anyways, I'd do it if I were the Sixers and Kings (although, they did have Mikki Moore last year and, contract aside, he does fit the type of player the Kings seem to be looking for and a lot cheaper as well. Plus, he won't sulk about the lack of playing time, unlike Sammy. Hindsight is always 20/20, I guess). Celtics, they really should think about things a little long term, as written by Stein.

[Slacktard]

I'm not really sure what the Sixers get out of this other then getting rid of Dalembert. If he's that much of a cancer on the team then I guess I can understand it. As someone pointed out if you subtract Sammy's salary from next season the Sixers still won't be able to sign a FA. Depending on where the cap is they may be right at it or just a million or two under it without Sammy.

So free-agency wise trading Sammy or keeping Sammy really makes no difference whatsoever.

The thing that makes it interesting is if the Sixers acquire all these expirings they could potentially turn around and repackage them to a team looking to be a spender this off-season and actually get a legit asset to help the Sixers.

If that isn't the case then Sammy might be more valuable to hold onto and use as a trading chip next season when he'd be substantially large expiring contract to dangle.

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

We get Tony Allen, whom if healthy(big if) gives us that swingman we're finally looking for.

[UptownPhilly]

Any deal we can move Dalembert in for expirings should be accepted. This guy has no future here. We don't use him enough, and he's too inconsistent to hope for anything from him. His minutes have been greatly limited the past few seasons, so losing him shouldn't be a major hit.

Speights/Smith/Brezc/Brand is a good enough center combination for the short term.

Scalabrine/Young/Speights/Smith/Brand all can see minutes at the PF spot too.

Salabrine gives us another 3pt. option also. Don't know about Giddens/Allen but we absolutely must do this trade.

[ankle420breaker]

Daly for an expiring? Count me in.

[UptownPhilly]

not to be a wet blanket, but does that mean we have no center other than Smith and Brezec? oy. I say pass. We are not going anywhere this year and were can still be a player in 2010 if a FA wants to come to us becuase we would have a BIG expiring deal in Daly to trade.

I get the feeling that Dalembert's expiring won't be a major trade asset. It's a lot of money for a team to take on in one season, especially with the shrinking salary cap. He'd probably just expire like Lafrentz, Szczerbiak, and a few other big contracts....

We'd be better off getting rid of him now and worry about moving other contracts later if 2010/2011 is our goal.

[9th Wonder]

I'm on board.

Also, the more I think about it, the more I'd be willing to dump EB for expirings (if he can put together a decent enough season to make it a realistic possibility). As much as I like him, he's a little old for yet another re-build on this team.

[76ers76ers]

No shotblocker in the middle..........easy to score inside.....COUNT ME IN!!!!!! Kind of missed the ping pongs.

[BW32]

I'm not really sure what the Sixers get out of this other then getting rid of Dalembert. If he's that much of a cancer on the team then I guess I can understand it. As someone pointed out if you subtract Sammy's salary from next season the Sixers still won't be able to sign a FA. Depending on where the cap is they may be right at it or just a million or two under it without Sammy.

If you substract Sammy there's no chance of luxury tax next year, the deal isn't about caproom it's about money

[ankle420breaker]

Trade Dalembert for an expiring. Sign Mensah Bonsu to block some shots off the bench.

[dbodner]

I'm not really sure what the Sixers get out of this other then getting rid of Dalembert. If he's that much of a cancer on the team then I guess I can understand it. As someone pointed out if you subtract Sammy's salary from next season the Sixers still won't be able to sign a FA. Depending on where the cap is they may be right at it or just a million or two under it without Sammy.

If you substract Sammy there's no chance of luxury tax next year, the deal isn't about caproom it's about money

Right. It's about flexibility. Flexibility to use the MLE, to use a TE (if we get one), to take on salary in a trade, etc. Right now we're financially handcuffed, and will be next year too.

[sixerbond]

Fact is, with us being so thin in the front court, why do this now ? KT is anything but a front court player. Scalbrine is worthless, as is Allen. Only way this makes sense is as others here have stated, is if Philly is going to re-package these ending C's to another team anxious to rid themselves of a player.
One player that comes to mind may be Okafor. But I won't assume anything right now. But if this deal does happen, and Philly just keeps them til after this season, and lets them walk outright. Then we will all know, no matter how they spin it, Philly, and Snyder are cheap money-grubbing idiots who care NOTHING for this team, and building a winner.

[KKell2507]

I say do it. The expiring contracts give the Sixers more flexibility than they currently have. Right now they are rubbing up against the luxury tax line for NEXT SEASON, thats without signing any free agents or adding draft picks. Trading Dalembert for expirings give them the flexibility to sign minor deals for next year as well as sign their draft picks.

Lets face it, there is really NOTHING that stefanski can do to make this team exciting and a winner this year, only way that happens is if the current team just plays better. No one is going to take on Brands contract. Our biggest trading piece right now is probably Iguodala but if we trade away him there will likely be even less seats in the stadium as he is our most exciting player. We cant trade our young guys for veterans to compete this year because we dont have the cap space for it.

So im all for doing anything to shed money. We can find a shot blocker somewhere in the world to sign cheap for the rest of the season. And next years draft class is going to be very shot blocker heavy(if some none seniors decide to leave early). So this really is the perfect time to trade Dalembert if you ask me.