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Authored by Charlie Danoff - 25th February, 2008 - 4:34 pm
For those of you out there who love nothing more than NBA player movement, February was a wet dream.
Hall-of-Famers, All-Stars, up-and-comers, has-beens, and never-weres moved on a seemingly daily basis. Now that the trade deadline has passed, it’s time to sort through all the carnage and try to understand exactly what happened.
Obviously the real results can’t be judged until after the NBA Finals, but trades are made on information from the past. Looking at that information, one can evaluate if a deal was a good one at present regardless of what happens in the future. Just because a trade doesn’t work out, does not necessarily mean it was the wrong decision at the time.
Teams will be ranked from thirty to one on how I think well or poorly I think they handled February.
Before I get into it, though, a few disclaimers. Note that all “# Yrs” refer to the years left beyond this current season. Thus, if it’s an expiring contract, there will be “0 Yrs” left. When calculating the totals, qualifying offers were not included, but player (PO) and team options (TO) were.
Rank: 30
Memphis Grizzlies
Draft Rights Acquired:
Malick Badiane from Houston
Marc Gasol from the Lakers
Draft Picks Acquired:
2008 & 2010 1st Round Picks from the Lakers
Players Acquired:
2/21
Marcus Vinicius (Hornets)
2/4
Jason Collins (Nets)
+ Cash Considerations
2/1
Kwame Brown (Lakers)
Aaron McKie (Lakers)
Jarvis Crittenton (Lakers)
I don’t even know where to begin with how silly GM Chris Wallace has been this month. In his defense, odds are all of his moves were directed by owner Michael Heisley, but either way, Memphis really hurt their franchise in February.
Starting obviously with the Gasol trade, the move was clearly ONLY made to rid the Grizzlies of the millions Gasol is owed over the next several years. This move was not made in a financial sense to get more cap space; it was made in a financial sense to make the team more attractive to a potential buyer.
This is a foolish idea for a couple of reasons. One, almost always the most important determinant of a franchise’s worth is how many games they win. Wins drive up attendance, merchandise sales, advertising, and on and on.
Saving $14 million a season or so may be nice for someone looking to buy, but whomever ends up making the deal will be cursing Heisley in a year or two when Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, and Mike Miller are ready to take this team to the next level, if they could just find a consistent interior post presence. That Spanish dude would be nice, oh wait, too bad he’s busy helping Kobe catch up to MJ in the titles' department.
And I haven’t even gotten to the fact yet that Gasol is only 27 and about to enter his prime. Despite his high salary, odds are he would have proven to be a good value. Jerry West is about as sharp as they come in terms of GM’s, and there are really good on-court reasons why he never traded Gasol during his Memphis tenure.
Overall, very poor, narrow-minded move that will cost the franchise dearly for the years to come.
If you’re wondering why I haven’t yet even mentioned what Memphis got in return, it’s because there’s nothing to say. They more or less got nothing.
The draft picks will be next to worthless at the bottom of the first round, and almost every player included was done so only because their contracts expire at the end of the year.
In fairness, I really do like Crittenton, but he will prove at best to be a serviceable starter in his career and not one of the top 10 – 20 players in the NBA.
Looking at the other deals, acquiring Collins from New Jersey makes no sense. They’re clearly trying to shed salary so why acquire a guy whose contract is guaranteed for next season? Odds are Swift wouldn’t have opted out anyway, but if you’re trying to cut costs, why not give him the chance?
Finally, for those hardcore fans interested, here is more information about the other Gasol, Badiane, and Vinicius who surprisingly does actually play in the NBA.
Rank: 29
New Jersey Nets
Draft Picks Acquired:
2008 & 2010 1st Round Picks from Dallas
Players Acquired:
2/4/08
Stromile Swift (Memphis)
2/19/08
Trenton Hassell (Dallas)
Keith Van Horn (Dallas)
Devin Harris (Dallas)
DeSagana Diop (Dallas)
Maurice Ager (Dallas)
From both an on-court basketball and a financial perspective, the Kidd trade makes little sense for New Jersey.
Basketball wise, losing Kidd is devastating for this current roster. So long as Vince Carter also remains on the team, they are not entering rebuilding mode, especially considering they just re-signed the 30-year-old to a 5 year, $78 million dollar contract this past off-season.
If the season ended today, they’d make the playoffs, and despite their struggles, the VC, RJ, and Kidd trio could upset anyone in the East. As it stands now, they probably won’t make the playoffs, but they also won’t have a bad enough record to get a difference-maker in the lottery. If you’re going to have a pick in the 11 – 17 range anyway, why not bank a little playoff revenue?
Obviously, the deal centers around point guard Devin Harris. The two first round picks are nice PR spin for Rod Thorn but are largely worthless, considering Dallas will have good records in ’07 – ’08 and ’09 – ’10, so the picks will be at the bottom of the round. Everybody loves to talk about what a great defender Harris is and how quick of a first step he has. Those are great attributes, but he’s supposed to be a point guard, too.
And, the primary responsibility of a point guard is to make your teammates better and make scoring easier for them; you know, what Jason Kidd’s done for over a decade. Despite playing on one of the best offensive teams in the NBA the past few years with Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and Jason Terry, Harris is only averaging 5.3 assists per 36 minutes for his career.
Kidd has averaged 8.9 assists per 36 minutes and 10.1 this yea, despite being a decade older than Harris.
Playing on a loaded Dallas team, sharing the point guard duties with Terry, this aspect of Devin’s game was hidden, but that will not be the case in New Jersey. He will be asked to lead a confused, identity-less team back to glory, something he is ill-equipped to do.
Keep in mind, also, that he’s not as good a shooter, even on 3-pointers, as Kidd so defenders won’t have to respect his shot. Even with his speed, it’s easier to beat defenders to the hole for a drive and dish if they have to guard you closer to keep you from getting open looks.
Also, although he’s a better defender, I personally think a player already on the Nets' roster, Marcus Williams, will be a better offensive point guard long-term than Harris. During his rookie year he averaged 7.1 assists/36 minutes, better than Devin ever has over a full season.
Getting to the financial side of things, I don’t really see why adding salary long-term is a good move for them right now. Sure, Kidd was making a bundle, and he’s due $21 million next season, but after that, his deal was over. The only savings the Nets will get this summer is $6 million with the expiring contracts of Diop and Van Horn.
After that, Ager will still be on the payroll as will the mostly worthless Trenton Hassell. Then of course, there’s also Harris, who will be averaging $10 million a year. Given their current salary structure and championship aspirations, that’s an alright deal for Dallas at this point. Given the Nets are probably trying to rebuild around him and Jefferson, it’s the kind of deal that keeps a team from ever getting far enough under the salary cap to sign a max contract type player.
Bottom line on this deal: Harris is not worth his current contract; the Nets get virtually no salary cap relief; and the first round picks will not yield difference makers. It's a good thing they only gave up one of the best point guards in NBA history. Oh, and don’t forget last year at this time the Kidd deal on the table was to try and get the next great NBA center Andrew Bynum.
New Jersey would’ve been MUCH better off making a quiet trip to the playoffs and dealing Kidd when he would have been even more valuable this summer considering he’d be in the last year of his contract.
Getting quickly to the other Nets' deal, trading Jason Collins for Stromile Swift, was a win-win for the team. Swift is better than Collins and can opt-out at the end of this year while Collins salary is guaranteed for next season.
Rank: 28
Cleveland Cavaliers
Draft Picks Acquired:
2009 2nd Round Pick from Chicago
Players Acquired:
2/21/08
Wally Sczerbiak (Seattle)
Delonte West (Seattle)
Ben Wallace (Chicago)
Joe Smith (Chicago)
Honestly, I think Danny Ferry is challenging Matt Millen for the title of worst GM in all of professional sports. Isiah Thomas is in there too but doesn’t qualify because at least he has the courage to coach the ridiculous roster he’s put together.
This deal is so silly from the Cavs' perspective that it’s hard to wrap my head around.
OK, it’s the Chicago aspect that really gets me. I’ll begin with what they did with Seattle. Adding one of the better outside shooters in the NBA while only giving up Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble was a nice move by Cleveland. Sczerbiak should put up the best numbers since the year he made the All-Star team playing with KG.
It’ll be interesting to see how he and James mesh, though, considering Wally clashed several times with Garnett over the years. Where Wally fits in the rotation will also be key to watch. I’d expect him to start over Sasha Pavlovic, but he may be more valuable as a scorer coming off the bench.
Either way, LBJ will have to really step up his perimeter defense with Hughes now departed. Delonte West will help with smaller guards, but against the wings LeBron will be alone. Sasha is a slightly below average defender, but everyone else, especially Wally World, is just bad. James has never been noted for his defense, but this will be a good opportunity for him to prove he belongs in the Kobe and MJ class. Those guys were and are all-universe stoppers.
And although it’s been largely ignored by most, Delonte West could well end up being the best part of this deal for Cleveland. He’s not a fabulous point guard, but his skills are better than those of Eric Snow and Damon Jones. He may not be quite the shooter Booby is, but given that Gibson hasn’t been able to crack the starting line-up, it’s clear he still has some holes in his game.
West could easily end up starting and helping to make up on both ends of the floor for the departed Hughes. He’s struggled offensively this season in Seattle, but during the past two years in Boston, he averaged 12 points/game. He’s a better all-around player than any other short guard on the Cavs' roster and should play well enough to make himself plenty of scratch come this summer.
Getting now to the players they acquired from Chicago, I just don’t know how to spin it positively.
I’ll start with the fact that the Bulls are now a better team simply because Wallace is no longer on their roster. His defense has slipped from his Defensive Player of the Year days, and he has absolutely no offensive game to speak of. He cannot shoot, pass, or dribble and is not interested in learning how. Every moment he is on the floor for Cleveland, they will be playing 4 on 5 at the offensive end.
Smith is a nice addition: the Bulls' most consistent player all year. He is a solid defender and rebounder and is absolutely deadly from mid-range with his jumper. Aside from West, I see him having the most positive impact on the Cavs relative to the other players acquired.
At the end of the day, this is a case of Ferry feeling he has to do something after weeks of hearing the team’s real GM LeBron complain about how he wanted Kidd. Upon failing to acquire Jason, even though he probably could’ve constructed a better deal than Dallas, Ferry panicked and bought another man’s trash hoping to find treasure. He won’t.
The minutes that will now be given to Wallace and Smith would have been better-utilized split between Gooden and Varejao, both offensively and defensively. While adding shooters in West and Sczerbiak is nice, the defensive loss from Hughes will be greater. It will soon become evident LeBron, unlike Kobe, cannot handle being both his team’s best offensive and defensive option.
Moving the Hughes' contract is swell, but it would’ve been even better to have never signed him to a deal he had no chance to live up to. I wonder why Ferry made that mistake a couple of summers ago? Oh, yeah, to try and pacify LeBron. Look where that got him today; I’m sure this latest attempt will be even worse.
Their rank, present and future would be better if they had stood pat.
Rank: 27
New Orleans Hornets
Players Acquired:
Bonzi Wells (Houston)
Mike James (Houston)
This deal is difficult to understand from the Hornets' perspective.
“This trade dramatically improves our team by giving us proven veteran scorers at the backup guard and swing positions,” according to GM Jeff Bower.
I agree that Wells and James have scored quite a bit in their careers, but this deal still isn’t logical. They already have a solid scorer at the wing in Rasaul Butler off the bench, and at the guard Jackson is a much better offensive player than James. Heck, Jannero Pargo is better at putting the ball in the hole than James at this point.
Looking at the deal money-wise, they’ve decided to add another $6 million in salary for the ‘09/’10 season because by that point there will be no possible way for James to earn that much in the open market so he’ll definitely exercise his player option.
To make it even weirder, they gave Houston a 2nd round pick to take back more salary.
If Wells and James can return to their old ways, this deal is a win. I see that as pretty unlikely, though, and I think the Hornets would’ve been better served sticking with Jackson, Pargo, and Butler off the bench and saving their money and draft pick.
As an interesting side note, this is the second time Jackson and Wells have been traded for each other in deals involving other players.
Rank: 26
Boston Celtics
No Trades in February.
Last summer, Danny Ainge had the best single off-season in the NBA since Jerry West added Kobe Bryant and Shaq to his roster the same summer.
Unfortunately, at the deadline, Ainge lost his edge and stood pat with his current roster. At 41-12, they’ve cooled off since their hot start and now are only 2 games ahead of the Pistons in the East.
In my eyes, given the make-up and age of their roster, they only way this season can be considered a success is by at least making the NBA Finals and taking the series all the way down to the wire. Getting a LeBron-style sweep would instantly make the season a failure.
With that in mind, I do not understand how Ainge stood pat with his current roster. I love Rajon Rondo, but you cannot seriously expect to contend for a title with the only true PG on your roster being a second year player. Eddie House is a shooting guard.
They missed the boat on Damon Stoudamire, and that really hurts. If Sam Cassell ends up on the market and they get him, then I’ll change my tune.
Until then, I’d say the Pistons, as the favorites to lose to the West in the NBA Finals, have now replaced the Celtics.
Rank: 25
Portland Trailblazers
Players Acquired:
Von Wafer (Denver)
I’m not entirely sure why the Trailblazers made this move. Financially, their contracts are nearly identical, save that Green has a team option for the ’09 – ’10 season.
This is Von’s third year in the NBA, and he hasn’t done anything of note so far. Green, on the other hand, is a rookie who hasn’t really played yet because of all the excellent guards on the Trailblazer roster.
GM Kevin Pritchard hasn’t made too many false moves since taking over the role so I guess I’ll assume he didn’t think Green was going to improve and maybe saw something in Wafer he thought could help his team down the stretch.
Or, maybe he just wanted to get his team’s name in the headlines.
Overall, though, I give Pritchard credit for not making any other moves in a shortsighted attempt to get the Blazers to the playoffs this season. His excellent drafting has put the team far ahead of where they thought they’d be today, and there’s no reason to trade any of his young talent right now.
They’re still getting better, and even without 2007 #1 overall pick and future franchise center Greg Oden, they’d be the #6 seed if they played in the East. Depending on how this upcoming off-season goes, Portland could be one to three years away from a dynasty.
Rank: 24
Philadelphia 76ers
No Trades in February.
Do the 76ers not realize they’re in rebuilding mode? A first round playoff exit will only hurt the team long-term. They need to get lottery picks because the core they are trying to build around right now is only good enough to, at best, make the playoffs every year.
They should’ve moved at least Andre Miller, if not more parts of their roster to get young players, draft picks, and/or future cap room. Instead, they’ve chosen perpetual mediocrity.
Rank: 23
LA Clippers
No Trades in February.
With the season already over due to the Brand injury, the Clippers should have salvaged some value for Sam Cassell and Corey Maggette. Neither will re-sign with them this off-season, and they’re talented enough that they could’ve yielded some nice pieces for the Clippers in trades. Plus, they would’ve lost more games without those two playing which would give them another lottery pick to build around after Brand and Shaun Livingston return.
Rank: 22
Minnesota Timberwolves
Draft Picks Acquired:
2010 2nd Round Pick from Houston
Players Acquired:
Kirk Snyder (Houston)
+ Cash Considerations from Houston
Kevin McHale finally found a deal he couldn’t screw up too badly. Green is a much better prospect than Snyder, but both are free agents at the end of the season, and given the T’Wolves plethora of wing players, they were not going to re-sign Green anyway.
Getting cash and a future 2nd round pick essentially for nothing is a solid move. McHale still gets a low ranking though for a prolonged series of ineptitude, see: illegal deal w/Joe Smith, re-signing Trenton Hassel, trading Stephon Marbury who would’ve been good w/Garnett for Wally World ,and Terrell Brandon, and most egregious of all, signing Mark Madsen to a five year contract.
Although those deals only accentuate what has been his most bitterly disappointing failure: having Kevin Garnett on his roster for 12 seasons and not advancing to a single NBA Finals.
Rank: 21
Charlotte Bobcats
No Trades in February.
Young team. GM Michael Jordan first needs to fully understand how this group of talented young players works together before making any more moves.
Rank: 20
Milwaukee Bucks
No Trades in February.
Like the Pacers, they have talent; it’s just not clicking for them the right way. They’re very young, though, so with another lottery pick and an astute trade or two this summer, they could be back in the playoffs in the spring of ’09.
Rank: 19
Toronto Raptors
Players Acquired:
2/21/08
Primoz Brezec (Detroit)
The Raptors bring in Brezec to join their big men rotation. Dixon hadn’t done much for them this season, appearing in only 32 games, so losing him wasn’t a big deal.
Looking at this move, exclusive of all other transactions, the Raptors win this deal. Of course, Dumars had more in mind when he made the trade, but that aside, Brezec is definitely a more valuable NBA player than Dixon.
He’s been somewhat lost the last two years in Charlotte and Detroit, but in the two years prior to that, he started over 70 games each year for the Bobcats, averaging 6.45 RPG, 12.7 PPG, and shooting over 51%. He’s a proven NBA starter; and I imagine he’ll find a starting spot once again this off-season.
Bottom line, this deal is trading one end of the bench guy for another. Straight up Toronto wins; including other machinations, Detroit wins.
Everybody gets to party.
Rank: 18
Detroit Pistons
Players Acquired:
2/21/08
Juan Dixon (Toronto)
Strange deal on the surface by sage Detroit GM Joe Dumars until, of course, you realize that everything he does is deeper than a Virginia Woolf novel.
What this move boils down to is that Dumars felt his squad would be better off with Dixon and Dale Davis than Murray (who they released on Friday) and Primoz Brezec. I think I’d have to say I agree with Joe.
I’ve never quite understood why Murray didn’t work out for the Pistons, but for whatever reason, it didn’t. He and Dixon are basically replaceable, but Juan comes in with a clean slate and maybe will get along better in Coach Flip Saunders’ system.
Moving from Brezec to Davis on the front line is a big upgrade. Dumars knows he will need all the big man he can get if Detroit is going to win a series against whomever comes out of the West in the finals, and this is a move to ensure he has the horses to do it.
Rank: 17
Houston Rockets
Draft Picks Acquired:
2008 2nd Round Pick from New Orleans
Draft Rights Acquired:
Sergei Lishouk from Memphis
Players Acquired:
2/21
Gerald Green (T’Wolves)
Bobby Jackson (Hornets)
Adam Haluska (Horntes)
Similar to fellow rookie GM Sam Presti, Daryl Morey has not been shy about pulling the trigger on deals despite his inexperience.
And, just like Presti, in February Morley made moves that improved his franchise going forward. Unlike Presti, he also made them a better team in the short run.
Getting rid of Mike James was good from both the basketball and financial perspectives. He didn’t really do anything for the Rockets on the floor this season, appearing in only 33 games and averaging a measly 6.5 PPG. His contract is almost exactly the same as Jackson’s except James has a player option that he will most surely exercise for the 2009/10 season.
Losing Bonzi Wells will hurt but not too badly. Bonzi had problems everywhere he’s gone in the NBA, and Houston was no different. He is a solid scorer, certainly, but he was by no means a game-changing difference maker for the Rockets.
Money wise, replacing Wells and James with Green and Jackson is definitely a win for Morley, and I think I can also be positive on the court, as well. Of all the players involved in the deal, Jackson has the most postseason experience and has played big in big games before. During the ’02–’03 playoffs, he averaged 14.3 PPG in 12 games for Sacramento, playing under now Rockets' Coach Rick Adelman.
So, he’s definitely an upgrade over James. And, while Green certainly is not as good today as Wells, he won’t be taking Bonzi’s minutes alone. Splitting up the minutes that would’ve gone to Wells between Jackson, Green, and Luther Head will ultimately prove to be an upgrade for the Rockets.
Regarding the footnotes on the deal, acquiring 2nd round picks is always nice, and Lishouk has played well in the Ukranian league over the past few years.
Rank: 16
Sacramento Kings
Draft Picks Acquired:
2008 2nd Round Pick from Atlanta
Players Acquired:
2/16/08
Shelden Williams (Atlanta)
Lorenzen Wright (Atlanta)
Anthony Johnson (Atlanta)
Tyronn Lue (Atlanta)
While it may have been hard for some Kings' fans to swallow, it was the right time to trade the last remaining piece of those lovable Kings' teams featuring Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Mike Bibby.
With Beno Udrih deveoping into a legitimate NBA starting point guard and the rapid rebuilding direction the franchise has chosen, Bibby had to go. The move clears $10 million in cap space for next summer, allowing them to re-sign Udrih when he becomes a free agent in the off-season. More importantly, it will give the current young players on the roster – Udrih, Kevin Martin and John Salmons - the chance for more minutes and to become the new leaders of the franchise. Most important of all for any rebuilding team, losing Bibby means more losses and a better lottery pick in the ’08 draft.
Given how much salary they were able to move, also acquiring Shelden Williams was quite a coup for Geoff Petrie. While he never should have been drafted 5th overall in 2006, especially not ahead of ’08 All-Star Brandon Roy, Williams does have value. Per 36 minutes, he averaged a double-double as a rookie, and his defense will be invaluable once he is starting alongside future franchise center Spencer Hawes.
The other players they received from the Hawks are really just filler although Anthony Johnson has proven this year he can be a very competent starting NBA PG. He will be a nice back up and mentor for the young Udrih for the remainder of the season.
Besides the solid Bibby deal, the Kings also get a high ranking for keeping Ron Artest. Getting some combination of Eduardo Najera and Linas Kleniza would not be a good haul for the extremely talented, if mentally insane, Artest. Following the deadline, his agent was quoted in the Sacramento Bee as saying,
“Exercising our option at this point is possible but not likely”.
Keeping Artest next season at an undervalued $8.45 million is definitely a plus for the team, and even if he wants to leave, they’ll still be able to do a sign and trade this summer.
As usual, Kings' GM Geoff Petrie proves once again why he’s been one of the best in this business for years and still hasn’t lost his touch.
Rank: 15
Indiana Pacers
No Trades in February.
They could have traded Jermaine O’Neal, but I think they’re better off keeping him and trying to use his deal to totally re-shape their roster this off-season. Given the talent on the team, they should be better than they are; their various parts just don’t work together.
At this point, O’Neal needs to move on. If they play it right, they could be one of the top 4-6 teams in the East next year. If they play it wrong, they’ll be in the lottery for a few more seasons.
Rank: 14
New York Knicks
No Trades in February.
Was anyone else surprised Isiah didn’t add another max contract? Right now, the best thing for them is to lose, lose, lose. Get a high lottery pick, fire Isiah, and then hire somebody competent to clean up his and Scott Layden’s disgusting mess.
Rank: 13
Orlando Magic
No Trades in February.
Young team playing above its head right now. Very well could make a serious playoff run under coach Stan Van-Gundy. Good call standing pat. After they see how this group responds to playoff pressure, management will have a better grasp on what they need to do personnel-wise to take this squad to the next level.
Rank: 12
Utah Jazz
No Trades in February.
After acquiring Kyle Korver from the Sixers earlier this season, the Jazz have returned to form. As Deron Williams, Andrei Kirelenko, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur continue to mature together, they could have a long run of just under championship success like the Pistons are currently enjoying.
And, if they get lucky like Detroit, in an odd year, they might even win the title Karl Malone and John Stockton never could, but Coach Jerry Sloan so richly deserves.
Rank: 11
Washington Wizards
No Trades in February.
Given all their injuries, I’ve been very impressed by the job Coach Eddie Jordan has done with this team. The only thing they need is Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler to return at full strength.
Rank: 10
San Antonio Spurs
Players Acquired:
Kurt Thomas (Sonics)
San Antonio adds another big body to help Tim Duncan and co. battle it out against Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Amare Stoudamire, Shaq, Dirk Nowitzki, David West, and others. Man, the Western conference playoffs will be sweet this spring.
This was one of two very solid moves by the Spurs' brass to bolster their bench. They also picked up guard Damon Stoudamire after the Grizzlies bought him out. These two moves may seem inconsequential but consider that before them, the Spurs' backups at point guard and center were Jacque Vaughn and Francisco Elson.
Minor, under the radar moves like these are what make Greg Poppovich one of the most successful coach/GM's since Red Auerbach. Thanks to these moves, the Spurs now have a shot to defend their title. They probably won’t, but now they have a chance.
Rank: 9
Golden State Warriors
No Trades in February.
After signing Chris Webber on January 29th, the Warriors were wise to not make any more additions to their squad. They are a delicate balance of chemistry and have enough young improving players that the only way they will achieve their full potential is through internal, organic growth.
It’s going to be tough for them to make the playoffs this year as someone in the Warriors, Rockets, and Nuggets' group will not be invited to the postseason dance. There was no one available who would’ve helped Golden State get closer to that goal without seriously damaging their long term flexibility. GM Chris Mullin is quietly becoming one of the best young GM’s in the business. Just wait until Brandan Wright starts showing what he can do.
Rank: 8
Seattle Supersonics
Draft Picks Acquired:
2009 1st Round Pick from San Antonio
Players Acquired:
2/20/08
Francisco Elson (Spurs)
Brent Barry (Spurs)
2/21/08
Donyell Marshall (Cavs)
Ira Newble (Cavs)
Adrian Griffin (Bulls)
Seattle GM Sam Presti certainly has not been shy in his first year on the job. He started by trading his franchise player – Ray Allen – at his first NBA draft and then made a couple of moves right before his first NBA trade deadline.
Looking at this move basketball-wise, there’s a very good chance none of the players they acquired will ever make any serious contribution to the Supersonics' franchise. Barry’s already been waived, and Elson and Newble will do little else over the next few months than collect checks.
If they make it through the off-season, Marshall and Griffin will be about as memorable as Kurt Thomas was this year.
So then the deals stunk, right? Probably just did them to help out some old drinking buddies as Sam Smith suggested, eh?
“The feeling among several league executives is new Seattle General Manager Sam Presti, who got his current job after working for the Spurs under current Cavs' General Manager Danny Ferry, is paying off debts by trying to help the Spurs and Cavs.”
If you regularly read Smith, you know he has a plethora of interesting things to say and a myriad of malarkey that makes him look like Diet Peter Vescey.
This “feeling” is malarkey.
Moving Thomas to San Antonio was a meaningless exchange for a Sonics' team heading straight back to the lottery. What’s the difference between having one veteran whose contract will expire at the end of the year or two? Nothing, except if trading for two also nets you a future first round draft pick.
If he was just trying to help Pop out in San Antonio, he wouldn’t have gotten the pick back. It’d be the equivalent of one friend trading KG for Mark Blount near the end of the fantasy season to help his buddy who has a chance to win the title.
Adding the first rounder gives the Sonics 13 picks over the next three years. These assets will not only yield talented youngsters but can also be used to trade for better players.
With regards to the Wally World deal, that was all about saving salary. Ditching Sczerbiak in exchange for what they received saves them $6 million next season and gives more room for Presti to pursue talented free agents to help Kevin Durant.
This one is a slightly better case for “paying off a debt” type deal except when you keep in mind three things. One: the Sonics need to get as far under the cap as possible. Two: the minutes Wally was taking from young developing wings Jeff Green, Damien Wilkins, and Mickael Gelabale. Three: losing a former All-Star means more losses and a higher draft pick.
Furthermore, given the job Ferry has done as GM of the Cavs, I don’t think he was much of a mentor to Presti anyway.
Rank: 7
Atlanta Hawks
Players Acquired:
2/16/08
Mike Bibby
This is probably the best move of Billy Knight’s tenure as GM of the Atlanta Hawks . After passing on three all-world PG’s in the past three drafts in DeRon Williams, Chris Paul, and Mike Conley in favor of bigger studs, Knight finally got his man.
With Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Josh Childress, the Atlanta Hawks are the basketball equivalent of an extremely talented but directorless orchestra. What they needed was a conductor to bring all their disparate parts together into a synergistic whole. They now have that conductor, and so far the music’s been beautiful.
Granted, they’ve only gone 1-3 since the deal, but they’ve lined up against some of the best teams in the NBA in the Lakers, Warriors, and Jazz. They did also lose to Bibby’s former team in Sacramento but remember all the good teams in the league are in the West, and despite being way out of the playoff picture, the Kings have a better record than Atlanta.
Bibby’s averages for the past three games, ignoring his debut because he only played 16 minutes, have been 17.33 PPG shooting 48% and 6.33 APG. Those aren’t especially great individual numbers but remember a pure point guard’s true job is to make scoring easier for his teammates. For the season the Hawks are averaging roughly 95 PPG; over the past three, they’ve averaged 103.6.
Financially, the Hawks do add some salary in the deal, but Bibby is better than anyone they would’ve added to the roster in the off-season and at 29, should be in the middle of his best years. Plus, he comes at exactly the right time to help lead the Hawks back to the playoffs for the first time in far, far too long.
And, what did they have to give up for a tier-one PG? Some spare parts and a horrendous lottery pick. Smooth operating, Billy.
Rank: 6
Phoenix Suns
Players Added:
2/6/08
Shaquille O’Neal
The last two playoffs proved the Suns were not going to win with their roster as it stood on February 5th. Now they have a chance to win a title. They won’t be favored, but without this move, they’d have no shot against the Lakers or Spurs, and now they do. Money be damned.
Although he hasn’t even been on the job for a year yet, this move will define Steve Kerr’s legacy as GM of the Suns for better or for worse.
I mean, there’s also a chance they could lose in the first or second round in each of the next three years, especially as Shaq and Nash get older.
Nevertheless, at the poker table there are times when you just have to go all in, and this was one of those times for the Suns.
Rank: 5
Dallas Mavericks
Players Acquired:
2/19/08
Jason Kidd (New Jersey)
Antoine Wright (New Jersey)
Malik Allen (New Jersey)
Everything in the deal was not for New Jersey; it is for Dallas. Dollar-wise, they managed to rid themselves of a bad contract in Hassell and a soon to be bad contract in Harris while adding a player soon to be in the last year of his deal. They did have to give up the first round picks, but odds are, they would’ve just been more useless players similar to Maurice Ager.
Roundball-wise, this deal makes the Mavs instantly a better team. While maybe no longer quite the defender Harris is today, Kidd is still one of the better defensive point guards in the game. Offensively, he is light years ahead of the man he’s replacing.
Kidd is the best pass-first point guard not named Nash or Paul playing currently. Nowitzki, Howard, Terry, and Stackhouse will all have easier shots than they’ve had since Steve left. Against Memphis Friday night, Nowitzki and Terry shot a combined 71% from the field. Their team will become more efficient offensively and will score more, which they’ll have to do if they want any chance to compete in the Western playoffs.
Losing Diop will hurt defensively inside, but between Erick Dampier, Brandon Bass, Josh Howard, and Malik Allen they should have enough muscle to get by. It is a more than acceptable loss considering everything they’re adding.
At the end of the day, is this an excellent trade for Dallas today and going forward? Yes. Does it mean they will win the West? No. Will they lose again in the first round? Maybe, but they’re less likely to than they would’ve been with Harris.
Most importantly, they still get to keep Devean George.
Rank: 4
Chicago Bulls
Players Added:
2/21/08
Larry Hughes (Cavs)
Drew Gooden (Cavs)
Cedric Simmons (Cavs)
Shannon Brown (Cavs)
Let’s see.. Bulls' GM John Paxson traded what was arguably the worst contact on a Vin Baker-Max deal type level in the NBA; in return for younger, cheaper, and more talented players. Plus, in Drew Gooden he addressed the Bulls' biggest need of back to the basket inside scoring.
Losing Joe Smith, who has been excellent this year, is unfortunate, but Gooden is better than him anyway.
Oh yeah, and moving Wallace means he won’t be wasting minutes for the better Aaron Gray, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas so regardless of what they got back in any Wallace deal, the Bulls are instantly better with him off the roster.
Must be nice to have some guy willing to clean up your mess for you, eh, John?
Rank: 3
Miami Heat
Players Acquired:
Shawn Marion (Suns)
Marcus Banks (Suns)
For moving the $40 million left on an aging, declining Shaq’s deal, Pat Riley would win the Executive of the Year award in any other year. This year, unfortunately for him, Mitch Kupchak was on the receiving end of what could go down as one of the most lopsided trades of all time.
Getting an All-Star of Marion’s caliber in return is a coup that even Napoleon probably could not have pulled off. If he leaves after this year, the cap space can be used to get a star-caliber max contract type player. If he stays, he is a legitimate #2 option on a championship caliber team.
Imagine if Riley had accelerated his rebuilding one step further and traded the expiring deals of Ricky Davis and Jason Williams for Pau Gasol? The Heat would have instantly become the best team in the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, awesome move, and depending on whom they get in the lottery and how they spend their cash, they may win another Eastern crown soon enough, anyway.
Rank: 2
Denver Nuggets
Players Acquired:
Taurean Green (Portland)
This minor move was a solid one for Denver. With Chucky Atkins out for a while with a groin injury, they didn’t have a backup point guard on their roster. They weren’t getting anything from Wafer anyway so taking a flier on Green, who has 2 NCAA championships under his belt, is a very astute move.
Denver gets more credit for standing pat, however, and not dealing for Ron Artest. Supposedly a deal was ready to go, but was nixed by Coach George Karl, according to Ian Thomsen.
“A move for Artest also had the backing of star players Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. But Karl liked the direction of his team and could not be convinced that the Nuggets would be better off relinquishing a pair of complementary forwards in Linas Kleiza and Eduardo Najera (as well as a draft pick).”
Despite the fact Denver has lost their first two games since the deadline to non-playoff Eastern conference teams, I agree with Karl. The Nuggets already had a thin roster, and trading proven depth for a loose cannon like Artest was not the move for them to make right now.
They are probably the most underrated team in the NBA currently, and I see no reason why they can’t pull a Golden State in the first round of the playoffs against ANY team they face. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony are that good at scoring, and Marcus Camby and Kenyan Martin can handle, or at least slow down enough, any of the other big men in the Western Conference.
And remember you heard it here first, thanks to their coach’s patience and trust in his current squad, there is a real possibility Denver will wind up playing in the Western Conference Championship.
Rank: 1
Los Angeles Lakers
Draft Picks Added:
2010 2nd Round Pick from Memphis
Players Added:
2/1/08
Pau Gasol (Memphis)
In less than five months, Mitch Kupchak changed the Lakers from a team that would be battling for the 8th spot into the current favorite to win the NBA Championship.
Yes, it’s this deal combined with the continued dominating evolution of Andrew Bynum, but given that was a, at-the-time-questionable pick by Kupchak, the first sentence still stands.
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