Most trades in the NBA produce a winner and a loser. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. I propose 4 blockbuster trades that could be beneficial for both teams.
I haven’t just plucked these names out of the air. These trades actually do work under current salary cap restrictions.
BULLS get: Lamar Odom
LAKERS get: Ben Gordon (assuming he signs 1 year qualifying offer), Andres Nocioni
CHI: These blockbuster trades would give the Chicago Bulls a team that is capable of contending in the East next year. The benefits are obvious. Young, quick, long, athletic, together with the solid low post force of Brand. Put this all together and you have a situation that is tailor made for Derrick Rose’s hometown Chicago debut. Projected starting 5 (PS5): Rose, Deng, Odom, Brand, Noah
LAL: This is the big one. For me, Lamar Odom just doesn’t have it. Toughness, grit, performing under pressure, he always seems to come up short. Gordon is a flat-out scorer (18.6 ppg) who could thrive in the triangle alongside Kobe. Nocioni’s three point shooting at the small forward position would provide a more balanced line-up next to Gasol and Bynum, but crucially, his toughness would be huge for the Lakers. Therefore, this trade would allow the Lakers to fill the two holes that were exposed in the 2008 NBA Finals; toughness and a reliable second scoring option. PS5: Gordon/Fisher, Bryant, Nocioni, Gasol, Bynum
LAC: In the strong Western Conference the Los Angeles Clippers must rebuild around exciting 2008 rookie Al Thornton. This trade would be a good start. Gooden’s expiring contract will give financial flexibility going forward, and Hinrich and Thomas will add to their young and promising nucleus. PS5: Hinrich, Eric Gordon (draft?), Thornton, Gooden/Thomas, Kaman
POR: For the Portland Trail Blazers this trade would catapult them into the top tier of the Western Conference as an immediate contender. Enough said. PS5: Blake, Roy, Ginobili, Aldridge, Oden
SAS: Firstly, I want to stress the point that this trade would not have been necessary if the Spurs hadn’t traded away the rights to Luis Scola. But as they did, they need to get younger and quickly. Therefore, the obvious choice for trade is Ginobili because his scoring can be replaced. This trade would inject much needed youth and athleticism into the line-up, as well as more scoring options. In a year or two, the Spurs should be back in contention with a more balanced attack. PS5: Parker, Webster, Outlaw/Bowen, Oberto/Frye, Duncan
CAVS get: Vince Carter, Trenton Hassell NETS get: 2008 1st Round Pick (no. 19), 2009 1st Round Pick, Anderson Varejao, Eric Snow, Damon Jones
CLE: The King finally gets a legitimate running mate in Carter. His scoring is exactly what the Cavaliers need. PS5: West, Carter, James, Wallace, Ilgauskas
NJN: Lets face it, Vince Carter did not deserve a 4 year $61.8 million extension last summer after choking in the 2007 playoffs. The New Jersey Nets are going nowhere with him as their franchise player, so they must get value for him now before his skills diminish further. This trade would greatly assist the Net’s rebuilding effort by clearing cap room (Snow and Jones’s expiring contacts) and adding young pieces in Varejao and a pair of first rounders in 2008 and 2009 (ex. Brandon Rush or Chris Douglas-Roberts?). It would also allow them to take a high risk/high reward player with their No. 10 selection, perhaps Anthony Randolph, DeAndre Jordan or Danilo Gallinari. PS5: Harris, CDR (draft?), Jefferson, Varejao, Krstic/Boone
They don’t play defense, he hasn’t been molded into a team player yet–all of that allowed the Lakers to sweep the Nuggets. So, I’ve come up with five deals that Denver might consider.
5. Rashard Lewis (makes about $14.9 million) and Jameer Nelson ($2 million) head to Denver for Carmelo Anthony (a little over $13 million) and Linas Kleiza (a little over $1 million). This is an okay deal. Lewis is a little over-valued in terms of how much he makes, but he’s versatile and can do just about everything on court. Nelson will be a good addition to the back court. This deal is fifth for a reason, this deal won’t really improve the Denver defense.
4. Andrei Kirilenko (makes about $13.7 million), Ronnie Brewer (about $1.7 million) and Kyle Korver ($4.5 million) head to Denver for Carmelo, J.R. Smith (about $2.1 million) and Linas Kleiza. The Nuggets would get one tough guy in Kirilenko. He may not be the best all around player, but he can defend, rough guys up and score the ball when given a chance. Brewer could be a solid bench player and Korver could find a new home in Denver. This deal is great for Denver defense, but their offense would suffer.
3.Shawn Marion (if he doesn’t opt out, he’ll make a little over $16 million) and Dorell Wright (over $2 million) go to Denver for Carmelo and Kleiza. This deal can be great for Denver. I feel that Marion is down on his luck and hasn’t gotten an opportunity to win a title yet. He would increase his chances in Denver. The Heat get an explosive three to go with Wade and the #2 pick and Kleiza can provide bench points.
2.Gilbert Arenas (this would be a sign and trade, maybe in the $12.5-13 million range) and Caron Butler (who makes about $8.5 million) go to Denver for Carmelo, Kleiza,Smith and Eduardo Najera (about $5 million). This deal has some pros and cons. While the Nuggets get a tough, gritty guy in Butler, they lose some great bench play. They’d have to consider it to have the explosive back court of Allen Iverson and Gilbert Arenas.
1. Vince Carter (makes about $13.3 million) and Desagana Diop (about $2.1 million) goto Denver and Carmelo and Smithhead to New Jersey. The reason I like this deal is that Carter for Carmelo is close to equal value. Now, you may say Melo is just as good if not better than Carter, but Carter is more experienced and might be better as a leader. Also, Diop would be a nice addition to the front line, which is pretty deep. Smith is a strong bench player, but they need defense and better attitudes.
Despite the fact that the Nuggets said they won’t trade Melo, they will listen to these offers. If I’m the Nuggets GM, I would strongly consider 1-3. People say you can’t get equal value for a star; well I think getting Gilbert Arenas, or Vince Carter, would be real close to equal value.
Forget about the Olympics for now Melo, it’s time to change that jersey!
As we look at the draft class of 2008, the sheer talent and upside is impressive. However, upside is a dangerous word and many draft prospects full of it are quickly out of the league.
The most press has gone to the 1st pick for the Chicago Bulls. Although Michael Beasley was the consensus pick earlier, now the thinking is Derrick Rose instead. The recent success of Chris Paul and Deron Williams have made teams convinced of the need for a franchise point guard. Rose certainly fits the billing, with excellent size, athleticism and vision. However, it is rare for a team to win a championship without an all-star point guard. Short of Michael Jordan’s greatness, most of the recent champions have an all-star or a Hall of Famer in the paint (Tim Duncan, Shaq, Kevin Garnett). The Bulls have a greater need for an interior scorer and Beasley fits the billing. He is a made for NBA talent who can score from anywhere on the court. Either way, the Bulls should be getting a future all star.
The rest of the draft lottery is full of early entrants brimming with potential. OJ Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook are all combo guards with questions about their ability to play the point. This group of players will all likely be gone before the 10th pick in the draft. Mayo has not quite lived up to the hype that preceded his first year in college, but he has a silky smooth jump shot. If teams can look past his reported character issues, he is very NBA ready. His poor assist to turnover ratio and decent height and length suggest he fits in better at shooting guard. Bayless has lightning quickness and great scoring ability. He could go as high as 4. Westbrook is an intriguing prospect with dynamite athleticism. He is a very adaptable player who can play both guard spots. Gordon has NBA range on his jumper and great length and athleticism. He could prove to be the third best player in this draft.
There is a plethora of big men in the draft, but none with the “can’t miss” status of Beasley. Brook Lopez has good size and advanced offensive game, but he is an average athlete and is thought to have defensive and rebounding weaknesses. Roy Hibbert and Kosta Koufos fall into this category of big men. DeAndre Jordan has as much talent as anyone in the draft, but whether he can add skill and desire to his repertoire has been questioned and that is his stock has fell so far. Javale Mcgee shares his athleticism, but has been less than impressive in workouts.
The rest of the lottery candidates are swingmen. Danilo Gallinari is the token tall foreigner who can shoot. is a complete player with big game experience. Nicolas Batum is an athlete who has questions about his ability to be a go-to player. Finally, Joe Alexander and Anthony Randolph are great athletes, with Alexander the more likely to pan out.
ESPN’s resident NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith could never be accused of ‘sitting on the fence’. He is opinionated, passionate and forthright when discussing issues that relate to the NBA. But just how accurate are his predications?
During his segments on ESPN’s Sportcenter, NBA Shootaround and the halftime show, Stephen A. often berates other panelists for having an opinion different to his own. He tends to talk in a manner that suggests his opinion is fact and the only one that counts. But during these rants, I can’t help but cast my mind back to three of his predictions, that were not only cringe-worthy at the time, but downright embarrassing today.
Prediction 1
At the 2006 NBA Draft, Stephen A. heavily criticized (ridiculed almost) Portland Trailblazers GM Kevin Pritchard for making a series of draft day trades that netted them LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. Today, these two guys are arguably the best players to emerge from the entire 2006 draft (along with Rudy Gay), and would both be in the top 10 most promising young players in the league. They form the foundation of a Blazers team (along with Greg Oden) that will, barring major injury, contend for a title in the coming years.
Prediction 2
At the 2007 NBA Draft, upon hearing that the New York Knicks traded for Zach Randolph, Stephen A. went on to proclaim that the Knicks would drastically improve and be a contender in the East. At the time I thought, “what planet is this guy living on?” Zach Randolph has never helped a team in the win column, is a poor defender and has had numerous off-the-court and on-the-court issues. Not to mention that they already had a guy on their roster who was eerily similar (Eddy Curry). Yet Stephen A. proclaimed him to be the savior of the Knicks, even though his price tag was $60 million over four years, further constricting them financially. In a long line of bad trades, this was another terrible trade for the Knicks. I don’t need to remind anyone how this situation turned out.
Prediction 3
Prior to the 2007/08 season, when asked who he thought were NBA title contenders, Stephen A. confidently predicted the Denver Nuggets. On what basis, I am still not sure. The Nuggets were beaten easily by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 Playoffs (4-1). The only additions to their roster were Chucky Atkins and an injury plagued Kenyon Martin, hardly enough to get them by the elite teams in the West. I found it beyond belief that a person with Stephen A’s basketball background could predict that a team such as Nuggets, who are totally deficient defensively, could win the NBA championship, especially when it has never been done before. In my opinion, he grossly overestimated Carmelo Anthony’sability to do what was necessary to lead his team to victory.
Look, I don’t expect media analysts to be 100% accurate with their predictions and in fact, I do believe that most of what Stephen A says is bang on. However, being way off the mark with the above predictions does make me question his credibility at times.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the guy, in fact I love his passion for the game of basketball. However, in this instance with the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, I believe it demonstrates that on occasion Stephen A’s heart rules Stephen A’s head.
Working on the presumption that the Chicago Bulls take Derrick Rose with the number 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, unless Miami can pry away Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets, the number 2 pick should remain exactly where it is — with the Miami Heat. The reason, Michael Beasley is a franchise player.
If I were a Miami Heat fan right now I would be getting a little concerned with Pat Riley’s itchy trigger finger. Sure, he wants to get the best deal for the Miami Heat right now, but shouldn’t he be looking towards the long term future of the franchise?
From the comments made by Riley in the wake of the draft lottery and subsequent reports, it is quite obvious that Miami will shop the number 2 pick in the draft, for either a) talented veterans (ex. Elton Brand) or b) other prospects (ex. O.J. Mayo).
If I were a Heat fan, the prospect of teaming Dwayne Wade with Michael Beasley would give me goose bumps. The inside/outside combination this pairing could offer would be a tremendous building block for the franchise and give them something to build around for years to come.
Let’s remember, Michael Beasley just posted one of the most remarkable freshman years in the history of College Basketball. Both his point and rebound averages were better than Kevin Durant’s during his impressive 2007 campaign (on a per minute basis). Beasley possesses an NBA ready body (á la Al Horford in last year’s draft) and will eventually become a 20-10 player in the league.
At the age of 25, Dwayne Wade has already won an NBA championship (and Finals MVP) and despite a recent run of injuries, should be an Allstar for the next 6-7 years.
There is no doubt that Pat Riley is looking across at the Boston Celtics and dreaming of what his Miami Heat could achieve next year if he gets busy this off-season. As discussed, if he dealt the number 2 pick (with Udonis Haslem and parts) to the Clippers in a sign and trade for Elton Brand, a trio of Wade/Marion/Brand would definitely contend in the East next year. However, this would be contingent upon him finding and signing a cast of role players to compliment the ‘big 3’, otherwise their quest for another title would ultimately fall short. As it stands, the current players on the Heat roster not named Wade/Marion/Haslem, are average at best and resemble a D-league team.
There are some crucial differences between this year’s Boston and potentially next year’s Miami. After the trades for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, Boston had two young talented players remaining on their roster (Rondo/Perkins) to blend with the big 3, and of course there is Kevin Garnett, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and almost MVP. Elton Brand is a quality player and an Allstar but he is no Kevin Garnett by any stretch of the imagination. He also is coming of a year on the sidelines with Achilles surgery, making him a risky prospect going forward.
Look, if Miami kept Beasley and traded Udonis Haslem for T.J. Ford of Toronto (the salaries almost match), they could have a line-up next year of Ford/Wade/Marion/Beasley. In the East, this combination will get you to the playoffs and may even make some noise in the process. But the key element here is that it would give you a young, super-quick line-up with the potential for greatness down the road. Also, by retaining Marion for the 08/09 season and thus allowing his $17.2m salary to come off the books at the end of the year, they would also have a ton of money to shop for a younger third option to compliment Wade/Beasley.
If they do trade the pick Miami would contend in the east for the next couple of years, but in 2010 when Wade can opt out of his current deal, who would he prefer his team mates to be? An aging (and expensive) pairing of Brand and Marion, or Michael Beasley (and potentially other young pieces) coming into their prime?
This is the key issue because it seems to be at the heart of the decision as to whether or not they should trade the number 2 pick. Personally, if I was Dwayne Wade, I’d rather know that the best is yet to come as opposed to the best is in the past.
June 16, 2008 at 4:35 pm · Filed under NBA, NCAA, Videos
It’s (almost) over! June is quite the month for the NBA. The climax of the season and the climax of the offseason for most NBA teams. Fans of lottery teams are speculating about their next potential franchise player, and the two most popular (or hated) teams in the league are playing for the NBA title on Tuesday night. Enjoy June while it lasts.
Is it over for the Los Angeles Lakers? Sure, they’ve forced a game six, but it’s going to be tough for the Lakers to win two in a row in Boston, where the Celtics are 12-1in the postseason. Either we witness the Celtic’s first championship in over 20 years, or some amazing performances by Kobe & Co.
It’s (possibly) over! After an already crazy basketball career, Bill Walker has injured his OTHER knee. Left and right, both injured in the past two years. Unfortunate for him, especially because covers up some weakness in skill with his athleticism. Of course, you already knew that.
Today’s the early-entry withdrawal deadline for this year’s draft. Draft Express, as always, has a list separating the pretenders from those who elected to remain in the draft. Any news about Zach Feinstein, the college junior without any basketball experience?
Most trades in the NBA produce a winner and a loser. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. I propose 4 blockbuster trades that could be beneficial for both teams.
Working on the presumption that the Chicago Bulls take Derrick Rose with the number 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, unless Miami can pry away Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets, the number 2 pick should remain exactly where it is — with the Miami Heat. The reason, Michael Beasley is a franchise player.
