Trade Idea Thread II

[adiedanny]

We need a lot more beef down low. DJ's dunks may be exciting but he's not a championship type Center. Despite his block shots, he's actually really bad defensively and a huge liability at the end of games. There's a reason we went with Reggie Evans an KMart throughout the playoffs.

DJ
Caron Butler
Filler (Gomes)

for

Okafor
Ariza

Then we have to resign Reggie Evans. KMart is probably going to leave.

I beg to differ. What championship Center does miami have, Dallas had last year, and so on and so on? Honestly look at your championship teams of the past? The star Center formula for a championship has not been necessary for a long time. The center position is usually a role player, defender or rebounder. Dj just needs to improve his ft, jumper and defensive decisions. I think he is still the perfect compliment to Blake.

[Mats272-GOAT]

I just posted this on Suns board.

"Assuming Childress gets bashed with the amnesty hammer, how would a Lopez s+t for Gomes ($4m exp) and a 2nd rounder or 2 work for you guys?"

Thoughts? They seem pretty low on Lopez. Big body with 6 fouls is what we need right now.

[mike3]

^^ I actually saw that Lopez is available earlier today, I think he'd be a great guy to seriously consider signing. He started for a while with Suns and if DJ doesn't improve much he might be playing equal/more mins than DJ. I'd like us to go after him. Hell go for Childress and Lopez. We would need a backup SF and C.

[SportsFan215]

I was just looking over the trade board and one trade between Memphis and Orlando got me thinking. Memphis is really low on Rudy Gay right now, because of his poor play against us in the playoffs and his contract.

I have always loved his game, and his potential. I think he would be a great 3rd star on our team with CP and Blake, especially if we don't have to give up much.

I was thinking Butler/Gomes/Bledsoe for Gay. The Griz would get an adequate replacement, an expiring, and a young emerging prospect, while I think this would elevate us to even another level than we were at last year. There were many times throughout the year that I felt we were missing that wing presence, and even though we have Crawford now, Gay would make even more of a difference. Yes his contract isn't friendly, but it's only one year longer than Butler's, but the question would be could we afford CP3 (extension assumed), Blake's new contract, DJ, and Gay is the future.

Thoughts?

[LOJ]

I would like it, but they can get better offers for Gay. Specially from a team like the Raptors.

[og15]

Do you want to pay $16.5, $17.9 and $19.3M for Rudy Gay over the next three seasons? I sure don't. They already said that Sterling doesn't want to pay three max players in relation to Dwight being teamed up with Blake and Paul, so why would be pay a vastly inferior player?

Having Gay would give the Clippers a "big three" contract wise, but not production wise. This would mean that the roster would have to be rounded out with cheap players because Sterling isn't paying luxury.

Blake next season: $13.7M, Paul ~$18M + Gay = $49.6M

If the team traded for Gay, it basically means you are trading whomever you give up+Paul for Gay because Paul will not be re-signed (he might not want to return to such a cap situation). Paul + Blake + Rudy would be about $49.6 million of the cap taken, and increasing every year. If DJ was supposed to stay in that trade, then you would have 4 players putting you at about $61M. add Jamal Crawford, $65M. So there is a $6M gap before luxury assuming it is $71M next season.

Not happening for many reasons with the most important being that it doesn't improve the team since you would have to cut costs in other places. For example in a trade for him, you had Gomes/Butler/Bledsoe (8+4+1.7 = $13.7, +$2.8M, don't even know if the trade works money wise, but assuming it does).

The next season, to re-sign Paul and stay away from lottery, you would have to let Odom and Billups go. For this season, hope Billups is back early and you play Odom as backup SF because you still don't have on and have increased the payroll by almost $3M.

You could try to build off that next year, try to fill 7 roster spots with $6M. Add Thompkins and Leslie and it is 5 spots with $4.2M. That means time to go shopping in the second round. Trade 1st round pick to a team for two second round picks.

Paul / Cheap FA PG
Crawford / Leslie (0.9K)
Gay / 2nd Rd Pick
Blake / Thompkins (0.9K)
DJ / 2nd Rd Pick

With DJ's contract on the roster, no other high priced player can be added to Blake and Paul while having an owner that isn't going to pay luxury. Even in the above scenario, as they get their yearly raises, the team will go to luxury. Or you try to trade Crawford, then start Leslia? at SG. Worst bench in the NBA.

[Neddy]

with barnes signing and hill for 2 years, i smell a trade for caron coming soon. hope we dump his salary for a backup SF, start hill with barnes getting most backup minutes and sign darko to compete with DJ for minutes. we can really use at least 1 true low post scorer on the bench.

[mike3]

I've liked what Caron has brought to our team, his veteran leadership, playing injured in playoffs etc. Don't really agree, I'd like to see him finish his career here with Billups etc.

[mkwest]

Right now, Caron probably doesn't net more than a player with a longer/bigger contract that another team is trying to free themselves of. I think he does have trade value next season as an $8M expiring. At that point, Bledsoe will be entering the fourth season of his rookie contract and could be combined in a package with Butler to try to add a nice piece.

Like mike, I appreciate Caron's presence on the roster, but I'd move him if it improves the roster.

[og15]

I'd move Caron if there was a better player to acquire, but that is only possible if he is packaged with someone like Bledsoe as mk mentioned. Outside of that, let him expire, and I wouldn't sign him back unless it was a minimum contract as a backup.

Neddy, Darko is a terrible post scorer....

[Neddy]

I'd move Caron if there was a better player to acquire, but that is only possible if he is packaged with someone like Bledsoe as mk mentioned. Outside of that, let him expire, and I wouldn't sign him back unless it was a minimum contract as a backup.

Neddy, Darko is a terrible post scorer....

i appreciate caron's toughness, even went out and bought some caron's merchandise after the playoffs last year, but at this point his advanced stats are not looking good compared to our other options at SF and i think his salary can be used to improve this team significantly.

as far as darko is concerned, i dunno if im stereotyping but he reminds me a lot of zeljko rebraca.

maybe it's the greed? since our team has improved i want to go for the kill and build a dynasty out of this DTS' squad. would be nice if DJ can actually become a player worthy of this contract

[scoobs07]

With the max contracts of CP and Blake coming up and the near max contract of DJ, I think the Clips should look to add pieces through the draft. I'm talking about a long term small forward and/or long term shooting guard. I think Bledsoe will have a great year and avg like 8ppg/3rpg/4apg/1.5spg, he may establish himself as the best back up PG in the NBA, like Darren Collison did a few years back. Bledsoe's contracts is up soon and the Clips just might not be able to afford him. During the 2013 draft, the Clippers could look to shop him and their (hopefully late 20s first round pick). If the Clips could just get into the top ten and find a wing player that they really like, they won't have to worry about that contract for 4 years, this could end up being a James Harden type player.

[TheNewEra]

Agree with the above but I would rather try all avenues of trying to keep Bledsoe long -term first . Wouldnt hurt either to just stop trading our picks unless a prospect is coming back. Trading a 1st in the potential Dwight deal to get Brooks is a move that was worth thinking about but using it to swap salaries like Baron deal is terrible.

Would of been nice to have had a pick this last draft could of had Perry Jones, Quincy Miller or etc but then again that pick was Bledsoe so it made sense in this past draft why we didnt have a pick.

[scoobs07]

I am all for bringing back Bledsoe long term, but there are several questions about that:

1. Does Bledsoe want to be a starting PG in the NBA? If he does, its not going to happen with CP on the roster.

2. Would the Clippers want Bledsoe as their starting SG? He is certainly strong enough and he has the wing span to play the position, but do the Clippers want a more traditional SG (a 6-5 jump shooter type)

3. Would the Clippers be willing to pay Bledsoe 5-8 million per year to be the back up PG/SG?

I could see the Clippers trading Bledsoe for a low salary 6-5 jump shooter type draft pick. They kill two birds with one stone that way.

[og15]

^Crawford is signed for a four years, so he's now in the long term plans, which gives the option for the Clippers to do what some other teams do; a more defensive guy starts, and a more offensive guy comes off the bench.

Problem is that the team needs a dead eye shooter at either SG or SF to do that, and Bledsoe right now is a bad 3PT shooter, while Butler is mediocre and not really a guy for the future.

So if they go that option, Bledsoe's spot up 3PT shooting needs to show improvement, or a really good 3PT shooting SF needs to be added. EG: Dorell Wright is a FA after this season and Brandon Rush has a $4M player option, but Caron and Hill are signed for two years, so Caron would have to be gone to sign another SF. So in two seasons, that could be an option.

Also, being able to re-sign Odom for ~MLE type money or less if he performs well enough this season would help. Certainly isn't going to be given $8 million at this stage.