PMOTT3 wrote:Scenario 2:
DerrickNoah V.S. Chuck Texas
Josh Smith and Rajon Rondo have a friendship bond that goes all the way back to their teammate days in Oak Hill Academy HS. They have been in constant contact recently talking about how much they would love to team up together. The problem is that both of their contracts expire in different years so the only way to pull it off will be through trade.
Challenge: Unite the two friends together and make them teammates. You can either act as the Celtics GM OR you can act as the Pistons GM. If you choose Pistons then bring Rondo to Detroit. If you choose Celtics then bring Smith to Boston. Make sure your trade is legal by the CBA.
Off the table for Pistons: Drummond
Off the table for Celtics: Smart
Player A:
Boston out: Rajon Rondo
Boston in: Isaiah Thomas, Alex Len, Will Bynum
Phoenix out: Isaiah Thomas, Alex Len
Phoenix in: Greg Monroe, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope
Detroit out: Greg Monroe, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, Will Bynum
Detroit in: Rajan Rondo
Why for Phoenix: they have 3 really good PG's and a 1st round pick there, but need defensive wings and even more desperately a quality ready to play big man. This deal puts them right into the playoff mix in the West.
Why for Boston: They get a quality PG to replace Rondo who can slide perfectly into a 6th man role in a year or two when Smart is ready to be the starter and a young true center picked high in the draft who pairs nicely with Sullinger or Olynyk.
Why for Detroit: They are ready to make a play-off push now and they need to start shaping the roster to be Drummond-friendly. They add a top 10 PG and they allow Smith to slide to his natural PF spot alongside Drummond. They take advantage of Rondo's contract status and injury to start the year to get him at the correct below-market price. This is now a solid playoff team in the East.
Player B:
Jeff Green (9.2M for 2 years)
Joel Anthony (expiring)
For
Josh Smith (13.5M for 3 years)
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=neef3qb
-Boston keeps Rondo happy for the time being by acquiring his friend.
-Detroit saves money & gets a SF that fits better with Monroe/Drummond.
Player A's trade: I don't see enough value for Boston. Rightly or wrongly, they think they ought to get a star or a player with potential to be a star for Rondo, and nobody there fits the bill. I don't think this trade is worth their while. Nice for Detroit, and OK for Phoenix if they think they can sign Monroe long-term.
Player B's trade: I like it. It's not perfect for Detroit, as they could really use a true SF who shoots better than Green - but taking a year plus considerable dollars off Smith's contract without having to use up other assets is better than they have any right to hope for. And Boston gets Smith - in the scenario they actually want him - at modest additional cost.
I vote for Player B.
