OT: Need some help (fantasy GMing)

[Teddy KGB]

OK guys. I am currently the GM for the Mavericks in the GM a team game and I was wondering which deal you guys think I should do. Firstly, here is my roster as it stands right now (minute splits in parenthesis):

Erick Dampier [30]/Dikembe Mutombo [9]/Alonzo Mourning[9]
Dirk Nowitzki [35]/Brandon Bass[13]
Shawn Marion [35]/Eddie Jones [13]
Josh Howard [35]/Jerry Stackhouse [13]
Devin Harris [30]/JJ Barea [10]/Darrel Armstrong [8]

IR: Nick Fazekas, Juwan Howard, Melvin Ely

Trades I have already done included [just the main cogs]:

Terry + Diop + 08 1st for Marion + Mutombo + Armstrong
George + 08 2nd + 09 2nd for Mourning

Now, as my roster is constructed I have Dirk as my #1 option with Marion and Josh Howard as my #2 options. Only problem is, Josh is not as good at the 2 and Marion can't play the 4 on this team obviously. The solution I came up with was to trade one of the two for a natural SG or someone who can play 2 and 3. Obviously, my goal is to have no production dropoff from the trade so I inquired and came up with 2 possible candidates: Paul Pierce and Rip Hamilton.

Now, what I want you guys to advise me on is which deal should I do?

Option 1: Josh Howard + Brandon Bass + JJ Barea for Paul Pierce

Option 2: Shawn Marion for Rip Hamilton + Rodney Stuckey

I know that Pierce is better than Hamilton obviously, but is the difference worth giving up Howard rather than Marion as well as giving up Bass and Barea and not getting back Stuckey?

Help me out guys!

[JES12]

I like the lineup 1-4 the way it is.

I don't do either of thos trades. I don't know what all goes on in the fantacy gm stuff, but Hamilton is nowhere near the defender that Marion and Howard are. Howard has developed a nice shot and Pierce's D has improved with his surroundings (which is the ONLY way Hamilton was even labled as a decent defender to begin with), but I think the defense of those two outwiegh any offensive gain from Hamilton or Pierce. Now if Bass is taken out of the Howard trade, I'd go for that one IF we can get a better backup PG than Armstrong. But given the trades as stated, I stand pat with Howard at the 2.

[JES12]

Oh, BTW, Terry + Diop + 08 1st for Marion + Mutombo + Armstrong was a steal!

[Teddy KGB]

hey thanks for the input JES, I'm sure you're liking the roster mainly because Devin is still a Maverick

and i want one of those guys because

a) Hamilton comes with Stuckey and i love that dude's game

b) Pierce would take a lot of the scoring load off Dirk and would give us another consistent scorer. If Marion/Josh is considered a wash, I would have got Pierce for Terry, Diop, Bass and a 1st!

c) I don't like Marion and Howard together, their games are pretty darn similar and neither is at their best at the 2

[dirkforpres]

How about trading for a center instead of another guard? You have 3 injury prone old guys.