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The Denver Nuggets have agreed to trade center Steven Hunter to the Memphis Grizzlies according to multiple sources close to the team. The move will save the Nuggets a little over $3.5 million next season.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Nuggets will also include a lottery protected 2010 first round pick in the deal with Denver getting a future second round pick in return.

Hunter's career was in doubt last season when it was announced he was going to have knee surgery. However, after the surgery was completed, it was announced that the injury was not career threatening.

In addition to saving the Nuggets money, the move will also open up an extra roster spot thus giving the Nuggets more flexibility moving forward this offseason.

More on this trade as it becomes available..

So who's going to be the 2-3 guys we are going to sign to fill the roster spots? Karl, Dupree, some big name FA that's still out there?

I like the move. Save 7 million dollars and only have to move down like 7 spots in the draft. This team is allergic to drafting in the 1st round anyway.

Would be nice if these cost cutting moves were to open up money for a big name player. But either way I can't really complain....we're being very efficient and cutting the dead weight(Sharpe/Hunter).

I'd like to hope this is a set-up for another move and that we aren't just going to fill out the roster with minimum salaries, but either way, it's a solid trade.

^That imo is the most likely scenario... or this could be a Part 1 of the trade that could net us Marc Gasol.

Because this really did not make sense for Grizz. Why would they trade for another big when they already have Gasol, Thabeet, Randolph, Haddadi, Arthur? They really don't have a need for Hunter, especially paying him, for what... in return for our protected 2010 pick? They'd rather use the frontcourt minutes to develop Arthur and Haddadi... or even give more minutes to Gasol who can be a 15 and 10 guy.

One of those bigs must be traded and hopefully it's Gasol to us. Maybe we can give them Kleiza (sign and trade) for Gasol... which would be big for us... and then final step is to sign a free agent who can replace Kleiza's scoring off the bench. That backup SF.

the Nuggets didn't get an expiring contract back... for the 2nd year in a row they literally dumped salary. Face value alone... great move. If its a set up to snag Gasol and moves Nene to PF... Great!

J Smitty wrote:I like the move. Save 7 million dollars and only have to move down like 7 spots in the draft. This team is allergic to drafting in the 1st round anyway.

It is a very good cost-saving deal for Denver, but the 2nd rounder is almost certainly of the "top-58 protected conditional pick" variety, meaning the Nuggets will never see it.

regardless of future deals I can understand why they did this deal, I think I would have done the same if it were my team. 2 years of paying a guy $3.5 million a year to sit around in a suit is long enough.

There ain't a chance in hell that Marc Gasol will be traded anytime soon.

^ What he said.

^Quick question though, even before this trade, how would you play 5 bigs on a team? You had Gasol, Randolph, Thabeet, Arthur, and Haddadi.

more very financially responsible moves by this FO that should only help the team in the future. gotta love our front office right now.

SnakefromHell wrote:^Quick question though, even before this trade, how would you play 5 bigs on a team? You had Gasol, Randolph, Thabeet, Arthur, and Haddadi.

I'm sure Memphis did the deal strictly for the first round pick, we sent cash their way to help them pay Hunter to sit on a suit on their bench.

As far as I know we didn't give them any cash in this deal. It wasn't in ESPN's report and Heath, who was the only one who had knowledge of the protection on our pick, said no cash was involved.

The grizz did this to get the first round pick. If you think this has anything to do with Marc Gasol, then you are insane.

SnakefromHell wrote:^Quick question though, even before this trade, how would you play 5 bigs on a team? You had Gasol, Randolph, Thabeet, Arthur, and Haddadi.

PF: Randolph, Arthur/Gasol

C: Gasol, Thabeet/Haddadi


well.. that was easy

evenrane wrote:The grizz did this to get the first round pick. If you think this has anything to do with Marc Gasol, then you are insane.

Well our pick is protected, so it's not like there's any guarantee they will get the pick next year. Does anyone know what top protected it is? Basically Memphis pays $3.6 mil just for the rights to our "protected" pick.

Honestly... whatever with Hunter...but this frankly is a very disturbing trend of dumping money...Contenders like Orlando, Boston, LA, San Antonio are not trying to fix money...they are doing everything they can to spend for a winner...Kroenke needs to sell some of his soccer stock...and invest in a championship contender here... Talent wise...we are 3rd or 4 in the conference...team wise we are 3rd or 4th in the conference. Not sold JR can "grow up" enough... Lawson's a rookie... no improvement for your shooting big... Portland will be better...San Antonio will be better...the Lakers are going to be very good... Even New Orleans has improved and everyone thought they'd be dumping $$$... Kroenke is going Charlie and Dick Monfort on us... and he's doesn't have the excuse the Monfort's have... cheap ain't going to win S*(#!!!!!!

I don't buy for 1 second there wasn't a move to be made to improve this team to top 3 or 4 in the league and a legit contender... Hold on to last year's run...it might be another 24 years before we get back to the Western Conference Finals. What a bleeping wasted off season...

SnakefromHell wrote:

evenrane wrote:The grizz did this to get the first round pick. If you think this has anything to do with Marc Gasol, then you are insane.

Well our pick is protected, so it's not like there's any guarantee they will get the pick next year. Does anyone know what top protected it is? Basically Memphis pays $3.6 mil just for the rights to our "protected" pick.

Um it's only lotto protected, so they better **** get that pick next year.

Expected trade.

Marc Gasol? Keep dreaming. I wish Memphis would give their "we are morons" discount to the rest of the league like they did to LA.

This "flexibility move" is just a panic move to resign LK. Olympiacos must be getting close to a deal.

We lose a first rounder and an expiring contract. Two valuable trading pieces that could help net us a very good role player near the deadline. Oh well, at lease we got our "flexibility."... Lame.