RealGM

I'm not a frequent poster here, but I read the board from time to time and was trying to come up with a trade for a guy that....

a. Is not on a current contending team anywhere in the league.
b. Is talented enough to crack the Pistons rotation and play significant minutes now.
c. Would be attainable without having to give up any of our major rotation players (the starters, Mad Max, Stuckey, etc...).

What about Brad Miller? He's a legit 7 footer that could help guard big guys come playoff time (Z, Howard, Duncan, etc..)

His contract lasts 2 more years and isn't that great, but I really think the Kings would be willing to part with him for peanuts just to alleviate cap space short term... especially if they're successful in dealing Bibby. They would be blowing it up and starting with cheap Kevin Martin and John Salmons.

Amir + 3 expirings??? (Flip/Brezec/Herrmann) works cap wise.

With Hunter coming back (and Samb waiting in the wings), it's not like this would make us short on bodies.


Would this deal improve our team enough to make it worth giving up on Amir's potential?

Would we be able to get something better in the summer with the cap space than Miller? (I doubt it)

Would Sacramento do it?

Interested to hear people's thoughts... and I apologize if something like this has been brought up already since I don't read the forum religiously

We would be...
Billups/Stuckey/Hunter
Hamilton/Stuckey and Afflalo
Prince/Hayes/Afflalo
McDyess/Maxiell/Hayes
Wallace/Miller/Samb
Which WOULD be pretty good...but Miller is turning 32 near the end of this season. He'd be making 11.375 and 12.25 mill as a 32/34 year old backup. and would expire one year after Rasheed.
He's putting up 14 and 9ish in 36 mpg, which isn't that great considering he's on a horrible team.

I can't say I'd do it. We'd be choosing Brad Miller over Rasheed, essentially, and he'd only be replacing him due to contractual termination. I'd rather keep Amir and have him step in for McDyess as the starter or Maxiell as the 6th man as a 24> year old. This trade MIGHT make us better this season, would handcuff us in two seasons, and leave us with no options in three.

I mentioned it briefly in the aftermath of the Brezec/Hermann deal - I'd imagine for a few reasons we could find a way to make it happen, and I'd be all for. We don't need to move Amir to do it, either, because of all the expirings we've got.

Sac might be willing to make it happen for expiring deals and a pick or so, as they're in the gutter and may be looking to rebuild, and moving Miller now gets them on track to do so a couple of years before he'd be off the books otherwise. A pick to sweeten the deal only makes the process that much easier for them.

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.ph ... id=4397674

There's the base of a deal, which leaves us a little short on the guard positions, and relies heavily on Afflalo and Stuckey staying healthy and productive. But, it works.

Only problems with this? It banishes Maxiell and Amir to Darko minutes, more likely than not.

I personally like a deal like this:

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.ph ... id=4397682

It would solidify our starting lineup by adding a steady and solid player. The only problems? Dice isn't a really good trading block, and it'd take some convincing (read: throwing in Amir, draft picks) to get LA to take the deal, even if they are a lottery team. On top of that, Brand is still on his way back from injury, and who knows if he'll be 100% when he does return?

But on paper, it works, and would be a sweet deal.

C: Sheed/Maxiell
PF: Brand/Maxiell/Amir
SF: Prince/Hayes
SG: Rip/Afflalo
PG: Chauncey/Stuckey

It leaves us a little shallow at true centers, but if LA insisted on Amir instead of Primoz, we'd at least have a salvageable backup, to go with an absolutely DISGUSTING starting lineup. Pipe dream, though.

The thought of landing Brand is awesome, but for that? Come on, we send 4 scrubs and Dice for a top-10 when healthy player?

I really don't think Brand is possible at all.

I also don't think the Kings would trade Miller ONLY for expirings... there would have to be some other type of carrot like a young player with potential (Amir) or a mid 1st rounder (or higher).

Maybe I'm wrong and overvaluing Miller...

Miller would be good if the contract wasn't so long. And it would certainly have an effect on Max's minutes, unless Dice was part of the trade. He could fill a Elden Campbell kind of role, except maybe more minutes, but just not worth paying him for 3 years. We'll pass.

We need one more piece to beat Boston

Forecasting our off-season moves would have been so much easier if Dumars didn't extend McDyess this past off-season. I don't think Dice would have opted out unless he knew we were going to re-sign him, so we would have had him for this year anways and he's be off the books after this season. We could have then decided to re-up him, or looked in a different direction - now with him locked in for two more and that Joe probably wouldn't trade him since he's a real nice guy we really don't have a lot of room to make any moves.

I like Brad Miller, but he's too old and makes too much money to be reasonable, IMO. I'm also not sure that more poor defensive, perimeter shooting big men are what this team needs.

Had the Bobcats not traded two expirings for Nazr, thanks by the way, Brad would have been an ideal pickup for them.

I don't know about here..just doesn't seem like a good move.

Atlanta could really use him and could probably put together a decent enough offer if the Kings want Zaza.

Nazr > Brad Miller.

You think Nazr was slow/soft? Brand Miller makes him look like Dwight Howard.

If we're going to make a move, you'd better be shipping out a starter and prospects for a serious upgrade at a starting position. Miller would just take minutes from Maxiell and make us a worse team. To say you're bringing him in for any kind of "Defense against Big Guys" is laughable.

We would be much better off bringing in PJ Brown (or someone similar), who can actually play some D, and keep Amir in the process.

gusman wrote:We need one more piece to beat Boston

^ ^ ^ I disagree. I think Boston and Detroit are on the exact same level right now, great but flawed teams. Sure, we could use a piece or two, but so could they. They have a weak bench and a mismatch at the point.

If we could trade away some of our wasted depth for a big upgrade in the top 8 rotation, then I say sure. Otherwise, I'm happy to stand pat and take my chances. Unless Boston gets Sam Cassell for free or something, I'm not going to worry too much about needing another piece.

Boston & Detroit are a toss up. I'll take my chances.

A healthy Spurs team is still the one I fear/respect the most.

I'm not worried about Boston.

We barely beat them at their place, by 2.
They barely beat us at ours, by 7 (although watching the game would indicate that it was much closer).
Homecourt hasn't proven to be an advantage.

We have been able to contain three of their starters every game.

We are now at full-strength (Stuckey and Amir healthy and integrating themselves) with a revamped roster (Brezec/Hermann>Mohammed>Dupree).

Our coach, believe it or not, is >theirs.

Even if we finish 1-3 or 2-2 against them, we could NOT play them in the playoffs. They could lose in the first two rounds. They could get beat up in the first two rounds. If we DO play them, it's an entirely different story. Our team has more playoff experience than theirs. Their big three, star status and all, hasn't been playoff caliber for a LONG time.

We'll be going into the Finals this season with THIS roster. We have more talent than Boston and you know it.

^ ^ ^ Basically right. I'm not confident enough to predict a Finals trip right now because Boston's a very good team, but Detroit has nothing to fear immensely on paper or in reality at this point.

Brezec, Herrmann and Murray to Seattle for Kurt Thomas is the type of deal I think the Pistons should pursue.

He is an expiring contract who can defend power forwards and centers. He is also a reliable mid range spot up shooter. He fits the profile of a big capable of playing in Flips offensive and defensive schemes

As the 4th big off the bench playing 10-18 minutes a night I think such a deal would be ideal.

McDyess 24, Maxiell 24
Wallace 30, Thomas 18

He would match up well against a big baby type also.

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He is a tough guy as well.

Panty Raider wrote:Brezec, Herrmann and Murray to Seattle for Kurt Thomas is the type of deal I think the Pistons should pursue.

He is an expiring contract who can defend power forwards and centers. He is also a reliable mid range spot up shooter. He fits the profile of a big capable of playing in Flips offensive and defensive schemes

As the 4th big off the bench playing 10-18 minutes a night I think such a deal would be ideal.

McDyess 24, Maxiell 24
Wallace 30, Thomas 18

He would match up well against a big baby type also.

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He is a tough guy as well.

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic. ... 87&start=0

The consensus seemed to be that the Sonics would want more, and if they couldn't get it they'd be just as happy buying him out and letting him choose his own destination.

Kurt Thomas is a good idea, but I'm guessing Flip would have to go to a 3rd team for a draft pick. As well as the possibility that Detroit might have to add a pick Seattles way. (Didn't realize Thomas was doing so good <9.8 rebs a game in 25 minutes>).