RealGM

Okafor and Collison for Murphy and Brandon Rush would work according to ESPN's trade Machine.

With this deal New Orleans gets the cap space to sign Melo next summer (assuming the CBA doesn't drastically change things).

Indy can play Okafor at the PF and boast one of the best defensive 4-5 pairings in the league. He's a long term deal, but it solidifies the front line and brings back a possible starting PG in Collison. It also clears out one of the wings.
Indy still retains a ton of expiring money (Foster, Ford, Dunleavy, etc) as well.

1 - Collison, Price (upon return), Ford
2 - Dunleavy, Jones, Stephenson
3 - Granger, George
4 - Okafor, McRoberts, Hansbrough - Rolle
5 - Hibbert, Foster, Jones

Am I blowing smoke up my own, or does this seem like a viable trade for both sides?

Oh, this also buries the rookies a bit to begin. They can come along more slowly and then get into bigger roles next season when the expiring money walks.

Burries rookies and McBob sucks! There is no way he is a backup PF in the NBA he is a wanna be!

McRoberts needs a few more years to develop. He ain't consistent yet. Collison ain't worth takin on Okafor.

Eh, Collison is worth taking in Okafor if we're not giving up anything else of value, or heavily protected value. I'm not sure Indy can afford to take on Okafor and his sub par offense, as well as surprisingly sub par interior defense, as well as give up a young player that even when disappointing us, is still surprisingly useful as a defensive sub/3 pt. specialist.

Collison is overrated on here. He put up CP3 numbers but yet the team played terrible. It is different when you help the team by doin it. TJ Ford could average 19 and 9 for a season but we would be 24-58. Collison put up highly, highly, highly, and highly inflated numbers. He ain't worth takin on Okafor.

I believe if we changed coaches TJ could average 16 and 7 and we can make the playoffs. He averaged 15 and 5 his 1st year with us, yet got benched for Jack, even tho TJ was havin the better year.

I am split on this. And it all revolves around Emeka.

Reason against: Indy2thawindy is right. Taking on Okafor is so bad that the benefit of acquiring Collison would be negated. That salary-cap space was hard earned and if Okafor doesn't return to form than we wasted a few years of rebuilding for nothing.

Reason for: Okafor doesn't get the playing time he deserves in NO. He needs to play 30 min and average 15/10 to be worthy of his salary. If he returned to form this transaction could rebound our franchise in a hurry. We haven't had a starting caliber pg. for awhile either, so it might be a nice infusion.

Reality: CP3 still wants out. Collison will be in NO for a long, long time.

My issues with Collison revolve around his decisions. His penchant for experimenting with passes reminds me of (in this aspect only) Jason Kidd. The only thing is that Kidd knew when to mix in a couple of passes that had a 50/50 shot of succeeding. The rest was for practice. Collison was willing to try ANYTHING on the court last year. Didn't he have 2 or 3 double figure TO games in those last couple of weeks?
I just feel like there's a 65% chance that he's a starter caliber PG.

Also, the Pacers would still be sitting on about $30 mill in expirings, they'd still get under the cap, and they'd have the team re-built...

IF

Okafor can step in and look like he did a couple of years ago in Charlotte. I think that moving him from the 5 to the 4 would be a big boost for him. Rather than being a touch undersized, he would become right-sized, and he'd be in a position to help more often with Roy/Jeff to cover one big down low.
I think he's a 12-10 guy with the Pacers, and I think that's worth it. His contract is huge though and would be a major albatross if he failed to live up to standards.

I think I might accept this. I wonder if it would be possible to switch Brandon Rush to Dahntay Jones?

Based on what he did last year its pretty hard to say Collison isn't a starting caliber pg. If there was a way of getting him without taking on something like Okafor I'm all for it. The reality, we don't have the right assets to get him. If New Orleans trades him they will be packaging him with a large expiring to bring back someone to make them more competitive in attempt to keep Chris Paul happy. Otherwise they will not be trading him so they have a replacement when/if they trade Chris Paul.

Someone enlighten me on why New Orleans would trade Collison if they are about to trade Paul and not get a pg in return? I thought Thornton was more of a shooting guard.

I'm not convinced that they're moving Paul, I think that they're going to try to add a star either using Peja's contract this year, or clearing space for next summer. My proposal relies on them taking the "clearing space" route.

aquatic92 wrote:Someone enlighten me on why New Orleans would trade Collison if they are about to trade Paul and not get a pg in return? I thought Thornton was more of a shooting guard.

If they think they could keep Paul by trading away a guy who essentially can't ever play WITH Paul, they'd do it.

However, if they think that Paul will demand a trade, then yes, they should and would never trade Darren Collison.

aquatic92 wrote:Someone enlighten me on why New Orleans would trade Collison if they are about to trade Paul and not get a pg in return? I thought Thornton was more of a shooting guard.

If they think they could keep Paul by trading away a guy who essentially can't ever play WITH Paul, they'd do it.

However, if they think that Paul will demand a trade, then yes, they should and would never trade Darren Collison.

In todays market its hard to say that Okeka is WAY overpaid. Collison s contract is pretty good. Not quite a balance but maybe acceptable to a team if the needs fit.

Our needs fit.

I would try to start both of them. Middle would be a little clogged but the defense would improve tremendously.

What would we trade? Murphy, ford, or Dun? That'd be great with me. We will never be good as long as more than one of those guys play big minutes for us.
Play the young guys.

And how many better PFs are there that we might really get? Love Al Horford but Ill bet Atlanta matches.

Collison, Lance-alot, Small and big I like it.
George, Lance, Rush or D Jones (trade one). If Lance OR George bust out then we're gold here.
Granger,George. Looks very good!
Okeka, Hans, Rolle. Strong D, Size. If one could just find a mid rage game!
Hib, Omeka, Rolle. Solid, and Hibs workin hard to improve.

If George becomes an 17 and 6 guy and any two of Lance, Omeka, Rolle, Hans, Rush show good improvement then that team would be pretty tuff.

I would play that team a year. Next year we have still good expirings, a good pick, and we'd know better who's working out for us and what we need.
I'd still try to pick up a 6"9" athletic 4 when ever possible- but maybe Hans can be that guy.
And instead of focusing on a point I'd start looking for another scorer that could put Rush on the bench. Maybe we already have him -George or Lance.

I love D so personally would like the team much better, but I don't think it'll fly with JOB

Okafor was a below average defender last season. Collison is overrated. Everybody talks about how he put up numbers like CP3. Why couldn't they win if he put up the numbers CP3 does? His numbers were inflated. He has shown nothin that says he will be better than TJ Ford.

Horford probly won't get matched if the Hawks don't trade Josh Smith. Their ownership group won't go into the luxury tax. We could offer a deal to Horford that would put them well into the luxury tax. They would also only have 8 players on their roster. If they resign Crawford, we should either try to trade for Josh Smith or sit back, wait, and try to outbid other teams for Al Horford.

I would be thrilled to get either of those Atlanta guys. Doubt it happens.

I've seen your views on Collison before. I don't over-rate him. I don't want big numbers from him.

I'd rather he be no better than a third option and concentrate on passing. But he is a pretty good defender and I think he would be a good fit here. I'd take Conely or Maynor also.

O.k is out of place as a starting pivot. As a starting PF with good scorers around him and a big 5 like we have I think he'd be fine.

If we got Smith or Horford Ok. could back up both front court positions. In a year or two his contract would be less ugly and we'd know which of he or Rolle, Hans etc. need to be moved.

What I don't want to see is another year of defenseless, weak azz, chuckers. I am afraid we keep murphleavy, improve with our youth, limp to a near playoff spot and crappy pick.

Also don't want to hold onto so many expirings and then find we can't draw the talent.
We need two or three pieces. As soon as we can trade for one of them, I will be happy.