Emeka Okafor may be available

[basketballwacko2]

you know that's what i was getting at in my last post, if the Cats are losing Okafor, if they aren't willing to match something like $14 million what are they gonna do let him walk with no compensation? There's a few teams still below the cap and might make Okafor an offer could the Cats reasonably match an offer and then work a deal with whoever signs EO? If you can get 2 expirings like a Rasho and Daniels, a youngster like Shawne and a pick and dump a iffy contract, you have a starting center and a back up swing man who will expire and be left with the youngsert and the pick and that seems like more than nothing. Cats would not be taking a bad contract like JT's and could move us one like Carroll if they wanted, Rasho and Daniels would be gone the next yr and you still have your cap flexability and Shawne and the pick. This makes sense to me, but if i were a Cats fan i'd want more and or want the team to sign EO and forget the trade talk.

[bravesatl]

To the poster who said I would be hesitant to put in my 2009 first round pick, you must be joking.

Your team would be so much better if they had a legitimate double double C and yet you hesitate?

Comon guys, I mean seriously now be reasonable. I'm not even a fan of either team but the idea of they should take a package of Tinsley+Murphy is one of the worst trades I've heard on RealGM.

- If I were Indiana I'd easily let go of a large part of my young talent+Daniels as long as I had Ford/Jack, Graham, Rush/Dunleavy, and a PF like McRoberts even left.

Hibbert, Williams, a future 1st round pick those kinds of value are irrelevant long term if you've solidified the C position.

i totally agree with all this

[basketballwacko2]

i just had a thought on this if Okafor is traded following a S&T wouldn't he be BYC1? Wouldn't That make him really hard to trade, I need Scoot to tell me and anyone who cares how that would effect any potential trades involving EO. I don't think the Foster, Daniels, Williams deal would work for EO and Morrison.

[Jajwanda]

It adds about 6.5m if I'm not mistaken to the contract. It makes it difficult but not impossible to do a deal.

If I'm Charlotte getting a ballpark idea of what would work I'd ask for: Foster, Daniels, Shawne Williams, 1st, and Hibbert. It may sound too high, but I think you could do a deal that takes out maybe the first round pick or something. I dono... Overall though in the long-run it will be irrelevant. Okafor adds something on defense that only young J.O. had to offer.

With the PG, SG, SF, and C situations solved it would become a problem of only one position for Indiana before they have a pretty damn good roster. I guess Murphy for now and then later possibly McRoberts could be that guy at PF that you still need. There's also a chance that they keep Shawn Williams and instead add in a first. Then maybe Shawne can bulk up to play the PF and you'd be a highly athletic roster with Ford leading the fast break.

I think you're going to laugh at this but the guy that could probably take you places if you got him to be your PF would be Lamar Odom. He could ball handle, rebound (with Okafor you'd win most rebounding battles), play solid D, lead the attack or defer on the fast break, and facilitate an O'Brien fast paced team. He'd also work well with Jack whose skills at the point are not Ford quality.

I'm not sure how you would get him but the combination of Odom and Okafor would be something to watch.

[n_s_s31]

I think Okafor would be better as a PF than he is as a C. Especially if the pacers got him. If they could get Okafor while keeping Hibbert and Rasho or Foster then that would be a very good lineup this year.

Ford-Dunleavy-Granger-Okafor- Rasho(or Foster) with Hibbert as the backup Center

The only question would be wheather or not the pacers can afford to have okafor long term. And if they cant and it would only be a 1 year deal or something then its not worth it.

[MillerTime101]

Why we are not getting Okafor,

1. Like the Bobcats fan said, we have nothing of value to offer, at least nothing that any other team could not offer 2 of at half the price.

2. Add 12 mill in contracts next year and say goodbye to Danny Granger.

3. We have Roy Hibbert, him and Okafor would be the slowest front court in league history.

4. He is JO minus the scoring with injuries earlier in his career.

5. Sean Marion is a FA next year

6. Larry Bird is trying to undo the damage done by overpaying for injury riddled players not trying to add to it.

[cdash]

Why we are not getting Okafor,

1. Like the Bobcats fan said, we have nothing of value to offer, at least nothing that any other team could not offer 2 of at half the price.

2. Add 12 mill in contracts next year and say goodbye to Danny Granger.

3. We have Roy Hibbert, him and Okafor would be the slowest front court in league history.

4. He is JO minus the scoring with injuries earlier in his career.

5. Sean Marion is a FA next year

6. Larry Bird is trying to undo the damage done by overpaying for injury riddled players not trying to add to it.

1. Probably true.
2. Not at all true.
3. Okafor isnt that slow.
4. Not really.
5. What does that have to do with anything?
6. He's trying to build a winning team. Okafor isnt "injury riddled" either. He may not be among the most durable players in the league, but lets not classify him in JO/Tinsley territory just yet.

[mizzoupacers]

Okafor apparently is staying with the Bobcats for quite some time.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3509028

$12 million a year is a lot, but probably a worthwhile gamble for a low-post player his age who put up the numbers he did last season. But it's too rich for the Pacers at this point in time; we never really had any shot at getting him.

[Scoot McGroot]

Agreed.

Not much more to discuss here.