small MIN-LAL

[Sebzor]

G. Green -for: J. Crittenton

[chefy]

hmmmm

[loserX]

I don't really see Green adding much to the Lakers this year, and isn't he an unrestricted FA at year's end (since the Wolves declined his option)? No real benefit here for LA...they could move Crittenton in a more helpful deal.

[shagadelic45]

heck no from la.

[mudyez]

no team should do it

[warren weel im]

Lakers can actually sign Gerald Green next year for cheap, a 2-3m deal for 2 years would actually work for both sides. LA can have a prospect for cheap and Green can thrive in the bright lights of LA where he could POSSIBLY revive his career. He can play when Kobe sits and dunk the lights out of Staples.

There would then be no reason to trade Crittenton when we can have both. The only possible deal for both teams would then be Chris Mihm since Minny might be interested for a very cheap veteran center that can support Al Jeff next year.

[shrink]

They obviously don't want Green..which is why they didn't pick up his option...and to get a talented first rounder back for him would be a godsend.

This is incorrect. If they didn't want Green, he wouldn't continue to get those wacky Wittman minutes that all the rest of the youth get - big minutes one day, few the next. If they didn't want to take a look, they'd use those minutes on some of their nine other players 23-or-younger.

MIN didn't pick up Green's options because they didn't want to lock in over the lux next season. Earlier this season, MIN had to make a hard choice. If they re-signed their other guys (Gomes, Craig Smith, Telfair) and paid their draft picks, they'd be lucky to be right up to the lux. Because MIN would be over the lux, Green's salary would be doubled, and MIN would lose it's slice of the lux-money pie (Let's say, another $2 mil).

Would Green be worth $2.2 mil for next year? I think with his potential, and 48-inch vertical leap, many people would say "yes!"

Is Green worth $6.2 mil for next year? I think I'd say "no" to that.

Personally, I think the MIN front office made a mistake here. MIN needed to be under the lux later, and surely they could have trade Green, or some other players, to get further under the lux. Since MIN just missed it last year, I think wolves owner Glen Taylor came down and said, "Since we're so young and not winning anyway, I don't want you to make any moves that would put us over the lux." Personally, I think that's thinking short-term.

In any event, its incorrect to say, "The Wolves obviously don't want Green." If he shows something, I wouldn't be surprised to see them try to keep him.

As far as this deal goes, I think its a no for LAL. Green's value is what he can produce for the next five months, plus the right to audition him and perhaps have the inside track on his choice of teams next year. I don't think he's shown enough so far to look like he'd help LAL enough to justify trading last year's 1st rounder, however unnecessary Crittendon has become.