Wheel of Fortune - the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies

[warren weel im]

I understand its not actually a trade proposal I am making but I would like to imagine some very good trades that would have happened last May.

Before the May 23rd lottery began, Boston owned the NBA's second worst record. With the wrong balls bouncing their way, they could have very well gotten the #1 pick or the #2 pick for that matter. Either way, I think they would have drafted Kevin Durant since Memphis, owning the league's worst, would very well go with Greg Oden and perhaps trade Pau Gasol.

Then enters my imagination...

Memphis drafts Oden, trades Pau Gasol to Chicago for an assumed package of Ben Gordon, a signed-and-traded Andres Nocioni and the Bulls' #9 pick. They would then and up picking Acie Law or Javaris Crittenton. Perhaps a salary dump for Mike Miller's contract and perhaps either or both of Brian Cardinal and Damon Stoudamire, then perhaps chasing after Darko still.

It gives them a projected lineup of:
Lowry / Law
Gordon / (whoever they got from Miller)
Gay / Nocioni
Darko / Warrick
Oden / Swift

That would be sickkk.

In effect, Bulls would sport a lineup of:
Hinrich / Duhon
Sefolosha / Gardner
Deng / Griffin
Gasol / Thomas
Wallace / Smith

This would be a contender.

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The second part of my imagination leads me to Boston's big three not even thought about...

Boston getting Durant would almost certainly signal rebuilding. With Theo Ratliff's contract expiring at the end of the year and Wally's contract expiring a year after, I can see Boston building around Al Jefferson and Kevin Durant. The trade with Seattle would not be consummated and Kevin Garnett would NEVER consider a cold city to play for. Then Paul Pierce would be doing a Kobe Bryant screaming: Trade me!

IF this happened, what package would have enticed Boston to trade Pierce for? Its pretty ironic on my part to think that it would have been Ainge assisting to Kevin McHale. You think? Its an East-West trade that would have made sense, perhaps Minny doing it to keep KG happy and would have offered the #7 pick used to pick Spencer Hawes, Ricky Davis' expiring, Rashad McCants and/or Randy Foye. Boston would then have a projected lineup of:

Telfair / West / Rondo / Foye
McCants / Green / Davis
Durant / Szczerbiak / Gomes
Jefferson / Scalabrine /
Hawes / Ratliff / Perkins /

Minny would then sport a lineup of:

James (not traded to HOU) / Hudson / Payton
Pierce / Jaric /
Hassell / Posey
KG / Smith
Blount / Madsen

Would have signed Posey for half the MLE and perhaps Payton for a small part of it.

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As the draft continues, Atl @3 would have picked Al Horford still, Milwaukee would pick Conley and perhaps re-sign Mo Will but not Bell, Portland would have picked Yi and still traded Zbo, Seattle would have picked Brandan Wright and KEPT Shard and Ray Allen, Boston will pick Hawes at 7, Charlotte will still trade #8 to GSW and the Warriors will pick Jeff Green, Memphis @9 will pick Law, Sacramento will pick Corey Brewer or Joakim Noah.

Funny how the wheels of fortune turn... its fun imagining anyway.

Do you guys agree with my assessment?

[jefe]

If Memphis had landed the number one pick and taken Oden, Gasol would not have been traded (and Iavaroni wouldn't have been hired - Larry Brown had been interviewed and the rumor was that he would have taken the job had we landed Oden). Also, you presumption of a sign-and-trade for Nocioni is just flat wrong - the Grizz were pursuing Noc as a free agent to put next to Gasol ... again, if the Grizz had landed Oden, then those free agent dollars would have probably been spent on a point guard (realistically, Mo Williams - in every grizz fan's dreams, Chauncey Billups).

[warren weel im]

^ You are right in this assumption. I think Memphis could choose to keep Gasol. Yet, for some reason, wouldn't you think they would stil trade Gasol in knowing he was unhappy already? You already have a roster set to make waves in 3-4 years time and I highly doubt Gasol would have understood it if it were not for the new coach and new GM.