1/12/2009 Woelfel: Conley deal waiting for Herb (poll added)

[LUKE23]

From what I’ve been reading lately, Mike Conley (PG/SG, MEM) will be out of Memphis before the trade deadline next month. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the team investigated a deal involving Conley for Ramon Sessions (PG, MIL) and Joe Alexander (SF, MIL). I don’t know why Milwaukee would want to make that trade, unless the team is out to end the Luke Ridnour (PG, MIL)/Sessions controversy that has been brewing all season. Should this trade happen, Sessions would be a must-add in leagues of all sizes as the main PG option for the Grizzlies. Think about the possibilities for a guy with his skillset, dishing to ballers like Rudy Gay (SF/PF, MEM) and O.J. Mayo (PG/SG, MEM).

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/nba/new ... nks_011209

[stevescheffler06]

It's been 5 hours since this thread started. Any real word on if it will go through or is this another Landry deal? I'm okay either way, I just don't want to trade Sessions and JA in 2k9 unless it's set in stone. Already had to force the computer to give me CV back.

[thetown]

I guess this trade comes down to the quality of the pick. At the end of the day, if we get Conley+1st for 2 players who have not been in our rotation lately I'd have to say it was a good trade. What I don't get is how this trade really fits into the bucks plans - it doesn't alleviate the cap problems and it's not a win now trade nor is it really rebuilding as we're trading 2 young players for 1.

[Bernman]

An issue which you and I agree on (although I'd add Daye, Monroe, and maybe DeRozan)....this draft is crap....to wit...why not actively shop our pick this season for immediate help to address our obvious depth issues? Not saying include it in this deal just cuz, but send it to a non playoff contender before the break. Do you agree?

Yeah, in general I just don't like giving up first round picks because teams mess up all the time (the Bucks!!) and you can get good players even in the mid first. It would depend on the return for the 2009 pick as to if I'd move it.

Can trading our 2009 first rounder get us a player that can push us to a possible 50 wins next year, with a core of Ridnour/Redd/Jefferson/LRMAM/Bogut/Conley/Bell/Gadz/Ilyasova?

Not by itself....but potentially if we package it with Jefferson for an upgrade at the 4 and then start LRMAM at the 3. I'm not saying trade for Boozer because I know he can opt out, but for example that level and type player would propel us to a 50-win team within our team composition, IMO.

[WiscoKing13]

I'll be OK on this trade if we at get a pick back.

Same here, I think will end up with the Lackers 010 first, or i'd like to see us try and get a swap of Darko and Gadz

[aboveAverage]

If fans of the other team love the trade, then generally, you know you're getting fleeced.

[BuckFan25226]

There is one reason I won't lose sleep over this trade. Sessions and Alexander won't be special in this league. Sessions has some serious limitations in his game for anyone to think he's our point guard of the future(e.g. defense, dribbling, shooting) are three red flags. And Alexander has shown us nothing so far.

And sure, nobody can know that Conley will become anything special either. But I think it's a risk worth taking, because I don't think we're giving up any pieces that we can build around long term.

I find it amusing that the same people praising Hammond for cutting his losses are the same people who were up in arms against the rest of us who criticized Alexander's ability in summer league and in the first half of the season

Why is it amusing? I was one who didn't understand all of the bust talk, and questioned people about it as well. But the fact is, we ended up getting a really good player in LRMAM, which makes JA a nice trade piece. I don't think this means JA will be a bad player or a bust. I do feel he deserves criticism, but nobody deserves a bust label this early in their career.

[jerrod]

Why is it amusing? I was one who didn't understand all of the bust talk, and questioned people about it as well. But the fact is, we ended up getting a really good player in LRMAM, which makes JA a nice trade piece. I don't think this means JA will be a bad player or a bust. I do feel he deserves criticism, but nobody deserves a bust label this early in their career.

it's amusing because people would say that he's a project and to be disappointed in him now is shortsighted and stupid. if hammond truly believed that joe was this much of a project before the draft, there's no way we'd trade him now. prince has nothing to do with this, you don't just dump rookie contract talent if you have any reason to believe they'll become something useful unless you're getting something great back.

and we, are not

[LUKE23]

There is one reason I won't lose sleep over this trade. Sessions and Alexander won't be special in this league.

That I agree with, and it allows me to not dislike the deal as much. I like both guys, but I feel very confident saying neither will be a superstar player.

What DOES make me hesitate is who will be better between Sessions and Conley. I would hate to give up the best player in the deal while also having thrown in a guy we know nothing about in JA but is on a rookie deal.

I think this deal is a little more risky than some think. But the risk is also why many like it.

[BuckFan25226]

Why is it amusing? I was one who didn't understand all of the bust talk, and questioned people about it as well. But the fact is, we ended up getting a really good player in LRMAM, which makes JA a nice trade piece. I don't think this means JA will be a bad player or a bust. I do feel he deserves criticism, but nobody deserves a bust label this early in their career.

it's amusing because people would say that he's a project and to be disappointed in him now is shortsighted and stupid. if hammond truly believed that joe was this much of a project before the draft, there's no way we'd trade him now. prince has nothing to do with this, you don't just dump rookie contract talent if you have any reason to believe they'll become something useful unless you're getting something great back.

and we, are not

Nobody said you can't be disappointed because JA hasn't contributed this year. But plenty here already have put the bust label on him, which is ridiculous. The problem is, I don't think Hammond thought Joe would start out so rough. He had a brutal summer league, and has simply been bad in the time given to him. And yes, LRMAM absolutely has something to do with this. We got a second rounder who is a defensive freak, a very good rebounder that is a perfect player for Skiles' system.

I also don't think it's a coincidence that Billy McKinney just returned from Europe stating he's very impressed with Ersan. ...

]Milwaukee Bucks
Ilyasova Impresses McKinney
Billy McKinney, the Bucks' scouting director, recently traveled to Europe and checked out several players, including Ersan Ilyasova.

McKinney watched Ilyasova play and went out to dinner with him. He came away suitably impressed with the combo forward.

"He played very well," McKinney said. "He's a nice, multi-dimensional player. I don't have any doubts he can play well at the NBA level. ... It was good to see we have a very viable asset playing in our system."

McKinney believes several other European teams will vie for Ilyasova's services after the season, but didn't dismiss the possibility of Ilyasova rejoining the Bucks. -- Racine Journal Times


Right now, JA is 4th on our depth chart as far as SF's go.

[paulpressey25]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

[europa]

I think M&M's emergence is a pretty big factor in all of this. If M&M wasn't looking every bit the starting SF of the future, I think Hammond would be much more reluctant to trade Alexander at this time.

[unklchuk]

jerrod, consider this possibility:

Hammond thought JA was a *project* to become a better-than-average NBA player. Liked him better than anyone else at 8. Drafted him. Maybe he hasn't changed his mind at all; maybe he now thinks he's not a great fit here (not quite the right mix of mind and heart). He gets a chance to trade for a PG (his "favorite" position) that he really thought at the time of the draft had the makings to run the Bucks team the way he and Skiles want it run. (Which is not just getting the most out of your PG, but getting the most out of the team.)

He asks himself if Conley's inauspicious beginnings with the Grizz mean much. Decides for various reasons, that they don't.

So he trades a player he likes, and a player he kinda likes, for a player he likes *better*.

If he's right, great move. If he's wrong, strike one.

[Ill-yasova]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

If this is the trade that happens I wont be happy unless somebody kneecaps Kobe before next season.

[stellation]

So you pick a guy at 8, are scared he might be a bust so you trade him for a guy picked at 4 who might be a bust; if it doesn't pan out you just screwed a trade and not a lottery pick, if it works out you're a genius, if the guy you picked at 8 catches on elsewhere you were a drafting genius but had to make the trade because of pending salary cap craziness.

This is GM Win Now territory

[ReasonablySober]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

I thought about this last night. Even as of draft night last year, before our pick was in, I could buy the #8 and Sessions for Conley. Seeing JA play only makes me feel all the more confident this is a great move.

[aboveAverage]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that, because we see how good Sessions has become.

[BuckFan25226]

I think M&M's emergence is a pretty big factor in all of this. If M&M wasn't looking every bit the starting SF of the future, I think Hammond would be much more reluctant to trade Alexander at this time.

+1

[ReasonablySober]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that, because we see how good Sessions has become.

How good has Sessions become?

[WEFFPIM]

We just need a time machine in order to get this deal the 100% RealGm stamp of approval. Perhaps we can teleport back 18-months to July 2007. Imagine this thread being started on the board.

"Guy's, Woelfel is reporting that the Bucks have traded the guy the Bucks just picked in the secound round (Ramon Sessions) along with our 2008 pick (top-7 protected) for Mike Conley, Jr. AND the Lakers 2010 pick."

I realize there is a massive obvious flaw here of Conley playing 100 games and not doing much, but it you don't like this deal, just pretend it went down 18-months earlier as stated above in italics.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that, because we see how good Sessions has become.

Indulge me