Outside shooting?
Posted: Thu Jan 3, 2008 8:03 pm
We don't always agree on everything, but for the most part we can all agree that the Nets are a horrible shooting team and are in need of a shooter off the bench. With that being said I was looking through the league leaders in three-point percentage and I narrowed the list of realistically obtainable three-point threats down to five players (Note: the list isn't pretty, but I feel it's realistic):
Jarvis Hayes
Why:
At .423 from beyond the arc Jarvis Hayes is ranked 15th in the league in three-point shooting percentage. Jarvis has never been accused of playing defense, but one of the advantage he has over some of the other players on this list is that he can put the ball on the floor and be "more than a shooter". What I mean by this is that getting a player like Jarvis kills two birds with one stone as it gives the Nets another long-range thread but it also gives them a player who can create his own shot and be instant offense off the bench.
Why not:
Jarvis has a very reasonable contract... With the Pistons. The Pistons are playing very well as of late so it's unlikely they're going to tinker with their roster, more importantly the Pistons are not going to want to make the Nets a better team, and the Nets just don't have any pieces aside from Sean Williams (who is worth way more than Jarvis) that the Pistons would want.
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Bostjan Nachbar
Pistons Trade: Jarvis Hayes + Ronald Murray
Trade Breakdown:
The Pistons save a bit of money and (finally) get rid of Murray... I'm iffy on this trade though, and am going to come right out and say the Nets should probably avoid it since it's a lateral move, and even in a best case scenario is only a very minor improvement as they're essentially trading their only shooter off the bench for another shooter (in Hayes) and someone who probably won't see that much playing time (in Murray)
Conclusion:
This is a lateral move which might be shot down by the Pistons anyway. The Nets might as well just stick with what they have in Nachbar.
Matt Carroll:
Why:
Plain and simple Carroll is a shooter. He's also a Malik Allen type player in the sense that he's a good chemistry guy and doesn't make a lot of mistakes because he's willing to play within his capabilities. Carroll is a system player, and the Nets have a system he can succeed in. It also doesn't hurt that the Bobcats have been worse than advertised and look like they need a change...
Why not:
This offseason Carroll was signed to a 6 year $27 million dollar contract by the Bobcats. At 27 years of age Carroll isn't going to get much better, so while the Nets want Carroll the player it's questionable as to whether they're going to be willing to take on Carroll's contract.
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jason Collins + Lottery Protected 1st Round Pick
Bobcats Trade: Matt Carroll + Ryan Hollins
Trade Breakdown:
Matt Carroll is a BYC player so that makes trades a bit more difficult. I tried to trade away Magloire and filler instead of Collins, but the problem with that is that the only "filler" contract that works in this trade scenario is Malik Allen and trading Magloire AND Allen for Carroll doesn't make sense for the Nets. Another trade which worked was Boone + Magloire for Carroll + May, but once again the Nets would be taking a step backwards by getting rid of Boone. Realistically I'm sure the Nets would like to offer a second round pick (or two) instead of a lottery protected 1st, but I doubt the Bobcats make the deal without the first round pick, as trading Carroll and Hollins for Collins makes them worse in the short run so they're going to be wanting something out of the trade (on the flip side the Nets could argue they're taking Carroll's contract off of the Bobcats' hands so maybe one or two second round picks instead of a first could work).
Conclusion:
If the Bobcats can't be forced to budge from their demands of a first round pick (remember the Melvin Ely situation), the Nets should probably just avoid this trade. Giving up a first rounder and taking on Carroll's contract is asking too much of the Nets.
Damon Jones
Why:
He might not play that much anymore but he can still shoot the rock (.380 from three-point land). As a few recent articles indicated Jones also wants out of Cleveland...
Why not:
If the Nets acquired Jones he would immediately become their fourth-string point guard (he would be being paid more than Marcus Willians and Darrell Armstrong combined though!) and would only see playing time in certain situations that called for long-range shooting. If Jones wasn't happy in Cleveland it's hard to see him happy in New Jersey where his minutes will be further curtailed... Jones' contract is up at the end of next year, but paying him $8.6 million dollars over a two-year span just to ride the pine isn't efficient spending...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jamaal Magloire
Cavaliers Trade: Damon Jones + Cash Compensation + 2nd Round Pick
Trade Breakdown:
The Nets are basically taking Jones' off the Cavaliers' hands, Magloire is underproducing but is arguably more useful than Jones so that's why the Cavs' compensate the Nets with a second round pick. The cash compensation is given to help offset the different in the two contracts and pay towards Jones' second year with the Nets. This is a trade scenario where working in a third team might make more sense as the Cavaliers do have a decent three-man rotation of big men.
Conclusion:
The Nets might as well avoid this trade, even if Magloire becomes a malcontent and they decide to trade him they could probably obtain a more useful player than Jones.
Kareem Rush
Why:
Rush is shooting slightly worse from three-point land than Damon Jones (.370 compared to .380), but he would be a better fit for the Nets since he's a wing player and not a point guard... Indiana already has numerous wing players so despite the fact that Rush has gotten quite a bit of burn recently he's an expendable player.
Why not:
Rush has bounced around the league a little bit and is said to have a bit of an attitude problem. There has been no word of any mess-ups by Rush in Indiana though so his chemistry problems could be a thing of the past...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: 2nd Round Pick + Cash compensation
Pacers Trade: Kareem Rush
Trade Breakdown:
The one other trade that works would be for the Nets to trade Malik Allen for Rush straight up; Allen could also be sent to a third team and another second round pick from that third team could be sent to the Pacers. I'm against this second / third trade idea though as Allen really fits in well with the Nets and I'd rather have Allen than Rush. The one "problem" with this trade is that it will slightly push the Nets into the LTT territory by about $200,000-$500,000...
Conclusion:
A low risk, medium-high reward type of deal. It forces the Nets over the LTT but not by a significant amount. It's definitely something I would consider exploring.
Willie Green
Why:
Green has gotten a bad rep. from Sixers fans but statistically speaking with the exception of a slight increase in his turnovers every one of Green's statistics has increased for the better from the 2006-2007 to 2007-2008 NBA season. Similar to Jarvis Hayes, Green isn't just a shooter but he's a scorer; Green is able to manufacture his own offense and put up points in a hurry. He's only 26 years old to boot with a modest salary in the $3.5 million range. With the possibility of losing Wright this offseason Green could make for a less-defense more offense oriented replacement for him...
Why not:
Green is an erratic player, he's more of a streak shooter than the other players on this list. Green is locked up through the 2010-2011 season, according to Shamsports.com his last two years of his contract are unguaranteed though...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jamaal Magloire + 2nd Round Pick (if necessary)
Sixers Trade: Willie Green + Louis Amundson
Trade Breakdown:
The Sixers get EVEN MORE cap room and if they really play hardball and the Nets give in a second round pick. The Nets get Green and a throw in so the salaries match... In this trade I think the importance of the Sixers getting more cap room can't be underrated as one of the few teams in the NBA with significant cap room this summer getting further under the cap could help the Sixers to make a HUGE splash in free agency.
Conclusion:
I think Magloire still has his uses and would much rather give up Collins, but gambling on Green is probably the best option out of the ones I listed, he's young and has a reasonable contract and should help offset any losses to the wing rotation in the offseasn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I tried to propose as realistic deals as possible and explain my reasoning behind them if anyone wants to disagree or comment on what I wrote above feel free to do so. One last comment though... I left James Jones off the list because Portland would be reluctant to part with him and the Nets would have to overpay to get him.
It's always better to buy low than to buy high, and trading for a player like James Jones would be buying high. Way too high.
Jarvis Hayes
Why:
At .423 from beyond the arc Jarvis Hayes is ranked 15th in the league in three-point shooting percentage. Jarvis has never been accused of playing defense, but one of the advantage he has over some of the other players on this list is that he can put the ball on the floor and be "more than a shooter". What I mean by this is that getting a player like Jarvis kills two birds with one stone as it gives the Nets another long-range thread but it also gives them a player who can create his own shot and be instant offense off the bench.
Why not:
Jarvis has a very reasonable contract... With the Pistons. The Pistons are playing very well as of late so it's unlikely they're going to tinker with their roster, more importantly the Pistons are not going to want to make the Nets a better team, and the Nets just don't have any pieces aside from Sean Williams (who is worth way more than Jarvis) that the Pistons would want.
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Bostjan Nachbar
Pistons Trade: Jarvis Hayes + Ronald Murray
Trade Breakdown:
The Pistons save a bit of money and (finally) get rid of Murray... I'm iffy on this trade though, and am going to come right out and say the Nets should probably avoid it since it's a lateral move, and even in a best case scenario is only a very minor improvement as they're essentially trading their only shooter off the bench for another shooter (in Hayes) and someone who probably won't see that much playing time (in Murray)
Conclusion:
This is a lateral move which might be shot down by the Pistons anyway. The Nets might as well just stick with what they have in Nachbar.
Matt Carroll:
Why:
Plain and simple Carroll is a shooter. He's also a Malik Allen type player in the sense that he's a good chemistry guy and doesn't make a lot of mistakes because he's willing to play within his capabilities. Carroll is a system player, and the Nets have a system he can succeed in. It also doesn't hurt that the Bobcats have been worse than advertised and look like they need a change...
Why not:
This offseason Carroll was signed to a 6 year $27 million dollar contract by the Bobcats. At 27 years of age Carroll isn't going to get much better, so while the Nets want Carroll the player it's questionable as to whether they're going to be willing to take on Carroll's contract.
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jason Collins + Lottery Protected 1st Round Pick
Bobcats Trade: Matt Carroll + Ryan Hollins
Trade Breakdown:
Matt Carroll is a BYC player so that makes trades a bit more difficult. I tried to trade away Magloire and filler instead of Collins, but the problem with that is that the only "filler" contract that works in this trade scenario is Malik Allen and trading Magloire AND Allen for Carroll doesn't make sense for the Nets. Another trade which worked was Boone + Magloire for Carroll + May, but once again the Nets would be taking a step backwards by getting rid of Boone. Realistically I'm sure the Nets would like to offer a second round pick (or two) instead of a lottery protected 1st, but I doubt the Bobcats make the deal without the first round pick, as trading Carroll and Hollins for Collins makes them worse in the short run so they're going to be wanting something out of the trade (on the flip side the Nets could argue they're taking Carroll's contract off of the Bobcats' hands so maybe one or two second round picks instead of a first could work).
Conclusion:
If the Bobcats can't be forced to budge from their demands of a first round pick (remember the Melvin Ely situation), the Nets should probably just avoid this trade. Giving up a first rounder and taking on Carroll's contract is asking too much of the Nets.
Damon Jones
Why:
He might not play that much anymore but he can still shoot the rock (.380 from three-point land). As a few recent articles indicated Jones also wants out of Cleveland...
Why not:
If the Nets acquired Jones he would immediately become their fourth-string point guard (he would be being paid more than Marcus Willians and Darrell Armstrong combined though!) and would only see playing time in certain situations that called for long-range shooting. If Jones wasn't happy in Cleveland it's hard to see him happy in New Jersey where his minutes will be further curtailed... Jones' contract is up at the end of next year, but paying him $8.6 million dollars over a two-year span just to ride the pine isn't efficient spending...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jamaal Magloire
Cavaliers Trade: Damon Jones + Cash Compensation + 2nd Round Pick
Trade Breakdown:
The Nets are basically taking Jones' off the Cavaliers' hands, Magloire is underproducing but is arguably more useful than Jones so that's why the Cavs' compensate the Nets with a second round pick. The cash compensation is given to help offset the different in the two contracts and pay towards Jones' second year with the Nets. This is a trade scenario where working in a third team might make more sense as the Cavaliers do have a decent three-man rotation of big men.
Conclusion:
The Nets might as well avoid this trade, even if Magloire becomes a malcontent and they decide to trade him they could probably obtain a more useful player than Jones.
Kareem Rush
Why:
Rush is shooting slightly worse from three-point land than Damon Jones (.370 compared to .380), but he would be a better fit for the Nets since he's a wing player and not a point guard... Indiana already has numerous wing players so despite the fact that Rush has gotten quite a bit of burn recently he's an expendable player.
Why not:
Rush has bounced around the league a little bit and is said to have a bit of an attitude problem. There has been no word of any mess-ups by Rush in Indiana though so his chemistry problems could be a thing of the past...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: 2nd Round Pick + Cash compensation
Pacers Trade: Kareem Rush
Trade Breakdown:
The one other trade that works would be for the Nets to trade Malik Allen for Rush straight up; Allen could also be sent to a third team and another second round pick from that third team could be sent to the Pacers. I'm against this second / third trade idea though as Allen really fits in well with the Nets and I'd rather have Allen than Rush. The one "problem" with this trade is that it will slightly push the Nets into the LTT territory by about $200,000-$500,000...
Conclusion:
A low risk, medium-high reward type of deal. It forces the Nets over the LTT but not by a significant amount. It's definitely something I would consider exploring.
Willie Green
Why:
Green has gotten a bad rep. from Sixers fans but statistically speaking with the exception of a slight increase in his turnovers every one of Green's statistics has increased for the better from the 2006-2007 to 2007-2008 NBA season. Similar to Jarvis Hayes, Green isn't just a shooter but he's a scorer; Green is able to manufacture his own offense and put up points in a hurry. He's only 26 years old to boot with a modest salary in the $3.5 million range. With the possibility of losing Wright this offseason Green could make for a less-defense more offense oriented replacement for him...
Why not:
Green is an erratic player, he's more of a streak shooter than the other players on this list. Green is locked up through the 2010-2011 season, according to Shamsports.com his last two years of his contract are unguaranteed though...
Potential Trade:
Nets Trade: Jamaal Magloire + 2nd Round Pick (if necessary)
Sixers Trade: Willie Green + Louis Amundson
Trade Breakdown:
The Sixers get EVEN MORE cap room and if they really play hardball and the Nets give in a second round pick. The Nets get Green and a throw in so the salaries match... In this trade I think the importance of the Sixers getting more cap room can't be underrated as one of the few teams in the NBA with significant cap room this summer getting further under the cap could help the Sixers to make a HUGE splash in free agency.
Conclusion:
I think Magloire still has his uses and would much rather give up Collins, but gambling on Green is probably the best option out of the ones I listed, he's young and has a reasonable contract and should help offset any losses to the wing rotation in the offseasn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I tried to propose as realistic deals as possible and explain my reasoning behind them if anyone wants to disagree or comment on what I wrote above feel free to do so. One last comment though... I left James Jones off the list because Portland would be reluctant to part with him and the Nets would have to overpay to get him.
It's always better to buy low than to buy high, and trading for a player like James Jones would be buying high. Way too high.
