What is Okur's availability?

[tiderulz]

Seems like you guys have a lot of offense going on. As Magic fan, we see that Dwight needs help at the PF position. We obviously wanted Al Jeff too, but didnt have what Minn wanted. But i was wondering, you seem to have a pretty good youth movement with quality players in Utah. What about something like
Okur for Gortat + Pietrus?

You get a good defensive minded Center that can help Jefferson shore up the key, good rebounder, and doesnt need plays for him. He does pick and roll very well, does a lot of garbage stuff and never complains. Is on a decent contract and given minutes, is usually good for 12-16 ppg/ 12-16 rpg/ 2 blocks.
Pietrus is another good defender that can play both SG/SF. doesnt mind coming off the bench and isnt a bad locker person.

I could see Okur doing well for the magic. His offensive game seems more a PF's. he has a good outside shot and doesnt need to operate at the basket, and seems to be a good rebounder. On defense, he could play against centers and Dwight could defend against the more mobile PF's when they played those types of teams.

[seejaydeja]

I don't think Orlando would look at that right now. He just signed a nice extension and is recovering from a ruptured achilles.. I bet he won't be back till December.

[tiderulz]

I don't think Orlando would look at that right now. He just signed a nice extension and is recovering from a ruptured achilles.. I bet he won't be back till December.

here was what i read about him

Mehmet Okur has remained in Salt Lake City to rehab his ruptured left Achilles tendon, rather than returning to Turkey.
Okur was encouraged after rehabbing for two months following surgery -- he is stronger and is optimistic that he'll be able to play in the season opener. "It’s been three months and right after surgery the doctors and my therapist told me usually regular people, they’re going to heal in about six months," Okur said. "It looks like I’m a lot ahead than the regular person, so hopefully first game."

didnt know about any extension though. I only saw him on the books for the next 2 years.

[carrottop12]

That is the extension. It's 20 million over the next 2 years.

[FJS]

I think we will need Okur.
He should play more PF this year (don't forget his style is PF) and he should shoot the shots Boozer did, letting Jefferson playing C in offense. In deffense he still can play C.

[BarneyGumble]

I would trade Okur for Gortat and Petrius. But I would need to look at their contract situations first. Gortat is just what we need....competent depth at the Center position.

[erudite23]

I would look at a deal like that, and I think the Jazz would, too. Problem is that it raises our payroll for next season a little, and we are likely going to be looking to shave it down a bit. This deal would have been more likely before the Bell signing. Now? Hard to do, since we already have 4 wings in the rotation in Miles, Bell, AK and Hayward, along with the spot minutes that Sloan likes to give his backup PG at the 2. I like the deal a little, but I have concerns about how Gortat would do with more PT and the length of his contract in the event that he is no more than a 15 mpg guy. Solid offer, though.

[QuantumMacgyver]

This is tempting. I think I would first like to see how well they work together. Memo at the PF could really open things up down low for Big Al, which would be incredibly dangerous. However, defensively Memo leaves a lot to be desired. He really upped his defensive efforts this last year, but with this injury I can't imagine his lateral quickness will be any better, possibly even worse... which is terrifying. Let's give everyone a shot together and see what happens come December.

[tiderulz]

fair enough, just wondering. Not like anything i say matters to the Magic FO.

As for Gortat, he has been working on his game every year and i think would thrive well when playing more minutes. He played game 6 in a close out game versus Philly 2 years ago, put up 11 pts, 15 rebs, 2 assists. When given playing time, he has responded really well. That is part of the problem, he plays behind an ironman in Dwight. His contract is for 4 more years, averaging about $7mil, and he is 25 with no injury history.

Pietrus is due $5.3 this year and a player option for $5.3 next year. Then he is done. And he is 28, so not over the hill yet.

[The59Sound]

I'd take a hard look at this too. Okur is important to help spread the floor, but having Gortat to sure up the 5 would be an amazing luxury.

[blackham9258]

The better deal for the Jazz is to keep Okur. If he comes back from that injury well, we are stacked. To have a still young Okur who is a former All Star opening up the middle for Al will be Huge!

Al Jefferson was double and triple teamed on every possession, and if the other teams big man has to be out on the perimeter guarding Okur, and our wings are making the standard Jazz cross picks Al Jefferson will go nuts. He could be a 25-27ppg scorer like Malone. I don't know that he will quite get there because this Jazz team has more options.

If the Jazz however believe that Gortat will add better athleticism and shot blocking the trade I would do would be:

Gortat
$3M
Picks (Perhaps multiple 1st rounders if we allow Okur to come back and get on his game, his value will sky rocket)

We save $3.2M.

I think we all see the value of accumulating assets and 1st round picks. We had 2 extra picks to help us move up to get Dwill. Now, we had the extra picks to be able to make the move to get Al Jefferson. I say start accumulating these assets for the next big move a couple years down the line whether it be for a move up in the draft, or to acquire a player.

Go JAZZ!

[The59Sound]

I just can't see Orlando giving up MULTIPLE first-round picks for Okur, even if he looks like he's recovering well. Given the Magic's abysmal salary cap/luxury tax situation, draft picks are almost their only option to improve over the next several years.

[GP]

I'd do it in a heartbeat. If okur were guaranteed to return to original form after his injury, I might hesitate a little, but with the uncertainty of his injury and the fact the jazz are looking for more defense, I really like this trade.

[Paper Face]

Hmm... I think Millsap would also be a nice compliment to Howard. What about Gortat for Millsap? Takes a lot of pressure off of Howard because Sap is a rebounding machine, and he's a good scorer too. Gortat would allow the Jazz to move Jefferson to the 4 full time, and set up a nice big man rotation w/ Okur.

[Ming Kong!]

Hell yeah I'd do it.

Al Jefferson/Gortat/Fesenko
Millsap/Evans
Kirilenko/Hayward
Pietrus/Miles/Bell
Williams/Price

We would just need one more guy, maybe a veteran forward for cheap. Juwan Howard would be perfect.

[Bruteque]

That does sound like a mutually beneficial trade. Gortat's defense is largely wasted in Orlando playing purely backup mintues to Dwight, while Okur can play alongside Dwight. Also, it's not like Jefferson needs spacing to score down low. A Gortat cleanup dunk when Jefferson gets doubled and misses does seem far more likely than Jefferson getting doubled and passing to a wide open Okur 18 feet away from the basket. Gortat will probably be much happier playing ~30 minutes a game in a 3-man frontline rotation with Jefferson and Millsap than he is backing up Dwight.

It won't happen though, because Orlando loves their young guys.

[Ming Kong!]

Hmm... I think Millsap would also be a nice compliment to Howard. What about Gortat for Millsap? Takes a lot of pressure off of Howard because Sap is a rebounding machine, and he's a good scorer too. Gortat would allow the Jazz to move Jefferson to the 4 full time, and set up a nice big man rotation w/ Okur.

Gortat for Millsap? *puke*

First of all Millsap is twice the player that Okur is at this stage, and if I were to swap Okur for Gortat, it would be to gain cap space. Millsap averaged 18ppg 8.8rpg 2.2apg 1.1spg 1.4bpg off the bench in the playoffs in just 32mpg. In 36mpg he can easily be a 20ppg 10rpg 2apg 1.5spg 1.5bpg kind of guy for the Jazz, so no way in hell would we trade him, especially since his salary for the year is $6.2M.

[HolyToledo]

No way Magic do as Gortat for Memo I might do much less adding Pietrus