Karl Malone "I like to play where it rains often."

[MeestR]

Off-Season What If Scenario...

Back in 1998, during the Jazz's last Finals run, Karl Malone was tired of management he said on Jim Rome that he likes to play where it rains often. Then in November of 1998, during the lockout, former and future MVP proclaimed he had played his last game in Utah. (Spoiler Alert: he hadn't).

But What If the lockout didn't last as long and Scotty Layden and company had time to work out a trade of Karl to either Seattle or Portland - where it "Rains Often"? What would that trade have looked like and who would have been involved and how would it have shaped the Jazz's history?

Here is a list of Salaries from Basketball Reference:

Seattle
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Gary Payton $8,715,000
2 Vin Baker $4,264,000
3 Hersey Hawkins $3,644,000
4 Detlef Schrempf $3,333,000
5 Don MacLean $2,460,000
6 Dale Ellis $1,750,000
7 Billy Owens $1,750,000
8 Olden Polynice $1,000,000
9 John Crotty $600,000
10 Aaron Williams $575,000
11 Vladimir Stepania $543,000
12 Craig Ehlo $504,082
13 Drew Barry $350,000
14 Moochie Norris $350,000
15 Rashard Lewis $287,500
16 Jelani McCoy $287,500

Portland
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Arvydas Sabonis $9,000,000
2 Damon Stoudamire $9,000,000
3 Rasheed Wallace $9,000,000
4 Brian Grant $6,000,000
5 Isaiah Rider $4,810,000
6 Stacey Augmon $3,200,000
7 Walt Williams $3,000,000
8 Carlos Rogers $2,000,000
9 Jim Jackson $1,750,000
10 Kelvin Cato $1,149,000
11 Bonzi Wells $1,100,000
12 Jermaine O'Neal $1,075,000
13 Greg Anthony $1,000,000
14 Gary Grant $1,000,000
15 Brian Shaw $850,000
16 John Crotty $504,000
17 Nikita Morgunov $287,500

Utah
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Karl Malone $6,142,000
2 Greg Ostertag $4,333,000
3 John Stockton $4,000,000
4 Jeff Hornacek $3,455,000
5 Bryon Russell $3,428,000
6 Adam Keefe $2,650,000
7 Todd Fuller $1,461,000
8 Howard Eisley $1,400,000
9 Shandon Anderson $1,300,000
10 Thurl Bailey $850,000
11 Jacque Vaughn $691,560
12 Greg Foster $588,000

Something tells me this would have been a very complex trade.

(FYI: At this time, Kemp had already left Seattle and was in the middle of his Cleveland years, and Pippen was stopping by in Houston before his Portland stint started)

[Lava Rock Kid]

During that time in the nba, nobody traded with teams in their same conference. Jazz would of never sent him to either of those teams especially a division rival.

[devilsadvocate9]

Is there a video of this interview?

[Cappy_Smurf]

The way I remember it, this is something Malone said in the offseason while he was negotiating for his next contract, basically threatening to sign with Seattle if Larry didn't pay him enough. I could be wrong, but if that's the case, a trade really wouldn't have been a possibility.

I don't remember Karl ever making comments like this except for when he was a free agent looking for his next deal.

[pickIBL]

Does it rain in miami? Karl and Esptein would have gotten on great.

But seriously... slow news day?

[BarneyGumble]

Off-Season What If Scenario...

Back in 1998, during the Jazz's last Finals run, Karl Malone was tired of management he said on Jim Rome that he likes to play where it rains often. Then in November of 1998, during the lockout, former and future MVP proclaimed he had played his last game in Utah. (Spoiler Alert: he hadn't).

But What If the lockout didn't last as long and Scotty Layden and company had time to work out a trade of Karl to either Seattle or Portland - where it "Rains Often"? What would that trade have looked like and who would have been involved and how would it have shaped the Jazz's history?

Here is a list of Salaries from Basketball Reference:

Seattle
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Gary Payton $8,715,000
2 Vin Baker $4,264,000
3 Hersey Hawkins $3,644,000
4 Detlef Schrempf $3,333,000
5 Don MacLean $2,460,000
6 Dale Ellis $1,750,000
7 Billy Owens $1,750,000
8 Olden Polynice $1,000,000
9 John Crotty $600,000
10 Aaron Williams $575,000
11 Vladimir Stepania $543,000
12 Craig Ehlo $504,082
13 Drew Barry $350,000
14 Moochie Norris $350,000
15 Rashard Lewis $287,500
16 Jelani McCoy $287,500

Portland
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Arvydas Sabonis $9,000,000
2 Damon Stoudamire $9,000,000
3 Rasheed Wallace $9,000,000
4 Brian Grant $6,000,000
5 Isaiah Rider $4,810,000
6 Stacey Augmon $3,200,000
7 Walt Williams $3,000,000
8 Carlos Rogers $2,000,000
9 Jim Jackson $1,750,000
10 Kelvin Cato $1,149,000
11 Bonzi Wells $1,100,000
12 Jermaine O'Neal $1,075,000
13 Greg Anthony $1,000,000
14 Gary Grant $1,000,000
15 Brian Shaw $850,000
16 John Crotty $504,000
17 Nikita Morgunov $287,500

Utah
Salaries
Rk Salary
1 Karl Malone $6,142,000
2 Greg Ostertag $4,333,000
3 John Stockton $4,000,000
4 Jeff Hornacek $3,455,000
5 Bryon Russell $3,428,000
6 Adam Keefe $2,650,000
7 Todd Fuller $1,461,000
8 Howard Eisley $1,400,000
9 Shandon Anderson $1,300,000
10 Thurl Bailey $850,000
11 Jacque Vaughn $691,560
12 Greg Foster $588,000

Something tells me this would have been a very complex trade.

(FYI: At this time, Kemp had already left Seattle and was in the middle of his Cleveland years, and Pippen was stopping by in Houston before his Portland stint started)

Given what we know about Mailman's past....he would have fit in well with the Jailblazers

Also, its weird seeing an MVP in the league making $6mm a year. Today, non-MVP players make $25mm a year. That's an almost 400% increase in 21 years. Inflation who?

[babyjax13]

I can't believe Ostertage made more than Stockton, lol, and how low our payroll was compared to other teams. I think in this scenario Malone for Brian Grant and Jermaine O'neale + ??? would have made some sense. Grant was pretty much good for a double-double and I would assume O'neale was seen as having some potential. Maybe include Jim Jackson, too, to balance out the roster.