Arenas Traded for Rashard Lewis

[MF23]

Oops, I meant to say sign Arenas. I wouldn't claim Arenas if I was some random team. He needs to go somewhere with veterans around him who are serious about competing.

I might be wrong about him because his leg is a big "?". He put on too much weight last year and fatigued which had him coming short on a lot of shots. A lot of that had to do with his leg. He did play pretty well towards the end of last season though.

[nate33]

the knicks are 2 mil below the cap as it is without figuring in the details of chandler's deal, but it's expected to be more or less what billups is making. if the knicks amnesty billups it keeps them at roughly within 1-2 mil of the cap depending on what they do with the end of their bench. they can definitely afford gil, but next season will be tough when hey have to re-up landry fields.

edit: if billups gets amnestied as expected, the lakers would do well to pick him up, lux tax be damned.

Yup. Billups is the prize of the amnesty crop. Whoever signs him is going to get a bargain. Don't forget, the under-the-cap teams get first dibs on bidding for him. If anybody bids higher than the OTCMLE (over-the-cap mid-level exemption) of $3M, then playoff teams will have no chance at him.

Hmmm. If somebody offers Nick Young a boatload of money and we don't want to match, Billups could make sense here. He could play SG on offense and PG on defense alongside Wall. I'm not thrilled about adding a vet to a rebuilding team, but Billups at $3-5M on a one year deal is too good of a bargain to pass up. We could ultimately flip him at the Trade Deadline.

[go'stags]

If I'm Gilbert, and in reality all I need to do to become explosive again is train harder, then I do that and sign with a team that lacks scorers and shot creators. A team like the Knicks or Lakers does not make sense. I wouldn't want him being responsible for getting the ball to Amare or Melo or Kobe in their spots. Perhaps a team like Charlotte or New Orleans if they trade Paul. Better yet, I'd like to see him sign with Phoenix assuming Nash stays there. Just let him go.

Of course, this only matters if he has indeed been able to regain his explosiveness from his knee. His explosiveness was the main thing that was missing from his game, and I have no idea if he can actually get it back. I'd like a great comeback from Gilbert more than almost anything else, to be honest.

[TGW]

^^^That's what I was thinking. Trade him at the deadline for a team desperate for a vet point guard. But who are we kidding....Chauncey would not sign with us.

[MF23]

If I'm Gilbert, and in reality all I need to do to become explosive again is train harder, then I do that and sign with a team that lacks scorers and shot creators. A team like the Knicks or Lakers does not make sense. I wouldn't want him being responsible for getting the ball to Amare or Melo or Kobe in their spots. Perhaps a team like Charlotte or New Orleans if they trade Paul. Better yet, I'd like to see him sign with Phoenix assuming Nash stays there. Just let him go.

Of course, this only matters if he has indeed been able to regain his explosiveness from his knee. His explosiveness was the main thing that was missing from his game, and I have no idea if he can actually get it back. I'd like a great comeback from Gilbert more than almost anything else, to be honest.

Why do you say that? You think he would rather try to score himself?

[nate33]

^^^That's what I was thinking. Trade him at the deadline for a team desperate for a vet point guard. But who are we kidding....Chauncey would not sign with us.

Check out my idea in the trade thread.

In short, we amnesty Lewis; sign Billups, Young and Richard Jefferson; and then convince Howard that we're good enough to contend (so we trade McGee, Vesely and future picks for him).

[Induveca]

Nate, I've had enough of the two PG drama quite frankly. It doesn't work...and really only causes discomfort and confusion, poor matchups/excuses for all involved.

[7-Day Dray]

Nate, I've had enough of the two PG drama quite frankly. It doesn't work...and really only causes discomfort and confusion, poor matchups/excuses for all involved.

It worked for Dallas in the Finals when Kidd & Barea were starting.

[tontoz]

It was cool that Billups was willing to help out Wall in the offseason league but i can't see him coming here. Pretty sure he would take less money to go to a winning team.

Then again i am not sure how the process works after a player gets amnestied. Does he have a choice where to go or does he have to go to the highest bidder? I would assume he has a choice.

[nate33]

It was cool that Billups was willing to help out Wall in the offseason league but i can't see him coming here. Pretty sure he would take less money to go to a winning team.

Then again i am not sure how the process works after a player gets amnestied. Does he have a choice where to go or does he have to go to the highest bidder? I would assume he has a choice.

No. He has no choice. Being amnestied-and-claimed-on-waivers is essentially the same as being traded. The player has no choice. (Of course, a player can be a bitch and refuse to play.)

[go'stags]

After Chauncey's comments I say we claim him just to piss him off. Are you kidding me? Eff off.

[go'stags]

If I'm Gilbert, and in reality all I need to do to become explosive again is train harder, then I do that and sign with a team that lacks scorers and shot creators. A team like the Knicks or Lakers does not make sense. I wouldn't want him being responsible for getting the ball to Amare or Melo or Kobe in their spots. Perhaps a team like Charlotte or New Orleans if they trade Paul. Better yet, I'd like to see him sign with Phoenix assuming Nash stays there. Just let him go.

Of course, this only matters if he has indeed been able to regain his explosiveness from his knee. His explosiveness was the main thing that was missing from his game, and I have no idea if he can actually get it back. I'd like a great comeback from Gilbert more than almost anything else, to be honest.

Why do you say that? You think he would rather try to score himself?

Not because he is selfish, but because that is his comfort zone.He needs to be free to attack. We saw him struggle under Flip when the whole offense was under his control. He sometimes struggles to know when to set his teammates up and when to score for himself. Hes not instinctive, and in a high pressure situation like in NY with the Knicks ...I think he would be better off in Charlotte or wherever.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

With Orlando amnestying Arenas, I think it's safe to say that the Wizards got the best of this trade, by a whole lot. Orlando is going to have to pay $62M to amnesty that contract. Lewis is only owed about $34M. So that's a savings of a whopping $28M, not to mention that Lewis was a better player than Arenas last year.

Since Ted took over, and beginning with the Antawn Jamison trade; Ernie Grunfeld has been making good to great moves.

Post-Ted, the Wizards overall have done an excellent job on roster moves, IMO.

The Arenas/Lewis deal is right at the top of the good moves; with Hinrich in exchange for cap relief, ( when Bibby asked out), Jamal Crawford, plus the pick which turned out to be Chris Singleton.

[dobrojim]

the whole Hinrich deal was a thing of beauty

pay KH for 2/3rd season (and he played decently for us),
get basically 3 first rnd picks, KS, JC and 1Ton. +Evans.
All for the right to VV!!!! That's robbery.

[dobrojim]

With Orlando amnestying Arenas, I think it's safe to say that the Wizards got the best of this trade, by a whole lot. Orlando is going to have to pay $62M to amnesty that contract. Lewis is only owed about $34M. So that's a savings of a whopping $28M, not to mention that Lewis was a better player than Arenas last year.

Since Ted took over, and beginning with the Antawn Jamison trade; Ernie Grunfeld has been making good to great moves.

Post-Ted, the Wizards overall have done an excellent job on roster moves, IMO.

The Arenas/Lewis deal is right at the top of the good moves; with Hinrich in exchange for cap relief, ( when Bibby asked out), Jamal Crawford, plus the pick which turned out to be Chris Singleton.

Great post CCJ. But it raises a question in my mind...you have been pretty hard
on Flip as a coach. If GMEG is smart enough to make a number of good-great
roster moves, why don't you think he's smart enough to recognize that
(in your mind) Flip isn't doing such a great job? I hope you don't feel like I'm
picking on you with that question. Just askin

[tontoz]

It was cool that Billups was willing to help out Wall in the offseason league but i can't see him coming here. Pretty sure he would take less money to go to a winning team.

Then again i am not sure how the process works after a player gets amnestied. Does he have a choice where to go or does he have to go to the highest bidder? I would assume he has a choice.

No. He has no choice. Being amnestied-and-claimed-on-waivers is essentially the same as being traded. The player has no choice. (Of course, a player can be a bitch and refuse to play.)

Thanks for the info. In that case it certainly couldn't hurt to go after him. I don't see Billups as a guy who would just refuse to play.

[Ruzious]

Billups made it pretty clear that he was going to be a disruptive factor for any team that claimed him. I think that's a pretty good reason to stay the hell away from him.

[closg00]

Grunfeld was able to take advantage of several desperate GM's just as he was taken advantage of several times when the shoe was on the other foot. Grunfeld's self-clean-up is exceeding my expectations. Let's see how his recent draft picks work-out.

[Zonkerbl]

Arenas will never get his explosiveness back. He has arthritis in that knee -- it will never be the same.

[tontoz]

Billups made it pretty clear that he was going to be a disruptive factor for any team that claimed him. I think that's a pretty good reason to stay the hell away from him.

Really? What did he say. I missed it.