Official Trade Thread XIV: 6/14/10 - 12/22/10

[LyricalRico]

If Carter for Arenas doesn't work out, would you guys even consider Arenas for Rip?

We actually discussed this a few pages back and it's a non-starter for most. I'd be interested for now, but that could change if Gil really does become a true off the ball scorer. Probably better to ask around trade deadline time.

[Hoopalotta]

Snipped from another thread:

Thunder most overrated team going into 2010/11 season? Got blown out by Utah at home. Getting blown out by Celtics at home. Many expected them to win 60+ games this season. Also, if it wasn't already discussed Aldrich is not a good NBA player. He's been completey unimpressive so far and has zero projection. The teams hopes rest on the shoulders of Ibaka developing right now. I still think they should have traded for Al Jefferson. Kevin O'Conner really made a shrewd move with that acquisition. He's looking real good in Utah.

Yeah, I've been wondering if they'd consider trading Harden at some point too. He's basically Randy Foye finishing around the basket, but he's got a respectable court game, can play defense and spread the floor.

I don't know if it works for us, but it's interesting to note that they liked Seraphin leading up to the draft as, like you noted, Aldrich hasn't shown much yet either. If we had a late lottery pick and were looking at an assortment of 'meh', I'd think about that and Seraphin for Harden even if he has a bad year statistically.

He'd already have two years off his rookie deal, which I don't like, but I have some feeling that he could improve in another situation. There's so many guys trying to develop on that team that I don't think he can be as assertive as he should.

They and the Rockets might be the two teams in the league with the greatest need of a consolidation trade (not that what I laid out would be a consolidation trade). They both might be reaching the cusp of where juggling too many assets while you hold out for the perfect fit is counter productive. But somehow, I just don't see the Thunder breaking from their MO and cashing in their pieces.

[Hoopalotta]

Another idea that occurred to me as far as BOYD type dilly's: would Charlotte sacrifice a late lottery pick to turn Diop and Carrol into Kirk Hinrich in order to rectify their long term fiscal outlook? I think they could only make that trade around the draft as they already moved their 2012 pick.

Personally, I'd rather save the money for 2012, but I thought I'd mention it as it seems about the most plausible BOYD deal I can think of.

The 'Zards would think about that if A) they were planning to move Gil or B) they are really serious about the no-free agents mandate.

2012 salary is probably not a major concern around the league with a lockout presumably coming, so I don't know if anyone's going to sacrifice a pick to move 2012 salary (which is part of the reasoning as to why the Bobblecats would take Hiney's money without too much worry).

But Charlotte is totally hamstrung as is for a few years out, so this would allow them the freedom to make other moves. Also, they have drafted so badly that I don't know what they think about the 9th pick or whatever.

Plus, if we need to plug in more filler, we have Trevor Booker who played in the ACC, so their scouts have actually seen him play.

[nate33]

According to the Trade Board, rumors are flying in Minnesota that Kevin Love wants to be traded. He's not much of a defender, but he's a physical rebounder with a high basketball IQ. He'd defintely fill a need here.

Would you trade McGee straight up for Love?
What about Blatche?
What about a future first with minimal (top 3) protection?

It would sure be interesting to see how this team would fare after a McGee for Love trade. Blatche looks big enough to handle center duties, even if he isn't a major shot-blocking presence. With Blatche and Love on the floor together, the rebounding would be good and the interior passing would be among the best in the league. Love could make outlet passes to Wall and Blatche could run the floor on the break. Defense would be the question mark though. And Blatche's post game would be much less effective if he is guarded by centers. (He might get open for more midrange jumpers though, and that appears to be what he likes to do.)

[Hoopalotta]

It's off note that the Wolves fans are SICK of Kevin Love. I checked out one of their game threads and it was severe hate in there. The rep is much worse than 'not much of a defender'. But just about every negative claim you could imagine is being thrown around over there - selfish, fake hustles, big ego, stat padder, doesn't care, cancer, matador, gets along poorly with the team and etc.

Looking at this recent footage, he also seems way too heavy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGFDF96hwTE[/youtube]

That said, I think I might like the draft pick top-3 protected contingent on actually seeing a Wolves game. The Wolves are so dysfunctional that you can see how it would bring out the worst in people and it's the start of the third year of all that for him.

But I would really shudder at the help defense if we were to field Blatche and Love as our starting tandem and go with it for 30+ minutes a game. I don't think I could give up McGee, certainly not with more info on all the negativity.

[sashae]

I'd be pretty miserable too if I were stuck in that hellhole of a franchise. No fans, no stars, no hope... and a GM that seems to be playing Ruprecht the Monkey Boy's version of fantasy basketball -- without the cork on his fork.

Love is posting a PER over 20, and 17 and 12 in less than 28 minutes. That's ABSURD! His opposing PER is not good, but man... we need a rebounder, and this guy definitely fits the bill.

[RickRoll_inDC]

According to the Trade Board, rumors are flying in Minnesota that Kevin Love wants to be traded. He's not much of a defender, but he's a physical rebounder with a high basketball IQ. He'd defintely fill a need here.

Would you trade McGee straight up for Love?
What about Blatche?
What about a future first with minimal (top 3) protection?

It would sure be interesting to see how this team would fare after a McGee for Love trade. Blatche looks big enough to handle center duties, even if he isn't a major shot-blocking presence. With Blatche and Love on the floor together, the rebounding would be good and the interior passing would be among the best in the league. Love could make outlet passes to Wall and Blatche could run the floor on the break. Defense would be the question mark though. And Blatche's post game would be much less effective if he is guarded by centers. (He might get open for more midrange jumpers though, and that appears to be what he likes to do.)

Let's face it. This team cannot rebound at all. As much as it pains me to say, McGee is a liability. Sure, he's exciting to watch sometimes, but if this team is going to win, they have to rebound.

I would probably trade McGee for him, honestly, but if we could pull it off for a 1st round pick I'd do it. They allegedly don't want Love there, and there's no one in the draft that I would want in a future draft other than Love.

[Ruzious]

Love may be a mediocre athuhlete and a poor defender, but he's one of my favorite players to watch, because he does so many things the right way with no hesitation. I'd trade him for Jav so fast it'd make your head spin - even if it forces Blatche to C - or forces the Wiz to trade Blatche.

[LyricalRico]

I'd gladly give up McGee in a package for Love. But then where do you play him? Either he or Blatche would have to play the middle and I don't think either of them is best suited there. That said, I'm sure Minny wants more than McGee.

If I was more confident in McGee's ability to reach his potential, I'd think about Blatche+Young for Love+Webster. That would be much simpler and would give us the 3pt shooter we lack.

[Ruzious]

It's off note that the Wolves fans are SICK of Kevin Love. I checked out one of their game threads and it was severe hate in there. The rep is much worse than 'not much of a defender'. But just about every negative claim you could imagine is being thrown around over there - selfish, fake hustles, big ego, stat padder, doesn't care, cancer, matador, gets along poorly with the team and etc.

Wolves fans are unique. They are extremely passionate and somewhat knowledgable, but they have no objectivity when it comes to their players. Hmm, maybe that doesn't make them unique. Most of them were sick of KG and overjoyed when they traded him for Jefferson and junk. Then they were sick of Jefferson. Now they're sick of Love.

[Severn Hoos]

I'm all about the 2012 FA strategy, and I do think that's where Ted is headed. He may do some more BOYD deals this summer (pending lockout/new CBA), but in general wants to keep his powder dry, and that's probably the best approach.

However (and I'll probably get flamed for this), I could see doing a huge deal to blast the entire cap space, if the situation was right. I'm thinking of a deal that brings Emeka Okafor to the Wiz in the summer of 2011. Assume for the moment that the Wiz don't pick up the options on Young, Yi, and Thornton. (Though I'm starting to think maybe they should pick it up for Al.) If they could get under the cap (whatever that is) by about $5M, they could send Hinrich straight up for Okafor (and let's have NO throw in a 1st to make up the salary difference).

Here's the only way I would consider it - if the following took place prior to the trade:

1. Dwight Howard re-ups with the magic in the summer of '11. He's the only real Max player in the '12 class anyway, so anyone else we sign with that space would probably be overpaying.
2. The Wiz draft a swingman with high potential in the 2011 Draft. Obviously, if they draft another big, there's no reason to bring in Okafor.
3. The labor dispute is resolved with a reasonable CBA (no hard cap, for example).
4. Hornets throw in some sweetener - even if it's just a late 1st. After all, they gave up this year's 1st. Twice.

I know, Okafor's dramatically overpaid, and isn't really a star-caliber player. But really - what else are we going to get with our cap space? If not Dwight, I just don't see anyone else worth spending on. And yes, I get that we could swoop in and get a disgruntled star like the C's with KG. Or we could use cap space & future picks to S&T an up-and-coming star like the Nuggets did with K-Mart. And that worked out great for them!

Now - before you laugh - know that Okafor is leading the league so far (small sample size, noted) in FG%. 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks per game, 72% FG (!). Would be a great complement to Blatche & McGee, I think he could play with either of them, giving the Wiz a ton of options in the front court.

Could even do an Arenas-for-Okafor swap (thanks, Lyrical), but that seems really unlikely, as the only reason NO would want to move him is cap flexibility.

Wall/FA
Arenas/2011 NO Draft pick/FA
H. Barnes/Thornton/Martin
Blatche/FA/Booker
Okafor/McGee/Seraphin

As Wall matures, that starts to look like the Hornets of the East...

[LyricalRico]

^ So we just use our cap space to absorb Okafor for a first? Wow...at first glance I gotta say "no" (and that's saying A LOT). Hinrich had 2 years left on a deal that was closer to the MLE than the max and that was worth a first. Okafor would have 3 years left on a deal that is closer to the max than the MLE, so I'd want more than just a mid-first (which is what NOH would have to offer).

And from NOH's perspective, assuming they get back to the playoffs this year, why give up Okafor for nothing? How does that help them keep Chris Paul? Yes, it gives them cap space. But you're admitting that there's nothing out there, so they probably won't be able to replace him through free agency.

Now if you're talking about a 3-way where we move Arenas and we get back Okafar+Ariza (with NOH getting something they want/need), then I'm all for that. We'd be a disgruntled swingman away from contending. Andre Iguodala anyone?

Okafor/McGee
Blatche/Okafor
Ariza/Iggy
Iggy/Hinrich
Wall/Hinrich

A great 7-man rotation that plays great defense plus guys like Booker, Seraphin, and our 2011 pick (presumably a guard) marinating on the bench for the future.

[nate33]

I'm all about the 2012 FA strategy, and I do think that's where Ted is headed. He may do some more BOYD deals this summer (pending lockout/new CBA), but in general wants to keep his powder dry, and that's probably the best approach.

However (and I'll probably get flamed for this), I could see doing a huge deal to blast the entire cap space, if the situation was right. I'm thinking of a deal that brings Emeka Okafor to the Wiz in the summer of 2011. Assume for the moment that the Wiz don't pick up the options on Young, Yi, and Thornton. (Though I'm starting to think maybe they should pick it up for Al.) If they could get under the cap (whatever that is) by about $5M, they could send Hinrich straight up for Okafor (and let's have NO throw in a 1st to make up the salary difference).

I'd rather just use 2011 cap space for Kendrick Perkins or Marc Gasol. At least they're true centers and they don't have Okafor's injury history

[miller31time]

Sign me up for Kevin Love. I've seen enough Minnesota games to know that he's a fundamentally sound big-man who plays the right way. He may not be the best defender but he's an excellent rebounder and a damn good interior scorer and passer. His mid-range game is decent as well. He's got a good head on his shoulders and is apparently well-liked in the lockerroom.

If the offer was on the table, JaVale would be out of town before you could say "Big Daddy Wookie."

[LyricalRico]

I'd rather just use 2011 cap space for Kendrick Perkins or Marc Gasol. At least they're true centers and they don't have Okafor's injury history

Yep, probably best to start there. If we strike out, then we can talk about Okafor.

[verbal8]

Sign me up for Kevin Love. I've seen enough Minnesota games to know that he's a fundamentally sound big-man who plays the right way. He may not be the best defender but he's an excellent rebounder and a damn good interior scorer and passer. His mid-range game is decent as well. He's got a good head on his shoulders and is apparently well-liked in the lockerroom.

If the offer was on the table, JaVale would be out of town before you could say "Big Daddy Wookie."

While I have reservations about defensive liability of Blatche and Love in the front court, I think McGee for Love could be a good idea for the Wizards. It is true that the Wall/McGee alley oop is a lot of fun. However I think that Love is in many ways a better compliment for Wall. His range would help open up the lane for Wall to penetrate. Also his defensive rebounding and passing ability would be great for getting the ball to Wall to start the fast break.

I saw this article about the lack of playing time for Love:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-ber ... 80292.html

This quote amused me:

As Chris Broussard of ESPN.com observes:

"...many executives and scouts throughout the NBA are stunned by Love's lack of playing time. "You have to be on crystal meth not to give Love more minutes on that team,'' one scout told me. "It makes no sense.''

[Severn Hoos]

This quote amused me:

As Chris Broussard of ESPN.com observes:

"...many executives and scouts throughout the NBA are stunned by Love's lack of playing time. "You have to be on crystal meth not to give Love more minutes on that team,'' one scout told me. "It makes no sense.''

Hmmmm......

[Dat2U]

Love probably doesn't play more b/c he's a terrible defender. It's not that he's just not very good, he's wretched. I like him as a player but much like McGee, he's far better suited to come off the bench than be a starter in this league.

So in other words, by making a trade like that, we'd just be switching around deck chairs. I'm not totally opposed to it, and it may improve our rebounding a bit but lets remember that the only way you get defensive rebounds is by challenging opponents shots and forcing them to miss. Bash McGee all you want but swapping McGee for Love ensures we'd have absolutely no one capable of being a deterrent at the rim.

[Ji]

i keep saying this but this team needs to take a risk and try to trade for ODEN. He is game changer when healthy

[verbal8]

Love probably doesn't play more b/c he's a terrible defender. It's not that he's just not very good, he's wretched. I like him as a player but much like McGee, he's far better suited to come off the bench than be a starter in this league.

So in other words, by making a trade like that, we'd just be switching around deck chairs. I'm not totally opposed to it, and it may improve our rebounding a bit but lets remember that the only way you get defensive rebounds is by challenging opponents shots and forcing them to miss. Bash McGee all you want but swapping McGee for Love ensures we'd have absolutely no one capable of being a deterrent at the rim.

I think the Wizards would have to be pretty confident that Seraphin can contribute some next season. With a defensive big in the rotation with Blatche and Love it could work. However if you need a 2 way player, there is some hope that McGee could improve defensively. Love is a little farther along, but also his ceiling is lower(especially defensively).