DCZards wrote:Ted has made it clear that he was NOT going to buyout Lewis. So as we assess the trade--and evaluate EG as it relates to the trade--I hope we can agree to start with the reality that EG's boss, the guy who pays the bills, instructed EG to trade Lewis.
I'd love to hear trade idea's involving Lewis since that was the only option EG was apparently given by his boss.
Makes no sense, sorry. You can't give your GM only one option -- to trade Lewis. What if there was no trade for Lewis? What if all that was available was obviously less good players than Okaforiza?
Ted can have said "I prefer that we trade Lewis rather than buy him out -- if we can get a deal that makes sense." But he can't have said more than that.
Meaning that he and Ernie discussed it and agreed that this deal made sense. But who is at fault in that decision? Ted Leonsis? How in hell would he know if that was a reasonable deal? He's relying Ernie to tell him whether it is or not.
More likely it was even more general than that. Ted says "Gee I wish there was something I could do other than buy out Rashard for all that dough." Ernie says "Okay let me see what I can come up with." Then he comes back with "I think I have a deal that gets us... (describes the deal), and there's even a chance I can deal Okafor at the trade deadline." Ted says "Wow, that sounds good." Ernie says "Then that's what you want me to do?" Ted says "If you think it'll work out." Ernie says "Well you don't want to pay Lewis all that $$$ for nothing, right?" Ted says "Right." Ernie says "Ok, I'll make the trade."
Classic Ernie -- he pleases the boss. Ted tells the world: "look how smart we are; we traded a sunk cost for value. We got veterans, continuity, maybe even the playoffs." All the while thinking "I'm off the hot seat."
Then NO buys out Lewis, demonstrating that, no, it's not necessarily a dumb idea. Then there are a bunch of better players available to us for a combined cost no worse than what we did, and younger too or if old only to be signed for one year and at low $$.
And right now, if Ted is smart and I believe he is, he's thinking, "hmmm, it's looking like I made this happen, but I'm not sure I did. Oh well, lets make the best of it. At least we'll be better than we were."