Lakers - Jazz - Bobcats Trade

[blackham9258]

LA OUT: Gasol/ Meeks/ 2016 first (lottery protected, its likely to be in the mid 20's as usual)/ Cash
LA IN: Ben Gordon/ Marvin Williams

Jazz Out: Al Jefferson/ Marvin Williams
Jazz In: Pau Gasol/ Bobcats Pick from Detroit for sending an expiring contract (Pick will likely be used next year when it is top 8 protected. Detroit is on the upswing.)

Bobcats Out: Ben Gordon/ Detroit Protected pick
Bobcats In: Al Jefferson/ Jodie Meeks/ Cash $3M/ LA's 2016 1st Rounder

LA does this because they need scorers off the bench and defense. Marvin is a high level defender and a good SF. He, I believe will opt out of his contract in the summer to pursue a long term deal but even if he doesn't he is a good fit for LA. 2 guys that fill needs and add depth, and they get rid of a contract that is dead weight in their D'Antoni offense. The Pick to Bobcats is for sending such a high quality 6th man their way.

Jazz do this to bridge a one year gap before handing it over to their young bigs who are about a year away from holding down the fort on their own. The feeling in Jazz land is that Al is great but Favors will likely overtake him at center in the next year and they don't want to be committed longer term to Al Jefferson when the young guys are finally ready. Gasol will mentor the Jazz bigs for one more year, and could actually return to form in an offense tailored to his talents. The pick is fair compensation for a late lottery pick to give a valuable expiring to the Bobcats, especially when you consider Al would likely be a 22/12 guy on their team.

Charlotte will have the hardest time parting with the pick but when you look back at picks 9-14 they usually don't generate a 20/10 center which the Bobcats will be able to resign. Al is still only 27 and wants to grow with a young team, but on a good contract. If they don't want him after the season they save $13M and go out in FA. Meeks and the LAL pick are nice pieces moving forward. I also think with Gordon gone it allows the young wings to develop more quickly with more time on the floor, but they also don't have the pressure of performing because they have an offensive anchor in Al Jefferson to put up numbers each night. I also like the offensive/defensive tandem of Al/Bismack. He is also a good fit with the stretch Center Mullens.... AL will own the block and his two bigs will own the defense and outside shooting. It is actually a good mix of bigs. Every team needs a guy who can be counted on for 20/10 in the post, and Al especially compliments this group of Bigs just as his weaknesses are made up for by the Bigs of Charlotte.

FYI to all the AL JEfferson haters who say he is a ball stopper and bad defender. Al is a much better passer now since he went to Utah and he is actually a better defender than people give him credit for.
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blackham9258
Rookie

Posts: 1137
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:24 am

[JT2006]

Hey that's actually not horrible, though I'd prefer one of their other bigs than Al long term. CHA is trying to find a core of guys to build around, and the only surefire keepers are Kemba and MKG, the rest are developing talent or old guys. So fit isn't super important to us right now.

[BigSlam]

I love, love, love Al Jefferson - but we needed him 4 years ago. He doesn't fit what we are doing now.

Change Jefferson to Kanter, Gordon to Sessions and I would be down though.

[blackham9258]

As a Jazz fan I love Al Jefferson. It may sound silly but he is one of the most unselfish players in the league. He is the center of attention in the Jazz locker room. Everyone gravitates to him because he is so nice and inclusive. Why does this matter? He is mentoring Kanter/Favors...teaching them everything he can. (Kanter and he are best friends..) He is the one guy in a contract year of the many we have (Millsap,Mo,Foye,Marvin if he wants) that doesn't seem to care about his stats.

He is team all the way. Many in Utah think he will get a 4 year deal at $14-$15M a year and he might, but I just see a big lovable guy that wants to be wanted and I think it will actually hurt his feelings if the Jazz trade him or don't resign him. But I actually think he fits your team perfectly over the next four years: He will help make the most of Bismack who seems like another neat young kid/player, as well as help develop Mullens. I also think he would sign for as low as $11-$12M per if he feels like the team is really committed to him, and that he is part of their plans.

We can be honest as fans that neither of our teams are going to be pushing deep into the playoffs soon, but your organization will really languish if you get too much of a losing culture. I love the Gillchrist pick and I think he is your biggest asset going forward to have the right kind of players.

What I think is great about Al is he will anchor your teams development, but he won't really pull you out of the lottery by himself either... which is kind of where you want to be for at least one or two more drafts... plus hey, when you have to pay $45M in payroll each year anyway might as well have a guy who can mentor your bigs and be a positive influence.

[HornetJail]

I would absolutely love Al on this team, but would he want us? He'd probably bolt this summer.

[blackham9258]

I don't think he bolts. Who has cap space for a Center and a need? Even if you consider him a PF/C hybrid who is out there:

Portland.. they won't pair two non defensive types together in Al and Aldridge... they should have been the ones to go after Asik instead of Indiana's big.
SAN (maybe if the price is right), SAC (maybe but he would prefer charlotte), Indiana-no, Toronto-no for same reason as Portland, Houston (unlikely even though there are ties) they are going after Howard, Dallas-no, Nola-no,


The more you go down the line the more it makes sense to go to Charlotte. He is from the south, he is still young, he loves being the focal point and mentor/leader of young guys and there are only 4-5 legitamate spots to go and yours is as bright as any.

Heck, offer a 5th year and you're golden.

Charlotte,Orlando,Sacramento,Houston,San Antonio

[Roll Tide 09]

Simply AMAZING!

[James Gatz]

Change it from DET to POR 1st I'd be in.

[HornetJail]

If he can be extended and traded, this is an ideal scenario.

If you think about it. That's the package we traded Bad Porn for. In the span of a year we'd turn Maggette's expiring contract into a top 10 center. I love it. And on top of that, we'd get a three-point marksman, cash, and a 1st round pick from a Laker team that is likely to be rebuilding? DUDE.

You know what? Screw it, I'd do the deal even without the extension. We'd probably have to slightly overpay him, but he'd be BY FAR the best big man we've ever had on this team.

[Fred Williamson]

this blackham guy comes in here and single-handedly persuades us to accept a rather debatable trade offer. Dude could have asked me to join Scientology right here and right now, and I'd have given him all my assets and signed that contract.

[BigSlam]

I do love the idea of Al Jefferson mentoring Biz at practice every day and all summer long. I simply LOVE watching Jefferson execute his post moves - and Biz has the potential there, he just needs to be taught.

That said, I just don't see how Jeff fits right now - and I regardless of the Pistons surging right now, I still think that pick s going to be lottery/top 10 where as that Lakers pick is mid to late 1st round.

[Eoghan]

I don't hate it. I'd like somebody better than Meeks though, just not crazy about him.

[BobsBuddy]

I didn't think Gordon was eligable for trade. Anyway I don't think this will happen as Cho and MJ have a plan and it looks like now if they stay with it they could have 2 draft picks in 2013 top 12.
I hope they are scouting Anthony Bennet PF Unlv for top 5 and Michael Carter Williams SyracusePG/SG for Portlands pick at 12.
Then trade Gordon for another first round pick in 2014 when the draft is deep and talented.Resign Sessions,Mully and Extend Kemba then

[HornetJail]

I know I'm being picky, but you know we don't get the Portland pick if they're inside the top 12? We get it if it's 13-30. Gordon is eligible to be traded. Only Haywood isn't, because we picked him up after he was amnestied. We can trade him next year, when I think he'll be a pretty nice asset. Any playoff team (Miami/Boston in particular) would love to pay a borderline-starting-caliber center less than two million a year.

I've got to say I'm not high on anybody in this draft. Zeller looks really good, but if he's gone by the time we pick, I'd be perfectly happy trading that pick for a pick in 2014. I'm already hoping we don't get the Portland pick or the Detroit pick this year. Can you imagine having three lottery picks in the Wiggins draft?

[Kembastockton]

I tell you guys like Jazz fans told me about Augustine last year. If he really wants to play here we will sign him this summer. It makes little sense to give up assets for a potential free agent who may not sign long term.