The Trade Thread

[chrbal]

Charlotte needs to go for smaller moves that could potentially add draft picks. Like trading the expiring contracts of Diop and Warrick to Washington for Emeka Okafor and a protected pick. Or even doing a smaller version where Diop gets traded for Ariza and a 2nd.

Going after JJ would be nice, but it would be too much for someone who is suddenly a great 6th man on a poor team. HEs playing 31 minutes a game and he has only started 7 times.

I'd love to see the Bobcats make an attempt at getting Gortat off of Phoenix, but I just think it would be too costly.

[catch20two]

I wouldn't mind trading Diop and Warrick for Emeka Okafor but I would hate to trade Diop's expiring to take on a extra year of Trevor Ariza's contract and create a logjam at SF just to get a 2nd round pick.

I'm not too much interested in J.J. Redick either.

Marcin Gortat would be a nice acquisition but like you mentioned the Suns might be asking for more than we have to spare.

[HornetJail]

Or we could've just done what I was saying all along and drafted Lamb with the #2 pick.....

Or we can keep MKG and pair him with Lamb by trading Ramon Sessions and a mid-1st. Plus we get Maynor who was pretty good before he hurt his knee last year and our own 2nd back? No-brainer!

[thruthefire]

If there was a time when we could have had Okafor and a first for expiring contracts, it has definitely passed.

[Man Strength]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=an8cjap

makes me a little nervous getting rid of sessions for an expiring, but we get out of gordon's contract and give ourselves a better chance at millsap

cha in - calderon, millsap
cha out - gordon, sessions

[Eoghan]

^I'm not sure Utah does that deal and I'm not sure I want Calderon pouting about backing up Kemba. And I definitely want Kemba to keep starting.

[James Gatz]

The Wiz who just this past offseason traded for both Emeka and Ariza are not going to trade them + an asset to get rid of them. It doesn't make sense.

[BobsBuddy]

Tradechecker6219229 Brooklyn sends us Kris Humpries and Marshon Brooks for Ben Gordon. Then we draft stud 2 guard( Muhammad or Mclemore)with 2013 draft pick and then let Hendo walk if he gets too much money as RFA. AND we save $ On DIOP's and RWILL's expiring contracts also.
Next Seasons lineup
KW, Sess,Portlands 14th 2013 pick (C.J. McCollum)
Muhammad,Hendo,Marshon
MKG,JT
Hump,, Rocky,TT War
Hay,Biz, Mully
Depending on trades we make next season we still might get a top 8 pick in 2014 draft..

[chrbal]

Because taking both those contracts to get the 46th pick in the '12 draft made sense?

The idea is about correcting their mistake.

[BlackOutBuzz]

Because taking both those contracts to get the 46th pick in the '12 draft made sense?

The idea is about correcting their mistake.

Actually they gave up a 2nd rounder in order to acquire those guys.

That trade still doesn't make sense to me: Lewis and Mek would have the same cap hit this year (13.5 million), but they traded the expiring Lewis for Okafor who has a player option for next year that brings his cap hit to 14.5 million. Then they took on another 7.25 million this year in Ariza (another guy with a player option next year-7.75 million) AND THEN THEY THREW IN A 2ND ROUNDER!!! So in essence they traded two short-term pieces (2nd rounder, 1 season of 1 monster contract) for two seasons of 2 monster contracts.

Mistake or not, that tells me they actually think that at least one of those guys (I'd assume Okafor) has value that exceeds the liability that is his contract. We've seen more of Okafor than they have (especially at that point), so we know better. Either way, after the hit they took to acquire him, I don't think they'd give up another asset just to get rid of him. My thinking is they'll hold onto him another year and by this time next season he'll have a good bit of value as an expiring big. I think they'd rather just wait it out than "correct their mistake" by giving up yet another draft pick, basically if they gave up a first for someone to take him they'd lose a whole draft worth of players to rent Okafor for half a season (2nd last year, 1st this year).

[HornetJail]

Because taking both those contracts to get the 46th pick in the '12 draft made sense?

The idea is about correcting their mistake.

Actually they gave up a 2nd rounder in order to acquire those guys.

That trade still doesn't make sense to me: Lewis and Mek would have the same cap hit this year (13.5 million), but they traded the expiring Lewis for Okafor who has a player option for next year that brings his cap hit to 14.5 million. Then they took on another 7.25 million this year in Ariza (another guy with a player option next year-7.75 million) AND THEN THEY THREW IN A 2ND ROUNDER!!! So in essence they traded two short-term pieces (2nd rounder, 1 season of 1 monster contract) for two seasons of 2 monster contracts.

Mistake or not, that tells me they actually think that at least one of those guys (I'd assume Okafor) has value that exceeds the liability that is his contract. We've seen more of Okafor than they have (especially at that point), so we know better. Either way, after the hit they took to acquire him, I don't think they'd give up another asset just to get rid of him. My thinking is they'll hold onto him another year and by this time next season he'll have a good bit of value as an expiring big. I think they'd rather just wait it out than "correct their mistake" by giving up yet another draft pick, basically if they gave up a first for someone to take him they'd lose a whole draft worth of players to rent Okafor for half a season (2nd last year, 1st this year).

You're reading way too far into this. It's a deal that the Wizards made. The same team that turned down Bradley Beal for James Harden and "not for salary reasons". Bottom line is that they decided to turn a completely useless player on an enormous expiring contract into a couple role players on very big contracts. Terrible deal for a team that should be rebuilding, not attempting to make an 8th seed.

[catch20two]

The Washington Wizards have already tried the rebuilding through the draft strategy to a fault. I don't blame them for wanting to just sniff the playoffs again. They currently have a young core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Jordan Crawford, Kevin Seraphin, as well as Jan Vesely, and rid themselves of other young talent like Javale McGee, Andray Blatche, and Nick Young in order to move forward. The Wizards should be a cautionary tale to us on what usually happens when you try to build through the draft alone. The Thunder was only an exception to the rule.

[BlackOutBuzz]

My point isn't that they're making a mistake (which I agree with you in that they are), it's that they're unlikely to say "well, we screwed that up, here's a first rounder now take this guy off our hands!" after only a few months.

I think they're more likely to just stay the course with the guys they have, whether that's the right move or not.

[catch20two]

ESPN Insider: Five players to avoid trading for
Josh Smith among those to pass on at the NBA trade deadline

NBA trade season is finally here.

Memphis and Cleveland officially got things rolling this week with the first deal of 2013, and you can count on plenty of more trade rumors to surface in the weeks ahead as we approach the league's Feb. 21 trade deadline.

Just remember, there are many layers to every trade that go well beyond a player's value on the court today.

In many cases, it's the other factors that weigh more heavily: the contracts involved, salary cap and luxury tax implications, depth chart changes, team chemistry, winning now versus winning later. The list goes on and on.

Considering all of the factors above, here is a look at five players whom teams should avoid on the trade market this season.

Josh Smith | PF | Atlanta Hawks

As fun as it is to watch the high-flying lefty play the game, and as much as he could provide a big lift to a contender in need of an athletic power forward who can score and defend, the 27-year-old brings a big element of risk for a number of reasons. Smith's at an age where he should be in the prime of his career, yet his scoring and rebounding numbers are down this season and his player efficiency rating has plummeted almost four points to 17.35. That's alarming. Throw in the fact that he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and you can see why trading for him would be a huge gamble.

ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton pointed out last week that "whoever deals for Smith should have the upper hand in re-signing him because they can offer an additional year and larger raises on his next contract," which make sense, but that team will probably also have to include some promising players to get him -- without any guarantee that he'll be more than a three-month rental. On top of that, Smith told the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Friday that he "sees himself as a max player," which begs the question whether any team can actually win it all in the age of LeBron James and Kevin Durant with Smith as its No. 1 option. Any team that trades for him probably has to look at him through that prism.

Courtney Lee | SG | Boston Celtics

Lee has become redundant in Boston with the return of Avery Bradley, a younger and much more affordable shooting guard who has quickly established himself as one of the league's top on-ball defenders. As such, Lee's name is one that often comes up in trade rumors regarding the Celtics.

Unless he's simply a smaller part of a big package that lands Boston a big-name player, though, it's difficult to see what other teams would see in Lee based on how he's performed this season. His 11.87 PER is the lowest it has been since his rookie season, he's turning the ball over at the highest rate of his career (11.4 percent of his possessions) and his scoring (12.8 points per 40 minutes) has never been lower. At age 27, these are scary trends that could conceivably lead to Lee becoming a deeper reserve in the years ahead, whether in Boston or elsewhere. Considering that he's guaranteed more than $5 million for three more seasons after 2012-13, teams would be wise to demand other options from Boston in trade talks.

Andrea Bargnani | PF | Toronto Raptors

Toronto would love to unload the two years and $23 million owed to Bargnani beyond this season -- and it has a number of strong frontcourt options in Amir Johnson and Ed Davis to fill his void -- but finding a taker could prove to be difficult. It will take a team with a lot of cap space in the years ahead and one that also covets a big man who can stretch the floor. Might it be time to revisit the Bargnani and Jose Calderon for Pau Gasol trade rumor?

The No. 1 overall pick in 2006 has the rare skill set of a 7-footer who hits 3s consistently, but it's increasingly difficult to overlook his deficiencies as a defender and rebounder. He is averaging just 5.8 rebounds per 36 minutes over the course of his career, a number that had sunk to a career-worst 4.8 in the 21 games he played prior to his injury this season. Making matters worse is that the Raptors have played considerably better without Bargnani (12-11) this season than with him (4-17), and it really isn't even close. He's due to come back from his elbow injury in the near future, but it's safe to say his trade value has never been lower.

Tayshaun Prince | SF | Detroit Pistons

Prince has long been considered one of the league's top "glue guys," and his name is sure to come up as a possibility for contending teams looking to add a savvy wing defender. Teams such as Milwaukee, Golden State, Utah and maybe even Houston all fit that description.

The problem is that Prince is still playing big minutes (32.5 per game) in his 11th season in the league and will turn 33 next month. That isn't to say he's washed up. In fact, thanks in large part to Prince, Pistons small forwards have a PER 1.8 points higher than their opponents this season, according to 82games.com. The problem is that Prince is guaranteed $7.23 million next season and $7.70 million in 2014-15 (when he turns 35), which is a lot of money to be wrapped up in a veteran who has logged a ton of minutes in his career and has seen his scoring (11.9 PPG) dip to its lowest point since the 2003-04 season.

Tyreke Evans | PG/SG/SF | Sacramento Kings

Evans is enjoying his best offensive season in his fourth year in the league, and at age 23 he certainly still has room for growth (particularly as a shooter). For that reason, any team looking to add offense in the form of a big swingman who can penetrate and finish at the rim has to have Evans on its radar.

Problem is, with his size and rare skill set, Evans has proved to be a matchup problem not only for opponents but also for his own coaches. Finding a position where he can excel remains a major question; much like Tony Wroten in Memphis, he's at his best with the ball in his hands, but he's also a poor shooter and not always a willing passer. Any team that trades for him (Boston, Minnesota, Phoenix and Memphis all rank in the bottom 11 in terms of offensive efficiency and could be interested) has to be willing to give back a high draft pick or a solid package of players, and more importantly has to also be prepared to spend money over the summer, when Evans is set to become a restricted free agent.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... rading-for

[HornetJail]

Agree with all but Tyreke who is clearly a shooting guard but the Kings are too stupid to play him there for long stretches at a time. The fact that their best pure scorer (Thornton) plays the same position doesn't help. He needs that position all to himself. He can't slide down and play the point, and it seems he also has trouble matching up with 3s.

[catch20two]

I always remembered Tyreke Evans playing his best basketball at the PG position, whether it was college or in his rookie season in the NBA. I could imagine him being a very successful point forward on a team that has a scoring PG and a tall 3-point shooting wing.

[Eoghan]

What does anyone think of trading our garbage in Tyrus ($8M this year, 3 yrs left) for GSW's garbage of Biedrins ($9M this yr, 2 yrs left)? We'd lose our last amnesty eligible player I think but Beans is cheaper overall and maybe the change of scenery would be enough to get him to defend and rebound which is what we still desperately need.

[catch20two]

What does anyone think of trading our garbage in Tyrus ($8M this year, 3 yrs left) for GSW's garbage of Biedrins ($9M this yr, 2 yrs left)? We'd lose our last amnesty eligible player I think but Beans is cheaper overall and maybe the change of scenery would be enough to get him to defend and rebound which is what we still desperately need.

I think GSW is trying to get out of the bad contract business just as fast as we are so they would easily say no.

[MasterIchiro]

That DET pick is looking like pick 10 or thereabouts in 2014. Not terribly valuable. And the 2013 POR pick isn't going to net us more than a bench player (albeit a solid one).

So I think the Bobcats should be looking to move expirings along with the POR and DET picks for an impact player at the trade deadline.

[countryboi]

That DET pick is looking like pick 10 or thereabouts in 2014. Not terribly valuable. And the 2013 POR pick isn't going to net us more than a bench player (albeit a solid one).

So I think the Bobcats should be looking to move expirings along with the POR and DET picks for an impact player at the trade deadline.

yea i would rather pass on that and keep the picks....the unknown is better than some player who is going to put us back on the treadmill