Idea for trade with Cleveland

[tidho]

Posted this on the trade board with generally favorable reviews. Hopefully this will draw additional eyes, and commments....

Jamison -for- Diop & Diaw

Money: Charlotte saves $2M the first year, helping them stay under the luxery tax as they resign Felton and Thomas. They save $900k the second year, then clear Diop's $7.3M third year from their books.

For Charlotte - Diop is a deal they are happy to see go, and Diaw is expendable given that Jackson and Wallace dominate the swingman minutes and they have Henderson waiting in the wings. Jamison can play the 4 for them. His shooting can stretch the floor for their slashers and defensively he's protected by Chandler and Thomas.

For Cleveland - They were at their best with Hickson on the floor and moving Jamison opens up space for him. LeBron and Diaw have the versitility to play together at SG and SF. This gives them a lot of options offensively and defensively. Diop is welcomed back to shove Howard around as they could see both their aging centers walk.
Should LeBron walk this deal still makes sense because should they decide to slash and burn quick, its smaller more managable pieces.

[dmutombo321]

I'm pretty ambivalent. It doesnt exactly fill me with warm fuzzies.

If there was any way to trade Diop as part of a Diaw/Diop for an immediate expiring -any expiring- just to get both players off our books, I would much prefer that. But, realisitically, this is is probably as good as its gonna get for dumping Diop.

It saves us some money over the next two years and nearly $7.5 million in the third year when we get out from under the final year of Diop's deal.

Jamison can still contribute but we all know he's well past his prime. I think he'd add a few wins but this isnt the kind of move that's going to vault us deep into the playoffs.

Our post defense would be alot worse.

If our FO is content with sticking to their status quo game plan of being mediocre first round play off fodder in lieu of rebuilding, this would probably help keep them in contention for the 8th seed for a repeat of last year.

Any FYI, shoving is nowhere to be found in Diop's vocabulary or basketball repertoire. He has to be the softest 280+ lb player I've seen in my life. His moderate defensive proficiency (his only redeeming quality) stems not from banging with opponents using his size but rather from his long gorilla arms which make him a pretty good on the ball shot blocker. With due respect to the late manute bol, Diop may quite possibly be the most inept offensive player to have ever stepped foot on an NBA floor; at least manute had a jump shot

[Bassman]

I am highly suspicious of Jamison after seeing his play with the Cav's, particularly in the playoffs. I think they thought he would represent a missing piece and help "complete them". But Jamison was better than a seriously diminished Shaq, and I do think he has some tread left on the tires. Problem is, we need a serious post player, and he is NOT that. If Chandler returns and is the second coming of Hakeem, that's different (but not gonna happen).

Still, I'd have to consider the deal one to pull the trigger on, given that we have no pick this year and Diaw was just awful in the playoffs here. I think he presents a better option in Cleveland. But the Cav's will not take Diop back. We'd have to deal Nazr.

[ohara]

I think Jamison is over the hill now. But I'd still do it to simply get rid of Diop and send Diaw on his way. Jamison will retire after one more year and we will have good cap space then.

[GoBobs]

I would pass. I think Jamison is on the way down while Diaw could very well improve in the next few years. Diop will have a lot move value if we play him.

The best move if we need cap room is to cash in on any value Nazr's expiring has and play DIop.

[Jaruff]

Absolutely. Jamison played HS basketball in Charlotte and college basketball at UNC, which will encourage more people to buy tickets. He's an improvement over Diaw and allows us to shed the albatross of Diop.

Would be better if Delonte West could be acquired in the same deal.

[ccbballin]

Really, I mean do you think people are going to say hey Jamison plays for us now, let me buy season tickets. Nah, I would do the trade though if it didn't have any UNC bloodlines in it.