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The wiretap is showing that Phoenix is trying to shop Boris Diaw or Leandro Barbosa for a first round pick. So, if Phoenix does acquire a first round pick for Boris (ha) will it just add fuel to the Joe Johnson trade? Will it open the door to another debate about what we gave up for Joe Johnson considering it would mean three first round picks if Phoenix acquires another one for Boris? One thing it would continue making Bryan Colangelo look like a genius.

I'm pretty sure teams would be willing to move a first for Leandro Barbosa, but Boris....not likely!

Didn't Boris got drafted in the first round? And he's a pretty solid player so a 1st rounder is possible... maybe to the Knicks?

HMFFL wrote:The wiretap is showing that Phoenix is trying to shop Boris Diaw or Leandro Barbosa for a first round pick. So, if Phoenix does acquire a first round pick for Boris (ha) will it just add fuel to the Joe Johnson trade? Will it open the door to another debate about what we gave up for Joe Johnson considering it would mean three first round picks if Phoenix acquires another one for Boris? One thing it would continue making Bryan Colangelo look like a genius.

I'm pretty sure teams would be willing to move a first for Leandro Barbosa, but Boris....not likely!

Portland got the 7th overall pick for Sebastian Telfair a few years back,anything can happen.

Phoenix is probably just wanting to move the following:

$9,000,000

$9,000,000

$9,000,000 (Player Option)

HMFFL wrote:...
I'm pretty sure teams would be willing to move a first for Leandro Barbosa, but Boris....not likely!

Hmm, if I needed both positions to be upgrade, I would give more for Boris than for Leandro. Boris has better b-ball IQ, and I don't like a thing in the way Leandro is playing: he's always at full speed. He would be better if he could change his tempo, and I am not sure that this way of playing can fit with any team. In PHX, defense don't have time to set the positions because they are always running, so he can run and it works. In a different team, I have some doubts.
Now, his contract is better than Boris' one.

Back to the Joe trade debate, if ATL has kept Boris and with Woodson not knowing how to use him, not sure ATL would have get a first round for him.
In PHX, he proved to be a big part of a WCF team, and lots of team know his potential and the fact that he's behind Stoudemire. The more confidence he gets, the more his game is improving, and it's certainly his main problem, so if you want to play him at least 35min/game, let's go. If you want him to be a backup and play only 25min, I would not say the same thing.

D21 wrote:

HMFFL wrote:...
I'm pretty sure teams would be willing to move a first for Leandro Barbosa, but Boris....not likely!

Hmm, if I needed both positions to be upgrade, I would give more for Boris than for Leandro. Boris has better b-ball IQ, and I don't like a thing in the way Leandro is playing: he's always at full speed.

I disagree.

How Leandro has been playing is only a reflection of the system. I do believe he can slow his game down and still be very successful. Maybe we can see more of that during the upcoming season. I like Leandro Barbosa's game and If building a team around him or Boris it's going to be LB.

Personally I like Barbosa and wouldn't touch the contract of Diaw. Diaw got the contract filling in when Amare was out and creating a mismatch situation. He hasn't been a 9M man when playing a more traditional SF role. The issue with Barbosa is can he start at PG and be successful? If not do you have room to start him at SG? If you plan to use him as a 6th man, then you it affects how high of a pick you'd trade for him.

We don't have a pick to really worry about this.

HMFFL wrote:Phoenix is probably just wanting to move the following:

$9,000,000

$9,000,000

$9,000,000 (Player Option)

I had no clue he was making that much....
This is the year of retro hating the foreign player BTW

Boris Diaw lacks desire, confidence, and is usually out of shape. I'm glad we shipped him out, he's Phoenix's 9 million dollar problem now.

Bored and feel like rambling.
Makes one wonder what was the biggest mistake by Phoenix:

1) Signing Diaw to a $9M per year 5 year deal
2) Giving away all those low 1st rounders in an attempt to stay out of luxury tax
3) Giving Kurt Thomas to Seattle along with 2 1st rounders
4) Not matching Joe Johnson in the first place
5) Not completing a trade for KG at the cost of Amare

Personally, I think it's a hard call. Those first round picks could have really bolstered the bench better than spending money on Marcus Banks and Eric Piatkowski and the like. Rajon Rondo was one of those players. He'd be a pretty good complement to Nash at PG. However with less PT it is hard to say that those picks would have tipped the scales. It is humorous that they now want another pick to help infuse some youth into the team and prepare for future transition when they gave away like 4 first over the years.

The Kurt Thomas trade lead to the Shaquille O'Neal deal because it removed the rebounding and defensive force in the middle. I can understand shedding his last 8M in contract, but paying 2 1st rounders to do it (ouch). It's particularly funny now that they want another pick.

The Joe Johnson deal is hard to weigh because without becoming the man does he step up to earn a max deal as the 4th star in Phoenix? The financial implications are too hard to factor to call this one a real big mistake.

I don't believe they were ever serious about giving up Amare to get KG in the off season. They wanted to give up Shawn Marion. Does a Nash, Marion, Garnett core capture the basketball spotlight for a year like the Boston 3? I don't think so. As a Western team and not a historic franchise, it loses some of the sizzle there. As only 1 piece added to 2 existing pieces it also loses some of the novelty. In Phoenix's defense, how could you have been certain of the effect Garnett would have on the rest of the team's defense. For that matter would Garnett have been able to spark a defensive revival in Phoenix?

So back to Diaw, he was overpaid in the respect of what team was bidding against Phoenix for his services? He was overpaid in that he performed in one capacity, but that his future role would be different. He was overpaid in that he had only performed for a season. In the defense of Phoenix, who could have figured that he'd come back from summer vacation weighing 300 lbs. Actually, they should have seen some of it coming. If not the biggest mistake, it should have been the easiest to avoid. They didn't have to throw 45M at Diaw and if someone had wanted him they could have worked another S&T deal.

IMO, he's overpaid because of the PHX situation.

They made a mistake by paying him like that while knowing they will continue with Stoudemire. If PHX did not have anymore Stoudemire, Diaw would have a better chance to play like he did in 2005/06 and justify this contract.
They were not sure about Stoudemire future health, and in case he would have been seriously in trouble, it was better to keep Diaw, maybe not at this price.

So in a team were he can play like in 2005/06, I don't see any reason to think he'd be overpaid.
This year in playoffs (OK just one round) he was at 14.6pts 5.6rbd 4.6ast, not his 2005/06 performance, but a good one.
About his weight, I am not sure he's the only responsible, he never had a thing like that before, so it's also possible that PHX , seeing him playing well in the paint, ask him to try to get some pounds, and that did not succeed. OK, it's certainly also coming from him, but I don't know why lots of euro player need to get so much more on their body. Kukoc did it in CHI, and he lost his speed.
Maybe their is a problem with the change in the food/complement between euro and NBA. For example, he certainly didn't have use creatine before, because you get banned if you use it except in NBA (NCAA ?). Maybe he started to use it this 2006 summer but it did not work.

HMFFL wrote:...I disagree.

How Leandro has been playing is only a reflection of the system...

I understand your point, it's only that I am not sure about his ability to adjust so easily. But don't get me wrong, I don't like some aspects but I think he's a great bargain at this salary.

Anybody remember that deal that would have brought Amare here? Were the Hawks going to give up the # 3 and #11 only? I still think that would have been a better senario for us eventhou i love Horford.

Retrovision wrote:Anybody remember that deal that would have brought Amare here? Were the Hawks going to give up the # 3 and #11 only? I still think that would have been a better senario for us eventhou i love Horford.

I'm not positive that the deal was acrually in place. Amare would have been a big boost but Horford is looking good.

Diaw isn't worth a good first anyway. Phx would have to take back a bad contract if they want a first in return because of the negative value Diaw holds with his contract. Not to mention the fact that a team has to wonder if he is a system guy.

Retrovision wrote:Anybody remember that deal that would have brought Amare here? Were the Hawks going to give up the # 3 and #11 only? I still think that would have been a better senario for us eventhou i love Horford.

No the deal was #3, #11 and Marvin Williams, for Amare Stoudemire atlantas 2008pick, and I believe there might have been some formation that included Josh Smith also. Which might of been #3 and Josh for Amare..

Although I could still surprised tonight, it seems that Phoenix is learning the harsh reality that only they really thought Diaw was worth that much and indeed he isn't worth a 1st round pick even one in the 20s. It seems most teams would rather take the inexpensive flier on a rookie C than pick up Diaw. I am a little surprised than Barbosa didn't get more love though.