OT - WTF was Sterling thinking?

vwoodruff · Post #1 » by **vwoodruff** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:29 pm

I haven't seen it discussed here, and I am wondering if I'm the only one who wonders what was going through Donald Sterling's head when he had the opportunity to send Z. Randolph to Memphis for Darko and Greg Buckner.

For the record, Z-Bo is on the hook for $33M over the next two years. Buckner is owed $8M over the next two and Darko is a $7.5M expiring contract.

For God's sake, Sterling is a perennial tightwad who has run the Clippers into the ground (which is essentially where they started), and he chooses to pay a guy who will never play on a winning team because he is a self-absorbed ball player who doesn't do the dirty work and whose contract is an albatross? When he already has $18M and a #1 pick invested in three other players in his frontcourt? Are you kidding me?

If I were a... err, excuse me... if I were THE CLippers fan, I'd be pissed.

TheOGJabroni · Post #2 » by **TheOGJabroni** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:30 pm

Yes, so strange. Glad I'm not a Clipper fan, that's for sure.

Post #3 » by **sunshinekids99** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:45 pm

I'm with you, seemed like an easy deal for the Clippers to agree to. Not really sure why Memphis would want to surround their young talent with that mental midget tho.

BillessuR6 · Post #4 » by **BillessuR6** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:53 pm

I thought no one would want Randolph but I guess you can always find enough idiots. Now that Isiah is gone, Wallace has taken his place as the worst GM in the league.

Of course, Sterling proved he is even a bigger idiot and vetoed the trade. Buckner`s contract is actually only partially guaranteed, so it was basically a trade for expiring contracts...No wonder clippers always suck, they have the worst owner...

cfan79 · Post #5 » by **cfan79** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:09 pm

He definitely should have pulled the trigger on that puppy. I guess he figured there is another idiot out there who would give more.

Celts17Pride · Post #6 » by **Celts17Pride** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:24 pm

Just Donald Sterling being Donald Sterling. I feel bad for Clipper fans. :roll:

famadihana · Post #7 » by **famadihana** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:26 pm

I thought I read that Marko Jaric was part of that trade and Sterling refused to pay Jaric another dollar--maybe I remember incorrectly.

vwoodruff · Post #8 » by **vwoodruff** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 12:24 am

Oh yeah... I forgot the other ludicrous part of the deal... it was with Chris Wallace.

There should be a plaque above all other 29 GMs desk that says, "If Chris Wallace is calling, say 'yes.'"

I would love to see someone take that Southwest Airlines commercial where the two business negotiators start taking every concession because they're worried about the change fees and Chris Wallace-ize it.

vwoodruff · Post #9 » by **vwoodruff** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 3:27 am

Apparently, this is what Sterling was thinking...

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... or_q_rich/

How does Chris Wallace still have a job?

greenbeans · Post #10 » by **greenbeans** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 3:30 am

Q-Rich back to the Clippers, snap. Get Dmiles and Odom back too, relive the glory days.

Colossus · Post #11 » by **Colossus** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 6:04 am

greenbeans wrote:Q-Rich back to the Clippers, snap. Get Dmiles and Odom back too, relive the glory days.

Lol, so Sterling was right to hold out after all, ended up just getting an expiring deal instead of having to take on two years of Buckner as well. Nice job..

CelticFaninLBC · Post #12 » by **CelticFaninLBC** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 6:09 am

Clips should have cap space now. Lakers are going to lose Ariza to either Portland, Toronto or LAC now, since they won't offer more than the MLE. :lol:

John Locke · Post #13 » by **John Locke** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 8:02 am

The Clippers need to move one of Kaman or Camby (I love Camby, he's just easier to move) and turn that into a young wing player. Then they need to switch coaches and that team is good to go. It would be better for them to have a younger point guard and maybe they should think about trading B-Diddy for someone younger (maybe trade with the Bobcats and get DJ Augustin, or get one of the young points from this years draft and give him minutes). The young guys they got are good: Griffin, Jordan, Gordon, Thornton, Kaman. Imagine if they had a coach who was capable.

BillessuR6 · Post #14 » by **BillessuR6** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 8:10 am

So, MEM traded Gasol for cap space, so they could get Zach Randolph?!?!

That is so bad I can`t even put it in words..

Triple M · Post #15 » by **Triple M** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 8:15 am

With the deals Mem and Det made today it might take them out of play for our RFA BBD.

threrf23 · Post #16 » by **threrf23** » Thu Jul 2, 2009 8:50 am

Randolph is a good fit for the Grizz' current lineup. They needed post offense and its not like they were going to have an easy time finding a high profile FA willing to sign with them. Even if the deal is Randolph straight up for Q-Rich, they can still be well under the cap after the deal, the team should be good enough to at least appear up and coming next season, and then they would have Randolph's large expiring contract as an asset next offseason. I don't mind this from Memphis' perspective at all, even though they still need back-up wings.

For the Clippers, this leaves them under the cap right now, and way under the cap next season.