Simmons "What if column"

[Sleepy51]

Interesting read of some of the bad luck and bungles that have changed the course of NBA history over just the last few years.

Nothing in particular about the Warriors in there, but I'd take the #4 (Phoenix) example as a cautionary tale for Cohan to pay the damn luxury tax next year and keep this team together.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ons/080310

[Subaculta]

Interesting read of some of the bad luck and bungles that have changed the course of NBA history over just the last few years.

Nothing in particular about the Warriors in there, but I'd take the #4 (Phoenix) example as a cautionary tale for Cohan to pay the damn luxury tax next year and keep this team together.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ons/080310

i love Simmons. It's incredible to think that Kurt thomas turned into 3 first round picks for the Sonics.

I think Kidd and Duncan could have done some nice things together... not sure if I agree with him there.

[GSWbandwagon]

that article once again claims that we offered monta, andris, brandan, and al for garnett. i really don't think that happened. not all of them. if it did happen and mchale turned it down in favor of what he got (and didn't he got offered exactly what he got plus the #5 pick and turned that down and then turned around and took it minus the #5 pick?) then stern should step in and take minnesota from their owner. he blatantly cheated to try to pay joe smith. if he then sanctioned a trade of an mvp for way less than he was offered because he was doing favors then he is intentionally ruining his franchise and should have it taken from him.

[killacalijatt]

that article once again claims that we offered monta, andris, brandan, and al for garnett. i really don't think that happened. not all of them. if it did happen and mchale turned it down in favor of what he got (and didn't he got offered exactly what he got plus the #5 pick and turned that down and then turned around and took it minus the #5 pick?) then stern should step in and take minnesota from their owner. he blatantly cheated to try to pay joe smith. if he then sanctioned a trade of an mvp for way less than he was offered because he was doing favors then he is intentionally ruining his franchise and should have it taken from him.

if we did Mchale is one dumb dude He would have been set for the future at evrey position. Whoo thank u Mchale

[KR4]

-= original quote snipped =-



if we did Mchale is one dumb dude He would have been set for the future at evrey position. Whoo thank u Mchale

Seriously man, thank god McHale didn't take that trade, if in fact, it was offered. And if that trade was offered, thats some shady bidnit.

[Subaculta]

would have left the warriors super thin.

how do you even put together a starting 5 with that trade?

you need to throw Pietrus, Barnes or Azu into the starting lineup (not pretty)... and the bench would be nonexistent.

[B-Diddy#1fan]

What if we had given Arenas a 2 year guaranteed with a team option for a 3rd year and lose one more game in Arenas's first year as a Warrior.

We would have had the worst record in the league, meaning that we would have a better shot at Yao Ming.

Arenas
Jrich
Jamison
Murphy
Ming.

Another scenario.
What if the Warriors lost one or two more games in 2006. Rudy Gay would have dropped to the Warriors and not Memphis.

This scenario would take a little more effort but what if the Warriors never gave Dunleavy the extension and drafted Danny Granger instead of Ike Diogu and Andray Blatche instead of Chris Taft in the 2nd round. If the Pacers were willing to trade Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington for Murphy and Dunleavy(after extension), they would have traded Ron Artest for Dunleavy(pre-extension).

We get
Biedrins
Murphy/Blatche
Artest/Granger
Jrich/Monta
Davis

Of course, Barnes and Jackson probably wouldn't be Warriors.

Finally, the most recent scenario is
What if the Warriors never bought out Foyle and traded the trade Exception for Kurt Thomas. Foyle's deal expires at the end of 09 and he would have been a 9 million dollar expiring contract. Kurt Thomas I believe is a 9 million dollar expiring contract.

Combine Foyle, Thomas, Pietrus, POB, picks and possibly Belinelli and we could have grabbed Mike Miller and Paul Gasol.

Or if we only wanted only Pau Gasol then Thomas, Pietrus, and POB plus picks and possibly Belinelli should be enough considering what they got from the Lakers.

Biedrins/Wright
Gasol/Harrington
Jackson/Barnes
Ellis/Bukie
Baron

[giberish]

Interesting read of some of the bad luck and bungles that have changed the course of NBA history over just the last few years.

Nothing in particular about the Warriors in there, but I'd take the #4 (Phoenix) example as a cautionary tale for Cohan to pay the damn luxury tax next year and keep this team together.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ons/080310

The Warriors should be able to resign everybody they want to keep without going into the luxury tax next year.

What the Savar/Phoenix issue highlights is that an owner can't effectively change his mind about paying the luxury tax once a decision is made. Once you make the decision to spend big (or even biggish) you can't go back without a severe on-court and future hit.

If the Warriors had traded for KG (I can't believe the deal Simmons mentions was ever offered, but something was) Cohan would have needed to go into the luxury tax (and not be cheap about it) in order to assemble enough quality depth (at least through the top 8 or 9 players) to have a real title contender. I half expected GS to trade for KG, then end up with a bench of POB and 6 minimum salary guys, with Monta leaving next year because the Warriors couldn't afford him.

[Sleepy51]

If the Warriors had traded for KG (I can't believe the deal Simmons mentions was ever offered, but something was) Cohan would have needed to go into the luxury tax (and not be cheap about it) in order to assemble enough quality depth (at least through the top 8 or 9 players) to have a real title contender. I half expected GS to trade for KG, then end up with a bench of POB and 6 minimum salary guys, with Monta leaving next year because the Warriors couldn't afford him.

My take? You've basically hit on why the W's didn't make a KG trade. I don't think the rumored "everything but the kitchen sink" offer was OUR offer. I think the rumored offer was Minn's counter-offer to whatever we built around any one less of the young players (we wanted to keep one of Dre, Wright or Monta) at which point we withdrew. I think MINN demanded one more rotation player than we were willing to part with so we walked.

That's EXACTLY why I would have expected Mullin to walk away from the deal. He had already spent a substantial portion of Cohan's money on recognized mistakes. We were paying several guys not to play/coach, and he'd been put on financial punishment. No lux tax until proven winning, and no increase in long term spending PERIOD. There was going to be no substantial money for replacement depth behind KG in the aftermath of the trade. They'de have to go produce the wins first. It would have been almost exactly what you say, 5 or 6 minimum guys and a medocre season because of no depth. KG would have opted out.

[Twinkie defense]

However much or little Mullin offered Minny for KG, the resulting squad here was so thin that KG didn't think he could contend. It was KG balking that killed the deal, with perhaps a dose of Mullin second thoughts piling on. Minny didn't balk at Mullin's offer - whether it was towards the ridiculous or just rich side of the rumored offers, it was still more than Boston had on the table, and McHale would have taken it, if KG would have agreed to extend his contract here (like he did in Boston).

[Left*My*Heart]

IMO that the Warriors kicked the tires and then opted to stay out of the KG hunt. The Warriors would lose so much in a KG trade, that neither party would be happy afterwards. KG wants to win a title and a severely depleted Warrior roster wasn't going to get it done.