Top 12 Trade Assets/Chris Sheridan-ESPN

[jerseyjac]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ets-090130
See Nets related below...

ASSET No. 2: Raef LaFrentz's expiring contract
OWNER: Portland Trail Blazers



In NBA front offices, this is what's known as a super-expiring contract, because not only does his $12.72 million come off someone's cap at the end of the season, but 80 percent of it is being paid by an insurance company because of LaFrentz's shoulder injury. In real dollars and cents, that means that the acquiring team can realize a cash windfall of about $4 million by acquiring LaFrentz.

With Darius Miles now taking up $9 million in cap space that the Blazers thought they'd have this summer, they can no longer set their summer sights on a max-level free agent. If they want someone of that caliber, packaging LaFrentz with one or two of their youngsters -- Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless -- might be their best route toward landing a player who will make them a legitimate championship-contending threat in the West this spring.



ASSET No. 6: Dallas' unprotected 2010 first-round pick
OWNER: New Jersey Nets


If the Mavericks miss the playoffs in 2010, this will make the Jason Kidd trade even more lopsided in the Nets' favor. The other pick acquired along with Devin Harris in the Kidd deal was used on Ryan Anderson, who is now starting at power forward for the Nets following Yi Jianlian's finger injury.

The Nets also are owed a future first-rounder from Golden State (protected 1-14 in 2011, 1-11 in 2012 and 1-10 in 2013), though it transforms into two second-round picks if it remains protected for the Warriors all three of those years.


ASSET No. 7: Three future first-round picks (Miami's and Boston's in 2009, Utah's in 2010)
OWNER: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Heat's pick is protected 1-10, but they look like a playoff team right now, so the Timberwolves will own this one on June 25. Boston's pick went to Minny in the Kevin Garnett deal, and figures to be 26th-30th, and Utah has been in the lottery just three times in the past 25 years, and if they miss the playoffs this year the pick is still not likely to be a high one, so none of these picks by itself is all that valuable.

But like the Thunder, the Wolves will explore packaging one or both of them with an expendable part (Mike Miller, anyone?) if it gets them a second lottery pick (assuming they remain in the bottom third of the league, which will keep their own pick protected from the Clippers).

[S.I.C. GM]

That pick Utah has is the best too.

I doubt they give that to anyone.

Portland needs to do something.