Official Trade Thread XIV: 6/14/10 - 12/22/10

[closg00]

In other news, Portland just benched Nicholas Batum in favor of Wesley Matthews. I would LOVE to get Batum on this roster. He's young, athletic, can shoot threes, defend, and he doesn't need the ball to be effective. Of all players in the league, I think he's the best fit at starting SF.

If Matthews is successful at starting SF, I wonder if Portland would entertain trading Batum. Could we give them our first round pick (assuming it's in the 6-8 range or so) straight up for Batum? Portland would be sacrificing a sure-fire quality role player for the upside star potential of a mid-lotto pick, while also resetting the clock on his rookie scale contract.

Portland also has Babbitt (who isn't playing). If Babbitt is capable of filling Portland's back-up SF role, perhaps they might be willing to deal Batum. Doubtful, but they might be tempted.

[dlts20]

IDK if Batum is a good fit. Im a Gil fan so I want him to stay but most either want him gone or assumes he's gone. If he goes then Im still not sure that some star is going to come here. Therefore if you have Wall as your PG then I think you want to surrond him with some guys who can score the ball at a high level. Dray, NY, Batum, & McGee is not enough

[dangermouse]

The GilWall experiment simply needs more data before anybody can give a definite answer.

Lets wait till both are healthy and on their game. Gil seems to be getting his swagger back and has consistently played better and better since Wall went down with injury. But we cant say for sure wether this is a result of playing without Wall, or simply wether that is just Gil getting his game back and knocking the rust off.

We should hold off answering the GilWall dilemma until the end of January at least.

[HMFFL]

December 15th is when Atlanta can trade Joe Johnson. His sluggish start is most likely due to a minor hand and shoulder injury he suffered. However, come Dec. 15th, if Joe Johnson was on the table for Gilbert Arenas, do you accept?

[nuposse04]

December 15th is when Atlanta can trade Joe Johnson. His sluggish start is most likely due to a minor hand and shoulder injury he suffered. However, come Dec. 15th, if Joe Johnson was on the table for Gilbert Arenas, do you accept?

no way. Arenas for Johnson ruins us for the long term financially, and its arguable to say Johnson is THAT much better right now.

[nate33]

December 15th is when Atlanta can trade Joe Johnson. His sluggish start is most likely due to a minor hand and shoulder injury he suffered. However, come Dec. 15th, if Joe Johnson was on the table for Gilbert Arenas, do you accept?

Tough call. They're of similar talent. Joe is more consistent, but Gil has higher highs (and lower lows). I think it's a pretty sure bet that Johnson would be better for our ball club than Arenas for the next couple of years because he is a better fit and he is less injury prone. The problem is his contract. They're paid roughly the same, but Johnson's contract lasts two years longer. I'm not thrilled about the prospect of paying Johnson $23M and $25M when he is 33 and 34 respectively. On the other hand, we will be well past our window of opportunity for cap room by then, so we'd really only be talking about money - not actual lost opportunities to acquire talent. If Teddy is willing to pay, it would probably be a good move.

[no D in Hibachi]

December 15th is when Atlanta can trade Joe Johnson. His sluggish start is most likely due to a minor hand and shoulder injury he suffered. However, come Dec. 15th, if Joe Johnson was on the table for Gilbert Arenas, do you accept?

No way Jose. Johnson already looks like he's in serious decline mode and I don't think he'd be as willing to take the back seat to Wall. That's one of the good things about Arenas this year. It's very apparent that Arenas defers to Wall, you can readily see it when they are on the court together. If you bring in JJ he'd have the opinion that he's coming in to change everything, to be the man, and now DC is his city to own. He'd be of the opinion that Wall will be a complementary player to him--when it needs to be the other way around.

Thats without mentioning JJ is owed roughly $50 million more than Arenas

[Hoopalotta]

I'd be on the "Yes to Batum for our 2011 draft pick" and "NOOOOO to Gil for Joe Johnson".

Johnson might not take us out of actual cap space, but he'd likely put us high enough into the salary strata late in his deal to where we might lose guys we want to keep or pass on guys we want to get. And that's even ignoring the more ruinous but congruent possibility of there being some sort of a hard cap.

But Batum for our pick I'd easily do so long as we had minimal protection. I do recall rumors of Portland passing on the 4th pick in the last draft from 'Sota for Batum. I seem to recall that the rumors then were that Jersey was going to take Wes-John and I thought it was crazy to pass on Favors like that, but as of now that decision looks solid. So while their fans here are maybe absurdly high on Batum, it sounds like that mirrors their higher ups as well. I have not watched Portland this year and he was hurt for a good portion of last year, but he really should excel in an uptempo system and he shoots well enough to help your halfcourt too.

[Illuminaire]

If you still want to trade JJ for Gil in 2012, after we've shot our free-agent wad, then it makes a great deal of sense. (Assuming Joe is still healthy and productive)

[Wizardspride]

If you still want to trade JJ for Gil in 2012, after we've shot our free-agent wad, then it makes a great deal of sense. (Assuming Joe is still healthy and productive)

Trading for JJ after 2012 doesn't make any sense to me.

Especially considering the fact that Gil will be closer to free agency than Johnson.

[Dat2U]

Batum for a top 3 protected draft pick I'd take. Especially if we could get him sooner than later. With him and some decent health that pick may become more like a late lottery pick or worse in a weak draft.

JJ for Arenas I wouldn't touch for a ten foot poll. JJ easily signed the worst contract of the off-season. based on length, age & miles on the tires. The only way to even consider it if you think Arenas is a medical disaster with a knee on the edge of implosion. And while I do have my concerns about Arenas' long term health, I'm willing to roll the dice that as of right now, he's got the less painful contract.

[willbcocks]

I'm certainly somewhere in the front of the trade arenas wagon, but JJ? No, no, no.

I want to trade Gil because of the opportunity cost of his contract and because I want to make Wall the man. Although I still don't think Gil will fit well with a made-man Wall in basketball terms, he has -- from what I can observe from my computer chair in Tokyo -- done a good job of deferring and accepting changes in his role.

Is JJ going to come in and be happy taking a backseat to a rookie? Are his Iso's any better a fit with Wall? And we have him for an additional two years? No thanks.

[fishercob]

Agree with Dat n' Hoop. Happily trade a top-3 protected 1st for Batum. No way to JJ.

[nate33]

The bottom line on JJ is that it would be foolish to make the decision right now before we know about the structure of the new CBA, and before we know whether JJ is in the early stages of decline or if he is merely having a slow start due to his recovery from injury.

I absolutely would not pull the trigger on JJ right now, but I wouldn't reject it out of hand either. Fast forward to the middle of 2011 when the strike is finally over and teams are ready to ramp up for a strike-shortened 50 game season. If the CBA has a similar structure as it does now; if JJ is healthy and finished out 2010/11 like he did in 2009/10; if Arenas hasn't played much better than he is playing currently; and if Wall has continued to improve so that he's ready to work "without a net"; then I'd consider the trade.

[Rafael122]

So I follow Prada on Twitter, and he retweeted a link to some Orlando beat reporter suggesting that the Magic and Wizards are engaged in trade talks:

The RUMORED deal is Arenas and Blatche for Carter, Lewis, and Daniel Orton. At least those are the pieces being talked about.

[TGW]

So I follow Prada on Twitter, and he retweeted a link to some Orlando beat reporter suggesting that the Magic and Wizards are engaged in trade talks:

The RUMORED deal is Arenas and Blatche for Carter, Lewis, and Daniel Orton. At least those are the pieces being talked about.

Yea that's definitely not the deal being discussed, because it doesn't come even remotely close to working financially. My guess is that the Wiz want a simple Arenas for Carter swap, and the Magic are wanting Blatche to be included. The Wizards are saying no, and the Magic are countering with Lewis for Arenas.

In the end, I forsee Arenas for Carter straight up.

[Rafael122]

It's a horrible deal either way. Sorry, but if that's the best they can do, trade for Vince who has a questionable work ethic...come on man, I'd rather keep Gil in this case. The only value Carter has is that he's an expiring contract. Other than that, he brings nothing to the table. This isn't 1999.

[verbal8]

So I follow Prada on Twitter, and he retweeted a link to some Orlando beat reporter suggesting that the Magic and Wizards are engaged in trade talks:

The RUMORED deal is Arenas and Blatche for Carter, Lewis, and Daniel Orton. At least those are the pieces being talked about.

I hope that is not true

If the Wizards give up Blatche I hope at the very least Gortat comes back and I would push for Ryan Anderson also.

I could see this(with Hinrich) being proposed by the Magic. It saves them roughly $8 million($5 million lux tax and $3 million pro-rated salary). It frees up time at SF for Pietrus and gives them an almost perfect PF to pair with Dwight Howard.

[BelgianMagic]

So would the majority of you guys like a trade around Carter & Arenas?? We've had tons of Arenas threads at the Magic board and the opinions are split 50/50 ..

[Rafael122]

I wouldn't do it. The moment Vince steps into DC is the moment he stops playing with any intensity. He goes from a team with a legit shot at winning it all to a team who will be in the lottery next year.