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

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

We're going to be bad for a very very long time......
If we get Carter, we're obviously letting him walk so this is our team for the rest of this season. We'll be lucky to win 6 more games. We're definitely getting a top 3 pick next year.

We will, by FAR have the worst team in the league. Not really buying the "Rebuild through youth" vibe. It's pretty pathetic to surround Wall with this squad.

Maybe so.

Just to play devil's advocate I say the team is already the worst. All the Wiz are doing is trading Gil's wretched deal for Rashard's. Maybe with Rashard Flip decides to start him at SF because Andray knows PF well. Or perhaps the Wiz luck up on good chemistry with Howard, Lewis, Blatche. Howard scores inside, Shard spaces the floor, Blatche moves to C and has some success. Amare kills at C. Blatche with go to moves and two other scorers might not be horrible.

Induveca could be right but I will try to be open to possible success.

[The Fax]

So if we're getting Lewis, who starts at SG? If it's a straight Arenas for Lewis swap our lineup (fully healthy) would look like?

Wall/Heinrich
Howard?/Young/Heinrich
Lewis/Young/Martin/Howard?
Blatche/Booker/Yi
McGee/Seraphin/Yi

I'm not really inclined to believe we didn't get Carter in this deal. He'd be a 1 year rental but at least we'd have a spot starter at SG, unless we start Martin or Josh Howard at the 2. I really don't want Heinrich to be our starting SG for the rest of the season. Also I'm not so solid on the idea of starting Lewis at SF, he doesn't have the lateral quickness to guard other SF's, could he come off the bench? Or is Saunders dumb enough to start him over Blatche?

This trade is definitely going to shake up the entire rotation. Lets just hope Saunders knows how to deal with it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

When you look at it, Orlando does not have very many trading assets. They would be getting a steal.

I agree. Ryan Anderson is a perimeter big who rebounds way better than Lewis. Moving Lewis' contract and getting a big-shot maker like Gil to play with Dwight Howard would be like a Brinks or Wells Fargo heist for Orlando.

If Carter were to be traded and waived but return after clearing waivers it could turn out like the Spurs getting rid of Sean Elliott or the Lakers letting Fisher go to Utah. Both guys came back huge.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

You guys are completely out to lunch if you think moving Gil is going to actually make it more likely that Wall wants out. You're making it sound as if we've just abandoned some sort of sustainable and effective alternative pathway towards solid basketball. The Needle's been pointed squarely to pathetic since the opening tip and the important thing is what the future prospects look going forward rather than how good or bad we were in Wall's first year.

The chemistry is horrible right now, so I hardly see why we're going to fall off from our current 1-10 pace or whatever. And a two year window? Where is that BS coming from? And it will be much easier to acquire further veteran players after a few years now than it would have been otherwise.

I don't get it. I can understand anyone saying "Damn, we're taking Lewis back?", sure, but this gloom and doom shyte is outright ridiculous given the context.

I agree with this completely. Hoopalotta, the sky already fell for this team. Why are some gloom? I think you are spot on that Wall won't be unhappy to see Gil gone. Gil already has been gracious to Wall. Gil wants to go. Gil leaving makes having Wall and Kirk as captains no longer awkward and not right by Gil.

Rather than be sad it ended this way with Gil, I am glad he's set free and the Wizards are free from his deal. This is like a bad marriage being dissolved.

[willbcocks]

I agree with this completely. Hoopalotta, the sky already fell for this team. Why are some gloom? I think you are spot on that Wall won't be unhappy to see Gil gone. Gil already has been gracious to Wall. Gil wants to go. Gil leaving makes having Wall and Kirk as captains no longer awkward and not right by Gil.

Rather than be sad it ended this way with Gil, I am glad he's set free and the Wizards are free from his deal. This is like a bad marriage being dissolved.

I also agree, although I think it's worth making clear that the sky didn't fall this November, but many many months before that.

[Ruzious]

Random thoughts:

The idea that trading Arenas means Wall will want to leave after 2 more seasons is laughable.

Trading Arenas for Lewis makes little to no sense for either team.

I'm surprised Josh Howard's name hasn't been mentioned in the trade talks. He'd be a nice fit for Orlando - if his jumper is falling.

99% of the time when the Wiretap has a headline that says a deal is iminent; within 2 days there's a Wiretap followup headline that says there is no truth to the rumor.

[closg00]

It would be ironic indeed if we took-on a contract even worse than Gilbert's. Orlando will have to sweeten-up the deal with something.

[AnotherFinn]

Trading Arenas for Lewis makes little to no sense for either team.

Well kinda does. Duhon apparently is not working well for Orlando, and Yi/Armstrong for Wizards (& Yi being out for 2-4weeks).

Orlando has lost 5 of last 6 games and Wizards is 0-13 on road and 0-6 last 6... Panic mode for GMs time...

[closg00]

You will see the return of the Hibachi in Orlando. As some have suspected here (and it appears obvious) Gil is mailing it in, rarely taking it to the hole. Gil will want to make a big splash wherever he lands.

[jholmbe1]

Hate to say it but I think it is time for Gil to go. He has clearly checked out mentally and physically the past few weeks. I am sure that he will drive at the hoop hard and go to the line frequently in Orlando, something he has barely done here.

I'd really like to make this deal work without Rashard. The last thing we need is another soft non-physical big man. I mean we could put him at SF but that puts him on the court with Blatche and Mcgee, that is one soft and stupid front court.

Lastly, who do we pick up to fill our PG spot? With Wall constantly injured we are going to need someone capable of playing more than 5-10 minutes a night as I imagine there will be many nights that will require starting with Wall out.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

If we can get VC & Gortat (long shot, but I HOPE), then we can start winning some games. I don't want to see Gil go, i was hoping he'd retire here.......I guess it's just that time.

Wall
VC/Young
Howard
Blatche
Gortat/McGee

[jholmbe1]

I highly doubt that VC sticks around for very long. Not sure what the rules are for turning around and trading him again but if we could do that before the deadline i am sure his expiring could get us a draft pick and maybe a useful player.

If we can't move him I am sure they will work on doing a buy-out much like we did with Big Z last year. VC is toxic in a losing situation and I doubt Ted wants him any where near Wall and the other kids.

[Ruzious]

This talk about VC being anything like a cancer at this point in his life is silly. He's all grown up now, and he knows he's no superstar who people are going to cater to. Plus, he's a free agent who hopes to get a contract next year. There's no reason to think he'll be a disruption here - and they'd certainly rather have his presence than Gilbert's. And he'd be a better complement to Wall than the Gilbert we've seen this season.

[fishercob]

First time I've made it to these parts since the story started breaking last night.

First of all.... somebody hold me!

I'd be really sad to see Gil's tenure in DC end this way, but have accepted it as an inevitability. I'm 34 and love Gil the way I've only loved Cal Ripken. I'd sure as hell be rooting for him in Orlando.

That said, I'm convinced that Gil will never be the player he was pre-surgeries. Even if he gets his shot back, he's lost the explosion to dunk on people or finish consistently in traffic. You don't get that back at his age. And so, at his pricetag, if we can move him and help the future, I'm okay with it.

As to the Rashard Lewis rumor, I wouldn't be shocked to see two moves (1) a Gil-Shard trade that gets a first rounder out of the Magic (2) Lewis jettisoned post-lockout via a new iteration of the Allan Houston rule that was discussed in a couple CBA-related pieces this week. If Ted believes such a rule is coming (and rightfully intended to use it to wipe the slate clean of Gil) there's no reason to not get a pick out of the deal and give Gil a deserved fresh start in the process.

If the deal ends up being Gil for Shard with no picks or prospects coming back, I'll be annoyed. But hell, even if we just get Cowboy Dan Orton, there's no reason not to make the move.

I love Gil and wish him the best. I really do. But it appears that it's time.

[fishercob]

BY the way, I'm on complete pins and needles. Work up at 4:30 (never happens to me) and had to check twitter.

[MJG]

I'm surprised how many people are wary about trading Arenas. I supposed there's something commendable about that kind of loyalty, but at some point some common sense has to enter the picture. He is owed about $62 million over three more seasons past this one, which is probably the second worst contract in the league, next to Joe Johnson. He doesn't seem happy playing here at all. We have a number one pick who has shown superstar potential already, who shares his position. He's been an average - at best - player so far this season, and even though he showed he can be better than this last year, he still was nowhere near his peak, a level he hasn't played at in four years. And even at his absolute peak, it's very questionable whether or not he was really worth $20 million per season.

I say in the best case, it's win-win-win for Arenas-Washington-Orlando, and even in the worst case, it's probably more like Indifferent-Indifferent-Lose. So one way or another, let's make this deal.

[no D in Hibachi]

The optimist in me hopes the Wiz/Magic deal is either Arenas for Carter or Arenas for Gortat/Pietrus/Duhan...But the realist in me thinks there's no other way for the Magic to make two trades, which they're rumored to be doing, unless they can unload Shart on the Wiz. Dark days are ahead if the Wiz swap Arenas for Shart...

[CourtsideTV]

Magic fan here. I think Shard is just shaky right now for whatever reason. If he lands in Washington, he'll probably be used PROPERLY for the first time since his 100 million dollar contract. You can see him posting up players and getting everyone involved again. Stan doesn't use our players properly.

[Hoopalotta]

MrMichaelLee 2 more sources confirmed Gilbert Arenas-to-ORL trade talks have heated up. 1 said deal isn't imminent; Arenas expected to suit up vs. MIA

MrMichaelLee MIA game should be a circus. Verizon Center is making preparations for President Obama to attend his 2nd Wiz game, according to a source.

stevekylerNBA Morning Text Messages --- Magic looking at Arenas, Jason Richardson and even Hedo Turkoglu -- most interest is in Jason Richardson

stevekylerNBA Hedo Turkoglu to Orlando talk has legs... Hedo is owed $23 million after this season, he waived his final year to get out of Toronto.

[willbcocks]

Lame, the internet is far too good at speeding up BS.