Discussing Other Teams' Moves

[closg00]

Loving what the Pacers are doing.

+ 1 and add the Rockets the Rockets & Grizzlies to that group. The Rockets just called the Grizzlies bluff and they are going after the Gasol brothers. They might fail to acquire them both, but they are going for it. Having just missed the playoffs, some orgs would sit on their hands and call that a victory.

[Rafael122]

I'm sure Memphis will match but I find it hard to believe that they are going to trade OJ Mayo for Josh McRoberts out of all people.

[LyricalRico]

Chicago may be jumping into the Howard sweepstakes now. Noah+Gibson+CHA pick is a solid package IMO, but I don't know if ORL wants Noah's contract.

Could we get in on that? Maybe absorb the contracts of Noah and somebody from ORL, while sending McGee+filler to the Magic?

[LyricalRico]

Possibly stupid question . . . can the Lakers trade the exemption they got for Odom to Orlando for a Turkoglu type bad contract to sweeten a DHoward deal?

Yep. Essentially they can now offer Orlando pure cap savings instead of Odom's salary.

[nate33]

It looks like the Knicks are going to clear cap room to acquire Jamal Crawford - finding a 3rd team to take a salary off their hands - just like they did with Wiz taking Turiaf to get Chandler. If it's Douglas that they're dumping, I think it's a mistake. I love Douglas' toughness, and he can play either guard position. They've already wasted space by getting Bibby. I'd just go after Barea if I were the Knicks. Btw, Crawford going to the Knicks doesn't help for the Wiz getting back Young cheaply - we figured Crawford would go to a team with cap room - not a team like the Knicks.

Alan Hahn:Deal for Crawford, whom D'Antoni loved before Nov. 08 trade, would include team with cap space to help facilitate deal.2 minutes ago

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter/media.html#ixzz1gFDHEiLq

I'm not sure how they're going to do it. Melo, Amare and Chandler alone cost $50M. Bibby costs $1.1M, Balkman, $1.7M, Douglas, $1.1M, Fields, $0.7M and Bill Walker $0.9M. Add 3 minimum salary vets and their cap number is already around $57M. That leaves them with just $1M in cap room. Even if they ship off Balkman's salary, they've still got to factor a minimum salary contract in his place worth about $500K so that only frees up about $1.1M. I just don't see how it's possible for them to scrape together cap room equal to the MLE or more. They're better off just using the MLE.

I don't know if they can get Crawford for the MLE. Maybe. (Frankly, I think that's all he's worth, but GM's are spending like drunken sailors these days.)

[closg00]

I'm sure Memphis will match but I find it hard to believe that they are going to trade OJ Mayo for Josh McRoberts out of all people.

The Grizz will certainly get more out of this deal.

[nate33]

Chicago may be jumping into the Howard sweepstakes now. Noah+Gibson+CHA pick is a solid package IMO, but I don't know if ORL wants Noah's contract.

Could we get in on that? Maybe absorb the contracts of Noah and somebody from ORL, while sending McGee+filler to the Magic?

I like that thought. Orlando in full rebuild mode might prefer McGee with his youth and small contract over Noah. Noah is a good player but not a great one. He's the type of guy that might keep Orlando from tanking all the way to the bottom of the lottery like they need to. McGee will allow them to suck in the short term while still having long term upside higher than Noah's.

We could absorb Duhon as part of the deal. (Which fits our need for a veteran backup PG.)

[nate33]

Chicago may be jumping into the Howard sweepstakes now. Noah+Gibson+CHA pick is a solid package IMO, but I don't know if ORL wants Noah's contract.

Could we get in on that? Maybe absorb the contracts of Noah and somebody from ORL, while sending McGee+filler to the Magic?

I like that thought. Orlando in full rebuild mode might prefer McGee with his youth and small contract over Noah. Noah is a good player but not a great one. He's the type of guy that might keep Orlando from tanking all the way to the bottom of the lottery like they need to. McGee will allow them to suck in the short term while still having long term upside higher than Noah's.

We could absorb Duhon as part of the deal. (Which fits our need for a veteran backup PG.)

Of course, if Orlando is willing to essentially trade Howard for McGee and cap relief, then we should just cut Chicago out of the deal and make one ourselves.

[Rafael122]

If we're getting involved in any deal with Dwight Howard is hopefully get Howard himself. I'd trade McGee + Blatche + 2013 1st round pick (unprotected) for Dwight and we take back Hedo's contract.

[theboomking]

If LA lands Dwight, is there any way they can make room for Deron next year? I guess Deron has opted out and could sign now. I wonder what cap options the Lakers have.

[LyricalRico]

Chicago may be jumping into the Howard sweepstakes now. Noah+Gibson+CHA pick is a solid package IMO, but I don't know if ORL wants Noah's contract.

Could we get in on that? Maybe absorb the contracts of Noah and somebody from ORL, while sending McGee+filler to the Magic?

I like that thought. Orlando in full rebuild mode might prefer McGee with his youth and small contract over Noah. Noah is a good player but not a great one. He's the type of guy that might keep Orlando from tanking all the way to the bottom of the lottery like they need to. McGee will allow them to suck in the short term while still having long term upside higher than Noah's.

We could absorb Duhon as part of the deal. (Which fits our need for a veteran backup PG.)

Of course, if Orlando is willing to essentially trade Howard for McGee and cap relief, then we should just cut Chicago out of the deal and make one ourselves.

In a perfect world, yes. But I'm operating under the following assumptions:

1) Howard wants Chicago over DC.
2) Orlando sees Gibson and the Charlotte pick as better than the filler would give (Charlotte's pick is likely to be lotto, while ours would not since we'd have Howard).

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I'm sure Memphis will match but I find it hard to believe that they are going to trade OJ Mayo for Josh McRoberts out of all people.

I don't. McRoberts is very underrated. Zach Randolph got worn down by Nick Collison's fouls along with Perkins and Ibaka guarding him. The Grizzlies added a very athletic big for Mayo, who they really do not need with Rudy Gay coming back.

The move makes sense more for Memphis than Indiana, IMO. Danny Granger got a lot of help down the stretch from Paul George, but they are both swing men, as is Mayo. I think the Pacers are making a mistake to go solely with Tyler Hansbrough at PF.

[closg00]

I'm sure Memphis will match but I find it hard to believe that they are going to trade OJ Mayo for Josh McRoberts out of all people.

I don't. McRoberts is very underrated. Zach Randolph got worn down by Nick Collison's fouls along with Perkins and Ibaka guarding him. The Grizzlies added a very athletic big for Mayo, who they really do not need with Rudy Gay coming back.

The move makes sense more for Memphis than Indiana, IMO. Danny Granger got a lot of help down the stretch from Paul George, but they are both swing men, as is Mayo. I think the Pacers are making a mistake to go solely with Tyler Hansbrough at PF.

The Pacers landed West on a 2-year $20 million deal. A West/Hibbert Front Court is exactly what the Pacers will need in a return to the playoffs. Hansbrough will make a nice 6th man....and McBob IS underrated.

[tontoz]

How many teams will actually have the cap space to sign Howard next summer, assuming Orlando doesn't trade him?

[MF23]

Yes, nice contract Gasol. Countdown to Rudy Gay getting amnestied. I'd bid on that and it's going to happen because nobodies trading for that contract. There is no way Memphis is going to keep all of these players when their tax starts kicking in. Maybe not this year but next season when that incremental thing begins Memphis will not be paying 1.75 on the dollar. In 5 yrs I wonder what team salaries are going to look like. The tax system is brutal.

[LyricalRico]

Countdown to Rudy Gay getting amnestied. I'd bid on that and it's going to happen because nobodies trading for that contract. There is no way Memphis is going to keep all of these players when their tax starts kicking in.

Would Orlando take Gay in a multiple team Dwight Howard scenario? Tough contract but at least he's young and considered by many to be a building block type of player.

MEM trades: Gay
MEM receives: Martin

HOU trades: Scola, Martin, first
HOU receives: Pau

LAL trade: Bynum, Pau, first
LAL receives: Howard, Scola, Turkgolu

ORL trades: Howard, Turkgolu
ORL receives: Bynum, Gay, picks

Kevin Martin's deal should be up in time for them to get some financial relief, but they still get to compete in the interim and don't lose Rudy for nothing.

[Rafael122]

Makes you wonder what the hell Otis Smith is doing. This team has no cap relief for at least the next 4-5 years. He keeps handing out one bad contract after another, thinking Jason Richardson and Glen Davis somehow will convince Dwight to stay. No wonder he wants to leave.

[MF23]

In my opinion no. Gay is not a leader and his value went down a little when Memphis actually played better without him. Everyone realizes he's a player but his contract means a team like Memphis should be a championship contender with his addition. This is a big year for Gay but there are doubts about him. Athough, if he ever lit a fire he could be another Scotty Pippen.

[pancakes3]

Gay in my estimation is gerald wallace without the rebounding, sjax without the 3pt shooting, turkalu without the handles - just an overall very average sf. A tall caron butler? Certainly there's room for him on the right team but that qualifier "on the right team" makes it hard to find trade partners. Maybe detroit? Maybe minny? Maybe charlotte? Odds are he stays in memphis as an albatross across their collective necks especially now that mayo is gone

[Ruzious]

Gay in my estimation is gerald wallace without the rebounding, sjax without the 3pt shooting, turkalu without the handles - just an overall very average sf. A tall caron butler? Certainly there's room for him on the right team but that qualifier "on the right team" makes it hard to find trade partners. Maybe detroit? Maybe minny? Maybe charlotte? Odds are he stays in memphis as an albatross across their collective necks especially now that mayo is gone

Just wondering why you picked sjax for 3 point shooting. At this point in their careers, Gay is the far better 3 point shooter of the 2. I think he's a very good player - just over-paid. The problem with Rudy Gay is his contract. Gay with a reasonable contract can be a valuable asset, imo.