Min/NO

[TheProdigy]

Wolves get: Eric Gordon, Emeka Okafor

Hornets get: Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley, Luke Ridnour, Utah 1st, Memphis 1st

Wolves do this trade because it balances the depth chart. Hornets do this trade because it cuts salary in the long haul and they get young talent on rookie contracts.

Wolves lineup:

Okafor/Milicic/Pekovic/Miller
Love/Randolph/Tolliver
Johnson/Webster
Gordon/Ellington
Rubio/Barea/Lee

The only reason I see the Hornets NOT doing this trade is if they realize how much better the trade would make the Wolves, thus lowering the value of the pick still owed to them this year.

[B Calrissian]

The only reason I see the Hornets NOT doing this trade is if they realize how much better the trade would make the Wolves, thus lowering the value of the pick still owed to them this year.

That is a huge reason. They would need to trade our pick before this trade or we add a bit more value and they trade it to us.

[Kumar]

I've frown a little sour on Okafor.

The value is nearly fair - Wolves overpaying a tiny bit much with the 2 firsts. But I would make this deal. Any deal bringing in a competent SG and C is good in my book.

[TheProdigy]

The only reason I see the Hornets NOT doing this trade is if they realize how much better the trade would make the Wolves, thus lowering the value of the pick still owed to them this year.

That is a huge reason. They would need to trade our pick before this trade or we add a bit more value and they trade it to us.

The trade deadline is March 15th. If we waited until then to consummate the trade, then there would only be about a month left of the regular season. In that amount of time our draft pick's position probably wouldn't change all that much. Maybe New Orleans would be willing to do the trade at the deadline?

[shrink]

Our nice start has made the pick #12 right now, and unless we start failing fast, I think the addition of Rubio, Williams and Adelman will only help the Wolves improve over the rest of the season, and decrease the value of that pick.

I think there are a lot of good trades that could occur between MIN and NOH. Okafor is a little overpaid compared to other centers that have new contracts (Nene, Noah) that pay about the same as Okafor. NOH, and the 29 owners that pay those salaries, are not going to enjoy Okafor in NOH, with money-losing attendance, as Glen Taylor would like to see him in MIN.

I've said in other places that a Gordon for Williams deal may make sense to both teams. Gordon is better than Williams, but Williams isn't getting a big extension next year, and is just starting rookie scale, so he's cheap. He also has gotten more publicity last year in the NCAA and NBA Draft than Gordon did, on a bad team upstaged by Blake -- that matters when NOH has to sell more tickets. Finally, Williams won't have leverage to force his way out for 7 years.

Personally, I think MIN is giving up more that they need to in this specific trade, but I like the idea of an NOH-MIN deal.

[Narf]

I might be in the minority here, but I think Okafor is better than Noah. Defensively I'll take Oka over Noah....and offensively too.

[shangrila]

You are. Noah is much better than Okafor

[Saltine]

I'd do it, though I would probably want Ariza thrown in the deal to play SF for us, we may want to ship them a center as well...

[TheUroborosWorm]

No, is not much better than okafor, but he looks like he is, because Noah actually tries, he hustles, he gives it all, has a contagious energy, i'd even say that Noah is worse at playing the game of basketball than Emeka, but Noah gives your team a lot more things, if Emeka had a heart...

Said that, Okafor/Gordon would be really good for the balance of the roster, and would put us right now in the 6th-8th race... but we need either Beas/Dwill to become a reliable SF,as low is i rate Beasley, i have the feeling that alongside with rubio he will settle his head, and regain confidence, and talent wise he is the kind of SF this team need, big, athletic, somewhat reliable jumper, able to create his own shot, he just needs to focus in basketball and wining, learn the spirit of the game that Rubio has, its contagious also, he exudes passion for the game, everybody notes that...

IF (and is a big IF) we could land those 2 without giving Beasley, i will be really pleased and looking without embarrassing myself at a pretender next season and a contender in 2 years.

[Grits n Gravy]

yes please

[change]

wouldn't give anywhere near that much up for Gordon and his injury proneness, too risky

[Fire Mchale]

I like the idea of most anything involving the Wolves and NOH. It seems to me that they are near perfect trade partners. Their strengths are where we are weak at SG and C and we can give them what they want - youth and financial freedoms.

I love the potential of Derrick Williams but as long as he's here, he'll be held back from becoming the player he could become in an invironment where he can play 38 minutes a night. That being said, he should be a target of both NOH and Phoenix and as long as we can turn him into a functional C and SG I'm on board. Gordon is my favorite SG with any availability at all and I think it would be in the best interest of the Wolves to go after him with a vengeance. Adding Okafor finishes our final gaping hole and turns this team into an absolute playoff team.

[Mr Dew]

Of ALL the different trade scenarios I've seen posted, I've seen this deal or similar versions of it a number of times and it is by far my favorite option. I do this yesterday if possible. Hopefully something like this is in the works and NO is just waiting until the deadline to maintain as much value on the pick as possible.