Official Speculation & Free Agency Thread (Pt X, Mods close)

[Trillen]

Kinda OT but i read on Hoopsworld that Rafer "Skip to my lou" Alston is making a comeback but he's going to play in the D-league....I believe D-League players can sign with any team if not signed already.....If it was up to you would you try to bring him back?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gGtvM6qi7I[/youtube]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/rafer-alston- ... a-comeback

Couldn't be worse than duhon.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Just thought up a somewhat interesting scenario. The Knicks are sucking big time, right....and they would probably jump at the chance to send Amare and Chandler away for Dwight. Most people here don't want Amare+Chandler....but what about something like this:

If we play hardball and tell NJ, "look, we are gonna send Dwight to NYC, your enemy, the team that will be across the street next year...and then Deron is gonna jet to Dallas this summer, you will be left with nothing. You should get something out of it....how about this, NJ:"

ORL sends Dwight+Hedo to NYC
NYC sends Chandler to ORL
NYC sends Amare to NJ
NJ sends Deron to ORL

So NJ gets a "star" in Amare that they can fill some seats with (I still believe his issues aren't injury related, he was playing at an amazing level last year before Melo got there...it's just that those two don't play well together). NYC gets Dwight to pair with Melo, a much better fit. ORL gets Deron + Chandler (we all know Chandler plays 10x better with a great PG, see his play in DAL and New Orleans vs his play in NYC and Charlotte). Obviously this would all be contingent on Deron agreeing to extend or sign or whatever....but I wouldn't be shocked if he would want to paired with a high-flying defensive minded C like Chandler. He saw what CP3 could turn him into. Plus, with Dwight and Hedo in NYC, they couldn't sign Deron outright, so Deron would then be forced to play somewhere without Dwight....and his options would then be Dallas with Dirk and not much else, or ORL with a team of JJ, JRich, Ryan, Chandler. Those are perfect pieces to play alongside Deron imo.

Wow....settle down. OK, obv not "perfect", but great fits, that was my point. A spot up sharpshooter in JJ, doesn't turn it over much, decent defender, high IQ. JRich is similar, has shown he can still post up a bit, and would be the beneficiary of a great passer (already shown that in PHX with Nash), Ryan would be another weapon to kick out to in a stretch 4 (similar to Frye in PHX), and as I stated, Chandler is a WAY more effective player when he was a PG who can lob to him, which Deron can. He's proven that. Plus he is a great defender and a good rebounder. You act as though that team wouldn't gel...if you could add a nice wing ala Iggy or Deng, that would be a solid solid team.

That team would be an amazing shooting team, a very very good rebounding team, and a decent defensive team. You can always bring in BBD or Earl if you want more defense. It is a similarly constructed roster to the 07-08 Hornets who were the #2 seed in the West.

huh?

[arkknight1988]

i can't believe we never gave gortat/dwight a chance to start together. a playmaking pg could of made it work. plus gortat has a nice midrange and dwight is quick enough to guard bosh/amare on the perimeter while gortat crashed the boards. damn u otis!

[Blue_and_Whte]

Meer needs to go:

JohnDenton555 John Denton
Don't overlook these numbers from #Magic win. Team was +19 when @JJRedick47 was on floor and +17 with @CDuhonStandTall playing 24 min.

If he keeps playing like this...yeah he does or at least sit him.

[Bensational]

I'd be down, I wonder what our salary cap situation would look like?

compared to options of Bynum or Brook Lopez, it's a definite front runner.

if the Nets somehow pulled the #1 pick in the draft, though, and were prepared to offer that with Lopez then i'd probably be inclined to take that. but either deal would be a great core to build around.

I'm sure Dwight would just give up the extra money to see his new team have Lopez (trade piece) AND a stud rookie. It's Dwight or bust if we don't trade him before the deadline.

i don't think Dwight is that selfless.

and in the end i'd settle for just the draft pick, not even Lopez.

[Blue_and_Whte]

^^Really? Not me I'd at least want them to get Lopez.

[thelead]

^ he would get blasted by the media for forcing a trade for the extra money.

[ADRajX]

Blue_and_Whte is a Jameer fan first, Magic fan second. At least that's how he comes off. You had Deron starting ahead of Jameer which resulted in the face.

Why do these kids get their diapers in a wad just because Im not on the Bash jameer bus. Stop crying dude. You act like I think he's an all star. Typical weak response so no surprise there.

You dont hate the same player I do? omg you're a player fan first.

Grow the hell up.

you probably all ready know this, but just in case/fyi, I posted my reply to the original post before you mentioned that you meant and not in the other thread... water under the bridge now

/febreeze brothers

[darthmerrick]

I'm getting nervous. Based on the Orton, Anderson decisions and what Houston just did with Jordan Hill...and what Dwight said an the interview about "I started my career in Orlando". I believe a blockbuster trade is about to happen. It doesn't take much to realize who the teams are and what they want with the recent moves. I think these are the players involved to be mixed between the three teams using the trade checker. I hope I'm wrong!

Orlando trades Dwight, Ryan Anderson, JJ Redick, Daniel Orton, Jameer Nelson
Orlando Receives: Andrew Bynum, Kevin Martin, Louis Scola, Kyle Lowery Houston 1st round pick

La Lakers trade: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Meta World Peace
Receive: Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jordan Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee

Houston trades: Kyle Lowery, Kevin Martin, Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill, Louis Scola, Houston 1st round
Houston Receives: JJ Redick, Jameer Nelson, Meta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Daniel Orton

[Bensational]

^ he would get blasted by the media for forcing a trade for the extra money.

there's no forcing going on. he's provided with a few options:

1) go to the Lakers in a trade for Bynum, play with Pau + Kobe + MWP, get paid full contract.

2) go to the Clippers in a trade for Griffin, play with Paul + Billups + Butler + Jordan, get paid full contract.

3) go to the Nets in a trade for Lopez + draft pick, play with Deron + scrubs, get paid full contract.

4) go to the Nets in a trade for Nets 2012 draft pick + Rocket's pick, play with Deron + Lopez + scrubs, get paid full contract.

5) go to the Nets via signing outright, play with Deron + Lopez + Draft Pick + scrubs, get paid $15M less on a contract for a max 4 years.

[MagicFan41]

I'm getting nervous. Based on the Orton, Anderson decisions and what Houston just did with Jordan Hill...and what Dwight said an the interview about "I started my career in Orlando". I believe a blockbuster trade is about to happen. It doesn't take much to realize who the teams are and what they want with the recent moves. I think these are the players involved to be mixed between the three teams using the trade checker. I hope I'm wrong!

Orlando trades Dwight, Ryan Anderson, JJ Redick, Daniel Orton, Jameer Nelson
Orlando Receives: Andrew Bynum, Kevin Martin, Louis Scola, Kyle Lowery Houston 1st round pick

La Lakers trade: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Meta World Peace
Receive: Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jordan Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee

Houston trades: Kyle Lowery, Kevin Martin, Courtney Lee, Jordan Hill, Louis Scola, Houston 1st round
Houston Receives: JJ Redick, Jameer Nelson, Meta World Peace, Pau Gasol, Daniel Orton

Think you might be reading a BIT too much into those moves....we declined Orton cuz he basically hasn't touched the basketball court since we drafted him. No point in picking up his option really. We obv don't think he is NBA ready. That being said...I wouldn't be shocked if something similar to this ends up being an eventual trade for us, and I would be QUITE happy with that trade tbh. Lowry is a baller, great contract. Kevin Martin is very underrated, as is Scola. If Bynum is healthy, that's a hell of a team right there. It's basically a better version of current Houston (who is on a sick tear right now)....plus add in BBD and JRich, with the 2nd best big in the league.

[MagicFan41]

Does anybody know what the deal with the new MLE is? It is available every year right? I think the players fought for that part and won on the issue. Wonder if we are planning on using it at all this year...depending on what trades are made, a guy like Kenyon Martin would fit really well I think. Gives us toughness, defense, rebounding, and a legit backup PF/C.

Also, I wonder if PHX would be willing to trade Nash once Aaron Brooks returns around the deadline?

[Cigamodnalro]

[thelead]

^ he would get blasted by the media for forcing a trade for the extra money.

there's no forcing going on. he's provided with a few options:

1) go to the Lakers in a trade for Bynum, play with Pau + Kobe + MWP, get paid full contract.

2) go to the Clippers in a trade for Griffin, play with Paul + Billups + Butler + Jordan, get paid full contract.

3) go to the Nets in a trade for Lopez + draft pick, play with Deron + scrubs, get paid full contract.

4) go to the Nets in a trade for Nets 2012 draft pick + Rocket's pick, play with Deron + Lopez + scrubs, get paid full contract.

5) go to the Nets via signing outright, play with Deron + Lopez + Draft Pick + scrubs, get paid $15M less on a contract for a max 4 years.

You know 1 is not an option for the magic.
2 wouldn't work because of money
3 would work for Dwight if it happened BEFORE the deadline, so we'll see
Orlando would only do 4 after the season, but I doubt Dwight does

that leaves option 5 which would give him the best chance of winning a championship.

[94_MagicFan]

Please bring back rafer

[thelead]

Kevin Martin is very underrated

He is now overrated due to the new rules that have been implemented. It has been said that NBA rule makers specifically used Kevin Martin video to determine what they wanted out of the game. I want no part of Martin unless Dwight is here.

[SolidSnake008]

Please bring back rafer

He is the type of PG we need imo....Jameer nelson is what he is but he isn't a push the pace PG....Rafer is....With Rafer coming off the bench it gives opponents a different look with a bench that runs....Duhon is just like Jameer...Slow bringing the ball up...no sense of urgency....I was upset when he was traded and so was Rafer i believe...he wanted to stay...hopefully we haven't burned that bridge

[thelead]

Please bring back rafer

He is the type of PG we need imo....Jameer nelson is what he is but he isn't a push the pace PG....Rafer is....With Rafer coming off the bench it gives opponents a different look with a bench that runs....Duhon is just like Jameer...Slow bringing the ball up...no sense of urgency....I was upset when he was traded and so was Rafer i believe...he wanted to stay...hopefully we haven't burned that bridge

Rafer hasn't played NBA ball in a while... I hope you're not serious. I do miss Rafer though. He nearly averaged 2 steals a night for us.

[MagicFan41]

Kevin Martin is very underrated

He is now overrated due to the new rules that have been implemented. It has been said that NBA rule makers specifically used Kevin Martin video to determine what they wanted out of the game. I want no part of Martin unless Dwight is here.

In his last 6 games he had games of 28,25,32,25, and 31. Tonight he has 29, with the game almost over. I'll go ahead and take a guy who can put up those numbers all day. Plus, he is an AMAZING FT% shooter, and even with the new rules he is still getting to the line a decent amount per game. Put some pieces around him like a good PG (Lowry) and a good big man (healthy Bynum) and that's a perfect guy to have who can score that amount.

[thelead]

^ I agree with most of what you said... but if you are going to bet on a healthy Bynum, you might as well be prepared for disappointment.

Also, Martin is a ball stopper who doesn't pass very well (career 2 apg). He is not my ideal 2 guard.