Texas Chuck wrote:REbel,
you seem to be missing one major point: they are giving up nothing for him. Nothing. McGee, please Karl doesnt even trust the guy, a late 1st when they already have more young prospects than they have money for.
I love how many responses single me out when several said this was not a good deal.
Karl not trusting a player means nothing to me (Karl has jacked with talented players throughout his career and even now he plays a hustle player over a talented young 3 point shooter), fact is McGee is putting up solid numbers and the Nuggets just signed him to be the center of the future. Mozgov while injury prone is a solid backup quality young big. Chandler while struggling to come back from his injury last year and still under severe doctor restrictions was a 15 and 6 guy with a block a game. to me that is giving up quit a bit for someone that does not improve the team enough short term to justify the long term loses.
That is not even mentioning the future pick, here is a little secret fans of larger market teams do not get, if a good team wants to add players that they believe will out perform their contract then the draft is the best way to do it. The Nuggets could win the championship next year and they still would not get ring chasers or players agreeing to take less money to play in Denver. That does not happen, so why trade a pick for someone who is a short term improvement?
Texas Chuck wrote:You keep talking about why Gasol doesnt work but you leave out that he is an excellent post scorer/distributor, a great rebounder and an upgrade defensively over their current rotation.
Gasol is such a great defender that teams have always had a better defensive big to go with him. As for rebounds, Denver is the top rebounding team in the league, averaging almost 2 more rebounds per game then the next closest team, so that is not their problem.
As for being a scorer/distributer I will agree that he is that, but then who does he pass it out to, and who creates the room for him to operate? Teams do not add a 32 year old $19 million per year guy when they have no chance to win the championship this year.
Texas Chuck wrote:So its a massive upgrade, costs them next to nothing, and doesnt touch a single young player in their future plans other than adding another mediocre prospect in what 'Im told is a thin draft that they wont have minutes for.
If this involved Gallo or Faried or Lawson or even guys like Fournier or Hamilton then what you are saying makes sense. But to not upgrade your team because you still have other needs when the upgrade costs you this little seems crazy to me.
So if the trade involved any of the last 3 guys the Nuggets picked up in the 1st round then it would make sense arguing against it, but having a problem giving up a 1st round pick for Gasol does not? As for the bad draft argument, you mean like the 2011 draft where they got 2 of the guys on your list?
The Nuggets resigned McGee and Chandler both because they are in the long term plans they did not just pay those guys millions of dollars just to piss off the owner. The rumors were that other teams were calling them around the draft to trade with the Nuggets not that the Nuggets were out there shopping Chandler or anybody else for that matter.
Besides that Gasol at this point is not a massive upgrade long term, it is stupid for the 3rd youngest team in the league to trade a bunch of young talent they like for a guy who is 32 years and has had his production drop in each of the last 2 years. Especially when your teams biggest weaknesses do no improve, which will mean you are selling a piece of the future for a short term gain that gets you no closer to your actual goal.
Also another thing this ignores is the lack of flexibility. Once Gasol's trade kicker kicks in the Nuggets will be over the tax next year with 12 players under contract. You think a team that is not a contender wants to add a guy who is going to make a deal putting them in the luxury tax?
One last thing, something for others to think about although I do not expect real answers to this question.
Would any one try to argue that the Pistons should trade 2 of their young talented players plus a pick and a additional young player that the Pistons like for Gasol?
Would you advocate the Kings trading 3 young guys they are high on as well as a future 1st round pick?
If you say no, well then I agree, but here is the little secret both teams are older then the Nuggets. No rebuilding team even if they have done better then expected should be trading for 32 year old max salary guy that is not the final piece.