KOTB: Milwaukee - Phoenix - Portland

[Village Idiot]

"If you believe all teams would accept this trade, vote yes. If you believe otherwise, vote no. Please explain your vote."

Note that this trade works in the ESPN trade checker substituing Luke Babbitt and Myers Leonard for JJ Hickson who can not be traded until Dec 15.

Milwaukee trades:

Monta Ellis
$1 million

Milwaukee receives:

Wesley Matthews

The Bucks get a better fit next to Jennings and save a bunch of money as well as Matthews makes half of what Ellis does. Wes is a great defender and outside shooter and can give you 15 effective and complimentary points a game. Matthews is from Wisconsin and is probably a more likeable player for that market than Ellis.

Phoenix trades:

Marcin Gortat
Jared Dudley

Phoenix receives:

Monta Ellis
JJ Hickson
$1 million from Milwaukee
$1 million from Portland

The Suns desperately need a marketable go-to guy like Ellis whom I imagine would be a fantastic fit next to Dragic. Hickson isn't as well rounded as Gortat but provides outstanding rebounding (currently #8 in the NBA), effort and occaisional offensive prowess. This deal assumes that Phoenix's strategy for the year becomes to have an entertainng and marketable team that goes to the lottery in a draft deep at C and PF.


Portland trades:

Wesley Matthews
JJ Hickson
$1 million to Phoenix

Portland receives:

Marcin Gortat
Jared Dudley

If Portland wants to make the playoffs this is the kind of deal for them to consider. Gortat is a big improvement over Hickson in my opinion on both ends. Watching him run the pick and roll with Lillard would be a thing of beauty. Dudley is a good outside shooter and defender, not as dynamic as Matthews, but would be adequate playing off Lillard and Aldridge.

[phx#7]

No from the Suns. The Suns are not going to trade Gortat and Dudley for expiring vets. If the Suns want Ellis(and I hope they don't) they can sign him in the off-season(while keeping Gortat and Dudley), this trade does nothing to improve the team this year and weakens it going forward.

[Kerrsed]

I really like it from Phoenix's end but all together it gets a no.

Portland creates a hole at SG to plug Go in at C, while also keeping Hickson and Leonard. That doesnt make sense to me. Yes Gortat is an upgrade at C, but they are creating a bigger hole at SG.

Milwaukee does get a player that on paper is more compatible with Jennings, but that is on paper. Ellis and Jennings have been doing great together. You also have to remember that Jennings is leaving at the end of the year, and already stated that he will not be coming back to the bucks, so why add Matthews and ditch Ellis, who may be their starting PG next season?

A better idea would be to cut Portland out completely and do a Suns/Bucks trade.

Bucks get Gortat/Marshall Suns get Ellis/Sanders.

[franktony]

My vote is no

It takes 10 seconds to realize this trade was made by a POR fan.

Portland gets Gortat and Dudley for Mattews and Hickson? Really ?

If PHO is willing to take Monta for Gortat (something I seriously doubt), the Bucks simply cut Portland and take Gortat instead of Mattews.
Hickson isn't a Center. He is a 6'9 PF playing out of position because POR doesn't have anyone else better to play.

[Baddy Chuck]

If PHO is willing to take Monta for Gortat (something I seriously doubt), the Bucks simply cut Portland and take Gortat instead of Mattews.

Would we though?

Gortat has been extremely mediocre without Nash and our centers (mostly our younger ones) have been doing a great job this season.

Matthews fits what we we almost perfectly at SG, a big player who can shoot and defend.

[hcsilla]

I don't think that Monta Ellis is who the Suns need at SG.

No.

[JayMKE]

I really like it from Phoenix's end but all together it gets a no.

Portland creates a hole at SG to plug Go in at C, while also keeping Hickson and Leonard. That doesnt make sense to me. Yes Gortat is an upgrade at C, but they are creating a bigger hole at SG.

Milwaukee does get a player that on paper is more compatible with Jennings, but that is on paper. Ellis and Jennings have been doing great together. You also have to remember that Jennings is leaving at the end of the year, and already stated that he will not be coming back to the bucks, so why add Matthews and ditch Ellis, who may be their starting PG next season?

A better idea would be to cut Portland out completely and do a Suns/Bucks trade.

Bucks get Gortat/Marshall Suns get Ellis/Sanders.

news to me

Monta is likely going to opt this offseason and doesn't seem interested in coming back and if our management is smart they won't be interested either.

Jennings on the other hand is a RFA and guy we want to keep.

No interest in Gortat, we're not giving up Sanders for him.

Wes Matthews is a perfect fit for Milwaukee. He's local and the right type of player to pair for Jennings.

[Kerrsed]

I really like it from Phoenix's end but all together it gets a no.

Portland creates a hole at SG to plug Go in at C, while also keeping Hickson and Leonard. That doesnt make sense to me. Yes Gortat is an upgrade at C, but they are creating a bigger hole at SG.

Milwaukee does get a player that on paper is more compatible with Jennings, but that is on paper. Ellis and Jennings have been doing great together. You also have to remember that Jennings is leaving at the end of the year, and already stated that he will not be coming back to the bucks, so why add Matthews and ditch Ellis, who may be their starting PG next season?

A better idea would be to cut Portland out completely and do a Suns/Bucks trade.

Bucks get Gortat/Marshall Suns get Ellis/Sanders.

news to me

Monta is likely going to opt this offseason and doesn't seem interested in coming back and if our management is smart they won't be interested either.

Jennings on the other hand is a RFA and guy we want to keep.

Here you go, article/interview in SLAM magazine from 2 weeks ago entitled "Brandon Jennings is ‘Auditioning’ for Other Teams This Season"

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/20 ... is-season/

There are others as well, but i will let you use the almighty power of Google to find them yourself.

[Baddy Chuck]

You do know what a restricted free agent is right?

[Swimmer]

KOTB No -- This is too good for Portland. Dudley is a solid player, and Gortat is worth more than the entire package for him.

[Goldbum]

Wes is being WAY undervalued here. So is Hickson in my opinion. Not a home run for PDX. Godfather is another in a long line of players who look tons better playing next to Nash.

[Goldbum]

Wes is being WAY undervalued here. So is Hickson in my opinion. Not a home run for PDX. Godfather is another in a long line of players who look tons better playing next to Nash.