Official Trade Thread: New Year, New Thread, New Laughs

[Sunsdeuce]

Once again who is trading for a hobbled Melo? 20 plus million for a player who may need surgery. Makes no sense at all in the real world.

Im sure there are plenty of teams. When Melo is 100%, he is a top 10 player (easy). He hasnt been 100% this season, but still has been a great player. There would be more than a few teams that would be ok with Melo sitting out the next few months and getting surgery and coming back full next season.

We have the best medical/training staff in the league. If our doctors took a look at him and said they could fix him, i would take the chance. A team like the Lakers (who are already tanking so we dont get their top 5 protected pick) would be fine taking on Melo just to sit him for the season. Melo would help to take a lot of pressure off of Kobe next season, possibly extending his career.

@WojYahooNBA: Carmelo Anthony has been resisting idea of resting that sore knee, but Knicks have been encouraging him to sit, league sources tell Yahoo.

Knicks are desperate to tank.

[Gorilla Warfare]

Maybe they think Jahlil Okafor is the second coming of Patrick Ewing? And Stern isn't here to rig the lottery any more.

[Sunsdeuce]

@HowardBeck: But Knicks, I'm told, had a second priority: culture change. Phil Jackson wanted JR Smith gone. Dalembert, too. Drags on the locker room.

[Marz11]

Maybe OKC should get Gerald Green as well. A team full of chucker's so it won't even matter anymore that Scott Brooks has no idea how to draw up an offense.

[MettaWorldPanda]

Once again who is trading for a hobbled Melo? 20 plus million for a player who may need surgery. Makes no sense at all in the real world.

Im sure there are plenty of teams. When Melo is 100%, he is a top 10 player (easy). He hasnt been 100% this season, but still has been a great player. There would be more than a few teams that would be ok with Melo sitting out the next few months and getting surgery and coming back full next season.

We have the best medical/training staff in the league. If our doctors took a look at him and said they could fix him, i would take the chance. A team like the Lakers (who are already tanking so we dont get their top 5 protected pick) would be fine taking on Melo just to sit him for the season. Melo would help to take a lot of pressure off of Kobe next season, possibly extending his career.

LA does make some plausible sense since they did want him in the off season. I will give you that. Maybe the only possible team that makes sense due to the connection between Phil and Jeannie.

[Kerrsed]

Once again who is trading for a hobbled Melo? 20 plus million for a player who may need surgery. Makes no sense at all in the real world.

Im sure there are plenty of teams. When Melo is 100%, he is a top 10 player (easy). He hasnt been 100% this season, but still has been a great player. There would be more than a few teams that would be ok with Melo sitting out the next few months and getting surgery and coming back full next season.

We have the best medical/training staff in the league. If our doctors took a look at him and said they could fix him, i would take the chance. A team like the Lakers (who are already tanking so we dont get their top 5 protected pick) would be fine taking on Melo just to sit him for the season. Melo would help to take a lot of pressure off of Kobe next season, possibly extending his career.

LA does make some plausible sense since they did want him in the off season. I will give you that. Maybe the only possible team that makes sense due to the connection between Phil and Jeannie.

Dont forget that both Houston and Chicago went after him hard.

If Chicago wanted to ensure a title or two in the next few years..... Melo for Gibson/Dunleavy/Mirotic/Snell.

Rose/Butler/Melo/Gasol/Noah

Houston could also afford to sit Melo out for the year if they traded for him (with DMO or Smith covering the SF/PF spots). Melo for Ariza/Terry/Papanikolaou/1st.

Beverly/Harden/Melo/Smith or DMO/Howard

[Gorilla Warfare]

I'm sure Adam Silver is keeping a very close eye on Phil and Jeannie. I could see him shutting down a ridiculous CP3-like trade between the Lakers and Knicks if one was to arise. But I don't think Phil has the balls to risk his good name by trying something like that.

[bwgood77]

Wow, has Melo demanded a trade or something?

[bwgood77]

in fairness to Love though... the Cavs back court in tonights game is no way near starter level for the NBA... 76ers actually have productive front court... so Love did OK by scoring and rebounding... but the Cavs back court tonight... well..

Yeah, I went to look at that box score when he saw it. He had 28 and 19, but with LeBron, Irving and Waiters out, the other starters were Joe Harris, Delladova, Mike Miller and Tristan Thompson. Their bench was guys who were good for us 10 years ago...Marion and James Jones.

[bwgood77]

I'll be pretty shocked if they trade Melo. I think they are just going to try to retool the team around him. It's not often you sign a premier free agent, so you don't just trade them. Teams in big markets don't just tank for multiple seasons. They are trying to pull a year like the Spurs did when Robinson was hurt.

[letsgosuns]

For you guys that are interested in Brook Lopez (I think he is totally overrated) and were excited how he had 18 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter against Dallas. Well he finished the game with 22 points and 13 rebounds. So he had 4 points and 7 rebounds in the second, third, fourth, and overtime quarters combined. I have no interest in him. I would much rather let Len develop.

[bwgood77]

Im sure there are plenty of teams. When Melo is 100%, he is a top 10 player (easy). He hasnt been 100% this season, but still has been a great player. There would be more than a few teams that would be ok with Melo sitting out the next few months and getting surgery and coming back full next season.

We have the best medical/training staff in the league. If our doctors took a look at him and said they could fix him, i would take the chance. A team like the Lakers (who are already tanking so we dont get their top 5 protected pick) would be fine taking on Melo just to sit him for the season. Melo would help to take a lot of pressure off of Kobe next season, possibly extending his career.

LA does make some plausible sense since they did want him in the off season. I will give you that. Maybe the only possible team that makes sense due to the connection between Phil and Jeannie.

Dont forget that both Houston and Chicago went after him hard.

If Chicago wanted to ensure a title or two in the next few years..... Melo for Gibson/Dunleavy/Mirotic/Snell.

Rose/Butler/Melo/Gasol/Noah

Houston could also afford to sit Melo out for the year if they traded for him (with DMO or Smith covering the SF/PF spots). Melo for Ariza/Terry/Papanikolaou/1st.

Beverly/Harden/Melo/Smith or DMO/Howard

I don't even like Melo, but no way would I trade him for either of those packages, and Knicks fans would go ballistic if they took back deals like that.

[WeekapaugGroove]

So.. OKC gets Waiters for nobody. Great.


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meh waiters is a guy who likes to shoot but is hitting 25% from 3 and 40% overall. Might actually hurt the thunder more than he helps.



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[Kerrsed]

For you guys that are interested in Brook Lopez (I think he is totally overrated) and were excited how he had 18 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter against Dallas. Well he finished the game with 22 points and 13 rebounds. So he had 4 points and 7 rebounds in the second, third, fourth, and overtime quarters combined. I have no interest in him. I would much rather let Len develop.

He played all of the 1st quarter (12 minutes), then sat on the bench for almost the entire 2nd. He also didnt play at all in OT (I know, i have him on my Fantasy Team).

Still, he ended up with 22/7 with 4 blocks against a playoff team. Pretty good.

I also wasnt advocating trading for him. I have stated numerous times before that i was/am against it.

[asudevil]

I think the Knicks hold onto Melo. They cleared a ton of salary for a reason.....to make a play in FA this coming offseason. The key was clearing the $6.5mil JR was going to pick up next season.

[bwgood77]

I think the Knicks hold onto Melo. They cleared a ton of salary for a reason.....to make a play in FA this coming offseason. The key was clearing the $6.5mil JR was going to pick up next season.

Yeah, I made a joke in the GB thread that maybe LeBron, in his disgust with the Cleveland situation talked to Melo/Jackson and told them to clear out the knuckleheads and make cap space for him to sign and play with Melo under Jackson next season, and to tell them to dump them on the Cavs for Blatt to deal with if at all possible.

[bwgood77]

So.. OKC gets Waiters for nobody. Great.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

meh waiters is a guy who likes to shoot but is hitting 25% from 3 and 40% overall. Might actually hurt the thunder more than he helps.

Sent from my SM-G900V using RealGM Forums mobile app

Kevin Pelton (espn insider) gave the Thunder a D for the trade

Oklahoma City Thunder: D


This trade looks like the start of a two-step process for the Thunder, and it's hard to evaluate before we know what part two will be. First off, Waiters seems to create a crowd on the wing in Oklahoma City. It's tough to see Waiters ousting the two specialists playing most of the Thunder's shooting guard minutes (defensive stopper Andre Roberson and sharpshooter Anthony Morrow), which would leave him battling fellow youngsters Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones for spot minutes as the fourth wing.

Second, as noted by ESPN's Royce Young, this trade puts Oklahoma City slightly over the luxury tax. The Thunder have never paid the tax, and it seems unlikely they would do so when they can easily get under. Dealing either Jones or Lamb to a team with a trade exception would do the trick, and that's the most likely follow-up. The more extreme possibility is that Oklahoma City really is planning to trade Jackson, a restricted free agent this summer, and sees Waiters as a replacement for the minutes Jackson plays alongside Russell Westbrook.

Ultimately, I think this deal is probably about Presti value shopping for a player drafted No. 4 overall. The first-round pick the Thunder sent to Cleveland is top-18 protected according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, so the worst-case scenario is Oklahoma City gives up the 19th or 20th pick as a low seed in this year's playoffs. It's also possible the pick rolls over to 2016, in which case it will probably fall in the late 20s.

The problem is I'm not sure Waiters is even worth a low first-rounder. Three seasons into his career, he's never rated better than right around replacement level. Waiters fits slightly better with the Thunder than the Cavaliers because of Scott Brooks' tendency to rest both Westbrook and Kevin Durant at the same time, leaving Reggie Jackson as the primary creator on the floor, but the same issues exist if Oklahoma City tries to play Waiters with the starters. So the Thunder might not be more satisfied with Waiters than Cleveland was.

[letsgosuns]

For you guys that are interested in Brook Lopez (I think he is totally overrated) and were excited how he had 18 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter against Dallas. Well he finished the game with 22 points and 13 rebounds. So he had 4 points and 7 rebounds in the second, third, fourth, and overtime quarters combined. I have no interest in him. I would much rather let Len develop.

He played all of the 1st quarter (12 minutes), then sat on the bench for almost the entire 2nd. He also didnt play at all in OT (I know, i have him on my Fantasy Team).

Still, he ended up with 22/7 with 4 blocks against a playoff team. Pretty good.

I also wasnt advocating trading for him. I have stated numerous times before that i was/am against it.

Oh I was not calling you or anyone else out about wanting him or anything. I just know some fans have mentioned trading for him and I am not really a fan of his. He is not a bad player but I do not see him as a fit on the Suns.

[bwgood77]

My guess is Phil Jackson was not giving away Shumpert without also getting rid of Smith. Shumpert on the Cacvs is actually a pretty good fit. Brings defense.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/552304723836293121[/tweet]

[carey]

My guess is Phil Jackson was not giving away Shumpert without also getting rid of Smith. Shumpert on the Cacvs is actually a pretty good fit. Brings defense.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/552304723836293121[/tweet]

Haha. Boom.