Wiz trade 5th pick to Minnesota

[Kanyewest]

My biggest problem with the deal is Randy Foye. I just don't think he's very good. I fail to see how he's any better than Nick Young. Young is much taller, much longer, 3 years younger, and puts up the same PER with a better shooting efficiency and a much better on/off differential. I don't see the addition of Foye to be remotely useful because he'll just be taking minutes from a similar player - only Young at least had the potential for significant improvement.

So basically, we traded the #5 pick for a one-year rental of Mike Miller and $5M in cap relief next season.

The only way to salvage this fiasco is to trade one of Young or Foye (preferably Foye) for a pretty good frontcourt player. Something like Foye for Carl Landry would be nice. Or Foye + Stevenson for Nick Collison.

Foye is easily a better passer than Nick Young, with an assist to turnover ratio at 2:1. Nick Young's assist to turnover hovers around 1:1.

Also factor in that Foye was coming off an injury this season. Foye shot 41% in the months of November and December. In January, Foye increased his shooting % to 45% and his 3 point shooting to over 40%. In February and March, his stats began to decline because of the injury to Al Jefferson and shot below 40% as the primary option on his team. Still, Foye shot a 39.4% from 3 from January through March.

I would also say that Nick Young and Randy Foye are not similar players. Young game inside the 3 point line is much stronger while Foye is better 3 point shooter. Like Young both possess pretty big vertical leaps, Randy Foye's was at 38 inches coming out of the NBA draft. Also, Foye can play some minutes at the point guard position meaning that Nick Young can play minutes alongside of him.

[MJG]

My biggest problem with the deal is Randy Foye. I just don't think he's very good. I fail to see how he's any better than Nick Young. Young is much taller, much longer, 3 years younger, and puts up the same PER with a better shooting efficiency and a much better on/off differential. I don't see the addition of Foye to be remotely useful because he'll just be taking minutes from a similar player - only Young at least had the potential for significant improvement.

So basically, we traded the #5 pick for a one-year rental of Mike Miller and $5M in cap relief next season.

After doing some more research, this is now my exact opinion. I see absolutely nothing impressive about Foye in the numbers. He has shown zero growth over his first three years, and seeing as he'll be 26 by the start of the season, I don't think there's much reason to expect all that much of it going forward. He's an average-at-best, backup-level player. His game may be different from Young's, but in terms of impact, I don't expect that he'll make us any better than Young would if he were given more minutes.

I do like Miller at least. He's been consistently good throughout his entire career. Even last year, which most call a down year, doesn't look at that bad to me; his rebounding and assist numbers were both easily his career bests, and most of the other stats were right in line with what he's always done. The only thing down was his shooting, mostly the attempts. Was it a confidence issue, or just the role he was playing for them? If he can get those attempts back up to his regular levels, and keep up the improvements he made in other areas, I could see him helping us more than expected. And assuming he doesn't hate the team, I imagine we'd try to resign him, so it may not be just a rental.

All that said, I'm with you on the end: in terms of impact, we dealt the 5th for Miller and cash savings. And as much as I like Miller, that's not quite what I'd call good value for our asset. I'll withhold final final judgment for at least a few days, until I can see what other moves we follow this with, but right now, my thumb is pointing down.

[Wizardspride]

I dont understand why wiz fans hate the deal..YOU LOST NOTH BUT SOME GARBAGE...the 5th pick wont help the wiz who will be in the play-off this year ..Miller and foye will...think of it like this ..for the 5th pick in the draft ..who is better than Foye or miller ..

Well, here's one Wizards fan who really likes this deal.

And yes..you're right. We basically gave up garbage and got a sharpshooter (which we needed) and a kid who looked like (at least to me) he was on the verge of having a breakout season.

So other than not getting the Wolves' 18th pick back, I have no real complaints.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Re: Pecherov and McGee. This is what all the experts and all the NBA insiders advocate -- drafting the best player available.

I think team need should be considered, too, but nobody else seems to. They all say: you take the guy with -- jesus, how I hate this word -- upside.

Honestly, I think it's a little ridiculous to look at this trade and bitch and moan about our lack of vision. If you wanted to do that, the time was when we resigned Jamison.

You need pieces to compete, and you also need pieces to deal. That's one key point I want to make.

This is the other: unless you have a superstar, the best chance of competing for a title is to follow the Detroit route. Assemble a lot of quality pieces, and hope that you can get lucky and swing a deal for the player who can put you over the top (a la Sheed). Or -- you follow the Boston route, of mortgaging the future for the one key player and then surrounding him with role players who are looking to win and can be got cheap.

I think this deal gets us closer to that. We're a deeper team.

Miller is a better player than he showed last year. Why does everybody seem to be forgetting that? For two years, all we read about on here was how we needed to bring in Mike Miller.

And Foye is a shrewd pick up, the kind of trade of a young, undervalued player that you'd like your GM to make. Minnesota is in flux, with a new GM, and Foye -- perhaps not quite appreciated, on the cusp of breaking out -- was ripe for the plucking. As a second option, he performed extremely well at times, but he's out of his element, at this point, in such a featured role. As a fourth option, he ought to shine.

In many ways, getting Foye is like getting a young Arenas or a young Butler -- an improving player who still flies under the radar of the average fan (his stats have gotten better every year -- he made the leap to becoming a very solid player in his third year, which is what you want to see.)

Comparisons to Nick Young are inevitable, perhaps, but Foye seems to work harder, and he's certainly a more rounded ball player. And Foye's game has shown growth.

badinage, I think you probably are tapped in to what Ernie was thinking. He did get Butler and Arenas when both were undervalued. Foye's been much less impressive than early Arenas or Butler IMO, but I'll give Foye a chance.

I think the pick will turn out to be a better player, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

[doclinkin]

I guess where I'm at is this.

My gut feeling is that I don't like it, much. But I'm willing to doubt my hunch. Seems we're a better team after the trade than we were before it, a net positive. We should be getting better value for dollar out of these players than we have been with the players we lost. Did we get the best value for that pick or for the expiring contracts? No, probably not. Occasionally you'll hear a stunner of a lop-sided deal, and as of today this doesn't seem like it. Hard to tell really until a few years down the line when/if the #5 pick translates into a championship, or even next year if we've traded cap space for nothing much. Or whatever.

There will likely be another trade at some point. But even as it stands, it seems to me tough to evaluate until we see how Flip plans to use the depth we've got. Considering the versatility of a few of our players we're not criminally shallow. I don't see where Etan and Pech help us all that much in the front court, when I'd rather have more minutes for Haywood, and hope one of McGee or Blatche breaks out big time with guaranteed minutes.

PG: Gil, Foye, Critt, James
SG: Nick, DS2, Foye, Miller, Caron? Dmac?
SF: Caron, Miller, Jamison, Dmac
PF: Jamison, Blatche, Dmac
C: BigWood, McGee, Blatche

There are a ton of mix & match options given the personnel we have. Though frontcourt health is important. Still, there may be a player available either in trade or with that #32 pick. Never know.

I'm not ecstatic, just 'eh'. We're better for the trade. Just not necessarily on that champion track, so, bleh. Can seem like a blown opportunity.

[doclinkin]

I do like Miller at least. He's been consistently good throughout his entire career. Even last year, which most call a down year, doesn't look at that bad to me; his rebounding and assist numbers were both easily his career bests, and most of the other stats were right in line with what he's always done. The only thing down was his shooting, mostly the attempts. Was it a confidence issue, or just the role he was playing for them? If he can get those attempts back up to his regular levels, and keep up the improvements he made in other areas, I could see him helping us more than expected.

Apparently it was an ankle injury that robbed him of mobility for a while. So he passed instead of driving and jumping.

[eltacoman]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

[omegatronic3]

forget Fye being a 2 guard he's 6'2"..hes got decent hops though but I say pencil him in as backup pg

Height w/o Shoes Height w/shoes Weight Wingspan Standing Reach Body Fat No Step Vert Max Vert Bench Press Lane Agility 3/4 Court Sprint Class Rank
6' 2.25" 6' 3.25" 212 6' 6.25" 8' 1" 10.0 32.0 38.0 14 10.53 3.23 6

[Wizardspride]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

And how would we afford David Lee?

[doclinkin]

On the positive and negative side, we just added two players in their contract years. Expect maximum effort. Perhaps some grousing about minutes.

[KevinFCheng]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

And how would we afford David Lee?

And Foye, Miller, Haywood?

[Wizardspride]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

And how would we afford David Lee?

And Foye, Miller, Haywood?

Exactly.

[eltacoman]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

And how would we afford David Lee?

DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd that could get us somebody dat can be our fifth big

also im hoping Flip is calling McDyess right now

[keynote]

Oof. I was out late, and I come home to this.

I'm not a fan of Miller (too slow on D) or Foye. However, I'm guessing that EG wasn't a fan of Harden/Evans/Curry/etc.., given that he was willing trade the pick for two average players. So, perhaps the trade is as much an indictment on the quality of talent projected to be available at the 5 as it is an attempt to provide quality depth on the perimeter.

But, like everyone else here, I'm hoping for another deal. We'll see. While I shake my head at the commentators commending EG for dumping Etan's "onerous"/expiring contract, I like the fact that the deal is fairly neutral, financially. I'd be a lot more annoyed of both players were locked into long term deals.

On a personal note, I plan to attend the draft at MSG, and I'm a little disappointed that I won't get to cheer for a Wizards pick at the podium.

[KevinFCheng]

i love this deal ... i had a feeling we would make this move today


all we need to do now is convince FLips man Antonio McDyess to sign on for a Championship run

trade
DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd for David Lee or PF/C ?

the Knick dont have a 1st next year and would love to land one
they also want to pick up a late 1st in this years draft too
they might just lose Lee for nothing so why not do this

And how would we afford David Lee?

DS + James + 2010 1st + 32nd that could get us somebody dat can be our fifth big

also im hoping Flip is calling McDyess right now

I think we're talking about resigning him here.

[Wizardspride]

Sorry if this has already been posted but here's an analysis of Mike Miller's game.

Overview: Miller has quietly developed into one of the most versatile and efficient offensive threats in the game. Miller is a multi-faceted offense threat, good with the shot, the drive, and the pass. He often plays more than one position during the course of a game, including a point-forward type role in some stretches. Miller is best suited to be a team’s 3rd option, where his overall floor game can benefit the team greatest. He is capable of explosive scoring games, but not consistently enough to be a first or second option.

Offense: Miller is one of the best shooters off the dribble in the NBA. His ability to shoot off the bounce extends out the 3-point range as well, thanks to his picture perfect mechanics, quick release and very high arc. Unlike most perimeter players, Miller utilizes the pull-up game to great effect, in addition to being outstanding coming off screens. He has plus size and length to go along with excellent ball-handling skills for the wing. Miller is not great at getting to the free throw line, but maximizes his possessions with excellent efficiency and strong playmaking, although he’s just a little bit turnover prone. His basketball IQ is superb and he’s extremely unselfish, allowing him to make quick decisions with the ball and find the open man with no hesitation. Nearly half of his shots come from behind the arc, but he hits them at such a high rate that it’s extremely hard to argue with. He gets to the basket at a decent rate, thanks to his solid first step, and is a very good finisher once there, more-so due to his superb skill-level and smarts than any incredible explosiveness at the rim. He is much better going right than left, though, something that smart teams like to take advantage of.


Defense: Miller is a non-descript defender at the wing. He’s often criticized for being soft, but he’s more average than anything else. Miller gives up an above average amount of points at the wing, but opponents don’t shoot extremely high percentages against him. Miller’s biggest weakness on defense is his lack of physicality. His foot speed is better than advertised, but he isn’t fast enough to simply play off his man and try and react to his initial move. Miller attempts to use his size and length to disrupt his opponent’s shots, giving space to drive and reacting to his moves. He is better guarding small forwards than 2-guards, although offensively he is mostly used as a guard.

[Ed Wood]

It must reflect poorly on me as a person that I'm apparently the only person here whose initial impression of the deal revolved around the tremendous catharsis (ok, schadenfreude if I want to be honest with myself) of banishing Etan Thomas to Minnesota. But while in valuing him for his expiring deal you may be aligning yourself with the forces of financial good, I'd rather laugh with the sinners if they're at his dreadlocked back; that's much more fun.

I'm not sure, Nate, why you're looking at the swollen guard rotation this trade creates and gnashing your teeth over the prospect of a decrease in Young's minutes while I'm high-fiving random strangers at the prospect of getting on the floor at Verison more frequently than Mike James this year, assuming I'm down for spending a night in jail. The high-fiving thing seems like a more enriching experience if you don't mind my saying so.

So, prospect hound that I am it does hurt to give up the potential fun of a season of wailing and hair pulling over the lack of playing time Jordan Hill has been getting, I mean come on Jamison just bit on a Julian Wright pump fake from three (true story, I was there) and Jordan's played all of ten minutes tonight, I think I'm ok right now. I'm definitely with everyone who wished we'd wrangled pick 18 but I'm a pretty big Mike Miller fan and I did passionately dislike basketball as played by Etan Thomas.

Also, I'm seriously jazzed for a potential Arenas v. Miller shootout on yutube in a couple of months.

Edit: The twin cities are awesome actually and the only place in the midwest I'd consider living. **** Etan Thomas.

[eltacoman]

Marcus Camby
for
DS + James + 2010 1st

and sign McDyess

Camby mentor for Mcgee
Mcdyess mentor for Blatche

and they are tough defensive mentors too

[magee]

^Can't trade first round picks in consecutive years, unless Washington has two next year.

Love this trade. Flip is the perfect coach for this type of offensive team. Just get a banger as a back-up 4 and a multi-dimentional defender at the 1/2/3 and y'all are golden. Big men are too rare to find, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers would wanna get rid of Camby for the right price. McGee will get there, but not for a while.

[Doubledyll]

Time to become a Wolves fan. Their new GM Khan is doing big things and i think they will be the team to beat in 3-4 years. Crazy right? The wolves are looking good with McHale gone and Khan in charge. They have 6 picks this year. 6 I have never heard of any team having 6 picks.