This last 7 days has been abvsolutely bananas as far as NBA Basketball Trades!
NOT ONLY did we see Chris Bosh and LeBron James leave the Raptors and the Cavaliers respectively to join the Heat and Wade in Miami, but we’re also seeing MORE transactions complete with grudge matches, and more!
This is a HUGE shock to me. Ilgauskas has been a Cavalier since WAY before LeBron and was considered by many to be “Mr. Cavalier” and that he was gonna retire there as well!
But in the end, LeBron was able to pull him into Miami to compete for a chip on his new team! I wonder what Dan Gilbert has to say about this …
Rumours swirled for a few days that Shaq was, somehow, gonna end up in Miami for a second time. But this article does a great job of explaining why it will never happen. A shame. Bron, Wade, Bosh, Ill Gaga and Diesel? Might as well have handed them the chip!
On the flip side,Mike Miller and Juwan Howard are both aggressively trying to come to terms with contract negotiations that would put them in prime real estate for a Finals berth. Both these acquisitions are AWESOME for a Heat team trying to find affordable pieces to complete a potential championship team!
But don’t get it twisted.Wade still insists that the Lakers are the team to beat and NOT the Heat. I actually agree with him 100% on this. The Lakers are the 2-time NBA champions. Back to back. Until they are dethroned, everyone else is just playing for runner up ….. God I hate saying that. It’s like vomit emanating from my mouth …
Speaking of the Lakers, rumours swirled for DAYS that The LA Lakers were gonna sign Raja Bell but todayBell decided to flip off KB24 and signed with the Jazz! This headline makes me SO happy because it shows that not everyone can be swayed by money and power. Good for Bell for standing up to Kobe and sticking to his convictions. Let’s not forget their rivalry and how Kobe has repeatedly treated Bell with disrespect on and off the court. Bell, for his part, has fired back. But this year, things cooled and it appeared that the hatchet had been buried. But Bell signing with the Jazz and not the Lakers says a LOT more than what people are leading you to believe. It means that Bell might still hold a grudge. It means that Kobe is gonna try to “take it out” on the Jazz all year long and try to abuse Bell for big numbers. It means that we’ll see a great Jazz/Lakers rivalry renewed partially. The Jazz, however, get a lot stronger with Bell. He’s a good shooter and will provide Deron Williams with another solid perimeter presence to take away pressure off him during the season.
Shannon Brown, meanwhile is flirting with leaving the lush pastures of LA for somewhere where he can shine a bit more. It didn’t work for Ariza and it probably won’t work for Brown either. But anything that can disrupt the Lakers and make them vulnerable to a non-title season (where I can watch Kobe cry cuz he didn’t win) is great. So I say do it, Brown! Though sources close to that situation are now saying that he’s leaning towards signing with the Lakers again. The Lakers continued their off season work bysigning Steve Blake to their team. Personally, I think Steve Blake is a bum. One dimensional. That one dimension happens to be that of sharpshooting ace (the man shoots the 3 with a ridiculous amount of accuracy) but he’s so lame defensively that I doubt he will be anything more of a victory cigar by December.
One player who is reupping is Derek Fisher. He had been courted heavily by LeBron and Co. in Miami. But he decided to be loyal and re-sign with the Lake Show. I can understand that and respect his decision. But I still hate him for being a Laker – and let me say this: Once Kobe dies and decomposes on this earth, I will be a Lakers fan. Believe that. I will be the only mummy on the face of the earth wearing a Lakers hat once Kobe rots.
Speaking of the Jazz, on top of signing Raja Bell, official word is that they haveacquired Al Jefferson via trade with Minnesota. This is an interesting decision and one meant to plug the hole left behind by Boozer. I think it’s a shrewd move because he’s an exclusive player to the low post with a good skill set, offensively. He’ll allow Paul Milsap to play bigger minutes and expand on his skill set and experience. And with Mehmet Okur (Mr. Glass) being a more perimeter oriented player, I think it adds a great deal of versatility to the Jazz! Not Championship contenders but maybe a playoff team …
The Celtics are seeing a slight modification in their roster after losingTony Allen to the Grizzlies via Free Agency. I think Tony Allen is a very under-appreciated player. Skilled defender, good locker room guy – glue guy – albeit with an abysmal perimeter shot and prone to bouts of mindless play. He’s normal. And I can relate to and appreciate that in him. I wish him luck. I don’t know what kind of role he’ll play in Memphis …. though thinking about it, I think it’ll be a good fit, a Shane Battier kind of fit. He’ll plug the holes left behind by the young guns and will be allowed to just roam on D. It will be good for him, I think, to get out of Boston and see some new things. For his part, Danny Ainge is confused about Tony Allen. On the plus side (sort of) they signedNate Robinson and Jermaine O’Neal to contracts in Beantown. The Nate Robinson deal was good, I think. He’s an X Factor who, when channeled, can be very explosive. Jermaine O’Neal ….. he’s a conundrum. He did nothing for the Raptors and was sub par for the Heat ….. I think that man needs to retire. I think he’s living proof that some people make it in the NBA only because they’re tall (Jermaine O’Neal, Greg Ostertag, Bryant “Big Country Reeves, Todd Macullogh, etc etc etc). Anyway, the Celtics also re-sign Ray Allen (to a 2 year, $20 Million Dollar deal) which is a GREAT move, I think. Especially since Ray Allen has already declared war on the Heat, after being courted by them for a minute. Should make for some FUN games this year. Heat-Cavs, Heat-Lakers, Heat-Celtics. Must see TV!
The Grizzlies also did their homework and re-signed Rudy Gay this week as well! The deal was worth a reported $80 Million over 5 years …. seems a bit steep to me. But I think he might be good for it.
Another contender shaking up their roster (albeit, not by choice) is the Cavs. They tried to sign Kyle Lowry this week away from the Rockets but that deal was quashed as the Rockets matched the offer in order to keep Lowry in Houston for another few season. I think the Cavs are a sad team right now. With Ilgauskas gone, they only have Mo Williams (now a bum) and Antawn Jamison as legitimate offensive threats because everyone else was able to score because of the attention LeBron demanded. Without LeBron … that team looks sad, man. So sad for Cleveland fans …
The Raptors are also busy remolding their roster since Bosh’s departure. This week they traded away Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones. I say good riddance to that lazy so-and-so. It’s sad that I have to scratch him off my fave players list – he was there for his entire career – but that’s what he gets for quitting during Toronto’s most important season ever. And while there was good reason to believe that Calderon was going to be traded away to the Bobcats for Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler, the deal was nixed at the last minute by Michael Jordan. I don’t know that this would have been a step forward by Toronto. Calderon is still a decent player, if a bit prima donna-ey right now, and Chandler has proven he is inconsistent and not skilled. Diaw would have been awesome with Barbosa again ….. but that’s a pipe dream now. In the process, the Suns acquire Hedo Turkoglu and Josh Childress, who will make his return from Greece after leaving the Hawks last season.
The Raptors frustrate me. They re-signed and (in my opinion)GREATLY overpaid for Amir Johnson (5 years, $34 Million) and their attempts to move Jose Calderon (or Jarrett Jack) speak, to me, of a team that is headed in the wrong direction. Maybe Bryan Colangelo has no idea what he’s doing and he simply shoots darts at players faces while blindfolded ….
I know what you’re thinking … Rico, since the Raptors were unsuccessful in getting Tyson Chandler, what happened? Well, I can tell you thatTyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca were traded away to Dallas! A 5 player deal sent Eduardo Najera, Erick Dampier and Matt Carroll as well as cash considerations to Charlotte in exchange for the two players mentioned above. With Erick Dampier being shipped out, Mark Cuban rewarded Brendan Haywood with a 5 year $45 Million Dollar deal (cheap by Cuban standards) for his excellent play during the post season. I think this was a shrewd move by Cuban. Dampier is on the tail end of his lackluster career and Haywood is just hitting his prime. He’s sure to be a starter now …
For their part, Charlotte agreed to terms for a new contract with Tyrus Thomas (for an undeserving 5 year $40 Million). I don’t know that Thomas has ever done anything to actually warrant this kind of payday. He’s okay, sure. And he blocks shots. But $40 Mil?!?!?!? That means I’m worth at least $3 or $4 Million per season … hear that guys?!?!?!
The Nets signed Travis Outlaw, Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro. This is an interesting move because Morrow is a great shooter (46% from 3) and Petro is a tough defender. Seems like Prokhorov is starting to put some solid pieces in play.
Captain Kirk Hinrich was also shipped away to Washington … for draft picks. This deal originally happened a bit before Draft Day, but it still has to suck. Erick Dampier gets massive contracts and gets moved in multi player deals and Kirk Hinrich gets moved for guys who don’t exist in the NBA yet … so sad …
And speaking of SAD, The LA Clippers continue their journey through suck-ville by signing Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes from Minnesota. They alsosigned Brian “Cookie”Cook. Average players who bring nothing special to the table. No noteworthy talents, just guys that can score and get some rebounds. What the hell is Donald Sterling doing?!?!? George Steinbrenner dies and yet Donald Sterling is allowed another year of life?!?!? At least Steinbrenner was a guy who could make a winner! Sterling is just a bottom feeder.
My Spurs have been relatively quiet this offseason. Their only moves being thesigning of Tiago Splitter and a renewal of contracts for Matt Bonner (for roughly 4 years and $12 Million). I love Matt Bonner so I am glad he’s back on my favorite squad. Tiago Splitter is an X Factor at the center position, but I think his presence might be something like what Fabricio Oberto brought to the table a few years ago, albeit with more natural talent. He’s kind of a pretty boy, but he could turn out to be like Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola …. so I might like him.
And ALL of this activity has taken place in …. 14 days.
I have always loved Hedo Turkoglu ever since he came into the League with the Kings and played with Stojakovic and Divac. He just always seemed to be such a good player and always said “If we had a guy like him …”.
I’ve followed his entire career until now.
This Article, which came out on May 30th, quoted Turkoglu as saying that he didn’t want to be in Toronto any more and that he wants out.
It made me lose a LOT of respect for him.
Quoth the proverbial Raven …
“When the circumstances turned against me, I lost my enthusiasm for this city,” Turkoglu said in the interview. “My lawyers have talked to the front office recently. Honestly, I do not want to go back to Toronto. My lawyers talked to Mr. [Bryan] Colangelo and I hope that they will come up with a solution soon.”
Really, Hedo?
Who the HELL do you think you are?!?!?
You get a 5 year, $53 Million dollar deal which is a LOT of money for our particular franchise. You come out and lay 82 eggs, give up on the season and lose interest in playing, get caught lying and partying, help get our team out of the playoff race and you say you’ve “lost your enthusiasm for this city”?!?!?
I was overcome with anger when I first read the article and what he said and then, as it all set in, the only thing I could do was shrug my shoulders, shake my head, utter a LOUD C’mon Man! and strike Hedo from my list of favourite players.
I posted this in my Facebook Page, and I know it’s been a minute since I said boo, but this shit just HAD to get posted.
This video was created by and features many famous Cleveland personalities including US Governors and Senators. Grown ass men and women in their 40s and 50s BEGGING LeBron (a 25 year old kid) to stay ….. WOW.
Between this, the Heat’s wewantwade.com campaign and the New York Daily News’ attempt to lure LeBron (Get LeBron), I’d say that people are going out of their way to find an ass to kiss.
I mean, I want Bosh to stay in Canada, but I am not gonna stoop to that level and beg like a dog for something like this.
People need to get their priorities straight and act right.
February 15, 2010 at 12:12 pm · Filed under NBA News, Trades
Dallas Mavericks complete a HUGE blockbuster deal with the Wizards that will move the following players around ….
To Dallas: Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, Cash Considerations
To Washington: Josh Howard, Quentin Ross, Drew Gooden, James Singleton
This trade immediately makes the Mavs a much better team as they now have a solid rebounder in Brendan Haywood and a tough wing option who can and will do anything to win.
I hear that Amare Stoudemire and Ray Allen are also on the block ….
I definitely believe that Iverson is taking this season with a much more emotional approach and that he is going out with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. At least, I can understand how he may think that …. but REALLY … let’s analyze this. He’s 34 years old and has played in the NBA for 13 years. He has made hundreds of millions of dollars, been on highlight reels, scored scads of points, caused and quelled controversies, brought people in and forced people out of his franchises … he’s had a FULL career. Really, he has nothing to prove individually. Guys like Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Grant Hill, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Karl Malone … those guys have led great careers without winning a chip and yet their accomplishments are not diminished!
I think that he needs to realize this and understand that every player has a window of opportunity to make things happen. After that window closes or diminishes in size, it does NOT take away from your legacy or make you a chump. Everyone gets old. Bottom line. And we all need to be okay with that.
“I don’t think like everybody thinks. You know, maybe I’m just different. I look at the roster we have and I think we can win. I feel confident in myself and the roster that we can make things happen”
And this is where SO many people have issues with AI. My friend Allan said it best …
“I wouldn’t mind his mentality as much if he AT LEAST changed his playing style to benefit the team, now that he’s older …like passing once in a while. Not just passing while in the air and having nowhere to go, like, passing in the flow of the game or making the extra pass to an open teammate. I like that type of basketball.”
I hear ya, man. His time has come and gone and he needs to (for his own legacy) be able to bow out with grace and give way to the crop of new players coming in.
“It’s basically going to be my rookie season again. It hurts, but I turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of the things people say about me having the season that I had last year and me losing a step, things like that. They’re trying to put me in a rocking chair already.”
I mean, remember back when Iverson started his career? He crossed over Jordan and everyone flipped! It was on YouTube and got national headlines and weeks and weeks of ESPN replays. Jordan, refusing to give way and admit that he had lost a step against a younger (but not necessarily better) player called Iverson a punk and started a HUGE public discussion about basketball and the influence that hip hop had on the coming generation. Dress Codes were implemented and AI was tagged before he even had a chance to prove himself!
Now Iverson is in Jordan’s shoes and he needs to see how CLOSE he is to repeating the cycle he went through for someone else. It’s not about rocking chairs or egos, it’s about the SPEED of the sport and the fact that you can’t play like that forever! Eventually you lose a step. It’s life! You start by losing a quarter step. Then a half step and then before you know it, you’ve lost a full step and you’re retiring from the game!
People aren’t saying that he sucks.
People are saying that he’s an older player now and that to get to the next level he has to change the way he plays the game now. He’s not the 21 year old Georgetown Draft Pick anymore.
“This guy has many years of basketball left in him … and he is eager. He expressed it to us to get going with the task of helping our team reach a whole other level of success,”
So says a deluded Chris Wallace, GM of Memphis Operations.
In the Western Conference we have (among others) the LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers and Utah Jazz.
This isn’t even mentioning the members of the Division they reside in – the SouthWest Division! San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets ….
Is Chris Wallace saying that by signing Allen Iverson, he’s gonna be able to take his 24 win team and win an EXTRA 30 games and get into the playoffs and compete with perennial powerhouses like the Spurs and Lakers for an NBA Finals berth?!?!?
Chris Wallace! Put Down The HASH Pipe!
AT BEST, you may be an 11th or 12th seed, ahead of Minnesota, Sacramento and the Clippers …. MAYBE! And in the end, you STILL miss the playoffs!
“I’m excited. It’s a guy I always watched growing up, and having him as a teammate is going to be a great opportunity for me.”
So says Mike Conley. And I believe that too. But box office ticket sales and team excitement will BARELY hide the fact that Allen Iverson went to the Grizzlies ONLY because they were the only team in the NBA that were willing to offer him more than the veteran’s minimum. At $3.5Million dollars, that’s pricey for one season. And I wonder what he will expect NEXT year during the free-agent bonanza of 2010! He can’t seriously expect to command the type of money that LeBr0n, Bosh or Wade are gonna be getting … can he?
EVEN if he has a glimmering, shimmering All-Star season, he’ll be 35 years old which is OLD for a professional point guard.
Bottom line, I am happy for AI, but I really wonder what is going on in his head and why it’s always about the money and never about practice!
—–
Here’s how I think his season will go:
His first game – against the Pistons – he’ll score about 25-30. He’ll average this and more over the first few weeks and then teams will clamp down on him. He’ll finish the year averaging 17 points on 23 shots a night with barely 5 assists and barely 4 rebounds a night. He’ll miss the playoffs and he will NOT be an all-star.
Confirmed by both Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies GM, the deal’s full amount is currently unknown but it is definitely about money, playing time and shots, as opposed to sacrificing of one’s self for a title.
Guess we know what AI wants his legacy to be after all …. chipless and greedy …
I feel kinda bad for OJ Mayo, Haseem Thabeet and every other young Grizz on the roster as any progress they would have made (especially Mayo) will now be compromised by Iverson chucking up 21 shots a night.
Not that I dislike Iverson - far from it. But you get to a point when you play ball where you HAVE to realize that you are not the player you used to be and that maybe using younger cats to help you get to your goals is a better decision than lounging in the cellar putting up big numbers …. not that I’ve ever put up big numbers …. I’m just saying.
…. I wonder if he’ll still be vehemently opposed to practice ….
He broke his finger playing for the national team. Now the reports say he’s out for ONLY 3 weeks?!??!? What the hell? Is he gonna have HGH injected into his finger to help the healing?!?!?
Last I heard, breaks were 6-8 weeks for a full heal. Hoh man, this could be a recurring problem if not handled right. Not that I mind. He is a Laker, after all.
The deal, a 2 year – $6 Million Dollar deal is LUDICROUS for a bench player (Marcin Gortat, you listening?) and Davis had, what, ONE crowning moment in his NBA (the buzzer beater) to his name when he signs this contract?
Unbelievable. Davis got away with Highway Robbery.
2 years – $12.2 Million Dollars. Talk about another guy who got away with robbery! Good for Kleiza though. I remember his play a LOT more than that bum, Davis.
And wow, huh? Talk about a big move for both Olympiakos AND the Nuggs! Kleiza was sometimes the ONLY bright spot for that Nuggets team and now, they are one very versatile forward down!
Okay, I am glad for Rambis. It’s good to see new blood helming NBA franchises. That being said, what has Rambis done to deserve it?
Reports say that he took over the Laker D last year and that he’s good with the young cats coming in to the L. He stays late, comes in early ….
Look, all I know is that he’s got X amount of chips as a player and coach NOT because of his own skill (though he was a decent role player in his day) but because of his coexistence with guys like Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Shaq and most importantly, Phil Jackson.
I’m not mad, don’t get me wrong, but I will be looking very closely at the Wolves and seeing their progress (or lack thereof) and watching the calendar to see how long he is able to last.
I’ve always liked Brian Hill as a coach. He comes across as a knowledgeable, hard nosed, intelligent coach. All the things that are frowned on in today’s NBA coaches. Good to see he still gets work, though. Even if it is as an assista=nt under an unproven schlep (sorry Coach Keuster. I don’t know you well enough yet).
My buddies on the forums reminded me that I have yet to comment on the Ben Wallace to Detroit announcement. I was asked what I thought about it and here is what I posted on the Shaka Dula Message Boards:
“I think it’s GREAT! Ben Wallace gets a chance at playing one more decent year in a market he enjoyed and where he was loved. He gets a chance at having his jersey retired as a Piston and he gets the benefit of an appropriate retirement at the end of the season.
It’s a swansong, basically. And it’s way better than fading away this year after being bought out in Phoenix.
It’s a classy move by Detroit.”
I’m just glad that I get to see Big Ben for one more year. Guys like him don’t come around too often and we should appreciate them while they’re still around.
That is NOT chump change. Brandon Roy is getting PAID now!
And rightly so, I think. I mean, the man was a machine for Portland last year and he was the single reason why they sneaked a few close games out of the clutches of defeat.
So now Roy is out of the running for a max contract next year and I think the Blazers were smart to lock him in now as opposed to later in the year or in next year’s offseason.
From a neutral basketball standpoint, I have to say that it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would stay in LA. He had too much to lose, legacy wise, if he left. I think he thinks he’s going into the Hall of Fame if he’s able to defend the crown … but I’d say he’s lucky if he gets there. He’s definitely not Top 50. MAYBE Top 100 ….. maybe. Regardless, it makes the Lakers more stable … I don’t know if they are better now that they have Artest …. I wonder what kind of crazy BS he’s gonna pull this year ….
Now, from a Laker Hater perspectiev, this pisses me off. He toys with other teams like Portland and Miami for the better part of 2 weeks and all for more money? This is a jackass move and he deserves to get his ass smacked around for that. And Jerry Buss is an idiot for playing with the guy like this. The dude practically MADE your team win a chip this last year and what do you do? You try to lowball him? Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak are two of a kind.
Let’s see how Lamar and Artest take coming off the bench …. I mean, it’s a foregone conclusion that Odom is the 6th man right now. Artest might come in and be a starter …. but when Artest gets suspended for drunk driving in LA on Christmas or something, Lamar will get a taste of starting and then the fireworks start up …
This is a straight up trade between Charlotte and New Orleans. No other monies, players, draft picks are involved.
This is a crazy move because it does NOTHING for either team!
Chandler is a one dimensional center who NEEDS a good PG to feed him Alley Oops to score and there is currently no one like that in Charlotte for him.
Okafor is an underachiever who’s effort and conditioning are suspect. How does he expect to keep up with the up tempo basketball style that is run in New Orleans?
This means that the Cavs have now signed TWO former Raptor players in the past month. Anthony Parker and Jamario moon will team up with Shaq and the usual characters in Cleveland to try to win a chip this year. I am happy for him. I liked him in T-Dot and I like him in Cleveland too, I think this will be a good fit for him.
I guess maybe all the chants, blog posts and negative press about him being a gigantic douchebag might have not gone on deaf ears as he is trying to rebuild his image with another reality TV Show this year. Playing other athletes at their own sports seems ridiculous when you think about people like Oscar De La Hoya, Michael Phelps and Serena Williams. But then the kicker is that they’ll have handicaps that might tip the scales in O’Neal’s advantage.
Lame.
And even if the show turns out to be GOOD, he’ll still be a douchebag.
Where there was once a no brainer decision of LA Lakers, there are now TWO teams vying for his services as Miami has now jumped into the race with a serious bid for the crafty power forward.
I want to see him leave LA. I think it would be great for his career to go and make the Heat playoff contenders again. Plus it would be a kick in the nads of all Laker faithful.
Especially after the contributions he has made to their championship run and the way they have cheapskated him this off season.
He’s gotten $822,500 in debt with a casino and had to post $135,000 bail after being arrested for 4 counts of writing bad cheques. Each count carries between 1 – 4 years in prison.
After winning a chip, getting held up at gun point and being arrested for a DUI, you’d figure he has enough sense to stay out of trouble ….. but you’d figure wrong, I guess.
Andrew Bynum (LAL)
Mehmet Okur (Utah)
Greg Oden (Por)
Andris Biedrins (GS)
Al Jefferson (Minn)
Tyson Chandler (NO)
Chris Kaman (LAC)
Marcus Camby (LAC)
Nick Collison (OKC)
So Shaq might be right – he might be the Last Center Left ….
This is a tough thing for Converse to recover from. They were marketing the hell out of DWade and this leaves them without a poster boy. I feel badly for them.
This is a fun look at the lives that some of the NBA cats lead during the offseason. It’s an interesting thing to see all those people crammed around to watch Bosh and Nash and others just play a game for fun.
It’s a sad thing to watch a player keep going when every ounce of fiber in the universe is telling him to hang em up. I feel bad for Wallace. But if he handled his finances right, he’s set for life no matter what he does.
They were gonna get married, go to London to see Michael Jackson …. now the headlines are calling this a Slam Dump!
Dude did it through e-mail!
E-MAIL!
That’s sad and cold, even for me. But it is still kinda funny.
But he’s not a villain. He gave her a six figure settlement to help her get through the transition. That’s nice. I mean, he didn’t owe her anything.
And now allegations are surfacing that he’s playing for the other team …. man, I betcha that’s a rumour started by the bride to be. Not that I’d know, but it’s definitely something a pissed off woman would do to get back at the guy who dumped her at the altar. People are saying that cuz she’s hot and he didn’t marry her.
But remember, folks. Beauty is only skin deep. She might have had the soul of a hag.
And remember that marriage is supposed to be a forever thing, right? You don’t go through with it unless you are 100% sure.
This is the kind of thing that chaps my ass. I’m blogging about this later as it also pertains to the 3 on 3 tournament this past weekend. But needless to say, my condolences to Taurasi on her poor decision and its repercussions.
Imagine my surprise to come in and see only one major headline to make my brain work this morning …. Oh, there was a couple of other ones, like Blake Griffin going off for 27 and 12 rebounds in his summer league debut, but I didn’t think that warranted space here. Or the headline about Allen Iverson being courted by the Clippers? Any Clippers headlines right now are like “What? Man, Please.”
This is the only headline worth talking about as it appears the Magic have matched the Mavs’ offer to Gortat, who was a standout backup for Dwight Howard last year. I believed I blogged about this before and had resigned my life to the fact that he was gonna sign with the Mavs, but the Orlando franchise came up and matched his offer!
This is a good thing AND a bad thing.
The Good: They keep one of their more defensively reliable players; a guy with great footwork, a great feel for the ball on the defensive end, a tough rebounder, a non-loudmouth jackass.
The Bad: The Orlando Magic, in signing Gortat, have propelled themselves into Luxury Tax territory and will be strapped for cash for the next few years.
I think this is a good move overall, I just wonder about the financial aspect of it …
How shitty would it be to see Iverson in a Grizzlies jersey?
After the tragedy that was his Detroit career and his meh performance in Denver, one has to wonder what the hell he’s thinking …. dude, go back to Philly, play one more year and get your number retired!
See, this move makes more sense to me. A guy like Millsap has proven himself to be a valuable enough player to warrant this kind of money. And he gets $10 Million of his $32 Million upon being signed …. TEN MILLION DOLLARS material instantly …. what a ridiculous sum of money ….
I feel a teensy bit bad for Boozer. I mean, to be told that you are not wanted any more and that you will be traded ….. all because a tounger guy is coming in and doing your job when you are injured …. it sucks ….
But then remember what he did to Cleveland a while ago …. what goes around comes around …
And look at Portland being all aggressive! Good on you, Rose City!
McGrady is giving his old number to Trevor Ariza and he is taking his old high school number. It’s part that and part promotion for his work in Darfur, Sudan. The Number Three emphasizes 3 important works in the reconciliation of the area: Peace, Protection and Punishment.
Interesting to see NBA stars grow up and develop a world view. NBA jackasses like Kobe, Artest and Baron Davis should take note …
Cleveland soilidified their bench this week by resigning Anderson Varejao. This guy is a scrappy forward who does all the dirty work that Shaq and Big Z do not wanna do. And with Ben Wallace having been traded and possibly retiring, this signing was key to keep the Cavs deep off the bench.
In another relatively decent signing, the Cavs managed to pull away Anthony Parker from the Raptors. This is a pretty big signing as the Cavs now have a savvy veteran wing man that is able to lock down pretty well on D. He’s a reliable shooter, a decent passer, dribbler and is a very positive locker room presence. I never had any beef against Parker. I liked him. My only thing is that the Raps needed more youth and athleticism at the wing and Parker did not provide that.
For the Raps, all it means is no conflicts for Turkoglu when he arrives as well as less Cap Space. I feel bad for Parker. I actually kind of do. And I wish him all the best. He was great for the Raps and now he’ll be great for the Cavs.
All this means is that it frees up the Mid Level Exception for the Rockets. A shrewd move as both of their max-contract players (Ming and McGrady) are injured. They can now use this extra cash to sign another center for their team as they are only 6′-9″ tall with their biggest player – Luis Scola. So they are S-M-A-L-L. Who will they be able to wrangle away? Only time will tell ….
This is a good move for the Pacers and a pretty big loss for the Nuggs. Remember, Jones was they guy who was tasked with guarding Bryant during the Series this year, along with K-Mart. With Jones now gone, I think it makes them more porous defensively and definitely more vulnerable to a superstar wing player. For the Pacers, it makes them better especially since Lil Dun is still recovering from surgery that he had this spring.
It means that the salary cap is set for $50.4 – $53.6 Million Dollars which is down from $57.7 Million. This means that every team in the NBA will have a relatively fair shot at signing a superstar caliber player and that it is no longer a guarantee that New York lands both LeBron James and one of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Steve Nash.
It also means that their respective home clubs (Raptors, Suns, Heat) all have legitimate shots at retaining their franchise players.
I think this is a shrewd move on the NBA’s behalf as it ensures that every team is able to stay competitive and has a fair chance at signing good talent. Of course, the NBPA is pissed, as are the team owners and every agent on earth – which is no surprise given that those entities are akin to blood sucking vampires.
Me? I’m glad with the decision. It gives the Raps the ability to maintain forward momentum.
To Dallas: Shawn Marion (Toronto), Kris Humphries (Toronto) and Greg Buckner (Memphis)
Marion is then signed for 5 years, $39 Million and Greg Buckner to be released.
To Toronto: Devean George (Dallas), Antoine Wright (Dallas), Hedo Turkoglu (via sign and trade from Orlando, with a shiny new 5 year, $53 Million contract)
To Memphis: Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas), Quincy Douby (Toronto) + cash to buy out Stackhouse’s contract (+/- $2 Million)
To Orlando: The satisfaction of a job well done. Well, In actuality, they get a trade exception worth $7 Million.
What does this all mean?
For Dallas, it means that they get Marion and preserve cap space by trading away Stackhouse, Wright and George. It also means that they will probably resign Stackhouse once Memphis buys him out (shady, shady). It also means that they get substantially older by adding another player past the age of 32 to joins Kidd (38), Nowitzki (31), Howard (30) and Terry (31).
For Toronto, it means that by getting Turkoglu via a sign and trade, they are able to salvage their mid level exception and have the chance to sign another player (likely Carlos Delfino) to beef up a very shallow bench. It also means that they get Wright, who now will step up to fill the shoes left by Parker, who has agreed to terms with the Cavs.
For Orlando, it means cap relief which is the only thing they can celebrate after losing Turkoglu.
For Memphis ….. I don’t know what the hell Memphis is doing anymore. I think they get the chance to scream UNO or paint something in watercolours.
This is a good move by Da Spurs. They get a reliable, savvy veteran who is hungry and willing to conform so he can get his ring. He’s a good rebounder, a decent defender, a good passer, reliable shooter …. great pick up.
It doesn’t make them any younger, but I think McDyess might be a better offensive option than Kurt Thomas – even though I love Kurt Thomas and hated seeing him walk …
The San Antonio Spurs are often cited as an “old” and washed up team. But now the Mavs have Dirk (32), Kidd (38), Howard (30), Terry (31) as old timers in the L, and if they add the 32 year old Marion, they’ll definitely be one of the older teams in the league.
Would Marion be a good fit in the Big D?
Perhaps with Nowitzki demanding doubles and Kidd chucking up alley oop passes he might be more effective than he has been the last 2 years in Miami and Toronto. But I highly doubt we’ll see the OLD Shawn Marion they once called “The Matrix”. His best days are definitely behind him and everyone knows it. Notice how no one, not even the Grizz were willing to offer more than the mid level exception, if anything at all?
Some players like Jordan, Malone, Stockton .. they get to choose when they leave the game.
Some guys like Sprewell, Malik Sealy, Penny Hardaway and now Yao Ming …. they generally have retirement thrust upon them much too soon.
And we, the fans, are worse off for it.
Yao Ming is a decent cat from what I can tell. A nice guy. But to have this decision to make is almost unfair when you consider that guys out there like Josh Howard, Kobe, Amare Stoudemire, Andrew Bynum, Baron Davis and a host of other pro cats don’t appreciate the gift that is BEING PAID MILLIONS TO PLAY A GAME.
I hope sincerely that we have not seen the end of Yao Ming.
AJ wanted a 4 year deal for security and clout with the players. Dumars only wanted him for 2 years. AJ said pass.
Dumars finds himself in a tough position as every candidate he has interviewed has withdrawn their name from the coaching position or has said outright that they were not interested. All he has left is Tom Thibodeau and John Kuester – both assistant coaches with no prior NBA Head Coaching experience.
Detroit is done. Gonzo. With Rasheed Wallace packing his bags and heading to Beantown, we will never see that team do any better than 7th or 8th in the East for at least a year or two.
Expected to be made official on Wednesday, it is expectred that ‘sheed will sign with Boston instead of San Antonio.
I have to say that I am a bit upset by this as I think ‘sheed would have been a great complement to Tim Duncan and company, but Boston now has one of the more volatile front courts in the League with both Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace, who amassed 31 technicals between the two of them last year alone.
Not really a surprise there, I think. Kidd is a pretty stand up guy and I didn’t see him tossing aside his loyalties because of a few mil. It would have been nice to see what he could do with D’Antoni, but I guess we’ll have to settle for what he does in Dallas.
Now that portland has lost Hedo Turkoglu because of his wife’s preference of Toronto, the Blazers set their eyes, along with 11 other teams, onto David Lee. SOMEONE is gonna overpay and be strapped for cash in the free agent bonanza of 2010, but Lee will be a valuable addition anyway.
As if it wasn’t enough that he was leaving Orlando, Turkoglu sent shockwaves through the NBA by having a change of heart and changing his mind on the Portland deal by choosing, instead, to sign with Toronto! That’s Right!
You make it really hard to keep you in the frickin dog house when you go and weave your magic and acquire one of the more versatile players in the L today!
Turkoglu to Toronto means 3 things:
1) Portland is PISSED and Rudy Fernandez can breathe a sigh of relief, though he’ll still prolly wanna be traded.
2) Toronto will have to let go Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino, Joey Graham and Shawn Marion to make cap space for Hedo.
3) Toronto’s starting lineup will be: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan with Reggie Evans (blech), Roko Ukic and Kris Humphries manning the bench.
Not a deep bench by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess Colangelo HAD to do something since Shawn Marion reportedly turned down a 4 year $30 Million deal with T-Dot. I guess he thinks he can make more elsewhere – personally, I think he’s wrong. People are saying that Toronto now has a team that will contend in the East (wrong) and will give fits to Orlando (wrong), Cleveland (are you joking?) and Boston (wrong again!).
I think they’ll be good for 5th or 6th in the East with a possible second round flame out.
Is this enough to keep Bosh in Raptors red? I think they’re one piece away from being serious. But this is definitely a MUCH better move than signing Reggie Evans.
The Raps are now setting their eyes on Linas Kleiza, Anthony Parker and/or Carlos Delfino (to a much smaller contract now, I guess). ANY one of those acquisitions would exponentially improve the Raptors’ chances of contending in the East. Although it appears like Cleveland is trying to woo Parker away.
This is a STUNNING acquisition by Portland and immediately makes them better in the West. Howard will be disappointed and Rudy Fernandez will be mighty pissed – I can see him being traded in like a few weeks over this. As for the Magic, it makes them a LOT worse as neither Carter nor Lewis are tough enough or clutch enough to hold down the fort in Orlando.
Not that it matters to me, but what the hell is he thinking?!?!?
After all that went on in New York, he gets his shot at redemption in Beantown and now he simply walks?!?!?
All because he was offered the vet’s minimum …. $1.3 Million is not enough? At 32 years of age he thinks he can get more?
I doubt that anyone would pay anything more than $2-3.5 Million for Steph this season – and this comes from a supporter, remember. I like Steph. But I think he’s crazier than a liquidation sale on Boxing Day for passing this up. It’s not just about the money – it’s also about a shot at redemption and a ring!
Q-Rich never even had a chance to unpack and see outside the airport before he was traded back to the team that drafted him into the League all those years ago, The Clippers! I feel kinda bad for him. He doesn’t strike me as the archetypal spolied athelete. But he now goes from one shitty franchise to another. Randolph, meanwhile, gets moved for the third time in 4 years and goes …. from one shitty team to another. I guess his poor attitude, terrible work ethic, one dimensional skills and unwillingness to adapt are not traits that are desired by many people … go figure.
$16,378,325 <—- That’s Amare Stoudemire’s contract for his 2009-2010 season …. CRAZY. Even if he WANTED to play for the Lakers, he CAN’T!
What in the holiest of hells is Ron Artest thinking?!??! Riding jocks to get a ring never seemed to be his style. But here we go again. Another great player whose legacy is tainted by riding a penis. All respect for Ron Ron is gone and he now becomes another in the line of Laker villains. I would have definitely preferred that he sign with the Globetrotters … Oh man, I hope Phil Jackson decides to retire ….
So these 2 teams are swapping players, huh? Well, no. Ariza did it to spite the Lakers cuz they didn’t give him enough money – and cuz they signed Artest. I have no idea how this will play out, but LAST time we saw a collection of potential all-stars in Laker Gold, they got swept in the Finals by a gritty Detroit team that was not afraid to mix it up.
I have no idea how that would work, or how it would affect the current roster. But finally, after Philly gets back on its feet from LOSING Allen Iverson, he wants to come back? For what? To decimate the franchise again? It’s a nice pipe dream, AI. Then again …. Artest is signing with the Rockets …
Orlando definitely does not appreciate Gortat or what he did for them this past season. If they did, they would have made a meaningful offer to him already and locked him up long term. He’s a good tough, gritty, serviceable defender with a good enough post game to be a great backup in Orlando. Instead, he’ll join the Mavs and be third banana behind Dampier and Diop or whoever the hell they have there now.
Can you imagine what J-Kidd would do with D’Antoni? I mean, J-Kidd may not be the best shooter, but he will have so many assists in New York that it will boggle the mind. It would be insane.
I would hate to see Wallace in Boston. He would disappear in KG and Pierce’s ego. Not to mention the fact that his numbers would take a hit. And that he would not win a ring there …. Don’t do it ‘sheed! Your legacy is set! Don’t ride it! Don’t ride that jock!
After ousting first year man Michael Curry, the Pistons can’t even GIVE the job away as Doug Collins has said no now. Avery Johnson is the next in line and I have to wonder WHY AJ would say yes to this position. It’s a no win for him. The vets there are so set in their ways that he would be basically going in just to watch himself fail. But hey, at least …
I have no idea how this is gonna do anything other than signal the end of Rip Hamilton in Detroit colours …. I mean, Ben Gordon is a ball hog and Charlie V is so set on proving people wrong about him that he’s gonna chuck crap up too … I think we’re seeing the Pistons go from perennial playoff contenders to also rans. Bringing in Gordon is a great idea too, in that he’s a moody, diva like player … kinda similar to the rumours floating out about Rip Hamilton this year ….
And Rudy Fernandez has made it publicly clear that he is not okay with Hedo coming in. Dwight Howard has also gone public and professed his love for Hedo …. and why not? He was not only HUGE for them in the playoffs, he was also a lightning rod of attention that freed up Howard. And he knows it!
BOTH of these guys would go great with Chris Bosh and would make the Raps playoff contenders, if Marion stays. But no one wants to come play for the Raps right now …. which is a damn sad truth. So sad, in fact, that …
This would be catastrophic to a franchise that has struggled to regain credibility since the Vince Carter era. But hey, at least Jose Calderon is Hungry again … of course it all means jack squat if Chris Bosh isn’t there to take attention away from him.
I had an outage on my site yesterday and was unable to post for a bunch of hours. During that time, I saw this trade pop up on my screen …
To Orlando: Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson
To New Jersey: Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Courtney Lee
I have NO idea what the HELL Orlando was thinking. Vince Carter may be a superstar CALIBER player, but he plays at that level in spurts and when he feels like it. Rafer Alston, I can understand – don’t want Jameer Nelson running out because of a Point Guard controversy, plus SVG was pissed at him this post season lots. But Courtney Lee? This kid is CLUTCH! This kid is a keeper! Devin Harris all over again!
I am going on record now and saying that this is a terrible move for the Magic. I think they’ll find that Carter’s moodiness and defensive porousness will ultimately hurt the team more so than help it. Plus getting his work ethic to something that SVG is happy with will be a challenge.
Brutal.
And it sucks extra hard because I LOVE Orlando … but I cannot support any team that has Vince Carter on it …. ever.
Depending on who they draft, it was either a GREAT purchase, or a severe bust. The Lakers, meanwhile, are not looking to make any changes to the roster after winning the chip this year … which makes sense, but I have to wonder if they have the chemistry to do this … this team revolves around Kobe. And guys like Ariza and Odom want some shine …. it will be interesting watching the freak show …
And why not? They’re tied with the Lakers for most championships this decade (4) and Tim has as many rings as Shaq and Kobe (4 apiece). Jefferson runs out of obscurity and now has a real shot at being a difference maker on a team that needs a versatile wing player like RJ.
But after not returning Popp’s text messages, Tim’s words to RJ were “Don’t get traded twice in one day” lol.
To Phoenix: Andris Biedrins, Stephen Curry ….. ???
Not official yet, this trade has hit the airwaves all over the sports world an I am hard pressed to see this as less than true as I have not seen Steve Kerr outwardly deny this yet. Plus it’s no secret that STAT has turned into a big headed malcontent. In trading with GState, Phoenix would get star caliber players in Biedrins and Curry, cap relief and some fresh blood for Steve Nash’s passes.
Huge.
But I am not sure that this brings the Suns back to relevance. And I am not sure that this will be enough to keep Nash in a Suns uniform past this season.
Already a minority owner (no pun intended as the team is owned by BET president Bob Johnson), Jordan wants to gain full ownership as Johnson reportedly wants out of the Bobcats bandwagon after losing millions on a year to year basis from having a crap team on the court. Who knows if Jordan will be able to do it, let alone whether or not he’ll profit from it, but hey, more power to him.
In a trade that no one cares about, two non playoff contenders trade irrelevant players.
Except that, if you look at this closely, something pops out; This will be the second time that Quentin Richardson is traded from a Mike D’Antoni team … this from Wikipedia ….
“Richardson was traded from the Suns, along with 2005 draft pick Nate Robinson, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kurt Thomas and Dijon Thompson in the offseason.”
D’Antoni doesn’t even care WHO he gets, he just wants Richardson out. lol. Poor Q-Rich.
One rumour has him going with Ray Allen to Detroit for Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey. Another has him going to Memphis with Brain Scalabrine for Rudy Gay and Mike Conley Jr.
After telling reporters Tuesday that he does not intend to trade any of the Celtics’ core players this offseason, Ainge told WEEI on Wednesday that Rondo needed “to grow up” and that “his presence hurt” the team in its seven-game loss to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Neither of these rumours appear to be true yet. Danny Ainge is vehemently denying these and saying that they have no intent to trade Rondo.
And I believe that. I mean, WHY? He is easily one of your most durable, agile, athletic, unselfish, quickest players and he is only 23!
And now Rondo’s agent is getting involved, airing dirty laundry out for the world to see. This is how things turn sour and ugly. Shut your agent up, get into Ainge’s office and settle this face to face like men!
Not really a surprise here as Crawford fell out of favour HARD with Don Nelson is GState. It was only a matter of time. But how will they juggle the point guard connundrum in Atlanta now with Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford’s egos clashing?
Although Rockets Brass has expressed that Yao is not even remotely close to being on the Trade Block, you HAVE to wonder if the Rockets wanna keep 2 lame ducks in Yao and T-Mac. I love both those guys, but their attendance records have been spotty the last few years at best. I know T-Mac is being shopped around (rumours have him going to New York as one possibility) but now with Yao’s future in question, will we see him being dealt or shopped as well?
Will they take drastic measures and go in and do some sort of microfracture surgery to help promote healing?
Cleveland finally gets the player they’ve been eyeing since February of this year! And now Shaq, possibly in his last NBA season, has his BEST chance in years to win another chip. The move wasn’t cheap for Cleveland as they give up their best low post defender in Ben Wallace and one of their better perimeter defenders in Pavlovic as well as the 46th pick in this year’s draft AND $500,000 cash.
This now means that the Cavs have Z AND Shaq in the middle with Varejao (who they have yet to sign for this season), Joe Smith and Lorenzen Wright guarding the middle. Not bad for a team that was a bit small and unable to guard Orlando. But, will that be enough to contain the athletic wings possessed by most of the Eastern Conference contenders? Hedo Turkoglu (who is not yet guaranteed an Orlando Magic spot this year due to contract negotiations), Rashard Lewis are 2 guys that really hurt them and I do not see Cleveland having an answer for either of those 2 guys yet.
Regardless, Shaq has ONE more opportunity for a ring, and the Suns admit without saying a word, that trading Marion was a HUGE mistake.
Ben Wallace, meanwhile, will reportedly retire after this trade as it is expected that Phoenix will buy out his contract and let him walk. A sad way to end a career … but it is business, I guess.
ESPN says that Cleveland was also exploring a trade for Tyson Chandler but opted to go with Shaq as he has one less year on his contract and Chandler will make more in his second year. A sound decision, I think, as they aren’t even considering Chandler’s poor performance last year and his chronic injury issues as well as his “soft” reputation.
ESPN is also reporting that there is a STRONG possibility that Amare Stoudemire is next on the trade block as he is unhappy with the developments in the franchise and, with his 2010 contract set to expire in 2010 (I think), he is not expected to resign in Phoenix. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Suns will trade him and get something of value back.
All I know is that if Shaq doesn’t immediately make his mark and find a groove with the team, he’ll make them implode in a Draft Lottery Blaze of …. non …. glory.
Not surprisingly since he’s only played like 35 out of 300 possible games and is averaging like 3 points and 3 rebounds per game. I hope he can make soemthing of this and take the hint and WORK at his game well.
To Minnesota: #5 pick in ’09 draft, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas and Darius Songaila
Minnesota had been trying to get higher in the draft for some time and now, after this trade, owns the 5, 6, 18 and 26th picks in the draft. I’ve been hearing all week that Minnesota wants to move up to get the #2 pick in this year’s draft and has been talking to many teams including Phoenix, Dallas and New York about possible trades, though they have openly said that Kirk Hinrich is NOT someone that they are interested in.
This deal works out GREAT for Washington as they now have more depth to work with and have greatly beefed up their 3 point shooting – as if they needed more. But now they have Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Mike Miller, Randy Foye with DeShawn Stevenson and Nick Young bringing up the rear.
Minnesota gets Songaila and Thomas – 2 guys who will undoubtedly aid Kevin Love’s development and spell him for spurts or foul issues. And now, with Kevin McHale gone and David Khan in as new GM, it looks as if Minnesota is finally acting out and taking the reins of their own fortunes.
I know people who are misty eyed that McHale is gone, but let’s look at what he did to the Wolves in his tenure (15 years) ….
Sure, he drafted KG out of High School for a HUGE success.
But in 1996, he drafted RAY ALLEN and traded him and Andrew Lang to Milwaukee for Stephon Marbury. Think about this one for a moment.
In 2006, he traded draft pick Brandon Roy to Portland for Randy Foye. This is a HUGE one here and can’t be understated enough as we’ve all seen the way these two careers have unfolded. And just last year, he drafted OJ Mayo and proceeded to trade him for Kevin Love! Now, I am a big Kevin Love fan, but OJ Mayo has proven to be the statistically superior player to date averaging double digits and taking over the reins of the Grizzlies in only his rookie campaign! I suppose the jury is out on that one yet, though, and only time will tell whether it was a good deal or a bust for McHale again.
He also offered garbage contarcts to Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Mike James. He had some major draft-day brain farts like Ndudi Ebi, Rashad McCants and Bracey Wright (2005).
He was also found guilty of an illegal under-the-table deal with Joe Smith that ultimately cost the team three first-round draft picks.
On top of ALL this, he is also the guy who decimated the franchise when he traded Kevin Garnett away rendering Minnesota impotent and Garnett a douchebag. Plus, of the players they got in return – Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, (plus two first-round draft picks, and cash considerations) – only THREE remained useful and were retained as a T-Wolves – Jefferson, Telfair and Gomes. Gomes and Telfair are incredibly inconsistent, though and might be out in a year now with Khan as new boss.
Okay, let’s break this down: The Spurs needed an additional athletic wing player to take pressure away from the Big 3. Richard Jefferson brings athleticism, quickness and explosive scoring to the Spurs. But they gave up their best perimeter (Bowen) and low post (Thomas) defenders in the process. Oberto, well, he showed promise, but he had been hampered by his heart ailment lately and was a bit of an uncertainty. The move also gets the “too old” monkey off their back for a while as they lose their oldest players in Bowen (38) and Thomas (36) – though they STILL have Michael Finely, which IS a wonder to me.
The Bucks need an athletic, power player to play down low and they needed veteran experience to help out that player and Andrew Bogut. AND they get a great perimeter defender who takes away pressure defensively on Redd, Ridnour and Sessions. Plus they get cap relief – both Thomas ($3.5 Mil) and Bowen are in the last year of their contracts and their salaries are almost literally HALF of what Jefferson is going to make this year. Bowen is only set to make $2 Million guaranteed this year if the Bucks cut him next year, so there’s a possibility that we might see Bowen back in a Spurs uniform in a year or two.
Detroit gets cap relief, mostlty, as Oberto only makes $1.8 Million. I doubt that Oberto has any chance of being an impact player in a system that is witnessing a youth movement and is dominated by a couple of veteran guys and appears to be a seniority based format.
I think the trade was fair to some extent. I’m just not a fan of seeing Bruce Bowen in colours other than San Antonio Silver and Black. Ditto for Thomas. I hope the organization has the class to resign them and retire them afterwards. That would be a nice gesture. But the Spurs get younger and the other 2 teams get cap space.
