NBA Off-season Trades/news

[Stonecutter]

Yeah but the whole reason Boozer didn't opt out was because Detroit didn't want to pay him. If Detroit had told him they were going to offer him some serious money, Boozer would have bolted from Utah (would have been some Karma after what he did to Cleveland). Remember Boozer saying sometime during the season that he was 100% confident of opting out, and how it was his best financial recourse. Both Okur and Boozer not opting out is a bit of a disaster for the Jazz in that they also have to pay Millsap, who is a free agent.

True, I would've thought that he'd get around $15 mill per season. Must be the economic crisis.

 

[Ridders]

I think him getting injured during the season hurt his free agency value, and as you alluded to, teams aren't to willing to pick up big salaries in this economic climate. I'm sure that when the Pistons gave up on this season in order to gain cap space that there fans they were hoping for a bigger splash then this. I would assume this would eliminate them from the 2010 free agency discussion.

 

[Stonecutter]

Ron Artest is going too the Lakers for the mid level excemption (I think it's $5.8 million) per season.

I have a weird feeling that it being Artest, it could be a massive gee up.

 

[Ridders]

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ridders]

*Edit*

 

[Special K]

Imagine LA when they run with

Bryant, Artest, Odom, Gasol, Bynum

HA!

 

[Ridders]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4303679 - Artest Link

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4303862 - Ariza Link

Seems like Ariza and Artest are swapping teams with Ariza making a verbal agreement to sign with Houston.

What the f**k has happened to the NBA. We are going to get a stage where there are going to be 4 or 5 absolute superpowers and the rest of the teams will be there just to make up the numbers.

I have to admit i'm feeling giddy about this. Even if this fails, seeing Kobe and Ron Ron playing 82 games together is a god send. Dissapointed in losing Ariza, but i guess this is LA's way of showing that they are all about the now and winning in the window that Kobe has left. How exactly does this work with Odom, does it help or hurt the Lakers chances of keeping him? From what i've heard Ron Ron and Odom are close buddies so at least thats a good thing. Only real problem i have is how willing is Artest going to be to play a more diminished role.

 

[Ridders]

Madness?........This is the NBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[Ridders]

 

[Special K]

Turk to the raptors makes no sense for mine. Yes I know its 10 mill more then the Blazers but fmd why would you pick the raptors over the best up and coming team (esp when Bosh leaves next year)

 

[Ridders]

From what i've read, his wife really really liked Toronto and didn't want to go to Portland. Apparently Toronto has a significant Turkish community. Hedo, you just got put in your place.

 

[El Coconuto]

lol @ Houston! Newest members of the "Handing The Title Straight To L.A." all-stars.

In their defense, this is no where near the bogus attrocity that was the Pau Gasol/Kwame Brown trade, which is still the benchmark of absurd trades. Oh well, thank goodness I don't support another team in the West

 

[El Coconuto]

One other tidbit: with Hedo and Gortat both opting out, that leaves a nice mid-level exception to try and lure Rasheed Wallace our way. Although it's more likely he'll join Boston, I love to see him in Magic colours. It would allow Rashard Lewis to play 3 and Vince to play 2.

Nelson - Carter - Lewis - Sheed - Howard. I like that!

 

[Special K]

Sheed just signed with Boston

 

[Ridders]

Very nice singing for Boston, Sheed is a great guy to have coming off the bench. Apparently J-Kidd is also going back to Dallas, no real surprise there, made the most sense financially. I'm very interested to see where Iverson ends up. Its amazing how far his career has plummeted in the space of a year.

 

[El Coconuto]

Hahaha and on that note: SCREW YOU, SHEED!

 

[Ridders]

I'm interested in your take Coco, do you think Orlando has improved as a team in this off-season thus far. No doubt VC is a very nice acquisistion, but losing Hedo, Lee and potentially Gortat are significant loses. Who do the Magic have to back up D.Howard at center?

 

[El Coconuto]

I'd give the Magic a solid B for their off-season moves. It should be noted that Hedo is only two years younger than Carter and already plays like he's five years older than him. Gortat and Lee are the biggest losses, but their shipment indicates one thing: the Magic are going for it all RIGHT now. And I love that. You only have so many years with someone as special as Dwight Howard. You can't waste his good years. Otherwise he'll end up like KG: a phenomenally good player stuck in a phenomenally crappy team for too long, that didn't win as many championships as he would've elsewhere. I like the ballsy moves.

With the departure of Lee (hardest loss), Gortat, Battie and Hedo we have about $8m-$10m left in salary to dish out. That should be enough to lure a combination of either Linas Kleiza/Nate Robinson (both vastly underrated for mine), or even more intruiging, Zaza Pachulia/Allen Iverson.

If they do manage to swing the deal, a lineup of:

Nelson - Carter - Lewis - Anderson (who we nabbed in the Carter deal, and no one is talking about) - Howard with Pietrus, Reddick, Iverson, Pachulia coming off the bench is certainly NOT a downgrade from last season's lineup.

 

[El Coconuto]

And for some saucy trade-machine free-wheeling, I'd also look to ship Reddick and Lue to Utah (who are in ultimate salary cap dump mode after re-signing Boozer and Okur) for Kyle Korver, giving the Magic a more proven, more reliable backup shooter than Reddick.

Another puslsating possibilty: sending Pietrus/Lue/Richardson/Reddick (our expensive, but only one year contracts) to New York for David Lee/.Crawford, since New York are simply cleaning house on all their big contracts to make a move for LeBron at the end of the season (when each of those contracts will expire). Factoring in my earlier points, that would be a lineup of Nelson - Carter - Lewis - Lee - Howard with Johnson - Iverson - Anderson - Pachulia coming off the bench.

Fingers crossed we do something to bolster the line a little.

 

[Special K]

I think the magic have gone backwards.

I think it is going to be interesting to see how Carter fits in with Lewis, Howard and Nelson. Also I just don't see him being a good fit. I love seeing stars jump ship and teams stacking up however I don't think this moves helps them. The magic really need a back up big of 3 or 4 star quality. Dwight needs help! Losing Turk imo is a very big loss for them. Basically I don't think losing 3 glue guys(including gortat) to bring in one egomanic star with a fragile mental state is a good idea.. Though I don't think they had much of a choice.. Ideally they would of kept their squad together for another year and tried to sign a sheed..

Also they won't grab AI as he has flat out said he won't come off the bench. Crazy! I hope he signs with the Knicks and waits it out for their 2010 FA. AI is probably my fav player of all time and I'd hate to see him become another Spree.

On another teams..

I don't think Shaq can carry the Cavs out of the east with Lebron.. I think they will go deep into the playoffs but surely those legs are going to give out soon. They really need a PF. I read they want to play Lebron there but i'd rather see him stay at the 3. Plus a rotation of Big Z and Shaq surely will be exploited?

Boston adding Sheed imo is huge. Sheed gives them a big man who does something different to the rest of their big men. I think it is a very good fit and if they are healthy think they will go very deep.

I can't see any team beating the Lakers. Artest and Kobe will be hell for other teams trying to score in the finals. They will feed off each other. Only thing that could mess this up is egos..