NBA Trade Deadline Recap (pt 2 of 2)

Memphis Grizzlies-

The Grizzlies picked up Ronnie Brewer for the price of a protected 2011 draft pick.  He should provide good depth for a team that leaves its starters in the longest.  This team was rumored to be in on some intriguing deals.  One was offering a trade of O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet for Monta Ellis. Luckily for them, this one did not go through.  The team should have instead considered trading Rudy Gay.  Gay will be a free-agent this summer and Memphis will likely be unable to match offers extended to him this summer, as he will likely be offered close to a maximum deal.  With players such as Tayshaun Prince on the market, the Grizzlies could have acquired a player that would fit their team as they continue to build on their momentum to the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves traded Brain Cardinal for Darko Milicic. The only team with any success of getting production out of Darko was the Magic. If Coach Kurt Rambis and GM David Kahn are able to make the infamous bust into a formidable starting center, this could be a steal. As things stand, this is a low risk high reward trade.

New York Knicks-

The Knicks cleared $9.4 million off the 2010-11 payroll by sending Jared Jeffries and 2009 top pick Jordan Hill to the Rockets and sent Larry Hughes expiring contract to the Sacramento Kings.  In return, they got Sergio Rodriguez and Tracy McGrady.  Both should be good fits in Coach Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo system.  The Knicks also traded mercurial backup guard Nate Robinson to the Celtics for Eddie House, Bill Walker, and J.R. Giddens.  House has experience in D’Antoni’s offenses from his days in Phoenix, and Giddens and Walker are athletic enough to see some time as well. Though the deals, did not incrementally improve the Knicks, and sacrificed a good amount of their future with 2009 top 10 pick Jordan Hill, a swap of 2011 picks and a top-5 protected pick in 2012. GM Donnie Walsh did exactly what he wanted to do: Clear space and make a run at superstars LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. The Knicks potentially will have almost 32 million in cap space this off season, which should be enough to get a max contract and another contract very close to the max.

The big problem will happen if/when none of these superstar choose to join the Knicks this Summer. Should this occur, the Knicks will have to be very fiscally responsible in free agent spending. One should not forget the moves Scott Layden and Isaiah Thomas made in the previous decade like Alan Houston and the errors Joe Dumars made last year such as Stephon Marbury.  Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Amare Stoudemie, Carlos Boozer, and David Lee all should get nice deals, but none are worth max deals.  This situation will be worth monitoring this summer, but the Knicks can get 2 capable free agent stars

Portland Blazers-

The Blazers made the early speculated move of adding Marcus Camby for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw.  It seems that they probably could have made this deal at any time, but waited for Andre Miller and Brandon Roy to mesh.  As we have stated earlier, this deal probably should have happened a couple months earlier, but the Blazers waited on some internal development.  Camby, a free agent at the end of the year, should be an option to return next year on a cheaper deal.

Philadelphia 76ers-

Jodie Meeks is a nice young prospect who really knows how to score. Still, Meeks is a little similar to Lou Williams, and Royal Ivey, whom they traded him for.  Francisco Elson won’t likely be a factor, then again Primoz Brezec wasn’t much of a factor either. The 76ers were unable to get involved in any major deals, which should be alarming, Their current roster is stuck in mediocrity.  While Sam Dalembert and Andre Igoudala were the most actively shopped names, I think Elton Brand should have also been shopped. The uptempo pace of the young 76ers doesn’t quite fit with the former Clipper and Duke star forward.  Teams like Charlotte, Toronto, Miami, Utah, or San Antonio could have used his services, as a frontcourt offensive threat.

Phoenix Suns-

The Phoenix Suns, in the opinion of most experts, are the biggest losers off the trade season.  The Suns had 1 very big asset in star Amare Stoudemire, and his expriring contract.  Assuming, that they would not be able to retain him, they marketed him very openly.  His expiring contract would have appealed to struggling luxury tax teams like the Hornets, Knicks and 76ers, while teams like Miami, Cleveland, and Spurs would have liked him to push for a Championship run.  The big flaw in the Suns plan is that they let it be widely known that they were openly shopping Stoudemire.  As much as players like Amare might say that trade talk doesn’t affect their performance, it certainly does, as the bigman struggled in the weeks leading up to the deadline.  The day before the deadline, the Suns front office informed Stoudemire, that they would not move him.  So why does this make them a loser? First, the past failures in negotiating talks of an extension and the open trade dialogue give the player an idea that they have a limited sense of his value.  Since the trade deadline, Amare Stoudemire has stepped his play up to a phenomenal level, because in part, he believes he is playing for a new contract.  This all but guarantees his exodus from Phoenix this summer. Phoenix will not get anything if and when the scenario occurs this summer, making them a big trade deadline loser.

Sacramento Kings-

The Kings were going nowhere and needed to find a way to get an asset for Kevin Martin, as he and rookie of the year front-runner Tyreke Evans didn’t mesh together. 

The fact that the Kings got cap relief in dealing the shooting guard with Sergio Rodriguez, and Hilton Armstrong.  Even better, acquiring Carl Landry and his very reasonable salary is a move in the right direction. He is perfect for Sacramento, adding to the tough mentality of the new-look Kings.  The 3 man frontcourt rotation of Thompson, Landry and Hawes should be effective for years to come.  The Kings could have dealt for Jose Calderon or added some more to the deal to acquire Nate Robinson, Chris Duhon or Kyle Lowry.  So while this is a good deal for the Kings, it is a glass half-empty deal in that they should have gotten involved more aggressively.  The Kings would have been better suited taking on Jared Jeffries' contract and reaping the benefits (Jordan Hill plus picks) that Houston got.  Sacramento, though they have about 16 million under the cap next summer and could be real players in the free-agent market,  likely will not be able to lure any big time free agents.  They can still land a guy like Randy Foye, Nate Robinson, Jordan Farmar, Steve Blake or Kyle Lowry to pair with Evans.

San Antonio Spurs-

The Spurs saved a little money by trading Theo Ratliff or a future 2^nd rounder.  They remain a puzzling team going in to next season.  They haven’t signed star 6^th man is still unsigned going in to next season, and seems rattled that the team has not extended him an offer.  Meanwhile, Richard Jefferson was brought in last Summer to add another young option to the aging Spurs, but he has struggled to find his role on the team.  San Antonio was in on talks with Amare Stoudemire and Corey Magette, but didn’t pull a trigger. More than likely, Jefferson opts-in on his contract and should be a trade candidate next year

 Utah Jazz-

Once the luxury-tax savings are factored in, the Jazz saved millions by moving Ronnie Brewer for a. potential future #1 pick.  The Jazz did get return, but I think it should be that this move may not have been the right one.  Though Wes Matthews and CJ Miles have emerged, Brewer was still a good prospect and their second best perimeter defender, though he has had a down year.  Given that his salary was less than that of CJ Miles and Kyle Korver it is interesting that he was moved. Maybe it was more than they thought he was worth.  However, this move has angered point guard Deron Williams, who said of the trade “I think if we’d make a trade it would be something a little different than that, You look at all the teams that are getting better around the West and we essentially get worse, if you ask me” and “That’s why I signed a three-year deal.”  The deal likely should have been a trade of impeding free agent Carlos Boozer, as the team has already decided Paul Milsap is their power forward of the future.  With Boozer’s impeding free agency, and Kirilenko’s big deal up at the end of summer 2011, the Jazz must make the team appealing to their star Williams.

NBA Trade Deadline Recap (pt 1 of 2)

Here is the FSB's recap of the moves which went down during the NBA trade deadline. Stay tuned for the second helping of this article to be online Tueseday 3/9!
Boston Celtics-

The Celtics traded Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, and Bill Walker for Nate Robinson. While Eddie House was a very clutch shooter at times, he is a defensive liability and is better off-ball rather than handling the point. The electric and mercurial Nate Robinson is not quite the shooter House is, but he can clearly score and excite a veteran team with his play off the bench. This will also allow Marquis Daniels a clearer role of the bench. The Celtics may end up regretting not trading Ray Allen, but he is the silent leader of the team often offering insight to Rondo, sacrificing numbers, and gently citing some problems. (Yes, we know KG is a vocal leader too). The Celts will need all the depth they can get against the Cavs, Magic and Hawks, and if they can stay healthy they should make a nice playoff run.


Charlotte Bobcats-
Under the leadership of Larry Brown and soon Michael Jordan also, the Bobcats are trying to push for their first playoff run. The team moved Flip Murray, Acie Law, and likely their 1st rounder this year for the underachieving Tyrus Thomas. Thomas, who was swapped draft day for LaMarcus Aldridge, has all-star athletic potential, but has yet to put in together. The Bobcats hope that Brown can tutor Thomas to become an effective forward, as they hope to keep the restricted free agent next year. So far, Thomas has proved them right in the 6 games since the trade increasing his points (13.3 from 8.8), rebounds (7.8 from 6.3), and blocks (3.2 from 1.7), as well as shooting percentages in just 4 minutes more a game.
The team nearly made a trade for T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush in exchange for D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Nazr Mohammed. While they would have added salary, Ford would have been a great backup and insurance if Raymond Felton leaves after the season, and Rush is more polished than Henderson. It seems that the Bobcats, were more willing to wait on D.J. Augustine’s sophomore slump, than to push for Ford.

Chicago Bulls-
The Bulls had a difficult dilemma going into the trade deadline:
1) stand pat and get eliminated in the 1st round;
2) add a player to become a contender
3) lose a player to clear cap for the summer
Moving John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas for expiring contracts accomplished the last option. The Bulls should be $18 million and $19 million under the cap this summer enough to pay a max free agent like Wade, LeBron or Bosh.
With a core group of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng as a supporting cast, the Bulls should have a very persuasive pitch.
The team also salvaged a protected first-round pick from Charlotte for Tyrus Thomas.
In the short term, Chicago added Ronald Murray, Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander, and Acie Law for young depth. Currently, they are in the playoff hunt. Despite being a worse team on paper. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team regress slightly and perhaps fall out of the playoff picture. Should Chicago sign a major free agent, (Bosh would be the most likely to leave his team), the team could consider trading Hinrich and/or Deng for stronger perimeter shooting to make them an up-and coming team in the East.


Cleveland Cavs-

The Cavs have been the best team in the East, mostly due to the play of LeBron. However, the team needed to take this trade deadline to show to the impeding free agent that the Cavs would be formidable in the years to come. By adding another good second fiddle in Antawn Jamison, they hope to do just that. The Cavs traded big Zydruas Ilgauskus and their 1st round pick for the “stretch 4.” While they were unable to land Amare Stoudemire in trade, Antawn Jamison fits more of what the Cavs schematically would like to do. Jamison, though not as young and talented, spaces the floor better and is much more focused defensively. The Cavs also didn’t have to trade young forward J.J. Hickson, whom the Cavs seem very optimistic of his upside. Big Z is also being bought out and seems likely to return to Cleveland. While this move may help the Cavs in the playoffs, they did add 2yrs/28 mil dollars in payroll for a 33 year old veteran. If by some chance LeBron does leave, Cleveland may be stuck.

Dallas Mavs-
Mark Cuban and the Mavs added payroll and talent by acquiring Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood for Josh Howard and Drew Gooden. The deal seems to revolve around the issues of Brendan Haywood’s ability to match-up with the premiere bigs in the West and Howard’s off court issues. Offensively, Caron Butler and Josh Howard are similar, though Butler is better offensively he is more of a small forward, while Howard is better defensively and a more natural swingman. It seems that the Mavs know that their window is closing, and would rather have Caron’s consistency than Howard’s streakiness and distractions in their attempts to challenge Denver and the Lakers. Haywood has been quietly improving this year and has been a very viable starting center, enabling Dampier to come off the bench. The Mavs also were fortunate that they did not have to trade J.J. Barea or Rodrigue Beabois.


Houston Rockets-
The Rockets were the biggest winners of the NBA Trade deadline this year. Before the deadline, they openly marketed Tracy McGrady, knowing that a team would be desperate to take on his talent and expiring contract. Unable to entice the Knicks or 76ers initially, they began discussions with the Sacramento Kings. After agreeing in principle to a deal, the Knicks frantically joined in surrendering 2009 top 10 pick Jordan Hill, a swap of 2011 picks and a top-5 protected pick in 2012 for the Rocket’s to take Jared Jeffries salary next year. The Rockets still got the shooting guard they wanted in Kevin Martin, and though they gave up effective 6th man Carl Landry, got a bounty of picks and prospects in return. They look better both in the long-term and the short-term. While I really am amazed at what the Rockets were able to get back, I think they probably should have offered Luis Scola and/or Kyle Lowry to the Kings as both scenarios would have likely helped both teams more short-term.

Milwaukee Bucks-

The Bucks made an interesting deal with an in-division rival. These types of trades rarely occur, because you never want to help one of your primary foes. In this case, the Bucks were able to add a solid starter in John Salmons for the athletic Hakim Warrick and the athletic bust Joe Alexander. The Bucks receive a replacement for injured Michael Redd, for the rest of the year, and maybe next, in the rare case Redd opts out for a long-term deal. They also receive the option of swapping picks with the Bulls should the Bulls pick outside of the top 10 this year. Salmons will ease some of the offensive pressure from the emerging combo of Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut, and the Bucks are 6-1 since the trade.

Los Angeles Clippers-
The Clippers made a couple interesting moves in the trade deadline. First, they got two nice assets in Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw with accompanying cash. Blake is a solid fringe starter in the NBA, and should be a nice backup for Baron Davis. While Outlaw has the tools to become a star in the league but lacks the consistent necessary focus. The Clippers then dealt point guard Sebastian Telfair and small forward Al Thorton to the Wizards for power forward Drew Gooden. This move seems questionable in that Al Thorton is a nice young complimentary piece to the core of Kaman, Griffin, Gordon, and Davis, against Gooden who is a short-term fill-in for injured rookie Blake Griffin. The Clippers as a result have Rasual Butler and Travis Outlaw at the small forward, both have expiring deals after the season. As a result of the trade deadline, the Clippers were able to clear enough cap space to make a run at an elite free agent this summer, such as LeBron James. They should be an enticing option for free agents with that solid young core, but I doubt that owner Donald Sterling could entice LeBron to play for him. I think the more likely scenario is that they re-sign Travis Outlaw and/or make a run at Rudy Gay, both could be overpaid for a team that wants to make a free agent splash