This time of year always seems the same… Brett Favre debates his love for the game, ESPN covers FavreWatch closer than 15-year old girls follow the Twilight Series (yes my girlfriend is 21 and reads them— hold on while I bang my head against the wall ’til i forget what I just wrote), Pac-Man makes it rain the club (while possibly killing someone in the process), the Yanks and Red Sox fight over all the good free agents, and the Raiders look for a new head coach while deciding what draft pick they want to waste this year.
Despite all this entertainment, my favorite part of January/February is the trade rumors that swirl right before the NBA trade deadline. While I love to watch NBA games, the General Manager in me also loves to hear who goes where for what. In the NBA, one trade can change the landscape of a season— for better or worse. If you want to see the impact that trade deadline deals can have, just look at last season. Two teams from last year’s trade deadline stand out the most: the Lakers and the Mavericks.
"I Finally Got Out Of Memphis!"
Before the trade deadline last season, the Lakers were considered a playoff-caliber team. This was a team built around SG Kobe Bryant, SF/PF Lamar Odom, and emerging C Andrew Bynum. With this much talent, it seemed the Lakers needed a trade as much as I need a lap dance from Rosie O’donnell. However, on February 1 I got on my computer and witnessed the steal of the year. The Lakers gave away the expiring contract of Kwame Brown, an inexperienced Javaris Crittenton, the corpse of Aaron McKie, and globe-trotter Marc Gasol (who at the time wasn’t believed to be coming to the NBA) in exchange for All-Star PF/C Pau Gasol. Translation: even self-proclaimed NBA Executive of the Year Isaiah Thomas thought it was a bad trade for Memphis. At the time the Lakers didn’t need to make a trade, but their aggressive tactics would pay off in the end. Less than a month after the deal, Andrew Bynum fell victim to a virtual season-ending injury, leaving Pau Gasol to handle the Center duties. This was move vaulted the Lakers to the NBA Finals.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Dallas. After watching the Lakers commit second-degree theft on the Grizzlies and seeing the Suns trade for Shaquille O’Neal, Dallas felt it needed a shake-up. The perceived goal was to improve the teams mental toughness, which the Mavs apparently lacked after regularly flaming out in the playoffs. Desperate to make a move, Dallas traded young PG Devin Harris, spare parts, and two first-round draft picks for perennial All-Star PG Jason Kidd. At the time, it seemed like a boom or bust trade for Dallas. Sadly, it was all bust. This trade ended worse for the Mavericks than the last guy that talked back to Chuck Norris… if such a person even existed. Kidd couldn’t find a rhythm in Avery Johnson’s ISO offense and the Mavs graduallydroppeed from the Western Conference #1 Seed to #7. To make matters worse the pain continued into 2009, as Devin Harris emerged as a go-to scorer and Jason Kidd just kept on aging.
Knowing how influential deadline deals can be… let’s make a trade! Many teams are getting desperate as the season progresses. Because of this, I have come up with a few trade ideas that might help teams win a championship (or realize that rebuilding is on the way)
Dallas Mavericks / Miami Heat
NOTE : This is a purely hypothetical trade that will probably never happen— but keep an open mind.
As a Mavs fan, I believe they need to rebuild. Sadly, last night’s victory over the Warriors will give Mark Cuban a reason to believe in this team once again. But if I hopped into the Mavs GM seat, I would act as if Dallas was going no where anytime soon. That being said, it might be time to give the Big German a chance to win a championship elsewhere and reap some young talent in the process.
Dallas Trades – PF Dirk Nowitzki / PG Jason Terry
Miami Trades – PF Michael Beasley / PF Shawn Marion
Jason Kidd At The 1973 Draft
Why Dallas Makes This Trade – Dallas gets a good young player (Beasley) and a big expiring contract (Marion) for their franchise player, Dirk Nowitzki. This is a trade in which Dallas gets some young talent to build around and also an expiring contract that could be flipped later on. Young talent and financial flexibility are essential assets to a team looking to rebuild.
Why Miami Makes This Trade – Miami goes for broke with this trade. The Heat become instant contenders by gaining one of the best players in the league (Nowitzki) and a current 20PPG scorer (Terry). These could be the perfect compliments to Miami star Dwayne Wade. Neither Nowitzki nor Terry need to have the ball in their hands to play effectively, which allows Wade to continue his dominance in Miami. It’s possible Dallas could include Jerry Stackhouse’s expiring contract so Miami can flip him later for a good post defender.
Even after this trade, the Mavs would have a bunch of good trading chips (Marion’s expiring contract, Kidd and his expiring contract, and young star Josh Howard) to offer playoff teams looking for a push.
Now to the real world….
Miami Heat / Toronto Raptors
This idea is based off the realistic rumor that PF/C Jermaine O’Neal could go to the Heat for PF Shawn Marion.
Miami Trades – PG Marcus Banks / PF Shawn Marion
Toronto Trades – SF Joey Graham / PF/C Jermaine O’Neal
"I Don't Really Care Where I Play... Just Gimme The Ball / Money"
Why Miami Makes This Trade – Marion takes up time at PF and pushes high-profile rookie Michael Beasley to SF. By making this trade, Jermaine O’Neal would slide into the Heat’s talent-shallow C position allowing Beasley to start at PF. Joey Graham could start immediately at SF giving the Heat another outside shooter to spread the floor for D-Wade. Jermaine O’Neal has a large contract, but it will be up in the Free Agent Summer of 2010 (which is shaping up to be the grand-daddy of them all).
Why Toronto Make This Trade – Brian Colangelo has desperately tried to transform the Toronto Raptors into the Phoenix Suns (may they rest in peace) of the East. With this trade, they acquire a player built for scoring the ball in seven seconds or less. Shawn Marion would play his natural position as a PF in a run and gun offense while Toronto star C Chris Bosh would be the equivalent of Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire. The Raptors would also receive a decent PG to back up starter Jose Calderon. If the Shawn Marion experience doesn’t end up working, the Raptors will let him and his 18-million dollar expiring contract hit the road this summer.
New Orleans Hornets / Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Trades – SF Rasual Butler / PF David West / First-Round Draft Pick
Phoenix Trades – PF/C Amar’e Stoudemire
Imagine This As An Alley-Oop
Why New Orleans Makes This Trade – The Hornets have taken a step back this year. Last year they were considered a Western Conference favorite by many experts, but now they are relegated to the middle of the pack. While the trade makes sense for both sides, the Hornets are the clear winners of talent. I have had dreams of Chris Paul running pick and rolls and throwing oops to Dwight Howard… but I guess Amar’e will do. The Hornets also start a great defensive C in Tyson Chandler, which is a must for the defensively challenged Stoudemire. This is a move that could propel the Hornets back into the elite of the Western Conference.
Why Phoenix Makes This Trade – Tension has begun to haunt the Suns again. The Suns have entered talks about trading Stoudemire as he has become unsatisfied with the new offensive system in Phoenix. Because of this unrest, the Suns are scared that Amar’e won’t re-sign with them after Summer 2010. With this trade, the Suns add a perfect compliment to Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash in PF David West. He plays the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop extremely well and also plays tough defense that head coach Terry Porter will love. To top it off the Suns receive another shooter (Butler) and a first-round draft pick to balance out the trade. This is a risky trade, but if the Suns resign to the fact they have to trade Amar’e, they won’t get much better talent than this.
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Will any of this happen? Probably not. But oh well, let the games begin…
-howell-
[...] Bring on the Trade Winds [...]
the only thing i don’t agree with is the bynum injury and gasol trade. bynum went down with his in january and would be out a minimum of 2 months leavin the lakers in the final stretch of the season w/o a legit big man because all they had was kwame and chris mihm…both perenial underachievers…so they had to get somebody to play down there to get through the end of the season and into the playoffs because they were on falling fast without a big man…they just looked more genius when it became official bynum wouldn’t return for the playoffs which was the initial plan since he ended up having surgery in march…but i can see the heat raptors deal going through
Yeah my memory was a bit off. I remember him going down at first with the Lakers thinking he would be back soon. Then his reports got worse and worse as the season went on. It truly was a thing of beauty what they did. Do i hate them for it, oh yes, but man you can’t argue with where it got them. Thanks for the input SoTexSports.
Harris is only doing this good now because he’s not in Dallas; He’d just be another PG if he were still in Dallas. The worst part of the trade was the loss of draft picks.
I like the imagination though. I’ve always wondered if teams in different sports could trade players. Like… Tony Romo would go to the Cleveland Browns if the Mavs got LeBron.
I very much agree with you Will. I had an argument with a friend the other day about this. The lose of Harris hurts. While no one can completely shut down the new young points( Paul, Williams, Parker), Harris still played the best d in the league at the PG spot.
In New Jersey he is able to be the man. I know Carter is still considered the “star” of the team, New Jersey built their playbook around Harris. In Dallas, he wouldn’t get that shot. He would have been still been the 4rth option. He has played great so far, but I want to see a full season of work before I judge( basically I want to see how he adjust when teams start setting up their d’s to stop him).
As you said Will, the biggest lose will be the 2009-2010 draft pick that has no protection. If the Mavs want to rebuild( which is a must now while they are building for 2010 capspace), they have to do it now to get the best pick possible this summer. If not, a another year of mediocrity.
[...] Bring on the Trade Winds – This idea is based off the realistic rumor that PF/C Jermaine O’Neal could go to the Heat for PF Shawn Marion. [...]
Howell,
You’re totally right on the Suns trade. I hate to see Amare go, but it’s all about the system. If you have 5 all-stars and the wrong system (see 2004 L.A. Lakers), then it doesn’t really amount to anything. With Shaq, they had to adjust to half-court and pick and rolls instead of run and gun. David West is big enough to be comfortable with the half-court game whereas Amare was tall and lanky and worked better with the run and gun.
I, too, dream of a day when Chris Paul throws oops to Dwight Howard. It’s unfortunate that we can’t even see it in the All-Star game.
You really wanna kiss Dirk goodbye? That’s big for you to say that you want to get rid of established Dirk for prospect Beasley. Ballsy. He’s been the weight of the Mavericks for so long. Of course you also have Marion, so I guess they could run 3/4 positions.
I like the way you think.
The thing about the draft picks could have gone two ways, unfortunalty it went the wrong way. Had the trade worked out the way the maverics organization or the unprofessional slob ya’ll call an owner wanted…it really wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. Had it worked out, those pics would have pick number 25+. Back end of first round draft picks rarely do anything. Few teams have had success with those type picks…Tony Parker(28th) and David Lee(30th) and your beloved josh howard to name a few. But most end up back of the rotation or perenial bench players at best. You can usually find just as good of players in the 2nd round or bringing guys in for training camp or summer leagues. But now that the organization has plumeted to middle of the pac in the western conference with an up and coming stronger eastern conference…those pics will now be close to lottery pics and yeild possible immediate impact rotation players who could start in a few years or even an unexpected starter in their rookie year ie. Jason Thompson this year drafted 12th overall.
Thanks again for both of your comments.
Aaron,
Originally, I had a whole Dallas rebuilding article set up but I choose to make it about more than the team I like. I think that would just be the beginning of other trades( since Kidd, Howard, and Stack still have value). Would I hate trading Dirk, YES. Sadly, I also feel he needs another chance to win a championship and prove to others why he is one of the best to ever play the game. Since the one finals appearance, everyone has dogged him. Pair him with another elite player and see what happens. Remember, we were really close last year for a Kobe and Dirk tandem( when Kobe was whining to get out, Dallas offered Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Diop, and two first..which LA almost took). Other trade options for dirk are out there( to portland for Aldridge, Bayless, and Raef for the E.C.) , but I was just throwing something off the wall i guess.
Sotexsports,
Again, I agree with you. Cuban was desperate to get Kidd back to Dallas, I could understand why, but the cost was too high. Because of this, I don’t think Dallas would even consider trading Kidd now to admit defeat in that trade( even thou everyone knows how bad it was for us).
It was as bad a move as for the Suns with the Shaq/Marion trade. Shaq and Kidd are both old. But Shaq is putting up 20+/12 numbers this year so I wouldn’t rule out Kidd yet either. If you could get a good Center or a forward like Beasley to compliment Kidd and Nowitzki and keep the role players, it would be an amazing team.
It’s all about getting players to play in the system. Or even figuring out the best system for your players. How they work the best together. Avery can’t force an ISO on new players anymore than D’Antoni (God rest his soul) could force the run-and-gun on Shaq last year.
But I’m just telling you what you already know and I miss our trade chats face-to-face so this will have to suffice.
And the good thing about the Eastern conference is the same thing I said about the Western conference a few years ago. Since the Western conference is dropping off, a few good teams will emerge (like the Pistons or the Pacers of half a decade ago) in the Western conference. Since the Eastern conference has probably caught up and surpassed the West in young talent and hard-nosed playing, the playoffs on the Eastern side will be brutal. When the Pistons were winning earlier this decade, it was because all of the teams in the West had to push each other to 7 games each series whereas the Pistons had easy 4 or 5 game series en route to the Finals. It will be the same way for the Eastern conference this year. By the time the Magic, Cavs, Celtics, Hawks, and even the Pistons and the Heat finish duking it out in the playoffs, whatever team makes it through will likely be tired. Whereas in the West, you’re looking at pretty much a choice between the Lakers, Spurs, and Hornets like last year. There may be one good series between two of those teams I mentioned.