Pelletier's Perspective 1.20.09: Working Under a Deadline
Posted by Justin Pelletier on 01.20.2009
The Super Bowl is two weeks away. While other columnists are busy dissecting the big game, the Perspective is ready to give some love to other sports. So join 411's Justin Pelletier as he examines several trades that should be made among NBA contenders in today's Pelletier's Perspective.
I now know the sole reason Al Gore invented the internet; to use the ESPN NBA Trade Machine. I could spend entire days wheeling and dealing, virtually. I don't have entire days, however, so we here at the Perspective had to get right to the heart of the matter: Which players should be moving before the February trade deadline.
Every February certain teams are buys and certain teams are sellers. While it may seem obvious, these haves and have nots sometimes have trouble find each other. That's where we here at the Perspective come in. We have put together seven trades which would, not only benefit both side, but turn the landscape of the NBA on its ear. (And really that's all we care about).
So behold seven deals that would allow some teams to enter the championship discussion, put some others over the top and entertain the hell out of me.
The Cavaliers get Michael Redd from the Bucks for Wally Szczerbiak & J.J. Hickson
What are the two things LeBron and the Cavs need most?: A number-two option and a guy who can hit jump shots. Michael Redd fits both bills. Mo Williams had been a great addition to the Cavs but he's still not a number two scoring option. Michael Redd IS a number-two option. Cleveland has the perfect bargining chip in Szczerbiak's expiring 13.7 million dollar contract. Getting rid of that contract in the off-season, and adding a player with some upside, in Hickson makes a lot of sense for Milwaukee. This deal, virtually, seals the number-one seed for Cleveland and all it had to do was part with a marginal youngster and dump Wally.
The Mavericks get Vince Carter from the Nets for Josh Howard, Gerald Green, Antoine Wright & James Singleton
Lets face it, nobody other than Mark Cuban is crazy enough to take Carter (and his four-year, $14.7 million contract) off of New Jersey's hands. Carter is a bona fide chemistry killer but Dallas a very few options. The Jason Kidd trade didn't pan out a year ago so the Mavs might-as-well completely rebuild the Nets by shipping Howard there to team with Devin Harris (who Jersey landed in the Kidd deal). Adding Carter to this team is an experiment in human dynamics that, most likely, will end in tragedy but Cuban's boys are a contender any other way. If Carter can keep his head straight (and that's a big if) the Mavs have a prolific scorer who can take a ton of pressure off of emotionally fragile Dirk Nowitzki.
The Hornets get Rasheed Wallace from the Pistons for Tyson Chandler
I'll admit, I lifted this swap from Sports Illustrated, but damn it's an interesting deal. Wallace was a real commodity in Detroit only when he was a second scoring option but the addition of AI regulated him to third (a position Tayshaun Prince is fully capable to manning). The Bad Boys haven't been the same since Big Ben left town and Chandler gives them that defensive presence (in a longer version). For the Hornets, Wallace gives them another scoring threat which they desperately need. Additionally, his $13.9 million deal comes off the books after the season, which will keep New Orleans under the cap. For Detroit, Chandler gives them the defensive upgrade to keep them in the East's top three. Wallace allows New Orleans to maintain a stake in the Western Conference race.
The Raptors get Shawn Marion from the Heat for Jermaine O'Neal
Prior to the season, I predicted that the Miami Heat would be in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. I based this claim, not only on the ability of Dwayne Wade, but largely on the belief that Shawn Marion would play a huge part in the revival. Well the Heat are in the race but no thanks to Marion. He seems to be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Jermaine O'Neal was brought to the Great White North to help revive the Raptors playoff hopes but all he's done is kept the bench warm during these cold Canadian nights. Both players are free agents following the season so these would very likely be short term stops for both (quite certainly for Marion). Both teams can claim that the trade helps them. A one-legged O'Neal offers Miami more of a post presence than it has now. Marion is a better fit in Toronto than O'Neal as he compliments Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani, and doesn't take their minutes away.
The Celtics get Raymond Felton & Juwan Howard from the Bobcats for Glen Davis & Brian Scalabrine
If Cleveland, Detroit and Miami are all going to make trades, than the Celtics HAVE to get a deal done. As a Tar Heel fan I used to believe that Carolina boys stuck together but such is not the case in Bobcat land. Raymond Felton has been on the outs ever since Larry Brown got to town. Brown has drafted D.J. Augustine to run the point, leaving Felton out in the cold. The Celts have slipped lately, largely do to the decline in Rajon Rondo's play. Felton could be either a wonderful backup or the new starter, depending on how quickly he picks up the system. Davis makes sense to go because he a rotation four, which is the position already held by Leon Powe. Davis has some upside that he would bring to the young Cats. Scalabrine is the only guy on Boston's roster who can make the cap numbers work and Howard would not only fill the void at power forward, left by trading away two fours, but would provide the leadership role P.J. Brown offer last year.
The Suns get Marcus Camby & Mike Taylor from the Clippers for Leandro Barbosa, Grant Hill & Louis Amundson
So you're Phoenix. This is probably the last year you'll get anything out of Shaq but the big man has proven, lately, that he has a little left in the tank. So how do you get the most out of the Diesel? Trade for a former Defensive Player of the Year to play along side him. When the Clippers landed Camby in the off season it kind of made sense as he does different things than existing five Chris Kaman but it really hasn't worked out. He earns $10 million a year over the next two years and that's a salary that Donald Sterling usually loves to ship out. Bringing him into the Valley of the Sun allows Shaq to forget about defense and be an offensive monster for the last four months of the year. A Shaq focused on scoring (even at his age) is a dangerous Shaq. Shipping out Barbosa and bringing in a defensive stallwort signals the end of the D'Antoni era and hello to Terry Porter's defensive regime. Trading Hill isn't much of a risk as he's lost a lot of time to Matt Barnes. Dealing Barbosa is another matter as it leaves Steve Nash without a real backup. But it's the only hope the Suns have to compete for a championship. Bring Camby in for defensive and let the offense rest on Nash, Shaq and Amare and see what happens.
The Cavs get Brad Miller from the Kings for Daniel Gibson & Eric Snow
Just when you thought Cleveland was done, it would go and pull off the clincher. Adding Brad Miller would be huge for three reasons. 1) He can knock down jump shots, something only fellow new acquisition Michael Redd is capable of doing. 2) He would spell oft-injured Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 3) He's a high-post five. That would give Cleveland a dimension it doesn't have. Snow is nothing more than an expiring contract and losing Gibson doesn't hurt as Redd would regulate Delonte West to backup duties (the role which Gibson currently serves). This trade (along with the deal for Redd) would almost guarantee the Cavs spot in the finals. Could you imagine a starting five of Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, LeBron, Redd and Mo Williams, with Miller, West, Varejao and Pavolvic coming off the bench? Scary stuff.
If these trades went down they would unquestionably shake the balance of power in both the East and the West.
Cleveland would automatically become the odds on favorite to win it all.
Just like last year, Phoenix and Dallas' moves would either propel them towards the championship, or explode in their faces. Both squads would hope for the prior rather than the latter, like last year.
The Celtics and Pistons would both improve with their deals but would likely need a miracle to upend the loaded Cavs.
The Miami deal would bear little fruit as O'Neal would inevitability get hurt and the load would, once again, rest solely on the shoulders of Dwayne Wade.
Will all these trades happen? No, although they should. Will any of them happen? Probably not. But I can guarantee that each of these teams will be looking to make a deal as the deadline approaches. And you know what, they'll probably be using ESPN's Trade Machine. I mean what else are you going to do on the internet? (Except of course for reading this column.)
