[Bulls.com/Sam Smith] T-Mac takes his spot on the NBA Trading Block

He keeps talking in the article about the 'issue' of 15 roster spots... Meaning that we couldn't deal McGrady and receive 3 players in return.

But I really don't think it's THAT big an issue.

We're talking about big bucks here in any trade anyway, so the expiring contract of Brian Cook ($3.5mill) doesn't add a GREAT deal to the calculations.

Of course, if squeezing out Cook is too difficult, then Joey Dorsey is getting sub 800k this year, and is also expiring (unless a team wished to take up his final year).

The Chicago deal he talked about (Miller + James + Thomas) is something like $23.6million in salaries - we could quite easily send back McGrady and Cook and Dorsey (should just about get us under LT - not to mention the deal absolutely works salary wise).

I'm not certain that's the most appealing deal we could get though...

 

Some really interesting posts in this thread!

I have a question regarding the quoted trade proposal. Do you guys think the Bulls are ready to dump Miller AND their first round pick just to get out of Salmons' contract next year?
I don't think so. I believe that price would be too high for them. They are 7th in the East right now and their current play indicates that they will make the playoffs (even though they are not contending for sure). Miller has played in all 31 games so far. And even though his stats aren't overwhelming (7 points, 4.5 rebounds in 22 minutes) he still is an important rotation player for them. So who is gonna replace him after he's traded away? They have Noah who is starting at C and they have Gibson and Tyrus Thomas who are both PFs. Then they have Aaron Gray who they probably don't want to rely on. So Miller would leave a hole at C which hurts them this year PLUS they lose their draft pick... so I'm not sure that they would do the proposed trade (only if they find a big man in another trade).

 

Yeah, the roster spot issue is totally overblown.

Mike Harris is on a non-guaranteed deal and will likely be waived on or before January 10 (when all contracts become fully guaranteed).

Joey Dorsey is only making $881k, so if Les absolutely HAS to eat Dorsey's salary this season (I believe his contract is non-guaranteed for next year), then he'll just do that. Preferably, in the alternative, Dorsey can be used as a throw-in with T-Mac. His salary is only slightly above the two-year veteran's minimum, which is the amount ALL minimum players count against the luxury tax; so the other team shouldn't have too big a problem taking his contract on in a trade.

The Rockets will NOT be able to add Brian Cook as a throw-in to a T-Mac deal unless the other team was absolutely, positively, 100% desperate to make the trade by any means necessary. Still, I would not be the least bit surprised if Morey already has one or two potential deals lined up with under-the-cap teams whereby (as long as the under-the-cap team doesn't have a better deal on the table at the deadline) Brian Cook, a future pick and cash will be traded in exchange for "a future second round pick" (which will be so protected that it will never be dealt).

 

If McGee develop, he would be able to take Yao's spot someday soon. I don't think Yao is able to last that much longer in the NBA nor I think he would even be effective when he comes back.

Yao would become a role player now, no longer the 1st or 2nd option.

 

I'm sure there are more than a few potential trades on deck for Tmac, some of which are completely unbeknownst to us.

IF we MUST deal with Chicago, I'm not keen on Salmons killing our cap space for the summer. Rick Adelman has worked with him before, though, so MAYBE that helps. But I'd want that Chicago first rounder (the problem being, any lottery team wants to know if they'll be drafting J. Wall).

 

I like the way your thinking too BUT I think it has to be said that in this economic climate, first round draft picks are bought much more freely so I'm not sure if taking Salmons contract works out financially if a similar pick can be bought for the right price. Again I really don't know if that would be enough to swing swallowing Salmons contract but your thinking seems to be in line with traditional first round value thought and this just isn't the case anymore as teams don't want to be committed to first round money like they did in the past when the salary cap was forever expanding.

 

Great point!

Keep in mind that if the Rockets could trade T-Mac just for two or three smaller expiring contracts of scrub players that together add up to $3-4M less than T-Mac's deal, Les Alexander will save a ton of money in luxury tax and shared tax revenues. He could use the money saved to buy another mid-first rounder. My guess is that teams like Chicago and Miami will be so desperate to maximize their cap space that their picks could be had for $3M or less. Maybe the Rockets buy another first rounder, then package their two picks to move up in the draft.

Possibilities, possibilities. It's great being one of the "buyers", isn't it?

 

Sam Smith must be giddy with anticipation. Over the last few years, he's been the most prolific inventor of T-Mac trade proposals.

 

Funny feeling about this afair. Basically, Morey's success in a TMac trade depends on another team losing its self respect and desire to live.

 

I'm not expecting to get a good player in return from the bulls. The bulls suck except for Rose.

 

Gary Payton on Tracy McGrady. Just found this on the net but I dont have speakers on this computer. Would anyone mind telling me what he is saying about McLady?

http://video.betus.com/show/gary-payton-tracy-mcgrady

 

I think in the end, the idea that we can trade T-Mac for only expirings is unrealistic, no matter the situation. It looks good for us, but there really isn't much of an incentive for the other team to bother.

However, what the trade deadline will do is get teams that are out of the playoff race to trade an (overpaid) star/semi-star with a long term contract. And given that our cap situation this offseason is tenuous at best, I really believe Morey is trying to get that player through trades. And T-Mac will become useful in such a situation.

 

Certainly he must be. He is the biggest buffoon related to the NBA in my opinion.