The main issue is that the Lakers are freeing up WAY too much cap space. Jermaine and say Hasheem Thabeet/Jordan Hill would fix that right up. (They also need some bigs...)
ZachLowe_SI Zach Lowe There are some many implications to this West/Boston deal, when you think about happened last night, the 3-teamer still in the works..
Not sure if that's the main issue, but ya, good thinking. I don't think Lakers would take Thabeet but J.O'Neal can contribute IF healthy (I know).
SherrodbCSN A. Sherrod Blakely Spoke with a source close to #Celtics Jermaine O'Neal who said if he were to be traded to the #Hornets, JO would "never make it there." SherrodbCSN A. Sherrod Blakely O'Neal contemplated retiring before this season, but came back for at least one more run at championship. Won't happen w/the #Hornets.
This actually could make a lot of sense. Remember the Celtics have the Clippers 2012 1st rounder (top-10 protected). O'Neal is probably just there to match salaries. Could be bought out or send to another team in need of a center.
Who knows. Certainly could be. The involvement of the pick is obviously just speculation on my part. I just don't see how this makes any sense for the Hornets otherwise.
It's got to be JO, maybe Avery Bradley and the Clippers' 2012 1st round pick (top-12 protected). If Wojo is correct (and he usually is) about the BO'S player(s) not staying in NO, then the most logical move is that either LA or Houston are eating those salaries. If so, then the Hornets are essentially getting their original haul PLUS an extra very good first round pick. maybe a nice young player in Bradley, too. Just a guess at this point, though.
If O'Neal ends up going to the Lakers, then it seems like the only reason that NO acquired O'Neal from Boston was so the league could pressure the Lakers into allowing themselves to be saddled with that contract. It reminds me of that Vonnegut story, what was it called, "Harrison Bergeron", where people who are more apt are forced to take on extra burdens to make them equal to other people. But then, the League, as the owners of NO, are unfairly helping Boston by giving them West AND taking a bad contract off the Celtics's hands. Meanwhile they then dump that contract on the Lakers? I am going to be real interested to see how this pans out.
daldridgetnt David Aldridge Source: Sign/trade between Boston, NO for David West is dead, confirms ESPN.com report that Pacers closing in on signing West.
ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein TNT's David Aldridge reports Celts out of David West mix. By all accounts, BOS deal perished w/out team to take Jermaine O'Neal from Hornets
