Yeah, its just for fun to consider. In theory it COULD happen, and you know what that means..... "So you're saying there's a chance" Still... I'm gonna go on a limb though and say that this becomes a talking head story line with guys like Stephen A. etc. If it grabs ratings, why wouldn't they talk about it??? "Dwight left LA, could Melo leave NY??"... I can see it now on FirstTake.
i'd trade some of our surplus talent for need and balance. 3-team trade: Hou. get: Spencer Hawes, Amir Johnson, Philly's 2nd round pick (high 30s') Phi. gets: Asik, Greg Smith Tor. gets: DMo, Lavoy Allen, Houston's 2nd round pick OK, i like the idea of Love/LMA/Ilyasova... to play alongside DH12. but Amir Johnson is more realistic to get and just what we need at the 4: an athletic good defender who can rebound and shoot from outside. he also has attitude to be the enforcer on this young team. Hawes could be the best back-up center if play behind DH12. when we play big, he can also complement Dwight much better than Asik with his passing skill and shooting ability. not to mention DM gets another high 2nd round pick to work with his magic. Philly gets the best player in this trade (Asik), plus a promising young talent (Smith) so it's a no brainier for Sam Hinkie. Raptors traded a PF who's not in their plan, for 2 young PFs with great upside, plus a 2nd pick, plus saving about $2.1M after this trade. i think this is a trade makes a lot sense for all 3 teams. Rockets lineup after this trade: Howard, Hawes, Camby Johnson, Jones, Covington Parsons, Casspi, Brewer Harden, Garcia, Brooks Lin, Beverley, Canaan maybe still not a champion team, but good enough to win 55+ games this season. with all the expiring/manageable contracts, we can further upgrade the 1 & 4 spot in next 1~3 years.
I know you're aiming a little lower so as not to miss the target, i.e., we ain't gowanns to get Kevin Love, but Morey will sell as high on Asik as he can. Amir Johnson probably has a better game than I know, since I don't see many Raptors games. I still think someone along the level of a Paul Millsap would be our target area, neither too low nor too high.
Larger, multi-team trades rarely happen (last year notwithstanding) because it's near impossible to a) make salaries work, and b) make it a win-win-win-win. I rarely post/view random trade ideas, but this is a fun year to do it, simply because we have the core trio in tact (Harden/Dwight/Parsons, if u think anyone else is core, u r sadly mistaken). I'd propose this: Houston Out: T. Jones, O. Asik, J. Lin Houston In: M. Gortat, G. Dragic, G. Monroe Detroit Out: G. Monroe Detroit In: E. Udoh, T. Jones, (rights to Todorovic) Phoenix Out: M. Gortat, G. Dragic Phoenix In: L. Babbitt, O. Asik Milwaukee Out: E. Udoh, L. Babbitt Milwaukee In: J. Lin Houston would likely send cash/pick considerations to Phoenix and Detroit, a 1st or 2nd to Pho, with a 1st and 2nd (either or both from Mil) to Det. Phoenix is going forward with Bledsoe (for sure) and needs an interior presence to pair with him (they might end up the #2 1/5 defensive combo in the league), Milwaukee would gain a gigantic upgrade at nearly no cost, would keep Saunders/Ilyosova combo with a legit scoring option (Lin is so much better than Jennings). Detroit has made it known that Monroe is not in their future (no extension, saving money for Drommund after spending on BJ and JS), I think Jones (competent and cheap replacement with upside), a 1st and 2nd rounder plus an expiring, serviceable young player in Udoh + cash would be a nice haul. Houston receives the best backup C in the league, a seemingly lateral move at the 1 (always loved dragon more, but he and Lin are a near wash at this point), and a high upside, extremely good defender/rebounder in Monroe who is a natural 4, who could play the 5 at any time. Not going to happen, certainly not a pipe dream. Seems to be logical and plausible.
I like Amir Johnson, but the man shot just thirteen times from three point range last season. Having said that, he would be a really good rotation player for anybody. This works: Amir Johnson and the Blazers' 2016 first round pick (unprotected) to Houston Omer Asik to Portland Donatas Motiejunas and Robin Lopez (expiring contract) to Toronto Revised Houston roster Starting lineup PG Jeremy Lin SG James Harden SF Chandler Parsons PF Amir Johnson C Dwight Howard Rest of the rotation Patrick Beverly Omri Casspi Francisco Garcia Greg Smith End of the bench Terrence Jones Ronnie Brewer Aaron Brooks Marcus Camby Stashed in the developmental league Isaiah Canaan Robert Covington Cuts Reggie Williams Undrafted rookie from VCU I'm not impressed by Portland so I think that pick winds up being a good one. Johnson is really good, maybe the most underrated player in the league.
In december. Houston out: asik/Jones Houston in: millsap/t.zeller/atl.1st Atlanta out: millsap/schroder/1st Atlanta in: asik/t.Jones/Cleveland 2nd Cleveland out: t.zeller/2nd Cleveland in: schroder Houston gets a almost star quality starting 4 and a decent backup big with room to grow. Lin/bev Harden/garcia Parsons/casspi Millsap/(dmo/smith) Dwight/zeller Makes us 2 deep at every position for a rotation of 10.
Why do people think Atlanta is motivated to trade Paul Millsap? Very good player at a great price. That ship has sailed for Houston.
Have you heard horford, there centerpiece, gas voiced frustration at playing center and that Atlanta had previously promised to sign a center. On to of that horford said he would most like to play next to asik at center. Let's also remember how friendly and flexible millsaps contract is. it is by design to be a positive in trade talks. And something I'm sure Morey likes besides his great advanced stat production. Millsap is extremely more readily available than an unprotected first from Portland. There is almost no such thing as an unprotected first in the nba. Besides trading for amir makes us worse.
well, yes, but he is a celtics fan. And I think him talking about that trade was semi-tongue in cheeck. You know how he always jokingly brings up the Celtics and their roster no matter what team he is talking about. As in, oh, talking about the Bucks, here is how they can help the Celtics...ha ha. That kind of thing. Green drives him crazy, and he laughingly said, "hey, maybe we can send him to Houston and then Green can drive them crazy". if Green's contract was not so bad I would not mind the trade to make Green a solid forward bench player. But I would need more than a straight up deal even then. A pick or something for one of our semi-disappointing young forwards (DMO or Jones). Unfortunately Green's contract is kind of bad for a inconsistent bench player.
Do you think Channing frye would be an option coming off a year off from enlarged heart. I think he could spread the floor and would be a good buy low option.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ldob5dd Rockets IN: Al Horford Hawks IN: E. llyasova, Alex Len Bucks IN: Goran Dragic Suns IN: Omer Asik, 1st Round Pick via Rockets (2014) Why Rockets do it? - Assume the Asik/Howard combination doesn't work and Asik is still "unhappy". Horford is a nice compliment to Howard and is a true PF. Harford can stretch the floor with his long (mid) range shooting. Why Hawks do it? - Horford's true position is a PF. We assume Atlanta can't bring in a significant upgrade at Center to pair with Horford. Horford's patience runs out with the organization. Why Bucks do it? -They have a young PF in Henson and a Center in Sanders. Bucks still need a PG. Brandon Knight can't get it done. Why Suns do it? -Pile up on draft picks for the rebuilding process. Get a young (top 10) center in the league on a very good contract, while getting another 1st round pick (in a loaded 2014 draft).
This team's looking very exciting, but I'd feel better if we had a legit 4 ready to step into the rotation now. DMo seems like he's not just ready yet. What if we were to acquire Brandon Bass for a pick and out-of-the-rotation filler? (e.g. - TJ, Brewer, Brooks, Smith). Are we improved by adding Bass to our big rotation without giving up much? At $6 million for two years, he's overpaid, but not in a way that would meaningfully hurt us and he seems like a good fit who could step in now. Boston's rebuilding and reports say guys like Bass are available for picks. If not Bass, what modest, but potentially easily acquirable big would you be interested in? Talk of guys like Aldridge and Love is nice and all (even Millsap), but if this existing team continues to gel as is, I think we're one decent rotation PF away from really contending. I'm optimistic we can pick up a good rotation guy with our MLE next year, but I don't want to wait a year to maximize the potential of this roster nor do I want to change it significantly.
Very interesting. As you say, Horford wanting to bolt is key to Atlanta giving him up. I wonder if this could get done without PHX and MIL. Atlanta would like Asik. A low first-rounder normally isn't enough additional compensation, but this doesn't get done regardless unless Horford is pushing them to move him or lose him.
How do you post the trade ID for ESPN Trade Checker? Damn, I'm dumm. D-u-m-m. But this one's hilarious: So I start messing with the ESPN trade checker. To PORTLAND: Brook Lopez Donatas Motiejunas To BROOKLYN: Omer Asik Jeremy Lin To HOUSTON: LaMarcus Aldridge M. Leonard I was thinking, Brook Lopez will be reunited with his brother, and Brook's contract goes one year longer than Aldridge's. Brooklyn reeeeeeeeally needs depth. Asik replaces Lopez on defense, and Lin helps out with the backup 2 and 1 spots; Deron Williams keeps having issues with his legs/feet (I think). Brooklyn already has an All Star or two and at least two future Hall of Famers, so why worry about losing Lopez, who makes it to the All Star team by default? And their owner believes money was made to be spent, so, Lin and Asik's balloon payments? Do you care? "Nyet." I don't know if Beverly and Brooks should be set as the future at PG but what the heck; half the assists on this team come from Harden anyway. Funny thing is, ESPN trade machine says: Houston wins: +27 Brooklyn wins: +24 Portland wins: +33 So, either I'm a trade savant or the ESPN Trade Machine is on the fritz.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=k9mvyqn We get a solid starting 4 in Thad Young. We also get a pretty good backup center in Spencer Hawes. Then we acquire John Salmons, whom we could bring back at the end of next year for about $2M or could let him walk to free up space to re-sign Parsons and add another role player.
