Assuming the McGrady-Francis deal goes down, which I believe it will go down after July 1, what can we get with the TE? I am having a hard time coming up with deals that other teams would be interested in.............unless they include Boki. What team is going to take Howard or Taylor off our hands along with the TE and give us anything of value back? Can the TE be traded by itself? I don't think it can. So, if we gotta send a player, we don't have much left that anybody would be interested in besides Boki and maybe JJ. We need a solid, rebounding, defending PF that can knock down the J. But who is gonna give us that for a player and the TE?
Think outside the box. The TE can be used to send a future draft pick for any player making up to $6.99m. This is very important to a team wanting to clear cap space to sign FA's. For example, if the Pistons need more $ to re-sign Rasheed and Okur, we could clear cap space for them by taking Corliss Williamson (3 yrs / $18m) for a pick. Elden Campbell would also be a possibility n this scenario. Same is true for the Suns in the Kobe sweepstakes. If they are within striking range, they may part with Joe Johnson (who plays the same position) for a pick. Or perhaps Barbosa. (Yes, I know PHX received a TE for losing Jahidi to CHA, but TE's can't be used to sign FA's). It can be also be used to facilitate a trade for a team wanting to move a BYC player. For example, (I'm not sure we'd do this one but) if the Mavs want to get Shaq they will likely have to send Steve Nash as part of the deal. Nash has a POPt for 2004-05 and is reported to want more than his current $5.8m. A raise beyond 120% makes Nash BYC and the Mavs would have to clear salary to trade him. We could take a player for a future pick. I didn't have time to check, but there are probably several more players who will become BYC this summer and we could be involved in any SnT's for them. Spoon has 1 more year on his contract and could also be of interest to teams clearing cap space. As far as Mo T and Juwan Howard, I like them as a tandem but they are fairly similar. The Rox may be tempted by a defensive PF or C with a worse contract. I can think of several more scenarios but I think you get the picture.
No, you can't technically trade just an exception, but you can package it with a draft pick. Draft picks count zero dollars for the purpose of a trade, so a 2nd round pick and the TE is effectively the same thing as trading just the exception.
I think a great fit would be Mo or Juwanna man to the heat plus the trade exception for the rastafarian. Face it, all three players are overpaid, but BG gives us a back up center and pf that plays tough d. It also helps ron jeremy relieve a little of his salary problems and gives him a little more front court scoring.
GATER, we have all the time in the world while we wait around with a thumb up our ass for Weisbrod to make this T-Mac trade. While we are waiting how about throwing out your several more scenarios. Love to hear them. BTW, I was thinking the exact same thing with regards to Elden Campbell and the T.E. Would be a nice backup for Yao and his contract comes off the books next year.
Williamson for the TE????? Yuck! Campbell for TE???? Not a whole lot better. Joe Johnson? LOL Definitely, do you think Phoenix would do it? I guess we could hope and pray that Kobe wants to play in Phoenix, but I don't see that happening. I would take Nash off the Dallas roster, or Finley, or Daniels or Howard, but nothing else. Could we really come up with one of those guys? How about MoT and the TE to Seattle for Rashard? Would Seattle be interested in that? Maybe the TE and a pick for one of their crappy centers along with a side deal of MoT and other stuff for Rashard???? But I don't see those as really being beneficial for the other team. How do we use the TE where it benefits both teams. Sure Detroit would dump Williamson or Campbell on us. Is that all that we can expect to receive from this thing, just an overpaid, underperforming bench warmer, that plays limited minutes? What are some realistic deals for this thing?
How about we package Mo T, Pike and the TE to Chicago for Antonio Davis and Chandler, or Antonio Davis and a point guard. Chicago gets to exit Davis contract. Chicago gets to unload Chandler - which seems to be a priority. Chicago gets a power forward back that can score - something they have trouble doing. Chicago gets a designated shooter off the bench for kick outs. Antonio Davis has a 13 mil contract with 2 years left. Chandler has a ? contract with 2 years left. Rockets get a good backup center and power forward with the banging/enforcer skill set. When he comes off the books - Yao gets the money for his max extension. Rockets take a flyer on Chandler who could be a 7' beast. Risk - two year contract. Not so bad! Detroit did pretty well with a cropload of big men and stifling defensive. Extra big men help you keep up the pressure. You don't fold with a foul or two. Yao/AD/Chandler Howard/Chandler/AD/Spoon Boki/JJ/Tmo Tmac/Berry Berry/Lue
That sounds like the Knicks with Kurt Thomas for the TE. They have been shopping KT. We could probably trade Mo T for Deke and Frank Williams. Yuck. Maybe that's what it would take to make the deal. Yao/Deke Kurt Thomas/J.Howard/Spoon Boki/JJ Tmac/Berry Berry/Williams/Lue Ex-Knick conknickion engaged.
One more scenario - Seattle with Brent Barry and Jerome James or Vitaly Potepenko. I think James has the better contract. Seattle might have to throw in another player. Mo T + TE to Seattle resigned Brent Barry and Jerome James to Houston If Seattle REALLY wants to exit Rashard Lewis and move up Radmanovic, like everyone sez they do... well, we can certainly help out there, too . Then we use the MCE to get a point guard, maybe Arroyo. Whoever. He doesn't have a hard time hitting a talent. Yao/James Howard/Spoon Lewis/Boki Tmac/JJ Arroyo/Lue I could come up with these all day. Do they work?
How about Cato and TE for Booth, Daniels and Rashard Lewis? Clears some capspace for them. They get to develop their young players, Collison, Murray, Ridnour, Radomanovic, and whoever they picked up in this draft. James, Potapenko and Allen are all in their final year I believe, which would put them in position to sign FA's the following season, right? That's if they decided to rebuild.
Here are some other trades worth considering... Trade the TE w/ a future 1st round draft pick & possibly a player for Dampier or to Philly for Eric Snow & Dalembert or to Toronto for Marshall. I think Philly or Toronto would at least consider it since they had awful records last year. I'm positive that if we really work hard to use this TE, I'm sure we can get another really solid pickup. TE & Future #1 to Philly for Dalembert & Snow PG-Snow/Lue SG-JJ/Boki SF-TMac/Boki PF-Howard/Dalembert C-Yao/Dalembert Taylor, TE, Future #1 to Toronto for Marshall & A. Williams Also Houston signs Barry for vet. min PG-Barry/A. Williams/Lue SG-JJ/Barry/Boki SF-TMac/Boki PF-Marshall/Howard C-Yao/Howard Taylor, Future #1 & TE to Warriors for Dampier & Claxton PG-Barry/Claxton/Lue SG-JJ/Boki SF-TMac/Boki PF-Howard/Dampier C-Yao/Dampier
It's nice to see a thread that takes my mind off The Trade. I'm glad that July 1st moratorium on trades is coming up - CD et al need to refocus and have a few scenarios they're comfortable with for the TE but right now everything's in the air. I doubt we'll be able to trade Howard, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing either. His contract is too long, but he's always had a good and solid game, just not a max contract game. I've been surprised that so many consider Howard fodder in The Deal. I think his numbers likely go up playing next to Yao. MoT last year had games where he really exploited the space he was given - Howard should be like a kid in a candy store. He can shoot, drive and he's a good passer. This will be Yao's third year and we need to seriously start thinking we're going to be real contenders if not this season, certainly the one after. The teams we had the last several years had great camaradarie and zero on court chemistry. I want players like JJ and Howard who understand the game. I want a traditional point guard with a point guard's instincts. Brand, Sheed, Rahim - sure do a deal if you can (cough) - but I don't think that happens until/if Yao becomes dominant. The thing is even last season the attention paid to Yao should have brought more results than it did. To me last season was more frustrating than the previous three combined. Most teams dared anyone but Yao to beat them and most of the time no one did. Yao improved a lot last year, but I think it was hard to quantify how much. If The Trade goes down I say we go get the pg JVG wants (I'll never like the gut) no matter how cheap or expensive. If JVG wants my 5th favorite guy I'm cool with that. As a franchise we have momentum and that's as important as anything for getting another ring - T-Mac wants to be here now. If he gets here, who'll want to come next year may be almost as important. A lot of it depends on Yao's improvement - sure - Les probably won't consider the Rocket's a cash-cow unless he sees Yao become dominant (or T-Mac thows down 37 a game), but ultimately it has to be profitable to compete with the Lakers and Cuban and luxury tax repurcussions. Ironically if Les can get Yao into the NBA finals he'll have Stern crawling up his pants leg and revenue streams galore. If The Trade goes down, Les I think will pony-up. Maybe a year from now, but we'll see.
