Whispers and rumblings from Indianapolis keep making it sound like a total overhaul is coming, including Walsh and Bird. They're on pace for 32 wins, which would be the back end of the lottery (#9). Cap situation isn't the greatest, short term: $68 million tied up in 11 players next year. O'Neal, Murphy, and Dunleavy are all on the books through summer of 2010 and are due a combined $30 million next year. Foster and Daniels represent a combined $13 million in expirings for next Feb's deadline. So, if you were to pop in and take over as GM immediately following the season, what would be your game plan going into the draft? Plenty of plausible All-Star or near All-Star targets if you were to chose to set your sights on them: Vince Carter Shawn Marion Ron Artest (hahahaha) Half of the Bulls roster (another anticipated overhaul) Andre Iguodala (possibly) Corey Maggette Elton Brand (maybe) Evan
Trade anyone of value for young guys/draft picks. If you can't compete in East, you have the wrong players. Anyone over 25 should go if you can get compensation. Go after west conference backups. A lot of these guys are good, but have better players in front of them. Defensive players are also good. I would try to keep Dunleavy even though he is 27.
They can't get too crazy now... 1 good coach or 1 strong acquisition and WHAM. You are contention for a top 4 seed in the East. Its as simple as that. So trade the pick and add a contributor. Hell, health alone would propel the Pacers into a playoff position.
They need to trade O'Neal to a contender for a young guy or a high pick while he still has some value. Granger should be the only one who's safe on that roster.
There should be a trade O'neal option that doesn't include trading everyone else. He's the one dragging that franchise down. He's making 20 million a year, and he's never healthy.
Who on that team, besides Granger, do you want to build around? I mean really... Dunleavy is a pretty good shooter, and Tinsley is occasionally a good player... but really, they just need to get rid of everyone not named Danny Granger and possibly Dunleavy.
1. Draft well, possibly trade up for a better players. 2. Trade Jermaine O'Neal (not like Pau Gasol) and help other teams more than you do yourself, but for quality players (good young upcoming stars or draft picks) .. probably trying to trade him to other bad or mediocre teams 3. Sign FAs 4. I would not trade some of the younger players, like Grangier and Dunleavy unless it is a superstar incoming. Let's be honest, they really don't need very much to compete in the East with one or two FA agent acqusitions they are pretty much #4 or #5 in the East.
But is that enough? Pacers haven't contended for a title since getting blasted by the Lakers, and were weak sisters even in their 90s heydays. O'Neal may have already peaked and is showing a worrisome amount of wear and tear. This is year #12 for him in the league, and this will be the third year in the past four that he's missed at least 30 games. Myself, I'd give up on O'Neal and see if any size-starved teams would pay 75 cents on the dollar for him: Chicago for Hinrich, Nocioni, and a top-3 protected pick, NY for Marbury (buyout), David Lee, and their pick (#5) with no protection NJ for Vince Carter, the pick from Dallas, and Krstic or Boone or Sean Williams (08-09 salaries will match) Straight up for Brand Seattle for Wilcox, Ridnour, Collison, and one of their endless first rounders. To Miami for an extended Marion (3 yrs, avg of 18 or 19 per)(yes, that is overpaying) To Washington for S&T Antwan Jamison Maybe something's there, maybe not, but I'd shop around and pull the trigger if something's worthwhile.
This was my thought as well. Definitely hold onto Granger and probably Dunleavy. Everyone is can go. Get what you can for O'neal as long as it includes some young talet/draft picks. Try and trade for some expiring contracts (like we did with Bonzi) to get out from under your contracts a bit sooner. They're going nowhere with this team so the sooner they can make the changes the better. Pugs
My question is can the Rockets acquire any player(s) from them that will fit within the chemistry and system of our team for immediate or short/long term help without giving up too much? Any ideas would be appreciated.
Battier says "...no jerks" O'Neal is done. Jamaal Tinsley, Shawne Williams, David Harrison, and Marquis Daniels are cancerous to any locker room.
None of those trades are plausible at all. First, a lot of those franchises (Chicago esp., which is why they aborted their rebuilding process) are cost-conscious. Second, even a healthy O'Neal is not going to net that kind of talent return. He's not an impact player-- his Kandi-esque shot selection and mediocre rebounding means he's not even on the same level as Pau Gasol, and Memphis traded him for nothing.
IMHO these are the best options for the pacers. Danny Granger is solid and Mike Dunleavy has elevated his game this year. Those should be the only 2 safe players.
Granger and Dunlady are keepers. Dunlady's near breakout season is significant enough to keep him around. Get the hell rid of Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley and those other thugs. Try to get rid of Murphy's enormous contract too. You could probably start this same thread about the Bobcats. They've made huge investments in J-Rich and Gerald Wallace but they're no better. Okafor is due a payday this summer -- what do you do? A J-Rich/Wallace/Okafor core clearly isn't enough to get it done. What if Okafor wants too much? Do you try to S&T him? Do you resign him then wait for Morrison/May to return before you judge the team?
Trade everyone but Granger and Diogu, their young enough to build around or to be part of a young team and then build through the draft.
O'Neal, Murphy and Tinsley should GO! elsewhere, but where? Most here agree that the Pacers need a Makeover, but how much demand is out there for the players they have under contract? 2007 - 2008 Team Salaries Team Payroll 1. Dallas Mavericks $101,021,688 2. New York Knicks $96,190,114 3. Denver Nuggets $82,581,955 4. Cleveland Cavaliers $81,137,583 5. Miami Heat $74,640,045 6. Boston Celtics $74,060,475 7. Philadelphia 76ers $74,038,229 8. Portland Trailblazers $73,241,335 9. Los Angeles Lakers $72,611,724 10. Phoenix Suns $70,702,565 11. San Antonio Spurs $69,839,187 12. Houston Rockets $69,445,134 13. Minnesota Timberwolves $69,043,895 14. Indiana Pacers $66,175,899 15. Detroit Pistons $65,898,875 16. Toronto Raptors $65,593,395 17. Washington Wizards $65,241,923 18. Utah Jazz $64,959,089 19. Los Angeles Clippers $64,577,243 20. Sacramento Kings $63,325,268 21. Chicago Bulls $63,084,166 22. New Orleans Hornets $62,346,671 23. Milwaukee Bucks $62,252,766 24. New Jersey Nets $61,366,182 25. Golden State Warriors $61,019,997 26. Seattle Sonics $60,861,388 27. Orlando Magic $58,107,045 28. Atlanta Hawks $55,501,133 29. Memphis Grizzlies $54,062,867 30. Charlotte Bobcats $52,684,792 The teams with big player budgets (Dallas, New York, Denver, Cleveland) have zero - minimal need for the higher priced Paces players soaking up cap space. Miami is a mess and is also likely to get a Makeover, but what Indy (larger contract) players would help them? Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Boston, and the Los Angeles Lakers are established and usually on the prudent side with contracts. Hard to find the motivation for them to bail Indy out. Philly finally seems to be going in the right direction. Perhaps one player away, but not likely an expensive Pacer. Portland is in a youth movement and got rid of Zach, so no knuckleheads wanted there. Minnesota is in a youth movement (or should be). With McHale still around, anything is possible. Detroit and Utah are too smart to let Indy sucker them. Golden State has already traded with the Pacers in the past and Indy lost. Orlando and New Orleans are moving in the right direction and should be hesitant before dealing with Indy. Atlanta and Seattle are in youth movements and shouldn't detour. Memphis and New Jersey seem to be in remodel mode. The other teams: Washington, Toronto, Los Angles Clippers, Sacramento, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Chicago and Charlotte are possible trade candidates, but what would be the motivation? Granted, some of those teams have Front Office issues that make a trade possible. Packaging Granger with a bad contract to get a decent deal done is likely going to be hard to digest.
