[Grantland] 26 Predictions for the Season

Arthurprescott2 · Oct 23, 2012

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8540932/the-miami-heat-offense-james-harden-contract-more-bold-predictions-2012-13-nba-season

Again insights from Zach Lowe, covering expiring contracts, OKC, Playoff teams, etc. Rockets-related material is limited to Martin and Asik.

Expiring contracts:

That leaves only a few big expiring contracts that might be truly in play: Chris Kaman ($8 million), Jose Calderon (about $10.6 million), Josh Smith ($12.5 million), Corey Maggette ($10.9 million), Devin Harris ($8.5 million), and the most intriguing one of all, Kevin Martin ($12.4 million) of the wheeling-and-dealing Rockets.
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Martin footnote:

I badly want to engineer some sort of trade that sends Martin to Denver, even if Martin isn't a perfect fit with Denver's ultra-fast style and would bring massive defensive shortcomings on a team that doesn't need any more of them. There is an opening on this roster for a true shooting guard. But Denver would have to send out considerable salary in such a deal, likely starting with Wilson Chandler. And Chandler is exactly the kind of player of whom teams are wary right now — a decent-enough player, but one owed $13 million over the next two seasons, plus at least $2 million guaranteed in 2014-15. Some team is going to have to really love Chandler, or get a sweetener elsewhere, to take him from Denver in any deal that might theoretically interest the very creative Nuggets.
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Asik portion:

They were mocked by the insta-pundits on Twitter, but don't be shocked if we look at both these contracts as fair deals within a matter of weeks. The Rockets paying $8.3 million per season to a guy who has never averaged even 15 minutes per game seems absurd, but Asik looks to be one of the half-dozen or so best defenders in the league. Chicago's defense reached borderline unprecedented levels of stinginess whenever Asik played over the past two seasons, and though some of that had to do with Taj Gibson and facing opposing benches with regularity, Asik was a giant factor. He's huge, mobile, and smart, capable of defending at an A-plus level from above the foul line all the way to the rim. He's also a legitimate candidate to lead the league in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate, and has looked in the preseason like a shockingly confident offensive player — including as a passer on the move in pick-and-rolls.
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Martin to Denver is something I haven't heard/considered before (probably cause Wilson Chandler is meh).

JayZ750 · Oct 23, 2012

Utah would be a good landing destination for Martin. And I'd love to get the pick they are owed from the Warriors. But I've got no clue what Utah would trade back?

da_juice · Oct 23, 2012

JayZ750 said: ↑

Utah would be a good landing destination for Martin. And I'd love to get the pick they are owed from the Warriors. But I've got no clue what Utah would trade back?
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http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=8kbesme

That might work, and I'd be willing to do it.

Also, any chance Rudy Gay gets traded to the Magic for Richardson, Redick, and a pick or two from the DHo trade?

Arthurprescott2 · Oct 23, 2012

JayZ750 said: ↑

Utah would be a good landing destination for Martin. And I'd love to get the pick they are owed from the Warriors. But I've got no clue what Utah would trade back?
Click to expand...

Enes Kanter would be nice... but I doubt they would do that. Double Turkish centers??

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[Grantland] 26 Predictions for the Season

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