How about this trade? (it took me a while, at least give me an intelligent commment)

BlazerGal, you and everyone here have to realize, like the rest of the league will realize soon, that Portland HAVE to trade one of their swing players. It's hopeless. GM's are not stupid, they know this, that's why Bonzi wouldn't be AS valuable in a trade if he ASKED for a trade and WANTED to leave. Much like the Pippen situation, they'll have to look through a bunch of just above average offers, and pick the best.


Let me break it down for you:

Pippen: I honestly beleive he's the most untradeable player in the entire league. If he were a free agent, he'd make no more than 5M for ONE year, and maybe an optional second year. He's not going anywhere. Everyone knows this.

Patterson: Recently acquired, doing great, won't nag about minutes as much as anyone else in your roster. Just the fact that he was recently signed is a big enough reason.

Anderson: Recently signed. Bolted San Antonio to go here, Portland would look very stupid if they were to trade him after giving him so much money. He'd look stupid if he talked and said that he wants out. Again, being recently signed to a big contract, that's enough reason...

Bonzi Wells: WILL nag about minutes. Deserves minutes and he knows it. But, he has a small contract, and can possibly be packaged with a big contract? It's just a classic case of "odd man out"...




Guys, look at the big picture...The rosters...The keyword in this trade is "Structurally flawed"....Just like when teams draft depending on need or best available. This is based on need. I have no doubt in my mind that every one of these teams benfit from this trade, Houston LEAST of all.

For people trashing Illgauskas, when he plays, Cleveland is a playoff team. That's how significant he is. He's an excellent player, the only knock on him is his contract. I'm sure that Portland would rather have an 11M dollar Illgauskas than a 12.5M dollar Soudamire, whom the coach doesn't like ANYWAY.

Big picture guys...Everything falls into place with the trade..

Knick have a C, a good PG, and don't have to split as many minutes. Houston has Willis starting and Knight backing up with a smaller contract, and playing time is enough to motivate him. Portland get a C, still have Dale Davis, and also get Mark Jackson who won't demand many minutes at this stage in his career. Cleveland get Kerr, Wells and Langhi. Basically, Bonzi and depth. They need that second scorer on their team, and Bonzi is the type of player that would be great alongside Andre Miller. They also give the C minutes to Doleac and Diop while the PF is locked up with Tyrone Hill and Chris Mihm. They have basically the same team they've started the season with, with the addition of the 3 players. In Portland, Davis would continue to play until Illgauskas returns (no pressure).



All the teams here need overhauls, and this does just that. Except for Houston, who get salary cap versatility and freedom with the C rotation.


Again, I'd like to say that I still support Cato, and he would thrive in New York. For 2 resons: Playing on a contender, and being the only true C.

 

Travis Knight will give us hustle, effort and size every night as the backup. Illgauskas coukd play right now if the Cavs were in the playoffs. But it's not that important. This is with Doleac starting at C. Imagine you have Dale Davis to play 20 minutes a night as the backup, and the whole game as the starter. Illgauskas is taking his time cause the Cavs are going nowhere, fast. Portland get better even by giving more minutes to Pippen, Patterson and Anderson. On top of that, they get Illgauskas. I'd appreciate it if people who ahven't seen him play didn't say "BONZI WELLS FOR IllGAUSKAS????".....If you have, then feel free to comment... differently...

Cato's not bad, he's on the wrong team. Knight has a smaller contract, and will be ecstatic to be the primary backup.


For us, we get Kurt Thomas. Of course, we'll have to trade him again next season. But, the upside is that his trade value will be up because his rebounding would go up on a more guard-oriented team like the Rockets. We miss more shots than the Knicks, and his rebounding would be up. Plus, he wouldn't have to battle two veterans like Weatherspoon and O Harrington. Also Griffin would get more minutes as the primary backup. But when Mo T comes back we're gonna have to lose the resurgent Kurt Thomas(odd man out).

 

Rocketspimp,

We can look at it the way you look at it, or differently.

I can say, why wouldn't Portland trade a unavoidably soon-to-be digrunted and unhappy Bonzi Wells and an already unhappy, Stoudamire who doesn't get along with the coach, when they get a C that can make them a top4 team in the league. Yes, if Illgauskas could put Cleveland in the top 8 in the East with only the then-rookie Andre Miller as support, then I think he can make Portland that good. The West may be the big conference, but the C's in the East are better. So don't tell me it was in the East.