So, I think it's safe to say that Brand is no longer a pipe dream, seeing as he'll either be on the Clippers or Heat next year with a lucrative 6 year deal. Scratch his name from the list and remove all crazy trade scenarios involving him (trade proposals are bound to decrease by 30% now that Brand is gone). All right... One down, one to go. Odom, you're on the clock.
I'd consider that to go under the "expressed or implied" discussions regarding offer sheets and ROFR. There can't be anything other than the contract itself for the team to make a decision with regards to whether or not they want to match an RFA offer. Just like you can't make a slanted side trade to"convince" a team not to match, match, a team can't go on record threatening to sign their other RFAs. Whether they do or not is a different story. I'd suspect though, after the Juwan Howard thing several years ago, and this mysterious "clerical error" on Carter, that the NBA may be a little suspicious of things that the Heat and Riley do. On another note, I doubt this is all a ploy by the Heat to get Odom- that's just not something Falk would have any part of.
Sorry, not me. I like Dion Glover's game, and I wouldn't mind seeing Mobley gone, but we are giving up too much. Taylor and Grffin pretty much equal out SAR, but Glover doesn't come close to matching Cat, and a 35 year old Elden Campbell who could only get on the floor for 12 minutes a night on a Seattle team that had a horrible frontcourt, I'll pass on as well. Here's my trade idea, Rice/Griffin/Taylor for SAR/Alan Henderson. We make the trade to get a bonafide star at the four postion, a guy who rebounds well, and can really light it up, plus he's still only 26, as well as Alan Henderson, a banger off the bench, who averaged 4.9 boards in 18 minutes last year for the Hawks, plus his contract, like SAR's ends in two years.. Getting Henderson allows us to drop Taylor, who likely wouldn't play much behind SAR anyway. The Hawks get two young power forwards, one with a ton of potential, the other who has proved that is he a solid low post scoring threat. They also get cap relief in Rice, who they inquired about at the trade deadline last year. I think is fair to both squads. Our line up would look like this, assumng the Daniels and Piatkowski rumors are true: Francis/Daniels/Moochie Mobley/Piatkowski Posey/Boki/SAR SAR/Henderson Yao/Cato
Those Eddie Jones or Brian Grant rumours (as well your suggestion of Cato and Taylor) are bogus IMO. I just think Minny can get way more than that. We are talking about a SAR, Ron Artest or Al Harrington here. But now that they add Kandi (who along with Cassell should be enough to get them out of the 1st round), they will probably hold onto Brandon's contract to save some cap room to resign KG themselves. I like what Minny re doing.
How about just Rice + Griffin + rights to Kyle Hill for Shareef? Or Taylor + Griffin + signed Kyle Hill for Shareef? I like Taylor... Would they accept Rice + Griffin + rights to Kyle Hill for SAR? Have they been looking to trade SAR? If we did Rice + Griffin + rights to Kyle Hill for SAR... The starting lineup wouldn't be too bad... Or Rice + Griffin + 1st round draft pick for SAR and an OK player like Dan Dickau or 2nd rounder... SF 39/MN 9 CM 36/Eric Piatkowski 12/JH 0 JP 30/SA 18/BN 0 SA 18/MT 30 YM 36/KC 12 James Posey can replace Cuttino. SAR can replace Posey. Cato can replace Shareef. We would be one of the highest scoring teams, one of the highest rebounding teams, one of the teams with the most turnovers and assists, one of the best in field goal percentage...but probably a little low on blocks. Why not? Griffin seems hopeless to me. Maybe he'll do better in Atlanta. Just an idea...we'll probably do nothing.
Well, whether or not Odom is a pipe dream can be argued. Brand will either be with the Heat or the Clippers. Now, four Clippers have received offer sheets from other teams. Andre Miller will play with the Nuggets; the Clips can let him go. But if Sterling actually pays up --- that is, if he changes his ways --- Brand and Maggette will remain with the team. But Brand's frontloaded contract added to Maggette's salary will create a problem as far as keeping Odom. That would amount to a ton of money, "even for Mark Cuban, let alone Donald Sterling". Brand and Maggette have said they want to play on the same team. Maybe it's a Duke thing. Maybe they're using these other teams to get what they want: to stay on the same team; or, if that doesn't work, to at least get some dough-re-mi. But let's say Sterling doesn't let Brand go. Do we step in with an offer for Odom? Or, consider this: Miami uses Brand to throw an offer sheet at Odom as soon as the Clips match. Would the Heat and their depth-impaired roster be interested in Cat + EG + Cato or Mo (probably the former) for Caron Butler and Brian Grant? (There's my pipe dream.) You could sign another PF/C using part of the MLE. Cat and Odom (old RHode Island teammates) would enjoy it. The Heat would be funner to watch and more competitive. And we'd be defensively fierce in Houston. Will it happen? *sigh*
