With the Magic and Lakers getting ready for a push to the top of their respective conferences and the Sacramento Kings seeing their top young players develop, it is time for a three-way trade.
Lakers get:
Adonal Foyle, $1,219,590, 1 Year Remaining
Ron Artest, $7,400,000, 2 Years Remaining
Magic get:
Mike Bibby, $13,500,000, 2 Years Remaining
Justin Williams, $862,456, 1 Year Remaining
Kings get:
Pat Garrity, $3,818,750, 1 Year Remaining
Sasha Vujacic, $1,756,951, 1 Year Remaining
Chris Mihm, $2,500,000, 1 Year Remaining
J.J. Redick, $2,000,160, 2 Years Remaining
Trevor Ariza, $3,100,000, 1 Year Remaining
Carlos Arroyo, $4,000,000, 1 Year Remaining
James Augustine, $687,456, 1 Year Remaining
Orlando's 2008 First Round Pick
Let's go team-by-team to take a look at how this would benefit each team.
Lakers: The Lakers would get the final piece to the puzzle to make them the favorite to win the championship. With a starting lineup of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and then Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, and Jordan Farmar off the bench, the Lakers would be loaded. Artest would be the perfect complement on the wing to Bryant and Odom's versatility off the bench would fit well. Adding Foyle in place of Mihm would be a slight downgrade, but Foyle does play strong defense in the post. The loss of Ariza would hurt, but he is simply a poor man's Artest. Vujacic has played well and is young, but to make this trade work, he would have to go.
Magic: Today, the Magic sit three games behind Detroit and seven games behind Boston in the East. More importantly, as currently constructed, Orlando most likely will not be able to beat either team in a seven game series. Orlando's biggest weakness thus far has been at the point guard spot. Both Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo have been given a shot, but neither has excelled. With a handful of expiring contracts for players that are not significant on the roster, Orlando has a chance to add a major player. J.J. Redick is a guard who has not fit in with the team and it would be a good opportunity to move him. In this trade, Arroyo would be the only impact player they would need to move. However, adding Bibby would create a situation with an extra point guard, so he could be moved.
Kings: Although the Kings would be giving up two of their most talented players, it would give them an opportunity to get out of long-term contracts that they are locked into. Sacramento would be getting six players whose contracts would expire after this season. A few of the players the Kings would be getting in this trade would be waived immediately. The Kings would also get a terrific shooter in J.J. Redick at a small salary, plus a first round pick of Orlando's next season. With Bibby and Artest moved, it would give Beno Udrih, Quincy Douby, Kevin Martin, John Salmons, and Francisco Garcia more playing time to continue to develop.
I would think only Orlando would have to consider not making this trade. They may not consider Bibby a great enough upgrade from Arroyo or Jameer Nelson to make this trade and take on a big salary for the 2008-09 season. I would think in an opportunity to dump both Bibby and Artest in one trade would be something they couldn't pass on. For the Lakers, to have an opportunity to add another major talent to their team would be a move they would make. Although they would be digging themselves even deeper into a luxury tax position, I would think they would make it for the chance to seriously contend for the title.
Showing posts with label Mike Bibby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Bibby. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Kobe-Bulls Update
Reports out of Chicago are saying that a three-team trade is on the table for Kobe Bryant to approve within the next 48 hours. The trade includes the Bulls and Lakers and now also the Sacramento Kings. With Kings point guard Mike Bibby out six to ten weeks with a left thumb ligament injury and a roster of players either past their prime or vastly inexperienced, the Kings most likely are looking to shake up their roster.
The reports only mention Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest as the primary members. So, I spent some time looking at possible three-way trades and here is the best that I could come up with:
Chicago gets: Kobe Bryant ($19,490,625) and Jordan Farmar ($1,009,560)
Sacramento gets: Ben Gordon ($4,881,669), Joakim Noah ($2,135,400), Viktor Khryapa ($1,928,598)
Los Angeles gets: Kirk Hinrich ($11,250,000), Ron Artest ($7,400,000), Adrian Griffin ($1,593,000), Chicago future first round pick.
With this trade the Bulls would automatically become a contender to win the championship. They would maintain a core of Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni, and add in Kobe Bryant. Role players such as Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith would also play a critical role. Although the Bulls currently constructed are a nice team that may compete for the Eastern conference title, this team post-Kobe trade would compete for the title. And as I always stress, each year your goal is exactly that -to compete for the championship.
In Sacramento and Los Angeles, this trade allows both teams to rebuild their roster without falling too hard. Sacramento gets another scorer to play next to Kevin Martin, another young big man in Noah, and cap flexiblity next season when Khryapa's contract expires. The Lakers acquire two starters and some flexibility for the future. Hinrich and Artest would team with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to create a nice core for the Lakers to build around.
The reports only mention Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest as the primary members. So, I spent some time looking at possible three-way trades and here is the best that I could come up with:
Chicago gets: Kobe Bryant ($19,490,625) and Jordan Farmar ($1,009,560)
Sacramento gets: Ben Gordon ($4,881,669), Joakim Noah ($2,135,400), Viktor Khryapa ($1,928,598)
Los Angeles gets: Kirk Hinrich ($11,250,000), Ron Artest ($7,400,000), Adrian Griffin ($1,593,000), Chicago future first round pick.
With this trade the Bulls would automatically become a contender to win the championship. They would maintain a core of Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, Andres Nocioni, and add in Kobe Bryant. Role players such as Thabo Sefolosha and Joe Smith would also play a critical role. Although the Bulls currently constructed are a nice team that may compete for the Eastern conference title, this team post-Kobe trade would compete for the title. And as I always stress, each year your goal is exactly that -to compete for the championship.
In Sacramento and Los Angeles, this trade allows both teams to rebuild their roster without falling too hard. Sacramento gets another scorer to play next to Kevin Martin, another young big man in Noah, and cap flexiblity next season when Khryapa's contract expires. The Lakers acquire two starters and some flexibility for the future. Hinrich and Artest would team with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to create a nice core for the Lakers to build around.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Western Conference Power Rankings
With six Western Conference teams kicking off their season tonight, I wanted to share my power rankings as of today:
Contenders
1.) San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs bring back their core from last season's championship team, so why wouldn't they be on the top spot?
2.) Phoenix Suns - A full year with Nash, Marion, and Stoudamire should help the Suns once again compete for the title. Another year of development from Leandro Barbosa and Marcus Banks and the additions of D.J. Strawberry, Alando Tucker, and Grant Hill should be beneficial.
3.) Dallas Mavericks - Like the Spurs, the Mavericks essentially bring back the same roster. Like the Suns, the Mavericks are hoping another year of development from Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop along with the additions of Eddie Jones and Trenton Hassell will help them advance further this year in the playoffs.
Near Contenders
4.) Houston Rockets - The Rockets certainly had the best offseason in the Western Conference adding a handful of rotation players. However, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady still have not won a single playoff series. Houston is most likely one year away from really contending.
5.) Utah Jazz - The Jazz had an uneventful offseason with their only significant additions being signing Jason Hart and drafting Morris Almond. Andrei Kirilenko's ability to play in Jerry Sloan's system and the development of Ronnie Brewer will be keys to Utah's success. I expect the Jazz to win the Northwest division once again this season.
6.) Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets will benefit from a full season with Kenyon Martin, however, I do not think they have enough to beat out the Jazz in the Northwest. The overall talent level of the Nuggets roster is still unbalanced and lack scoring off the bench. The Nuggets will get three-fourths of their scoring from Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Nene Hilario.
Potentially Frisky
7.) New Orleans Hornets - Another year of the David West-Peja Stojakovic-Chris Paul-Tyson Chandler core playing together will be beneficial towards their success. The Hornets hope that one of their young big men - Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, or Julian Wright - can be a significant contributor to the team. If so, the Hornets will play hard and be competitive each night against the league's best.
8.) Golden State Warriors - The Warriors have put together a nice, young group of players though I think this year they will take a step back. Brandan Wright, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus, Monta Ellis, and Marco Belinelli is a great young core, but they will not be ready to seriously compete for the Western Conference title. The Warriors will most likely get as much from Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, and Stephen Jackson as they did last season.
Playoff Contenders
9.) Los Angeles Lakers - With other teams around them improving, I do not expect the Lakers to perform much better than they did last season. The Lakers will hope to avoid the injuries that plagued them last year, but certainly do not have enough talent to jump into the top six in the Western Conference and maybe not even enough to make the playoffs this season.
10.) Sacramento Kings - The Kings will continue to struggle as long as both Mike Bibby and Ron Artest are on the same roster. Both players have shown an inability to play with one another and they are still relying on too many unknown commodities. Although some of these guys (Fransisco Garcia, Quincy Douby) have shown potential, they cannot provide enough each night for the Kings to make the playoffs this season.
Up-and-Coming
11.) Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies are certainly a nice, young team who at this point next year will be competing for a playoff spot. However, at this point, they are building for that time. They have the groundwork laid with a fantastic young point guard (Mike Conley), a versatile wing scorer (Rudy Gay), a scoring power forward (Darko Milicic), and an all-star caliber big man (Pau Gasol). They also have a nice array of bench players who can contribute. However, in a loaded Western Conference, they will fall short of reaching the playoffs.
12.) Portland Trail Blazers - Without Greg Oden, Portland is still one man short of being a contender this season. Travis Outlaw and LaMarcus Aldridge will be expected to fill the missing numbers from the Zach Randolph trade. Sorting out a group of point guards (Sergio Rodriguez, Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake) will also be interesting to watch.
Not Ready Yet
13.) Seattle SuperSonics - Seattle rebuilt their roster this summer and now features two talented rookies: Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. They will continue to slowly build a roster that will eventually compete for the championship, but at this point they are not at that level just yet.
14.) Minnesota Timberwolves - Minnesota has begun to put together the blueprint to quickly rebuild their roster after trading Kevin Garnett. Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, and Sebastian Telfair are all expected to be apart of Minnesota's long-range plans. However, outside of Jefferson, the Timberwolves will struggle to get consistency each night and will be one of the league's worse teams this season.
Falling Hard
15.) Los Angeles Clippers - With Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston expected to miss the entire season, the Clippers may be one of the league's worse teams this season. A once promising team, now lacks focus and a plan to make its way back to the playoffs.
Contenders
1.) San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs bring back their core from last season's championship team, so why wouldn't they be on the top spot?
2.) Phoenix Suns - A full year with Nash, Marion, and Stoudamire should help the Suns once again compete for the title. Another year of development from Leandro Barbosa and Marcus Banks and the additions of D.J. Strawberry, Alando Tucker, and Grant Hill should be beneficial.
3.) Dallas Mavericks - Like the Spurs, the Mavericks essentially bring back the same roster. Like the Suns, the Mavericks are hoping another year of development from Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop along with the additions of Eddie Jones and Trenton Hassell will help them advance further this year in the playoffs.
Near Contenders
4.) Houston Rockets - The Rockets certainly had the best offseason in the Western Conference adding a handful of rotation players. However, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady still have not won a single playoff series. Houston is most likely one year away from really contending.
5.) Utah Jazz - The Jazz had an uneventful offseason with their only significant additions being signing Jason Hart and drafting Morris Almond. Andrei Kirilenko's ability to play in Jerry Sloan's system and the development of Ronnie Brewer will be keys to Utah's success. I expect the Jazz to win the Northwest division once again this season.
6.) Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets will benefit from a full season with Kenyon Martin, however, I do not think they have enough to beat out the Jazz in the Northwest. The overall talent level of the Nuggets roster is still unbalanced and lack scoring off the bench. The Nuggets will get three-fourths of their scoring from Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Nene Hilario.
Potentially Frisky
7.) New Orleans Hornets - Another year of the David West-Peja Stojakovic-Chris Paul-Tyson Chandler core playing together will be beneficial towards their success. The Hornets hope that one of their young big men - Hilton Armstrong, Melvin Ely, or Julian Wright - can be a significant contributor to the team. If so, the Hornets will play hard and be competitive each night against the league's best.
8.) Golden State Warriors - The Warriors have put together a nice, young group of players though I think this year they will take a step back. Brandan Wright, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus, Monta Ellis, and Marco Belinelli is a great young core, but they will not be ready to seriously compete for the Western Conference title. The Warriors will most likely get as much from Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, and Stephen Jackson as they did last season.
Playoff Contenders
9.) Los Angeles Lakers - With other teams around them improving, I do not expect the Lakers to perform much better than they did last season. The Lakers will hope to avoid the injuries that plagued them last year, but certainly do not have enough talent to jump into the top six in the Western Conference and maybe not even enough to make the playoffs this season.
10.) Sacramento Kings - The Kings will continue to struggle as long as both Mike Bibby and Ron Artest are on the same roster. Both players have shown an inability to play with one another and they are still relying on too many unknown commodities. Although some of these guys (Fransisco Garcia, Quincy Douby) have shown potential, they cannot provide enough each night for the Kings to make the playoffs this season.
Up-and-Coming
11.) Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies are certainly a nice, young team who at this point next year will be competing for a playoff spot. However, at this point, they are building for that time. They have the groundwork laid with a fantastic young point guard (Mike Conley), a versatile wing scorer (Rudy Gay), a scoring power forward (Darko Milicic), and an all-star caliber big man (Pau Gasol). They also have a nice array of bench players who can contribute. However, in a loaded Western Conference, they will fall short of reaching the playoffs.
12.) Portland Trail Blazers - Without Greg Oden, Portland is still one man short of being a contender this season. Travis Outlaw and LaMarcus Aldridge will be expected to fill the missing numbers from the Zach Randolph trade. Sorting out a group of point guards (Sergio Rodriguez, Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake) will also be interesting to watch.
Not Ready Yet
13.) Seattle SuperSonics - Seattle rebuilt their roster this summer and now features two talented rookies: Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. They will continue to slowly build a roster that will eventually compete for the championship, but at this point they are not at that level just yet.
14.) Minnesota Timberwolves - Minnesota has begun to put together the blueprint to quickly rebuild their roster after trading Kevin Garnett. Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, and Sebastian Telfair are all expected to be apart of Minnesota's long-range plans. However, outside of Jefferson, the Timberwolves will struggle to get consistency each night and will be one of the league's worse teams this season.
Falling Hard
15.) Los Angeles Clippers - With Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston expected to miss the entire season, the Clippers may be one of the league's worse teams this season. A once promising team, now lacks focus and a plan to make its way back to the playoffs.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Examing NBA Point Guards
Last season, fifteen point guard's played more than 2,000 minutes and had an assist to turnover ratio that was less than 2.50.
1) Smush Parker, 1.49
Parker, now with the Heat, struggled greatly last season with the Lakers. In Miami, Parker will be looked upon to come off the bench and handle the ball more effectively, as well as shooting the ball from the perimeter at a high percentage.
2) Jameer Nelson, 1.79
Nelson was a suprise for me to be so high on this list. With the addition of Rashard Lewis this season, Nelson will most likely greatly improve this ratio. He will be expected to take care of the ball more effectively this season and look to score less.
3) Gilbert Arenas, 1.88
Arenas is a combination guard, who has no limitations of offense. Arenas will most likely land in a similar spot next season.
4) Mike Bibby, 1.97
Bibby had a rough season last year as the Kings did not make the playoffs. This season, Sacramento hopes that Bibby will play more of the role of a pure point guard and that some of their young players will develop into more of scorers.
5) Devin Harris, 2.03
This is a pivotal season in the development of Harris. At this point, Harris needs to enter into the class of one of the league's best pure point guards. The Mavericks hope to make it to the NBA finals this season, and Harris will play an important role in this.
6) Mo Williams, 2.06
Williams is a combination guard, who spends most of his time at the point guard spot. Williams signed a long-term deal with the Bucks this season and they hope he will continue to develop as a player.
7) Leandro Barbosa, 2.17
Barbosa is a unique player who gets the green light at all times. He is more of a shooting guard than a point guard, but does play the point guard spot occasionally to spell Steve Nash. Barbosa looks to provide energy and score points and looks less to distribute the ball to teammates.
8) Tony Parker, 2.20
Again, it was suprising to me that Parker landed in the top ten in the assist to turnover category. Being that San Antonio is coming off a championship, it will probably work well for them if he lands in a similar spot this next season.
9) Jarett Jack, 2.23
Jack is in a pivotal time in his career. With a competitive situation at point guard for Portland, Jack will need to have a strong season. With a handful of scorers on the roster, Jack needs to do a better job of protecting the ball and increasing his number of assists this coming year.
10) Stephon Marbury, 2.25
Marbury has struggled during his career to find his proper place on his team's offense. Although he is a talented scorer, he is in a point guard body. If he could maintain his scoring numbers, increase his assist numbers, and decrease the number of turnovers, he would be a better player and his team would be better off.
11) Derek Fisher, 2.28
Fisher is a shoot-first point guard at this time in his career. Backing up Deron Williams last season, Fisher was looked upon to provide energy and scoring off the bench. This season with the Lakers, Fisher will be expected to distribute the ball more and provide experience.
12) Mike James, 2.30
James is a combination guard who struggled last season to find his role in Minnesota. This season with Houston, James will need to perform well right from the start. With a great deal of competition at the point guard spot, if James does not take care of the basketball immediately, he will be relegated to a bench role. If this is the case, the Rockets will most likely use him as their primary bench scorer.
13) Luke Ridnour, 2.36
Ridnour is in a very critical season for his career. He fell out-of-favor last season with Seattle's coaching staff, but have a whole new group of coaches this year. Seattle will spend this season determining if Ridnour is the guy to lead them in their rebuilding process, or if he will be expendable.
14) Earl Boykins, 2.43
Although Boykins is the smallest player in the league, he is more of a scorer than point guard. Boykins became a free agent after last season, when he forgoed his $3,000,000 player option on his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He will likely join a team to fill the role of an experienced scoring guard off the bench.
15) Jamaal Tinsley, 2.47
Tinsley has struggled to improve throughout his career with the Pacers. This season may be his last with Indiana if he does not show improvement. The Pacers have begun to rebuild their roster, and they most likely need a point guard who excels at distributing the ball and playing tough defense. Tinsley does neither of these things well.
1) Smush Parker, 1.49
Parker, now with the Heat, struggled greatly last season with the Lakers. In Miami, Parker will be looked upon to come off the bench and handle the ball more effectively, as well as shooting the ball from the perimeter at a high percentage.
2) Jameer Nelson, 1.79
Nelson was a suprise for me to be so high on this list. With the addition of Rashard Lewis this season, Nelson will most likely greatly improve this ratio. He will be expected to take care of the ball more effectively this season and look to score less.
3) Gilbert Arenas, 1.88
Arenas is a combination guard, who has no limitations of offense. Arenas will most likely land in a similar spot next season.
4) Mike Bibby, 1.97
Bibby had a rough season last year as the Kings did not make the playoffs. This season, Sacramento hopes that Bibby will play more of the role of a pure point guard and that some of their young players will develop into more of scorers.
5) Devin Harris, 2.03
This is a pivotal season in the development of Harris. At this point, Harris needs to enter into the class of one of the league's best pure point guards. The Mavericks hope to make it to the NBA finals this season, and Harris will play an important role in this.
6) Mo Williams, 2.06
Williams is a combination guard, who spends most of his time at the point guard spot. Williams signed a long-term deal with the Bucks this season and they hope he will continue to develop as a player.
7) Leandro Barbosa, 2.17
Barbosa is a unique player who gets the green light at all times. He is more of a shooting guard than a point guard, but does play the point guard spot occasionally to spell Steve Nash. Barbosa looks to provide energy and score points and looks less to distribute the ball to teammates.
8) Tony Parker, 2.20
Again, it was suprising to me that Parker landed in the top ten in the assist to turnover category. Being that San Antonio is coming off a championship, it will probably work well for them if he lands in a similar spot this next season.
9) Jarett Jack, 2.23
Jack is in a pivotal time in his career. With a competitive situation at point guard for Portland, Jack will need to have a strong season. With a handful of scorers on the roster, Jack needs to do a better job of protecting the ball and increasing his number of assists this coming year.
10) Stephon Marbury, 2.25
Marbury has struggled during his career to find his proper place on his team's offense. Although he is a talented scorer, he is in a point guard body. If he could maintain his scoring numbers, increase his assist numbers, and decrease the number of turnovers, he would be a better player and his team would be better off.
11) Derek Fisher, 2.28
Fisher is a shoot-first point guard at this time in his career. Backing up Deron Williams last season, Fisher was looked upon to provide energy and scoring off the bench. This season with the Lakers, Fisher will be expected to distribute the ball more and provide experience.
12) Mike James, 2.30
James is a combination guard who struggled last season to find his role in Minnesota. This season with Houston, James will need to perform well right from the start. With a great deal of competition at the point guard spot, if James does not take care of the basketball immediately, he will be relegated to a bench role. If this is the case, the Rockets will most likely use him as their primary bench scorer.
13) Luke Ridnour, 2.36
Ridnour is in a very critical season for his career. He fell out-of-favor last season with Seattle's coaching staff, but have a whole new group of coaches this year. Seattle will spend this season determining if Ridnour is the guy to lead them in their rebuilding process, or if he will be expendable.
14) Earl Boykins, 2.43
Although Boykins is the smallest player in the league, he is more of a scorer than point guard. Boykins became a free agent after last season, when he forgoed his $3,000,000 player option on his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He will likely join a team to fill the role of an experienced scoring guard off the bench.
15) Jamaal Tinsley, 2.47
Tinsley has struggled to improve throughout his career with the Pacers. This season may be his last with Indiana if he does not show improvement. The Pacers have begun to rebuild their roster, and they most likely need a point guard who excels at distributing the ball and playing tough defense. Tinsley does neither of these things well.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Bibby Heading East?
Rumors coming out of Miami have the Heat and the Kings discussing a trade to bring Mike Bibby to the Eastern Conference. Bibby would add the steady point guard that the Heat have been searching for.
To make this trade logical for both teams, a handful of other players would need to be included. Here is the trade that would allow the Heat to acquire Bibby:
Sacramento trades Mike Bibby and Kenny Thomas to Miami for Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, Wayne Simien, Michael Doleac, Dorrell Wright, and a first round pick.
With Bibby being the top talent in ths trade, the Heat would certainly be acquiring the better talent. However, the Kings would see a great deal of cap relief from doing this trade.
2007-08 Salaries
Dorrell Wright $2,040,746
Jason Williams $8,937,500
Michael Doleac $3,120,000
Wayne Simien $997,800
Udonis Haslem $6,050,000 (3 years remaining)
Kenny Thomas $7,875,000 (3 years remaining)
Mike Bibby $13,500,000 (2 years remaining)
In 2007-08, salaries almost match.
In 2008-09, Sacramento saves almost $16,000,000.
In 2009-10, Sacramento saves almost $1,500,000.
Additionally, Haslem is only 27 years old and has a great deal of experience already. Haslem has developed a nice mid-range shot. He shoots especially well from the baseline and has shown a knack for aggressive offensive rebounding. Haslem needs to add some post moves, possibly a jump hook or an improved drop stop. He plays with a great deal of energy, moves his feet well, and plays physical defense. In Sacramento, Haslem and Hawes would be nice building blocks for the Kings rebuilding.
Dorrell Wright has shown some flashes of his potential, but needs more playing time. The Kings would likely consider releasing Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien.
Another possibility for this trade to work would simply be removing the first round pick and including Shareef Abdur-Rahim. However, it is widely believed that Abdur-Rahim is a better player than Thomas and the Kings would certainly try to hang on to him.
By going ahead with this trade, the Kings would be able to gain a great deal of cap flexibility after this season. With potentially Gilbert Arenas, Shawn Marion, and Jermaine O'Neal all becoming free agents the Kings could have the cap room to sign one of these guys. For Miami, Pat Riley would finally land a reliable point guard to play alongside of Wade. Kenny Thomas could step into Haslem's role at the power forward, while only seeing a small dropoff in scoring and rebounding. However, with available spots on the roster after this trade, the Heat would be able to persue an available big man. Melvin Ely, Corliss Williamson, Danny Fortson, and especially P.J. Brown would all fill in nicely here.
With Brown, Thomas, and an additional free agent joining the mix of Wade, Walker, Mourning, Parker, O'Neal, and Hardaway would have a strong enough nine man rotation to compete for the finals. If the Kings go ahead with this trade, it would jump start their rebuilding process with a great deal of roster and cap flexiblity.
To make this trade logical for both teams, a handful of other players would need to be included. Here is the trade that would allow the Heat to acquire Bibby:
Sacramento trades Mike Bibby and Kenny Thomas to Miami for Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, Wayne Simien, Michael Doleac, Dorrell Wright, and a first round pick.
With Bibby being the top talent in ths trade, the Heat would certainly be acquiring the better talent. However, the Kings would see a great deal of cap relief from doing this trade.
2007-08 Salaries
Dorrell Wright $2,040,746
Jason Williams $8,937,500
Michael Doleac $3,120,000
Wayne Simien $997,800
Udonis Haslem $6,050,000 (3 years remaining)
Kenny Thomas $7,875,000 (3 years remaining)
Mike Bibby $13,500,000 (2 years remaining)
In 2007-08, salaries almost match.
In 2008-09, Sacramento saves almost $16,000,000.
In 2009-10, Sacramento saves almost $1,500,000.
Additionally, Haslem is only 27 years old and has a great deal of experience already. Haslem has developed a nice mid-range shot. He shoots especially well from the baseline and has shown a knack for aggressive offensive rebounding. Haslem needs to add some post moves, possibly a jump hook or an improved drop stop. He plays with a great deal of energy, moves his feet well, and plays physical defense. In Sacramento, Haslem and Hawes would be nice building blocks for the Kings rebuilding.
Dorrell Wright has shown some flashes of his potential, but needs more playing time. The Kings would likely consider releasing Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien.
Another possibility for this trade to work would simply be removing the first round pick and including Shareef Abdur-Rahim. However, it is widely believed that Abdur-Rahim is a better player than Thomas and the Kings would certainly try to hang on to him.
By going ahead with this trade, the Kings would be able to gain a great deal of cap flexibility after this season. With potentially Gilbert Arenas, Shawn Marion, and Jermaine O'Neal all becoming free agents the Kings could have the cap room to sign one of these guys. For Miami, Pat Riley would finally land a reliable point guard to play alongside of Wade. Kenny Thomas could step into Haslem's role at the power forward, while only seeing a small dropoff in scoring and rebounding. However, with available spots on the roster after this trade, the Heat would be able to persue an available big man. Melvin Ely, Corliss Williamson, Danny Fortson, and especially P.J. Brown would all fill in nicely here.
With Brown, Thomas, and an additional free agent joining the mix of Wade, Walker, Mourning, Parker, O'Neal, and Hardaway would have a strong enough nine man rotation to compete for the finals. If the Kings go ahead with this trade, it would jump start their rebuilding process with a great deal of roster and cap flexiblity.
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