NBA Free Agency and Trade Season Thread Extravaganza

[superdave]

Since the Finals are done we can now turn to, and baselessly speculate about, all the off-season moves teams will make to over-pay good players, trade unhappy guys, circumvent the salary cap and generally ruin their team's ability to compete for the next 3-4 years.

Here's the NBA trade machine courtesy of Espn.com.

Here's a few trade ideas to get us started:

Russel Westbrook (plus $9 million in other salaries, draft picks) for Chris Paul. Does Westbrook get it? Will Chris Paul leave NO via free agency? This could work for both teams. I think OKC is unlikely to pull the trigger on this and will instead work on Westbrook to be a better distributor.

Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas for Paul Gasol, Andrew Bynum. Howard has said he wants to stay in Orlando. But is that true? Could Orlando get any better deal than this? Could L.A. do any better? This seems like a win-win. I could see the Lakers trying to package Artest instead of Bynum, but they'd have to sweeten the deal somehow.

Steve Nash, Jared Dudley for Josh Smith and Jeff Teague. The Suns need to rebuild and the Hawks need some leadership. Teague could be a starting pg in the league based on his post-season play - the Suns take a chance.

[CDu]

Russel Westbrook (plus $9 million in other salaries, draft picks) for Chris Paul. Does Westbrook get it? Will Chris Paul leave NO via free agency? This could work for both teams. I think OKC is unlikely to pull the trigger on this and will instead work on Westbrook to be a better distributor.

I think the Thunder will try to make it work with Westbrook. He's still cheap and young, and I think he and Durant are buddies. They'll hope he can figure out the next steps, which are somewhat similar to those needed for Derrick Rose (though more pronounced). Also, I suspect that Paul will try to pull a Carmelo Anthony and force a trade to a team of his choice (perhaps even the same Knicks team).

Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas for Paul Gasol, Andrew Bynum. Howard has said he wants to stay in Orlando. But is that true? Could Orlando get any better deal than this? Could L.A. do any better? This seems like a win-win. I could see the Lakers trying to package Artest instead of Bynum, but they'd have to sweeten the deal somehow.

This is a fascinating idea, and is perhaps the first trade suggestion I've seen from anyone that doesn't completely favor LA. A trade of two very good frontcourt players for the most dominating frontcourt player in the NBA along with a really bad salary. It would make great sense for the Lakers in that they'd get one of the best 2-3 players in the league and they'd simultaneously address the fact that neither Bynum nor Gasol pairs well defensively alongside Howard (just like Bynum and Gasol don't pair well defensively). The Lakers would then rely a LOT on Lamar Odom at the 4, which can be questionable. And they'd need to add another big or two to split time with those two. It would give LA the firepower to make a run at a few more titles before Bryant is done as an elite player.

On Orlando's side, it gives them something in return for Howard and keeps them credible in the East. I don't think Gasol and Bynum work great together (both are too slow to play the 4 well), but they would be good enough to keep Orlando relevant. And the Magic would clear off one bad salary and make some room in their crowded backcourt.

I don't think it'll happen because I imagine the Lakers would balk at trading BOTH of their bigs and I imagine the Magic ignoring the reality that they'd probably lose Howard to free agency. But it's a very interesting trade idea.

Steve Nash, Jared Dudley for Josh Smith and Jeff Teague. The Suns need to rebuild and the Hawks need some leadership. Teague could be a starting pg in the league based on his post-season play - the Suns take a chance.

I'm not sure I like that deal from the Hawks' perspective, because I think Nash is a bad fit with Johnson and Crawford. Those two guys are pretty much only effective with the ball in their hands, and I don't see them moving without the ball to take advantage of Nash's gifts. Not to mention, a Nash/Crawford backcourt would be among the worst defensive pairings in the NBA. I actually think Nash would work better with Josh Smith, because Nash could create good slashing opportunities for Smith (in a poor man's Stoudemire sense), and Smith's athleticism would be great for Nash.

[JasonEvans]

Nothing is happening this offseason. There is going to be a lockout starting in just a couple weeks. We will get some trades leading up to the draft, but no blockbusters because no one knows what the new rules will be and no one wants to take a chance without knowing what the new salary structure will be.

Heck, I have heard talk that Miami might be forced to trade Bosh if the new rules bring in a hard salary cap.

-Jason "the NBA is going to lose a ton of positive momentum if they impact next season with a labor stoppage" Evans

[CDu]

Nothing is happening this offseason. There is going to be a lockout starting in just a couple weeks. We will get some trades leading up to the draft, but no blockbusters because no one knows what the new rules will be and no one wants to take a chance without knowing what the new salary structure will be.

Heck, I have heard talk that Miami might be forced to trade Bosh if the new rules bring in a hard salary cap.

-Jason "the NBA is going to lose a ton of positive momentum if they impact next season with a labor stoppage" Evans

Yeah, it will be very interesting to see the implications of the new CBA (whenever it happens). A hard salary cap would wreak havoc on almost all of the contenders, as pretty much all of them are over what any likely cap number would be. The Bulls and Mavs are both committed to around $60million (but eventually the Bulls are going to have to pay Rose big), Atlanta and Miami are at $65 million, and Boston ($72 million), the Lakers ($95 million!), and Magic ($75 million) are over $70 million. The Spurs are at $57 million without Parker, and the Grizzlies are at $36 million without Randolph, Battier, or Gasol. OKC ($49 million) and Indiana ($35 million) both currently have a bit of flexibility, though that's mainly because their starters are young and thus still fairly cheap (which will change).

[Class of '94]

Nothing is happening this offseason. There is going to be a lockout starting in just a couple weeks. We will get some trades leading up to the draft, but no blockbusters because no one knows what the new rules will be and no one wants to take a chance without knowing what the new salary structure will be.

Heck, I have heard talk that Miami might be forced to trade Bosh if the new rules bring in a hard salary cap.

-Jason "the NBA is going to lose a ton of positive momentum if they impact next season with a labor stoppage" Evans

I haven't worked out the numbers; but if Miami would go hard after Grant this summer since he is a free agent; and somehow work a trade for Nash from Phoenix, I think the Heat would win it all next year. The Heat would have the point guard that they need; and the addition of Grant would give the Heat a versatile defender and scorer that could team up with Wade and Lebron on the perimeter to wreak havok. And even if Miami doesn't get Nash, having Grant could free up Lebron to be more of an attacker on offense and allow Grant to be the facilitator. Of course, Lebron would have to work on his ability to play without the ball in order to be sucessful.

[tommy]

I haven't worked out the numbers; but if Miami would go hard after Grant this summer since he is a free agent; and somehow work a trade for Nash from Phoenix, I think the Heat would win it all next year. The Heat would have the point guard that they need; and the addition of Grant would give the Heat a versatile defender and scorer that could team up with Wade and Lebron on the perimeter to wreak havok. And even if Miami doesn't get Nash, having Grant could free up Lebron to be more of an attacker on offense and allow Grant to be the facilitator. Of course, Lebron would have to work on his ability to play without the ball in order to be sucessful.

While I'd love to see the Heat get Grant too, LeBron attacked on offense just fine this year, to the tune of almost 27 ppg. He just stopped doing it against Dallas, apparently for numerous reasons both physical and psychological.

[Class of '94]

While I'd love to see the Heat get Grant too, LeBron attacked on offense just fine this year, to the tune of almost 27 ppg. He just stopped doing it against Dallas, apparently for numerous reasons both physical and psychological.

I've read some of the rumors about Lebron and his possible "outside" distractions; but I wonder if part of his lack of agressiveness has to do with him needing to dominate the ball; and when D-Wade had it going in the Finals, Lebron wasn't able to figure out how to play off D-Wade's agressive play and just appeared to be disengaged. I think having guys like Grant and Nash would provide more veteran leadership and could help those guys play better together.

[BD80]

Nothing is happening this offseason. There is going to be a lockout starting in just a couple weeks. We will get some trades leading up to the draft, but no blockbusters because no one knows what the new rules will be and no one wants to take a chance without knowing what the new salary structure will be.

Heck, I have heard talk that Miami might be forced to trade Bosh if the new rules bring in a hard salary cap.

-Jason "the NBA is going to lose a ton of positive momentum if they impact next season with a labor stoppage" Evans

If there is a significant adjustment in the cap, i.e. a "hard cap," there is likely to be some sort of one-time relief afforded to teams. I believe the last time there was an adjustment, each team was allowed to dump one salary without penalty (cut a high priced player with no salary repercussions - but the team would still owe the contract amount to the player cut). There are more than a few GMs that could use that relief; in Detroit, we would be Villanawaivin'

[CDu]

If there is a significant adjustment in the cap, i.e. a "hard cap," there is likely to be some sort of one-time relief afforded to teams. I believe the last time there was an adjustment, each team was allowed to dump one salary without penalty (cut a high priced player with no salary repercussions - but the team would still owe the contract amount to the player cut). There are more than a few GMs that could use that relief; in Detroit, we would be Villanawaivin'

Yeah, but unless teams are allowed to re-sign those players for the minimum (which would be shady), this would still result in chaos among the contenders. The Lakers would have to cut one of Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Artest and then STILL need to do a salary dump trade with at least one of the others, as their payroll is at $95 million (which is probably $30-40 million or more above a cap). The Bulls would likely cut Boozer, whose contract has very quickly turned into an albatross. I'm not sure who the Heat would cut (I guess Bosh, but then they'd have a huge hole in the frontcourt).

If the teams can then re-sign their cut players, it wouldn't cause chaos. Although the Lakers would still be in a bind, because they'd still need to actually shed one or two contracts even with a "get out of jail free" card for one player.

[darjum]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap...er_Next_Season

Way to send mixed messages Dwight. This man is the prize to be had. I don't believe it will happen before the lockout, but once the season gets underway the noise coming out of Orlando will be a welcome distraction for their Floridian neighbors. Unless a 'magic' trade happens and Otis Smith pulls off a miracle to upgrade Dwight's teammates, he's gone. So, trade him and stay semi-competitive or let him walk, bottom out & end up with high draft picks, they do have good luck in getting #1 picks in years with franchise guys...albeit they all end up leaving in the prime of their careers!

If there is a fire sale in Orlando I wonder if another contending team, oh say the runner up in this years finals, may make a run at JJ? I know it will be hard for the Heat to make moves in the future, but I could envision JJ being a great compliment to the Heat's wing players and against a team that plays zone he would be a wonderful pressure relief as a zone buster.

Would love to see a Duke player in the NBA Finals again, hopefully next year.

[NSDukeFan]

I've read some of the rumors about Lebron and his possible "outside" distractions; but I wonder if part of his lack of agressiveness has to do with him needing to dominate the ball; and when D-Wade had it going in the Finals, Lebron wasn't able to figure out how to play off D-Wade's agressive play and just appeared to be disengaged. I think having guys like Grant and Nash would provide more veteran leadership and could help those guys play better together.

Grant and Nash are two of my favorite players in the league, but I don't know if they would be a good match in Cleveland. There seems to be some discussion that one of LeBron's issues is his ability to play with Wade, since they are both used to having the ball in their hands a lot. They played well together enough during the regular season and most of the playoffs, but seemed to struggle some in the finals (Dallas' tough D and certainly their zone were obvious other factors.) You are discussing how Grant could handle the ball more and allow LeBron to attack. I agree that LeBron needs to improve in that area, but that is so he can play more effectively with Wade. Nash and Grant are both very good with the ball in their hands, but so are LeBron and Wade, and, even for Miami they still only play the game with one basketball.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I haven't worked out the numbers; but if Miami would go hard after Grant this summer since he is a free agent; and somehow work a trade for Nash from Phoenix, I think the Heat would win it all next year.

As long as the Heat have Sweet Baby James, I will enjoy watching them lose, so I don't want to see any Dukies on their roster.

[Indoor66]

As long as the Heat have Sweet Baby James, I will enjoy watching them lose, so I don't want to see any Dukies on their roster.

I'll bet you've seen Fire and Rain as well...

[nmduke2001]

would Pat Riley entertain a trade of LBJ straight up for Dwight Howard? It works for Miami because Wade and LBJ are basically the same guy and don't work well together in my opinion. Also, the Heat need interior help. It works for Orlando because they get equal value for Dwight.

[superdave]

would Pat Riley entertain a trade of LBJ straight up for Dwight Howard? It works for Miami because Wade and LBJ are basically the same guy and don't work well together in my opinion. Also, the Heat need interior help. It works for Orlando because they get equal value for Dwight.

No, first of all two teams in the same division would not trade their big guns for each other. Second I am sure that whatever Pat Riley sold Lebron on last summer means that Riley is tied to LBJ for the duration. They came close to winning a title with a rotation that did not get healthy until the playoffs (Miller, Uhaul).

If Miami can ditch the old centers (Ilgauskus, Dampier, Howard) and sign 2 younger guys to play with Uhaul, Bosh and Anthony, then they will be fine. Jeff Foster and Kurt Thomas are unrestricted this summer. Either would be a big upgrade.

Miami's biggest problem is that the cap wont grow this year. They need huge cap increases to bring in newbies. But there is a reason Vegas has the Heat as favorites for the 2012 NBA title.

[Acymetric]

No, first of all two teams in the same division would not trade their big guns for each other. Second I am sure that whatever Pat Riley sold Lebron on last summer means that Riley is tied to LBJ for the duration. They came close to winning a title with a rotation that did not get healthy until the playoffs (Miller, Uhaul).

If Miami can ditch the old centers (Ilgauskus, Dampier, Howard) and sign 2 younger guys to play with Uhaul, Bosh and Anthony, then they will be fine. Jeff Foster and Kurt Thomas are unrestricted this summer. Either would be a big upgrade.

Miami's biggest problem is that the cap wont grow this year. They need huge cap increases to bring in newbies. But there is a reason Vegas has the Heat as favorites for the 2012 NBA title.

You sort of brush aside the cap issue...they have no room to grow. Young players with potential aren't going to want to work for the minimum for half their careers to have a shot at a title. There are other teams with a chance to win it all that will pay better.

If they are able to pick up players for far less than market value I think there would have to be investigation into under the table payments from the team or the big three themselves (I assume that wouldn't be allowed under league rules).

That said, even though getting rid of Lebron might be logical in some ways, it just can't be done. Might be able to deal Bosh though (not for Howard, but for someone good).

[nocilla]

If Miami can ditch the old centers (Ilgauskus, Dampier, Howard) and sign 2 younger guys to play with Uhaul, Bosh and Anthony, then they will be fine. Jeff Foster and Kurt Thomas are unrestricted this summer. Either would be a big upgrade.

Kurt Thomas is older than the 3 'old centers' he would be replacing. And Jeff Foster at 34 isn't much younger. I don't think that would be much of an upgrade.

[superdave]

Kurt Thomas is older than the 3 'old centers' he would be replacing. And Jeff Foster at 34 isn't much younger. I don't think that would be much of an upgrade.

True. But Kurt Thomas has looked pretty good in limited minutes and Dampier and Ilgauskus look horrible. I cannot vouch for Foster. The Heat's option are most likely vets who want a shot at a ring, or to get lucky with a 2nd round draft pick (Dexter Pittman from last year?)

The only way they sign a younger big is if it's for a 1 year deal, then they can resign him without worrying about the cap because of the Bird rule.

[darjum]

Good try Golden State:

http://bayarea.sbnation.com/golden-s...-and-ekpe-udoh

It will be interesting to see what it takes to get Orlando to take a second look?

[BD80]

... The only way they sign a younger big is if it's for a 1 year deal, then they can resign him without worrying about the cap because of the Bird rule.

I thought a team only acquired Bird rule rights if they had the player on the roster for three years or traded to acquire the player from a team that had the player for three years.