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Friday, February 22, 2008

NBA Trades in 2008: You Make the Call

I've listed the major trades below and a couple are entertaining because of how pointless they are. My top three trades became my top three teirs as I realized some of the moves were on equal footing.

Celtics are still the one-A impact leaders. Garnett's a top 5 player the NBA and the intangibles he brings to Boston make him even more valuable. Paul Pierce no longer loafing on defense, Rajon Rondo playing up to the confidence KG has shown in him, and the emergence of Big Baby. None of these things would be happening, at least not as much, without the trade for Garnett. The Lakers are pulling a strong one-B right now. Bynums fit when he returns will determine the legacy of the Pau Gasol trade.So far the Lakers have lost one gaem in the Gasol era. Gasol is not only bringing his game to the Lakers, he is bringing up the game of the guys around him.

The Kidd and Shaq deals are the second impact teir. Their age limits their impact to some extent. Kidd will have a larger impact, but it still wont be enough to put the Mavs over the top. 3 years from now, when Devin Harris is a top 5 NBA point guard; the Mavs will be talking about having mortgaged the future, only to be disappointed. Phoenix wont find any more success from their trade, but they didn't give nearly as much either. Marion is more talented than Harris is, but he had one foot out the door already.

The Spurs move, seemingly minor, bringing Kurt Thomas in ,could have the biggest impact.He may be the little bit the Spurs need to put them over the top. His hieght and physical presence on defense and the boards will help the Spurs match up with the large front lines of the west.

What about you how do you rate the different moves?

Boston/Seattle & Boston/Minnesota

  • Celtics get Ray Allen and the rights to Glen Davis. Seattle Supersonics get Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak the rights to Jeff Green.
  • Celtics get Kevin Garnett. Timberwolves get Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first round draft pick (top three protected) and a return of Minnesota's conditional first round draft pick previously obtained in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade and cash.

San Antonio/Memphis & San Antonio/Seattle
  • Spurs Sign Damon Stoudemire a week after he was released by the Memphis Grizzlies to make room for Mike Conley at the starting spot. (Not really a trade but it's a move)
  • Spurs get Kurt Thomas from the SuperSonics in exchange for Francisco Elson, Brent Barry and the team’s 2009 first round draft pick

Los Angeles/Orlando & Los Angeles/Memphis
  • Lakers get Trevor Ariza trading Maurice Evans and Brian Cook to Magic
  • Lakers receive Pau Gasol and a 2010 2nd-rounder. Grizzlies gets Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Pau's brother Marc Gasol, and Aaron McKie(signed for the trade), and 1st-rounders in 2008 and 2010.
Phoenix/Miami
  • Suns get Shaquille O’Neal. Heat receive Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks

Atlanta/Sacramento
  • Hawks get Mike Bibby from the Kings who get Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second round draft

Dallas.New Jersey
  • Mavs get Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright from Nets in return for Devin Harris, Degana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Moe Ager, Keith Van Horn, a pair of draft picks and cash
Chicago/Cleveland/Seattle
  • Bulls get Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons from the Cavaliers who got Joe Smith, Ben Wallace and Chicago’s 2009 2nd-rounder. The Cavs will also get Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West from Sonics who will receive Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall from Cavs and Adrian Griffin from Chicago(Who goes where)

Denver/Portland
  • Nuggets receive Taurean Green from the Trailblazers who get Von Wafer.

Toronto/Detroit
  • Raptors get Primoz Brezec and cash from Pistons who receives Juan Dixon.
Houston/New Orleans/Memphis & Houston/Minnesota
  • Hornets receive Bonzi Wells, Mike James, and cash from Rockets who get Adam Haluska, Bobby Jackson, Marcus Vinicius and a 2008 2nd-rounder. As part of the three-team deal, Grizzlies get involved and a bunch of europeans you've never heard of move around.
  • Houston also got Gerald Green from Minnesota for Kirk Snyder, a 2010 2nd-rounder and cash.

K-Rod Arbitration

I missed this over the weekend but better late than never. Francisco Rodriguez and the Angels are headed for arbitration. Teams normally hope to win arbitration; the Angels need to lose this one. If they don't this could be K-Rod's last season in Los Angeles Anaheim.

Rodriguez is facing a tough situation. He is going into arbitration after a down year. The Angels reportedly offered him $34 million over 3 years. Rodriguez is likely looking to get a little closer to the 45 million over 3 years that Yankee shut down man Mariano Rivera recently received.

Rivera isn't really worth the $45 million in the twilight of his career. Rodriguez though isn't quite into his twilight. After the offer the Angels made they can't buckle to his demands. Setting a precedent like that is the fast road to Yankee-ville.

If the Angels lose arbitration, they have a fall guy. They can come back to Rodriguez, with an offer closer to what he is worth. Making an offer that reflects the arbitration, the Angels would meet Rodriquez half way without setting a bad precedent.

The Angels have some flexibility; doing nothing though will ensure Rodriguez leaves. His feelings are clear with statements like this "If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago. In the meantime, I have to put that out of my head and do my job."

Ideally the Angles would offer him two years for a little more instead of three. He isn't to the twilight I mentioned yet; 3 seasons from now he'll be eye-to-eye with it.

Guest Post: Keyshawn Johnson NFL or ESPN

Guest posting again for GridironGoddess. The voices in my head debate where we want our Keyshawn Johnson

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