D-Mase is not a one dimensional player, remember he was playing on a team that is still somewhat decent in Milwaukee. His stats will go way up with New Orleans, stats can be deceiving on really bad teams, scoring has to come from somewhere. As far as being a competitor, who also is a great mid-range shooter and rebounder, D-Mase is all that, and I dont believe he is over hyped at all, we still have yet to have seen him peak in my opinion.

It's been confirmed, 76ers center, Samuel Dalembert will miss the 1st 2wks of the season because he reinjured his quadriceps in warmups. He'll be replaced by backup Steven Hunter.

Ok, this isn't an offseason transaction, but I don't care. I'm not starting a new thread for this: T-wolves and Celtics trade

Wally's gone, and so is the Kandi man. Hooray! It's about time they made a move.

hurrah! we get wally!

i don't think this trade is going to have san antonio or detroit looking over their shoulders for the celtics anytime soon, but if i've got to watch a losing basketball team, having wally will make it a bit easier!

boston's problems are much bigger than those addressed by this trade

but, we get wally!

Interesting deal. Both Wally and Ricky were having career years. Boston doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but in the weak Atlantic division anything can happen. Minnesota are perennial also-rans. This deal seems to be a wash for them; I don't think it compensates for their loss of Sam Cassel and Latrell Spreewell, who they had in their better days.

I think Ricky D. is a much more versatile talent than Wally (visual appeal aside); I find it hard to see how this is going to help the Celtics. And Olowokandi is even more useless than Blount, but at least his contract expires this year -- that's the only justification I can see for the Celtics.

Although not an offseason transaction, Chris Andersen isn't worth his own thread....

Andersen booted out of the NBA for violating the drug policy. Alas, it's not clear what the drug in question was.

Another inseason transaction. The LA Clippers--Los Angeles' .600 team, has sent the unhappy Chris Wilcox to the Sonics for the inconsistent Vladimir Radmanovic. Radmanovic is already saying all the right things about being happy to be coming to the Clippers and hoping to contribute.

~Adam

Rumor has it that the Pistons will deal Darko Milicic. I believe the report I heard had him heading to Orlando.

The Magic are also looking to deal Steve Francis, with the Knicks being among the top interested parties. Steve Francis + Stephon Marbury in the same backcourt? Genius!

Radman has lots of potential, dont think he was utilized like he could have been this year with the Sonics. He is as good a scorer and 3 point shooter you can get and is underrated for his defense and rebounding. Ever since Mac10 left, the Sonics are in dissarray, theyve called it quits as for this year as far as I'm concerned, and just are focusing on getting a new arena. Good luck to Rad in LA.

I wouldn't mind seeing Milicic go but there is also a rumor the Pistons are also talking about dealing Arroyo and I am NOT for that!

The deal is done. Milicic and Arroyo to Orlando for Kelvin Cato and a first round draft pick.

It was a salary dump by the Pistons. I'm surprised that they couldn't have gotten someone for Darko that would at least have been some use to them in the playoffs (Cato is injured, will probably be waived). Their bench is awful thin.

As for Radmanovich -- I think the Clippers got the better of that deal. Wilcox looks like a huge disappointment.

Clips got a great deal, Sonics are just in a mess right now, and Rad was unhappy with his contract here, he was one of my favorite players and both Sonics coaches this year didnt use him like they should have. He will do great in LA. I'm fed up with this crap from the Sonics, all they care about is getting a new arena, and had to be the most stupid thing they ever did by letting Mr. Sonic Nate McMillan go to rivals the Blazers, Mac10 spent his whole career here as a player then coach, and they let him go, now look at this mess.

Numerous reports say the Clippers (very strange to think they may make the playoffs) are about to sign Vin Baker. Yes, the former all-star who played for the Bucks, Sonics, Celtics, Knicks, and Rockets (did I omit one of his stops?) will join the Clippers. Wonder if he still has any skills?

~Adam

Yeah -- several drug and alchol rehab centers.

Hard to believe the Clippers would feel that desperate (I know Maggette's absence has been a real problem, but couldn't they have done better?). I suspect the only skill Vin retains is how to hide a hangover at the next morning's practice.

Funny Vin's best season ever was probably the 1st one with the Sonics after that huge trade for Kemp. He had that great season and temporarily no one was too upset about losing Kemp. Then next season I guess the alcohal problem or whatever, and he just got fat, and became a weak soft player, and hasnt been more than a bench warmer since leaving the Sonics. Also Kemp had one good season in Cleveland, maybe they were trying to show each other up, but then Kemp lost it also, maybe all that money from huge contracts kills any inspiration these guys have. Then of coarse Kemp is also infamous for his alleged drug use and having a ton of kids by different women. In his day though Kemp was the most exciting player there was. I thought I heard something about Kemp trying to clean himself up and make a comeback also.

Numerous basketball message boards has this trade as a wash.

Don't know a whole lot about Wilcox, but Radmanovich has a tremendous upside if utilized properly. He's also an underated defender. Never knew why he wasn't in the starting line-up for Seattle.

Wilcox is a great athlete (i.e., can run and jump), and also supposedly has a great upside, but unlike Radman, he never flashed any signs of it with the Clippers.

Yeah, if theres a draw back to Rad its that I think he's prone to injuries

It's official. The Knicks have acquired Steve Francis from Orlando for Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza. This is going to be a mess.

For who?! wink

Over/Under on Marbury and Franchise squabbling over pt/ballhandling issues......1st qtr, 2nd game both play

Does Isiah Thomas have any clue on how to run a team? If Steve Francis was handcuffed in Van Gundy's system, he'll be on a ball and chain under Larry Brown.

Francis needs the ball in order to create and flourish. He won't be able to do that alongside Marbury. I don't understand this move at all. It looks good on paper but we know how that usu turns out. :confused:

The thing is that Thomas has been claiming to be handcuffed by all these huge contracts. Penny Hardaway's was finally going to expire at the end of the year, perhaps giving the Knicks some cash to spend on a free agent. Instead they are committed to yet another 3 years/$50 million for a guy who has underachieved at best. Meanwhile, Orlando gets the benefit of writing Hardaway off their books at the end of the season.

I could see the logic of this move if the Knicks were one player away from challenging for the Atlnatic Division, but they aren't even going to come close to the playoffs. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Isaiah Thomas has definitely gone "all in" with this trade. Not only did he give away Penny Hardaway's expiring contract, but he previously gave away Antonio Davis's expiring contract (and picked up Jalen Rose's monster contract in exchange). Those two coming off the books could have allowed the Knicks to pursue whomever they wanted. Presumably, Steve Francis and Jalen Rose are who they wanted. Meanwhile, the Knicks continue to have the highest payroll in the league, with very little to show for it.

With Francis and Marbury in the back court, will anybody else get to shoot? How will they develop their rookies Channing Fry, David Lee and Nate Robinson? Will they, like Trevor Ariza, be left to wither on the vine after showing promise in their rookie season?

[ February 23, 2006, 06:13 AM: Message edited by: canmark ]

Did anyone see the hilarious picture on the espn.com home page? Larry Brown looks like he just tried to swallow a pickled egg.

In a Northwest 3-way (that does sound kinky): Earl Watson to Seattle, Reggie Evans and Ruben Patterson to Denver, Voshon Lenard and Vitaly Potapenko to Portland.
Motivation: Seattle originally drafted Watson and wants a point guard. Denver wants to dump his contract and wants to strengthen the bench. Portland has been trying to get rid of Patterson for at least 2 years and both their centers are hurt, they also get Lenard's expiring contract.
Hardly a blockbuster but looks like all 3 teams are happy, for now.

Great deal for Seattle, I always liked Watson, but he was around when being a back up to GP meant only garbage time. Potopenko is a bust. Bob Hill never used Reggie Evans, I dont understand what happened with that, if it was something personal or something, and I know Nate will be happy to see Patterson go.

Nate isn't the only one glad to see Patterson go, believe me!
The dealing is not over. Portland has traded Sergei Monia to Sacramento for Brian Skinner. Unfortunately I can't get a true breakdown; I've heard Potapenko was included and I've heard that Charles Smith was included so I don't know exactly who the Kings got.

ESPN.com is reporting that the Nets will send Marc Jackson and Linton Johnson to the Hornets for Bostjan Nachbar.

The Knicks deal only makes sense on the theory that Thomas is stockpiling talent to trade for Garnett this summer. But why he thinks the Wolves would want that "talent" is beyond me, and at that unreal price tag. Maybe Thomas could agree to acquire the national deficit while he's at it, and do something positive for mankind.

I didn't want to start a thread for the Clippers (the Clippers, for goodness sakes!!) but LA's winning team defeated the Hornets, 89-67, last night. They really put it away in the second half, during which the Hornets scored a grand total of.....16 points. It was a new record in futility, as no team has ever scored so few points in a half. Of course, it was a balanced 16 points: the Hornets scored 8 points in the 3rd and 8 points in the 4th.

~Adam

What happened to my hair?!

It looks like the Bucks sent Jamaal Magliore to the Portland Trailblazers today for PG Steve Blake, forward-center swingman Brian Skinner, and center Ha Seung-Jin.

Now the Balzers have a ton of big men: Joel Bryzbilla, Raef Lafrentz, Ha Seung-Jin, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Jamaal Magliore. That's at least one big man more than most teams with a 15 man roster carry at the center and/or power forward postions. Interesting move, since it's common knowledge that Portland does not need another big man; what they need is a shooting guard. Most experts are saying that the Blazers acquired Magliore to strengthen their hand in their continuing effort to trade SF Darius Miles, the guy who cusses out his coaches and refuses to play; the guy who went to the dressing room at half time and came back in street clothes; the guy who smokes pot with teammate, Zach Randolph; and the guy who bitches more than Kenyon Martin in Denver and is actually more selfish than Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis in New York. I'm not surprised they are having trouble trading him.

To be fair about things, Miles does carry a huge contract and this is probably a contributing factor in why he is proving so difficult to move. Financially, the trade will probably be approved because Magliore earns $8.5M/yr (and his contract is expiring at the end of the season) and the Trailblazers pay Steve Blake $1M/yr, Ha earns about $0.7M/yr and Brian Skinner earns about $5.4M/yr (financially, the trade difference is about $1M).

So, if the Trailblazers are trying to set up a 2007 trade package to get rid of Darius Miles, who's the other big name? Lamarcus Aldridge? Barndon Roy? Zach Randolph? Rafe Lafrentz? Joel Pryzbilla? Or is it Jaamal Magliore? Financially speaking, there's not a team in the NBA (except for maybe Isiah and the Knicks) dumb enough to absorb Raef Lafrentz' huge salary (that doesn't even expire until 2009): $10.9M/2006, $11.8M/2007, and $12.7M/2008). He's definitely not part of any potential trade package with Darius Miles. The Blazer fans love Joel Pryzbilla (he puts fannies in the seats), so he's not going anywhere. The Blazers just traded away Steve Blake, leaving the starting PG spot to Jarrett Jack, with Dickau as back-up. Dickau not very good, so they are thin at both guard positions. SG/PG swingman Brandon Roy is not going anywhere anytime soon.

This leaves Aldridge, ZaBo and Magliore as potentials for packaging with Darius Miles. I can't believe the youngst player of these, Aldridge, will be traded, but anything's possible. But I can make a good case for getting rid of either ZaBo or Magliore. ZaBo has been a public relations nightmare for the trailblazers this year, with his mug spread across front pages for unlawful gun possession, driving infractions, and reportedly smoking pot with Darius Miles. But the biggest reason to get rid of him is because he is good friends with Darius Miles, whose name is mud around the league. Magliore is a ball hog, a vociferous complainer and whiner, and does not give 100% on the court. So, I'll bet either ZaBo or Magliore will be packaged with Darius Miles in a trade offer next season, or, later this year.

But who would take them? I say...no one. I understand what Portland is doing here. They want to trade Darius Mile and Magliore before they become free agents in 2007, in which case, they get nothing for them. But in order to trade them, the Trailbalzers will need a trading partner willing to take on the expiring contracts of a $7.5M/yr player (Miles) and a $8M/yr player (Magliore), or, the second option, a$7.5M/yr player and a $10M/yr player (ZaBo). Besides the Knicks (no, I won't give Isiah a reprieve; he deserves all the grief he can get for turning that franchise into a looney bin), what NBA team is that desperate, benevolent, or financially dumb?

Then where are the trailblazers going to find the SF and SG they will need once Miles is gone? Who is available right now? Has Jeffries re-signed yet? Can Steve Francis stop shooting long enough to actually handle the ball in a set offense? And isn't he like 5'7"? And doesn't he have like $40M left on his contract? Not many good options right now for the Trailblazers. Looks like they will probably have to wait until next off season to try and rid themselves of Darius Miles. If I were a trailblazer fan, I wouldn't hold my breath while waiting for a trading partner. Miles is a very difficult sell.

I think the Bucs got the better of the Blazers in this deal. Even though they lost PG T.J. Ford to Toronto, Steve Blake has shown that he can handle the PG repsonsibilites effectively. Plus, they also got forward Charlie Villaneau from Toronto, a very effective scorer and defender, and, both Blake and Villaneau are good guys and good team players. More importantly, neither Blake, Skinner, Ha, or Villeneau has a criminal record.

[ July 30, 2006, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

Wonder how long before Magloire gets arrested for, oh, anything?

Darius Miles may be the one counter to my principle that if a player seems to have talent, some sucker GM will pay for him, no matter how much of a headcase he is. Still, the Knicks (who else) were supposedly interested in him last season, but were insisting the Blazers take back one of Isiah's bloated contracts.

I'm actually surprised the Bucks couldn't get more for Magloire than Blake (the other two are spare parts -- Skinner is over the hill and Ha may hahaha his way back to the Korean leagues soon). Magloire's value has really dropped. He's no prize in the attitude category either, although obviously anyone is better than the poisonous Miles.

You set the time frame, and no matter how short the time frame, I'll take the under.

Yeah, but, the Trailbalzers can get rid of Magliore after this season when his contract expires. They only want him because no NBA team is willing to gamble on Darius Miles straight up. The Trailbalzers are just using Magliore to sweeten a Miles deal, or, as we say down here, as lagniappe.

And remember, Magliore must play well and stay out of trouble this season because he will be a free agent next season, and I'm sure he will want a nice fat contract. He really needs to look good and show that he can be a team player and a productive player with the Trailbalzers this season or no team will want him when he becomes a free agent next season. The Trailbalzers have his balls in a vice right now; he has to keep his nose clean and produce in the last year of his contract. Or else. i don't know what happened to Magliore. He was nothing but a hard worker as a Hornet, a few years ago, and was very popular here.

Darius Miles, on the other hand, seems unphased by all this. He's either fiercely principled, financially secure, or just plain inane. I doubt his attitude toward the Trailblazers will change no matter what they do to him.

It will be very interesting to see which Trailalzer is used as the sacrificial lamb in the Miles trade. I don't think any team will be all that anxious to entertain either a ZaBo/Miles or a Magliore/Miles deal. All three have very troubled pasts.

And Larry, things are getting interesting in New York too. Did the Wizards match New York's 5 yr/$30M offer to SF Jared Jeffries yet? Because if they do, that probably spells bad news for somebody. The Knicks roster lists Udoka, Malik Rose ($6.55M/2006)and ($7.1M/2007), Renaldo Balkman (Approximately $7M over the next four years) and David Lee at the small forward position. Neither Udoka nor Lee has trade value. And neither does Malik Rose (he's just pitiful); who would want him?. So the experts are saying that Jalen Rose, who shares time at the SG and SF position will likely be gone if the Wizards don't match New York's offer sheet to Jared Jeffries.

I know that Jalen's contract expires next season, and that he earns a whopping $16.9M/year, but I thought some other team was paying Jalen's salary, not the Knicks. Am I right? If that's true, then what's the point of trading Jalen Rose? Unless the Knicks are trying to do the same thing with Rose that the Trailbalzers are trying to do with Darius Miles? Trade him before his contracts expire? For maximum return?

And Larry, guess what? Jerome James and Eddy Curry will have to play all year together next season because the Knicks now have only two centers. Both are overpaid; both are weight-challenged; both are undisciplined, both are skill-challenged, and neither plays with spirit, pride, nor heart. Should be another very interesting season for the Knicks..

[ July 31, 2006, 05:41 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

The rumors I'm reading are that the Blazers are not going to be able to unload Miles on anyone not even Isiah (I really doubt Portland would be willing to sacrifice Aldridge or Roy to do it -- it would be better just to buy out Miles contract or pay him to stay far far away). Second rumor: that it's a longshot for the Knicks to be able to sign Jeffries. I guess because the Wizards are going to match, but the story wasn't very clear.

Meanwhile, Devean George somehow managed to get an offer from Dallas. The story even described him as "defensive-minded." The only defense I ever notice from George was when he had to answer questions about why he was such a career under-achiever, and then it was defensiveness. As a Lakers fan, I say good riddance.

Oh, I agree with you about Darius Miles, but as businessmen, that's just not how shirts think. I guarantee you the Blazer shirts will try as hard as they can to find a trading partner for the Darius Miles/Zabo or Darius Miles/Magliore trade. They will want to get as much as they can before his contract expires and he becomes a free agent. I also don't think that Aldridge or Roy will ever be lumped with a Miles trade. It's a very attractive offer for a trading partner but would devastate and neutralize the Blazers for years to come.

About Devan George. I sorta like him, Larry. I remember some very sweet 3-point rainbows he threw down in the playoffs a few years ago when Shaq was still around; before Koby realized the true nature of his vanity. And I also think that George was a pretty good defensive player in his younger days, but not any more. I'm surprsied the Mavs would want him though. He's still a decent 3-point shooter, but will probably sit the bench in Dallas until they need some instant perimeter offense. He's a quiet and likeable team player who understands his role. And, after playing with Koby Bryant, he should be used to not touching the ball very often and being publicly criticized. He deserves some peace and quiet.

[ August 02, 2006, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

George had a few good playoff games in 2002, which is how he finagled himself a (relatively) big contract. He's been a complete flop ever since. He's supposedly incredibly athletic, but he's never been able to put it together on the court, and has been an endless source of frustration to the Lakers' management.

I wouldn't blame Kobe for this one -- even Kobe needs good role players around him, and a role player is all George will ever be (how much burn time does anyone really think he's going to get in Dallas?).

Well, Larry, you have the advantage of watching George every game, so I'll take your word that he's no longer effective. But, yeah, I do agree that he will have trouble finding playing time in Dallas. With Josh Howard gone, my guess is that he will have to share time with Stackhouse. Although Devean can play both the SG and SF positions, I just don't see how he'll get any time at either guard position with the Mavs, not with Terry and Harris on the roster.

And Larry, the Lakers have several problems, as I see it. I don't think Mihm is a quality NBA center, but Kwame Brown could be some day soon. And, the Lakers Triangle offense just doesn't work with the ball in Koby's hands all the time. What's the point of a triangle offense when just one player gets to shoot the rock and everybody else is reduced to spectator status? They need to find a way to involve Lamar Odom in the offense, provided Koby allows that, if they really want to improve their offense. Koby shoots way too much. Worse, because he hogs the ball, opposing coaches are able to design defenses that effectively neutralizes the Lakers remaining four players with just two or three defenders. That's not a winning strategy.

[ August 02, 2006, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

The Lakers have got all sorts of problems. Even in their championship years with Shaq, they were a two man team, but the two men happened to be the two best in the NBA (at that time).

Now they're a one man team. And (putting aside Odom for the moment) the role players aren't even as good as in the Shaq/Kobe days. Odom may or may not have it in him to be a major star. Kobe's dominating the ball may or may not be Odom's problem. He's very inconsistent. Sometime I wonder if he's not back on the "chronic."

The Lakers are your team, and you should love and support them. I won't fault you for that. You're a good fan. A lot like EddieC. I suspect one of the reasons we differ about Koby is that I live in Louisiana and am a huge Shaquille O'Neal fan. So I'm probably more likely to side with Shaq than Koby, who I respect more as a player than a man. And I do think it's cool that that you like Koby and his game. Ditto for AI in Philly.

I don't know much about Phil's Triangle Offense, but I do know that it's supposed to work in LA the way it worked in Cichago, with, e.g., MJ, Pippen, and Grant on the strong side and Paxon and Cartwright on the weak side. They worked well together because MJ bought into it and played it to perfection. He made the decision to shoot, penetrate, or pass based on his oppenent's defense, and, the other four Bulls players sustained a motion offense to compliment MJ lead. And guys like Paxson, Grant, and Pippen ran that offense to perfection. I can't count the number of wide open jumpers Paxson and Pippen drained, or the number of throw downs Grant and Cartwright received, as a result of MJ's penetration and basketball intelligence.

Like I said, I'm no basketball expert, but the Triangle Offense seems to require collective thinking, unselfishness, and basketball intelligence; attributes MJ possessed in spades. In my opinion, Koby's need to hold on to the ball, even when his team mates are open, mismatched, or cutting to the basket, defeats the one thing the Triangle is supposed to create; offensive versatility, and turns it into a stagnant half-court game where three defenders box Koby and the other two guard the remaining four Lakers. Larry, that can't work in the NBA.

I don't blame the Laker players for their lack of of enthusiasm or for their failure to keep moving without the ball. Hell, they know full well that no matter how hard they work to get open, Koby won't pass them the ball.

Sorry, buddy, this turned into another of my long rants. I just think guys like Koby and AI are too selfish for team sports. That selfishness creates bad chemistry, a complete break down of the offense, and disinterest on the part of teammates and coaches.

Strictly from a layman point of view, I would bench Mimhs. He's slow, cumbersome, and ineffetcive. The Triangle does not have to have a center to work, but if one is needed, Brown is it. Seems like the laker offense would work a lot better if Koby wasn't the one making the key decisions in the Triangle set. He's too selfish and lacks sufficient basket ball intellignece to have such power. And unless Koby has an epiphany and adopts a basketball philosophy that involves his teammates, the Lakers won't win another NBA title.

This is my take on Koby. I'm sure Lakers fans see him in a very different light. And besides, I could be wrong about all this, because as passionate as I am about sports, that passion sometimes overshadows my objectivity, so I get a lot of things wrong.

[ August 03, 2006, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I have very mixed feelings about Shaq. He was truly a force of nature when he was in shape and in his prime -- just an athletic miracle. But he was (and still is) also the (literally) biggest baby in sports. The "Erica" Dampier comment, the punch of Greg Ostertag, the racially tinged mockery of Yao Ming, talking about how horrible LA and its fans (who worshipped him) are after he got traded to Miami, the comical claim that Ben Wallace fouled him during that amazing block in the playoffs -- just to name 5 out of a million examples of juvenile behavior.

Kobe (and Thomas, please stop spelling it "Koby" ) obviously has his own faults, but I hate the way the press worships Shaq down to his little toe and flays Kobe alive at every possible opportunity. In terms of their feud that tore apart the Lakers, I blame them both equally.

As for Kobe dominating (or hogging, as you put it) the ball -- Phil Jackson is the master of the triangle offense, and if he thinks Kobe isn't playing it right, it's up to him to do something about it. Look at the Phoenix series (which the Lakers would have won, but for some big contributions by the now-departed Tim Thomas). Kobe played a completely different game, and they pounded it inside to Kwame Brown. Kwame Brown! -- who until then, was on track to be one of the biggest disasters for any number one pick in history. Yet Kobe went along completely.

So I think all the talk about Kobe destroying the triangle is a bit exaggerated.

Well, OK, Larry, if it makes you happy. No more Koby....just Kobe. I thought it was kinda funny. Sorta like when Jim Rome nicknamed Jim Everett "Chrissie Everett". You don't think Kobe would punch me out like Jim Everett did Jim Rome, do you? If Kobe sees this, tell him I was only joking. I only weigh 140 lbs so Kobe would probably beat the hell out of me.

I guess you heard the Lakers are now trying to get Al Harrington from the Hawks. The deal reportedly involves three teams: the Lakers, Hawks, and Bobcats. The only team that can do a sign and trade with the Hawks for the kind of money that Harrington wants (e.g; $10M/yr) is the Bobcats, who are $25M under the cap, and, are in a postition where they must take on player salary to meet the mandatory league minimum of $31M/year. The Lakers can't do a straight up Harrington for Mihms/Brian Cook/McKie trade without taking back money from the Hawks; e.g. to make the deal equitable for league approval, and the Hawks aren't about to do that, not with their current ownership battle raging in the courts. So, the Lakers, who would use their MLE and the salary cap room earned by dumping players would be able to pay Harrington the $10M he wants, need the BCats to act as the middleman in this trade.

Now that I think this through; I don't think it will happen. It works pefectly for the Lakers, but not for the Hawks. They were demanding from Indiana $3M cash, a 1st round draft pick, and their $7.5 trade exception for Harrington, leaving them, in effect, one 1st draft pick richer once the dust settled. But if they do the three way deal with the Lakers and BCats, they inevitably end up with player contracts on the payroll. Again, something they do not want. So, this three way won't happen.

Plus, I read that Harrington just hired a new agent, Tellum, to make sure that the deal with Indiana gets done. And he can. Tellum represents several of the Hawks players whose contracts are up for renegotiation next couple years. So, he has leverage, and can hold the Hawks shirts hostage in the future if they refuse to play ball on the Harrington-to-Indiana deal NOW. Harrington wants to be a Pacer. Just one more reason Harrington isn't likely to be in a Lakers uniform next season.

But I'll bet the thought of Harrington in LA put a big smile on your face, huh? The idea of Al Harrington, Kwami Brown, Kobe Bryant, and Lamar Odom on the court at the same time? Wow! With that lineup, any ole point guard would fit that Triangle set, so long as it's someone who can drain the three. But, too bad. I don't think it will happen for you.

Also, Bonzi Wells is in negotiations with the Nuggets now. But I don't see how it can work without a sign and trade, and, even then, it would probably push the Nuggets into luxury tax territory, something they do not want. Plus, I doubt the Kings would be willing to accomodate Bonzi and Denver with a sign and trade, after he snubbed them by rejecting their 5 yr/$35M offer. Personally, I have no sympathy for him. He should have accepted the deal with the Kings in the first place. He's just not worth more than that, as has been shown by his inability to get more from other NBA teams. Hummm....another Latrelle Sprewell? Could happen.

Again, Sorry about the Kobe thing. Sorry, Bro. Next time, I'll get it right.

[ August 05, 2006, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

No, I hadn't heard that rumor about Harrington and the Lakers. Sure, they'd love to have him, but it seems unlikely.

Harrington's firing his agent and hiring Tellem in the middle of the negotiations with the Pacers threw a monkey wrench into everything. He may well still end up with the Pacers, but if that was his only goal, he shouldn't have switched agents in the middle of the proceedings. Weird.

[ August 05, 2006, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: LarryC ]

Actually, it's even more bizarre than you think. Harrington would love nothing more than to become a Pacer again, but they can only offer him the $7.5M trade exception, or, a MLE (I think that's $5-6M/yr for 3-5 years?). But Harrington knows that he can obviously get the $10M/yr contract he wants via a Hawks/Pacers sign-and-trade (his salary would belong to the Hawks, not the Pacers). Harrington needs the Hawks on this one, if he is to get the money he deserves. And he definitely isn't going to settle for MLE money.

But you are right. the Pacers have a MLE they could use to sign Harrington. Since he is an unrestricted free agent, he could simply sign with the Pacers for that amount. But I guess his desire to become a Pacer isn't as great as his desire to make the big bucks. That's why he's so adamant that the Hawks assist him in working a sign-and-trade with the Pacers.

And Larry, there was no reason for Harrington to fire his agent before now. All parties thought they had a deal. But two things happened. First, the Hawks were demanding $3M cash, a 1st round draft pick, and contracts on two other players besides Harrington. That's far more than most teams get for their participation in a sign-and-trade. Second, the current Hawks GM is caught in a catch-22, and must work a deal that shows he is financially responsible and capable of managing the Hawks franchise..

It all goes back to the Joe Johnson trade that left the Hawks sending Diaw and two 1st round draft picks to the Suns. The Suns bluffed, bullied, and cajoled the Hawks into a sign and trade of Johnson for Harrington, when they knew they wouldn't re-sign him. The Suns made the Hawks look like fools and one Atlanta group sought an ownership change through the courts, claiming mismanagement. The basis of that claim was the Hawks financial folly in the Joe Johnson trade.

That's why the present Hawks GM can't afford another financially foolish deal in the Al Harrington matter. If the Hawks GM ends up getting "taken" again, as he did in the Joe Johnson trade, the courts will likely take a very dim view of his bussiness acumen, and could order him out as manager. This is the reason the Hawks are now driving such a hard bargain with the Pacers and asking for ridiculous concessions. The Hawks GM needs to make himself appear financially competent; to help his court case. Get it?

The last thing the current Hawks GM wants is for Harrington to leave the Hawks and get nothing for him in return. How would that look in court? He is lucky that Harrington wants more than the MLE and is therefore adamant to get more money through the sing-and-trade route. If Harrington did something stupid, like sign with the Pacers for the MLE, the GM could really look stupid; his best player left for Indiana for just $5.3M/yr when the Hawks were paying him almost twice that.

The whole Al Harrington deal is a tough situation for the Hawks. They have to accomodate the sign-and-trade to make themselves look good, but they also have to get the most they can in return for him, to bolster their court case. In other words, if they can show that what they gave up in the Joe Johnson deal is exactly what they got back in the Al Harrington deal, any claim of financial mismangement would be very difficult to substantiate in a court of law. It's kinda complicated. I hope I explained it right.

And Larry, the three way trade between the Lakers, Hawks, and BCats is very doable, but Al Harrington's agent, Tellum, would have to convince the Hawks to take on playere salaries. I don't think the Hawks GM, for the reasons outlined above regarding his delicate legal position, can afford to do that. This is a case where Al Harrington and both his agents are simply caught in the turmoil of the Hawks front office legal disputes. And any one of the players, or all of them, might have to settle for less than a maximum return, unless this court case disappears soon. Anyway, that's why the Al Harrington trade is so difficult to get done. Right now, there is no option that can get Harrington the money he wants and at the same time guarantee the Hawks GM a favorable court ruling.

[ August 05, 2006, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

Larry, I read today that the three way trade between the Hawks, BCats, and Lakers for Al Harrington involved the Lakers sending Bynum, Smush Parker, and MeKie to either the Hawks or BCats; not Mimhs, Cook, and McKie, as I first reported from a different source. If that deal goes down, everything would change. Without Smush, I assume either Kobe or Odom would be forced to play point? Yuck! Yikes! I don't think either of these guys at point is a good idea. But you would get Harrington, so his offensive output just might offset the loss of Smush at point. Interesting stuff.

[ August 06, 2006, 09:50 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I saw the first rumor (Mihm, Cook and McKie) on Hoopsworld. Haven't heard about the revised package. If it's true, it's interesting that the Lakers are now willing to bail on Bynum (supposedly, they could have had a number of good players -- maybe even Artest -- had they been willing to part with him). He does seem like a very long range project, but Laker brass kept swearing they're confident he's going to be the center of the future.

If they do part with Smush, point guard will definitely be Odom, not Bryant. Bryant has too much to do as it is without having to bring the ball up the court as well. But I wonder how Odom would do against a small, ball-hawking point guard pestering him the whole way up the court. Probably not a great idea.

Anyway, I really doubt it's going to happen.