Cleveland has found a replacement for Carlos Boozer, who they lost to the Utah: Drew Gooden. Less productive, less consistent, less disciplined, and less intense than Boozer, still, Drew Gooden comes relatively cheap both in salary and in what the Cavs had to trade to get him.

Cavs send Tony Battie and two second round draft picks to Orlando for Gooden, Anderson Varejao and Steven Hunter.

This Boozer thing has me perplexed. Don't any of these guys want to win? Boozer had career best numbers playing with LeBron. Sure was overshadowed, but Cleveland was a real up-an-coming team. They are going to have numerous nationally televised games. And he could have stayed in the East, where it's still easier to succeed despite the presence of the champion Pistons and Shaq coming to the Heat.

I wouldn't fire Paxon over the Boozer thing but trading a tough player like Battie for a soft ass like Gooden is ridiculous. Who is going to be LeBron's enforcer now?

On another note, you guys heard it hear first, if CWebb and BJack are healthy, the Kings are finally coming out of the West. With Divac finally gone, they can play a bigger, stronger frontline, with Darius Songalia and Ostertag, who is not as bad as people think, off the bench. The Shaq trade seems to have helped every team in the league except Detroit, Indiana and The Lakers.

All right, I got about halfway through this thread and couldn't take anymore. I'm going to say it here first.

Miami is not winning the East. This trade is a horrible trade for The Heat. Big men historically deteriorate quicker than anyone. Shaq is a HUGE man, his body will not keep itself up for 4 more years, at best I give him 2 more quality years. He has placed himself in another LA situation. It's him, Wade, and Jones (if you want to still consider him a threat), and then no one after that, this is a sad looking team.

LA will not be a top 4 team, but they will be a dangerous team in the Playoffs. I personally don't think Lamar Odom will be a Laker for the entire year, I just don't see where he fits in, but he is definite trade bait to bring in more role players for Kobe. Caron Butler is going to be a stud in this league, him and Kobe are going to be a "Michael/Scottie" duo, the Lakers just need to surround them with players.

And The Pistons will repeat next season...yes...The Pistons will repeat next season. McDyess will not play heavy minutes like he has been playing in the past few season, taking some of that stress off of his knee, he loves Larry Brown, so he will be ok with coming in off the Bench behind Rasheed. Plus, it's been quoted on local radio shows that many trainers around the league are saying that his knee is looking better than it has in years. I'm not so sure Darko is going to be ready next season, he probably will see more minutes, but it isn't going to be until his third season that he begins to be an impact player on this team, and he will be an impact player. We don't need Carmelo, we won a Championship with Tayshaun. Carlos Delfino is going to take a TON of pressure off of Rip Hamilton, giving him even more freedom to play loose and let his game come to him, because now he has a legit back-up incase he is having an off night...but we will have to wait to see, I hope this thread gets saved.

I was going to comment on this, then realized how ludicrus it would be since its ONLY July.

Did I read somewhere that singer Brandy is engaged to Quentin Richardson, and that he just bought her a million dollar engagement ring?

I read that too. Just before he signed with Phoenix it happened. So is Brandy going to live with him in Phoenix, that hotbed of the music industry, during the season? And will we know for sure if she really does marry this guy, considering that she never actually married her first "husband"?

Latest trade rumour: Mavs send Antoine Walker and Tony Delk to Atlanta for Jason Terry and Alan Henderson.

76ers send Derrick Coleman and Amal McCaskill to the Pistons for Corliss Williamson.

You heard it hear first:
If healthy, Pistons/Kings Finals come next June.

That's "here" not "hear." Sorry.

Z

Good thing to see the cancer gone. Now Larry can have him back so he can sit half the season on the bench. The only year he played well was 2 years ago the last year of his contract. It's amazing what playing for a new contract will do for some people who otherwise could care less.

That's all I need to know! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! wink

That was all about the money, though the Pistons will need another body to throw at Shaq from time to time. I don't think DC is a problem anymore, plus Detroit is his hometown and he respects Larry Brown.

Derrick Coleman is still in the league? Jeez, there really is a dearth of talent in this league if this load still has a job.

There's a poll at philly.com asking if the Coleman/Williamson deal is a good one. Of the 2837 participants, there is a 95 percent "yes" vote. I've never seen a poll like this so lopsided.

An article in the paper said the Pistons are either going to trade or release him. The deal was to help them clear salary cap room.

[ August 05, 2004, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Yeah I couldn't imagine the defending champs who play as a real team would want to bring this cancer into the mix. He had game when he set his mind to it back in the day, but that was long, long ago.

Isaiah Thomas is wheeling and dealing again. Knicks pick up Jamaal Crawford and Jerome (Junk Yard Dog) Williams from the Bulls for Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington, Frank Williams, and Cezary Trybanski. One wonders: with Marbury and Crawford in the back court, will the forwards get any shots?

----------------

Peja asking to be traded?!

That Chicago rebuilding process is going real well, isn't it?

Can't think of many teams that wouldn't want to try and get Peja. I know I'd love to see the Spurs land him, but it seems unlikely the Kings would trade him to a Western contender, if they trade him at all. Seems he is upset that his fellow countryman Vlade Divac was traded to the Lakers.

Hopefully Peja is just upset right now and the Maloofs and CWebb can calm him down. If not, I'd call Houston and see if they want to trade TMac for him. Tracy can play the 3, shoot the 3 and definetely more able to handle big games than Peja. Where was he game 7 anyway? Locked down by Trent Hassell? I love Peja but he's got to learn to bring it.

Rumours are swirling in Raptor-land. Some insist that Vince Carter has demanded a trade; others not. Some say Ray Allen would be open to a trade to Toronto; others think that Peja Stojakovic is a trade option; although most say that Carter wants to go to the Knicks (but the Knicks have nothing to offer).

Lakers trade Gary Payton and Rick Fox to the Celtics for Chris Mihm, Chucky Atkins and Marcus Banks. Poor Payton... he used to be a star in this league and now he's being traded for spare parts.

Kobe gave the okay for Payton and Fox to be moved so he could fulfill his career-long goal of playing with Chris Mihm? At this rate, Kobe's going to be hoping he's convicted.

Payton had the option to leave but decided to stay with the Lakers, and they dumped him anyway. I wonder if he wouldn't have been better off becoming a free agent and making his own deal somewhere.

The Glove is not a happy man. Not only did he not show up for his physical with the Celtics (causing the trade to be re-jigged), but now he's saying that he refuses to play on the parquet and that the Lakers disrespected him by trading him.

The Celtics finally got a little luck of the Irish! :cool:

This could be a good move for the Mavs, acquiring the best remaining free agent, and what they desperately need: inside presence. Dampier averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds/game last season.

The Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings are playing a pre-season game in Shanghai.

Thought this was a funny exchange between Jeff Van Gundy and Yao Ming: