<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">According to Chicago Tribune writer Sam Smith, the talk late Tuesday involved Golden State looking to unload some long-term contracts so it can resign Mickael Pietrus. The Warriors are willing to deal former Notre Damer Troy Murphy and the No. 9 pick for the Bulls' No. 2 and 16 picks. Murphy would give the Bulls a perimeter big man who can shoot and open the floor for Chandler. The ninth pick would give them a shot at a big guard like 6-7 Ronnie Brewer of Arkansas or a big man like Connecticut's Hilton Armstrong</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AlleyOop:</div><div class="quote_post">How does that work under the salary cap?</div> The Bulls are way under the cap, so the salaries don't have to match. But that's not the problem as I see it. The problem is: why would the Warriors do this deal? Move Murphy so the Warriors can sign Pietrus? Everyone knows it was a mistake to resign Dunleavy last offseason, it would be an even bigger mistake to resign Pietrus this offseason. Unlike Dunleavy last offseason, Pietrus is coming off a year that was not just a disappointment, he actually REGRESSED. THEN, Sam Smith thinks its a good idea for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years, but has shown flashes of competency, to trade one of their few dependable, productive players for two draft picks??? The Warriors don't have any major holes, what they need is an allstar low post player. There aren't any of those in the draft. So why would they trade for some cap relief, only to lose it again by resigning Pietrus, and further decend into cap hell in four years when it comes time to resign the two rookies they drafted this year? Makes no sense. My guess is the Warriors will either take Gay (if he drops), Brewer, or Foye as a replacement for Pietrus, or trade down or out of the draft entirely. My hope is that they get a 2007 draft pick in return.
This is Sam Smith. The same one who kept telling us Brian Grant was being traded to Chicago. Of course, GS is interested in trading Murphy and 9 for #2 and #16. Hopefully, Chicago isn't.
The only sense I can make out of it is that this move would give Ike Diogu an opportunity to start at the PF. Murphy's contract isn't bad, but it is rather large. This wouldn't mean being forced to sign Pietrus. Moving either Fisher, Foyle, or in this case Murphy would give the Warriors the flexibility to sign Monta Ellis, Ike Diogu, or Andris Biedrins in a few years should one of those players emerge a star.
That Murphy goes and nobody returns does mean instant $ advantages. We DO give the 9 however and the 2-3 guys we have debated as #9 possibles-are gone at 16. 2 could be a real braintwister...Aldridge-Thomas-Morrison...who do you grab at 2 if the Raps took Bargnani? Morrison is a scorer,perhaps one even athletic defenders won't shut down. Aldridge is a promising PF who can become a promising C. Thomas is explosive with some skills and a good motor. He's WAY light for PF,but he sees himself at SF and I agree. He'd be a SF with rare impact as a rebounder-shotblocker while below average as a perimeter guy or ballhandler. Interesting I can see him at SF letting us use Murph at C. However-we also might get a PF-SF conversion in rd 2 who'd cost a lot less-Craig Smith,Leon Powe,Eric Hicks being 3 candidates.
I wouldn't want to be a #2 in this year's draft because I'd probably just default to Rudy Gay for potential and basic perimeter skills. The whole aggressiveness thing we can write off as Rashard Lewis syndrome. I can't help thinking that Rudy Gay is overhyped because of our small forward situation... Aldridge is another nice prospect I'd pick before Rudy Gay. He'd be a nice guy for a finesse power forward with room to grow in the low post. At center in the NBA? Who knows, it's not like any beefy 7 footers with skills are playing these days. There's not even so much as a Dale Davis or Elden Cambell coming out unless young guys fill out as they mature. I project Aldridge trying to be more finesse like Bosh and Garnett than a guy who can push people around in the paint and draw tons of fouls that way. Those guys like Duncan and Shaq make really huge presence in that way and they don't even need to shoot free throws that well because of it. But anyhoo, Aldridge + Ike together could work as a poor man's Duncan/Davis Robinson type duo where either one could play inside or shoot from far off glass. They basically play off each other. Both could alter a lot of shots and score more than Foyle+Murphy combined. Drafting Morrison would be awesome for offense, but unless the guy is shooting a lot and scoring a lot, I think it would cause us to change our entire team makeup just to avoid having too many liabilities on defense. We also have Murphy, Richardson, Dunleavy who can get absolutely pwned by quicker or stronger players. I think few teams would have the defensive talent already in place to accept Morrison. Maybe Charlotte could pull it off... Portland may not be able to do it right away, but they've a past history of getting some really good defensive guys on their team including a few stoppers (Crob, Reuben Patterson, Theo Ratliff, some other guys). But if the Warriors got Morrison they'd have to change the team's perimeter entirely so Morrison gets more shots. Warriors also need to get the right big men for him which means no Murphy standing right next to him on the perimeter and no Foyle bobbling rebounds and getting in his way. Brandon Roy is a pick that is nice, but c'mon... way too conservative if we've already got a shooting guard and there is other needs to fill with the same upside and ready to go talent right now. Tyrus Thomas... not sure where he stands, but it's hard to say because he's a classic defense only tweener that will have to figure out what he wants to be. Can't teach his athleticism though. He's got a nice short range jumper and some sweet dunks as offense but not much else in the way of anything polished.
