This is supposed to be the time of year that we focus on the NBA Draft, but with trade talk flying fast and furious, the entire NBA landscape -- and the draft order too -- could change dramatically this week. "There are more teams looking to trade this year than any other time I've seen over the past seven years," one GM told me. So what's going on? And how does it affect the draft? Here's the latest ... ? What's happening with the Kevin Garnett four-team blockbuster? Depends on who you ask. From what we can reconstruct, it appears that talks started when Lakers owner Jerry Buss and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor began talking about a KG-to-the-Lakers trade between the two teams. Once it became apparent that the Lakers didn't have a good enough package to entice the Wolves to do the deal, each team went back to an older offer. The Lakers knew that the Pacers might take Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum for Jermaine O'Neal. And the Wolves knew what the Celtics were offering for KG -- the No. 5 pick, Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff. The problem now is the Celtics aren't ready to give up the same package for O'Neal, and the Pacers reportedly never got roped back into the deal. At least one other GM believes that Taylor isn't going to trade KG to the Lakers (a.k.a. the enemy) and would have eventually balked anyway. If that's the case, someone needs to sit him and Kevin McHale down and tell them that, at this point, getting some first-round picks and massive cap room would be a good deal for KG. If they wait much longer, he'll walk for nothing. So, anyway ... what has to give? Either the Celtics decide to include Jefferson in the deal (very, very unlikely) or the other three teams try to find a way to sweeten the pot for Minnesota. How about this crazy thought? Maybe the teams eliminate the Pacers from the conversation, and Boston takes back Odom and Bynum. Then Boston offers to sweeten the pot by sending the Wolves back their 2009 first-round pick that the Celtics acquired in the Wally Szczerbiak deal and the Lakers throw in a future first-round pick to boot. I actually think getting Odom and Bynum makes more sense for Boston than getting O'Neal at this point. Put a starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Odom, Jefferson and Bynum on the floor with Delonte West, Tony Allen, Szczerbiak and Kendrick Perkins coming off the bench, and I think the Celtics are right back in the playoff picture in the East. As for the Lakers, if this deal falls through, I think acquiring a player like Zach Randolph could be their backup plan.
^ Wait, what did Boston get in that last potential deal? Was it the number 5 pick, Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair and the 2009 pick? That seems like an awful lot to give up for Odom and Bynum. If they wouldn't give up A.J. for J.O they won't give him up for L.O.
<div class="quote_poster">ilive4ball Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">^ Wait, what did Boston get in that last potential deal? Was it the number 5 pick, Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair and the 2009 pick? That seems like an awful lot to give up for Odom and Bynum. If they wouldn't give up A.J. for J.O they won't give him up for L.O.</div> Boston would get J.O. and still keep A.J. It's Gerald Green being traded from Boston, not AJ.
