Where will Kirk end up? Portland and Miami are emerging as the frontrunners. Portland doesn't really have anything worth looking at imo. Brandon Roy will not be traded, either will Greg Oden. LaMarcus Aldridge is doubtful. I could see a small, maybe 5% chance of the Blazers looking to deal Aldridge to us for something like Hinrich, Nocioni, and Tyrus for Aldridge and filler. Miami is the more likely destination, even though I think Portland probably wants Hinrich more. The Heat could give us Marion for Hinrich and filler...perhaps send Larry Hughes with him. I think Kirk will end up as one of those two teams. If he ends up in Portland, a salary dump is more likely...although I think Paxson is going to be looking to get talent back (ala Marion).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (#1_Yinka_Dare_Fan @ May 22 2008, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Getting Marion would be a steal. No way you get Aldridge.</div> Marion would be good, and it seems to be how Riley's plan would work. They get Hinrich/Hughes (presumably), we'd get Marion and Banks. Getting Hughes lets them let go of Davis. So they'd have PG-Kirk Hinrich SG-Dwyane Wade SF-Larry Hughes PF-Michael Beasley C- Udonis Haslem for next year. Riley's plan is loud and clear....2010. Dorrell Wright is probably going to be let go when he becomes a free agent. They will have 3 main players under contract: Hinrich/Wade/Beasley. Everyone else will be on short contracts that expire in 2010, so two year/one year contracts from now on. The salary cap should be around 64 million. The Heat are going to go after not only Lebron, but also after Bosh. Riley's dream is probably: PG-Kirk Hinrich SG-Dwyane Wade SF-Lebron James PF-Michael Beasley C- Chris Bosh And if things don't change in Cleveland/Toronto, this won't be too farfetched for at least one of the two to defect.
It's not that they're trading him, it's that he has a player option and if he tells them he's exercising it, they lose him for nothing.
Damn writers and Mark Cuban keep stealing my ideas. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>If it is Beasley to the Heat, at least one companion move would have to follow, involving either Udonis Haslem or Shawn Marion. A team with only Marcus Banks under contract at point guard and Mark Blount under contract at center can't afford to have three of its best players aligned at forward. The move could be as simple as Marion to the Bulls for a suddenly available Kirk Hinrich, or perhaps Haslem to the defensively challenged Grizzlies for a piece of Memphis' abundance at point guard (Mike Conley Jr., Kyle Lowry, Javaris Crittenton).</div> http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketb...0,1728385.story