Sources: Nuggets agree to trade Camby to Clippers for second-round pick <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed in principal on a trade with the Denver Nuggets to acquire center Marcus Camby as their replacement for Elton Brand, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers will only have to surrender a second-round pick to acquire Camby, who is being jettisoned by the Nuggets purely for payroll relief.</div> A steal in my opinion. What are the Nuggets thinking?
What a terrific move. It's a short term move, since Camby's 34 or 35 and probably doesn't have that much gas left in the tank.
Camby and Kaman isn't going to work. On defense, Camby wants to sit in the paint and go for shot blocks. He is a piss poor man defender and at PF he will have to be out towards the perimeter too much.
Baron's gonna be one of the league leaders in assists this year... Clippers are gonna be one of the leaders in team rebounding and blocked shots LOL BTW, what will denver's lineup look like? Iverson, Smith, Melo, Kmart, KWAME BROWN LOL
Both Kaman and Camby are true centers, what a waste playing one at PF. I wouldn't be surprised to see another deal go through. Kaman or Camby to NY for Randolph?
People are saying what a steal this is for Los Angeles, but I think both teams lose. It basically comes down to this. Would you rather have Marcus Camby, Emeka Okafor, or Josh Smith? Given the Clippers' situation, with a true rebounding/shot blocking center already on the roster, Camby would be the last of those three players I'd choose. As for Denver, at first I thought they got a good deal from the perspective that it'd allow them to clear enough cap to sign one of those RFA's, but then I checked s2's salary page (props to whoever updated it already to include the trade), and well, just check it out - http://sportstwo.com/NBA/LeagueSalaries#jump_DEN. According to that, Denver is still more than $8 mill over the cap. It's not like Camby's contract was that big of a burden either. The guy comes off the books in '10, just in time for Denver to have cap room to make a run at one of the bigger names out there. ESPN says - "While Camby is no Elton Brand, he's not such a shabby replacement either. Put him out there with Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Al Thornton and Cuttino Mobley, and the Clips remain respectable. Not a playoff team perhaps, and certainly miles away from title contention, but a decent team that can expect to hang around the .500 mark." That's just flawed logic in my opinion. For one, Camby is no Elton Brand, and even if he were a similar talent, he'd still be creating a logjam at the five, whereas Brand was a natural four. Also, who wants to hang around that .500 mark and never make the playoffs? The Clippers are building a team set for a history of mediocrity. It'd be one thing to sign a Smith or Okafor and compete in these next few seasons, and it'd also be respectable to go in a younger movement ala the Timberwolves and Grizzlies, giving your young guys some playing time and stealing a few next-big-thing lottery picks in the process. But where does this trade put the Clippers in four years? With four years of #11-15 picks, first round playoff exits, and a disgruntled Baron Davis. So now the question is, what does Los Angeles do in free agency to complete their roster, with just under $7 mill in cap room to bring in free agents. They're out of the running for Smith, Okafor, etc., and now they're more in the ballpark of Ricky Davis, Kurt Thomas, Josh Childress, etc. The problem is, none of the top available free agents in the Clippers' price range are power forwards, unless you want to stretch and assume they'll be going after Craig Smith or Ryan Gomes. I guess this is their projected depth chart now? PG - Baron Davis/Brevin Knight SG - Cuttino Mobley/Eric Gordon SF - Al Thornton PF - Marcus Camby/Tim Thomas/Nick Fazekas/Paul Davis C - Chris Kaman/Josh Powell/DeAndre Jordan What a shame.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Voodoo Child @ Jul 16 2008, 03:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It's not like Camby's contract was that big of a burden either. The guy comes off the books in '10, just in time for Denver to have cap room to make a run at one of the bigger names out there.</div> This is about the luxury tax and about trying to avoid holding Camby's contract when his string of good health ends. The Nuggets still have to pay JR Smith and that will put them back into the luxury tax. Stan is a very wealthy owner, but he doesn't want to pay $13 million in luxury taxes again for a first round exit. Plus, Camby's impact on the Nuggets is greatly overstated.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jul 16 2008, 02:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Voodoo Child @ Jul 16 2008, 03:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It's not like Camby's contract was that big of a burden either. The guy comes off the books in '10, just in time for Denver to have cap room to make a run at one of the bigger names out there.</div> This is about the luxury tax and about trying to avoid holding Camby's contract when his string of good health ends. The Nuggets still have to pay JR Smith and that will put them back into the luxury tax. Stan is a very wealthy owner, but he doesn't want to pay $13 million in luxury taxes again for a first round exit. Plus, Camby's impact on the Nuggets is greatly overstated. </div> I was figuring that much but was hoping it wasn't the basis for the trade. It makes me sad that the NBA's owners are more focussed about their pocketbooks than winning ball games (*cough* Heisley *cough*). Yeah, Camby's impact on the Nuggets was overstated, but if he's not hurting your team cap-wise, then why just basically cut the guy (from a perspective of trying to win ball games)? If these owners can't afford to run contending NBA teams, then they should sell the team to some other gazillionaire who can.
The Nuggets owner has more than enough money, but it comes down to progress in the playoffs. A $10 million TE is more tradeable than Camby and provides the Nuggets with more flexibility to makes trades as matching salary can be a real bitch with the way their contracts are.
Interesting move by the Clippers. I don't doubt that Camby's influence on the Nuggets was overstated as cpa suggests but that certainly does make an imposing frontline with Camby and Kaman. Two dominant rebounders, shot-blockers, both with adequate offensive skills. Camby will be a bit of an awkward PF but he does have a decent jumpshot so he won't be stepping on Kaman's toes offensively. Camby certainly has the athleticism to guard all PFs as well. They definitely upgrade talent with this trade even if the fit doesn't seem perfect initially. What I'm just as intrigued about is the fact that taking on Camby still leaves about 7 million in cap room for the Clips to play with. They could still land a Josh Childress, Ryan Gomes, James Posey or a couple smaller-name FAs or they could absorb another contract that a team wants to jettison.
