If he thinks Amare vaults us into contention this year and the better part of the next decade, we should put faith in that decision. Why do I say this? ...as fans, if we were in charge of the roster we'd run it into the ground. KP knows what he's doing:
KP hasnt give us a reason to not trust him. I think its safe to say that he's one of the best GM's in the league. KP kicks ass.
My only real concern with Amare is the knee, but LMA hasn't exactly been the most healthy guy either. Hate to lose Bayless and LMA for Amare, but I have no control over the moves and agree that we just have to trust that KP will make the right move (even if that move is to stand pat).
Do people really think that the team with none of the leverage will be able to extract a massive expiring deal, one of the top young PFs in the game and a guy who was projected to go in the top four from last year's draft? I don't.
No he doesn't. How does Amare fit this team? I could see us being involved in a three way that sends Stoudemire to another team, but he's a square peg for this squad of round holes.
Will you give up beer if he does? I posted this in the Phoenix rumor page too, but Phoenix would have to give more to get LMA, Bayless and RLEC. That other piece would probably be Barbosa based upon salary and prior stories involving Barbosa.
I think Barbosa makes to much and even if we included Bayless and Freeland plus Rlec Barbosa would be to much unless we included someone else. I wouldn't really want Barbosa but he is ok. I would want to keep Bayless and not take Barbosa.
I agree with what Wheels just said on The Game a few minutes ago. Amare coming to Portland would be very suprising and isnt likely. Wheels did say that KP has always been high on Rudy Gay and there are rumors that Memphis is shopping him.
It's not hard for me to imagine trading for Amare. It's not hard for me to imagine LA in that deal. It IS hard for me to imagine it involves adding Bayless. Take out Bayless, put in Freeland (as some have mentioned) and picks, or Outlaw, or Sergio. Hey, Sergio under the tootlage of Steve Nash might not be a bad thing for Phoenix. I'm drooling over a Bayless/Roy backcourt going forward. I know Bayless doesn't look like a Pure PG, but I think the plan should be to find a quality b/u pure PG who plays good defense (like Greg Anthony used to) or a guy like Howard Eisley, who I always thought was a perfect b/u PG. Dude could handle the ball, play D, get the team into it's offense, shoot the 3, make FT's . . . and he didn't mind playing behind John Stockton when Utah was making their title runs.
That would be utterly amazing (and gut busting) considering all of the shenanigans between the Grizz and Blazers over the Miles affair ... but hey, it's business I guess.
We've seen how "well" Amare works with Shaq - why would a pairing with Oden be any more likely to succeed? Stoudemire is a smug full-of-himself, no-defense, only occasional rebounding volume scorer. He makes no sense for this team. Incidentally, I have similar disdain for Rudy Gay, who is also a volume scorer no-defense player. Funny how he gets injured and suddenly the Grizzlies start to play well. Why would a pathetic team like Memphis trade a cheap young "star" unless he was a cancer?
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2166~1727~2983~3417~454&teams=22~22~21~21~21&te=&cash= It also works if you include Joel Freeland on top of the other 3. I also would rather have Bayless than Barbosa, but Barbosa makes losing Bayless a little more tolerable. Not saying I am in favor of the deal, just that it is not a slam dunk veto.