You know we can mitigate some of the disaster that is Houston and they could help us tremendously. Houston at this point is rebuilding but they have got to do something about the Center position. By letting Artest go and signing Ariza the Rockets have made a commitment to Ariza at SF. This may mean Battier is available. While the standard Joel for Batter trade is batted around keep in mind Houston can help us at one of our other problems that is a back up PF. Houston it just so happens has a glut of Power Forwards. I propose we trade Joel Przybilla and Travis Outlaw for Shane Battier and Carl Landry. That leaves Houston with. PG Brooks/Lowry SG T-Mac/Von Wafer/Ariza/Barry (assuming they have a necromancer that can animate his corpse) SF Ariza/Outlaw PF Scola/Hayes/Outlaw/Dorsey C Przybilla/Hayes while still thin at C and highly questionable at SG it's better then the unmitigated disaster that is their team is currently. Portland could then attempt to sign Sessions with the capspace. PG Sessions/Bayless/Blake(could be waived traded for picks or S & T for Sessions etc) SG Roy/Rudy/Bayless SF Battier/Batum/Roy PF LMA/Landry/Cunningham C Oden/LMA/Pendergraph The attempt to sign Sessions could fail in which case... Portland would be left with: PG Bayless/Blake/Mills SG Roy/Rudy/Bayless SF Battier/Batum/Roy PF LMA/Landry/Cunningham C Oden/LMA/Pendergraph That's a pretty solid lineup. If Bayless is truly the PG of the future we would be set. I've always wanted to make a play for Sessions and if we got him the lineup would look truly sick. Should we make a trade with Houston for Battier and Landry? I actually think picking up Sessions, Landry and Battier would be a godlike off season if all we had to give up was Outlaw, Przybilla and possibly Blake.
I would send them Outlaw & Blake for Shane and Landry. They are in rebuilding mode now and that would basically make them the most cap flexible team in the mega summer of 2010. Plus we would still have our cap space.
I dont like the idea of loosing Pryz so early into Oden's development. Pryz will play a major roll on this team for the next 2-4 years. I do like the idea of Battier though.....
I do like the idea of acquiring Battier. Houston now is in a rebuilding phase, they could have kept Artest along with adding Ariza, but decided they're presently out of contention. They are going in a youth direction and don't need an aging SF roll player. Travis along with a future 1st rounder would be a good place to start. I wouldn't trade Joel to them unless we had a separate big man deal lined up such as Chandler/Boozer/Amare.
Blake/Outlaw/Bayless for...Brooks/Battier or Rubio/? /\ might make a lot of sense if Monty becomes the Minnesota head coach. I like the though of trading for Rubio and signing Andre Miller a lot. (Bayless/Outlaw to Minn, Blake to PHI in sign n trade) Miller/Rubio Roy/Fernandez Webster/Batum Aldridge/Cunningham Oden/Pryzbilla
It seems to me like we can have LMA play against second unit Centers and he will destroy them especially if he has Landry at the other post position getting boards. In the past when LMA played Center we had Frye and so it seemed terrible. Actually it was the backup PF that made playing LMA at center seem so awful. LMA himself is more then good enough to play back up Center until Pendergraph gets his sea legs. Frankly, if Oden isn't at least quite a bit better then Przybilla we will never win a ring. Przybilla is a wonderful player and has been great to have for his veteran savvy and defense. I think that our defense in our second unit is FAR better with LMA at the 5 and Landry at the 4 then last year with Przybilla at the 5 and Frye/Outlaw at the 4. LMA can easily play back up Center with a bit of help from Pendergraph for spot minutes. LMA is good for 40 minutes a game. Oden and Landry can play the 8 minutes that LMA rests. I like the depth at Center in case of injuries but I feel Battier/Landry takes us further then Przybilla/Outlaw and that's what we're talking about. Outlaw is addition by subtraction in my mind I mean Battier >>>>>Outlaw it's not even close. I think it's an even deal that Houston might actually go for and a risk worth taking.
that leaves us really thin at SF and back up PF. I also don't think they would go for that trade. Maybe Rudy/Blake for Rubio or even Rudy/Blake/Outlaw for Rubio + bad contract (Cardinal?).
I would love to get Battier on this team. I think he helps the team a much better defensive team (what we lacked this past season). I like Battier a lot more than Hedo. If it costs us Joel, I would have to consider it, and would probably do the trade. I don't think Joel is going to be happy as a 2nd teamer when Oden is the starting C.
You're right about Joel not wanting to always play in the 2nd unit...the same thing may apply to Rudy in fact, I would say that judging from Hedo-gate it's a near certainty. If Rudy wants to go we could also do this which is probably more palatable to Houston and is the hopeful scenario of an S & T with Milwaukee. First the trade with Milwaukee (Luke Ridnour is a proxy for Sessions new 7.25 million a year contract that forced the sign and trade). Then the trade with Houston (Shavlik Randolph and the trade exception = lopsided trade proxies). That would leave Milwaukee with: PG Blake/Jennings SG Redd SF Outlaw/Alexander PF Thomas C Bogut still crap but hey it's Milwaukee. Houston would have: PG Brooks/Lowry SG T-Mac/Rudy SF Ariza/Rudy PF Scola/Hayes C Przybilla/Hayes That's not a bad lineup. A bit thin at SF (maybe we could throw in Martell for an expiring or something) Portland would have: PG Sessions/Bayless SG Roy/Bayless/Battier SF Battier/Batum/Roy PF LMA/Landry/Cunningham C Oden/LMA/Pendergraph That's a delicious lineup. Tons of defense in both units and plenty of Offense. Great couple of consolidation trades. Not sure if Milwaukee would go for it. I say swing for the fences with Sessions. They might do a sign and trade like I said which would preserve our capspace for 2010. At the worst if you don't get him wait until the trade deadline or draft day 2010 as we still would have cap space for a lopsided trade. Sessions and Bayless almost guarantees you will have a good young PG and you can trade the other one at the trade deadline or on draft day.
