Every so often, a team seems to get a steal of a trade thanks to another team's need to shed salary. Of course, Pau Gasol is the best example of this, but recently Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter also come to mind. Right now, Boozer seems to be had for nothing more than salary cap space, which we have. You could almost look at it as signing him as a FA. Now, I LOVE Aldridge, and am not a huge Boozer guy. But still, when you have the opportunity to pick up a 20/10, All-Star, Olympian player in his prime for peanuts, you have to at least examine it. Clearly, Boozer and Aldridge couldn't co-exist. But I would think that a team like New Jersey would move Devin Harris for Aldridge and filler in a heart beat. Which would you rather have: Oden Aldridge Batum Roy Blake or Oden Boozer Batum Roy Harris Now, I'm not sold on this idea. Boozer could end up leaving us next year and sign somewhere else. But if you could get him to commit to an extension, isn't it worth seeing what you could get for Aldridge if you're KP? Wouldn't it be crazy not to examine it?
Honestly I'd rather have Aldridge's already superior defense that extends out to the perimeter and his remaining upside over Boozer's oft injured ass.
Sorry I must have skimmed your first post, I just realized it was Aldridge for Boozer and Harris but was buried at the end of the post. as for your suggestion that the Nets would happily dump Harris for Aldridge and filler, I strongly suspect that this wouldn't be the case; Harris is an all-star point guard and borderline superstar at one of the toughest positions to fill in the NBA and if they moved him what guard are they going to have to fill his role? Certainly not Courtney Lee and I doubt they'd be thrilled about counting on "Skip to my Lou" This just isn't the kind of deal I see Rod Thorn agreeing to, he's a notoriously tough GM when it comes to making trades.
The Jazz did not want Boozer back. And neither did his teammates. Why trade guys who want to be here for guys who don't. Especially when the guy you are getting rid of is better than the guy you are getting. Harris is good, but not worth LMA and a soon to be free agent.
I like the idea of trying to trade Boozer plus some combination of Rudy, Bayless, Blake, Outlaw for Harris. They get a 2010 expiring and a one year rental on Boozer with a possible long term signing to lure LeBron to play with a Boozer/Lopez front court. I think a team of say Blake, Rudy, LBJ, Boozer and Lopez with Outlaw and role players coming off the bench. That team would be pretty damn nasty and would probably take the East by storm and be a perennial finals contender. They might even be able to put D-Wade on that squad as well. The Brooklyn Whatevers's might threaten hoist a banner their first year. Meanwhile Portland would have: PG: Harris/Bayless/Roy SG: Roy/Bayless/Webster SF: Batum/Webster/Roy PF: Aldridge/Cunningham C: Oden/Przybilla/Pendergraph That lineup is going deep in the Western Conference probably to the Finals in awhile. Anyone think that might be a possibility? And yes I know Boozer didn't stay in Cleveland blah blah blah. Boozer has gotten his payday maybe he is ready to win, I know that if anyone in the NBA can convince him its LBJ. You could sub Blake for Bayless in the trade if that is what it took.
I wouldn't trade LaMarcus for Harris even if we have double trouble PF's. I would however look at acquiring Boozer for our cap space. Bring the guy off the bench he can be exactly what everyone was hoping a Millsap signing would bring.
Oh yeah lets take some other teams all-star best player and give them no starters thats realistic. Might as well snag Wade for the bench while we're at it.
