Post the deal you would like to see happen. Here is mine: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=o7d85l2 PORTLAND TRADES: Aldridge PORTLAND RECEIVES: Sanders and Ilyasova (plus 4 mil in more cap space) No draft picks, but the added 4 mil in cap space would put us around 15 mil of space. That's enough to really make some off-season moves, IMO. I still don't like the idea of trading Aldridge; but I could live with something like this.
Orlando for Vucevic, Harkless, and #2 Or, Orlando for Vucevic, Harkless, Bledsoe, and #2. If we trade them LMA + something else.
Realistic Hou - Asik, Motiejunas, Jones, #19 (from Chicago) OKC - Ibaka, Lamb, PJ3, #12 CLE - #1, #19, Thompson, Juggler No need for LA ORL - #2, Vucevic
Any chance this could go through? Golden State trades Bogut and Barnes for LA and Leonard. We shave a year off of LA's contract, target a PF/C prospect in the draft and we get a young swing player to contribute right away. We might be able to trade Bogut (if he's healthy) to a contender a year later. David Lee with LMA and that young group might be kind of interesting. Portland gets some tradeable pieces and Barnes to throw in the mix. Also if there is an Asik trade, I wouldn't mind getting Robinson back in the deal. I liked him out of the draft. He hasn't exactly lived up to expectations, but he has only played for 1 year.
If LaMarcus is quietly asking to be moved, then I hope that Paul Allen and the team strongly lean toward a rebuild plan. I have assumed that Allen hasn't wanted a rebuild, that the Vulcan money folks are against a properly run rebuild as they want to keep the seats filled, and that the team wanted to improve as much as possible to increase chances of retaining Aldridge. So, this summer they start with a roster that has an above average starting four, with glaring holes at starting Center, backup PG, backup scoring and backup wing defender and with 11 million in cap space and the #10 pick to fill all those holes. The team is kind of stuck. It doesn't have enough in cap space and assets to fill out the rest of the roster, let alone bring in a star player that would be needed to vault into contender status. And, if the team feels forced to trade LaMarcus, that puts them even further away from their goal. No one will trade a proven star for LaMarcus. There is no point to that. They will either trade multiple pieces, quantity for quality, or they will trade future talent or potential. I don't have a specific proposal for Aldridge, but if the team trades him, I hope the team completely buys into a full-on rebuild plan: For a fast rebuild: Move Aldridge, Wes and possibly Batum if a great deal comes along. Collect picks and young talent. Get some picks in the 2014 draft. Tank the team during the 2013-2014 season so the Blazer's own pick does not go to Charlotte and has the most ping pong balls possible. Create cap space flexibility so can make runs at the great free agent class of 2014. Trade LaMarcus for young players with lots of unrealized upside, and/or lottery picks, and/or unprotected picks in 2014 (strong preference for this), and players with expiring contracts in 2014. If things fell right, the Blazers would be really awful in 2013, with a possible very big turnaround in 2014 with the team adding a MAX free agent star (or lopsided trade) that summer and bringing in two lottery rookies from the heralded class of 2014 to add to the #10 pick this year along with Lillard. If the team wanted to accelerated the rebuild, they could trade some of the unpolished youth for veterans. But please, if we trade LaMarcus, let's not do anything this summer to bring in quality, non-star veterans: No to DMC (and his max salary demand) No to Gortat No to Iggy No to DeAndre Jordan No to Danny Granger No to Luol Deng No to Joakim Noah And no to Blake Griffin.
Good point... I like option #2 if we are doing the rebuild. Grabbing an unprotected 2014 pick would be essential, but I just don't see a team rebuilding wanting Aldridge, unless they are just on the cusp. And if they are on the cusp; then they won't be giving us extra ping pong balls. But there is a chance to get a third team involved and pry their pick from them. Maybe use Batum to entice a lottery team to give up their unprotected first rounder?
Dammit, I don't want Aldridge traded. But if we don't put a team out there with him soon then they had better do it I can see a team functioning marvelously with Lamarcus as the key guy, but so far we have not had a coach that has been able to see it. Sigh! Well tomorrow is my birthday, I hope the Blazers bring me something to brighten the day.
Hmm not sure if they would do this but Portland out LMA/Mathews/Claver Portland in: 3/Beal/Oakfer Wiz out: 3/Beal/Oakfer Wiz in: LMA/Mathews/Claver I don't want to trade LMA but that puts us firmly in the "tank" train which is what I think you have to do if you trade LMA. Honestly I have no clue if the wizards would even do that, #3 doesn't excite me at all but they may value Beal extremely high.
I do agree that trading LMA, unless there is something out there unknown, puts the team in 'tank mode' again. So we can sit through 25 wins next year, Stotts gets fired, probably Olshey too, and the cycle begins again.
I have actually been kicking around trade ideas on the trade machine involving the Wiz. The only problem I see is that you get Beal, so taking Oladipo doesn't make sense. Who would you take at #3 then? Noel if he's there? Porter? Len if he's there?
Personally I think this is a superstar league and it takes two or three (dominant) superstars to win championships. I love LA but I think keeping him will keep us middling, possibly making the playoffs but never making a meaningful run. Either get enough star power to build a meaningful team around or get to the absolute bottom of the league to draft those top end players. I don't want to hear abour signing superstar free agents because this isn't an ideal location for a superstar free agent to land. I'd like to see a full on rebuild by sending LA to Chi Chi sending Deng to Cle Chi sending us the Future NO pick and Cle sends us the #1 pick. Some junk players/picks/contracts would likely have to be thrown in. We'd suck hard next year (and likely for a couple years after) but with any luck we'd get a high pick or even win out on the Wiggins sweepsteak. With teams like MIA and OKC out there, it's foolish to think championship without a couple of the best players in the league. A Wiggins-type could be that player for us. In any case on our end we'd end up with a #1 and a likely high pick from NO in the future plus whatever lotto picks we get from sucking so badly for the next couple years (I see Noel developing slowly as he weighs as much as a PG right now). Lillard is a minor star. Noel has the potential to be a Defensive star. Wiggins could be a poor man's Lebron. With luck the NO pick could be top 5 pick (that team is light years away from going anywhere). Hope for no significant injuries (ei: ROY, ODEN) and then we could talk championship(s).
Miami almost got knocked out by 2 teams that weren't that talented on paper. Indiana was inexperienced and SA was too old. The Warriors are also a balanced out team.
