This is a trade I could actually see happening. From Detroit's perspective: Aldridge is a proven All-Star in his prime, and his offensive game fits better with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond than Monroe's does. They seem to want to raise their ceiling ASAP, and bringing it another legitimate star could give them a chance at a 4-6 seed. From Portland's perspective: I love our young core and think more highly of its ceiling than some do, but the fact remains that we'll probably lose Aldridge in 2015 unless this group exceeds even MY expectations, i.e. make a WCF before he hits free agency. If that's true, then it's not a question of IF we trade him; only WHEN and FOR WHAT. Well, Monroe is a solid replacement for Aldridge in a lot of ways. Four years younger, similar size, skilled offensively but not so great defensively, etc. More importantly, we could lock him up to a long-term extension and have control over our ENTIRE young core, rather than being at the mercy of our best player's whim as we try to build this thing up. Plus, since Aldridge > Monroe and since we have more leverage (Detroit's desire to contend is bordering on desperation, and we can accurately claim we don't have to trade Aldridge this year at all), we can demand more assets as well. That's where I get bogged down, though, in terms of fitting a workable deal. Detroit, ironically, owes its 2014 pick to Charlotte much as we do (Top 8 protected rather than Top 12). I have no idea if they would be willing to include Brandon Knight, and I have even less idea why we'd want him given the young talent in our back court and his disappointing, bust-like trajectory. Maybe it would require a third team in an Aldridge-Monroe deal to get us the future assets we need. Monroe/Caldwell-Pope/Stuckey for Aldridge works, but I'd hope for more.
Two things about that - 1) I don't know if this is true: "Plus, since Aldridge > Monroe and since we have more leverage (Detroit's desire to contend is bordering on desperation, and we can accurately claim we don't have to trade Aldridge this year at all), we can demand more assets as well." Not only is Monroe just now coming into his own as a basketball player, but Aldridge is also peaking. In terms of player development, Monroe has improved markedly every year since his freshman season at Georgetown. A 6'11", 250 lb. Center that just posted 16/10 in his sophomore season in the pro's and just turned 23 is a valuable asset for any team. Just like how sex sells in the marketing world, size and youth sell in the NBA, and Monroe has both. I don't know if his value is really less than Aldridge's. If anything, I'd have to figure it'd be the other way around. Not to mention, all we've heard about all summer is how the Pistons have been floating their cap assets, Villanueva and Stuckey, for guys like Gay and Rondo. Monroe's name is almost never mentioned in those talks, so I doubt Monroe's realistically on the table. 2) If the Pistons were to trade Monroe, why wouldn't they be looking to bolster their backcourt? Aside from Monroe, Smith, and Drummond, based on watching him in summer league play, Viacheslav Kravtsov looks like a very legitimate 10-15 mpg back-up center, poised for a breakout year. Meanwhile, their backcourt is manned by Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight, two guys who like to throw up shots and gamble offensively. If there were a trade involving Monroe (or Drummond), I'd assume they'd be trying to bring in a legitimate point or two guard.
I'm not big on Monroe. He is a great young player with who is HORRIBLE on D but is great on O and will probably put up 20/10 for the foreseeable future. Thats the good part but he is a RFA at the end of next season and will get a MAX offer so your committing to this guy as being your franchise player and I see him as more of a Al Jefferson/David Lee type player. Great guy to have but do you really want to be paying him 12+ million a year and have him be your highest paid player? If you had a stud defensive C to play next to him and make it a ZBO/Gasol type 2some then I could see the logic in doing it but if you don't I don't like the move. This new CBA really limits teams on how they can spend money and if your doling out Max money you better make sure your getting an All-star for it who makes your team better on both sides of the court.
If we trade LaMarcus I think we should aim to trade away Matthews in the deal as he will be valuable for a team contending today but not as much for a Blazer team a few years away.
Exactly. If the decision is made to trade LMA it would have to be to a team that he'd be happy to re-sign with. Otherwise, the team receiving him would be in the position that the Blazers are...worrying about him leaving for nothing when his contract runs out.
DET is in the East. I wouldn't say it is a given that they don't make the playoffs. It took a whole 38 freakin' wins to make the playoffs in the East last year and DET has improved (at least on paper).
Just making the playoffs in the East isn't likely to make LMA salivate at the prospect of re-signing with the Pistons. If he wants out of Portland, it's to go to a team that has a real shot at contending for a title, not another rebuilding situation.
Agree with that. Obviously getting 8th in the East isn't going to help much when you get stomped by the Heat. Not much different from us getting 7th or 8th in the West this year and getting stomped by SAS or OKC or HOU though. We don't care why they take him just if they will or not (assuming it is the best offer).
At this point it doesn't really matter if LMA is happy with the receiving team. We certainly shouldn't care about whether he's happy - all we should be concerned about it whether WE like the trade. Now if we get to next summer and he's still on the team, then we're going to get hosed because teams won't have control of him for more than a season, and that's when LMA's happiness comes into the trade equation. But for now? Trade him to the WNBA if it improves the team in the long-run. With all that said, I think Monroe for Rondo is more likely to happen. However, with the Smith signing the need for a "stretch" 4 slightly increases the chances that we could deal LMA to DET. But yeah, I really want Drummond. I'd be happy enough with Monroe, but Drummond is the prize.
Definitely want Drummond over pretty much every young player if were trading LMA. Also agree that his happiness matters not when we trade him. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
What team is going to have 1. A real shot at contending 2. Be in a city better than Portland and 3. Have cap room for a max contract in two years? That is pretty damn specific set of standards and LaMarcus is not a superstar player. Like Josh Smith this offseason he may have to settle for 1 or 2 of those 3 criteria. That’s another reason I’m not on the “trade LaMarcus so he doesn’t walk for nothing” bandwagon. I think there is a good chance LMA resigns here in a few years even if its not his ideal team or ideal city; it might be his best option available.
Of course the Blazers shouldn't care, but I imagine a team giving up a player that Portland values as being at LMA's level is going to want some guarantee that LMA will stay there. Otherwise, they give away a young solid player, and end up potentially with nothing for LMA. It takes two sides to trade. I think people forget about that at times.
I guarantee it's going to matter to the team trading for him, though. Otherwise it's a Lakers/Dwight Howard fiasco.
Well no shit. This is why I've been saying all along that the talk that Aldridge is going to be traded is overblown. Most of the trade proposals I see around here have LMA going to some other town where a rebuild is going on. Why the hell would the receiving team be interested in giving up a valuable asset only to be in the same position as the Blazers are? NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
Only place I see Aldridge bolt to is one of the Texas teams. It won't be because they are contending. Will any of them have enough to get him though?
