See there's no competition out there Fez no need to throw out Oden. LMA or Batum is plenty. The goal should be not to slightly improve our team but rather to win a championship. That means you retain Oden and Roy at all costs. We can outbid anyone in the league for CP3 WITHOUT offering Oden or Roy.
I think OKC could actually pull of some pretty convincing offers: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2c3u3xw Or http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=27yz6vh Depending on how New Orleans views their prospects over ours. The second one in particular is superior to our offers imo, if NO believes Westbrook can play SG.
Lakers could offer Odom and Bynum, plus two good promising young rookies, and an expriring contract in Vujacic. No one can top that. Odom > Batum, Bynum > Aldridge. Hornets would be fools to not take L.A.'s deal. I just don't know if L.A. is willing to deal both.
I don't think the second one is superior, perhaps a wash. Not sure Westbrook is really a 2 plus that negates local boy wonder Thorton an asset they already have on the uber cheap. Sure Westbrook is better, but it doesn't help them as much IMO as a Collison, Thorton, Batum 1 - 3. The other guys are expirings and/or garbage. It's intriguing to be sure. Final, tip in our favor is Monty who will have a statue erected for him downtown if we get CP3. Westbrook >>>Batum I know, just not a position of need for them. Certainly an interesting trade idea though! Oh and we stomp the first offer. You seem to think Shinn wants a salary of under 12 million or something. I'm sure he'd like that, but a team that is competitive to avoid bad habits i.e. Camby + Batum + Bayless being better IMO allowing Posey and Okafor to be shed or the LMA variants are all superior IMO. I just think you are over valuing shedding salary and understating Monty's desire to win during the rebuilding process. It's all conjecture at this point. I was mostly mocking the Laker fan
oh one last point CP3 would bolt OKC in 2 years for sure and that might add into the equation either on a NOH respect of CP3 side or OKC sides fears.
Look, it's all speculation at this point. We don't know whether or not New Orleans values our assets more than theirs or vice versa, or if they even care about being competitive. If they did, I would think that Shinn would have at least tried appeasing Paul with actual moves. I'm just making a case for a team that I think has a legitimate chance at getting Paul, because I feel OKC's young players are as good, or better than some of ours.
Odom is old. Bynum is as injury prone as they come. You rag on LMA's contract when Bynum, who's knees needed to be drained every other day late in the sesaon, is owed $45,473,001. It doesn't even come close to what other teams could offer. Young promising rookies -- Caracter and Ebanks? Come on, son! I'm sure NOH is clamoring for these two second rounders. Plus, they have better prospects already in place with Brackins and Pondexter. Not to mention they have David West at the four. Expiring contract of Sasha? GTFO with that. It's probably what, $5m? That doesn't come close to the cap relief that NOH wants and POR could offer with their $14m in exp. deals. In short, LA doesn't have a chance.
Fair enough it is as you said in your other post all speculation. The OKC offers are definitely scary. If it's totally Shinn's show and Monty and CP3 have no voice it would seem it's down to OKC, NYK and Portland. I for one wouldn't give up Batum + Oden no way.
Paul and Okafor for Batum, Camby, Bayless, Joel and Rudy, multiiple draft picks and cash No Aldridge.. they already have West No Oden... actually they are in a pickle... we are doing them a favor by taking on Okafor as is. They get greedy... I say go for Parker or Ellis
I did the second top choice. I might have done one of the LA ones except it was below Oden and how this was worded it would mean I was willing to give up Oden which I'm not.
Why not trade Miller, Rudy, Bayless and Camby for Wall and Hinrich, saving JPEC for the trade deadline? JPEC could be used to trade for Okafur so we'd have a back up big?
In order of expendability, this is how I would make the big 4 available to get Paul (Obviously, every other tradeable asset the Blazers have is on the table): Aldridge Batum Roy Notice Oden isn't on the list. If we have to gut the team and give up Oden, without whom we aren't winning a championship in the near future even with Paul, what would be the point?
I would trade Oden only if we retained Batum, Roy and Aldridge. No rookies with good upside like Williams pure unadulterated filler with the most talent added AMEC. This would be the max. I only add bayless because it is CP3 and we need to consolidate. http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=27dzt94 Really though I'd rather do this which I think is more likely actually: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2bxehdp
I didn't find a respoonse I liked. Everyone except Oden is moveable. That includes Roy and LMA. I wouldn't move both of them. I would move one of them in an attempt to get Chris. But the preferable scenario is Joel, Andre, Nic, Jerryd Bayless, Rudy and Camby For Paul Posey Okafor.
