NBA Trade Deadline Feb. 24th

I know the trade deadline is month & and a half away. But I think I've got a problem. I like to talk Warriors basketball just a bit too much. Are you the same? Got an itch about the idea of Ray Allen shooting threes in dark blue? Have visions of Jermaine O'neal playing alongside Andris Biedrins? Imagining Ron Artest backing up Baron Davis in a street fight (don't get carried away)? Trust me, I've got a day job, but right at this very moment I'm mulling over Warriorland trades, and it's wee into the morning.

Why? Frankly, because GS is seriously contending for the 8th seed of the Western Conference of the playoffs for the first time in umpteen years. We're actually on the brink, whether you want to believe it or not.

Our biggest competition? The KG "Superstar aging before his time" Wolves and the "What the hell are we doing" Sacramento Kings:

<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings?season=2007&group=conference&seasontype=2" target="_blank">Standings
</a>

Oh.. toss in the backstreet gang-bangin' thug-boys Denver Nuggets.

But anyways, folks, amidst all the many things we have going for ourselves this 2007, one thing is that the Warriors are legitimately a playoff contender for the first time since I was too young to remember. It's a reality, albeit the 8th seed -- last time I checked 8th seed was good enough to get in the door.

Somebody slap me, but GS is there.

So. Do we need a trade? I already started another trade thread, but that was more of who GS should get rid of.

This thread is similar... we need a PF to contend. Can Ike do it? Or do we need a trade?

Personally, there's many players I'd love to see in GS (leBron, Wade, Brand, Stoudomire) but realistically, the one target I most want to see is JO playing the PF for the Warriors.

What player do you want to see sporting the thunderbolt?

 

I tend to be a bargain hunter. When my karma is good-the yardsale gods beckon to me and my needs are fullfilled. When I blow my budget-go buy something all shiny new-not even on sale-the thing tends to break or rip or otherwise let me down. How's Indy feel about Al Harrington? Well-they wish he played defense. We got Barnes for free,Pietrus got to play-and is doing fine. Just as well we didn't get Harrington.

Last year Ike only got 6 games of 30+ minutes. In those games he averaged 19.5 pt,9.5 rbd. Significance? That's exactly O'Neal's season avgs. Lately,Ike's per minute scoring would project to something between 20-30 a game if he played starter minutes...and Ike don't cost $20 mill +

Most of the guys said to be "on the block" are not the guys I'd tend to look for anyhow. I'd be interested in anyone we can get for Dunleavy (almost anyone)

I want to see Nellie actually choose to use the power F's we HAVE. I don't want JO and Biedrens a Center platoon. I want to see what happens when Nellie works to optimize a healthy J Rich-Murphy-Diogu. I don't think we make a move before mid Feb,or should. Better we focus on making EACH of these players the BEST he can be...whatever that takes.

 

Good point about getting Barnes for free. And I like your comparison of Ike and JO. However the biggest difference between the two is defense. Ike is a bit undersized and hasn't been defending all that well. JO leads the league in blocks at over 3 a game, and is an enforcer inside. So even if Ike becomes the starter and breaks out for 20pts 10rebs, he'll never be the terrific defender JO is, IMO.

Baron
Monta
Barnes
O'Neal
Biedrins

This 5 is a deep playoff team IMO. JO playing with Baron is just plain scary IMO.

 

Forget about fretting over trades. When they happen, then we talk about them. No point in thinking of possible trades. Its not like Mullin frequents the boards for advice. To me dreaming up trade possibilities is not fun. If they are for you, then have at it. And come see me when you have an ulcer...

 

lol -- who's fretting? You don't have to worry yourself over trades -- just have some fun thinking about possibilities. If anything about following a sports team gives you an ulcer, you'd probably just need to take a break from said team, IMO.

But I do know what you mean about Mullin not reading the boards. All the talk really does nothing other than just toss out ideas. But it's still fun for me.

JRich+Pietrus for Ray Allen!

 

I think REREM's right, we gotta utilize the positions players are best at. We also gotta behave and find the bargain (but decent) talent of smaller market teams. But that requires that the GMs aren't just throwing money at the problem for a quick fix and wind up overpaying. It's all about finding underrated talent that fits together. The more moderately priced talent we have makes it so we can be more flexible if we should ever find a superstar franchise player such as a healthy Baron Davis. When we got Baron Davis, the whole signings of Murphy, Dunleavy, and Foyle looked a lot worse because Davis is not a halfcourt player.

I think a lot of the trouble that teams like New York and the Warriors face is that they have subpar general management/ownership over the last few years. Well for the Warriors it seems like for almost a decade and a half.

 

(Bump) 1 week until the deadline. I believe someone posted something about Matt Steinmetz saying that the Warriors might be looking at KG (still) and who else, maybe Yao, for all I know. But what are the vibes going on now about trades and such as we are at the all-star break and the trade deadline is approaching? Do the Warriors just stand pat?

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketba...6p-420125c.html

Vince Carter anyone? Would you do a Baron/pick for Vince Carter or Jrich/Pietrus/Zarko/pick for Vince?

Vince Carter is JRich but of course healthier and he is better with FT's and passing and ball handling. Baron is injury prone, and may not be very important if Ellis emerges. However maybe Vince leaves after this season, so maybe that will leave the Warriors empty handed.

I am not sure if I am for or against getting Vince. But if it's for the right price, such as trading JRich, Pietrus, Zarko and a draft pick, it may be too appealing to not take... Baron/Ellis/Vince/Harrington/Biedrins...hmm...strange/outrageous starting lineup.

 

I dunno... he might just bail on us and we'd lose JRich or Baron and get nothing in return.

 

Well, if JRich returns to form, he'll be a relative bargain at his contract $$, especially the way inflation will hit the league in the next few years. You only want to shed big deals if they're bloated. If JRich never returns to form (remains slow and unexplosive, knee never fully heals) then at some point his contract probably will be bloated. He's not a Reggie Miller that can fall back on his superior mental game. He relies on his freakish athleticism. So we need to wait on that and give him a chance to try to return to form.

Can't trade JRich right now unless it's for a marquee deal, like KG/JO/ or perhaps straight up for Gasol.

The other problem is that GS can't package any ex-Pacer in a deal. So basically, if you want to talk about any SERIOUS, big time trade, those chips are off the table. Lastly, you gotta take Ellis and Beans of the table, too, IMO -- that's a no brainer.

So unless you want to make a small trade, if you want to do a decent deal, your only chips are:

Pietrus
Foyle
POB
Zarko
Barnes
Az

(JRich)
(Baron Davis)

So what do you do with this? And don't say KG or JO unless you want to part with Baron, Monta, Beans, or JRich.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Run BJM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Agree with all this. On your list of tradeable guys I'd take off Az because he yields little trade value compared to how we value him (we know hes good, most people don't) and Foyle really isn't a chip unless someone is desperate to unload a gigantic contract and they have to settle for Foyle's contract that expires in 2 years. POB is another guy who wouldn't get us much back and Zarko is just filler as of now.

If I were Mullin I would shop Barnes and Pietrus very hard. There are a lot of teams in need of depth and a quality swingman on a small contract without a long term commitment and Barnes and Pietrus fit the bill. We've got JRich coming back, Jackson isn't going anywhere, Azubuike produces very well when he gets minutes so at least one of Barnes/Pietrus should be moved for whatever we can get before they walk in the offseason. Detroit and SA are prime destinations; both are teams looking to get a boost and propel themselves from 2nd tier to right up there with Phoenix and Dallas.

Detroit needs someone to backup Rip and give them energy off the bench, of course they'll want a guy who can get it done on both ends of the floor, inside and outside, on the boards, etc. They've got a lot of pieces to offer as well; Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray are being shopped, Dale Davis is available, Amir Johnson is a solid young big man prospect, plus they've got 2 first round picks (Orlando's and their own). If I'm Mullin I want a first round pick or Amir Johnson, even Jason Maxiel if Detroit would let him go (unlikely) maybe Dale Davis if he can still play or if we can dump a contract on them. We've got Zarko and several second round picks in addition to Pietrus/Barnes so given the variety of available pieces both teams have to offer I think this is a fairly likely scenario.

San Antonio is another team in need of an athletic, youthful swingman who can do a bit of everything and bring energy, but most importantly, play defense. They've been looking for a guy to replace Bowen for a while, Pietrus would be a perfect fit because of his defense and hes got Bowen's automatic corner 3. Nellie and Popovic are close friends and probably talk a lot, given how much Nellie loves Pietrus I think he'd recommend him to Pop. If I'm Mullin I want San Antonio's first round pick or Francisco Elson. Jackie Butler would also be a good pickup but I think Pietrus could demand a little more.

Other possibilities would be Orlando; they're looking to get some energy and make a push for a high playoff seed and they need a good SG, Cleveland; needs depth pretty much everywhere and wants the top seed in the east, Utah; needs a quality perimiter defender for the POs and/or a big shooting guard.</div>

Good stuff here, Run.

I think the question becomes "who do we want to get?" Because Mully doesn't HAVE to make a trade; he could sit back and let the Pietrus thing unfold in the off-season. But like you point out, if we could get a 1st round pick for Pietrus, it's better than just letting him walk away for nothing. Personally I want a starting PF with toughness and defense. Obviously a premier one like KG/JO/Gasol/Brand etc is ideal but impossible with given chips. So even a second tier like David Lee or David West. But frankly even then I don't see how GS has anything to offer those teams with said "chips" above. As much as it hurts to sit and not make a trade (I really want to shake it up some more!) that might be the only card Mully has to play.

Unless he royally f**ks up and trades Monta/Beans for aging talent. Then I quit.

But basically, with that stack of scrubs we have as trade chips, there's no one we can get that will make much of a difference in the standings. I mean Dale Davis won't make this team an 8th seed. Now, if Foyle emerges as 20/10/5 type player, then our problems are solved...

 

RGm repeatedly says that Memphis has lowered their expectations for Gasol in what they get.

I still say throw all the expiring contracts except AZ... so barnes pietrus and zarko..... foyle to make the numbers work..... we are already a very young team.... so the sweetner has to be picks

It is not getting deng or ben.... but who knows

 

I think the only positions we truely NEED is a PF. It would be nice to have a starting caliber PG to back up Davis so he can rest and stay healthy. If Baron gets hurt, then that guy could fill in. We are locked at 2 with Richardson/Ellis/AZ etc. SF is pretty locked with Harrington looking better at the 3 instead of the 4 especially on defense and we have Jackson waiting in the wings there behind him. Beans is doing fine at center. The only possibility I could see is if we got another center with some range on his shot, we could play him at the 4 on offense and let beans do his thing on the pick and rolls, then switch them up on defense. I think beans has the ability to defend most 4s in the league with his footwork and let the other big fella fill in at center on defense. I would take a lottery pick in return for pietrus, and maybe even throw in another pick for some other year. Pietrus has fallen off my list in recent weeks. He has not been hitting that corner 3 like he had been during the year...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Warriorfansnc93 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I think the only positions we truely NEED is a PF. It would be nice to have a starting caliber PG to back up Davis so he can rest and stay healthy. If Baron gets hurt, then that guy could fill in. We are locked at 2 with Richardson/Ellis/AZ etc. SF is pretty locked with Harrington looking better at the 3 instead of the 4 especially on defense and we have Jackson waiting in the wings there behind him. Beans is doing fine at center. The only possibility I could see is if we got another center with some range on his shot, we could play him at the 4 on offense and let beans do his thing on the pick and rolls, then switch them up on defense. I think beans has the ability to defend most 4s in the league with his footwork and let the other big fella fill in at center on defense. I would take a lottery pick in return for pietrus, and maybe even throw in another pick for some other year. Pietrus has fallen off my list in recent weeks. He has not been hitting that corner 3 like he had been during the year...</div>

Yeah, good point about needing a PF. I think the other need would be better perimeter defenders (and maybe another good interior one too). If the team in the future goes with Baron/JRich/Harrington in the starting lineup, the defense just is going to be horrific in my opinion. I am not sure what kind of trades that would help bring better defenders in, but maybe the team will find some through the draft or free agency this offseason.

 

Pietrus is still learning fundamentals,having no college and little regular action until this year. He IS an RFA/Bird rights guy....Barnes has been quite a bonus-but I don't think he is RFA or Bird rights. If he can be dealt now for a PF type with some possible future-cool. Alexander Johnson ( Griz) and Andray Blatche (Wiz) would be the guys I'd try for first. Some negotiating required.

I am not sold on Harrington,Jackson,Sarunis Cabbages,as permanent. Not sure what we might obtain in a no-package deal now,Foyle? His play has been pretty efficient. 60%fg,a block every 10 min and his contract keeps getting shorter. I'm no longer sold on dumping him and getting back another bad contract attached to a guy less useful here.

We generally have a better outlook for an important deal post season. J Rich should have re-established his worth. Jazzy can be marketed as an expiring. Jax,AH,Powell can be packaged,we may have a better clue about POB,we can see which of Pietrus-Azu-Powell-Barnes,we can and will re-sign.

Now? If we can upgrade the rebounding with a guy Nellie actually USES..and the deal is a good bargain...yeah. I don't know if that's available so far.

 

Just to shoot the breeze -- Pietrus, POB and Foyle for AK-47 -- how does that sound?

Trade Machine

 

<div class="quote_poster">AlleyOop Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Just to shoot the breeze -- Pietrus, POB and Foyle for AK-47 -- how does that sound?

Trade Machine</div>

Sounds too good to be true

 

The trade deadline is Feb 22nd.