Nocioni for Nets' Garbage Discussed?

Can you say "Salary dump"?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>According to league sources, the Bulls have discussed sending rugged forward Andres Nocioni and second-year guard Thabo Sefolosha to the Nets for Bostjan Nachbar, Marcus Williams, Antoine Wright and Jamaal Magloire. There might be other parts in the proposed deal.

The Bulls have been talking to several teams. Their first choice would be to use Nocioni in a package for Memphis big man Pau Gasol, but they're keeping their options open. The Nets, who lost in Sacramento Tuesday night, 128-94, were rebuffed in their advances for Gasol.

If the Bulls-Nets trade goes through, it will clear money for Chicago and put the Nets over the luxury-tax threshold. The Nets have tried to avoid that, but Nocioni, who signed a five-year $37.5 million deal over the summer, would give them a needed dimension.</div>

I'm not at all averse to moving Noc and in the grand scheme of things he's overpaid, but I'm not seeing much purpose to this deal.

 

Nets fans discussing it on the Nets board.

 

I'd do Nocioni for expiring contracts, but not Nocioni + Thabo. That's insanity, and not because I'm particularly high on Thabo, but because you just don't trade young players still on their first round deals for nothing.

Nets fans all seem to like it. That's another bad sign.

Is Nocioni's value so low that he can't fetch an expiring contract straight up, that we need to lump him with a young player to dump him?

Also, I assume this trade was discussed before Deng got injured again. Now, Thabo is needed for backup SF minutes and is probably going to average 30 minutes a night for the rest of the season.

 

I think it's mostly save money to get Deng and Gordon while picking up a gem in Marcus Williams.

 

Would it be fair to say that Thabo and Antoine are at the same level defensively?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Jan 23 2008, 06:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Would it be fair to say that Thabo and Antoine are at the same level defensively?</div>

I haven't seen Antoine play, but Jeff Van Gundy recently raved about Thabo's future as a defensive player on ESPN. His man defense is solid, his help defense, ballhawking, and rebounding are all great/elite.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Universe @ Jan 23 2008, 04:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>while picking up a gem in Marcus Williams.</div>

yeah, gem, riiiiight