This is really simple. Martell could easily be a much better player than he is now, but he makes the game difficult for himself. Everybody knows Martell can shoot. But when it comes to going to the hoop, he always goes in and tries some sort of cute shot off the window or a wraparound reverse, when he could just dunk it. That is the whole reason he has never matured into a well rounded player. We just got rid of another player who did such things, his name was Outlaw, who also went out of his way to make the game more difficult for himself. Just make the easy play.
Pritchard gave $3M for 2 months of Camby, plus 2 of our top 6 or 7 guys last year. No other owner is willing to pay $3M every single trade, so the praise should go to Paul Allen, not Pritchard. Without the $3M every single trade (even to unload Sergio!), Pritchard has no trades on his record. (Maybe Von Wafer and Juan Dixon, but I mean real trades.) And even with the $3M advantage, Pritchard has no trades on his record acquiring anyone who has started for the other team, except now Camby, whom he got only because of his expiring contract. He has yet to make one trade for a starter who lasts, despite the $3M advantage.
Sergio would have had value, had Pritchard recogized his real talent level and traded him after his rookie year, when other teams were impressed with him. But Pritchard runs a car into the ground before trading it, because he's always unsure. But okay, let's say Sergio had no trade value when Pritchard finally got around to doing something. If true, then Pritchard basically bought the Pendergraph pick for $3M and a #2 pick, and threw in someone with zero trade value. Pritchard routinely buys late 1st round picks for $3M (and gets the praise instead of Paul Allen's generosity, when many owners are slobbering over that money and will cough up a pick). This time, Pritchard paid the usual $3M bribe and a #2 pick for only a 2nd round pick, Pendergraph. Why didn't he buy an earlier pick with it as usual? And if Pendergraph is so good (I've seen nothing special for a 2nd rounder), remember that we paid the same as 4 $800K Juwan Howards. Instead of wasting money on inexperience, especially 2nd round picks who will never start, why not spend it on experienced starters. He'll last a few years, but I wouldn't call that a solid career. Cunningham will last longer. And I didn't complain about Sergio and #38 being traded for #31. What I said was that Pritchard pays $3M to make every trade happen, even the trivial Sergio trade. So to satisfy your saying that Sergio had zero value, I have now twisted the trade to try to justify the $3M by saying that Pritchard really bought Pendergraph for $3M, and threw in Sergio. Which as I argued, still wasn't worth it. And even if it was, it doesn't negate my original point--that Pritchard lacks the talent to make trades without the crutch of Paul Allen's $3M. So that when he trades Webster, he'll get about the same as he did for Sergio.
If only KP were more sure of himself he might be batting 1000% eh? he's done this a grand total of one time in 3 drafts... this is routinely? The Sergio acquisition was done by Steve Patterson. Again, the financial maneuvering that was done in this case was not just a linear replace this guy with another move. It affected the Millsap offer (which screwed a rival) and ultimately helped them land a starting PG. I like the Pendergraph acquisition and think he'll be a quality reserve in coming years... I value quality players even those that don't start. Instead of rushing to judgement after an injury plagued rookie season, I'm for seeing what he'll do year two Please link me a report that they paid the Kings 3M in this deal... I've not read that. What the multiple articles I've read stated is that cash considerations were included which reportedly covered his salary which is 1.5M this season. if only KP were more sure of himself and clairvoyant like some internet posters STOMP
I'm pretty sure we dropped down cash for the Rudy pick, along with taking on James Jones. We dropped down cash for the Kopponen pick from Philadelphia. And we bought N.O.'s pick which ultimately brought us Batum. And the 2006 draft was said to be run primarily by KP, with the acquisitions of Roy and LMA. I would assume he wouldn't just handle the top of the draft, so I would say the Sergio acquisition was on him as well, which makes 4 times that we have made a swap of cash for a pick.
I wouldn't hold it against KP that he frequently buys picks with PA's money. PA is pretty active in the draft and loves to throw around money for something he likes. KP would be a bad GM if he did not use our financial advantage. The so called pritchslap trades are not these, though. No one went into 'in KP we trust' mode because he bought Sergio and Koponen. It was the Roy/Aldridge trades and the Bayless trade. He clearly has a good eye for talent in the draft -- of course he's not 100% (see Pendergraph instead of Blair, Claver over whatshisname on the Kings -- though jury's still out on that one), but no one is, the draft is a crapshoot.
so now oden "hopes" to be ready for the start of next season lol can we just cut ties with that gimp now and just admit failure
I think so too, but I didn't include it since he did buy that pick from NO. Did he go on to swap that one for a pick a little higher? I can't seem to remember.
The pick he bought, but the pick wasn't high enough...it was one pick behind San Antonio. Houston was one pick ahead of San Antonio and wanted Arthur, not Batum. Knowing that San Antonio wanted Batum, not Arthur, Pritchard convinced Morey that he could select Arthur for Houston if Houston would select Batum for Portland, and Portland would throw in an early second round pick for Houston's troubles (and, as a couple of benefits, Houston would get Arthur at a cheaper draft slot and their division rival wouldn't get the player they wanted). End result is Houston got who they wanted, Portland got who they wanted and San Antonio was left in the cold.
the Roy Aldridge Sergio draft was run by Patterson... KP headed the targeting of talents but Patterson made the actual deals/trades. KP has stated this himself saying that he was watching "in awe" as Patterson worked the phones making the deals. Rudy's pickup was the one I was recalling. Koponen was for a 2nd (#42) and unspecified cash. Batum was traded for 2 picks not cash but you're right that they'd earlier bought that selection from NO. so that makes 2 times that a pick was outright bought by KP... I don't think that constitutes "routinely" STOMP
KP bought NO's pick, which was then used to trade for Batum, along with a second rounder. That's using cash to get a pick. That or a worthless argument in semantics. Koppo, Rudy. We can agree to disagree on the 2006 draft. Ignoring that year, 3 times in 3 drafts. Basically every year he does it. That's routinely, I would say.
If you're not going to include Koppo, because we included a 2nd, might as well not include Rudy, since we took on James Jones. Regardless, he has routinely used cash in deals in the draft. Edit: Sorry, i see the initial discussion wasn't just including cash in a deal generally, but 3 million to buy a 1st specifically. My bad.
I was responding to a statement that KP routinely spends 3M to buy late round 1sts. As far as I'm aware this is only even partially true in the case of the NO pick and the Rudy selection. Though the cash considerations weren't ever spelled out in the PK trade, I really doubt that it was anything close to 3M STOMP
