It's a 4 team trade between the rockets, lakers, suns, and celtics that I think helps everyone and it's realistic in terms of it works under the salary cap constraints.
Rockets acquire:
PF/C Pau Gasol
PF/C Channing Frye
G Darius Morris
Lakers acquire:
PG Steve Nash
PF Luis Scola
SF Josh Childress
Suns acquire:
SG Ray Allen
PG Jonny Flynn
PF Chris Wilcox
SF Matt Barnes
HOU 1st-rd pick (from Knicks-top 5 protected)
Celtics acquire:
SG Kevin Martin
C Jordan Hill
Why Rockets make this trade: Right now Martin is the "franchise" and highest-paid player, and that's not good enough, he needs to go. Morey has been stockpiling assets to try to get a real franchise player to build a championship team around. Gasol is that, he's got 2 rings and is easily a top-15 talent in my book, and the Rockets don't have to blow up their core to do it. It's basically Martin and Scola for Gasol. Frye replaces Hill's minutes. Rockets would also free up $1.6M extra under the cap to go get a waiver-wire pickup.
Rockets post-trade outlook: After this trade, the Rockets can roll out a lineup of PG Lowry, SG Lee, SF Parsons, PF/C Gasol, PF/C Dalembert. With Dragic, Budinger, Patterson, and Frye forming a pretty balanced and deep 9-man rotation. I think this trade vaults Houston into the top 4 in the west and makes them a serious title contender.
Why the Lakers make this trade:The Lakers roster from 4-12 is one of the worst among the playoff teams and will keep them from winning a title. There's just not enough scoring and athleticism. In particular Metta (formerly Ron Artest) and Fisher shouldn't be playing 30+ minutes they flat-out stink. They need to trade one of their big 3 to shore up their roster and it won't be bryant and it won't be bynum unless it brings howard so it's gasol by default (plus Gasol is being under-utilized anyway). But the Lakers won't trade Gasol just for ****s and grins or for the future, they'll do it if they can actually become a better team right now. I think this does it and I think Kobe would buy in. The centerpiece is Nash, a former MVP still playing well who MASSIVELY upgrades the PG position, provides needed scoring, shooting, and floor spacing, and can take some pressure off Kobe and help Kobe and Bynum and the entire team get better shots. Scola complements Bynum nicely at the 4 (allowing Bynum to become the dominant inside force), and Childress can do a Trevor Ariza impersonation and provide some scoring, streaky 3-PT shooting, and athletic upgrade over Metta.
Lakers post-trade outlook: This trade greatly improves the Lakers offense. They can roll out a line-up of PG Nash, SG Kobe, SF Childress, PF Scola, C Bynum. With Fisher moving to the bench to improve the horrible bench. The Lakers become much more balanced and potent with this trade.
Why the Suns make this trade. Sarver the cheapskate isn't going to trade Nash's expiring $12M contract out of the goodness of his heart or because it's the humane and decent thing to do. I do however think this trade makes him pull the trigger because he also gets to dump the bad contracts of both Frye and Childress. He gets Ray Allen (who is a big enough name to keep the seats at least somewhat filled in Phoenix) and 3 other expiring contracts, plus the Knicks 1st-rd pick through Houston to spice up the deal. Sarver knows Nash is gone after this year, and I don't see Sarver turning down the chance to remove over $35 million off the books and clear out tons of salary cap space for 2012 free agency.
Suns post-trade outlook: On the court the Suns actually don't get hurt too bad. PG Ronnie Price, Ray Allen, SF Grant Hill, PF Dudley, and C Gortat is not a bad 5-man unit. They can go 10-deep with Telfair/Flynn, Shannon Brown, Warrick, Morris, and Lopez as a 2nd unit and play small, fast, and up-tempo.
Why the Celtics make this trade: I think the end of the Big 3 is upon us. Time for Danny Ainge to begin to transition the franchise. This trade allows him to make one last run this year and transition to the future. Martin is a top-5 SG who can be an upgrade over Allen and improve the Celtics offense because he can score, get his own shot off, and take pressure off Pierce. Plus he's younger, has more good years ahead of him than Allen, and himself becomes an expiring contract for Free Agency 2013. Ainge also gets a young promising front-court player in Hill who can perhaps replace Garnett next year. This trade also preserves for Ainge the choice of letting Garnett go, freeing up over $10M under the cap for 2012 free agency to sign a young front-court impact player to add to a Rondo-Pierce-Martin trio.
Thoughts?
Rockets acquire:
PF/C Pau Gasol
PF/C Channing Frye
G Darius Morris
Lakers acquire:
PG Steve Nash
PF Luis Scola
SF Josh Childress
Suns acquire:
SG Ray Allen
PG Jonny Flynn
PF Chris Wilcox
SF Matt Barnes
HOU 1st-rd pick (from Knicks-top 5 protected)
Celtics acquire:
SG Kevin Martin
C Jordan Hill
Why Rockets make this trade: Right now Martin is the "franchise" and highest-paid player, and that's not good enough, he needs to go. Morey has been stockpiling assets to try to get a real franchise player to build a championship team around. Gasol is that, he's got 2 rings and is easily a top-15 talent in my book, and the Rockets don't have to blow up their core to do it. It's basically Martin and Scola for Gasol. Frye replaces Hill's minutes. Rockets would also free up $1.6M extra under the cap to go get a waiver-wire pickup.
Rockets post-trade outlook: After this trade, the Rockets can roll out a lineup of PG Lowry, SG Lee, SF Parsons, PF/C Gasol, PF/C Dalembert. With Dragic, Budinger, Patterson, and Frye forming a pretty balanced and deep 9-man rotation. I think this trade vaults Houston into the top 4 in the west and makes them a serious title contender.
Why the Lakers make this trade:The Lakers roster from 4-12 is one of the worst among the playoff teams and will keep them from winning a title. There's just not enough scoring and athleticism. In particular Metta (formerly Ron Artest) and Fisher shouldn't be playing 30+ minutes they flat-out stink. They need to trade one of their big 3 to shore up their roster and it won't be bryant and it won't be bynum unless it brings howard so it's gasol by default (plus Gasol is being under-utilized anyway). But the Lakers won't trade Gasol just for ****s and grins or for the future, they'll do it if they can actually become a better team right now. I think this does it and I think Kobe would buy in. The centerpiece is Nash, a former MVP still playing well who MASSIVELY upgrades the PG position, provides needed scoring, shooting, and floor spacing, and can take some pressure off Kobe and help Kobe and Bynum and the entire team get better shots. Scola complements Bynum nicely at the 4 (allowing Bynum to become the dominant inside force), and Childress can do a Trevor Ariza impersonation and provide some scoring, streaky 3-PT shooting, and athletic upgrade over Metta.
Lakers post-trade outlook: This trade greatly improves the Lakers offense. They can roll out a line-up of PG Nash, SG Kobe, SF Childress, PF Scola, C Bynum. With Fisher moving to the bench to improve the horrible bench. The Lakers become much more balanced and potent with this trade.
Why the Suns make this trade. Sarver the cheapskate isn't going to trade Nash's expiring $12M contract out of the goodness of his heart or because it's the humane and decent thing to do. I do however think this trade makes him pull the trigger because he also gets to dump the bad contracts of both Frye and Childress. He gets Ray Allen (who is a big enough name to keep the seats at least somewhat filled in Phoenix) and 3 other expiring contracts, plus the Knicks 1st-rd pick through Houston to spice up the deal. Sarver knows Nash is gone after this year, and I don't see Sarver turning down the chance to remove over $35 million off the books and clear out tons of salary cap space for 2012 free agency.
Suns post-trade outlook: On the court the Suns actually don't get hurt too bad. PG Ronnie Price, Ray Allen, SF Grant Hill, PF Dudley, and C Gortat is not a bad 5-man unit. They can go 10-deep with Telfair/Flynn, Shannon Brown, Warrick, Morris, and Lopez as a 2nd unit and play small, fast, and up-tempo.
Why the Celtics make this trade: I think the end of the Big 3 is upon us. Time for Danny Ainge to begin to transition the franchise. This trade allows him to make one last run this year and transition to the future. Martin is a top-5 SG who can be an upgrade over Allen and improve the Celtics offense because he can score, get his own shot off, and take pressure off Pierce. Plus he's younger, has more good years ahead of him than Allen, and himself becomes an expiring contract for Free Agency 2013. Ainge also gets a young promising front-court player in Hill who can perhaps replace Garnett next year. This trade also preserves for Ainge the choice of letting Garnett go, freeing up over $10M under the cap for 2012 free agency to sign a young front-court impact player to add to a Rondo-Pierce-Martin trio.
Thoughts?
