Who will be the best in the West?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: July 24
9:28 AM ET
The playoff contenders in the Western Conference just hit DEFCON 2. There is an outright civil war brewing in the West.
Just two weeks after the Lakers decided to put together a Dream Team that could knock out Team USA -- the rest of the West is beginning its emergency response program.
On Wednesday the T-Wolves made their biggest move of the summer, swapping Terrell Brandon and Marc Jackson for Latrell Sprewell.
Brad Miller
Center
Indiana Pacers
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
73 13.1 8.3 2.6 .493 .818
The Kings and Spurs weren't far behind. Several league sources confirmed to Insider late Wednesday night that, barring an unforeseen change of heart this morning, the Kings will add Brad Miller (via sign-and-trade) to their burgeoning front line and the Spurs, in the same deal, will add Hedo Turkoglu and Ron Mercer to their backcourt.
Neither team is giving up that much as part of the upgrade. The Spurs will send Danny Ferry to the Pacers with a non-guaranteed contract and the Kings will ship off Scot Pollard to the Pacers.
And after being left out of the cold all summer, the Mavs may finally be ready to answer as well. The New York Daily News is reporting that the Knicks and Mavs have reignited talks that would send big man Kurt Thomas and point guard Charlie Ward to the Mavs in return for Raef LaFrentz. That deal doesn't work under salary-cap guidelines, but the inclusion of someone like Evan Eschmeyer or Shawn Bradley would get the numbers close enough.
If the Miller trade goes down as expected and if Mark Cuban can pull a little magic out of his hat to add some toughness to the Mavs' frontcourt -- you're looking at five teams in the West that could decimate the East and the rest of the Western Conference.
How do they rank against one another? Insider breaks it down:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Projected record: 69-23
Biggest additions: Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Brian Cook
Biggest subtractions: Robert Horry, Samaki Walker
The skinny: Assuming Kobe Bryant isn't serving four years in a Colorado penitentiary, it's tough to find fault with these Lakers. They have the best center in the NBA, best two guard, second-best point guard and a legend at power forward. Depth may still be an issue in L.A., but assuming Shaq keeps healthy, they won't need it -- the other three guys are iron men. However, a bench that features Derek Fisher, Kareem Rush, rookies Brian Cook and Luke Walton and Rick Fox (when he's healthy) isn't that bad. Chemistry will be the watch word with this team, but our guess is that Payton, Malone and Shaq (Kobe's always hungry) are hungry enough to put their egos aside and wreak havoc on the NBA.
2. Sacramento Kings
Projected record: 62-30
Biggest additions: Brad Miller
Biggest subtractions: Hedo Turkoglu, Scot Pollard
The skinny: Say what you will about the Kings missing their window of opportunity. They just added another four to five years of shelf life with the addition of Miller. Everyone knows that Vlade Divac doesn't have too many years left, but the rest of the Kings -- Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson -- still have plenty of life left in them. Miller gives them an expensive (his seven-year deal will likely start at $7 million according to sources) comfort blanket. The team will miss Turkoglu, but the Maloofs knew they couldn't afford to pay him once his contract expired next summer. Their bench of Bobby Jackson, Miller, Gerald Wallace and Keon Clark (assuming he stays, see below) is still the deepest in the West.
3. San Antonio Spurs
Projected record: 60-22
Biggest additions: Rasho Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Ron Mercer, Robert Horry
Biggest subtractions: David Robinson, Speedy Claxton, possibly Stephen Jackson
The skinny: If the Miller trade goes down, the Spurs may be the first NBA team ever to have a starting five of players born outside the United States. Tony Parker, Emanuel Ginobili, Turkoglu, Tim Duncan and Nesterovic were all born overseas. The losses of Robinson and Claxton will hurt. And it appears that, with the addition of Turkoglu, Horry and Mercer, that Jackson may also be out the door. But the Spurs did something very clever here. Turkoglu has the potential to be a star and is the versatile forward that the team really coveted. Horry gives the team a versatile sharp shooting forward who loves to take the big shot with the game on the line. Mercer's numbers dipped dramatically in Indiana, but he's a legit scorer who should rebound nicely with all the open looks he'll get playing with Duncan. The Spurs still need to add a veteran point guard to back up Parker and they could use another big man to watch Nesterovic's back, but there's no reason to believe that with Parker's continued development and Duncan's health that this team will be right back in the mix of things out West.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected record: 58-34
Biggest additions: Latrell Sprewell, Michael Olowokandi, Sam Cassell
Biggest subtractions: Rasho Nesterovic, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson
The skinny: On paper, you can make the arguement that the Wolves should actually be ranked higher. We've heard of the "Big 3" in Dallas, but the Wolves have put together a team that could plausibly be dubbed the "Big 5". Or, if things don't go quite the way Kevin McHale plans -- the "Blazers East". That's the real quandary in Minnesota right now. The talent level in Minnesota is unbelievable. The Wolves arguably upgraded at three positions and putting aside whatever you think about Sprewell's personal life -- he's a winner. However, off the court, there's some bad juju brewing in Minnesota. Teams can usually afford to add one or two bad seeds to the mix. But the Wolves could potentially have four if you throw Troy Hudson into the mix. After years of claiming that Flip Saunders was one of the most underrated coaches in the business -- he's finally going to get the opportunity to prove us right. Juggling the egos, off-the-court transgressions and a razor-thin bench will take a Phil Jackson-esque karma
5. Dallas Mavericks
Projected record: 57-35
Biggest additions: Kurt Thomas, Josh Howard
Biggest subtractions: Raef LaFrentz
The skinny: This assumes that Cuban and the Knicks actually work out a trade for Thomas. I don't think it's a wild assumption. The Mavs know they're going to have to add more beef in the middle if they want to keep up with the rest of the West. Thomas may not be an all-star center, but he's tough and will do the dirty work that LaFrentz is unable or unwilling to get done. The team still has its "Big 3" and there's no reason to believe it won't continue to get better. But the key will be to find some sort of consistency in the paint this year -- especially on the defensive end. The Lakers (with Shaq and Malone), the Kings (with CWebb, Divac and Miller) the Spurs (with Duncan and Nesterovic) and the T-Wolves (with KG and Olowokandi) are just too tough there. If the Mavs had added Zo, they'd be right back up there, but it appears right now that Thomas will have to do.
The Best of the Rest: The top five are clear, after that everything is going to be up for grabs in the West. The Suns appear poised to take another step and should be able to grab the sixth seed in the West. Amare Stoudemire will only get better and the Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion make them the young team to watch in the West.
It's just too early to call Portland at this point. Up to now, the Blazers have done nothing. But I expect with new GM John Nash running the show, that's going to change. They still have enough talent, even without any change to land a seventh or eighth seed out West.
The last spot is really up for grabs. Jeff Van Gundy will try to right the ship in Houston. But that assumes there was something wrong with it in the first place. If Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin develop -- they shouldn't have any worries. The Clippers, believe it or not, should be much better next season. If they match Corey Maggette and Lamar Odom as expected, their young core can finally rest easy. Marko Jaric may be a better fit at the point than Andre Miller and new coach Mike Dunleavy should help them escape from their funk.
The Warriors were poised to make another big leap this year, but losing Gilbert Arenas will hurt. The Sonics haven't done enough to really reverse their slide. The Grizzlies are still a big man away, the Jazz could very well end up losing John Stockton and Karl Malone and getting nothing in return, and the Nuggets will be better with Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller, but their free agency take this summer was, overall, a bit disappointing.
Around the League
It hasn't taken long for the reverberations of Wednesday night's deals to be felt in the NBA's other conference . . .
Elden Campbell
Forward-Center
Seattle SuperSonics
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
56 6.1 3.2 0.9 .397 .801
Sources in Detroit told Insider Wednesday night that the Pistons were on the verge of signing center Elden Campbell to a two-year deal starting at $4 million a season. Campbell's agent, Richard Howell, declined comment on the deal. If the deal holds up over night, the move will likely spell the end of Cliff Robinson's career with the Pistons. Campbell will already join three other Piston 7-footers -- Zeljko Rebraca, Darko Milicic and Mehmet Okur. And, don't forget the Pistons also have Ben Wallace who, at 6-foot-9, plays bigger than the other four.
Those five will give Detroit the biggest front line in the East. The Pistons are set just about everywhere else. Chauncey Billups and Chucky Atkins at the point, Richard Hamilton and Carlos Delfino (who now appears likely to come this year) at the two, Tayshaun Prince and Corliss Williamson at the three and the five big guys up front. Where will Robinson end up? Don't be shocked if you see him land in Big D. Nellie's has a thing for Robinson and a Robinson-for-Avery Johnson deal works under the cap (and saves the Pistons some money next season).
The Sixers just added a Big Dog and a big center in Marc Jackson, but they also tried to get their hands on Keon Clark on Wednesday. League sources claimed that the Sixers talked with the Kings about a trade that would send Clark to Philly for Greg Buckner, Efthimios Rentzias and Sam Clancy. However, Kings GM Geoff Petrie told the Sacramento Bee Thursday that the talks died last night.
The Pacers probably aren't through dealing. The trade that will send Brad Miller to Sacramento and Ron Mercer to San Antonio will net them Scot Pollard and Danny Ferry. Pollard isn't going anywhere, but Ferry's non-guaranteed contract may help them move point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Here's a thought (and that's all it is). Why not offer Tinsley, Austin Croshere and Ferry to Philly for Eric Snow and Greg Buckner? With the way John Salmons has been playing in the summer league, the Pacers are ready to give him more time. Together with Tinsley, they'd have their point guard position taken care off. Croshere would give them a versatile forward. For the Pacers, they'd get a seasoned point guard and a guy in Buckner who can defend three positions on the floor.
The Heat met with Lamar Odom on Wednesday, but Odom left Miami late Wednesday night without an offer sheet. According to the Sun Sentinel, Odom and the Heat are waiting to see what the Clippers do with Corey Maggette and Andre Miller before taking more steps. The Clips have until Thursday to match Maggette and Miller's offer sheets.
Jason Terry
Guard
Atlanta Hawks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
81 17.2 3.4 7.4 .428 .887
The Hawks now have enough cap flexibility to make an offer to restricted free agent Jason Terry. Once Terrell Brandon's deal comes off the books in February, the Hawks' payroll for this year will actually be a little under the cap. That gives them roughly $15 million to work with if the team wants to continue to spend without incurring a luxury-tax obligation.
The Spurs will have to renounce free agent Stephen Jackson to get far enough under the cap to add Turkoglu and Mercer to the fold. That means that Jackson is now in play.
The T-Wolves will be looking at a $1.5 million trade exception after the Spree deal. The team send roughly $15 million in salary out and only took back $13.5 million in return.
No word yet on whether the Rockets will match the Grizzlies' offer sheet to James Posey. Insider first reported on Wednesday that the offer sheet was for four years, $24 million. That may be too rich for the Rockets' blood. The Rockets' payroll is already dangerously close to the luxury tax. Giving Posey that deal would push them over the edge. "We have to look at all the options," GM Carroll Dawson told the Houston Chronicle. "We have two weeks. We'll have to see. We have time."
--------------------------------------------
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: July 24
9:28 AM ET
The playoff contenders in the Western Conference just hit DEFCON 2. There is an outright civil war brewing in the West.
Just two weeks after the Lakers decided to put together a Dream Team that could knock out Team USA -- the rest of the West is beginning its emergency response program.
On Wednesday the T-Wolves made their biggest move of the summer, swapping Terrell Brandon and Marc Jackson for Latrell Sprewell.
Brad Miller
Center
Indiana Pacers
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
73 13.1 8.3 2.6 .493 .818
The Kings and Spurs weren't far behind. Several league sources confirmed to Insider late Wednesday night that, barring an unforeseen change of heart this morning, the Kings will add Brad Miller (via sign-and-trade) to their burgeoning front line and the Spurs, in the same deal, will add Hedo Turkoglu and Ron Mercer to their backcourt.
Neither team is giving up that much as part of the upgrade. The Spurs will send Danny Ferry to the Pacers with a non-guaranteed contract and the Kings will ship off Scot Pollard to the Pacers.
And after being left out of the cold all summer, the Mavs may finally be ready to answer as well. The New York Daily News is reporting that the Knicks and Mavs have reignited talks that would send big man Kurt Thomas and point guard Charlie Ward to the Mavs in return for Raef LaFrentz. That deal doesn't work under salary-cap guidelines, but the inclusion of someone like Evan Eschmeyer or Shawn Bradley would get the numbers close enough.
If the Miller trade goes down as expected and if Mark Cuban can pull a little magic out of his hat to add some toughness to the Mavs' frontcourt -- you're looking at five teams in the West that could decimate the East and the rest of the Western Conference.
How do they rank against one another? Insider breaks it down:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Projected record: 69-23
Biggest additions: Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Brian Cook
Biggest subtractions: Robert Horry, Samaki Walker
The skinny: Assuming Kobe Bryant isn't serving four years in a Colorado penitentiary, it's tough to find fault with these Lakers. They have the best center in the NBA, best two guard, second-best point guard and a legend at power forward. Depth may still be an issue in L.A., but assuming Shaq keeps healthy, they won't need it -- the other three guys are iron men. However, a bench that features Derek Fisher, Kareem Rush, rookies Brian Cook and Luke Walton and Rick Fox (when he's healthy) isn't that bad. Chemistry will be the watch word with this team, but our guess is that Payton, Malone and Shaq (Kobe's always hungry) are hungry enough to put their egos aside and wreak havoc on the NBA.
2. Sacramento Kings
Projected record: 62-30
Biggest additions: Brad Miller
Biggest subtractions: Hedo Turkoglu, Scot Pollard
The skinny: Say what you will about the Kings missing their window of opportunity. They just added another four to five years of shelf life with the addition of Miller. Everyone knows that Vlade Divac doesn't have too many years left, but the rest of the Kings -- Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson -- still have plenty of life left in them. Miller gives them an expensive (his seven-year deal will likely start at $7 million according to sources) comfort blanket. The team will miss Turkoglu, but the Maloofs knew they couldn't afford to pay him once his contract expired next summer. Their bench of Bobby Jackson, Miller, Gerald Wallace and Keon Clark (assuming he stays, see below) is still the deepest in the West.
3. San Antonio Spurs
Projected record: 60-22
Biggest additions: Rasho Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Ron Mercer, Robert Horry
Biggest subtractions: David Robinson, Speedy Claxton, possibly Stephen Jackson
The skinny: If the Miller trade goes down, the Spurs may be the first NBA team ever to have a starting five of players born outside the United States. Tony Parker, Emanuel Ginobili, Turkoglu, Tim Duncan and Nesterovic were all born overseas. The losses of Robinson and Claxton will hurt. And it appears that, with the addition of Turkoglu, Horry and Mercer, that Jackson may also be out the door. But the Spurs did something very clever here. Turkoglu has the potential to be a star and is the versatile forward that the team really coveted. Horry gives the team a versatile sharp shooting forward who loves to take the big shot with the game on the line. Mercer's numbers dipped dramatically in Indiana, but he's a legit scorer who should rebound nicely with all the open looks he'll get playing with Duncan. The Spurs still need to add a veteran point guard to back up Parker and they could use another big man to watch Nesterovic's back, but there's no reason to believe that with Parker's continued development and Duncan's health that this team will be right back in the mix of things out West.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Projected record: 58-34
Biggest additions: Latrell Sprewell, Michael Olowokandi, Sam Cassell
Biggest subtractions: Rasho Nesterovic, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson
The skinny: On paper, you can make the arguement that the Wolves should actually be ranked higher. We've heard of the "Big 3" in Dallas, but the Wolves have put together a team that could plausibly be dubbed the "Big 5". Or, if things don't go quite the way Kevin McHale plans -- the "Blazers East". That's the real quandary in Minnesota right now. The talent level in Minnesota is unbelievable. The Wolves arguably upgraded at three positions and putting aside whatever you think about Sprewell's personal life -- he's a winner. However, off the court, there's some bad juju brewing in Minnesota. Teams can usually afford to add one or two bad seeds to the mix. But the Wolves could potentially have four if you throw Troy Hudson into the mix. After years of claiming that Flip Saunders was one of the most underrated coaches in the business -- he's finally going to get the opportunity to prove us right. Juggling the egos, off-the-court transgressions and a razor-thin bench will take a Phil Jackson-esque karma
5. Dallas Mavericks
Projected record: 57-35
Biggest additions: Kurt Thomas, Josh Howard
Biggest subtractions: Raef LaFrentz
The skinny: This assumes that Cuban and the Knicks actually work out a trade for Thomas. I don't think it's a wild assumption. The Mavs know they're going to have to add more beef in the middle if they want to keep up with the rest of the West. Thomas may not be an all-star center, but he's tough and will do the dirty work that LaFrentz is unable or unwilling to get done. The team still has its "Big 3" and there's no reason to believe it won't continue to get better. But the key will be to find some sort of consistency in the paint this year -- especially on the defensive end. The Lakers (with Shaq and Malone), the Kings (with CWebb, Divac and Miller) the Spurs (with Duncan and Nesterovic) and the T-Wolves (with KG and Olowokandi) are just too tough there. If the Mavs had added Zo, they'd be right back up there, but it appears right now that Thomas will have to do.
The Best of the Rest: The top five are clear, after that everything is going to be up for grabs in the West. The Suns appear poised to take another step and should be able to grab the sixth seed in the West. Amare Stoudemire will only get better and the Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion make them the young team to watch in the West.
It's just too early to call Portland at this point. Up to now, the Blazers have done nothing. But I expect with new GM John Nash running the show, that's going to change. They still have enough talent, even without any change to land a seventh or eighth seed out West.
The last spot is really up for grabs. Jeff Van Gundy will try to right the ship in Houston. But that assumes there was something wrong with it in the first place. If Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin develop -- they shouldn't have any worries. The Clippers, believe it or not, should be much better next season. If they match Corey Maggette and Lamar Odom as expected, their young core can finally rest easy. Marko Jaric may be a better fit at the point than Andre Miller and new coach Mike Dunleavy should help them escape from their funk.
The Warriors were poised to make another big leap this year, but losing Gilbert Arenas will hurt. The Sonics haven't done enough to really reverse their slide. The Grizzlies are still a big man away, the Jazz could very well end up losing John Stockton and Karl Malone and getting nothing in return, and the Nuggets will be better with Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller, but their free agency take this summer was, overall, a bit disappointing.
Around the League
It hasn't taken long for the reverberations of Wednesday night's deals to be felt in the NBA's other conference . . .
Elden Campbell
Forward-Center
Seattle SuperSonics
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
56 6.1 3.2 0.9 .397 .801
Sources in Detroit told Insider Wednesday night that the Pistons were on the verge of signing center Elden Campbell to a two-year deal starting at $4 million a season. Campbell's agent, Richard Howell, declined comment on the deal. If the deal holds up over night, the move will likely spell the end of Cliff Robinson's career with the Pistons. Campbell will already join three other Piston 7-footers -- Zeljko Rebraca, Darko Milicic and Mehmet Okur. And, don't forget the Pistons also have Ben Wallace who, at 6-foot-9, plays bigger than the other four.
Those five will give Detroit the biggest front line in the East. The Pistons are set just about everywhere else. Chauncey Billups and Chucky Atkins at the point, Richard Hamilton and Carlos Delfino (who now appears likely to come this year) at the two, Tayshaun Prince and Corliss Williamson at the three and the five big guys up front. Where will Robinson end up? Don't be shocked if you see him land in Big D. Nellie's has a thing for Robinson and a Robinson-for-Avery Johnson deal works under the cap (and saves the Pistons some money next season).
The Sixers just added a Big Dog and a big center in Marc Jackson, but they also tried to get their hands on Keon Clark on Wednesday. League sources claimed that the Sixers talked with the Kings about a trade that would send Clark to Philly for Greg Buckner, Efthimios Rentzias and Sam Clancy. However, Kings GM Geoff Petrie told the Sacramento Bee Thursday that the talks died last night.
The Pacers probably aren't through dealing. The trade that will send Brad Miller to Sacramento and Ron Mercer to San Antonio will net them Scot Pollard and Danny Ferry. Pollard isn't going anywhere, but Ferry's non-guaranteed contract may help them move point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Here's a thought (and that's all it is). Why not offer Tinsley, Austin Croshere and Ferry to Philly for Eric Snow and Greg Buckner? With the way John Salmons has been playing in the summer league, the Pacers are ready to give him more time. Together with Tinsley, they'd have their point guard position taken care off. Croshere would give them a versatile forward. For the Pacers, they'd get a seasoned point guard and a guy in Buckner who can defend three positions on the floor.
The Heat met with Lamar Odom on Wednesday, but Odom left Miami late Wednesday night without an offer sheet. According to the Sun Sentinel, Odom and the Heat are waiting to see what the Clippers do with Corey Maggette and Andre Miller before taking more steps. The Clips have until Thursday to match Maggette and Miller's offer sheets.
Jason Terry
Guard
Atlanta Hawks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
81 17.2 3.4 7.4 .428 .887
The Hawks now have enough cap flexibility to make an offer to restricted free agent Jason Terry. Once Terrell Brandon's deal comes off the books in February, the Hawks' payroll for this year will actually be a little under the cap. That gives them roughly $15 million to work with if the team wants to continue to spend without incurring a luxury-tax obligation.
The Spurs will have to renounce free agent Stephen Jackson to get far enough under the cap to add Turkoglu and Mercer to the fold. That means that Jackson is now in play.
The T-Wolves will be looking at a $1.5 million trade exception after the Spree deal. The team send roughly $15 million in salary out and only took back $13.5 million in return.
No word yet on whether the Rockets will match the Grizzlies' offer sheet to James Posey. Insider first reported on Wednesday that the offer sheet was for four years, $24 million. That may be too rich for the Rockets' blood. The Rockets' payroll is already dangerously close to the luxury tax. Giving Posey that deal would push them over the edge. "We have to look at all the options," GM Carroll Dawson told the Houston Chronicle. "We have two weeks. We'll have to see. We have time."
--------------------------------------------
