Is Pollard Available?

[George O'Brien]

IndyStar

Pollard hopeful

Shortly after the season ended, Pacers president Larry Bird acknowledged Pollard was a poor fit for the team and held out the possibility of trading him.

Pollard, acquired in a trade that sent Brad Miller to Sacramento last year, averaged 1.7 points in 61 regular-season games.

If no deal occurs, Pollard can only hope something happens to alter his role with the team.

"I love living there," he told the Sacramento Bee over the weekend while appearing at a charity golf outing near Sacramento. "I didn't think I'd like it and I don't like when it gets cold, but it's a great city. Now if I can just play."

Scott Pollard is listed at 6'11" 265. His career numbers are 5.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg in 17.6 minutes. HoopsHype gives a very favorable description: "Plays
with heart... A pain in the ass for any center... Will fight for every
ball... Long arms... Outstanding rebounding skills... Loves to grab
the offensive rebound... Will put some few points on the board...
Runs the floor well."

The only way a deal with the Suns would make sense would be if the Pacers would accept Eisley and some second round picks. On the surface it would look like they could get more for him, but a lot will depend on well the Pacers point guards work out. The Pacers have three PG's on their roster: Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson, and Eddie Gill.

Tinsley is at most a servicable starting PG. His shooting improved last season to 41.7% and 37.2% for 3, but his assist rate dropped to 5.8. He averaged 26.5 minutes in 52 games. He's young and likely to get better, but his stats are roughly similar to those of Eisley with the Knicks in 2002-03.

Anthony Johnson averaged only 2.8 assists in 21.9 minutes a game. His 40.6% shooting and 33.6% for three is no great shakes and HoopsHype describes him as "slow". He's been with six teams (Atlanta twice). Last year when Tinsley was injured, veteran Kenny Anderson started 31 games (Anderson is no longer with the team). Johnson has started 23 games in the last six seasons.

Eddie Gills was picked up by the Blazers in mid season from the CBA and was cut in June. This is his fourth NBA team after three seasons of play.

The Pacers training camp will tell a lot. First, can Pollard become a better fit for the Pacers? Second, will Johnson and Gill prove to be adequate for a team that has a legitimate shot at going well into the playoffs? Tinsley lost 30 games to injuries last season, so this is not an unreasonable question.

For the Pacers to be interested in Eisley, Howard will need to have a good training camp. If the only thing anyone looked at was how badly he played with the Suns, trading him would be a lost cause. However, the Pacers appear to be a much better fit for Eisley and he has a much better career history than Johnson or Gill.

A deal is a long shot, but not impossible. In any case, I would not expect anything to happen until late training camp or well into the season.

 

[cepstrum]

Eisley would fit in much better with a slowed down offense such as the pacers. I dont really see them making the deal though, unless they are very desperate for a pt guard.

 

[Gaddabout]

Scot Pollard would be an excellent addition if he could be acquired. Not a long term answer, but he could offer some immediate frontline production. When he was with Sacramento he averaged about 20 mpg, 6 pts., 6.5 boards, and a blocked shot per game. He is not a dynamic shot blocker or premium defender, but he works very hard. He could also step into the starting spot with the Suns. IMO, he would be exactly what the doctor ordered this season.

 

[playstation]

IndyStar
A deal is a long shot, but not impossible. In any case, I would not expect anything to happen until late training camp or well into the season.

great way to qualify your statement. this basically means 'nothing is going to happen, but if john stamos can actually marry rebecca romijn, then i guess ANYTHING can happen'

If by long shot, you mean .0000002%, then yes, you are correct. but hey, that must mean its not impossible, and thus it makes sense to create a thread for it.

Hey, as a sidenote, i heard that they might trade vince carter. you know, a combination of eisley, voskuhl, zarko, and a second round pick just might work under the cap. the deal is a longshot, but not impossible...

 

[Gaddabout]

great way to qualify your statement. this basically means 'nothing is going to happen, but if john stamos can actually marry rebecca romijn, then i guess ANYTHING can happen'

If by long shot, you mean .0000002%, then yes, you are correct. but hey, that must mean its not impossible, and thus it makes sense to create a thread for it.

Hey, as a sidenote, i heard that they might trade vince carter. you know, a combination of eisley, voskuhl, zarko, and a second round pick just might work under the cap. the deal is a longshot, but not impossible...

Actually, I would expect the Pacers to be looking for a mid-season trade for someone like Pollard. He will be available, and his 5.5 - low 6 mil salary should be attractive. Even more so, his contract expires after the 2005-06 season.

 

[George O'Brien]

great way to qualify your statement. this basically means 'nothing is going to happen, but if john stamos can actually marry rebecca romijn, then i guess ANYTHING can happen'

If by long shot, you mean .0000002%, then yes, you are correct. but hey, that must mean its not impossible, and thus it makes sense to create a thread for it.

Hey, as a sidenote, i heard that they might trade vince carter. you know, a combination of eisley, voskuhl, zarko, and a second round pick just might work under the cap. the deal is a longshot, but not impossible...

Pollard played in only 61 games last season and played only 11.1 minutes per game. He was used for an average of 4.3 minutes in just 3 games during the playoffs. Unless there is a major change in his status with Carlisle, he is effectively dead weight to the Pacers. Somehow comparing him to Vince Carter seems like a reach.

 

[elindholm]

Pollard has been discussed many times before and my position hasn't changed: I'd be more than happy to take a flyer on him if the Pacers had any interest in an Eisley trade. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to include a future pick, because the Suns are running out of roster spots down the road anyway. Maybe Pollard's injuries have left him ineffective (and maybe they haven't), but the Suns already know they have no use for Eisley, so there's very little to lose from their standpoint. If the deal were Eisley, a very future first-round pick with decent lottery protection, and $3 million, I'd have no problem with that at all.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

The trade is basically trading for each others garbage, who have nearly identical contracts. To say it has an almost impossibility of happening is ridiculuos.


I think it could happen, but George is right, both teams will wait till camp or early season to make a deal like this.

I agree with Eric's sentiments on the trade itself btw.

 

[Mainstreet]

If Pollard can still play, I would consider something like Eisley and Jacobsen for Pollard. However, I'm uncertain if the numbers can be made to work. Needless to say, I would like to keep Casey.

I know Phoenix has Chicago's conditional first round pick but isn't the Sun's next first round pick conditionally owed to the Spurs? I think this might make offering a pick for Pollard difficult.

 

[George O'Brien]

If Pollard can still play, I would consider something like Eisley and Jacobsen for Pollard. However, I'm uncertain if the numbers can be made to work. Needless to say, I would like to keep Casey.

I know Phoenix has Chicago's conditional first round pick but isn't the Sun's next first round pick conditionally owed to the Spurs? I think this might make offering a pick for Pollard difficult.

If the Suns thought Pollard was going to return to the level he was three years ago, they could include Vujanic whom the Pacers could try to sign this year because they still have money left in their MLE (allowing money for a buyout). I'm not ready to recommend that because I don't know how healthy Pollard is.

 

[elindholm]

I wouldn't imagine that Vujanic's value is very high after these Olympics. I don't see anything wrong with including him in a package deal for a potentially useful player, if the other NBA team wants him for some reason.

 

[cly2tw]

Another idea: Marion to Boston, Payton to Pacers, Pollard and Davis to Phx.

 

[devilalum]

Another idea: Marion to Boston, Payton to Pacers, Pollard and Davis to Phx.

 

[NJYAJ09]

Another idea: Marion to Boston, Payton to Pacers, Pollard and Davis to Phx.

ummmmmmm, no.

 

[elindholm]

Another idea: Marion to Boston, Payton to Pacers, Pollard and Davis to Phx.

Shouldn't the Suns also include Stoudemire and get back Croshere, to make it more balanced?

 

[NJYAJ09]

I'm sure they'd want joe johnson too.

 

[slinslin]

The Blazers might be looking to deal Zach Randolph afterall at start SAR and PF for the year.

Maybe we could orchestrate a 3way sending Marion to Portland, Zach Randolph, Derek Anderson, (Chicago's pick) to Chicago and Miles, Curry to Phoenix. Salaries are a bit more difficult to match though so there would be some fillers.

 

[George O'Brien]

The Blazers might be looking to deal Zach Randolph afterall at start SAR and PF for the year.

Maybe we could orchestrate a 3way sending Marion to Portland, Zach Randolph, Derek Anderson, (Chicago's pick) to Chicago and Miles, Curry to Phoenix. Salaries are a bit more difficult to match though so there would be some fillers.

I can't say that's the worst trade proposal you've made because I can't remember every proposal - but close.

 

[cly2tw]

The Suns team is still too young to win anything this season. Suppose JJ signes a reasonable extension now. Marion is the better rebounder and allaround. Davis is a better scorer. We can have Q and JJ to start with Davis, Zarko, CJ subbing in. I think we'd win more games with that trade than without, this season. Next offseason, we have both Pollard's and Eisley's expiring contracts and 2 first rounders to play with, and all the young players one year more mature, so that we have a better idea whom to move and whom to go after.

 

[Dan H]

The Blazers might be looking to deal Zach Randolph afterall at start SAR and PF for the year.

Maybe we could orchestrate a 3way sending Marion to Portland, Zach Randolph, Derek Anderson, (Chicago's pick) to Chicago and Miles, Curry to Phoenix. Salaries are a bit more difficult to match though so there would be some fillers.

Zach Randolph was just involved in a shooting with his brother. I don't think you want to trade for him . . .

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Zach Randolph was just involved in a shooting with his brother. I don't think you want to trade for him . . .

His trade has Randolph going to Chicago while we get Curry. I personally don't like it anyways.