Just Another Weird Trade Suggestion

[azirish]

In another thread there was a mention that the Wolves want to buy a draft pick. I don't think the Suns are selling, but it got me looking at the Wolves as a possible trade partner. The only deal that might make sense, in some weird way, would be:

James Jones $2.9 million
Marcus Banks $3.9 million
#24

for

Ricky Davis $6.8 (last year of contract)

From the Suns standpoing, this is at worst a salary dump and there is no doubt that Davis is a great offensive talent who CAN play defense. From the Suns standpoint:

Ricky Davis
Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: G
Height: 6-7 Weight: 226
College : Iowa
Player file | Team stats
2006-07 StatisticsPPG17.0RPG3.9 APG4.8SPG.99BPG.28FG%.465FT%.8393P%.397MPG37.3


From the Wolves standpoing, tt is not likely they'd re-sign Davis and will probably try to develop Foye as their main SG; so Davis could be available.

Banks was moderately successful with the Wolves and James Jones is certainly a useful player for the price. They might not be great additions, but they're young, athletic, and pretty good defenders. It's hardly an "even" trade in terms of talent, unless they are really lusting after someone available at #24, but it is not as horrible as many of the deals McHale has made. Losing Davis for nothing is not likely a great option either.

I'm not sure we can make this attractive enough to the Wolves (future picks, etc.), but as a combination salary dump and player rental, it would be something I'd at least try to get done.

 

[panfolk]

Seems like there'd be character issues involved.

 

[cly2tw]

No way they are trading for Banks with the assortment of their own PGs and SGs on board, unless picks are involved. Maybe they'd do it if we switch #4/5 for their #7(?) and give them #29 too.

Davis will fit great on the Suns, talent-wise!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Not a bad trade. If there weren't character issues, I could see it happening.

 

[azirish]

Not a bad trade. If there weren't character issues, I could see it happening.

If it was for a long term contract, I'd be concerned about the character issues. At worst, it's a pure salary dump.

In any case, character issues are a much bigger deal on bad teams. Sheed Wallace was a continuing problem on the Blazers but a big help to the veteran Pistons. In that I could see a small ball lineup with Davis replacing Jones, he'd get his minutes.

As I said, I can only see this working if there are people in the 20's the Wolves really want.

 

[jlove]

Minny has already stated they are looking to trade Davis out in return for players/picks. I like this trade for the Suns.

Put Davis off the bench with Diaw and LB would be great. That way Diaw runs point forward on offense with LB gaurding the opposing PG and Davis on the SG on defense. The character issues can be solved with Nash, Marion and Amare. I think they can keep him in line.

For Minny, they signed the wrong PG for their system anyways. Mike James was playing for a contract last year in Toronto. Even BC saw that he was playing for a contract and would revert. Minny will be looking to trade James this offseason, and with the way Banks played in Minny, I think he would be taken back by teamates and fans fairly quickly. I can see James being shipped off to Charlotte, Atlanta or even Cleveland this summer.

 

[asudevil83]

no way Minny does this:

1.) both Jones and Banks would be nothing more than 2nd/3rd stringers on the team.

2.) Minny is in absolutely NO POSSITION to be taking on long term deals. the are screwed financially as it is with Jarric, Hudson, Blount, James, Hassell all making over $4mil (most averaging over $6mil) for at least 3 more seasons. the last thing they need is Banks contract.

3.) they could get a better backage from a lot of teams.

 

[HooverDam]

Minny has already stated they are looking to trade Davis out in return for players/picks. I like this trade for the Suns.

Source?

I would love this trade for the Suns, but I don't think it would happen. First, its obviously unbalanced in terms of talent (in the Suns favor). Secondly, the Wolves know all of Banks' deficiencies and obviously weren't high enough on him to keep him out of the Suns hands, I don't think they'd want him back w/ his new ridiculous contract.

But Kevin McHale has done a lot of dumb stuff in his day, so who knows. I'd like to see this trade happen, Banks is a useless piece here, its doubtful the Suns would get anyone at 24 that D'Antoni would play, and Davis is obviously better than James Jones. I could even see Davis starting in a Amare-Marion-Daivs-Bell-Nash line up. He's 6-7, so he's got some size, though I hope Diaw returns to form and the starting line up next year.

EDIT: While we are at silly trade proposals, RealGM says that Kevin Garnett for Marion, Banks and James Jones works. But that would never happen even if you added picks, they could get a better deal I'd think, also I hear Garnett and the team wants him to stay in Minny.

 

[azirish]

Eric tried to make the case for a Marion plus stuff for KG last summer. I argued that the Suns could not afford enough to make that deal work.

Is Ricky Davis different? The main difference is that he has an expiring contract. Obviously, if they plan to re-sign him then that's the end of the situation.

Will other teams offer more? Maybe. With his baggage, he might be viewed as simply an expiring contract by most teams which would limit his value. Trading for a player with an expiring contract can be very expensive if you get him with the hope of keeping him

If the Wolves really hate Banks, then there is no chance. But realistically, Bank's failure in the Suns system was due more to his poor adaptation to the Suns offense than to a pure lack of talent. A year and a half ago McHale seemed to think Banks had something to offer.

 

[hafey]

Ricky Davis can play. If the price were right I'd take a chance that he would buy into the team.

 

[HooverDam]

AzIrish, I'm not saying I wouldn't do the trade if I was Phoenix, or that I don't like it, I just think Minny would be crazy to do it. I mean, imagine the Suns line up:

Starting 5 Bench
5 Amare Stoudamire 5 Kurt Thomas
4 Shawn Marion 4 (Atlanta Pick) Al Horford?
3 Ricky Davis 3 Boris Diaw
2 Raja Bell 2 Leandro Barbosa
1 Steve Nash 1 (Pick 27) Gabe Pruitt or other PG/SG

Then Pat Burke, Eric Piatkowski and whomever else to round out the fitness club portion of the roster.

If that was the roster, it seems D'Antoni would have a hard time not expanding to at least a 9 man rotation (you've got to give a top pick some minutes), and maybe even a 10 man rotation if a good back up PG is drafter or signed as a FA.

 

[sunsfn]

I would do this trade, not sure MN will with all of their problem contracts. They may be looking for someone with expiring contracts in a trade.

It may also depend on if they could get rid of one of their pg's and a long term contract.

I also have read an article somewhere that said MN was thinking of trading Ricky Davis. Not sure where it was, probably on Hoopshype in an article from a MN newspaper.

 

[azirish]

AzIrish, I'm not saying I wouldn't do the trade if I was Phoenix, or that I don't like it, I just think Minny would be crazy to do it. I mean, imagine the Suns line up:

Starting 5 Bench
5 Amare Stoudamire 5 Kurt Thomas
4 Shawn Marion 4 (Atlanta Pick) Al Horford?
3 Ricky Davis 3 Boris Diaw
2 Raja Bell 2 Leandro Barbosa
1 Steve Nash 1 (Pick 27) Gabe Pruitt or other PG/SG

Then Pat Burke, Eric Piatkowski and whomever else to round out the fitness club portion of the roster.

If that was the roster, it seems D'Antoni would have a hard time not expanding to at least a 9 man rotation (you've got to give a top pick some minutes), and maybe even a 10 man rotation if a good back up PG is drafter or signed as a FA.

I suspect the Suns would have to use both of the later picks to get this deal. If not, I doubt the later pick would produce a rotation player.

The odd man out in this setup (assuming the Suns can get Horford) would be KT. There might be a transition period while Horford is learning to play, but later he would give D'Antoni the athleticism KT lacks.

Even if only for a year, the substitution of Davis for Jones is a major upgrade. After that, it would permit a major reduction in salaries unless the Suns decided to keep him. IMHO, it's worth the two later picks.

 

[HooverDam]

^I think KT would continue to play next year and teach Horford, then the year after either resign for super cheap or go somewhere else.

 

[slinslin]

That lineup still sucks, too small.. Marion at the 4 and Davis at the 3 argh..

I say keep Banks and definately don't give up value just to trade him. Kurt Thomas is prove that Mike D is a stubborn idiot. If he would use Banks for what he can do (defend etc) he would be a nice role player.

If he actually had gotten some playing time in the season we sure could use him to guard the likes of Parker, Davis, Williams, Billups in the playoffs..

 

[azirish]

It is hard to know what future Banks has, but this season he was too much of an offensive liability to get playing time.

As for the small ball lineup being too small, Jones is listed at 6-8 220 while Davis is 6-7 226. Jones was slighly better as a rebounder at .127 per minute when compared to .104 per minute for Davis; but Davis played mostly guard.

As the Warriors have shown, size is not as important as speed and skills against most opponents. Where size matters the most is against teams with serious low post threats such as the Spurs. It is really important to be able to do both.