elindholm
edited for content
Let's go with the optimistic scenario in which Charlotte takes White for a bribe of $3 million cash and the Cavaliers' future pick, putting the Suns far enough under the cap so that they can offer Bryant a max or near-max contract, which Bryant improbably accepts.
Then let's be less than optimistic and say that the Suns don't win the draft lottery, winding up instead with, oh, the #5 pick.
Now the team is
C - Voskuhl/Lampe
PF - Stoudemire/#5 pick/Lampe
SF - Marion/Johnson/Cabarkapa
SG - Bryant/Johnson
PG - Barbosa/Eisley
with no money to sign Vujanic.
I think we'd have to agree that that team has some problems. I propose the following trade with Cleveland. For the sake of argument, we'll say Cleveland winds up in the middle of the lottery (which is very likely), maybe at #9:
Phoenix gets
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ($14.6 million, 2005)
Kedrick Brown ($2.3, 2005 RFA)
#9 pick (~$1.8, 2008)
Total salary coming over from CLE to PHX: $18.7 million
Cleveland gets
Shawn Marion ($11.3, 2009)
Howard Eisley ($6.4, 2006)
#5 pick (~$2.6, 2008)
Total salary coming over from PHX to CLE: $20.3 million
The swap of draft picks frees up money ($1.6 million by this estimate) to sign Vujanic. That amount should be enough if the contract has extra incentives in terms of lengths or opt-outs.
Phoenix makes the trade not only to get Vujanic and get out from Eisley's contract, but to see how good they can be with a real center. Cleveland makes the trade because Ilgauskas is clearly not part of their future, and Marion gives them a bona fide All-Star to run with James and Boozer.
Now Phoenix looks like this:
C - Ilgauskas/Voskuhl/Lampe
PF - Stoudemire/#9 pick/Lampe
SF - Johnson/Cabarkapa/Brown
SG - Bryant/Vujanic/Johnson
PG - Barbosa/Johnson/Vujanic
That's a formidable team right there.
Then let's be less than optimistic and say that the Suns don't win the draft lottery, winding up instead with, oh, the #5 pick.
Now the team is
C - Voskuhl/Lampe
PF - Stoudemire/#5 pick/Lampe
SF - Marion/Johnson/Cabarkapa
SG - Bryant/Johnson
PG - Barbosa/Eisley
with no money to sign Vujanic.
I think we'd have to agree that that team has some problems. I propose the following trade with Cleveland. For the sake of argument, we'll say Cleveland winds up in the middle of the lottery (which is very likely), maybe at #9:
Phoenix gets
Zydrunas Ilgauskas ($14.6 million, 2005)
Kedrick Brown ($2.3, 2005 RFA)
#9 pick (~$1.8, 2008)
Total salary coming over from CLE to PHX: $18.7 million
Cleveland gets
Shawn Marion ($11.3, 2009)
Howard Eisley ($6.4, 2006)
#5 pick (~$2.6, 2008)
Total salary coming over from PHX to CLE: $20.3 million
The swap of draft picks frees up money ($1.6 million by this estimate) to sign Vujanic. That amount should be enough if the contract has extra incentives in terms of lengths or opt-outs.
Phoenix makes the trade not only to get Vujanic and get out from Eisley's contract, but to see how good they can be with a real center. Cleveland makes the trade because Ilgauskas is clearly not part of their future, and Marion gives them a bona fide All-Star to run with James and Boozer.
Now Phoenix looks like this:
C - Ilgauskas/Voskuhl/Lampe
PF - Stoudemire/#9 pick/Lampe
SF - Johnson/Cabarkapa/Brown
SG - Bryant/Vujanic/Johnson
PG - Barbosa/Johnson/Vujanic
That's a formidable team right there.