George O'Brien
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Time for a trade? Pick a player, any player
Sporting News
Dec. 25, 2003 12:00 AM
Perhaps the best way to consider current NBA rosters is to list those players who are not about to be traded according to some general manager, front-office lackey, published report, Internet message board or hot dog vendor in Section 228 of your local arena. The list goes something like this:
1. Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers.
2. Tim Duncan, Spurs.
That means there are about 420 NBA players elbowing for room on the league's trading block. Already this season, we've seen five trades involving 18 players, from Jalen Rose and Ricky Davis to Rick Brunson and Brevin Knight.
But it won't end there, for a variety of reasons. One team, the Trail Blazers, has a mandate for change that comes from the organization's brass. Another, the Hawks, is prepping for an old-fashioned fire sale.
Some teams have a general managers - Glen Grunwald of the Raptors, for instance - who sense an opportunity to take advantage of the watered-down Eastern Conference and firm up their shaky job status by transacting their teams into the postseason.
After discussing the situation with several front-office types, it seems there are 10 members of the NBA's most-likely-to-be-traded club.
1-3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Jason Terry, Hawks. Take the Hawks, please. The team's new ownership group still is not in place, and in the meantime, the team is an unwatchable mess. The Hawks' obstacle to making trades is finances. They have Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff under contract for this year and 2004-05, for $28 million and $21 million, respectively. If they let either go, it must be for someone with a shorter contract, and those players are hard to find when you're dealing with eight-figure salaries. They might just wait out Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff and rebuild in 2005.
Terry, on the other hand, was signed last summer to a six-year deal, and after professing his love for Atlanta over the last year, he now seems ready for a change.
4. Kurt Thomas, Knicks. Thomas can become a free agent next summer, thanks to a player option in his contract, and though he might not do better than the nearly $6 million he would get if he stayed with the Knicks, he apparently has grown weary of shabby treatment by the organization. The Knicks recently bumped Thomas from the starting lineup in favor of Antonio McDyess - for no apparent reason - ticking him off and numbering his days in New York.
5. Jamaal Tinsley, Pacers. Tinsley was named the Rookie of the Month in his first month in the league, and that pretty much has been the highlight of his career. He plays behind Kenny Anderson and Anthony Johnson, and his stock has plummeted. Sending Tinsley to a team desperate for a point guard (hey, the Knicks come to mind) for a backup big man, or packaging him with Jonathan Bender would be ideal.
6. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cavaliers. The Cavs say they won't trade Ilgauskas, which, in the NBA, is like getting a full-lipped kiss from Michael Corleone. Ilgauskas does not defend the middle well, which saps the strength of the Cavs' perimeter defenders. Cleveland got Tony Battie in the deal for Davis, which could clear the way for an Ilgauskas trade.
7. Marcus Fizer, Bulls. Fizer was, possibly, on his way to winning the Sixth Man of the Year award last season before blowing out his knee. He's healthy, but concerns about the knee linger. With the Bulls acquiring Jerome Williams and Antonio Davis, Fizer will be bumped well down the depth chart when Tyson Chandler returns from a back injury.
8. Lamond Murray, Raptors. Once upon a time, Murray would show frequent flashes of brilliance. Now, after missing last season with a broken foot, he barely flashes usefulness. But the Raptors are trying to sell teams on his scoring ability in their efforts to land a big man.
9. Antawn Jamison, Mavericks. Jamison is a good company guy and not a complainer, but he is not happy as a sixth man. If the Mavs can move him for serious interior help - Ratliff or Ilgauskas, maybe - they'd have to consider it.
10. Rodney White, Nuggets. Not that White ever has gotten along with a coach during his professional career, but he certainly has had a rocky run with Jeff Bzdelik, whose focus on hard work and defense must sound like a foreign language to White. When he is not racking up DNPs, White is a very good scorer whose talent has drawn interest from several teams, but his salary is under $2 million and his contract is up after this season, meaning the cap-conscious Nuggets would need a nice offer to accept a trade.
Sporting News
Dec. 25, 2003 12:00 AM
Perhaps the best way to consider current NBA rosters is to list those players who are not about to be traded according to some general manager, front-office lackey, published report, Internet message board or hot dog vendor in Section 228 of your local arena. The list goes something like this:
1. Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers.
2. Tim Duncan, Spurs.
That means there are about 420 NBA players elbowing for room on the league's trading block. Already this season, we've seen five trades involving 18 players, from Jalen Rose and Ricky Davis to Rick Brunson and Brevin Knight.
But it won't end there, for a variety of reasons. One team, the Trail Blazers, has a mandate for change that comes from the organization's brass. Another, the Hawks, is prepping for an old-fashioned fire sale.
Some teams have a general managers - Glen Grunwald of the Raptors, for instance - who sense an opportunity to take advantage of the watered-down Eastern Conference and firm up their shaky job status by transacting their teams into the postseason.
After discussing the situation with several front-office types, it seems there are 10 members of the NBA's most-likely-to-be-traded club.
1-3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Jason Terry, Hawks. Take the Hawks, please. The team's new ownership group still is not in place, and in the meantime, the team is an unwatchable mess. The Hawks' obstacle to making trades is finances. They have Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff under contract for this year and 2004-05, for $28 million and $21 million, respectively. If they let either go, it must be for someone with a shorter contract, and those players are hard to find when you're dealing with eight-figure salaries. They might just wait out Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff and rebuild in 2005.
Terry, on the other hand, was signed last summer to a six-year deal, and after professing his love for Atlanta over the last year, he now seems ready for a change.
4. Kurt Thomas, Knicks. Thomas can become a free agent next summer, thanks to a player option in his contract, and though he might not do better than the nearly $6 million he would get if he stayed with the Knicks, he apparently has grown weary of shabby treatment by the organization. The Knicks recently bumped Thomas from the starting lineup in favor of Antonio McDyess - for no apparent reason - ticking him off and numbering his days in New York.
5. Jamaal Tinsley, Pacers. Tinsley was named the Rookie of the Month in his first month in the league, and that pretty much has been the highlight of his career. He plays behind Kenny Anderson and Anthony Johnson, and his stock has plummeted. Sending Tinsley to a team desperate for a point guard (hey, the Knicks come to mind) for a backup big man, or packaging him with Jonathan Bender would be ideal.
6. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cavaliers. The Cavs say they won't trade Ilgauskas, which, in the NBA, is like getting a full-lipped kiss from Michael Corleone. Ilgauskas does not defend the middle well, which saps the strength of the Cavs' perimeter defenders. Cleveland got Tony Battie in the deal for Davis, which could clear the way for an Ilgauskas trade.
7. Marcus Fizer, Bulls. Fizer was, possibly, on his way to winning the Sixth Man of the Year award last season before blowing out his knee. He's healthy, but concerns about the knee linger. With the Bulls acquiring Jerome Williams and Antonio Davis, Fizer will be bumped well down the depth chart when Tyson Chandler returns from a back injury.
8. Lamond Murray, Raptors. Once upon a time, Murray would show frequent flashes of brilliance. Now, after missing last season with a broken foot, he barely flashes usefulness. But the Raptors are trying to sell teams on his scoring ability in their efforts to land a big man.
9. Antawn Jamison, Mavericks. Jamison is a good company guy and not a complainer, but he is not happy as a sixth man. If the Mavs can move him for serious interior help - Ratliff or Ilgauskas, maybe - they'd have to consider it.
10. Rodney White, Nuggets. Not that White ever has gotten along with a coach during his professional career, but he certainly has had a rocky run with Jeff Bzdelik, whose focus on hard work and defense must sound like a foreign language to White. When he is not racking up DNPs, White is a very good scorer whose talent has drawn interest from several teams, but his salary is under $2 million and his contract is up after this season, meaning the cap-conscious Nuggets would need a nice offer to accept a trade.
