Would you move Marion for the first pick in the draft?

[Goldfield]

IMO, SF is the least impact position on the floor. I like Marion alot, but the few negatives I have on him are BIG to me.

a) Jump shooter first menatlity, makes his athletic & quickness less effective.
b) Not a "tuff" player.
c) A contract that demands a more mpact player.


I dont know much about the restrictions in the NBA when it comes to trading. So this could be a pointless thread.

Orlando wants to make TMac happy. If they could bring in Marion to play with him pluss a good draft pick at #7, would they explore this to keep TMac?

And if they would, I think it is a great trade for both teams. Orlando would be heading in the right direction. While the Suns would add a defensive specialist at the center position. More cap flexability, and gain alot of tuffness inside with Amare & Okafor.

Not to mention, more defense & rebounding to get KOBE more shots! (J/K)

 

[George O'Brien]

It is hard to consider the basketball merits of the proposal since it is financially impossible. Even if Orlando signed Okafor first, he would have a contract of $3.39 million while Marion gets $11.3 million. In theory, the Suns could take on another contract like Juwan Howard's, but Howard scored 17 ppg for them and at $5.4 million he is not grossly overpaid.

 

[cly2tw]

I'd do Marion for the last pick in the draft, given your assessment of his state. With the additional 10 mil cap space after trading him, we'd have about 20mil + cap room already. Sign Kobe (14m) and Camby (6m+) with it, even if we don't trade away White and Eilsey.

 

[Goldfield]

It is hard to consider the basketball merits of the proposal since it is financially impossible. Even if Orlando signed Okafor first, he would have a contract of $3.39 million while Marion gets $11.3 million. In theory, the Suns could take on another contract like Juwan Howard's, but Howard scored 17 ppg for them and at $5.4 million he is not grossly overpaid.

I know the money doesnt add up, but I thought it might be different since it was for a draft pick not a player.

 

[George O'Brien]

I know the money doesnt add up, but I thought it might be different since it was for a draft pick not a player.

With draft picks its worse. The trade value of pick is zero until the guys is signed, but he counts against the original teams cap space.

The zero value from a trade standpoint does make it easier to trade picks. So if the Clippers traded the #2 pick to Atlanta for the #6 and #17 picks, there would be no need to match the numbers up (which in this case is irrelevant because both are under the cap anyway).

The problem with the Marion for the draft pick scenerio is that the Magic are at or nearly at the cap. Their draft pick will put them over the cap. This means they cannot do a deal which adds substantially more salaries than they give up. Nearly every trade is driven by this issue, which is why teams with cap space end up getting included in wacky multiteam trades.

 

[Goldfield]

wacky multiteam trades.

Ahh ha, so there is still a chance!!!!! (Dumb & Dumber)

 

[elindholm]

Usually first-round picks sign for 120% of the rookie-scale base figure, which is the maximum allowed under the CBA. So trading Okafor as the just-drafted #1 pick wouldn't really be so hard. There's nothing to debate in the contract: just set it at 120% and be done with it.

Marion for Okafor and Howard would work, but I don't think either team would do it. The Magic can get a better offer than Marion for that package. And the Suns would wind up with three high-profile PFs (Stoudemire, Okafor, and Howard) as part of their long-term core, none of whom would be a credible center in the West except for spot duty in smaller lineups.

 

[scotsman13]

No, i wouldnt. okafor wont be a superstar. he will be a very good player on the lines of marion but he wont be a superstar. with the bad back that okafor has and his poor free throw shooting i dont think this would be a good trade.

 

[Chaplin]

No, i wouldnt. okafor wont be a superstar. he will be a very good player on the lines of marion but he wont be a superstar. with the bad back that okafor has and his poor free throw shooting i dont think this would be a good trade.

I don't even think Okafor will be near Shawn Marion in status. I'd say at best he'd be a Theo Ratliff type of player--very valuable to have around, but certainly not a star.

 

[SweetD]

NO! IMO Marrion is worth more that the fist pick or any pick this year. If it was Labron, Yao, or Brand I would say yes I just don't think Okafor is going to be that good. He is undersized for the PF in the West and really wouldn't fit well with Amare, unless he grew a few inches. I wouldn't mind trading our #7 for Nene.... think Denver would be willing to do this so they can keep Camby??

 

[Goldfield]

NO! IMO Marrion is worth more that the fist pick or any pick this year. If it was Labron, Yao, or Brand I would say yes I just don't think Okafor is going to be that good. He is undersized for the PF in the West and really wouldn't fit well with Amare, unless he grew a few inches. I wouldn't mind trading our #7 for Nene.... think Denver would be willing to do this so they can keep Camby??

Dude your dreamin as bad as me...

Yao? Brand? James? Nene? No way your getting one of them for a Marion, even if you added the #7.

Okafor would fit just fine with Amare, he isnt gunna need to score much at all, just be a defensive stopper. How him fitting in with Amare changes "if" he was afew inches taller baffles me. Yes 6'9" is a hair short for center, but a the era of the 7' center is long gone.

I would much rather have a Ben Wallace type center that is an inch short than a stiff 7'er that has ALOT less impact.

People get caught up in size too much, somtimes its about if they can play or not.

 

[Goldfield]

I'd say at best he'd be a Theo Ratliff type of player--very valuable to have around, but certainly not a star.

Tho Ratliff would be a great fit for this team...

If Okafor is a Ratliff type of player, I would easily send Marion for him.

We dont NEED a star at center. A guy who is a defensive stopper, would be a great fit IMO. Sombody who can Rebound & block Shots to pair up with Amare is what this team needs.

 

[pokerface]

Marion is so underrated sometimes its really disgusting. He averages 19 & 9 and is tops in steals plus a solid defender yet all people harp on is "he doesnt go to the hole enough" and "he's overpaid". I'm sorry but thats not near enough to sour me on Shawn.

To say we should give up our NBA PROVEN Shawn Marion (plus our #7 pick too??) for Emeka Okafor whom would be redundant since we have Amare....I dont get it. I hope whoever dreamed up this nightmare goes back to sleep or something.

 

[Goldfield]

Marion is so underrated sometimes its really disgusting. He averages 19 & 9 and is tops in steals plus a solid defender yet all people harp on is "he doesnt go to the hole enough" and "he's overpaid". I'm sorry but thats not near enough to sour me on Shawn.

To say we should give up our NBA PROVEN Shawn Marion (plus our #7 pick too??) for Emeka Okafor whom would be redundant since we have Amare....I dont get it. I hope whoever dreamed up this nightmare goes back to sleep or something.

Emeka Okafor is a center.

Say what you want about his height. He is a center. unless he is drafter by the Lakers...

 

[sunsfn]

I would not trade Marion for the first pick this year.
Many people underestimate the value of Marion. He is a proven player and not many sf ever get as good as him.

I have thought all along that the suns really did not want the 1st pick this year. The only way is if they could make a trade. They do not want or need Okafor. He is too small to play center and with Amare where are you going to play him on the suns.

The suns want to have a fast break team, and Marion is one of the best sf for that kind of offense.

All this talk of trading him is interesting, but unless they get a lot for him they will not trade him.

 

[slinslin]

I don't think I would trade Marion for Nene unless the Nuggets weren't giving us bad contract in return.

 

[pokerface]

Emeka Okafor is a center.

Say what you want about his height. He is a center. unless he is drafter by the Lakers...

Out west Emeka would get abused if he played C.

 

[George O'Brien]

I really like Okafor, but it is not a deal that is going to make sense to anyone involved.

1. Marion is an excellant player, but he doesn't make the Magic any more attractive to T-Mac to stay than Okafor.

2. Okafor would not be the Suns savior at center playing in the West. He could play, but probably more as a backup to Amare and eventually Lampe. I'd have taken him it the Suns got the first pick, but he is not going to make the Suns any better than keeping Marion does. Usually trading a starter for a potential backup is a mistake, even if he is a good one.

3. The deal would involve taking bad contracts which tie up roster positions.

 

[Joe Mama]

Like other people have already pointed out, this trade wouldn't work and/or wouldn't happen for several reasons. However if you believe that Okafor is going to have a Ben Wallace or even Theo Ratliff like presence I would take him and he gave the week over Shawn Marion. Did nobody else notice the impact Ratliff's shot blocking had on the Portland Trail Blazers over the last third of the season?

I just wonder how good Okafor will look playing against a bunch of players his own size or bigger.

Joe Mama

 

[JCSunsfan]

Aside from the financial feasibilities of the trade.

YES. I would do it. And I like Marion.

I just believe that Okafor would add more to this team. He would be a shot blocker and a defensive stopper in the middle and I do NOT believe he would get abused in the west playing center.

We would trade Marion for Okafor, sign Kobe, keep JJ, and pick up Ben Gordon or another solid pg from the draft with our own pick.

With that trade our team would become substantially better.

 

[Chaplin]

Aside from the financial feasibilities of the trade.

YES. I would do it. And I like Marion.

I just believe that Okafor would add more to this team. He would be a shot blocker and a defensive stopper in the middle and I do NOT believe he would get abused in the west playing center.

We would trade Marion for Okafor, sign Kobe, keep JJ, and pick up Ben Gordon or another solid pg from the draft with our own pick.

With that trade our team would become substantially better.

I can't believe my freakin' eyes.

You people harp forever on McGrady's "bad back" and say you don't want to trade Shawn for him, but NOW you're saying you would trade Shawn for Okafor? Are you guys freaking insane??

 

[Joe Mama]

I can't believe my freakin' eyes.

You people harp forever on McGrady's "bad back" and say you don't want to trade Shawn for him, but NOW you're saying you would trade Shawn for Okafor? Are you guys freaking insane??

I'm sorry. I just assumed that Okafor had been given a completely clean bill of health in our hypothetical trade situation. From what I've read Okafor's problem is that he had a cracked vertebrae. That's a big problem, but I don't believe it's a chronic problem like the muscular back trouble in McGrady has.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I'm sorry. I just assumed that Okafor had been given a completely clean bill of health in our hypothetical trade situation. From what I've read Okafor's problem is that he had a cracked vertebrae. That's a big problem, but I don't believe it's a chronic problem like the muscular back trouble in McGrady has.

Joe Mama

I am no orthopedist, but I am pretty sure that if you crack a vertebrae, it stays cracked. I have a friend who has a chunk missing out of his 3rd vertebrae in his lower back, and it has been that way for 3 years. I am pretty sure he would have opted for surgery if it was possible.

The orthopedic surgeon told him that he will have the back of a 50 year old for the rest of his life (he is 19 right now), and that he should go to a PT pretty often.

Hm. I just realized he has a chipped vertebrae, not a cracked, is there a big difference?

 

[George O'Brien]

Don't you just love trying to decide if a financially impossible trade that the other team won't make is going to work assuming a clean bill of health.

And I thought string theory was complicated.

 

[elindholm]

The orthopedic surgeon told him that he will have the back of a 50 year old for the rest of his life

Even when he's 70? That might not be such a bad deal.