ESPN: Hornets may package Collison with poison pill.

Okafor's contract is large, but it won't necessarily eat up a large portion of cap room because of Dan Gilbert's willingness to pay more than most owners and pay the luxury tax. If the deal includes Collison, I still feel you have to factor that into the equation.

Personally, I don't feel it behooves the Hornets to make a move at this time. They are better off seeing how they start the season with a healthy CP3. Then see what opens up after the season gets rolling. Teams may have some buyers remorse or look to move an All-Star, with the assets the Hornets have - namely Thornton, Collison, and Peja's contract plus other expirings like Songaila and Peterson - they could make a big move to acquire another star next to CP3 and David West.

It depends on who you have at the 4 next year. If Hickson is still here, and he probably will be, he should be much more developed, but you can't assume you'll be able to rely on him for consistent scoring or hitting a jumper. But I see him starting over Jamison if both are still here.

If the frontcourt stays the same, Jermaine O'Neal can come in and provide some shotblocking and average rebounding with an aging, but still dynamic, offensive game - he can still hit jumpers and has post moves.

If a dynamic offensive threat is added at the 4, and there really are only 2 guys out there who would, someone like Tyson Chandler would be perfect as he would jsut be relied on for rebounding and shot-blocking.

I would look into get Okafor/DC for West/Telfair/Moon, and then try to follow that trade up with Mo Williams to Portland for Miller/Rudy. I would think it would be easier to swallow Okafor's contract if we are unloading Mo's as well. Miller is an expiring, and Rudy is on the cheap. It would allow Cleveland to start Miller, and then groom Collison for the starting spot next season.

Miller/Collison
Fernandez/Green/Gibson
James/J.Williams
Hickson/Jamison/Powe
Okafor/Varejao

mcfly said:

I would look into get Okafor/DC for West/Telfair/Moon, and then try to follow that trade up with Mo Williams to Portland for Miller/Rudy. I would think it would be easier to swallow Okafor's contract if we are unloading Mo's as well. Miller is an expiring, and Rudy is on the cheap. It would allow Cleveland to start Miller, and then groom Collison for the starting spot next season.

Miller/Collison
Fernandez/Green/Gibson
James/J.Williams
Hickson/Jamison/Powe
Okafor/Varejao

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Hey McFly, I thought I told you never to come in here!



(Sorry, I wanted to do that since I saw your user name yesterday. Carry on.)

DuncanMcDougal said:

Personally, I don't feel it behooves the Hornets to make a move at this time. They are better off seeing how they start the season with a healthy CP3. Then see what opens up after the season gets rolling. Teams may have some buyers remorse or look to move an All-Star, with the assets the Hornets have - namely Thornton, Collison, and Peja's contract plus other expirings like Songaila and Peterson - they could make a big move to acquire another star next to CP3 and David West.

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The asset is Collison, and I don't think they get as much for him if he's traded during the season as opposed to now. The extended minutes he played as a starter are a lot fresher in folks' minds now then they will be during the season when CP3 is logging starter time. And I don't think a young PG is the type of player you add mid-season to get over the hump. You'd rather have that guy for training camp, etc. to get him accustomed to the offense then rather than trying to add the guy who will be initiating the offense midstream.

mcfly said:

I would look into get Okafor/DC for West/Telfair/Moon, and then try to follow that trade up with Mo Williams to Portland for Miller/Rudy. I would think it would be easier to swallow Okafor's contract if we are unloading Mo's as well. Miller is an expiring, and Rudy is on the cheap. It would allow Cleveland to start Miller, and then groom Collison for the starting spot next season.

Miller/Collison
Fernandez/Green/Gibson
James/J.Williams
Hickson/Jamison/Powe
Okafor/Varejao

Click to expand...

Still no second option and we aren't going to win without one...

Triumph36 said:

Still no second option and we aren't going to win without one...

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Are not teams interested in Collison because they think he is an All-Star caliber PG? The guy put up 19/9 while shooting 48.5% (42.9% from 3) in 37 starts last season. Cleveland has needed a player to consistently be able to create their own offense, and I see this as a deal that gets that without gutting our roster. It is not Bosh, but I think it still keeps LeBron around.

Until I see a greater body of work Collison is a product that system nothing more, I might do it for Posey or possible Peja ( just to get the large exp next year). The only way I am taking Okafor to play on the Cavs is if CP3 is coming with him, and Okafor is buried deep on the bench.

I would rather play tiny ball with JJ at the center and 3 guards and Lebron than have to count on Okafor for the duration of that shitty shitty contract.

That begs the question of, would NOH move Collison with Peja or Posey. I would prefer either over Okafor due to their salaries, but I wonder if one of the later is enough to make a deal.

I see a move like this as a risk, but a risk worth taking nonetheless. I am leery of trading for a proven All-Star by gutting our roster or moving the little bit of young talent we have.

Mdog1 said:

I may have reached with acouple like Nene, and this version of KG (although imo he still has that don't come near me or i'll block oyur ass factor to his game), but Haywood, Dwight, Birdman, Bynum, Perkins are all elite shot blockers.

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Shotblocking doesnt always equate good defense. Denver's defense has never been good and Haywood never impacted the Wizards defense.

In terms of pure shotblocking numbers Bynum has averaged over 2bpg once. This year he was at 1.4 Perkins has only done it once. This year he was at 1.7 and Perkins is more a post defender than anything else.

Andrew Bogut iis arguably a better shotblocker than anyone on your list save Howard.

How about we do the Boobie, West, and Telfair for Collison and Okafor deal.

Then we do this 3 team trade with the Warriors, and Bucks.

Cavs get:
Michael Redd
Carlos Delfino
#6 pick (from GS)

Bucks get:
Emeka Okafor
Corey Maggette
Brandan Wright

Warriors get:
Mo Williams
Jamario Moon
#15 pick (from Mil. via Chi.)


Obviously Redd has been injured for awhile, but he is a huge expiring that could be used later, maybe together with JJ for a star or w/e. Bucks do this because they get something for a huge expiring similar to what the Rockets did with T-Mac. And the Warriors do this to clear space and gain a good scoring guard that Don Nelson loves, plus the 15th pick to take a big man.

Cavs lineup:
Collison/MLE
Redd/Parker
LeBron/Delfino
Jamison/JJ
Cousins or Monroe (6th pick)/Andy

Bucks lineup:
Jennings/MLE
Salmons/Bell
Maggette/Bell
Okafor/Wright
Bogut/Okafor

Warriors lineup:
Curry/Mo
Ellis/Mo
R. Williams/Moon
Randolph/15th pick
Beindrins/mle

Sorry no1 wants Mike Redd now.

bigjmac0815 said:

Sorry no1 wants Mike Redd now.

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Its not just to get Redd, as you see we get more than just him.

I don't think you can really say Collison's much of a product of their system, they had no offensive system, even with Scott he just ran his princeton offense constantly, depending totally on the point guard or ball handler to make plays.

He had like 40 games as a starter and averaged 19 and 9 on 49% shooting and 43% from behind the arc, not to mention over 85% from the line.

The first thing you'll do when you hear a rookie lit it up when the starter was out is say it was a fluke, it was only a couple games. But you're talking about half an NBA regular season there.

Collison's a baller, if the Hornets are dumb enough to offer him to us just for taking Posey you just thank them for giving you a 22 year old who is already developing into a star point guard.

AMC said:

How about we do the Boobie, West, and Telfair for Collison and Okafor deal.

Then we do this 3 team trade with the Warriors, and Bucks.

Cavs get:
Michael Redd
#6 pick (from GS)

Bucks get:
Emeka Okafor
Corey Maggette

Warriors get:
Mo Williams
#15 pick (from Mil. via Chi.)

Cavs lineup:
Collison/MLE
Redd/Parker
LeBron/Moon
Jamison/JJ
Cousins or Monroe (6th pick)/Andy

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I can't see why Milwaukee does this trade. Yes they get rid of Michael Redd, but Emeka Okafor has a long terrible contract and so is Maggette. In fact, I can't see the Bucks being able to spend over $25 Million on 2 mediocre players in 2012.