Mild but Beneficial Wally Trade Idea

[Rimage]

Alright, here is a trade that seems beneficial to both teams. Not a blockbuster, but I like the overall effect it has on us.

Wally Szczerbiak

For

Bobby Simmons
Eduardo Najera

I know Wally has played okay for occasionally, but he doesn't make us better in terms of the future, and if you aren't getting better you are getting worse. If we are just going to let Wally come of the books because we don't want to screw our 2010 cap space, why not delay it a year at least. Bobby Simmons, while overpaid, is a younger, more versatile player than Wally. If all we using Wally for is to shoot threes, grab a few rebounds and fill in the 2 for us...Bobby Simmons can do all that and probably better. Look up the two and compare stats. Very, very similar. Simmons has this year and next left on his contract.

What else does Wally do for us...act as a 4 occasionally. Najera can do that legitimately. For whatever reason, NJ is not using Eduardo Najera. If any of you remember him in Denver this guy would come in and make a positive impact on the game every time. He doesn't put up numbers, but he is a no-waste player. He plays solid D, grab boards (especially offensive), and only takes good shots. He is smart and efficient....NJ wants no part of that. Najera has 4 years left on his contract, but the salary is declining...he is an extra 2.8 millions on the books in 2010. To me it is good contract, gives us a little insurance on AV and JJ and overall big man depth.

I think NJ makes out good on this too. They get rid of Simmons, who has no future there and the little used Najera. Gives them cap space to make moves now. They can't honestly think they are still in the running for Lebron James.

So this is mild trade, but I think it makes us better. Both these guys have good character.

Unlikely to happen, can't see how it would, but still...I think it makes us better.

 

[rabman_gold]

I guess it makes us better... But Bobby Simmons isn't going to suddenly produce the way he did in his contract year, he's just another Larry Hughes-contract type, without the personality. And if we're only getting him to hit outside shots and get boards, why exactly are we trading Wally for him? Especially since Wally knows the playbook at a higher level. Do we need to put Bobby into a "Wally-in-2008" situation, because he could struggle if he's not careful...

But I see that you really want us to get Ed. He's 33 years old. The levels of production were never that great to begin with, but imagine why New Jersey isn't playing him. He's possibly a worse version of Ben? It's hard to make me think he's better at this point. And for depth? Mike would probably shove him at the end of the bench due to better contributors...

But I see what you mean. It could make us better... but is that improvement going to impact our team when we play against the Celtics and Lakers/Spurs? If we keep Wally, he's the same as Bobby while Ed would not get playing time when other players will keep us in the game. Ed simply can't impact the game the same way these days, as an opinion of mine, but he is at the age of deterioration...

I guess I see why Danny Ferry wouldn't do it, though. The improvement is minimal at best. If you're going to use a contract like Wally's, you're going to make sure the improvement changes some of the mechanics of the team, not make lateral moves. That way, we have a new option to battling those top teams that will relieve LeBron of his amount of roles on the team and Mo's to a lesser extent.