Wizards looking to trade?

[imahustla]

Id kind of be shocked too if Washington trades with us but we do have another option with David West in N.O. He's not a bad option either.

I would absolutely love David West. He's been my #1 option from the beginning, but the Hornets really risk losing CP3 if they move David West. I've read many times that West is Chris Paul's best friend on that team. Plus West's contract is front loaded and decreases by year. If they want to stay competitive, he's one of the last guys they move. They'll try to move Okafor first before they move West. Just MHO.

 

[MYoung23]

People have to realize that the Cavaliers are not in the business of mortgaging everything for one shot a ring. They want to contend for a long time and be in position to win multiple championships.

They are not giving up the only young player with considerable upside for a guy like Butler. Have people not been paying attention to how Ferry does things? Unless it is for a big time player like Bosh or Stoudemire the Cavaliers are not giving up Hickson for any 2nd tier Maurice Williams-like player especially one nearing 30 and is having a bad year.

The Cavaliers want to keep what they have and add to it which is why they were going to give the ghost of Wally Szczerbiak and the shell of what was Delonte West for Stephen Jackson. (btw, how is that Radmanovic thing working out, Warriors?) It is why they want Z back in a deal they put him in.

Also, the Wizards have zero leverage. They are the ones with the underperforming roster that is over the luxury tax with big long contracts and have specifically a guy in Butler who isnt even playing well. Why the hell would I give them anything but cap relief if Im dealing with them?

 

[Man Called X]

Does everyone forget Butler's comments about the Cavs this year? I honestly think he hates the Cavs more than Deshawna.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

Here we go again...this is a disease that sweeps the fanbase of every team in every league, and it's sweeping Cavs fans again: OVERVALUING OUR OWN PLAYERS

Or maybe the disease is you, someone willing to lose a trade just so we can have a guy with a big name. Throw contractual status age and trade value out of the water...just get us a player like this..give up all of your future assets for a player who's not worth them, and risk your team failing with this player and then not having any future assets to get out of their mistakes. These are moves that teams like Golden State and Washington make. Washington traded the 5th pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Sure, the 5th pick may have had "potential" and "been raw" but Mike Miller gives their team a better chance at competing RIGHT NOW.

Now go ask Washington fans what they would do if they could re-do that trade. I bet a lot of them would be screaming for an asset the likes of Ricky Rubio.

Look at Orlando.

Orlando gave up expirings and switched prospects. It would be the equivalent of us trading the Wizards Hickson and getting Nick Young back or something of that nature. New Jersey just over-valued Courtney Lee.

 

[MalTalm]

I would easily trade JJ so long as we were getting back a solid big in return. I would not package JJ in a deal for Caron alone, the NBA has proven that trading height for talent always bites you in the ass...

 

[The Oi]

JJ is so over-rated around here that it makes me sick.

 

[CBBI]

JJ is so over-rated around here that it makes me sick.

Well Uncle your patience has been proven time and time again around here so....

 

[The Oi]

Well your patience has been proven time and time again around here so....

That comment just put me over the top, nephew. I just vomited into my beer...and re-drank it.

 

[kovanovich]

Hollinger's comments today (Dec. 18) on what the Wizards should do...This appeared in the Insider section and is part of a longer article which includes his analysis of Golden State and Minnesota.

....I didn't include Andray Blatche in the "young" players because the 23-year-old forward is in his fifth season, but he'll be a key piece of any rebuilding in D.C. I say that for one simple reason: He'll be promoted to the starting lineup if the Wizards use their most playable card, trading power forward Antawn Jamison.

A 33-year-old veteran, Jamison has been very reliable in terms of durability and production over the past half-decade. If Washington moves into tear-down mode, Jamison might be the first player for the Wizards to move, given his contract, which has two more years after this one at a cost of $28 million. The Wizards could provide themselves with some much-needed cap flexibility in future seasons by dispensing with their obligation to Jamison; if they structured a deal wisely enough and offloaded enough salary flotsam at the trade deadline (the expiring deals of Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Brendan Haywood or Mike James, for instance), they could even get under the luxury tax for 2009-10.

Washington should also look into finding a new home for 29-year-old Caron Butler; dealing him for an expiring contract could shave another $10 million from next season's bill. That might be done more easily, however, if Butler would make some shots. He's having his worst season since his second one in Miami, shooting only 41.4 percent from the floor and shedding four points from his 40-minute scoring average.

Regardless, it's going to be a long way back up for the Wizards if they start down this road. Otherwise, it's a veteran team, with the decision to trade the No. 5 pick in the draft for Mike Miller and Randy Foye only exacerbating the Wizards' increasingly tilted age profile. Washington would be looking at a lineup going forward of Arenas, Blatche, a high draft pick and not a whole lot else. The Wizards would have enough cap space to entice a free agent, but probably not a good enough roster to get anybody truly impactful to commit.

Given such an unappealing scenario, it's not surprising that the Warriors have been more enthusiastic than the Wizards in embracing the idea of rebuilding. Washington seems likely to ride things out as long as possible with the current crew before waving the white flag, especially given the handy excuse that injuries have prevented the Wizards from having a full roster this season. Of course, that's been their rallying cry for years now, and every time it gets a little less credible...

I agree it makes the most sense for the Wizards to trade Jamison, since they have his successor in PF in Blatche. Who knows, Blatche ultimately may be a better fit for that team. At a minimum, he is ten years younger. Even though Jamison has been playing better than Butler, I've got to believe that there is more of a market for Butler. I mean, he is a proven player, and I think other teams will be inclined to look at his performance this year as an anomaly since he is only 29. Unless they know something about him that we don't...

Anyway, I think Jamison is clearly the better fit for the Cavs. Not even close. Even if we can't count on Delonte.

Meanwhile, Butler was quoted in the Washington Post today:

The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, the Wizards' opponents on Friday and Saturday, respectively, were both interested in acquiring Butler, who has been in a season-long slump under new Coach Flip Saunders, averaging just 16.7 points per game and shooting 41.4 percent. Although President Ernie Grunfeld recently said he would be patient in evaluating the team, Butler said the Wizards can't be concerned with external distractions and trade rumors with the team underachieving.

"You got to play basketball," Butler said. "If trades or anything like that happen, that's the nature of the business. Me personally, I've been on three different teams in my short career. So, I don't worry about that. I'm versatile. I'll play anywhere.

"It's usually other teams around the league calling in, trying to make something happen, trying to force the issue, trying to get you to break the thing up, just blow the thing up. A lot of people think you'll have a fire sale or something. You can't control that," he said. "The only thing you can control is that right now, we're in Wizards uniforms. We got to go out there and try to perform at a high level and try to win games and show that this group belongs together."

Butler said he "wouldn't have believed" that the team would struggle as it has, but added that Saunders still told the team he believes it can win at least 45 games this season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704270.html

 

[kovanovich]

People have to realize that the Cavaliers are not in the business of mortgaging everything for one shot a ring. They want to contend for a long time and be in position to win multiple championships.

They are not giving up the only young player with considerable upside for a guy like Butler. Have people not been paying attention to how Ferry does things? Unless it is for a big time player like Bosh or Stoudemire the Cavaliers are not giving up Hickson for any 2nd tier Maurice Williams-like player especially one nearing 30 and is having a bad year.

The Cavaliers want to keep what they have and add to it which is why they were going to give the ghost of Wally Szczerbiak and the shell of what was Delonte West for Stephen Jackson. (btw, how is that Radmanovic thing working out, Warriors?) It is why they want Z back in a deal they put him in.

Also, the Wizards have zero leverage. They are the ones with the underperforming roster that is over the luxury tax with big long contracts and have specifically a guy in Butler who isnt even playing well. Why the hell would I give them anything but cap relief if Im dealing with them?

Are you Danny Ferry? Or Lance Blanks? This has clearly been the Cavs' philosophy, and I agree that based on his track record, the Cavs aren't going to do a deal unless it is the deal that Ferry wants to make....That's what worries me. I'm all for expending as few assets as possible, but I'm also for upgrading the PF position.

 

[jvpertz]

Antwaan Jamison is playing top notch basketball right now. He is 33 but he is in fantastic shape. I have to figure that you are going to have a productive NBA player until he is 36.

He is 22 PPG on almost .50 shooting and .35 percent from 3.

In short, if we are trading with the the Wizards it is Jamsion or bust.

 

[Typhoon]

Jamison would put us on as close to equal footing with the Lakers and Boston as you can get. If you can get Jamison you do it. Im tired of not trading for better people when we have the chance. Yeah JJ might evolve into an all star in a few years but LeBron might be gone and we might be back to the ricky davis days. Life is about decisions and every one of them has consequences. Realistically, JJ will probably only be a Hakim Warrick 2.0

 

[chrisrich91]

In short, if we are trading with the the Wizards it is Jamsion or bust.

Caron Butler is far from a "bust".

 

[AMC]

So I thought we all call the Wizards a bunch of women.......and now we want to trade for them?

 

[Tizzle]

The only fear I have with trading with Washington, is that the only trade they would do would have to send Stevenson our way.