work in progress

This is a gradual experiment I'm working on. This space is going to be reserved for trade ideas. I've got a million ideas on how teams could potentially improve themselves... but then, who knows if anyone will listen to sense. Also, I thought of these based on needs, when star power, salaries, and luxury cap ramifications factor in more than that. Sometimes.

So I'm gonna propose them, check up with them on the ESPN trade machine, and see if they work and maybe adjust them. In the meantime, you can see how they fared. Simmons apparently spends hours each day on this thing, but since this is not my day job, I can't. But I will check in from time to time.

TRADE 1: GASOL GOODIES

Chicago and Memphis have been talking for months, and maybe the Bulls should have done it earlier, but then, they might have given up Gordon or Deng. I think they can pull it off without. This version gives Memphis three young guys who can help, Chicago everything they need, and gets Memphis' cap space down... way down.

CHICAGO trades

Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Selfosha, #9 pick this year, Mike Sweetney

MEMPHIS trades

Pau Gasol, Brian Cardinal, Dahntay Jones

TRADE MACHINE: NO!

Dammit....

TRADE 2: PLEASE BILLY PLEASE

I don't know if this works under the salary cap, but f**k it, if the Sixers can swing it any posible way, I don't think the Blazers can get much better deals.

PHILADELPHIA trades

picks this year (11, 21, 30), Kyle Korver, Kevin Ollie

PORTLAND trades

Zach Randolph

TRADE MACHINE: NO!

Awww f&$#$&#$&#..... Billy, you're the worst. How are they way over the cap? I hope Joe Smith is found in an alley, covered in blood and urine. Unless his cap space is really done this year.

TRADE 1 and 1/2: CONNECTING THESE

This will make the Sixers' deal a little sweeter. It ensures the Blazers will probably get Julian Wright or Jeff Green, which will complete their young, expolsive lineup. Memphis knows they can trade down to get Acie Law, plus another first rounder, and get rid of even more space with Swift, who fills a decent bench role in Portland.

MEMPHIS trades

pick #9 (see trade 1), Stromile Swift

PORTLAND trades

pick #11, pick # 21 ( see trade 2)

TRADE MACHINE: NO!

OK, maybe the trade machine isn't the end-all. I can't seem to pull off any deals involving Memphis, Philly, Portland, or Chicago. I know this is wrong because you can't account for all the deals that will be made in the future, or draft picks, or sign-and-trades. Which Chicago has a lot of. I could not get any of these trades to work unless Chicago gave up one of their young assets (Deng, Gordon, Duhon) or Philly did too (Iggy, Miller, Dalembert). That's not happening when they have lottery picks instead. If the machine could factor in what the Bulls do with Sweetney and P. J. Brown, I think this could all work. Maybe.

I will check on this later.

TRADE 3: THE BIG KAHUNA

These teams have been rumored to make trades for a while. They should get together and realize that they can help each other. The Lakers desperately want to get an all-star big man, but Lamar Odom is skeptical about going to certain places (Indiana) and the Pacers probably don't want to deal with him anyway. This allows them to get their man while keeping Bynum, which should please the Busses. And Kobe. Jersey, meanwhile, needs a four man, and would probably be willing to give up one of its wings... of course, this is all pending what Vince wants to do. But if they give him cash, and make this trade, that sends a good message, right?

LAKERS trade

Kwame Brown, # 19 pick to INDIANA, Lamar Odom, Vlad Radmanovic to JERSEY

PACERS trade

Jermaine O'Neal, Mike Dunleavy to LAKERS, Rawle Marshall to JERSEY

NEW JERSEY trades

Richard Jefferson to INDIANA, Mikki Moore to LAKERS

TRADE MACHINE: no, but almost....

Okay, here's the new deal:

LAKERS GET: O'Neal, Dunleavy, Antoine Wright (NJ)

NETS GET: Odom, Radmanovic, Maurice Evans (LA)

PACERS GET: Brown, Jefferson, Josh Boone (NJ), Cliff Robinson (NJ) (he'll be waved or traded shortly), Hassan Adams (NJ)

AHA! All the key components stay the same and a few young pups and washed up vets are moved around. Get on the phone, Kupchak. You don't want to pass this one up... rid of Kwame and the Rad Man whilst getting Jermaine and a good passer/shooter in Dunleavy. Of course, once again, Vince Carter can sabotage this whole thing. But it works.

TRADE 4: THE OTHER KAHUNA

Isiah is an idiot, but he also likes trading for big contracts and he might be able to pull this off. This would make the Knicks better and more consolidated, which they need, and it would also make Seattle younger and more interesting for the hometown fans.... of course, if they move, these guys lose some appeal. Whatever. Ray needs to go somewhere where he can be appreciated.... and the Lakers complete their overhaul to satisfy Kobe's whims.

Note: I can't process this deal on the trade machine until the first one is made... and it doesn't let you keep new rosters after trades have been made..... I think. The first one works. This might too. But for now, who knows...

NEW YORK trades

Jared Jeffries, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford to SEATTLE, Steve Francis, Mardy Collins to LAKERS

SEATTLE trades

Ray Allen, Earl Watson, Nick Collison to NEW YORK

LAKERS trade

Mikki Moore, Sasha Vujacic to NEW YORK, future picks to SEATTLE

It seems like the Lakers don't give up much here, but then, they did in the last trade. Francis is almost an unwanted son at this point - New York wants to get rid of him for any price. Seattle gets back two OK guards for an all star, which seems like a bad move, but they get younger and deeper. They're building around Durant, and these two guys are Seattle natives. Maybe they get people excited? The Knicks get a great outside player they've missed in a long time, and rid of some crazy contracts.

(just as far as seattle-knicks go: WOW! The Knicks can give up Robinson, Jeffries, Crawford, and Frye for almost EXACTLY Allen and Watson. Hmm... maybe the Lakers getting Stevie Franchise is another deal entirely....)

(BUT, if the Lakers want Francis, they probably can't swing Dunleavy in any way. I might have to figure that deal out again if they want to have the cap space to add him. He's making 15 mil a year... not easy. Perhaps the Lakers can convince Isiah to pay some of his salary.)

SO, yes, the Lakers wouldn't be able to afford O'Neal, Francis, and Dunleavy together. They could give up every guy besides Kobe and it still wouldn't fit. So their best bet is probably to re-sign Luke Walton (who fits their system anyway) and go after a shooter. Indiana would liek to give up Dunleavy, but they're probably stuck with him now.

Let's redo these last two:

SEATTLE - NEW YORK # 4 stays the same

(Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Channing Frye, possible picks, and Jared Jeffries

for

Ray Allen, Earl Watson... yes, it's almost an exactly even cap number)

NEW # 3 (including Francis)

LAKERS trade

Lamar Odom, Vlad Radmanovic, Maurice Evans to JERSEY, Kwame Brown to INDIANA, Sahsa Vujacic, # 19 pick to NEW YORK

INDIANA trades

Jermaine O'Neal to LAKERS, Shawne Williams to JERSEY

NEW JERSEY trades

Richard Jefferson, Cliff Robinson, Bernard Robinson, # 16 pick to INDIANA, Hassan Adams, Josh Boone to NEW YORK, Antoine Wright to LAKERS

NEW YORK trades

Mardy Collins, Steve Francis to LAKERS

That works. Kobe, make it happen.

UPDATE: I've been thinking about this one.... several things about it bother me. Like I said, I think the Pacers would much rather get rid of Dunleavy that Shawne Williams, who is younger and much less expensive. But Dunleavy's huge contract (nice job, Warriors... real freaking nice) is too much for New Jersey or the Lakers to absorb with all the players they get. I tried to mess around with these teams and figure out a way to make it happen. No luck.

Thing is, I think the Nets and Lakers would both take him.... they could both use a shooter at the three. But the Nets wouldn't give up any of their young assets, and they basically have to trade everyone on their bench right now just to fit Odom and Radman. I think they'd like to have another wing besides Dunleavy to pair with Vince. They'd take him and Maurice Evans, but they can't afford it. The Lakers would love to have Dunleavy back up Walton, because he can shoot better and is still a decent passer. But then they can't get anyone else. Maybe another deal is in order....

I tried to see if the Lakers could trade Brian Cook instead of Radman, allowing New Jersey to pick up Cook, Odom, Dunleavy, and Evans, which would be a great deal for them. And they can, but then the Lakers can't get Francis and JoNeal. Unless they part with Farmar and the maybe-untouchable Bynum, and they won't do that after dumping Kwame and Odom. So they're stuck.

Once again, I don't see why they felt a need to sign Radman when Cook is basically the same player. For cheaper. This is why Kobe is pissed right now.

TRADE 5: MISFITS AND MYSTICS AND MEN

Here, a few teams can get rid of some people they don't want. Wally goes back to Minnesota, and a change of scenery could help these other guys.

BOSTON trades

Wally Sczerbiak, Sebastian Telfair to MINNESOTA

MINNESOTA trades

Rashad McCants, Mike James to CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND trades

Shannon Brown, Eric Snow to BOSTON

James could help out Cleveland with his shooting, even if they are happy with Daniel Gibson. He's a better backup than Damon Jones or Snow, who will mostly serve as a mentor to Boston's young points. That group will not include Telfair, who gets another chance to prove he can do something. McCants hasn't done anything, but Cleveland will take any shooter they can get. Brown gives Boston another two to try out next to Pierce. I think KG accepts Wally back after seeing how miserable he's been without a decent outside shooter. These teams all want to be rid of these guys, so why not exchange them?

TRADE MACHINE: NO!

Almost, though. Minnesota needs to give up more to get Wally's colosal salary (which they made, by the way) to fit. Yikes... how are they over the cap with this roster? Anyway, they can throw in Marko Jaric's terrible contract to Boston in exchange for taking Brian Scalabrine off the Celtics' hands. Boston cringes, but at least they get rid of two bad contracts for one. Justin Reed, thrown into the last Boston-Minnesota trade, is thrown back again. The Celtics liked him, so maybe they'll use him.

redesigned:

BOSTON trades

Brian Scalabrine, Sebastian Telfair, Wally Sczerbiak to MINNESOTA

MINNESOTA trades

Mike James, Rashad McCants to CLEVELAND, Justin Reed, Marko Jaric to BOSTON

CLEVELAND trades

Shannon Brown, Eric Snow to BOSTON

Good? Simmons will probably shoot himself if the C's spend a large amount of money for two point guards they won't use. But hey, they got rid of Scalabrine, Wally, and Shoot-em-up Telfair, and Ratliff will be gone soon. That's something.


UPDATE 6/15:

SO... I guess this is not going down with the Wolves trading Mike James to the Rockets. That wasn't a bad deal, because they could use anyone besides KG who could score down low, even if Juwon Howard is almost dead. Cleveland is porbably better off giving more minutes to Daniel Gibson anyway. He proved during these playoffs that he could be that guy who hits shots and defends. He's just what they needed, so if he keeps improving, they should be OK.

I still think Boston should think of a way to unload Wally, especially if they can get the Wolves interested again. Why not?

TRADE 6: ONE ON ONE

With Shawn Marion wanting big bucks and the keys to a franchise, and the Suns' ownership stalling, he needs to go. He finds a similarly disgruntled match in Ronnie Artest. Both teams are delighted to get an all star for their disappointed forwards. Sacramento builds around Marion in a more exciting offense, giving him, Bibby, Kevin Martin, and younger guys free reign to gun it. They might draft another wing after this and go small. Artest can play the four spot in Phoenix's gun-it offense, or next to Boris Diaw. He improves them defensively while not giving up too much offensively for Marion. In a rare star-for-star trade, I think both teams benefit.

SACRAMENTO trades Ron Artest to PHOENIX for Shawn Marion

TRADE MACHINE: NO!

Whoops. Marion is making significantly more. No wonder Phoenix wants him out. Okay, the Suns might like another rebounder to add depth, and they can throw in a late draft pick if the Kings want. Let's try this again....

SACRAMENTO trades

Ron Artest, Shareef Abdur-Rahim to PHOENIX for

Shawn Marion

OK. Reef's salary works, though I think the Suns would not want to pay him for the next 4 years. Maybe they deal him or Kurt Thomas after this. Sacramento, for the record, doesn't miss him.