Trade Reviews

Another trade deadline has come and gone. There were a few big moves and a bunch of small moves. Here's my analysis on the trades that went down.



Rafer Alston to Orlando
Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook to Houston
Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks, a first round pick (Orlando), and cash to Memphis

Lots seemed to go on at first with this trade, but really, the biggest thing was that Orlando got Rafer Alston. I like this trade for Orlando. They didn't give up a whole lot, but they got a guy that'll be a great guy to come in and take over for the injured Jameer Nelson. Obviously they didn't want to have to be in a position to have to make this trade, but since Nelson got hurt, it's a good trade to make with the given situation. Alston is a guy that can really help Orlando right now.

Houston seems to come in second in this trade. Kyle Lowry is a very streaky and undersized shooting guard, but when he's on he can put up points very quickly. However, I do wonder how he'll fit in with a backcourt that already has Aaron Brooks, although Brooks is a little closer to being a true point guard. It still doesn't really seem to be a move that will work into the long term plans of the Rockets.

Memphis seemed to just be looking to pick up guys to dump here. They obviously were not aggressively going after Adonal Foyle or Mike Wilks here. I think all they really were looking for is the draft pick, which should be in the mid to late 20's for them. There's always a chance at picking up something good at that point, but it's not very likely.



Thabo Sefolosha to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City's worst first round pick to Chicago

Sefolosha wasn't going to get the chance he really deserved with the Bulls. If he continued to play for the Bulls he wasn't going to be going anywhere. Going to Oklahoma City gives him a chance to play in a new system and with a new surrounding. He's got the skill to flourish in the right environment, and this could possibly be it. He's an outstanding defender who just needs to put his offensive game together, and who knows, this could be the place for it. As for the Bulls, they're getting a trade probably in the middle 20's, and like I said before, there's always the chance that you could get something good here, although it's not very likely. Still, I'd say it's worth the shot for the Bulls considering where Sefolosha was going with them. I hate to see him go, because I really liked him, but it was the right move to make and a fair trade.



Patrick O'Bryant to Toronto
Will Solomon and cash to Sacramento
Conditional second round pick to Boston

Patrick O'Bryant went into the 2006 draft as a project that had the potential to have a high payoff. Well, it's been a few years now and we're still waiting for that payoff. Then again, there's been players who've become stars who have taken longer, so I don't see this as Patrick O'Bryant being traded as a total lost cause. If he gets enough minutes he could wind up playing very well in Toronto.

Will Solomon really just isn't that good of a player. He can put up good numbers from time to time, but he's also a guy who will mess a lot of things up. I don't know if he's going to Sacramento to actually play or just to free up another $700,000 for them in the offseason (although they didn't give up anything outside of a pick for him, although they're getting cash for him). I don't see this move being much of anything for Sacramento.

Then again, I don't see it being much for Boston either. I don't know what the conditions are on the second round pick, but usually when you see that conditional word there it means that the team trading for it only did it so that something was there. Boston likely won't ever see that pick. In other words, they gave up a seldom used center and really didn't get anything back, so I don't see this trade as really doing anything for or against Boston.



Malik Rose to Oklahoma City
Chris Wilcox to New York

I honestly don't understand this trade. They're both similar sized expiring contracts, so it's not like it's a money move for either team, and Chris Wilcox is clearly a better player than Malik Rose. Wilcox isn't any sort of superstar, but the guy can give you 8 and 8 on any given night, which is pretty solid. When he was given good minutes he was even better. I think this might wind up coming back to New York doing something nice for Oklahoma City later on.



Jerome James, Anthony Roberson, and Tim Thomas to Chicago
Larry Hughes to New York

While there's a chance that Larry Hughes will go to New York and put up some solid numbers, especially in D'Antoni's system, the bottom line is that he still probably won't help the team. Hughes has a history of padding his own stats at the cost of his team, and I don't know if that will ever change. He mainly brings them a contract that expires by the 2010 offseason.

However, New York already had that in Jerome James and Tim Thomas. Not only that, but most of James' contract is going to be paid for by the insurance that was bought on it. That means that the Bulls have the same amount of money coming off the books by 2010, but it's split into two contracts, making it easier to move if they decide to try to get rid of it earlier, and they don't even have to pay the whole amount. On top of that the Bulls get someone in Tim Thomas who can help their team out. Last time Thomas was on the Bulls it wound up being a disaster, but things are different now. The Bulls are now coached by someone that Thomas really does respect and has a past working relationship with. He can spread the floor and create matchup problems, which is enough to help the Bulls out right there. Throw in that he'll likely average at least 8 and 4, and this move continues to look better and better for the Bulls. I have no clue as to who Anthony Roberson is, but looking at his stats, he looks like he was just a throw-in for this deal. Still, the Bulls look like they win this one, especially since they were actually able to convince someone to take Hughes off their hands. I give it 2 months before New York realizes their mistake.



Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth to Sacramento
Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown to Minnesota

Well, Sacramento becomes the best team in the league by picking up Calvin Booth here, easily the greatest big man the NBA has ever seen. Brad who? I think the Kings have already forgot about that guy.

In all seriousness though, I actually like this move for both teams. McCants has an expiring contract, and I think Booth has an eternal expiring contract, so it frees up some money for the Kings. That's what the Kings have been looking to do throughout this trade season, and they've done well at it. This also gave them the chance to release Quincy Douby, who has not been what the Kings have hoped he would be, and they get back a better version in McCants.

For the Kings, they get a backup power forward and another big man in Shelden Williams, which given the Al Jefferson injury, could help Minnesota out. Williams hasn't really shown to be the best of players since getting drafted, but given his defensive skill in college, it's hard to count him out still. He'll likely never be much on offense, but I can see him at least adding some defensive toughness down low for Minnesota. I'm also a bit more of a Bobby Brown fan than I should be. He'll likely ride at the end of the bench, but he can come in and score in bunches from time to time.



Chris Mihm to Memphis
Conditional 2013 second round pick to Los Angeles

This is pretty much a little for nothing trade. Chris Mihm isn't much, but he can at least do a little bit out there. Once a highly touted prospect, he was drafted in 2000, and we all know that not a whole lot of good came out of that draft. The conditional second round pick I'm thinking is conditional upon the Lakers actually remembering that they have it. 2013? What the hell is going on here? Something tells me this was just the Lakers dumping off Mihm on the Grizzlies, maybe some extra thanks for that Gasol trade.



Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons to Sacramento
Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago

This was the big trade of the day on Wednesday and actually made my day. The Bulls were able to free up some roster space with this trade and so much more.

The big thing the Bulls did with this trade is pick up a legitimate center in Brad Miller. Sure, his numbers are down from past years, but the guy still has the ability to demand respect as a guy who can score in the post or step out and shoot from 15-17 feet out. On top of that, he's one of the best passing big men in the league still today, and that can be a huge help for any team. John Salmons, the other main piece the Bulls picked up, is an improvement over Nocioni, and he'll also make it easier to watch Gordon walk during this offseason if the Bulls decide to do that. He can do anything Gordon can do, but better, and more. He plays better defense and shoots for higher percentages. He'll also turn the ball over less and demand to hold it less.

The best actual player the Kings picked up here is Andres Nocioni, who really brings so much more than just the statistics show. He's one of the toughest men in the entire league, he gets into the head of players on other teams, and he hustles like no one else. He can get a bit wild and out of control at times, but the bottom line is that he brings a work ethic and heart to any team he plays for that far outshines his statistics, which are not terrible in the first place. Drew Gooden is a good player as well, but is a mediocre defender and is coming off of an injury. He's a fairly classic power forward, but just takes too many jumpers. Simmons is still a long away from being a productive player, but he does know how to finish strong. As for Ruffin, I'll get to him in just a second....



Michael Ruffin to Portland
Ike Diogu to Sacramento

Another move to clear out more money. I don't see either player giving a lot, if anything to their team on the floor. At one point I did see Diogu as a legitimate prospect, but I hadn't even heard his name in over a year before this trade went down.


Okay, from here on out I'm going to pass on conditional second round pick trades, so yeah, Cassell was traded to Sacramento (and I believe released) and Alex Acker was traded to the Clippers.



Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown to the Lakers
Vladimir Radmanovic to the Bobcats

As far as player quality goes, Charlotte gets the slight edge here, but it's really not a whole lot. Radmanovic can be helpful when his shot is falling, but if it isn't he's really not a whole lot to write home about.

On the other hand, Adam Morrison is probably the most interesting piece to this trade. The guy has been nothing short of disappointing throughout his NBA career after putting up very impressive scoring numbers in college and playing with more heart that any college player we've seen in quite some time. However, it's hard to build that heart up again when you're playing against players at such a high level. Morrison didn't dominate when he came in to the NBA, and there's still a chance that he could find his groove like he did in college, but I wouldn't bet on it. As for Shannon Brown, he can be nice in spurts, but he's more of a throw in.



Alright, that's about as far back as I'll go with the trades possibly related to the trade deadline. Considering that last trade was 12 days before the deadline, I'm thinking even that is pushing it right there.

So really, who is the winner of this trade deadline? Well, ESPN is reporting it's Chicago, and yeah, I'm a bit biased, so I'll pick the Bulls as well. They were able to get a legitimate center for the first time in a long time, then they were also able to add some nice intangibles, and a big shooting guard who can actually play. On top of that, they solved their biggest problem, and that's how to remove a cancer without hurting themselves, getting rid of Larry Hughes and his huge almost unmovable contract. On top of that, they cleared stuff out a bit in the backcourt/wing by trading Sefolosha away for a late first round pick.