the_ouskull
1/10/2011, 12:25 AM
We're going to see a Carmelo to NJ deal REALLY soon, like maybe tomorrow, from the sounds of things.
NJ gets: Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Shelden Williams - Denver, AND Richard Hamilton - Detriot
Denver gets: Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Graham, Ben Uzoh, and at least two first round picks.
Detroit gets: Troy Murphy, Quinton Ross - NJ, Terrico Wright - Detroit, and Johan Petro - NJ, who is the one holding the whole thing up. Detroit wants one of the first-rounders promised to Denver if they have to take on Petro (and his salary). There is the additional problem of Billups coming out and saying that he wants no part of Jersey if traded there, and they may as well just buy him out. Classy.
Also, depending on various trade exceptions, etc... another couple of players could move to make the salaries work, but those listed above are the (current) principles.
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So, what up if that's the final deal? I think, long-term, it could make Denver a very, very good basketball team. Favors was a Top-3 pick, Harris is an all-star-caliber player, and Morrow makes J.R. Smith expendable, something else that the team needs to address. Stephen Graham is a veteran, and the two first-round picks will probably be high-mid rounders, allowing them to address a number of issues.
Ty Lawson, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Aaron Affalo, Ben Uzoh, and J.R. Smith in the backcourt - as well as Reynaldo Balkman and Stephen Graham having the versatility to play the swingman role from time-to-time... and Favors, the Birdman, Al Harrington, Kenyon Martin, and Nene in the frontcourt. Use those first-round picks on big men with time to develop and that's a really good, and really defensive-minded team in a couple of years. They could also go crazy-smallball with Lawson, Harris, Smith, Balkman, and any one of their bigs. They could become a good foil for OKC, for sure.
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New Jersey is interesting...
Jordan Farmar, Rip Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Kris Humphries, and Brook Lopez make for a pretty good starting five. If you talk Billups into sticking around, and starting even, then you're bringing Farmar off of the bench with Damion James, Travis Outlaw, and Sasha Vujacic, probably with Carmelo or Lopez still on the floor with them. They'll lack some depth, and they won't have the draft to find it for a while, but they could be a solid team; certainly it makes them a playoff team, no?
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Detroit: Who cares? They're miserable and this trade won't help them at all.
Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva, and Troy Murphy would be their best starting five, with a bench of Quinton Ross, Ben Wallace's corpse, Tracy McGrady's backup corpse, and Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiell, Austin Daye, and Will Bynum. The Pistons have a lot of players that are good at a handful of things, but great at nothing, and all have one fatal flaw. Ben Wallace used to be great at a lot of things, but now he's only decent at rebounding and great at afro. Oh, and after Wallace, either Prince, or Ross - who just got there - is their best defender. That's a problem, too, and one that they probably won't be able to get a good enough draft pick for taking Petro to address. In other words, they're just trading to clear house. (Hamilton...) They aren't trying to get better with this move.
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Anybody else have any thoughts? NBA-style?
the_ouskull
NJ gets: Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Shelden Williams - Denver, AND Richard Hamilton - Detriot
Denver gets: Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Stephen Graham, Ben Uzoh, and at least two first round picks.
Detroit gets: Troy Murphy, Quinton Ross - NJ, Terrico Wright - Detroit, and Johan Petro - NJ, who is the one holding the whole thing up. Detroit wants one of the first-rounders promised to Denver if they have to take on Petro (and his salary). There is the additional problem of Billups coming out and saying that he wants no part of Jersey if traded there, and they may as well just buy him out. Classy.
Also, depending on various trade exceptions, etc... another couple of players could move to make the salaries work, but those listed above are the (current) principles.
-----
So, what up if that's the final deal? I think, long-term, it could make Denver a very, very good basketball team. Favors was a Top-3 pick, Harris is an all-star-caliber player, and Morrow makes J.R. Smith expendable, something else that the team needs to address. Stephen Graham is a veteran, and the two first-round picks will probably be high-mid rounders, allowing them to address a number of issues.
Ty Lawson, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Aaron Affalo, Ben Uzoh, and J.R. Smith in the backcourt - as well as Reynaldo Balkman and Stephen Graham having the versatility to play the swingman role from time-to-time... and Favors, the Birdman, Al Harrington, Kenyon Martin, and Nene in the frontcourt. Use those first-round picks on big men with time to develop and that's a really good, and really defensive-minded team in a couple of years. They could also go crazy-smallball with Lawson, Harris, Smith, Balkman, and any one of their bigs. They could become a good foil for OKC, for sure.
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New Jersey is interesting...
Jordan Farmar, Rip Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Kris Humphries, and Brook Lopez make for a pretty good starting five. If you talk Billups into sticking around, and starting even, then you're bringing Farmar off of the bench with Damion James, Travis Outlaw, and Sasha Vujacic, probably with Carmelo or Lopez still on the floor with them. They'll lack some depth, and they won't have the draft to find it for a while, but they could be a solid team; certainly it makes them a playoff team, no?
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Detroit: Who cares? They're miserable and this trade won't help them at all.
Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva, and Troy Murphy would be their best starting five, with a bench of Quinton Ross, Ben Wallace's corpse, Tracy McGrady's backup corpse, and Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiell, Austin Daye, and Will Bynum. The Pistons have a lot of players that are good at a handful of things, but great at nothing, and all have one fatal flaw. Ben Wallace used to be great at a lot of things, but now he's only decent at rebounding and great at afro. Oh, and after Wallace, either Prince, or Ross - who just got there - is their best defender. That's a problem, too, and one that they probably won't be able to get a good enough draft pick for taking Petro to address. In other words, they're just trading to clear house. (Hamilton...) They aren't trying to get better with this move.
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Anybody else have any thoughts? NBA-style?
the_ouskull