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Kobe, General Manager That He Is, Thinks the Lakers Could Have Kept Marc Gasol

Posted: Aug 17th 2008 3:50PM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Grizzlies, Lakers, Western

Marc Gasol hasn't been dominant in Beijing, but it's pretty clear the Grizzlies may have gotten themselves a valuable asset in Pau Gasol's little brother. The younger Gasol is bigger, meatier, and shows a very un-Pau-like penchant for diving after loose balls and playing physical basketball, while displaying a very Pau-like touch offensively. So much so that the Memphis Commercial Appeal points out that he's getting praise from all sorts of members of Team USA.

The most interesting may have come from Kobe Bryant, though. In the article, Kobe drops this delicious little insight into the mind of a superstar with the authority to have impact on personnel decisions:

"In hindsight, we probably didn't have to give him up to get Pau," Bryant said. "We should have kept Marc, too."

Okay, Kobes. Didn't realize you had so much experience in negotiating trades. I kid, I kid. Kobe's obviously just trying to complement the guy. But if we were to take a closer look at it, there are two ways you can take the statement from Mamba. It's either A. an admission that the Lakers may not have ripped off the Grizzlies quite as bad as initially thought (a paradigm that's becoming more and more popular with each Grizzlies move), or B. the exact opposite, an even further condemnation of how little the Grizzlies' front office are to be thought of. As in, they probably didn't have to give up Marc to get Pau, since the Grizzlies will let pretty much anything go.

Continue Reading Kobe, General Manager That He Is, Thinks the Lakers Could Have Kept Marc Gasol

Well, Well, Well. Jermaine O'Neal Is Alive and Headed to Toronto

Posted: Jun 26th 2008 1:00AM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Raptors, Pacers, Eastern, Indianapolis, Toronto

2 COMMENTS

The rumors had been fluttering for the past 24 hours, and it's apparently a done deal.

Jermaine O'Neal is headed to Toronto, in exchange for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the #17 pick.

For O'Neal, this is the fresh start he's been waiting years for. He's still a capable big man, and working in tandem with Chris Bosh means he doesn't have to shoulder the load under a body riddled with injuries.

For Ford, this settles the question of whether the Raptors wanted him or Jose Calderon. Ford has still proven he can be capable, and he goes to a team rebuilding, again, but with a lot of talent, again. The Pacers are very quietly building a considerably deep backcourt. Now they just have to do something with it. There's a lot of talk about how this is a win-win situation, but that's only if O'Neal stays healthy. If he does, though, the Raptors will have a frontcourt that could destroy small worlds. Likewise, TJ Ford has to prove his neck is up to go full speed. So many questions, and we're not even to draft night yet. Hang on to your hats, folks. This one's about to get rocky.

The Spurs Salary Cap Situation Sets Them Up To Continue Their Dominance

Posted: Jun 13th 2007 10:00AM by Nate Jones (author feed)
Filed under: Spurs, Western

6 COMMENTS

Today while doing my usual trek through Forum Blue and Gold's comment threads, I noticed an excellent point brought up by one of the readers there. The reader basically stated that after next season the Spurs will only have four players signed. Those four players are Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Jackie Butler. That means that the Spurs will have the cap space (at least $10M and likely more depending on where the salary cap is before the start of the 08-09 season) to add one or more good to great players to their roster.

Next summer just happens to be the time that disgruntled stars like KG and Jermaine O'neal will have an opportunity to opt out. As well, guys like Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest, Baron Davis and Shawn Marion all can become free agents after next season. With tons of cap space, there is a possibility that the Spurs could sign a Kevin Garnett or an Elton Brand. Could you imagine either one of those guys paired with Tim Duncan?

If not moved to a contender prior to the end of next season, Garnett is the most likely to end up on the Spurs, as he's already made TONS of money, and would be more inclined to leave the team that could pay him the most than some of the other guys that are still looking to collect as much money as they can. Garnett wants a championship badly, and pairing him with Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli would almost certainly make that dream a reality. With those four guys, they could pretty much fill the rest of the team with bargain basement vets, rookies, and D-Leaguers and still run over the entire league. No wonder so many people praise R.C. Buford.

For the sake of the rest of the league, I hope Kevin McHale trades Garnett to a location where he'll be happy so that we don't have to deal with the possibility of him opting out and going to the Spurs.

Either way, the Spurs will be in a position to sign someone big.

The number one lesson to be learned from this: Cap management is important. I guess that's why teams were clamoring to sign these front office wiz kids.

Previously at Fanhouse:
All Hail R.C. Buford
The NBA's 'Stat Pack'

When Tanking Is Worth It

Posted: Apr 10th 2007 8:07PM by Bethlehem Shoals (author feed)
Filed under: Hawks, Suns, Eastern, Western, NBA Draft, NBA Gambling, NBA Playoffs

1 COMMENT

Talk of the Celtics or Hawks tanking for the top pick is kind of ridiculous. After all, in the last twelve lotteries, the first overall pick has only twice gone to the team with the worst record. That doesn't mean, though, that teams don't sometimes have an incentive to lose down the stretch.

Today in The New York Sun, stat deity John Hollinger breaks down all the little reasons to tank. It's a long, involved story, and you probably shouldn't read it standing up. The main point, though, is that it's hard to jockey for the jackpot. But conditions placed on traded draft picks, or unfavorable playoff match-ups, could be dealt with by intentionally losing.

The most obvious example of this, which the FanHouse has touched on several times already, is the Hawks' pick this year. Unless it's in the top three, it goes to the Suns. So If Atlanta were to end up with the league's worst record, there's a pretty good chance that they would end up keeping their pick. As Hollinger puts is:

The Atlanta Hawks are another team with great incentive to lose. Unlike other lottery hopefuls that are merely hoping to end up with a top-three pick instead of, say, no. 5, for the Hawks tanking could mean the difference between a top-three pick and none at all.

Wow, what could the Hawks possibly do to bring on the losses? Suspending their best healthy player is a good start. See, that franchise isn't so stupid after all.

Trades That Should Happen: Anyone to Anywhere

Posted: Feb 22nd 2007 12:28PM by J.E. Skeets (author feed)
Filed under: Eastern, Western, NBA Rumors

2 COMMENTS

With the NBA trade deadline looming (t-minus three hours and counting), the FanHouse looks at potential trades out there that would make the NBA a better, brighter, place.

Seriously, I'll take anything at this point. Mike Bibby to Cleveland for Drew Gooden, his hair patch and some Rock n' Roll memorabilia. Corey Maggette to Utah for Gordon Giricek, Rafael Araujo and seven of the Jazz's wins. Antoine Walker to the NBDL. Or the WNBA. Or Europe. Anything.

But here's the thing with the trade deadline: Minus a few notable names, when an NBA general manager is faced with the choice of making a move or not making a move, 9 times of 10 he won't make a move. And why? Fear. I mean, why pull the trigger on a deal that could backfire in your face, when you can sit in your office, pretend to "work the phones" and go home at the end of the day with your well-paid and well-respected job?

The answer, of course, is that a deal made could just as easily make you look like a genius; potentially making you more money and garnering even more respect. But I assume most GM's are pretty happy with their current salary and status within the organization. The risk of making a move just isn't worth it. For most GM's at least.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and trade Kevin Martin from my fantasy basketball team. The playoff push is coming, I just lost JR Smith to injury and well ... I'm not afraid to shake things up, dammit!

Previous 'Trades That Should Happen' on the FanHouse:
Gasol to the Bulls
Carter to the Magic
Maggette to the Spurs
Garnett to Any Damn Place

Trades That Should Happen: Garnett to Any Damn Place

Posted: Feb 21st 2007 1:50AM by mjd (author feed)
Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Rumors

5 COMMENTS

With the NBA trade deadline looming, the FanHouse looks at potential trades out there that would make the NBA a better, brighter, place.

It's not going to happen ... I guess we should get that out of the way first. The Wolves say they won't trade Garnett unless Garnett asks to be traded, and Garnett, for whatever the reasons, won't ask to be traded.

KG prefers that the Wolves do a little bit more to add players around him, sort of ignoring the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves have never, ever done this.

I honestly believe it's the best thing for everyone involved. The Timberwolves should forget about trying to build around Kevin Garnett, because they clearly aren't capable ... and even if they were, by the team the pieces were developed and in place, Garnett would be 51 years old.

Yes, if they hold on to him, they could make the playoffs this year. Congratulations, you get to be swept in the first round. What a tremendous achievement.

I'd like to tell you that Kevin McHale should be beaten with a sledgehammer for wasting the career of Kevin Garnett, but if Garnett won't ask for a trade ... then it's at least as much his fault as it is that of Kevin McHale and Wolves owner Glen Taylor.

Still, we're talking about trades we'd like to see happen, not trades that will happen. So if the Wolves want to continue going down this path that leads to nowhere and in the process robbing NBA fans of seeing a great player in his prime, playing for something meaningful ... then there's not much anyone can do to stop them.

Trades That Should Happen: Gasol to the Bulls

Posted: Feb 20th 2007 11:12PM by J.E. Skeets (author feed)
Filed under: Bulls, Grizzlies, Eastern, Western, NBA Rumors

7 COMMENTS

With the NBA trade deadline looming, the FanHouse looks at potential trades out there that would make the NBA a better, brighter, place.

Yes, this Gasol-to-Chicago rumor's been on the table so long it might as well be bottled, placed next to the salt and pepper and sprinkled liberally on chicken. But at the end of the day -- er, make that Thursday at 2:59 pm -- I believe it's a move the Bulls organization has to make. Two major reasons why:

1. Interior scoring. As in, the Bulls have absolutely none of it. But hey, don't ask me; check what Ben Gordon had to say when questioned about his team's "lack" of inside presence:

"Just the way this team is set up, the load is on the guards," Gordon said. "We rely so much on our draw-and-kick game. It's tough sometimes when we can't go down [to the post] consistently. We have guys who can score, who can pick-and-pop. But we don't have anybody who can go down there five, six times in a row and get something."

Well said, Benjamin. (Can I call you Benjamin?) Adding Gasol, who is easily one of the best back to the basket scoring big men in the world, would finally allow the Bulls to stop living and dying on the jump shot. Their inside-outside game would be deadly.

2. The Big Ben/championship "now" factor. When general manager John Paxson signed 31-year-old Ben Wallace to a four-year, $60 million deal this past summer, the message he sent to Bulls' fans was loud and clear: We're serious about taking the next step. Well, the thing is, I'm pretty sure Pax hadn't intended "the next step" to mean "marginal regular season improvement." Bearing in mind Big Ben doesn't have many more championship runs left in the ol' tank, Pax really ought to keep rolling the dice on his act now plans.

Luol Deng, Thabo Sefolosha, PJ Brown's expiring contract and a future first round pick for Gasol and one of the Grizzlies fatter contracts -- Damon Stoudamire, Stromile Swift or Brian Cardinal's -- might just be enough to strike a deal for both sides.

Trades That Should Happen: Maggette to the Spurs

Posted: Feb 20th 2007 7:34PM by mjd (author feed)
Filed under: Clippers, Spurs, Western, NBA Rumors

4 COMMENTS

With the NBA trade deadline looming, the FanHouse looks at potential trades out there that would make the NBA a better, brighter, place.

Word on the street is that Donald Sterling is the only person in the Clippers organization that wants to keep Maggette around. The other players are tired of his complaining, the coaches don't particularly like his attitude, and he can't grab spot in the starting line-up. Said Maggette recently about his lack of playing time:

"I don't get it, I really don't. It's crazy. I put in work. I deserve to play. It's totally mind-boggling to me. [It's] unbelievable that I couldn't help this team tonight. Why? Why?"

The Clippers even signed Doug Christie recently. Doug Christie. Cut him loose, Clippers. Maggette has a skill set that could be used somewhere else.

Namely, with the San Antonio Spurs. San Antone could use an upgrade in athleticism, and it would be nice to have someone who could come off the bench and score quickly in a variety of ways. Maggette's rebounding ability would also help the Spurs fill a need.

It's true that Maggette's not much of a defender, and it's true that he's got a reputation as a bit of a knucklehead. But it's impossible to act a fool in San Antonio. Greg Popovich won't allow it, neither will the team's leadership. His defense would improve simply by virtue of being a Spur, and if you need a stopper on the floor, then hey, that's what Bruce Bowen's for.

Brent Barry along with one or more from the group of Matt Bonner, Jackie Bulter, Francisco Elson, Fabricio Oberto, Beno Udrih, Jacques Vaughn, and James White, and draft picks could work under the cap.