No sooner did I click "Publish" on last night's blog demanding the Nuggets move quicker with the Carmelo Anthony trade did a text come to my Blackberry from ESPN saying that the deal, in fact, had been finalized.
For those who were under a rock the last 18 or so hours and missed the Worldwide Leader's never-ending coverage of the biggest trade of 2011, here's how the deal broke down:
Denver received sharpshooting young forward Danilo Gallinari, versatile youngster Wilson Chandler, point guard Ray Felton, project big man Timofey Mozgov, New York's first round pick in 2014, a couple 2nd rounders and $3 million.
The Knicks, meanwhile, land the biggest fish in the deal by acquiring Anthony, one of the game's great young scorers. Alongside 'Melo, New York gets what's left of Chauncey Billups' rotting carcass, former New York foil Anthony Carter, Candice Parker's husband Shelden Williams and forward Renaldo Balkman(whom Knick fans will remember as the guy they booed mercifully when the Knicks selected Balkman with the 20th overall pick back in 2006). The Knicks also get former 2-time NCAA champion Corey Brewer from Minnesota, while the T'Wolves get back forward Anthony Randolph and big, fat, Eddy Curry.
So, who got the best of this deal? Well, time will answer that question after Anthony finally suits up as a New York Knick. While the real "winners" and "losers" won't truly be determined until this whole thing is finished playing out, here's a breakdown of who benefitted and suffered from last night's blockbuster. (Note: The winners and losers are in no particular order of importance.)
WINNERS
1. Carmelo Anthony: You have to tip your hat to the kid for successfully strong-arming his way to the place he truly wanted to be. He did what he could to stall out the Nets until the Knicks could come with a reasonable deal and now he's the new face of New York basketball. 'Melo's scoring, personality and swagger make him the best young matinee idol New York has seen since Derek Jeter and the fact that the Knicks are in the playoff race gives him an even better chance of becoming a Big Apple icon. Obviously, the reputation behind New Yorkers and their demands for instant success will put added pressure on Anthony, who didn't have to deal with nearly as big a fish bowl in Denver. Still, Melo wanted to be a Knick and he played his hand beautifully to make that happen. However, as you'll read later, it isn't all handshakes and Hallmark cards for New York's newest second coming.
2. LaLa Vasquez: In a lot of ways, 'Melo's new blushing bride made out to be a bigger winner from this deal than her star husband. By moving from Denver to New York, LaLa becomes the Tri-State's next Joumana Kidd. Granted, LaLa was already known to New Yorkers from her run as a VJ for MTV, but now she's associated as the main squeeze to New York's Next Big Thing. Brace yourselves, people: LaLa is about to take over New York. She's going to be all over your television. She'll be doing work for MSG. She'll be dropping bombs with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97. She's a deep Knicks playoff run from being "That Girl" in the country's biggest market. Remember how Jason Kidd's wife was everywhere when the Nets went on their Finals run? History is about to repeat itself.
3. Denver Nuggets: While none of the spare parts Denver received in exchange for their star player are nearly as skilled as 'Melo, the sum of those parts do George Karl's team a lot more in the end. Gallinari's just 22 years old and he's in the middle of a season that saw him average 16 and 5 for the Knicks. Maybe he won't be the next Dirk Nowitzki like some of his press clippings predicted, but would it be so bad if he was the 2nd coming of a young Peja Stojakovic? Wilson Chandler, meanwhile, is only 23, and was averaging 16 and 6 with New York. Ray Felton was playing at an All-Star level for the first quarter of the season and he's just 26 and averaging 17 points and 9 assists. Mozgov gives the Nuggets size, even though he'll probably never pan out to be anything more than a poor man's Bill Wennington. With this deal, the Nuggets got younger(which is saying something, since the Nuggets were already pretty young), saved a boatload of money, and have the opportunity to further along the rebuilding process with some of these picks they've acquired(especially if they acquire more picks by swapping some of their New York haul).
4. New York Knicks: Pundits will say the Knicks gave up too much for Anthony, a guy who would have probably signed with New York in the offseason anyway without having to give up anything, and that very well may be true. The Knicks, however, couldn't afford to be cavalier with the thought process that they were going to get 'Melo one way or the other. GM Donnie Walsh is angling for an extension and the best way for him to grab one would have been to land Carmelo. If Anthony ends up on the Nets, the torches and pitchforks of Knicks faithful looking for Walsh's head would have been outside his door by nightfall. As much as this trade thins out the Knicks, the fact remains that the Knicks have two of the fifteen best players in the NBA on their squad. Does it make them better in the East? Right now, no. They aren't better than the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics or the Chicago Bulls and they don't play good enough defense to be above the Orlando Magic. However, the acquisition calms down the masses in MSG and if, IF, Melo's presence helps land Chris Paul next summer, it will be worth every penny.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Hold on, hold on, hear me out. There's a chance, a slim chance but a chance nonetheless, that Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph turn their careers around in Minnesota. Again, it's unlikely, but it's possible. You see what a change of scenery did for Michael Beasley? You see what Kevin Love is doing in 'Sota? Alright, alright, Randolph and Curry aren't as good as them, but Randolph's 21 and he still has potential even if, at times, he seems destined to be another one of the NBA's great young tragedies. As for Curry, he's a 28-year old expiring contract. Yes, he's out-of-shape and worthless, but if Minnesota can dangle him to grab something more worthwhile, the price to get such a trade chip was just an equally worthless young bust in Corey Brewer.
6. Chris Paul/Deron Williams/Dwight Howard: Those are 2012's Big 3 free agents and they now possess the blueprint on how to get whatever they want if they find themselves disenfranchised with their current arrangement. If Howard gets tired of Stan Van screaming in his ear and feels like he can be the next Shaq in L.A.? Now he knows what to do. If Deron wants to beat CP3 to the punch and find a new home with the Knicks, he can follow 'Melo's lead. If all the wheeling and dealing New Orleans has done to try to convince Paul to stay isn't enough, Paul can go back to his trade demands from earlier in the year. Carmelo's successful departure from the Rockies now allows the young free agents-to-be to carve their own niche in finding a way out of Dodge. Now, granted, I don't think Howard is aggressive enough to demand out of his situation in Orlando. Yes, the Magic are in cap hell after agreeing to take on the contracts of Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas, but unless Howard can go to a L.A. or a Boston, he's not going to find too many situations better than what he's in. The same can't be said for CP3 and Williams. The Jazz lost Carlos Boozer last year and have begun life without longtime coach Jerry Sloan. The downward spiral may be forthcoming and that might be all Deron needs as a reason to skip town. The same goes for Paul. The Hornets got off to a fast start but, without another big piece to complement Paul, they aren't going to do damage out West. Plus, Paul will no doubt be feeling the pressure from Amare Stoudemire and Anthony to come join them in New York. Given where he's at now, that's going to be hard to turn down.
6. The NBA: Basketball matters in New York again! The Knicks were already the 6 seed in the East after a surprising start but now the NBA has one of its most marketable stars in a large market. The Knicks might not be a powerhouse yet but, with 'Melo and Amare and coach Mike D'Antoni's frenetic offense, they are ready-for-primetime. Plus, with 'Melo in the East now, Commissioner Stern gets a few more Carmelo vs. LeBron games to televise. Like the Knicks, the NBA will benefit the most from Chris Paul joining forces with Melo and Amare. It will make the Knicks a powerhouse again as well as allow the league to what it has been wanting to do for a while now: Contract the Hornets. Melo to the Knicks adds revenue to the league's bottom line simply because, if the Knicks can make an ugly bastard like Patrick Ewing and a choke artist like Latrell Sprewell marketable, imagine what they can do with Anthony.
7. Los Angeles Lakers/San Antonio Spurs/Oklahoma City Thunder: The longer this Melo saga dragged on, the less of a threat Denver was going to be to the West's Big 3. Still, all three teams have to breathe a sigh of relief that they don't have to deal with Carmelo as often as they used to. Denver was always a team, on paper, that could have been the best in the West, but it had far too many headcases for George Karl to reel in. Now, they'll spend the next couple of years rebuilding, opening the door for the Clippers to fill the void as the NBA's next "coulda, shoulda, woulda" team. (Note: The Clippers would be winners here, too, but they are, in fact, THE CLIPPERS!)
LOSERS
1. Carmelo Anthony: Wait, how can Melo win AND lose, you ask? Well, he gets kudos for finding a way to fufill his dream of playing for the Knicks. The problem with that dream is that, by forcing his way to New York via trade, the Knicks don't have a team now that's even close to as good on paper as the one Melo just left. Denver might not have gotten the job done during Carmelo's time there, but you can't fault them for trying. They brought in Kenyon Martin, Chris "Birdman" Anderson, traded for Allen Iverson, then flipped Iverson into Chauncey Billups, they stole J.R. Smith and got another steal in drafting Ty Lawson out of UNC. If you compare what the Nuggets did to compel Melo to stay against what Cleveland did to build around LeBron, it's not even close in it going in Melo's favor. Now, Anthony is the lead dog on a two-man team. On top of that, who's playing defense for the Knicks? Amare was once one of the most athletic big men in the league, but knee injuries and surgeries have made him into the latest version of Antonio McDyess. Billups is still steady, but he's past his prime and the Knicks were probably better with Felton at the helm. Anthony's arrival to New York only has significance if they land Chris Paul next year. Yeah, it's a nice coup for the Knicks, but who is stopping Derrick Rose at the point or keeping Dwight Howard from dominating inside in the playoffs? Nobody.
2. New Jersey Nets: Ouch. When the Nets swung and missed on LeBron and D-Wade and even Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer this offseason, they at least had the Knicks to share their misery with(eventhough the Knicks did land one of the Big Six in Amare). Now, they not only have to swallow the fact that they missed out on Carmelo despite having the superior deal, they have to watch Melo light it up for their rivals across the river. Plus, who's coming to New Jersey now? You think Chris Paul is taking New Jersey over playing in New York or even staying in New Orleans? Doubtful. The same with Dwight Howard and Deron Williams. That leaves New Jersey with nobody to make their franchise face if and when this team moves to Brooklyn. Quite sad, isn't it, that a team with an aggressive billionaire owner and the most recognizable rap figure of the last 30 years can't reel in one young cornerstone to build around? Maybe Derrick Favors morphs into the next Karl Malone. Maybe Brook Lopez bounces back from his sophomore slump. Maybe Devin Harris moves up another notch. Still, it has to be disheartening that the fate of the franchise rests on three big maybes, instead of one sure thing.
3. Amare Stoudemire: For four months, Amare was the NBA's Frank White. Now, he gets to be the poor man's Shaq to Melo's poor man's Kobe. The presence of Anthony obviously takes pressure off Amare to carry the team and you have to think Amare wouldn't have pushed for Melo to come to New York if he didn't know it meant he'd have to take a back seat, but Amare was an MVP candidate for a portion of the season and, while Melo won't exactly reduce Amare to mop-up duty, it's tough knowing that he'll never be the big man on campus like he was the first half of the season(especially since he took a back seat for so long in Phoenix).
4. New Orleans Hornets/Utah Jazz/Orlando Magic: Be afraid. Be very afraid. Now that the Knicks have become significantly more enticing to potential free agents, it just got a lot harder for these three respective teams to keep their free agents-to-be. As I mentioned before, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Dwight Howard all have legit reasons to bounce after next season. The most likely of which is Paul since a. his team is being run by the league, who would have a more vested interest in seeing the league's best point guard in big market instead of drowning in New Orleans(yes, pun intended) and b. he's already played the "I want out" card recently. The Hornets may be better than CP3 anticipated but they are far from a contender. Maybe the bright lights and paparazzi isn't appealing to Paul and he'll choose to go the Kevin Durant route and stay put, but what about an outgoing poster boy like D-12? You think Dwight Howard doesn't want to have his thousand-watt smile on billboards in Times Square? You think Deron Williams doesn't want to go from the House That Mormons Built to rubbing elbows with Donald Trump in the big city? It's going to hard for these three teams to compete with what New York now offers, especially since there is very little time to whip their respective teams into something capable of competing with the Knicks.
4. NBA beat writers/ sports media outlets: So, um, NOW what do we write about? With the Melo trade over with and no other big names on the Trade Deadline docket, there's going to be a lull going from Carmelo 24/7 to covering the rest of the league. Baseball's a month or two away and football might be gone for a while, the only thing anyone bothered to write about for months was about Carmelo Anthony's future. Now, his future is his present. Sure, we can dip into what's on the horizon for the aforementioned Big Three of 2012, but we have 18 months to do that. All of the excitement has been diminished now that Anthony finally got the deal that we saw coming since Halloween. You know what that means? Prepare for farfetched rumors and sports talk radio producers filling air times with what-ifs and conjured up nonsense.
5. Ty Lawson: When Chauncey Billups went on the trading block, you would have thought it would have been that Denver wanted to free up the starting point guard gig for their young point man. Now, Lawson finds himself blocked by his former Tarheel teammate. Granted, Raymond Felton is a free agent after the season and Lawson could always take the job next year, but what happens if Felton plays his way onto the team next season? Time was, Lawson was the speedy alternative to the slow and plodding Billups, but Felton has the jets that can equal Lawson's, and with all these extra guards from the Melo deal, it will be tough to find room to play both UNC alums together.
Showing posts with label New York Knicks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Knicks. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Garden State of Mind
Haste makes waste.
It's a cliche I've been hearing since I was a small child and it's one that seems to apply to the Denver Nuggets' steadfast efforts in getting at least something of note for outgoing All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony. I don't fault the Nuggets in being aggressive in trying to move 'Melo before the trade deadline in February, but common sense tells you that, if a man makes it public he wants to play for the Knicks, he's probably going to drag his feet in agreeing to go anywhere other than New York.
Now, you'll find no bigger fan of the state of New Jersey than yours truly. I was born and raised there. My two favorite TV shows of the last decade have been "The Sopranos" and "Jersey Shore". "Garden State" is one of my favorite movies. However, even I know playing in Newark(where I spent the first decade of my life), even on a short term basis, is nowhere close to as appealing as playing in Madison Square Garden. There are reports that 'Melo's reluctance to sign the 3-year, $65 million extension that the Nets(and before them, the Nuggets) are offering is the latest road block to getting a deal done. Well, no shit, Sherlock! The man wants to play for the Knicks! The Nuggets will say publicly that the reason they won't strike a deal with New York is because the Knicks don't have the draft picks to offer that New Jersey does(which is bullshit because the Knicks could easily pilfer a first from some team wanting to add the services of young forward Anthony Randolph). The real reason Denver won't deal with New York, to me, is because they blame the Knicks(more specifically Amare Stoudemire and well-known cheerleader Spike Lee) for wooing 'Melo into wanting to leave Denver.
Maybe they're right. Or maybe Denver wants to paint New York as the villians as reasoning for not taking what seems to be the better deal. The current deal on the table from New Jersey has 'Melo and Chauncey Billups going to the Nets in exchange for a couple first round picks, All-Star point guard Devin Harris, promising rookie big man Derrick Favors, sharp shooter Anthony Morrow and a couple of guys who will be selling foot-long Chicken Carbonara subs at Quizno's within a couple months(the Nets would also get a semi-fossilized version of Richard Hamilton in exchange for the overpaid Twin Towers, Johan Petro and Troy Murphy). Now, Harris is solid point man with the ability to fill it up, but where does he fit on a roster that already has speedy playmaker Ty Lawson at the point? Are the Nuggets going to play both of them at the same time and try to overwhelm teams with their speed? As for Favors, he's still a couple years away. If he can't beat out Kris Humphries for playing time in New Jersey, where is he going to find minutes behind K-Mart, "The Birdman" and Nene?
The Knicks, however, will be serving up highly-touted forward Danilo Gallinari(who suffers from the classic Big Apple media overhype but is still further along than Favors is and fills a bigger need as a solid shooting small forward), Wilson Chandler(who is putting together a solid season and would really help the Nuggets with his ability to play multiple positions), rookie Landry Fields(like Gallo, another guy who is nowhere near as good as his New York press clippings, but still a decent two-guard) and perhaps a first rounder the Knicks would squeeze out in a deal for Randolph. That's not a better deal than the Harris/Favors poo-poo platter? For one, the Knicks are a 6 seed in the East(I know, hardly a huge accomplishment since the 7 and 8 seeds are both drastically under .500), while the Nets are barely afloat at 10-28. How can you expect 'Melo to be attracted to the idea of being shipped to a team that is 18 games under .500 and is two years away from moving to Brooklyn. Would a foursome of 'Melo-Rip-Billups-Brook Lopez turn things around and perhaps have the Nets sneaking in as a 7 or 8 seed(and in turn, getting annihilated by Miami or Boston in Round 1)? Maybe. Is it more alluring than being "The Next Big Thing" in the country's biggest sports market and teaming with Amare to become a poor man's Shaq and Kobe? Hell no!
So, look, Denver, let me save you, the hard-working fellows at ESPN who cover the ESPN, and the fans chomping at the bit for a deal to get done some time and aggravation. 'Melo's not going to New Jersey. He wants what every kid who grew up in the Tri-State area with the scant hope of playing in the NBA wants: to play in the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. You can try to sell him on the eventual move to Brooklyn. Jay-Z can try to hustle 'Melo with his silk tongue and allusions of grandeur, but even Jigga knows there's nothing like playing in the Garden. Do the right thing, Denver. Quit cutting off your nose to spite your face. Make the deal with the Knicks. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time.
It's a cliche I've been hearing since I was a small child and it's one that seems to apply to the Denver Nuggets' steadfast efforts in getting at least something of note for outgoing All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony. I don't fault the Nuggets in being aggressive in trying to move 'Melo before the trade deadline in February, but common sense tells you that, if a man makes it public he wants to play for the Knicks, he's probably going to drag his feet in agreeing to go anywhere other than New York.
Now, you'll find no bigger fan of the state of New Jersey than yours truly. I was born and raised there. My two favorite TV shows of the last decade have been "The Sopranos" and "Jersey Shore". "Garden State" is one of my favorite movies. However, even I know playing in Newark(where I spent the first decade of my life), even on a short term basis, is nowhere close to as appealing as playing in Madison Square Garden. There are reports that 'Melo's reluctance to sign the 3-year, $65 million extension that the Nets(and before them, the Nuggets) are offering is the latest road block to getting a deal done. Well, no shit, Sherlock! The man wants to play for the Knicks! The Nuggets will say publicly that the reason they won't strike a deal with New York is because the Knicks don't have the draft picks to offer that New Jersey does(which is bullshit because the Knicks could easily pilfer a first from some team wanting to add the services of young forward Anthony Randolph). The real reason Denver won't deal with New York, to me, is because they blame the Knicks(more specifically Amare Stoudemire and well-known cheerleader Spike Lee) for wooing 'Melo into wanting to leave Denver.
Maybe they're right. Or maybe Denver wants to paint New York as the villians as reasoning for not taking what seems to be the better deal. The current deal on the table from New Jersey has 'Melo and Chauncey Billups going to the Nets in exchange for a couple first round picks, All-Star point guard Devin Harris, promising rookie big man Derrick Favors, sharp shooter Anthony Morrow and a couple of guys who will be selling foot-long Chicken Carbonara subs at Quizno's within a couple months(the Nets would also get a semi-fossilized version of Richard Hamilton in exchange for the overpaid Twin Towers, Johan Petro and Troy Murphy). Now, Harris is solid point man with the ability to fill it up, but where does he fit on a roster that already has speedy playmaker Ty Lawson at the point? Are the Nuggets going to play both of them at the same time and try to overwhelm teams with their speed? As for Favors, he's still a couple years away. If he can't beat out Kris Humphries for playing time in New Jersey, where is he going to find minutes behind K-Mart, "The Birdman" and Nene?
The Knicks, however, will be serving up highly-touted forward Danilo Gallinari(who suffers from the classic Big Apple media overhype but is still further along than Favors is and fills a bigger need as a solid shooting small forward), Wilson Chandler(who is putting together a solid season and would really help the Nuggets with his ability to play multiple positions), rookie Landry Fields(like Gallo, another guy who is nowhere near as good as his New York press clippings, but still a decent two-guard) and perhaps a first rounder the Knicks would squeeze out in a deal for Randolph. That's not a better deal than the Harris/Favors poo-poo platter? For one, the Knicks are a 6 seed in the East(I know, hardly a huge accomplishment since the 7 and 8 seeds are both drastically under .500), while the Nets are barely afloat at 10-28. How can you expect 'Melo to be attracted to the idea of being shipped to a team that is 18 games under .500 and is two years away from moving to Brooklyn. Would a foursome of 'Melo-Rip-Billups-Brook Lopez turn things around and perhaps have the Nets sneaking in as a 7 or 8 seed(and in turn, getting annihilated by Miami or Boston in Round 1)? Maybe. Is it more alluring than being "The Next Big Thing" in the country's biggest sports market and teaming with Amare to become a poor man's Shaq and Kobe? Hell no!
So, look, Denver, let me save you, the hard-working fellows at ESPN who cover the ESPN, and the fans chomping at the bit for a deal to get done some time and aggravation. 'Melo's not going to New Jersey. He wants what every kid who grew up in the Tri-State area with the scant hope of playing in the NBA wants: to play in the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. You can try to sell him on the eventual move to Brooklyn. Jay-Z can try to hustle 'Melo with his silk tongue and allusions of grandeur, but even Jigga knows there's nothing like playing in the Garden. Do the right thing, Denver. Quit cutting off your nose to spite your face. Make the deal with the Knicks. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Winners And Losers of NBA Trade Deadline
After weeks of trade rumors, salary dumps, offseason prognostications and various other hubbub, the smoke has finally cleared on the NBA trading deadline. Some teams got better. Some got worse. Some just sat around grabbing their nuts. So without further ado, here are the winners and losers of 2010's Trade-a-palooza.
WINNERS
1. Houston Rockets: They turned an oft-injured, overpaid, sulking waste of space into a quality, young shooter and some much needed size. The Rockets had to part ways with promising forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey, but managed to get back sharp-shooting Kevin Martin to fill the scoring void left by Tracy McGrady(who went to the Knicks), as well as acquire a few new promising bigs in 2009 1st rounder Jordan Hill, versatile(yet overpaid) Jared Jefferies and adequate backup center Hilton Armstrong. For a team that was playing the 6'9 Landry at center, Houston did well to grab some length in the 6'11 Hill, 6'10 Jefferies and the 7' Armstrong. They also managed to take advantage of the Knicks' desperation to make cap room for LeBron next summer by conning New York into the right to swap 1st rounders in 2011 and the right to take the Knicks' 1st rounder in 2012. The 2011 swap is Top 1 protected, while the '12 1st rounder is Top 5 protected. The impact of those picks will be realized down the road, but for now, the Rockets will go into next year with a potentially healthy Yao Ming and two young scoring wing players in Martin and offseason signing Trevor Ariza. On top of that, they'll get to develop Hill and Armstrong while still possessing solid bench players like Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks. All in all, the Rockets owned the NBA Trade Deadline.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: In the end, the Cavs made the smart move by opting for Antawn Jamison over Amare Stoudemire. The potential defensive deficiency that a Amare-Shaq frontcourt would have posed could have been disasterous to a team that will have to face teams like Atlanta and Orlando, who like to dominate the inside. The presence of Jamison allows the Cavs to stretch the floor and, most importantly, snatching Jamison from Washington didn't cost them young forward J.J. Hickson, whom the Cavs highly regard. The down side to the trade is that now the pressure is on LeBron and company to bring home the title after management has shown its commitment to build a winner around "The Akron Hammer". If the team can re-sign Big Z(who was sent to Washington in the Jamison trade, but is expected to be bought out), then the deal becomes that much more of a coup for Cleveland. Point guard Sebastian Telfair will probably spend the rest of the season perfecting his bench posture, as he will be hard-pressed to find minutes on a team that already has Delonte West, Mo Williams and Boobie Gibson in the backcourt. The Cavs were the team to beat in the East prior to bringing in Jamison, now that the former Tarheel is in Cleveland, the view from the top of the mountian just got a little bit steeper.
3. New York Knicks: T-Mac's impact is moot at this point because the purpose of bringing the former 2-time scoring champ into the Big Apple was purely monetary. Depending on how the salary cap goes, the Knicks could walk into this offseason with the biggest bank of any potential buyer. Of course, that only really matters if they snag the big fish New Yorkers have wanted for the last two years: LeBron James. If the Knicks can't woo LeBron to the Garden this summer, than all of this movemaking was a waste. They would have given up early on young forward Jordan Hill for nothing. They would have squandered a chance at building through the draft by swapping first rounders in '11 and '12, and most importantly, they would continue to infuriate an already impatient fan base. Make no mistake, for Knicks fans, it's LeBron or Bust. Maybe they'll settle on Wade and Bosh or Wade and Amare, but if LeBron re-ups with Cleveland or worse, signs with the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, we might have anarchy in Manhattan. For now though, the Knicks made all the right moves(short of finding someone dumb enough to take on Eddy Curry's contract) and they got some decent returns for jitterbug point man Nate Robinson(Guards Eddie House and J.R. Giddens, mainly) as well as shedding themselves of all-time bust Darko Milicic. A solid night of moves, but the real payoff has to come this summer.
4. Portland Trailblazers: They needed size in the worst way and they got it by pilfering one of the best rebounder/shotblockers in the game in Marcus Camby. Sure, acquiring a guy with Camby's injury history after losing two starting centers for the season is a bit risky, but if the Blazers are going to compete this season, they would have needed someone of Camby's ilk to man the paint. Also, what did it really cost them? The Blazers were deep enough at point guard and small forward to afford to ditch young Travis Outlaw and the bad contract of point guard Steve Blake. That still leaves the team with veteran Andre Miller and youngster Jerrod Bayless to run point and sharpshooting Euros Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum on the wing. If Camby can stay healthy for the rest of the season, this trade becomes the biggest steal of any of the deals done this year.
5. Dallas Mavericks: They took advantage of a Wizards front office desperately seeking ways to tell fans to go fuck themselves. Once Gilbert Arenas was suspended for the season, the firebombing began and the Mavs turned out to be the biggest beneficiaries of the two stars dealt. By snagging rugged guard/forward Caron Butler(as well as center Brandon Haywood and swingman DeShawn Stevenson), the Mavs added some nice depth as well as a proven scorer and defender in Butler. Plus, they got to wave bye-bye to headache-inducing knucklehead Josh Howard. Now, much like the Blazers and Rockets' moves, it remains to be seen whether this really changes the inevitable, which is the Lakers running away with the West. Still, three teams that had big time needs, filled them at the right time and the Lakers(who remained silent after failing to acquire Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls) have their hands a bit more full than they did three weeks ago.
LOSERS
1. Amare Stoudemire: Fat girls and band geeks haven't been as disappointed in the middle of February the last two years as much as Amare Stoudemire. Just how many times does a man have to hear a trade out of town is imminent before he snaps once the deadline passes and he's stuck in the same place. Last year, we heard Amare was a mortal lock to be out of Phoenix before all deals fell through and Stoudemire ended his season in a dress suit on the sidelines. This year, Amare(in a contract year, mind you), sat back and watched Cleveland, Miami and Chicago drool over him only to find himself still in the desert. Infamous troublemaker Ron Artest can find a way to be traded twice, but an explosive, young All-Star(who may have a bit of a lax approach to defense, but nevertheless) can't seem to get a new address for the second straight year. It remains to be seen how this recent disappointment affects the big man's psyche. After all, Stoudemire is prone to injury and he wasn't the most motivated man in the world before this latest managerial screw-up. Does the big fella risk injury by going all out these next few months in an effort to raise his already high interest or does he put it on cruise control for a team that managed to screw him over for a second straight year and risk the PR hit for being unmotivated? That's a decision that has to weight heavy on Stoudemire's mind after another deadline that seems like deja vu.
2. Miami Heat: As bad as things turned out for Amare, the same could be said for Dwayne Wade. Five months ago, D-Wade ordered the team to get him some help if they wanted Flash to stick around past this season. They flirted with Phoenix and getting Amare. They whispered to Utah about Carlos Boozer. In the end......nothing. Even with Jermaine O'Neal's expiring contract, the dangling of troubled former #2 overall pick Michael Beasley and two first round draft picks in next year's draft, the Heat managed to just stay put. Does this mean Dwayne has played his last season in Miami? Who knows? But if this is a sign of the aggressiveness the front office is going to show to build a contender around a certified Top 3 or 4 player in his contract year, then there really is no reason for Wade to not go elsewhere this summer.
3. Washington Wizards: What an absolute sad sack, worthless, piece of shit organization! What a way to turn around and bitchslap fans right in the face. Once things went south for the Wizards, the front office flipped off fans by auctioning off stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison for pennies like they were O.J. Simpson's trophies. Let's take a look at the Wizards' moves over the last year or so. First, they offered that ridiculous $112 million contract to Gilbert Arenas(who barely played the past two seasons). Then, they blew their shot at Ricky Rubio by dealing away the 5th pick in the draft when they could have easily snagged the Spanish prodigy and talked him into staying in the U.S. by offering a big market(or at least, a bigger market than Minnesota). Then, they get shot in the foot by Arenas' moronic gun possession charge. Now, in the midst of another horrible season, they practically give away Butler and Jamison for expirings in the hopes of a huge spending spree this offseason. Who the hell would want to come to Washington, and how the hell can they expect fans to waltz back into the Verizon Center after the huge "FUCK YOU!" they just emailed to everyone in the nation's capital? How can this team offer tickets for more than 50 cents with the roster of nobodies they have now? You think someone's paying top dollar in a recession to see an idiot like Josh Howard?(Side note: How great is it that Howard goes from insulting the National Anthem on YouTube to now playing in D.C.?) If the Wizards don't snag two top free agents this summer, then David Stern should do the right thing and contract this miserable abomination of a franchise and ban Ernie Grunfeld and his stable of dumbasses from linking up with another NBA franchise ever again.
INCOMPLETES
1. Los Angeles Clippers: They turned a valuable trade piece in Camby into a backup point guard and platooner at small forward. They also opened up quite a bit of cap space in the process. Like so many other teams, the moves by the Clippers depend on what they do with that newfound cap room. If the Clippers can woo LeBron with the promise of a huge market, a roster of talented youngsters(Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman as well as Baron Davis) than it was worth giving away Camby for 10 cents on the dollar. Still, the $100 million question is this: Would a prominant star like LeBron(or any big name, for that matter) be willing to climb aboard a ship owned by a much-publicized racist like Donald Sterling? If James wasn't already getting his lumps already from activists like Jim Brown for his unwillingness to speak out against racial injustice, he sure will if he agrees to take hate money from a evil douche like Sterling. Do I think the Clippers end up with any of the big free agents next year? No. LeBron's choosing between Cleveland, New York or Miami and I can't see Wade or Bosh coming to the West coast. Plus, after watching Blake Griffin's knee snap like a twig, how can you not think this team is possessed by some kind of bad omen?
2. Boston Celtics: They got scoring mini-mite Nate Robinson for a barrell of benchwarmers and they managed to hold on to aging Ray Allen and keep the team chemistry in tact, but this team has gotten old fast. What looked like a potential dynasty after their championship run two years ago now feels like it decades have passed. Kevin Garnett is on his last leg(pun intended) and the mental and physical fatigue of carrying this team is once again exhausting Paul Pierce. Allen has shown his age, too, as he is not nearly as effective as in years past and free agent signing Rasheed Wallace has proven to be a waste of cash. On top of that, there's no youth movement behind these guys anymore. Glen Davis is a serviceable backup, but he's hardly someone who can carry the mantle after KG hangs them up and the team already lacked depth even before it dealt three players to New York for Robinson. The bottom line? This team can still be a contender if they find a fountian of youth, but with teams like Cleveland improving at the deadline, it looks like the final nail is just waiting to be hammered into the coffin.
3. Chicago Bulls: They managed to get something(albeit not much) for John Salmon's terrible contract and the unfufilled potential of former #2 overall pick, Tyrus Thomas. They also secured some nice cap room and you have to think they'll be looking at bringing in hometown boy Dwayne Wade and perhaps making a run at a Boozer or Bosh as well. Still, they swung and missed on sending away high-priced guard Kirk Hinrich(after a deal with the Lakers fell apart) and one wonders what they could have gotten in a sign-and-trade at the end of the year for Thomas if he managed to show some promise down the stretch. Once again, what happens this summer will go a long way into how we judge everything that transpired here.
4. Sacramento Kings: They went from believing that marksman Kevin Martin could co-exist with potential ROTY point guard Tyreke Evans to trading Martin for a couple expiring contracts and a promising forward in Carl Landry. Larry Hughes is a nice replacement for Martin, if he stays healthy which he never does. Landry is a solid banger inside but the team already has Kenny Thomas(though his contract expires at the end of the year) and fellow young prospect Jason Thompson. The acquisition of Landry has to come at the sacrifice of one of them(especially since Joey Dorsey came with him). If Landry turns out to be a 20-10 guy and the Kings can snag a solid wing who complements Evans in either the draft or free agency, then everything worked out in their favor. However, if Martin lights it up for Houston and Landry can't re-create his magic in Houston, this trade will leave many scratching their heads.
WINNERS
1. Houston Rockets: They turned an oft-injured, overpaid, sulking waste of space into a quality, young shooter and some much needed size. The Rockets had to part ways with promising forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey, but managed to get back sharp-shooting Kevin Martin to fill the scoring void left by Tracy McGrady(who went to the Knicks), as well as acquire a few new promising bigs in 2009 1st rounder Jordan Hill, versatile(yet overpaid) Jared Jefferies and adequate backup center Hilton Armstrong. For a team that was playing the 6'9 Landry at center, Houston did well to grab some length in the 6'11 Hill, 6'10 Jefferies and the 7' Armstrong. They also managed to take advantage of the Knicks' desperation to make cap room for LeBron next summer by conning New York into the right to swap 1st rounders in 2011 and the right to take the Knicks' 1st rounder in 2012. The 2011 swap is Top 1 protected, while the '12 1st rounder is Top 5 protected. The impact of those picks will be realized down the road, but for now, the Rockets will go into next year with a potentially healthy Yao Ming and two young scoring wing players in Martin and offseason signing Trevor Ariza. On top of that, they'll get to develop Hill and Armstrong while still possessing solid bench players like Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks. All in all, the Rockets owned the NBA Trade Deadline.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: In the end, the Cavs made the smart move by opting for Antawn Jamison over Amare Stoudemire. The potential defensive deficiency that a Amare-Shaq frontcourt would have posed could have been disasterous to a team that will have to face teams like Atlanta and Orlando, who like to dominate the inside. The presence of Jamison allows the Cavs to stretch the floor and, most importantly, snatching Jamison from Washington didn't cost them young forward J.J. Hickson, whom the Cavs highly regard. The down side to the trade is that now the pressure is on LeBron and company to bring home the title after management has shown its commitment to build a winner around "The Akron Hammer". If the team can re-sign Big Z(who was sent to Washington in the Jamison trade, but is expected to be bought out), then the deal becomes that much more of a coup for Cleveland. Point guard Sebastian Telfair will probably spend the rest of the season perfecting his bench posture, as he will be hard-pressed to find minutes on a team that already has Delonte West, Mo Williams and Boobie Gibson in the backcourt. The Cavs were the team to beat in the East prior to bringing in Jamison, now that the former Tarheel is in Cleveland, the view from the top of the mountian just got a little bit steeper.
3. New York Knicks: T-Mac's impact is moot at this point because the purpose of bringing the former 2-time scoring champ into the Big Apple was purely monetary. Depending on how the salary cap goes, the Knicks could walk into this offseason with the biggest bank of any potential buyer. Of course, that only really matters if they snag the big fish New Yorkers have wanted for the last two years: LeBron James. If the Knicks can't woo LeBron to the Garden this summer, than all of this movemaking was a waste. They would have given up early on young forward Jordan Hill for nothing. They would have squandered a chance at building through the draft by swapping first rounders in '11 and '12, and most importantly, they would continue to infuriate an already impatient fan base. Make no mistake, for Knicks fans, it's LeBron or Bust. Maybe they'll settle on Wade and Bosh or Wade and Amare, but if LeBron re-ups with Cleveland or worse, signs with the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, we might have anarchy in Manhattan. For now though, the Knicks made all the right moves(short of finding someone dumb enough to take on Eddy Curry's contract) and they got some decent returns for jitterbug point man Nate Robinson(Guards Eddie House and J.R. Giddens, mainly) as well as shedding themselves of all-time bust Darko Milicic. A solid night of moves, but the real payoff has to come this summer.
4. Portland Trailblazers: They needed size in the worst way and they got it by pilfering one of the best rebounder/shotblockers in the game in Marcus Camby. Sure, acquiring a guy with Camby's injury history after losing two starting centers for the season is a bit risky, but if the Blazers are going to compete this season, they would have needed someone of Camby's ilk to man the paint. Also, what did it really cost them? The Blazers were deep enough at point guard and small forward to afford to ditch young Travis Outlaw and the bad contract of point guard Steve Blake. That still leaves the team with veteran Andre Miller and youngster Jerrod Bayless to run point and sharpshooting Euros Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum on the wing. If Camby can stay healthy for the rest of the season, this trade becomes the biggest steal of any of the deals done this year.
5. Dallas Mavericks: They took advantage of a Wizards front office desperately seeking ways to tell fans to go fuck themselves. Once Gilbert Arenas was suspended for the season, the firebombing began and the Mavs turned out to be the biggest beneficiaries of the two stars dealt. By snagging rugged guard/forward Caron Butler(as well as center Brandon Haywood and swingman DeShawn Stevenson), the Mavs added some nice depth as well as a proven scorer and defender in Butler. Plus, they got to wave bye-bye to headache-inducing knucklehead Josh Howard. Now, much like the Blazers and Rockets' moves, it remains to be seen whether this really changes the inevitable, which is the Lakers running away with the West. Still, three teams that had big time needs, filled them at the right time and the Lakers(who remained silent after failing to acquire Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls) have their hands a bit more full than they did three weeks ago.
LOSERS
1. Amare Stoudemire: Fat girls and band geeks haven't been as disappointed in the middle of February the last two years as much as Amare Stoudemire. Just how many times does a man have to hear a trade out of town is imminent before he snaps once the deadline passes and he's stuck in the same place. Last year, we heard Amare was a mortal lock to be out of Phoenix before all deals fell through and Stoudemire ended his season in a dress suit on the sidelines. This year, Amare(in a contract year, mind you), sat back and watched Cleveland, Miami and Chicago drool over him only to find himself still in the desert. Infamous troublemaker Ron Artest can find a way to be traded twice, but an explosive, young All-Star(who may have a bit of a lax approach to defense, but nevertheless) can't seem to get a new address for the second straight year. It remains to be seen how this recent disappointment affects the big man's psyche. After all, Stoudemire is prone to injury and he wasn't the most motivated man in the world before this latest managerial screw-up. Does the big fella risk injury by going all out these next few months in an effort to raise his already high interest or does he put it on cruise control for a team that managed to screw him over for a second straight year and risk the PR hit for being unmotivated? That's a decision that has to weight heavy on Stoudemire's mind after another deadline that seems like deja vu.
2. Miami Heat: As bad as things turned out for Amare, the same could be said for Dwayne Wade. Five months ago, D-Wade ordered the team to get him some help if they wanted Flash to stick around past this season. They flirted with Phoenix and getting Amare. They whispered to Utah about Carlos Boozer. In the end......nothing. Even with Jermaine O'Neal's expiring contract, the dangling of troubled former #2 overall pick Michael Beasley and two first round draft picks in next year's draft, the Heat managed to just stay put. Does this mean Dwayne has played his last season in Miami? Who knows? But if this is a sign of the aggressiveness the front office is going to show to build a contender around a certified Top 3 or 4 player in his contract year, then there really is no reason for Wade to not go elsewhere this summer.
3. Washington Wizards: What an absolute sad sack, worthless, piece of shit organization! What a way to turn around and bitchslap fans right in the face. Once things went south for the Wizards, the front office flipped off fans by auctioning off stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison for pennies like they were O.J. Simpson's trophies. Let's take a look at the Wizards' moves over the last year or so. First, they offered that ridiculous $112 million contract to Gilbert Arenas(who barely played the past two seasons). Then, they blew their shot at Ricky Rubio by dealing away the 5th pick in the draft when they could have easily snagged the Spanish prodigy and talked him into staying in the U.S. by offering a big market(or at least, a bigger market than Minnesota). Then, they get shot in the foot by Arenas' moronic gun possession charge. Now, in the midst of another horrible season, they practically give away Butler and Jamison for expirings in the hopes of a huge spending spree this offseason. Who the hell would want to come to Washington, and how the hell can they expect fans to waltz back into the Verizon Center after the huge "FUCK YOU!" they just emailed to everyone in the nation's capital? How can this team offer tickets for more than 50 cents with the roster of nobodies they have now? You think someone's paying top dollar in a recession to see an idiot like Josh Howard?(Side note: How great is it that Howard goes from insulting the National Anthem on YouTube to now playing in D.C.?) If the Wizards don't snag two top free agents this summer, then David Stern should do the right thing and contract this miserable abomination of a franchise and ban Ernie Grunfeld and his stable of dumbasses from linking up with another NBA franchise ever again.
INCOMPLETES
1. Los Angeles Clippers: They turned a valuable trade piece in Camby into a backup point guard and platooner at small forward. They also opened up quite a bit of cap space in the process. Like so many other teams, the moves by the Clippers depend on what they do with that newfound cap room. If the Clippers can woo LeBron with the promise of a huge market, a roster of talented youngsters(Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman as well as Baron Davis) than it was worth giving away Camby for 10 cents on the dollar. Still, the $100 million question is this: Would a prominant star like LeBron(or any big name, for that matter) be willing to climb aboard a ship owned by a much-publicized racist like Donald Sterling? If James wasn't already getting his lumps already from activists like Jim Brown for his unwillingness to speak out against racial injustice, he sure will if he agrees to take hate money from a evil douche like Sterling. Do I think the Clippers end up with any of the big free agents next year? No. LeBron's choosing between Cleveland, New York or Miami and I can't see Wade or Bosh coming to the West coast. Plus, after watching Blake Griffin's knee snap like a twig, how can you not think this team is possessed by some kind of bad omen?
2. Boston Celtics: They got scoring mini-mite Nate Robinson for a barrell of benchwarmers and they managed to hold on to aging Ray Allen and keep the team chemistry in tact, but this team has gotten old fast. What looked like a potential dynasty after their championship run two years ago now feels like it decades have passed. Kevin Garnett is on his last leg(pun intended) and the mental and physical fatigue of carrying this team is once again exhausting Paul Pierce. Allen has shown his age, too, as he is not nearly as effective as in years past and free agent signing Rasheed Wallace has proven to be a waste of cash. On top of that, there's no youth movement behind these guys anymore. Glen Davis is a serviceable backup, but he's hardly someone who can carry the mantle after KG hangs them up and the team already lacked depth even before it dealt three players to New York for Robinson. The bottom line? This team can still be a contender if they find a fountian of youth, but with teams like Cleveland improving at the deadline, it looks like the final nail is just waiting to be hammered into the coffin.
3. Chicago Bulls: They managed to get something(albeit not much) for John Salmon's terrible contract and the unfufilled potential of former #2 overall pick, Tyrus Thomas. They also secured some nice cap room and you have to think they'll be looking at bringing in hometown boy Dwayne Wade and perhaps making a run at a Boozer or Bosh as well. Still, they swung and missed on sending away high-priced guard Kirk Hinrich(after a deal with the Lakers fell apart) and one wonders what they could have gotten in a sign-and-trade at the end of the year for Thomas if he managed to show some promise down the stretch. Once again, what happens this summer will go a long way into how we judge everything that transpired here.
4. Sacramento Kings: They went from believing that marksman Kevin Martin could co-exist with potential ROTY point guard Tyreke Evans to trading Martin for a couple expiring contracts and a promising forward in Carl Landry. Larry Hughes is a nice replacement for Martin, if he stays healthy which he never does. Landry is a solid banger inside but the team already has Kenny Thomas(though his contract expires at the end of the year) and fellow young prospect Jason Thompson. The acquisition of Landry has to come at the sacrifice of one of them(especially since Joey Dorsey came with him). If Landry turns out to be a 20-10 guy and the Kings can snag a solid wing who complements Evans in either the draft or free agency, then everything worked out in their favor. However, if Martin lights it up for Houston and Landry can't re-create his magic in Houston, this trade will leave many scratching their heads.
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