Shortly after the Raptors traded for Rudy Gay rumors started to spread that they were looking to bolster their front court as well. First, Pau Gasol's name came up, but with him going down for the remainder of the season a trade seems unlikely. According to Marc Stein the Raptors went from inquiring about a center with an albatross contract to a power forward with one in Carlos Boozer.
Why for the Bulls: Despite Carlos Boozer having his best year in Chicago, he remains one of the more overpaid players in the NBA. Despite being a stellar offensive player Boozer does not have the quickness to have the same impact on the defensive end. When it comes down to crunch time Tom Thibedeau does not have enough faith in Boozer's defensive ability to put him on the court. No player who is paid near max dollars should be on the bench in the closing minutes. The fact that Boozer isn't always in the game in crucial situations is everything you need to know about Chicago's willingness to move him.
More so than any other team in the league the Bulls rely on screens, ball movement and cuts to create their offense. For those three facets of their offense to be successful spacing is extremely important. If opponents can pack the defense in the paint with no fear of leaving three point shooters open defense becomes easy.
The Bulls are 29th in the league in three pointers made and last in three pointers attempted. Adding Bargnani would improve the Bull's three point shooting, and more importantly their spacing. A pick and pop player such as Bargs could prevent teams from sagging into the lane on a Derrick Rose drive, making one of the best dribble drive players even more difficult to drive. In addition to reshaping their floor spacing The Bulls would save themselves five million over the life of the contracts. Who knows, if anyone can get Bargnani to play defense it will be Tom Thidedeau.
Why for the Raptors: The Raptors are tired of being awful. They have had enough of waiting on ping pong balls to drag them out of the basement. With the Rudy Gay trade Toronto ownership has shown that it is willing to take on salary in order to make the playoffs a reality sooner than later.
In terms of talent Carlos Boozer is better than Andrea Bargnani. He is a much better rebounder and has a better feel for scoring. In Toronto where defense is less of an emphasis Boozer would surely be on the court in clutch situations. The question is will the Raptors consent to committing to Boozer's long term contract
Check out the other posts in our February Trade Rumors Series:
The NBA trade deadline is on February 21st, for all of the arm chair gm's out there this means it's time to fire up the trade machine. In honor of this we are going to try and post about 21 trade rumors before the deadline on the 21st. These will be rumors from well known sources, or trades that we think just make sense. Make sure to check in for the Rumor of the day all month leading to the deadline.
Why for Toronto: The Raptors have been bad for a while. They are tired of having to build through the draft, then hoping they convince their high draft picks to stay. With the Rudy Gay move, they showed that they are willing to trade young players and take on salary in order to bring a max level player into Toronto.
Pau Gasol would give Toronto a post presence to combine with Amir Johnson. A lineup of Lowry, DeRozan, Gay, Johnson and Gasol is a playoff worth roster. To boot they don't have to pay Bargnani to run three point line to three point line. With the Boston Celtics struggling due injuries the Raptors see a prime opportunity to head back to the playoffs, and Pau Gasol is just the player to lead them there. Why for LA: If the Lakers truly are committed to Mike D'Antoni's system (for what reason I'm not sure) then this move will help them both now and in the future.
Andrea Bargnani hasn't lived up to his number one pick billing. He has always been a good scorer, but the other phases of his game have never developed. In D'Antoni's up tempo spread offense a player like Channing Frye was a valuable contributor. Bargnani is similar player but a much better scorer than Frye and should find a niche in LA.The Lakers also get Valanciunas, as a future center product.
Stein mentioned that the reason the Lakers needed to keep Pau was to protect themselves in the event Howard left. In this deal they would obtain a scoring starter now, as well as highly regarded prospect to play center in the future. On top of all that they would be saving $3.5 million in salary during a year in which they will struggle to make the playoffs. Please leave comments on what you think of this trade, any trades you want our take on or any other question you have. Check out the second piece in our trade rumor series here and the third piece here
There were many highlights during the Warriors/Raptors game last night, including Andrew Bogut's fine return to the Warriors.
(This picture makes me so happy.)
Though In a losing effort, Aaron Gray, who is usually known for winning the award of "least likely player to look like an NBA player in an NBA game", scored a career high high 22 points and also included ten rebounds.
While I'm sure the faithful Toronto fans are giving him a nice pat on the back, the rest of the United States had no idea he dropped 22. That is because Harrison Barnes decided to ruin another life, with yet another tomahawk jam.
As the Knicks continue to pace this division, both the Nets and Celtics look to be turning their seasons around. Since the coaching change in Brooklyn, PJ Carlesimo has had this team rolling to a 5-1 record, finally showing the offensive balance that this team anticipated after landing star Joe Johnson to pair with the trio of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace. Deron Williams looks to be playing more comfortably and seems to have found his confidence that was lost somewhere in Avery Johnson's duffel bag. Then there is the Celtics, who had lost their patented style in the KG era of lock down defense and half court offensive execution. It just wasn't there this season as Doc Rivers searched to find a lineup that would mesh like teams of the past. Finally, Boston got back it's defensive bulldog in Avery Bradley, a player that not only will harass the opposing teams' best wing player, but also allows Rajon Rondo to play off the ball and save some of his energy for the offensive end. For this divisional roundup, I'll switch up the style a bit and while each team will still be evaluated on current play, I'd like to start the NBA rumor season with kicking up some dust on a few rumors of my own and working the NBA Trade Machine.
New York Knicks: The Knicks continue to struggle with injuries, as Rasheed Wallace will miss his 12th straight game tonight when the Celtics visit MSG and they continue to be without Raymond Felton who will miss another 4 weeks or so nursing a broken pinkie finger. Thankfully for the Knicks they have the depth and talent to withstand this mid-season doldrums period. While Carmelo Anthony is still the offensive force on this team scoring over 29 a game on 48% shooting (nearly 44% from downtown too) another player has emerged as a true offensive weapon for the Knicks. JR Smith has been absolutely on fire the past couple weeks. In his last 5 games he is averaging 24 points, 7 rebound, and 4 assists all while providing incredible energy and highlights like this one:
While gushing over Smith's talent has been something that NBA scouts have been doing for years, I recognize that he has a propensity for inconsistent stretches of play, hitting numerous lows and highs throughout an NBA season. The Knicks also celebrated the return of Amar'e back to the lineup, though he has been on a serious minute limit, averaging just a shade over 18 mins a game in the three games he has played in so far. While his shot has not fallen consistently in those three games, Amar'e still has a bunch left to give to the Knicks. As long as he recognizes that he is no longer a focal point of the team's offensive strategy, he could be a big piece for them as they head toward the second half and an eventual playoff run (or they could trade him-see below).
Now Lets Look at a Trade: Team Need: Depth in frontcourt
This is a tough team to trade with since they have huge salaries and few tradeable pieces. Here's one scenario I came up with for them in which they trade one of their "untradeable" pieces.: The Knicks get more size up front that they can pair with Tyson Chandler at what would be an excellent center rotation. The Wiz would rid themselves of one year of Nene's contract by taking on a 3yr contract in Amar'e rather than the 4 owed to Nene. John Wall will also get that all important pick and roll partner he will need to succeed in this league. The Knick would also have to throw in a future first or a couple second round picks to get this done. Brooklyn Nets:
What a turnaround for the Nets! After getting out of the gates hot and then struggling mightily in December, they made the decision to change coaches and go with NBA veteran PJ Carlesimo. So far the results have been quite satisfactory for owner Mikhail Prokhorov. As mentioned above, the team is 5-1 in the Carlesimo reign, showing a much improved offensive balance as well as renewed confidence from franchise player Deron Williams. While Williams stats don't jump out as much improved, he is getting his teammates involved in better positions for them to score or to make an extra pass. Proof of this is that in the last 5 games Brook Lopez is averaging 23 points on 57% shooting, while Joe Johnson has been scoring 19 a game and shooting 49% in that same stretch.
This team is pretty much impossible to do a trade for, I've tried to make something fair on the trade machine for an hour and just can't come up with something that's not one sided. If the Nets are really going all in this year they could trade Mashon Brooks, Keith Bogan, and another minimum salary for Jermaine O'Neal and Sebastain Telfair from Phoneix. I wouldn't do it as a Nets fan since the team won't win it all this year anyways.
Boston Celtics:
This team has turned in back to back performances that brought to mind the 2007-2008 club. They dominated defensively allowing only 75 and 81 points respectively against Indiana and Atlanta. In fact, after being down 15 at halftime against Atlanta, the team allowed only 28 total second half points from the Hawks, while scoring 51 themselves including 33 in the third quarter. Avery Bradley's defense makes this team look younger and much more aggressive on both ends, as it allows Rondo to expend his energy getting to the cup and providing for his teammates instead of having the greater responsibilities on the defensive end. The speed of the Celtics backcourt is a difficult matchup for any opponent and remain their biggest strength on both ends of the floor. As has been the case for the past few years, the Celtics biggest weakness is the lack of a legitimate center to pair with the ever springy Kevin Garnett. The Celtics have the second worst rebounding differential in the NBA, trailing only the struggling veteran group in Dallas. Rumors have been swirling about adding DeMarcus Cousins, but I didn't want to limit it to just him, so here are a couple potential trades for the Celtics:
1. For Cousins-Can we acquire him without giving up Rondo or Bradley? Not in this scenario...
2. For Gortat-we also include a draft pick...I don't give up Bradley in a deal for Gortat.
3. Varejao-Do you trade Bradley and Sullinger for Varejao, a legit center w/ 3 more years on his contract? Either way it would seem unrealistic to acquire any player without giving up our two best tradeable assets in Bradley and Sullinger. Do any of these sound like something you'd be willing to do? Sound off in the comments Philadelphia 76ers:
Losers of 5 of their last 6 and 11 of their last 14 games, this team is reeling right now. Teams seem to have figured out how to limit the backcourt combo of Turner and Holiday. While Holiday leads the team in scoring at 18.4 per game as well as dishing out 8.9 assists per, Evan Turner has been struggling recently, shooting under 40% and scoring only 11 a game in his last 5. This team gets very little from its frontcourt outside of Thaddeus Young. We are supposed to get an Andrew Bynum update this week, which we will bring once Phili holds a press conference but in the meantime this team is left as a bottom feeder in the league. My trade idea for this team: Go get DeMarcus Cousins. he could be paired with Andrew Bynum in the future creating the best twin tower combo since Duncan and Robinson.
Phili would get it's big fella, but would also take on all of Sacramento's poor contracts, but i think it's a sacrifice they would be willing to make. Sacramento would get a nice building block in Evan Turner as well as ridding itself of some terrible contracts. They would also require a first round pick from Phili. If i was Sacramento I would not do this, but it would save the Maloofs money and that's the only point of interest for the worst owners in basketball.
Toronto Raptors:
Despite losing back to back games to Sacramento and OKC, this team continues to play really well. Demar Derozan, Kyle Lowry, Jose Calderon, and a seemingly-out-of-nowhere Alan Anderson have been playing well of last for the Raptors. PF Ed Davis continues to play well scoring 13 and grabbing 7 boards over his last 5. Andrea Bargnani will likely be returning at the end of the month, but that shouldn't stop the progress Ed Davis has made. Coach Dwayne Casey has indicated that Davis will remain in the starting lineup when Bargnani returns. This team is still no where near ready to compete for the playoffs, but they have some solid trade chips that could help them there rebuilding process moving forward.
LA gets much better for this season, surrounding Kobe and Howard with a very good backup PG and a PF/C that could excel in the pick and pop with Nash when Howard is out of the game. Both Gasol and Bargnani have has injuries this season, but the star power of Pau Gasol in Canada could help Toronto become more relevant. They would also acquire an expiring contract for next season which they could use to acquire players for the future if things aren't working out. This is the most far fetched idea I have come up with, but i've been on the trade machine for hours and starting to put together more rediculous packages by the minute.
Later tonight or tomorrow morning I will post gift ideas for each team, many will be trades, so check back for that fun later. I will not include trade talk in this roundup, but look for it in future roundups.
It's time for the Atlantic Division's annual post Christmas west coast road trip, but first, let's see what they did this past week: Here is your Atlantic Division Roundup:
NY Knicks: Last weeks games: 2-2 1. Loss vs. Houston 109-96 2. Win vs. Brooklyn 100-86 3. Loss vs. Chicago 110-106 4. Win vs. Minny 94-91 Upcoming Games: Projected Record 2-1 1. Dec 25th (Xmas Day) @ LAL 3:00 PM EST 2. Dec 26th @ Phoenix 9 PM EST 3. Dec 28th @ Sacramento 10 PM EST This was certainly a rough week for the Atlantic Division. Starting at the top, the Knicks split their 4 games this past week looking less than stellar in doing so. Despite winning the subway series against the Nets, they dropped games to Chicago and Houston. They also pulled out a late win yesterday against the Twolves who were without Kevin Love, and could have easily lost the game as they trailed late. Carmelo Anthony finally looked to be coming back down to earth too, shooting just 32-72 (44.4%) in the three games he played, often relying on his old habit of settling for long jump shots. Carmelo, coming off his own mild ankle sprain wasn;t the only Knick nursing an injury. Injuries to the front line include Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and the soon to be returning Amar'e Stoudemire. Another point of interest for the Knicks was their scuffle in the waning minutes of their loss to Chicago. Joakim Noah is one of the most infuriating players to play against no doubt, but both Tyson Chandler and Carmelo let their emotions get in the way of the Knicks comeback attempt, as each earned an ejection. The Knicks got beat up in this one, but need to show better poise going forward. I still think this team is the best in the Atlantic, but they looked beatable this week.
Brooklyn Nets: Last Weeks Games: 1-2 1. Loss vs Utah 92-90 2. Loss @ NYK 100-86 3. Win vs. Phili 95-92 Upcoming Games: Projected Record 2-2 1. Dec 25th vs. Boston 12 PM EST 2. Dec 26th @ Milwaukee 8 PM EST 3. Dec 28th vs. Charlotte 7:30 PM EST 4. Dec 29th vs. Cleveland 7:30 PM EST Staring up at the Knicks in the division, the Brooklyn Nets continue to struggle in finding their groove. Supposed franchise player Deron Williams, who has absolutely been the biggest disappointment for me this season, finally started playing better but the team still lost 2 of 3. Williams is still shooting below 40% for the season but shot 17-33 (51.5%) this week. Brook Lopez is also healthy again, although it looks as though he is still trying to find his shot. Thankfully for the Nets, both Joe Johnson who looks to have found his 3 point stroke, and Gerald Wallacewhoserebounding and hustle give the team much needed energy have helped to carry the load. This team has the core to play with anyone, but the depth they need is very apparent when this team matches up against the elite.
Boston Celtics: Last Week Games: 1-2 1. Loss @ Chicago-100-89 2. Win vs. Cleveland 103-91 3. Loss vs. Milwaukee 99-94 OT Next Weeks Games: Projected record 3-1 1. Dec 25th @ Brooklyn 12 PM EST 2. Dec 27th @ LAL 10:30 PM EST 3. Dec 29th @ Golden State 10:30 PM EST 4. Dec 30th @ Sacramento 9 PM EST Boston is not happy with their hometown team these days. The Celts have lost 4 of 5 and 2 of 3 this week, including being swept 3-0 in the season series against Milwaukee. This game was particularly discouraging because the Celtics made a valiant comeback in the final minute, showing poise and execution that seemed to disappear in overtime. Paul Pierce played amazing this week, scoring 30.3 a game on a ridiculous 65% from the field. On the flip side, Rajon Rondo looked bad this week, lacking aggressiveness in the Milwaukee game. This team also looks desperate for big bodies With Chris Wilcox out for a month and Jason Collins being added to the starting unit, it wouldn't be a surprise if the team was active in the trade market. They Signed NCAA all time blocks leader Jarvis Varnado, but unless he can make a Greg Steimsma like contribution, this team is in trouble up front. The guard situation is great though as they get back Avery Bradley next week and hope for Jason Terry to get out of his recent shooting slump. This team should finish first of second in the division, but they need to start winning now. They face the Nets tomorrow on Xmas day at noon.
Philadelphia 76ers: Last Week: 1-3 1. Loss @ Dallas 107-100 2. Loss @ Houston 125-103 3. Win vs. Atlanta 99-80 4. Loss @ Brooklyn 95-92
Next weeks Games: Projected Record 1-2 1. Dec 26th @ Memphis 8 PM EST 2. Dec 28th @ Golden State 10:30 PM EST 3. Dec 29th @ Portland 10 PM EST
The 76ers, also look up at the Knicks in the division This team is in a tailspin, dropping 6 of 7 and look to be, as said previously on this blog, the 4th best team in the division. They will battle for a playoff spot, but won't go far this year. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young all continue to play well, but after them this team is struggling. NBA teams have no fear of playing Phili these days.
Toronto Raptors: Last Weeks Games: 3-0 1. Win @ Cleveland 113-99 2. Win vs. Detroit 97-91 3. Win vs. Orlando 93-90
Next Weeks Games: Projected Record 1-2 1. Dec 26th @ San Antonio 8:30 PM EST 2. Dec 28th @ New Orleans 8 PM EST 3. Dec 29th @ Orlando 7 PM EST
Has this team responded to their star calling them out? No, I'm not asking about the Lakers, I'm talking about the Toronto Raptors. A week after 'star' player Andrea Bargnani called the team the worst in the NBA, the Raptors have rolled off 5 straight wins. Bargnani is actually hurt, so he hasn't been contributing to this, but some of his teammates have stepped up their games in his absence Rising star Demar DeRozan , energy big man Ed Davis, steady point guard Jose Calderon, and little known Alan Anderson on the wing have this team rolling. Calderon has averaged 15 and 10 assists during the win streak. This team actually looks to have pretty excellent offensive balance. They are certainly no longer the NBA's worst.
Later I will post gift ideas for each team, including trades for some that could help them reach the next level.
