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The Biggest reason I love this trade.

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  • The Biggest reason I love this trade.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...altrade-080625

    More Cap Room!

    It's rare that I like a trade from both sides, but once in a while one comes along that's mutually beneficial.

    Wednesday's deal between Indiana and Toronto is just such a deal.

    The swap would send Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Toronto's first-round pick at No. 17, and probably one other player (likely Maceo Baston). The trade can't be completed until July 9, however, because Ford is a base-year compensation player until the first day that next season's cap rules kick in (July 1), and so the trade won't work under the cap until then. From then until July 9, the league has a moratorium on trades and signings. Given all that, the trade won't be official for a fortnight.

    Instead, this will be the trade that everybody knows about but nobody acknowledges publicly. There will be no announcements or press conferences and it might mess with some summer-league plans. But the teams are exchanging medical information, and right now everything appears to be a go.

    By the way, this delay also means there are still two weeks for other teams to get in on this trade and make it more than a two-way deal. (And, with luck, maybe it morphs into one of those indecipherable five-way deals that somehow involve the rights to an international player who was drafted five years ago but never got a sniff of the league. I have visions of Roberto DueƱas and Sergei Lishouk waiting anxiously by the phone to find out their new "team.")

    Whatever happens, the draft pick seems likely to stay in the Pacers' hands, as the draft is within 24 hours. Tomorrow the Raptors will choose whomever Larry Bird tells them to at No. 17 and then convey that player to Toronto in two weeks. But the other pieces (especially Ford and Nesterovic) could still be in play, as could the likes of Jamaal Tinsley.

    Nonetheless, even if the trade doesn't expand any further, this one looks like a true win-win -- both teams are repackaging their assets to get into a far better position than they were before, and for either side, the downside seems pretty minimal.

    Let's take a look, first, from Indiana's side:

    # They got something for Jermaine O'Neal. This wasn't easy, not with O'Neal being owed $44 million over the next two seasons and his run of poor health the past few years. While his name has come up a lot in trade conversations over the past year, talks never got far because the other side always flinched at his salary.

    # They got a point guard. Ford was excellent last year when he played, ranking sixth among all point guards with a 20.4 PER. And while Ford's spinal stenosis condition is obviously a concern, I'm told the team doctors carefully went over his medical information and concluded there isn't anything immediately career-threatening.

    # They can trade Tinsley. Obviously, this involves finding somebody who wants to take him, but he was their only true starting point guard. Now they have his replacement.

    # The draft is their oyster. Prior to this trade, Indy seemed locked into taking D.J. Augustin at No. 11 to resolve the point guard issue. They still might -- forming an all-Longhorn point guard rotation -- but they're also freed to pursue other talents that may unexpectedly fall their way (like Brook Lopez). And with the No. 17 pick, they can grab a second young big -- heavens knows this draft has enough of them -- to quickly rebuild the frontcourt rotation.

    # Cap space! Ah, yes, now we get to the big kahuna. By taking on the expiring contracts of Nesterovic and Baston and taking back $2.5 million less than O'Neal makes to begin with, the Pacers put themselves in position to be about $16 million under the cap next summer (depending on where the cap number comes in, which we won't know until next July). They can pursue a big free agent (or take one in a trade) to team up with Ford, Danny Granger and the draft picks, and they'll have the next generation of Pacers up and running.

    So, big picture, the Pacers finally start over. For the last couple years they've been hemming and hawing about whether to go in a new direction; now Bird has set a definitive course. As a result, look for other dominoes to fall in Indy -- starting with Tinsley and possibly including Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster.


    Now, given all the positives for the Pacers, you might think the Raptors are getting fleeced here, but you'd be wrong. Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo has put his team in position to achieve three big objectives as well:

    # A frontcourt presence. No longer will the Raptors have the league's wimpiest frontcourt. Adding O'Neal gives Toronto a legitimate post-up threat as well as one of the best defensive players in the league.

    It also eases the wear and tear on Chris Bosh, who has suffered from having to play in the middle for much the past two seasons. Now Bosh is free to play where he belongs, at his natural power forward spot. And Andrea Bargnani is free to go back where he belongs: the bench.

    Meanwhile, the threat of O'Neal on the block may open more room for Toronto's 3-point shooters, especially Jason Kapono.

    # A point guard answer. The platoon between Ford and Jose Calderon imploded at the end of last season because Ford couldn't handle coming off the bench and Calderon was too good to yank from the starting lineup. It was also a waste of resources -- the Raptors had the fifth- and sixth-best point guards in the league by PER but couldn't play them together.

    Converting one of those assets into a frontcourt player made all kinds of sense, and since Ford had a big contract (he has three years and $25 million left; Calderon is a restricted free agent who will probably get a bit over the midlevel in this market) and the one with the dodgier health record, it made sense for him to be the one exiled.

    # More flexibility. I think O'Neal will work out well in Toronto. Like I said above, he answers a need and he's still a good player when healthy. And he's reportedly spending his summer in Las Vegas working out with noted trainer Joe Abunassar.

    But suppose I'm wrong and O'Neal doesn't work out. In fact, let's say O'Neal is an absolute disaster in 2008-09.

    Is the trade a disaster then for the Raptors? No, it is not. Because the Raptors, at that point, would be sitting on a $23 million expiring contract for 2009-10. And depending on what Colangelo does with his other contracts between now and then, he can go down one of two paths: (1) eat the cap savings and get in position for the summer of 2010, when some big names will likely be on the market or (2) trade his mammoth expiring contract for somebody else's big contract, as the Lakers did in the Pau Gasol trade this winter. Either way he comes out of it OK.

    So the upshot is, this deal absolutely works for both teams. I expect the Raptors to be significantly better next year as a result of this deal, as it takes a player who was utterly redundant and converts him into a solution for the team's single biggest weakness.

    And I expect the Pacers' rebuilding to be much smoother and faster now that they've jettisoned O'Neal and received '09 cap space and two good young pieces in return.

    The players come out of it in better shape, too. O'Neal and Ford get new leases on life after being sprung from difficult situation. Bosh finally gets a frontcourt partner to do the dirty work for him. Calderon gets starter's minutes and some added salary leverage. Even throw-ins Nesterovic and Baston are likely to get more burn in Indy than they would have in Toronto. Only Bargnani loses.

    So it's a win-win all-around. Kudos to both Bird and Colangelo for recognizing the mutual benefit.
    Never half-a** two things. Whole-a** one thing.

  • #2
    Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

    So who are next season's free agents?


    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

      I have no idea if this is at all accurate but according to this guy: http://www.stopmikelupica.com/2007/1...sis_part_1.php

      The Big Dawgs:
      Drew Gooden
      Allen Iverson (almost certain to re-sign with Denver)
      Rasheed Wallace
      Baron Davis (if he does not exercise the opt out in 2008)
      Elton Brand
      Lamar Odom
      Kobe Bryant (option)
      Jason Kidd
      Stephon Marbury
      Jamal Crawford (player option for 09/10 and 10/11 - 50/50)
      Eddy Curry (player option for 09/10, 10/11 - 50/50)
      Hedo Turkoglu (player option for 09/10, unlikely)
      Andre Miller
      Steve Nash (player option, unlikely)
      Grant Hill
      Steve Francis
      Ron Artest (can opt out in '08)
      Mike Bibby
      Carlos Boozer (player option for 09/10 unlikely)
      Mehmet Okur (player option for 09/10 unlikely)

      The Rookie Contracts:
      Marvin Williams (restricted)
      Raymond Felton (restricted)
      Jason Maxiell (restricted)
      Luther Head (restricted)
      Danny Granger (restricted)
      Andrew Bynum (restricted)
      Hakim Warrick (restricted)
      Andrew Bogut (restricted)
      Charlie Villanueva (restricted)
      Rashard McCants (restricted)
      Chris Paul (restricted)
      Nate Robinson (restricted)
      David Lee (restricted)
      Channing Frye (restricted)
      Jarrett Jack (restricted)
      Francisco "Paco" Garcia (restricted)
      Deron Williams (restricted)

      Young Filler Material, Given Up, With Potential:
      Marquis Daniels (team option, unlikely to be picked up)
      Desmond Mason
      Chris Wilcox

      They Still Living?
      Eric Snow
      Brevin Knight
      Damon Stoudemire
      Smush Parker
      Juwan Howard
      Antoine Walker (player option for 09/10, 10/11 - likely)
      Jason Collins
      Bobby Jackson
      Malik Rose
      Raef LaFrentz
      Wally Szczerbiak
      Never half-a** two things. Whole-a** one thing.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

        Great we'll have 16 million in cap space and no one to spend it on.


        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

          Ron Artest is available? We gotta lock him up ASAP!!!!

          I hear he's crazy for the basketball.....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

            So if nothing can get announced until July and we are getting the #17 pick do we tell Toronto who to pick or how does that work?
            The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

              Resign Granger

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                Originally posted by ABADays View Post
                So if nothing can get announced until July and we are getting the #17 pick do we tell Toronto who to pick or how does that work?
                Correct. The pick that Toronto makes at 17 tomorrow would be handed down from Bird.


                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                  Originally posted by Indy View Post
                  Great we'll have 16 million in cap space and no one to spend it on.
                  If we don't spend it on anyone, fine by me. I'm just glad the Pacers actually have a bit of spending money. I don't mind waiting for a good deal to come along. At least I'll have a different Pacers team to look at til then.
                  Never half-a** two things. Whole-a** one thing.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                    So...when is Oden's deal up again?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                      rasho + foster's expiring contracts give the pacers a TON of options this upcoming year. we may actually have a future afterall (as long as bird doesn't F up the draft)!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                        Originally posted by croz24 View Post
                        rasho + foster's expiring contracts give the pacers a TON of options this upcoming year. we may actually have a future afterall (as long as bird doesn't F up the draft)!
                        Thanks for the jinx. Next time don't point out the obvious. Signed Larry Bird and donnie's gohst.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                          Originally posted by Gamble1 View Post
                          Thanks for the jinx. Next time don't point out the obvious. Signed Larry Bird and donnie's gohst.
                          oh it all means absolutely nothing unless bird capitalizes on it

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                            I will be curious about the Raps next season... If JO is healthy, it could work out really well for them. JO and Bosh can take a lot of pressure off one another offensively, and JO can be a shot blocking charge taking force in the middle.
                            "As a bearded man, i was very disappointed in Love. I am gathering other bearded men to discuss the status of Kevin Love's beard. I am motioning that it must be shaved."

                            - ilive4sports

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The Biggest reason I love this trade.

                              Being under the cap could also mean taking on a trade without having to match salaries, so it's not just limited to free agency

                              Comment

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