A lot of people have been on the move in the last week, Jermaine O'Neal is headed to Miami, Shaun Marion is going to Toronto, Brad Miller is going to Chicago, Rafer Alston is going to Orlando, Conan O'Brien is heading for LA, Larry Hughes is going to New York, and a bunch of other moves.But very few moves were moves that helped teams win now. My question is why?
Every team that makes a trade with some intention, now what those teams' intentions are is beginning to confuse me. All the moves the Sacramento Kings made were so either they cut cap for 2010 as they are or so their owners, the Maloofs (owners of the Palms Casino chain) can try to keep them in Sacramento which seems less likely every week. But it's pretty obvious that they are going to end in the Maloof's home town of Las Vegas, dumping off Brad Miller's contract to the Bulls won't help. The only players they didn't make an attempt to trade were Beno Udrih and Kevin Martin.
Same thing was going on for the New Orleans Hornets, they tried to trade Tyson Chandler to the Thunder for Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox in a move that made no basketball sense what so ever.Chandler is one their best player when healthy but has huge contract and they could barely afford him. They are Western Conference contenders with Chandler but if they can't stay in New Orleans with four big contracts. The deal fell through because Chandler failed his physical but now the Hornets are probably gone from New Orleans in the post-Katrina/Gustav economy of that city they only afford one pro team. Expect the Hornets to end up in Seattle.
The Suns are kind of in the same boat, they were considering trading Amare Stoudamire because they didn't want to hold on to his big contract for the next two years, they were considering moving Shaq's big contract to Cleveland, thing about that duo of Shaq and LeBron that would be incredible the star power of that team. But they were making money dumping trades too because they are losing money. But they aren't making get better now trades, though I guess you could consider the Richardson trade a get better now move, but still.
Then there are the teams who are looking to make cap room for the offseason of 2010 when LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash, and almost every other big name NBA player hits the market.
The Knicks were a perfect who are dumping every ounce of cap room they have in hope of getting LeBron, Steve Nash, and maybe even one more guy in 2010. They got Chris Wilcox's expiring contract for the Thunder, they trade three small expiring contracts to the Bulls for Larry Hughes large expiring contract.
The Bulls, who had made no intention of doing anything in 2010 they seemed more interested in Carlos Boozer in 2009. They traded for Brad Miller and John Salmons from the Kings, Salmons is they're cheaper replacement for Ben Gordon who if they pay next year they will have less room for 2010. Brad Miller will help them now but they could've gotten Chris Kaman but his contract is too long and they didn't want to take it on because they want Chris Bosh in 2010.
The idea of 2010 has also scared teams away from making moves that would've made them much better right now. For example, the Mavericks turned down a trade with the Clippers that would've made them a lot better right now. The Mavs would've got Baron Davis and Chris Kaman for Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse, and 1st Round pick which looks great for the Mavs on paper but Mark Cuban supposedly wants Amare or Bosh in 2010 and since Davis contract goes to 2013 and Kaman's goes to 2012 they didn't want to make it. Too bad too that team would be a contender with a line-up of Baron Davis, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk, and Chris Kaman. But no 2010 dominates teams thoughts
That leads to the point I'm getting at, yes I have one. Does anyone really care about winning right now. 2009, because I could only find four teams who only motive behind making the trades that they was winning now or in the near future. Here they are
The Oklahoma City Thunder were definitely trying to get better, they trade to make the Tyson Chandler trade that I already mentioned with the Hornets. Which give them an interior presence to great with their big three of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green on the outside but that trade didn't go threw but at least they tried. They also added Thabo Sefolosha from the Bulls who is the perfect six man for this team, he can play and any position on the wing and he is an incredible defender, I know, I've watched him, and I'm sad the Bulls let go of him for a late first round pick. Pissed me off. But this organization is a few years away from being a contender, they have a paternal super star, two incredibly good sidekicks for him. They are ecumenically good, they a sell out almost every game at Ford Center (which blows my mind how Ford needs the government to bail them out, but yet sponsors two major sports teams stadiums and has the first commercial after nearly every break of the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl and on Saturday Night Live, confuses me really)
Then there is the Miami Heat who in my mind great and I think everyone else thinks that too. Marion was a terrible fit in Miami he's a four in a run-and-gun, they had him as a three in a half-court offense. Jermaine O'Neal gives them the true center they've so been lacking. They are a threat now with O'Neal and Jamario Moon who's shown flashes of being a second-trier superstar is going to take Marion's fight just fine. Watch out for the Heat
The Raptors were on the end of that trade I just mentioned and they run the run and gun where Marion is a perfect fit he will be able to run and score and go back to the way he played in Phoenix. Marcus Banks is solid back-up in the right system (aka the system Toronto runs) And they also added Patrick O'Bryant from Boston who will give than extra big man since O'Neal is gone. They definitely got better even though they will won't even come close to the playoffs
Then lastly the Orlando Magic who added Rafer Alston to replace Jameer Nelson who is out all year with a shoulder injury. This is a great move to put the Magic back in the Eastern Conference title picture. Andre Miller may have made more sense because his contract is over next year when Nelson will clearly be back and they have one more year of Alston. So how they will work together next year is big question but for right now it's a great move, they made it to win now. And that's all I ask
Maybe other teams tried like the Celtics, but they have nothing to trade but they added Mikki Moore in free agency and will add Starbury. But they couldn't make a get better trade.
The Cavs looked to make moves for guys like Vince Carter and Shaq but they didn't want to upset their chemistry.
What I don't want is for teams to kill themselves now so they can win in 2010, like the Detroit Pistons did when they traded their chemistry king Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson who has since killed their chemistry and has them falling out of the playoffs. Great move to clear cap and kill yours season! Great move Joe Dumars, you may have killed your season but hey it will be ok in 2010 when you get Carlos Boozer. Yeah, right. It blows my mind.
Oh well I'm done for now should be back really soon with my WEC 39 picks. Peace out
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