Its that time of year again... Trade Season (The trade deadline this year is Feb. 24th). With the Kings laboring through a bad season, and also having the most cap space in the NBA, this could be a very active time for them. Or not. It's hard to tell with this front office sometimes. But that's not my job with this post.
Just like last year, I've contacted a bunch of Bloggers from around the Internet to get their takes on the team they cover or follow, what they need, who they'd want from the Kings, and if they think anything is feasible. We as Kings fans tend to not have a totally realistic value of our players, or at least attribute a different value to our players than fans of other teams. It's the same the other way too. So I hope you enjoy the read, whether you're a Kings fan or not, and hopefully learn a lot.
A big Thank you to all those who took the time to respond to my e-mails/tweets.
Note: Clicking on each teams logo will link to their salary cap information from shamsports.com. It opens in a new window.
Link to Part Two: Eastern Conference Edition
Southwest Division:
Source: Rob Mahoney, Manager of The Two Man Game
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Team Needs:
"At present, the Mavericks have two compelling needs, with one far more pressing than the other. Dallas urgently needs a wing player who can create shot opportunities, as Caron Butler's season-ending injury has rendered the offense a bit impotent. The Mavs are reportedly considering moves for all kinds of shooting guards and small forwards, but the primary emphasis should be on improving the offensive production at those positions.
Additionally, a full-time back-up for Dirk Nowitzki would be pretty handy. Shawn Marion has primarily played behind Nowitzki this season, but Marion's defense in the post has been a bit disappointing at times. I'm not sure how many minutes could really be made available to a reserve 4, but another competent forward would be a nice luxury, if not a total need."
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Who Would You Want:
"Jason Thompson - A young big that defends well, rebounds, and moves well within an offense? I'm game. Nowitzki's big minutes wouldn't leave too much of an opening for Thompson, but he could probably grab a few minutes at center and carve out a nice role for himself on the Mavs. I can understand why Thompson doesn't turn all that many heads, but he's still a very capable player that any team would be lucky to have. He's not just a big body or an athlete; Thompson's skilled, and only getting better.
Carl Landry - Dallas certainly lacks for interior scoring, and that's one area in which Landry could certainly provide. There's always the chance he would bolt in the off-season, but I like Landry even as a rental player. His limited abilities as a rebounder and defender concern me, but if used strictly as a super sub -- alongside Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood, perhaps -- hopefully the impact of those weaknesses could be minimized. Nowitzki has the highest on/off differential in the entire league, primarily because the offense can't function without him. Landry wouldn't slide comfortably into Nowitzki's shoes, but he'd give the Mavs a different (but still efficient) look to try while Dirk rests."
- My Analysis: Dallas has a few intriguing young guys. Roddy Beaubois is the most valuable of the bunch (and also untouchable according to Mark Cuban) so we can forget about him. But Dominique Jones and Ian Mahinmi both intrigue me as well. Jones is a very versatile guard, although he's not a great shooter, and Mahinmi is an athletic young forward who has excelled in limited minutes.
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Likelihood of a Trade Between us: I don't think its likely, but Sacramento could give Dallas a big extra boost of firepower for a playoff run by trading both Carl Landry and Francisco Garcia for Caron Butler's expiring contract and a first round pick or asset like Jones/Mahinmi. Butler is out all season so he'd have no basketball value, and this would simply be a financial move by the Kings to get out from under Garcia's contract. Dallas gets the interior scoring and outside shooting they were looking for, possibly enough to put them over the top. Pretty unlikely though.
Source: Connor Winn, Red94
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Team Needs:
"As has been well chronicled, Houston Rockets’ GM, Daryll Morey, has been stockpiling liquid assets for some time. Morey is a believer in the RC Buford, superstar team mold: 3 stars, with at least one superstar, integrated with complimentary specialists. With the loss of Yao Ming, and perhaps, regardless of, the Rockets are, at best, two wise men short of the outfit headed to Bethlehem. In need of a generational talent and a dude with frankincense to augment Kevin Martin, Morey is at least, as you will see, following the right star. "
Given that the Rockets are maxed out on the role players side of the Buford equation, Morey is clearly reaching for the stars. Sacramento is, therefore, not an ideal bilateral option for Houston as the Kings’ lone star, the supremely talented Tyreke Evans, is only being moved if David Stern agrees to replay the 2002 Western Conference Finals with referees from Switzerland, not the original ones from Compton."
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Who Would You Want:
"With the lack of available stars in Sacramento and the general depth of Houston’s bench, there is not a whole lot with which to build a change-my-underwear inspiring trade.
However, because the Kings are under the salary cap, Sacramento is able to absorb more salary in a trade than they divest. This makes the Kings a potent facilitator in multi-team trades, but does it add value in the eyes of the Rockets?
With Houston barely contending for the 8th seed, it is presumably safe to rule them out of NBA Finals contention this summer. As such, it would be understandable for Rockets’ owner, Les Alexander, to cut some fat off the team’s $3.4 million luxury tax overage. Any amount excised would effectively save the team double because of the dollar-for-dollar penalty associated with the tax. In that context, an expiring contract like Jared Jeffries and a conditional draft pick for little used Luther Head would make sense. In such a scenario, the Rockets could potentially save a combined $9.4 million in salary obligations and luxury tax fines."
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My Analysis: Connor is right. Houston has done a great job of piling up the assets and trying to build around Yao Ming. Even with Yao gone, they're in a pretty good position for the future. Unfortunately, every team needs that one guy they can build around, that one franchise star, and Houston doesn't have it. Kevin Martin and Luis Scola are their best players and nobody else really comes close to their level despite having good potential. But of the other players, there are several I'd love to see in a Kings uniform. Courtney Lee is an athletic shooter and defender, both skills the Kings could use in a guard. Chase Budinger is another athletic shooter, although not as good as Lee. The Rockets also have a couple nice young big men in Jordan Hill and Patrick Patterson. Hill has been a bit of a disappointment after being drafted 8th last year but he still has good potential. Patterson intrigues me more however. He's like Carl Landry with actual Power Forward size. I use to like Aaron Brooks, and rumor has it that Geoff Petrie does too, but I don't think he'd be a good fit for Sacramento. Yes he can shoot and pass, but his defense is worse than Beno's.
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Likelihood of trade happening between us: I actually think its more probable than possible. Houston isn't over the luxury tax by much, but considering they're barely in playoff contention, there really isn't a need to be in the luxury tax. Trading little used forward Jared Jeffries to the Kings would solve that. Of course the Kings wouldn't simply do that out of the kindness of their hearts so something else would have to come, whether a pick/cash/one of Houston's young guys.
Source: Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm
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Team Needs:
"A bench? Maybe? Otherwise, a bench. Or, failing that, a bench would be nice. Hollins has moved Mayo to the bench in an effort to 1. punish him for sucking to start the season and 2. try and get some semblance of a functioning offense from the bench. It's worked, kind of. Darrel Arthur has been a nice surprise. And when Tony Allen isn't striking up his favorite house band, ("The Tony Allen ISO Project"), he's not bad. But the bench is still horrific, particularly down low."
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Who Would You Want:
"Can I opt for "getting the 2009 pick to do over, take Tyreke Evans the most obvious selection of the last ten years for Memphis and radically alter the history of the franchise?" No? Okay.
a. Udrih: Greivis Vasquez is the backup point guard. Really. And he's the best option they've had in that position the past three years. So yeah, taking Beno would be fine.
b. Landry: Perfect fit. Can bring him off the bench at either position and get both offense and defense. Can work at the 5 with DA at the 4, can work in the 4 with Marc. Allows Zach Randolph to get a breather, and makes it not such a disaster when Gasol gets his third foul with 10 minutes to go (seriously, officials hate him. He's such a good defender and nice guy, too. Raises his hand when he fouls. Look at that face! So trustworthy!)"
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My Analysis: O.J. Mayo has been near the top of my list of "possibly ideal Reke backcourt teammates" for a while now. He can shoot, he can defend and he can handle the ball, all things needed in Reke's backcourt partner. He's also young and cheap which is a plus too. Besides Mayo though, nobody else in Memphis really tickles my fancy. Hasheem Thabeet has been as big a disappointment as I thought he'd be, and if reports are true Memphis is simply willing to salary dump him to whoever'd take him at this point, and nobody is biting for good reason; Thabeet simply isn't good. Besides the Kings already have their own, much cheaper project shotblocker in Whiteside.
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Likelihood of a Trade: As much as I'd love a Mayo trade, I doubt it happens. Matt suggested a Dalembert/Landry/Beno for Z-Bo/Mayo trade as something Heisley might want to do so as to focus on re-signing Gasol, and while I'd love this trade for Sacramento, I doubt it actually happens. Mayo might be moved, but I'll be surprised if its our Kings doing the grabbing, unless of course Mayo is used as the trade bait to dump Thabeet's salary in which case Sacramento is in an ideal position to facilitate that.
Source: Rohan Cruyff, At the Hive
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Team Needs:
"More than anything, New Orleans needs backup bigs. Jason Smith brings one NBA skill (shooting), but not very much beyond that. D.J. Mbenga has been the secondary backup center (the primary one being... nobody), so yeah."
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Who Would You Want:
"Dalembert would be in consideration, but it would be tough for the Hornets to add his salary in their current quagmire. So I'd go with Jason Thompson and Carl Landry. Obviously neither solves the Hornets' center problems, but they'd alleviate some of the front court burden on David West and Emeka Okafor. Wait actually, no. I just looked up Carl Landry's numbers... and, um, what? He has to be the worst defensive rebounder in the history of western civilization. Maybe somebody showed him that exploding backboard video and he got scared."
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My Analysis: Can we have Chris Paul please? No... Aww. Well that pretty much takes away the only thing I want from New Orleans. Marcus Thornton is probably the only other guy I'd be interested in, but considering that Thornton is at best a high volume scorer who needs the ball in his hands to be effective, and the fact that the Kings employ Tyreke Evans, there really is no need for Marcus Thornton.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: Unless Chris Paul suddenly demands a trade to go hang out with his new buddies Reke-DMC in Sactown, a trade with New Orleans is not happening.
Source: Andrew A. McNeill, 48MinutesofHell
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Team Needs:
"This year, the Spurs could use the most help around the rim, protecting the basket. Tim Duncan still blocks plenty of shots, but he's not as active as he used to be. Unfortunately, the Kings don't really have anyone who blocks a decent number of shots other than Samuel Dalembert, and with his $13 million contract this season, though expiring, trading for him is laughable.
The other area where the Spurs could use some help is a big wing player to defend guys like Ron Artest, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, etc. San Antonio uses a perimeter rotation consisting of Manu Ginobili, George Hill, Gary Neal and Richard Jefferson. Rookie James Anderson had a promising start to the season but broke his foot seven games into the year. How he comes back over the next couple of weeks could determine how active the Spurs are in the trade market. Either way, San Antonio could use a bigger small forward who could double as a small-ball power forward in a pinch."
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Who Would You Want:
"Basically, the only Kings player they might realistically try and trade for is Omri Casspi. The Spurs front office was high on Casspi entering the 2009 draft, but San Antonio didn't own a powerful enough pick to take the forward.
With Casspi on a rookie contract, he's reasonably easy to trade for. The biggest hurdle is finding a package that a developing team like Sacramento can use going forward."
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My Analysis: San Antonio is a good mix of young and old, with the veterans getting the majority of the minutes but also receiving a nice boost from the recent influx of youth. In particular, George Hill, DeJuan Blair and rookie Gary Neal have been superb for them. At first glance you'd think the Kings might be interested in George Hill, but I don't think they are. Hill is a good scorer and a good defender, but DeMarcus Cousins has a higher assist rate than he does. That's not ideal distribution coming from your point guard.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: San Antonio is off to their best start ever and on pace to win 70 games. Why mess with something good? Unless a drastic injury comes along to a core piece before the deadline, I expect the Spurs to stand pat.
Northwest Division:
Source: Jeremy Wagner, Roundball Mining Company
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Team Needs:
"The primary need for the Denver Nuggets right now is to bring the Carmelo Anthony ordeal to an end. The Nuggets are likely set at the guard spots for the foreseeable future with Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo. After that there is nothing but uncertainty. If Chauncey Billups is not traded in the next four weeks he becomes as valuable for his partially guaranteed contract as for his talent. J.R. Smith is in the final year of his contract and it is doubtful that Denver will bring him back at market value. Kenyon Martin is in the final season of his bloated deal and even Nene can opt out of the final year of his contract this June. The only players under contract long term are Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Al Harrington. Neither are franchise cornerstones. Regardless of where Carmelo is playing after the trade deadline Denver will be looking for young cheap talent and probably an extra draft pick or two."
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Who Would you Want:
"The player Denver would covet from the Kings is probably Samuel Dalembert for his juicy expiring contract. If they could pull off an Al Harrington/Birdman/Renaldo Balkman for Dalembert trade I suspect the front office would tie the three Nugget players to a SCUD missile and fire them west before Geoff Petrie could hang up the phone.
Apart from a salary dump for Dalembert the two players Denver would be most interested in are Jason Thompson and Omri Casspi. Both players are still on their rookie contracts and both fill needs for Denver as the Nuggets will be looking for a small forward who can fill it up and a big man who can rebound and score around the rim."
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My Analysis: Denver has two young guys who would both fill a need for the Kings: Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo. Lawson is a super quick point guard and although he's more score first than pass first, he's super efficient. Afflalo's efficiency is even better (he has a ridiculous .641 TS%, thanks to him shooting 43+% from three the last two years) and he's also a decent defender. Unfortunately for the Kings these two guys are probably the two guys Denver is least willing to trade. With a Carmelo trade on the horizon, the Nuggets are going to be looking to unload money and acquire young assets. Sacramento could look into acquiring a veteran like Chauncey Billups or Nene, but both have said they want to remain with Denver (Chauncey particularly) or at least a contender.
- Likelihood of a trade between us: Since Sacramento is one of the few teams with cap space I could see something happening where Sacramento helps out in Denver's inevitable salary dumping by acting as a third wheel in a trade, taking back more money than they give while getting an asset for their trouble. But that's likely the only kind of trade that would happen, and if Denver opts to instead wait to trade Carmelo till after the season (buying some more time to perhaps have him sign an extension), any deals like this would be off the table.
Source: Nate Arch, Canis Hoopus
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Team Needs:
"The Wolves need just about everything. Kevin Love is their only above average player and that includes a nod to a career year (so far) from Michael Beasley.
Amazingly, what really hurts the Wolves is their atrocious point guard play. Despite having sunk massive amounts of assets into the position during the past 2 seasons (Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Ty Lawson's pick, Nick Calathes, Ramon Sessions, and Luke Ridnour), the Wolves are getting slaughtered at the point. Ideally, they would have a high-usage guard who could handle the ball, run the pick-and-roll, and hit outside shots. You know, Stephen Curry.
Unfortunately, you can name pretty much anything that doesn't rhyme with "slevin bove" and that will be a need of the Timberwolves. David Kahn has done wonders in turning the 2008 Wolves into the 2008 Wolves."
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Who Would You Want:
"I honestly do not think there is a possible realistic trade between the two squads. Kahn would never take a peak at Cousins after what happened in this year's draft (i.e. DMC vs. Wes--you're welcome) and despite all of the talk about his love for Evans in the 2009 Draft, that was mostly a bunch of nonsense he started to pitch to season ticket holders at mid-season to make them think he actually knew what he was doing in the draft.
There has been lots of talk about Jason Thompson being a good fit for the Wolves but I just don't see it. They're going to take their time with Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic and with a lot of cap space and the pending CBA, the team might wait things out and see what it can get in free agency."
- My Analysis: What a weird, weird roster. Like the Kings, the Timberwolves have a lot of young pieces and a bunch of cap space (second most to the Kings in fact). Kevin Love has been amazing, Michael Beasley finally gets to shoot as much as he wants to, and Darko is leading the league in Block Rate. But besides that not much has been great. The Kings really liked Jonny Flynn in the 2009 draft, but he's been a huge disappointment in Minnesota, posting an absolutely atrocious 5.6 PER in 22 games so far this season.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: It depends. Do Geoff Petrie and Co. still like Jonny Flynn and think he could do better in another system? I have my doubts. He's certainly not worth trading Jason Thompson for considering JT has actually proven he can score and rebound at an NBA level and Flynn hasn't proven anything yet in two seasons. I'd trade Donté for Flynn (which Minnesota wouldn't accept), so I don't see anything happening between us.
Source: Royce Young, Daily Thunder
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Team Needs:
"OKC is always in the market for a good big man. Especially a good rebounding one. Other than that, the Thunder's pretty much set up and down the line. But finding a good, rebounding big that can defend against the elite Western centers is something the Thunder wants."
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Who Would You Want:
"The Kings actually have three guys that would fit OKC well. Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson all make sense. I'll take off Dalembert because of his big salary, even though it's expiring. So Thompson and Landry make a good amount of sense for the Thunder to target."
- My Analysis: This is a team rife with young talent on nice cheap contracts. Obviously there are players that are untouchable (Durant, Westbrook, probably Ibaka and Harden too). I really like Eric Maynor, he's proving to be a solid option at the point, albeit in a backup capacity. Cole Aldrich hasn't gotten much playing time yet, but he's already a solid defender and rebounder.
- Likelihood of a trade between us: The Thunder have been very, very patient on the trade front the last few years, never really overspending, and taking very little risk. This isn't a team that will mortgage their future for a few more wins and maybe an extra round in the playoffs. Thats why I think a trade with them is so unlikely. Conceptually, a Samuel Dalembert/Luther Head trade for Maynor/Krstic/Peterson works and helps the Thunder in the here and now with the defensive big man they want, but its not something that would put them over the top to win it all this year, and it'd leave them worse off in the long run, as they'd be short both a backup point guard and defensive big man since Dalembert is a UFA. Carl Landry for Jeff Green could work, but Green is a defensive sieve, and he chucks way too many threes at too low of a percentage for my liking.
Source: Ben Golliver, Blazers Edge
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Team Needs:
"The Blazers are in flux due to all of their injuries and their roster problems are more than a midseason band-aid can fix. They are making due up front and could use a body, particularly one that can play both 4 and 5. In the backcourt they need a point guard of the future, but that probably won't be able to be addressed until this summer at the earliest. Long-term they need a top-flight guard/wing to replace Brandon Roy, assuming he will be limited by knee injuries going forward. "
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Who Would You Want:
"Given Sacramento's personnel and their salaries, Carl Landry could make some sense, but Portland doesn't seem very eager to burn assets prior to the draft and the Blazers would really prefer a true big so that LaMarcus Aldridge can play four."
- My Analysis: Andre Miller will probably be moved by the deadline, and I know quite a few of you really like him, but I don't, unless Portland simply does a straight up trade of Beno for Miller, which I don't see happening. The Blazers do have some nice pieces though. Nicolas Batum is my favorite young player in the league that doesn't play for the Kings, but I doubt he'd be available for what we'd offer. Dante Cunningham has impressed me the last few times I've seen him with his athleticism and versatile game. I used to really like Rudy Fernandez, but who knows whats up with him nowadays, whether he wants to stay in the NBA or go back to Spain, so I don't see him as a long term option.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: We've already heard rumors of Carl Landry being shopped to Portland for a pick and cash, which doesn't surprise me. I also could see Sacramento trading for Andre Miller considering that if they don't like what he brings to the table they can simply waive him after the season since his last year is fully unguaranteed. I don't see anything major going down though.
Source: Basketball John, SLC Dunk
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Team Needs:
"The biggest need for the Jazz right now is a defensive big that could come in and play along side of Millsap and/or Jefferson. That would shore up our internal defense which has been lacking this season. You could also argue the Jazz are in need of a scoring wing. CJ Miles is having a good year and can play the 2 or the 3."
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Who Would You Want:
"With Cousins and Evans not part of the discussion, the two biggest targets for the Jazz would be Omri Casspi and Jason Thompson. Casspi would give the Jazz a three-point threat coming off the bench while Thompson would give the Jazz a solid big that could rebound and score."
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My Analysis: No I don't really want Kyrylo Fesenko anymore. I do however want his comrade, Andrei Kirilenko. Kirilenko would really shore up our defense, and he could end up being a good mentor for a guy like Omri Casspi. The only problem with him is that he is an expiring contract and the Kings could end up losing him in the offseason. Still, maybe he likes it here and wants to stay. His best years in the league were at the PF position, and he's exactly the type of PF I'd love playing next to DMC; Athletic, long, and can contribute offensively from the mid-range.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: This is actually an interesting option for us. The likelihood of a trade between Sacramento and Utah goes up the longer Utah continues to slump (they are 3-7 in the last 10 games, including a 6 game losing streak, and are stuck in the 7th spot). Right now Utah is about $6.7 million over the luxury tax. The Kings could swap Dalembert for Kirilenko and cash to save the Jazz some money, but that still doesn't put them below the luxury tax. However, a Francisco Garcia/Jason Thompson/Samuel Dalembert for Andrei Kirilenko/Mehmet Okur trade does work. Utah gets a defensive big in Dalembert, a young big man in JT, and a veteran wing man in Garcia while Sacramento gets two good defensive players (yes Okur is a good defender) and veterans in Kirilenko and Okur. Salary wise the Kings take more money on now to save some money in the long run with Cisco's contract. I don't know how feasible this trade is considering the Kings would actually be taking back money (a shocker, I know), but I kind of like it. This would only happen if Utah wanted to cut on salary while also remaining competitive though. If this trade doesn't happen (which it probably won't) Kirilenko would be high up on my list for guys I think the Kings should target in FA.
Pacific Division:
Source: Eric Freeman, Ball Don't Lie
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Team Needs:
"The Warriors have a decent starting lineup, at least on paper, but their bench is so unproductive that Monta Ellis and Dorell Wright usually have to play 40 or more minutes against all but the worst teams just to keep things close. This season, they’ve needed more help inside with injuries to David Lee and Louis Amundson and the hideously bad play of one-time Most Improved Player candidate Andris Biedrins. In the long run, though, they need more help on the wings, since several big men are under contract for several years and none of the backups hold much promise for the future.
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Who Would You Want:
"Beno Udrih would be a great fit if not for his relatively large contract through 2012-13 (I assume he’ll pick up his player option that year). Since contracts matter, though, let’s say Omri Casspi, even though I doubt that’ll happen since his niche-marketing combo with Jeremy Lin would be too strong a moneymaking force for the league to allow."
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My Analysis: I'd trade anyone on this roster not named Tyreke Evans or DeMarcus Cousins for Golden State's Stephen Curry. That includes giving up our unprotected 1st rounder. Curry is my ideal backcourt partner to Tyreke Evans: he can pass, shoot and play off the ball well. He also probably isn't available, no matter what Lacob says. Besides Curry, the Warriors have little that intrigues me. A few years ago I might have been interested in Andris Biedrins as a potential frontcourt partner for DeMarcus Cousins, but Biedrins has suffered a pretty big regression since then. Dorell Wright was one of the more underrated FA signings of the summer, as he now leads the NBA in 3-points made shooting 41.5%, and his contract isn't bad either.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: If Curry really was available, I have to believe the Kings would've been jumping all over that considering their need at the point guard position. The only rumors about Curry's availability was a quote from the new owner saying Ellis was the franchise player and that a Curry-Ellis backcourt might not be feasible in the long run. But since then Curry has played extremely well and I doubt anything the Kings might offer would entice the Warriors to give him up in only his 2nd year. I see little potential for any trade with the Warriors.
Source: Peter Kim, The No Look Pass
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Team Needs:
"The Clippers are still looking for that ideal small forward who can score, defend and knock down the 3. With Blake Griffin seeing more double teams, he looks towards the perimeter to find an open man. It would also help Eric Gordon to have another scorer and to help space the floor for him. Also, this ideal small forward would be a solid closer since the Clippers still struggle to close out games."
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Who Would You Want:
"The first player that would be a great fit for the Clippers would be Omri Casspi. He plays with great energy and that 40% from 3-point range is pretty nice. As an added bonus, he's got a huge fanbase here in LA already with the 4th largest Jewish community outside of Tel Aviv.
The second would be Jason Thompson, a guy who has loads of potential and seems to be a good 'buy low' candidate. Perhaps switching teams could help boost his confidence and even keep him from shooting too many ill-advised outside shots."
- My Analysis: Grr. Blake Griffin should be ours (Tyreke is a very, very nice consolation prize though). Disregarding that though, the Clippers have a good mixture of young talent and veteran presence. Chris Kaman has been out most of the year with injury but has been talked about as a trade asset. He's more of an offensive machine than anything else though so I don't think he'd be a good fit for Sacramento with Cousins on board. I also don't see the Clips giving up any of their young talent besides maybe Willie Warren, who I'm not that big a fan of. The veterans don't intrigue me at all either. Butler is pretty much just a spot-up shooter now, and Gomes and Foye are simply mediocre.
- Likelihood of a trade between us: The Clippers, like the Kings, don't really need to add more youth, especially with two great young pieces in Griffin and Gordon. They'll probably look to add a more veteran presence, probably at the wing, that the Kings can't provide. I'm sure the Clippers would give the Kings Baron Davis if they asked, but no. That's just silly talk.
Source: Rey Moralde, The No Look Pass
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Team Needs:
"I'm pretty happy with the Lakers roster... other than possible injuries, but that's with every team. But I GUESS the Lakers can use upgrades here and there.
Sometimes, Derek Fisher looks really awful on the court, especially defensively. He's shooting even worse than last year, although his 3-pt percentage is better this year. But he's pretty much untradeable as he is absolutely needed in the postseason with his clutch shooting. Plus he's the only one that Kobe would listen to in the locker room. Steve Blake can be a starter on many teams so point guard really isn't as much of a need as it was in previous years.
What the Lakers need, if anything, is a scoring big off the bench. There must be a reason why Joe Smith is not playing, right? No? Never mind."
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Who Would You Want:
"I like Jason Thompson as a back-up big. As if the Lakers need any more length and rebounding, right? He can provide Bynum some extra rest and infuse more youth into a Laker team that's only getting older. AND he has a cheap contract.
Omri Casspi always intrigues me. He provides much-needed athleticism for this team and the Lakers can never have enough 3-pt shooters in the Triangle offense. He'd be great on the break, too. I can imagine the eyes of Lamar Odom and Steve Blake lighting up with Shannon Brown and Casspi as finishers. And don't forget: Casspi also has a cheap contract."
- My Analysis: These guys are the defending champs for good reason. This is a deep, deep team. But they're also light on the kind of players the Kings would want. Shannon Brown could be a nice choice especially after how he's transformed himself into an excellent spot-up three point shooter, but he's played too integral of a role for this Lakers team. The Lakers do have a couple young guys I've been impressed with at times in Ebanks and Caracter, but they're literally the only young guys LA has.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: Very Low to None. The Lakers don't usually like to make big changes during championship seasons, preferring to go with the current team down the stretch so as not to ruin any chemistry. That mentality might have changed however with Mitch Kupchak's recent comments that something might need to change following losses to the Kings and Celtics. But the Lakers really don't have much flexibility for trades, and if they do trade, they'll be looking for immediate impact veteran players. The Kings don't have those guys or they wouldn't have only 12 wins to their name.
Source: Seth Pollack, Bright Side of the Sun
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Team Needs:
"Anyone (and everyone) who's watched the Suns at all this year knows the team is truly hosed in the power forward department. When Amare left no one was going to fill those shoes, but trying to cram Hedo Turkoglu and Hakim Warrick into them was just plain...misguided."
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Who Would You Want:
"This one is actually pretty easy to answer. There are two guys on the Kings roster the Suns would want and really, it's not even close. Carl Landry and/or Jason Thompson.
Landry would give the Suns a bench big who is tough and can score the ball inside, something the team is seriously lacking. Thompson would be a longer term play as a starter who is mobile and skilled and can play both the four and the five which is the kind of versatility the Suns always like. There's very little doubt that Nash would raise the level of Thompson's production by several orders of magnitude and obviously, he's a good buy since he's still on his rookie contract."
- My Analysis: Phoenix has an interesting roster with a lot of wings. They also have a pretty good backup point guard in Goran Dragic, but as Seth says, Dragic is one of the few players the Suns would probably be unwilling to trade. Jared Dudley has emerged in the past few years as a reliable perimeter defender and excellent shooter as well (career 40.9% from three, shot 45.8% last year), but he's also perhaps the wing Phoenix would be least willing to trade, having recently signed him to a 5 year deal for a modest price. Josh Childress is much more likely to be shopped, but I don't know if I have that much interest in him. The Kings need shooting, and Childress is more of a driver. His contract is also relatively large (It's like Francisco's but more expensive and longer). If you've read this site for a couple years now, you know how much I like Marcin Gortat, but considering he's the first starting caliber center the Suns have had in a while, and on a decent contract, I doubt he's available.
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Likelihood of a trade between us: I wouldn't say its likely but its definitely possible. The Kings could use some help in the wings, as well as a veteran presence. Seth suggests a Carl Landry for Mickael Pietrus swap, which I'd kind of like. Pietrus is a proven veteran who has played on winning teams, is an excellent defender and can hit the three ball. If the Suns want JT the trade gets a bit more complicated, as the Kings would likely need another big man in return since Landry and Dalembert are both UFAs. This is where Gortat could come into play, but I don't see it, since Gortat is better at defending, rebounding and even scoring.