Carl Landry to Europe, Can C's do a trade?

[nickagneta]

Word out of Houston is that Carl Landry's agent is playing a bit tough with the Rockets and is playing the Euro card. He claims that there are both European teams and NBA teams that have shown an interest in him.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53724/20080724/landry_next_to_bolt_overseas/

Would you, if you were Danny, look into acquiring him in a sign and trade and dangle either of our 2 undersized big guys and something or someone else for Landry?

Is he an upgrade over Powe? They are both the same age but Landry's stats are better.

I honestly have only read good things about the guy but have never really seen him play. Thoughts?

[jackson_34]

Isn't Landry undersized aswell? 6'8 or something?

Of what I saw of him last season, he had his moments, but so did Powe and BBD. Sure his stats were better than Powe's, however Landry's were still small; something like 5ppg, 4rpg.

[micah kenneth]

it's easy to have better stats than Powe when your getting more minutes.
Powe did a very good job last year and I have little to no complaints of what he did last season.

[Roy Hobbs]

His stats are almost equal to Powe's on an overall basis, and on a per-minute basis, Powe's are actually a bit better overall (with Landry holding a slight edge in FG%).

See here for the comparison.

I think Landry is asking for too much money.  I'd rather go with the cheaper option (currently) who has a familiarity with our team and players.

[nickagneta]

Like I said I never saw him play but heard rave reviews about him and I thought I read somewhere that he was quick enough to guard big SFs whereas I know neither of our guys can do that.

[TerreHaute]

Why trade for what we already have. IF we were to trade either Powe or BBD, we should do it to fill a team need, not a redundant part.

[nickagneta]

The other interesting and probably more fun for discussion is Landry's agent coming out immediately after the Childress signing and saying his client is receiving interest from European clubs.

Just how many of the RFA's who opted not to cash in last year on some pretty nice extension offers are going to now look to Europe for a year or two worth of a contract in hopes that eventually their teams don't continue tendering offers and can then come back as UFAs?

Deng - I could see him doing Europe quite easily
Okafor - who knows
Smith - he hates Atlanta he might need to pull a Childress
Gordon - his shoot first and streakiness could make him a huge star in Europe

It would certainly change the way the league would look next year if 2-3 more of these guys defect for the ever more valuable Euro, escape from taxes, new and large Euro endorsement contracts, and less games and wear and tear on the body.

It sounds enticing and none of the four guys listed above are unintelligent. They could adapt very easily.

Maybe it's time to look at the QO and how it might be forcing young blossoming NBA stars to leave the league.

[nickagneta]

Why trade for what we already have. IF we were to trade either Powe or BBD, we should do it to fill a team need, not a redundant part.

It never hurts to upgrade a part.

If Landry was or is an upgrade, why not do so?

[cordobes]

Landry is marginally better than Powe, IMO. He has a better all-around game, can do more things than rebounding and scoring. He can guard SFs a la Gomes, Nick. Not a very significant bonus, IMO.

It all depends on salaries, I'd say. How much Landry is asking and how much Powe will get. Dumping Scal's salary to get a player that would be making for the next years the same money as Powe would be smart. Are the Rockets paying luxury tax? If not, a trade could work for both teams, with us sending some cash, as long as they don't value Landry much more than Powe.

But there's something that would stop me from doing his deal: Landry's injury concerns. Powe is not the same player he could be without the knees' injuries, but we know he's healthy now. Not so sure about Landry.

I have no idea about what European team could go after Landry. Everybody is pretty much settle at the 4. But he'd be a very good player in Europe.

Deng - I could see him doing Europe quite easily
Okafor - who knows
Smith - he hates Atlanta he might need to pull a Childress
Gordon - his shoot first and streakiness could make him a huge star in Europe

Smith wouldn't get a contract in Europe as big as Childress'. His game relies too much on athleticism. I don't think he could get an offer as big as his QO. Gordon, Deng and Okafor, maybe.

[nickagneta]

cordobes, you obviously follow the European game.

What is the likelihood of teams going after a Deng, Okafor, Smith, or Gordon? I think these guys would be huge over there but I don't know the status of those teams, who has the cash to afford them, who would be looking for someone like them, etc.

Help us out here, what's your take on the chance of Americans migrating overseas once money is limited to basically an MLE contract or resigning with a team you don't want to rejoin?

[Robb]

His stats are almost equal to Powe's on an overall basis, and on a per-minute basis, Powe's are actually a bit better overall (with Landry holding a slight edge in FG%).

See here for the comparison.

I think Landry is asking for too much money.  I'd rather go with the cheaper option (currently) who has a familiarity with our team and players.

I'd give Powe the edge because he gets to the line a little bit better...that and because Powe is our guy.  If we had Landry, I'm sure I'd rather have FG percentage, haha.

[gar]

Landry would be awesome; but what would it take. Powe or Davis and a pick I would assume. Plus then you have to deal with the dollars and you are still ending up with a undersized player who has a little more mobility and a little better  Bball IQ.

[cordobes]

cordobes, you obviously follow the European game.

What is the likelihood of teams going after a Deng, Okafor, Smith, or Gordon? I think these guys would be huge over there but I don't know the status of those teams, who has the cash to afford them, who would be looking for someone like them, etc.

Help us out here, what's your take on the chance of Americans migrating overseas once money is limited to basically an MLE contract or resigning with a team you don't want to rejoin?

I don't think Smith would be huge in the European game. Quite the opposite. His style suits the NBA much better. It'd take him a lot of time to adapt and he'd never be a dominant player. Frankly, I can't see any European team offering him more money that he can get playing in his QO, let alone what he can make in a new contract, if with Atlanta low-balling him a little bit. Even if he leaves, I don't see Atlanta renouncing his rights, even with the cap hold.

Okafor could be a better player and attract more interest, but his QO is respectable. So, I don't think that's an option to him as well. Gordon is a similar case.

Luol Deng (and Deng has the type of game that could help an European team), yes, it's a possibility. They could try to pull a Childress. There are rumors that Panathinaikos, who are thin at the SF position, may try to offer Deng a contract. If they offer him a $8 million/year contract (net wage), with opt-out clauses a la Childress, I can see him accepting it, play there a year and return if Chicago offers him a max contract or wait for them to renounce his rights (to clear the cap holds). But I think the Bulls would eventually prefer to give him the money he's asking.

There are basically 8/9 european teams that can offer bigger than MLE contracts: Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, Barça and maybe Tau Vitoria (though Tau wouldn't probably give such a big contract to players unproven in Europe with a good chance of leaving the team the following year, it's the kind of money they pay to an established franchise player like Splitter) make the revenue that allows them to afford big contracts; then you have the Russian clubs (CSKA, Kihmki, Dynamo, etc) that have billionaire owners who don't mind to spend their money financing huge financial deficits. Things can change in a few years with the new structure of the Euroleague, but this is the present situation. So, I don't think there is such a big market to players like Childress.

[Who]

Landry's new contract will be a very good estimate for what Powe can expect to earn in 12 months. Should watch that closely.

I think Landry is the better player. More comfortable around the floor plus he has a better jump shot.

[Jon]

If we're going to make a trade, I'd rather it be for a legitimate veteran center.  Landry, while listed at 6-9, is still undersized for the 5 position and isn't much of a shotblocking threat.