I've been trying to figure a way to get Julian Wright in here as our backup 3 for a while now. I recently posted about trying to use Scal TA and Giddens to get Antonio Daniels and Wright. While I fully recognize that Scal and TA have little trade value beyond the expiring nature of their contracts, I felt that the $1.65 million or so in savings for New Orleans ($3.3 million with tax) - plus potential further savings if they buy out Scalabrine or Tony Allen or trade their smaller contracts to a team that can absorb them - might give them incentive to give up a guy they don't want (Daniels) and a guy they want for the future but don't necessarily have playing time for now (Wright).

My rationale there was that the Hornets presently have Chris Paul, Darren Collison and Daniels as point guards; Devin Brown and second round rookie Marcus Thornton (and Daniels/Morris Peterson out of position) as shooting guards; Peja Stojakovic, James Posey, Peterson and Wright as small forwards; David West and Ike Diogu as power forwards; and Emeka Okafor and Hilton Armstrong as centers. They need 2 guards, they don't have time for their 3s. Wright could be the piece to allow New Orleans to bring in a guy who can help the front court (Scal) and two guys who haven't panned out totally but might help their dearth of 2 guards (TA, Giddens) while saving more than $3 million this year and possibly picking up another couple mil from Boston.

As much as I dislike TA because he cannot fill a role for our time because he is completely ineffective in limited minutes, he might actually help New Orleans at the 2 since he would never have to handle the ball with Paul and Collison there, his lack of shooting is covered by Paul, Peja, Posey and even West, and his athleticism could actually earn him substantial minutes in a less crowded wing situation (i.e., no Ray, Paul and House to compete with). Giddens is worthless to me, probably to New Orleans too - purely salary filler.

However, ssspence called it out and said (before the particular thread was shut down) that it was a "pipe dream" because NO wouldn't give up a lottery pick for our garbage just to save short term money. I initially bristled at this statement from somebody who had touted the idea that we could get young 25 ppg scorer Kevin Martin just by trading expiring contracts and absorbing Nocioni and Beno Udrih. While Wright is still young, the fact that he's a lottery pick means relatively little to me. Ask Acie Law, taken two picks before Wright, what being a lottery pick means two years later. Better yet, ask Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams, POB, Saer Sene, or Hilton Armstrong, all lottery picks the previous year, what being a lottery pick means two years later (Morrison was in a cap trade last year, POB was a LLE/minimum guy last year, Williams this year, Armstrong next year, Sene isn't even around). So that aspect means nothing.

That said, he's probably right (though I still contend the Martin idea is more far fetched). So what could be done to make that trade work? Would we have to send them Big Baby somehow? If so, I'd agree it's not really worth it. Would they do the trade for Scal, TA, Giddens and a 2013 first round pick? Would $3 mil cash make it work? Adding Walker (diminishing their savings)? Is it even possible? Any suggestions would be welcome, because I really think that getting Wright just to be available as a defensive backup 3 would be a huge boost (and getting Daniels as a big backup point guard alongside House and Marquis wouldn't hurt).