LA, NJ, HOU. Three way deal!!!

[zerophase]

IMO, LA wins... more vets and Sasha was a big cry baby anyways and NJ wins- a ton of picks for rebuilding. But.. I don't understand Houston's motive. The 2012 pick seems in my mind still high, to near lottery with all these teams out west. The best they're going to be in 2012 is 8th 7th seed at best? is T. Williams worth a pick between 10-20?

[indeedproceed]

Why does LA want Joe Smith?  I don't get it.

Well, this is their frontcourt rotation:

4: Lamar Odom/Derrick Caracter
5: Pau Gasol/?

Joe Smith who can play the 5 against smaller guys and the 4 against bigger 4's is a real solid addition in that context.

Once Bynum gets back, Smith's minutes will go down a lot, but as it sits right now, Vujacic is playing less than 5 mins per game and this years' draft is supposed to be the worst one in a decade, so it's worth the piece of mind to trade depth at one position for another.

Bynum is already back

lol, his first game is tonight. When I wrote that it was 7:18 PM. Had he played yet?

[aporel#18]

Daryl Morey is a smart guy. Williams is the best player in the trade... headache or not, moving to Houston could be good for him. If it doesn't work, he'll still be the better trading chip. There's always a GM "smarter" than the rest, that realizes the true potential in every head case, and he's talented and young, a great athlete... Daryl would be the best replacement (in a distant future) for Danny Ainge.

Unless Joe Smith is a good mentor to Character and Bynum, I don't get it for the Lakers. They'd better pick up some guy from the DL, if I recall correctly, the last time I saw Smith play he had lost not one, but several steps.

Let's hope the Celtics are injury-free from now on, lack of health is the only rival for the men in green.

[nickagneta]

I don't see how this makes any of the teams appreciably better. You have a case of a bad team trading their 9th man on the depth chart to a good team for a late first draft pick and their 15th man on their depth chart who is ancient and a has been to a great team for a seriously declining, slow, poor defending SG with an expiring contract and another super late first round pick.

Someone wake me up when a deal that matters happens.

[Cman]

I think its a good deal for NJ.  They got 2 first round picks for a player they didn't want.  IMHO the trade goes up there with the Boston heist of Cleveland's first rounder for Jiri Welsh.

[greenpride32]

Good trade for LAL but doesn't make them significantly better.  Sasha's playing time has been drastically cut the last 2 years, so he was useless for them.  At least Joe Smith can give you some dependable minutes (with limited production).

Best part of this is it improves the NJN chances of landing Melo.  But I still think he will not agree to go there.  I'd rather not see him land with the NYK. 

[wahz]

Actually Joe Smith wasn't as good as PJ when we had PJ, never mind how bad Smith is now or comparing him to PJ then. He's awful. This smacks of desperation. Its possible that they know Bynum is likely to go down again and they are so totally outmatched even if he doesn't against a team with a front line of Perkins, KG, Shaq, JO, Baby that its ABSURD, I tell you. Heck we had them last year and KG and Baby are better than last year. And how would they like to face a Perk, JO, Shaq, SHEED, KG, Baby front line because it may well happen if we decide we need it.

We'll just throw out another fresh Hall of Famer or near Hall of Famer at you. How do you like them apples  

[StartOrien]

Los Angeles cut money and gained a big.
Houston adds an extremely talented young prospect.
New Jersey adds to first round picks in a chase for Melo.

Do my eyes decieve me? A three way deal that makes sense for everybody? This can't be!

[RMO]

Good trade for LAL but doesn't make them significantly better.  Sasha's playing time has been drastically cut the last 2 years, so he was useless for them.  At least Joe Smith can give you some dependable minutes (with limited production).
 

I don't think talent was their motive.  From what I've read Jerry Buss is getting frugal in his old age, they're paying boat loads in luxury tax and they just traded a guy who never plays for a guy who won't play and makes less money.

Too bad.  I loved Sasha on that team.  I could always throw an insult about him to my laker friends and all they could do is bite their tongue and just wait for the moment to pass.

[StartOrien]

You wonder if the 'Brooklyn New Yorkers' logo was leaked strategically. This trade is clearly a power play to add Melo, do they think something as simple as a logo/name that slaps him in the face with "Hey, we're New York too" would help their cause?

[Who]

Good trade for all involved. LA saves some money. Adds some big man depth who'll help out while they are short handed up front. Houston gets a good prospect in the backcourt. New Jersey collects a couple of first round picks. The Rockets pick in particular could be very valuable depending on what happens with Yao Ming.

Edit: Ah, that Rockets draft pick was lottery protected. I did not know that. Not worth giving up T-Will for a lottery protected pick. Williams is a better prospect than who they are likely to pickup with a non-lottery pick. The Vujacic part of the trade is good work for NJ though.

[soap07]

I wonder if this is any indication that the Nets may be willing to swallow a Melo trade without an extension.

[greenpride32]

I wonder if this is any indication that the Nets may be willing to swallow a Melo trade without an extension.

Why would they do this?  The can't compete this year.  Give up all your valuable assets for a star player rental?

There was a report out a week or two ago about a few teams who were interested in a Melo rental for the stretch run; from what I recall it was DAL HOU and one other team.

[PosImpos]

is T-Williams worth a pick between 10-20?

Yes.  He's shown that he can play in this league and he has a ton of potential.  He was a lottery pick just a couple years ago.  That means he's a surer asset than a late lottery pick in 2012.

[JBone4eva]

is T-Williams worth a pick between 10-20?

Yes.  He's shown that he can play in this league and he has a ton of potential.  He was a lottery pick just a couple years ago.  That means he's a surer asset than a late lottery pick in 2012.

Exactly, I think you guys are sleeping on T- Will, he can PLAY. I think HOU made out in this trade.  I think his solid play will pay dividends nearing the end of this season and into next year.