Speaking of the Bobcats, would you do this trade?

[LarBrd33]

I was just thinking about the Bobcats after the game tonight.  They signed Big Al.  They seem like a team that actually wants to win games and be competitive.   

I just want to throw out this idea and see what people think of it.  I'm still of the opinion that Boston wants to bottom out this year, collect future assets, dump the overpaid vets and build around youth.

green = assets
blue = expiring contracts
red = bad contracts

Boston Trades:

Rajon Rondo - 12 million/2 years
Gerald Wallace - 10 million/3 years
Brandon Bass - 7 million/2 years
Courtney Lee - 5.2 million/3 years


Bobcats Trade:

Ben Gordon - 13 mil expiring
Ramon Sessions - 5 mil expiring
Cody Zeller (age: 21) - 4 mil/4 years
Bismack Biyombo (age: 21) - 3 mil/2 years
Kemba Walker (age: 23) - 2.6 mil/2 years
Future 1st rounder

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=k7nymk7

Why for Boston?: Yes, we'd be giving up Rondo.  But we'd also be dumping the garbage contracts of Wallace, Bass and Lee.  #1 - That would give us 30 million dollars in cap space in the offseason.  Not saying we'd sign them, but it's fair to mention that we'd have money to offer two max deals to a free agent class that involves players such as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.  Just sayin...   #2 - It would help us bottom out this season and get us even closer to adding a franchise player through the draft.  #3 - Zeller, Biyombo and Walker are fine young assets to add to our collection.  If they gave up a 1st rounder, that'd be amazing.    #4 - Dumping Wallace and Bass means more minutes for Oly/Fav/Sully/Zeller/Biyombo.  Really, if you think about it there is a TON to love about that trade. 

Why not for Boston?:  There's literally only one reason... and that's giving up Rajon Rondo.  But I'd rather take 30 million in cap space, a better shot at this epic draft and multiple assets. 



Why for Charlotte?:  Rondo, obviously. You put Rondo out there with Al Jefferson, Gerald Henderson and MKG, you have a nice little foundation for the return of the Charlotte Hornets.   Brandon Bass is a capable starting big whose mid-range shots would compliment Jefferson's inside game.  Lee is a solid and serviceable veteran.  Wallace is still capable of producing and contributing to a playoff team.    If the Bobcats did that, I think they'd probably finally be a playoff team.

Why not for Charlotte?: As appealing as Rondo is, do they really have the sand to give up on the #4 pick this year (Zellar) as well as Walker and Biyombo?  Will Rondo really make that big of an impact on the team?  Do they really want to lock into a bunch of mediocre vets at high salary?  Wallace is the worst contract of the bunch... that said, in 2 years he becomes a valuable expiring contract that they can flip. 


Thoughts?

 

 
 

[fitzhickey]

tell you what I like this deal. HUGE Kemba and Bismack fan (what sick names) and they have potential. also not a bad deal for Charlotte who could add another piece to that core and become quite good.

[Celtics4ever]

I would not do it.   I think Rondo is the best player in the trade.  I think Biyombo and Walker are mediocre starters at best.  Biyombo is borderline el busto for a number 7 pick.   4 PPG a 7 RPG.   I think MJ is a bad GM less we have of his players the better.   I like Zeller though.

I think this would play right into your tanking scheme because we would be a worse team.   But we 'd have less quality to attract free agents without Rondo and less to build around.  Guys want to play with Rondo, no one wants to play with Walker.

[BballTim]

I would not do it.   I think Rondo is the best player in the trade.  I think Biyombo and Walker are mediocre starters at best.  Biyombo is borderline el busto for a number 7 pick.   4 PPG a 7 RPG.   I think MJ is a bad GM less we have of his players the better.   I like Zeller though.

I think this would play right into your tanking scheme because we would be a worse team.   But we 'd have less quality to attract free agents without Rondo and less to build around.  Guys want to play with Rondo, no one wants to play with Walker.

  Yes, the general rule for trades in the nba is that the team that gets the best player wins the trade. This year, however, there's no requirement that trade proposals actually make the team better as being a worse team means higher draft picks. It's nirvana for much of the blog.
 

[MVPPierceNoJoke]

I would do this trade in a heartbeat. But I don't think the Bobcats would do it. Yeah they get Rondo, but they lose all there size if they do this. I think we would have to throw KO in there.

[ssspence]

I would not do it.   I think Rondo is the best player in the trade.  I think Biyombo and Walker are mediocre starters at best.  Biyombo is borderline el busto for a number 7 pick.   4 PPG a 7 RPG.   I think MJ is a bad GM less we have of his players the better.   I like Zeller though.

I think this would play right into your tanking scheme because we would be a worse team.   But we 'd have less quality to attract free agents without Rondo and less to build around.  Guys want to play with Rondo, no one wants to play with Walker.

  Yes, the general rule for trades in the nba is that the team that gets the best player wins the trade. This year, however, there's no requirement that trade proposals actually make the team better as being a worse team means higher draft picks. It's nirvana for much of the blog.

Like the Dwight Howard deal? Or the Carmelo deal? Cliches aside, the team that wins a trade is the team than makes the smartest deal based on what they know about the players involved.

I don't see the Bobcats doing this deal. The basically give up 4 lottery picks and a ton of money to rent Rondo for a year +. And Rondo and Al Jeff are hardly an ideal fit.

[BUTerrier]

One thing that should be noted that may convince Charlotte to make this deal is that Wallace basically made his career there. He was a little-used second-round guard languishing on the bench in Sacramento, and then Charlotte took him in the expansion draft, and his career took off (aside: talk about Sacramento not knowing what they had!)

I think Charlotte needs something that will get more fans through the gate. I mean, they have Davis . . . and that's about it. No one really gets excited about the other guys. But bringing back Gerald Wallace -- who I'd argue is basically what Dee Brown was to the Celtics, but with slightly better stats -- would get the fans excited. Yes, they'd have to take on his crappy contract, but no top free agent was coming to Charlotte to play in its current situation, so this gets fans in the seats and makes some buzz for them (no pun intended). Setting aside Davis, I'm fairly certain that if you polled fans right now as to who their all-time favorite Bobcat was, Wallace would easily make the Top 3 along with Chandler and Okafor. I think that may be viewed as a pro that balances out his crappy contract.

[pearljammer10]

I dont like giving up Rondo for that package and I dont think the bobcats really gain anything from it either. Just a bunch of bad contracts.

[sofutomygaha]

Of course I'd do that, but it doesn't make much sense for Charlotte's long view

[BballTim]

I would not do it.   I think Rondo is the best player in the trade.  I think Biyombo and Walker are mediocre starters at best.  Biyombo is borderline el busto for a number 7 pick.   4 PPG a 7 RPG.   I think MJ is a bad GM less we have of his players the better.   I like Zeller though.

I think this would play right into your tanking scheme because we would be a worse team.   But we 'd have less quality to attract free agents without Rondo and less to build around.  Guys want to play with Rondo, no one wants to play with Walker.

  Yes, the general rule for trades in the nba is that the team that gets the best player wins the trade. This year, however, there's no requirement that trade proposals actually make the team better as being a worse team means higher draft picks. It's nirvana for much of the blog.

Like the Dwight Howard deal? Or the Carmelo deal? Cliches aside, the team that wins a trade is the team than makes the smartest deal based on what they know about the players involved.

I don't see the Bobcats doing this deal. The basically give up 4 lottery picks and a ton of money to rent Rondo for a year +. And Rondo and Al Jeff are hardly an ideal fit.

  The Lakers screwed up the Howard deal but you have to really be drinking the youth kool-aid to think Orlando's better off than they were when they had Dwight. If you think the Knicks would rather miss the playoffs every year then be where they've been the last few years then you're kidding yourself.

[arctic 3.0]

In a word: no.
In a few words: rondo is the best player on our team. He is the key piece in our effort to rebuild, a young vet who will guide our youngsters to better days. He will help a lotto pick developed more quickly by keeping the focus and need to lead off a kid. If we don't get a high lotto he is the reason a big name FA would sign with us.

[moiso]

I would make this deal.  Getting rid of garbage contracts, getting more young assets. Plus another first round pick.  It will probably make us worse this year but it will help the cause in the long term.  And I bet Stevens will get a lot more out of the new acquisitions than the Bobcats coaching staff has been able to get.  Jordan has been horrible but they would be more likely to do it if Isaiah were the gm.  This is an Isaiah type deal.

[ssspence]

I would not do it.   I think Rondo is the best player in the trade.  I think Biyombo and Walker are mediocre starters at best.  Biyombo is borderline el busto for a number 7 pick.   4 PPG a 7 RPG.   I think MJ is a bad GM less we have of his players the better.   I like Zeller though.

I think this would play right into your tanking scheme because we would be a worse team.   But we 'd have less quality to attract free agents without Rondo and less to build around.  Guys want to play with Rondo, no one wants to play with Walker.

  Yes, the general rule for trades in the nba is that the team that gets the best player wins the trade. This year, however, there's no requirement that trade proposals actually make the team better as being a worse team means higher draft picks. It's nirvana for much of the blog.

Like the Dwight Howard deal? Or the Carmelo deal? Cliches aside, the team that wins a trade is the team than makes the smartest deal based on what they know about the players involved.

I don't see the Bobcats doing this deal. The basically give up 4 lottery picks and a ton of money to rent Rondo for a year +. And Rondo and Al Jeff are hardly an ideal fit.

  The Lakers screwed up the Howard deal but you have to really be drinking the youth kool-aid to think Orlando's better off than they were when they had Dwight. If you think the Knicks would rather miss the playoffs every year then be where they've been the last few years then you're kidding yourself.

Neither of these arguments makes any sense, Tim. What does it matter what Howard did in the past as a Magic? It's where they were with him at the time of the deal that matters.

If you believe the Magic weren't the outright, hands-down winner in the Howard trade, you're the first (and not paying much attention to how the other teams fared).

[wdleehi]

Orlando won the trade because the Lakers messed it up.



And how did Denver win the Melo deal? 





But neither of these have anything to do with Rondo.  Rondo is not looking to leave Boston and leave them with nothing if they don't find a trade.


I am against the trade.  I don't see the potential there to give Rondo away.  And I am against picking up guys Michael Jordan drafted.  They don't usually work out that great. 

[D.o.s.]

I've gone back and forth on this trade about sixty five times....

Essentially, is losing Rondo worth clearing ourselves of a handful of awful contracts and giving us a massive amount of cap space.


In a vacuum, probably.


But I'm not sure who would be targeted with that space, and what their incentive to play for Boston would be. I don't see LeBron or 'Melo leaving their respective teams any time soon. I don't like Kevin Love, nor do I think he'd be eager to come to a team that's worse than the Timberwolves. Ditto for Aldridge.

The Mavericks are great example of a team that's come up empty in the last big free agency deals, and that's with having Dirk on the roster.