Re: trades vs free agency

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

> I still like moving Anderson for Marbury who Minnesota probably can not 
> afford to resign and giving him the big bucks. He is the best young point 
> in the league and extremely quick.  Move Walker for David Robinson & sign 
> Guggliotta or someone in the draft to replace Walker.

The reason Marbury may be moved is because he's thinking "Garnett money."
This would be a nice move if Gaston was a multi-billionaire but I think
that a team that evidently can't afford to re-sign Walker shouldn't be
trading for Marbury. To make the salaries match, the Celtics would have to
take on another player also (probably an overpaid loser) which would 
further aggravate their cap problems.

I notice in the Globe that Pitino has admitted to shopping Walker, possibly
to move up in the draft and dump contracts. The teams that are high in the
lottery are not wealthy enough to pay Walker and also take additional 
deadwood contracts, are they? I really hope that Walker stays. It surprises
me that Pitino is thinking in terms of a draft-day trade because they haven't
begun formally negotiating with Walker yet.

I'm guessing at what team was involved. Maybe Vancouver? They'd have to 
salivate at a Big Country, Walker, Shareef front line. It would be the 
first quarter-billion dollar front line though. The Celtics take the #2 
pick and dump Ellison, say. They draft Olowokandi (assuming the Clippers
take Bibby) and, if Pitino is not that high on him, trade down to pick
Jamison, LaFrentz, or Pierce, getting another player and dumping another 
contract.

Alex