Re: How can we make the trade work?

[bird <bird@pixi.com>]

>From: "Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: How can we make the trade work?
>
>  >From: "Josh Farber" <nbaj2k@home.com>
>  >
>  >What would need to be changed in order for a deal to happen?
>
>How about a big pile of cash?  How much of Dana's contract could the C's
>pay?

Yes.  Money that isn't tied into the salary cap is just cash, and 
teams need to spend cash in order to win, like it or not.  Depending 
how much of Gaston's public front of the fiscally-responsible, not 
going above the cap (much), business, is real, he might need to learn 
to pony up the dough in order to win.  The real question is, though, 
if you pay Dana's salary, does that count towards your own cap?  Even 
if it does, it might be worth it if this option is included _instead_ 
of the first rounder, but if it's in addition, then it's just adding 
insult to injury, I think.

>I'm not sure that I am that sold on this deal, for all of the reasons
>that others have alreay stated: How much better is Wahad than what we
>already have?  How good is that pick going to be?

That pick might be pretty good, whether it's Denver's or ours. 
Denver's got talent, but that doesn't translate to wins, and this 
draft is said to be deep.  At any rate, the pick is a five-year deal, 
at relatively low money, which can't be beat if the guy we end up 
with has any sort of talent.  (Talent that might come in handy if 
Pitino leaves after this season and we go into rebuilding mode (third 
time's the charm, right?))

Anyway, I think Wahad, if he's in green, probably becomes the team's 
second-best defender (after AG) unless Battie has improved quite a 
bit.  He would fit in well with the "Poultry" defense, and a 
run-and-shoot offense (if we ever get to see such a thing).  He's a 
younger Cal Cheaney with more offense, and more potential.  I would 
guess he starts at 2, with Pierce moving to 3.  It's somewhat hard to 
see him worth $5mil/year, but stranger things have happened.

But because he probably starts, and you're able to ditch Barros's 
salary (though you're really just swapping Barros and Wahad), I think 
you probably have to do this deal, if it wasn't for that meddling 
first rounder.  That pick really screws this deal up really bad.  If 
our other additions are Vinnie Del Negro, Randy Brown, or Bimbo Coles 
and the CBA guys (Blount and maybe one other guy from the summer 
league), then I think Pitino may do the deal anyway, since the plan 
will clearly be to stick with most of these guys and add a few 
role-players, and shoot for the #8 seed.  If that's the case, I hope 
a number of our key guys have improved in the off season.

Regards,

Bill