Trade the picks

[Alexander Wang <awang@MIT.EDU>]

At 04:22 PM 10/30/00 +0100, Hironaka wrote:
>It may be fair to say that future lottery-level draft picks (of which Boston
>may have two next year) aren't things you dangle unless you are specifically
>in a "final piece of the puzzle" situation, which Pitino emphatically is not
>in. At this stage, I wouldn't want Pitino to trade either pick to "save
>face" or to even to squeak into the playoffs.

If Pitino's job is on the line, he should have the right -- and good
motivation -- to trade the surplus draft picks (Denver and Utah, or
alternatively our own and Utah's if Denver's is better than ours) that he's
accumulated in order to win right now. I mean, that is what the Boston fans
are clamoring for, winning right now, playoffs this year, or he's a goner.
He's not getting any credit for acquiring the draft picks -- most of the
critics in the media either ignore them when discussing the trades, or
dismiss their importance -- so he shouldn't be criticized for trading them
away either.

My opinion is that you don't trade a lottery pick for a single season
return -- say a guy whose contract is expiring that isn't likely to
re-sign. I'd prefer that we trade the lower of our two potential lottery
picks in any transaction. And I wouldn't like to see him trade future picks
beyond the surplus ones unless it's for a young, promising talent. But
beyond that, I think it would be more than fair for him to trade away the
picks to make the team better now, since that it what he is being judged
on. Maybe I'm biased because I'm tired of seeing the team lose.

The most recent trade idea on my mind is one that has been rumored since
Pitino's arrival -- Mashburn to Boston. I think that it finally makes some
sense now. First, Charlotte has mentioned plans of playing a frontcourt of
Campbell, Coleman, and PJ Brown, which leaves Mashburn as a shooting guard
or maybe a bench player. At the same time, they're intent on developing
Baron Davis but Wesley's still a productive player. They've been playing
them together in the backcourt, which is possible since they are big up
front. Now Mashburn is not a shooting guard, so maybe he will not be a
great fit. Second, his contract is expiring after this year, and Charlotte
has a history of not wanting to pay its own free agents. The reason is
probably because your own free agents have Bird rights and always demand
above-market pay. So maybe they want to trade him at the deadline for one
of our expiring contracts (Stith, maybe?) and our second highest first
rounder next year pick.

Mashburn could be a good fit. He has experience being the third scorer
after his time in Miami, and we have a great big hole at small forward for
him to step into. Mashburn will like it because he's one of Pitino's
favorite players and he'll escape getting lowballed or renounced by
Charlotte, instead retaining his Bird rights on a team that actually would
want him long term. Despite his experience in the league, he's only 27 and
he looks like he's hitting his prime. Last season he was one of the
league's better three point shooters, which is something that we're
seriously deficient in.

I could see some problems. First of all, our salary structure may not be
able to handle him, since we have to pay Pierce soon. Second, Charlotte is
a probable playoff team and they generally haven't traded producers in
midseason even when they're going to lose them, preferring to let them walk
away. But if he's not fitting in well with them I think the trade makes
sense for both sides.

Alex