Re: wow! get this. Kenny almost went

[Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Alex wrote:
If Vecsey is to be believed, this shows that Kenny Anderson and his big
contract is worth minus 3 first-round draft picks. And the proposals of
"Anderson and picks for [All-Star]" are obviously disconnected from any
sort of reality. Depressing but not surprising.

***

Interesting view (Anderson's present market value might be in the
ballpark of minus three first rounders), but my first take on this was
that the rich really do get richer despite the leveling influence of the
salary cap. If the Celtics "seriously" entertained the Dallas
offer--which surprises me BTW given Wallace's expressed enthusiasm both
in acquiring and in using the additional draft picks, plus the Potapenko
for Shawn Marion or Andre Miller lesson of two years ago--then it
demonstrates just how much staying beneath the luxury tax after
re-signing Pierce is a major consideration for Gaston. Here's the
alternative. Three imminent first rounders to help build around Pierce
(22) and Walker (24)?  "Thanks Dad" is not very interested in that, it
would seem (but again adding Alex's totally pertinent "if Vecsey is to
be believed" caveat).

I'd say the salient question is "do you think Cuban cares one iota if
Kenny Anderson turned out to be a DNP-CD for the remember of his
contract"?  If you agree the answer might well be "no", then in very
clear terms this can be seen as a transparent play to exploit the
relative poverty and cheapness of his fellow owner, plain and simple.
This ballsy offer was probably bound to be vociferously rejected by
Wallace, but from Cuban's point of view, I definitely say why the heck
not try to entice Gaston with a hard
cash-savings-for-your-three-first-round picks type of offer. Gaston
already has been "bribed" twice with a pair of three million cash
transfers straight into his bank account, in order to close deals first
in the Chauncey-for-Kenny trade and once again in the Danny Fortson for
Robert Pack and a late first round pick. If I had the same unlimited
play money to spend, like the Red Sox' Dan Duquette apparently, I'd pick
up the phone and pull exactly (I mean EXACTLY) the same kind of squeeze
on the Gaston's of the world, because, over time, I'd probably come out
looking like a genius GM in the process. All of us would. Two probable
lottery picks (maybe 80%+ sure in both cases) and one possibly (but not
certainly) washed up 31-year-old former legendary point guard for
nothing other than luxury tax relief? It doesn't hurt to .

I think cost is clearly a determining factor for Gaston as well as for
the genuine small market teams, even though I won't dispute that Alex is
right in pointing out the fallacy of a Kenny and any fill-in-the-blanks
for Mutombo type deal. It probably would have had to be a "my cap anvil
for your veteran head case" type of gamble.

****