welcome back Alex!

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The usual (excellent) analysis that we've come to expect from Alex that cuts
through all the emotional blather to the heart of the issue - in this case
dollars.

If I read your analysis correctly Wallace basically exchanged two first
rounders for Delk in order to shed the roughly $3 mil that Randy Brown was
scheduled to make this year. Re-signing Rogers was never seriously in the
cards (unless he just played awful thereby destroying his market value - and
then why re-sign him?). It seems obvious that Rogers was always viewed as an
expiring contract by Wallace.

This is what I mean by saying that although Gaston is acting like a
tightfisted jerk (an indisputable point IMHO) that some of the blame must
ALSO go to Wallace - ditching 2 1st rounders to save a one-time hit of $3
mil?

One might say that one 1st rounder was 'worthless' since Joe Johnson had no
heart or whatever but then the blame comes back once again to - guess who -
Wallace (hence my previous crack about a bad draft being compounded by a
worse trade). There is plenty of blame to go around - enough for BOTH Gaston
and Wallace to share (in greater or lesser degrees) - for taking a golden
opportunity to stockpile young, cheap talent and turning it into Tony Delk
and a one-time savings of $3 mil. And remember it was all in the name of
avoiding a luxury tax that will not be implemented this year!

PS Given all the attention to PGs in recent days (interest in both Bremer
AND D Jones?!?) I wouldn't be surprised to see Kenny dealt soon after Aug 1
in order to 'bolster' the frontcourt. Croshere? Vin Baker? Whooo boy! Sure
to be interesting . . .