Re: Are You Listening Wyc, Steve, and Danny?

[Mark Piotrowski <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date: 18 Nov 2003 17:38:47 -0500
> From: wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Are You Listening Wyc, Steve, and Danny?
>
> Hard to believe this is true, but if Insider is right and
> Miami is willing to include Caron Butler in a deal as an incentive for 
> a team taking Eddie Jones' contract, then the Celtics really truly 
> need to be involved. Frankly, I don't believe it, but talk about a 
> super infusion of talent for a minimal price.
>
> For instance, the Celtics could do a:
>
> Battie, Williams, Mills for Butler, Jones, and Walker trade;
> heck, even toss in Kedrick Brown (no longer needed) or a draft pick or 
> two.
>
> And it's a win - win situation for both clubs. The Celtics add the 
> scorers they badly need and Miami picks up a center and cap space.

Eh, Butler and Jones to go over the cap?  Won't happen, but even if the 
lux tax wasn't an issue i'm torn on whether either is a 
difference-maker.  Butler is good, but I think he was the best of a 
relatively weak rookie class.

While we're on the subject of trades that probably won't happen I was 
reading, I believe on Hoopsworld, that given Ronald Murray's 
mini-to-full-breakout the Sonics might look to move Ray Allen.  I don't 
see how they'd do this but I think I'd be comfortable with:

Seattle gets:
Tony Battie
Chris Mills
Eric Williams
Kedrick Brown
two #1 picks (Dallas' #1 this year, Our #1 next year -- heck i'd throw 
in a 3rd down the road)

Boston gets:
Ray Allen
Vitaly Potapenko (or Calvin Booth or Jerome James) -- Booth has the 
longest contract but is starting


If Ron Murray can keep it up he's going to be stuck on the bench behind 
Allen -- and lets face it the Sonics aren't going to win the title with 
or without Allen.  So given that they're 6-3 without him, why not move 
him, build the team around Rashard Lewis -- who appears to be stepping 
up -- and Murray/Radmanovic and a lot of talented youth.

Mills, Williams and Brent Barry combine for $16 mil in cap space, which 
the Sonics might be wise to defer a year (like Utah is doing this 
year).  The 2-3 #1's would be spread out over the next 2-3 years rather 
than bunched up.

Seattle ends up with:

Brent Barry // Luke Ridnour // Antonio Daniels
Ronald Murray // Antonio Daniels // Kedrick Brown
Rashard Lewis // Eric Williams
Vladimir Radmanovic // Reggie Evans // Battie
Tony Battie // Calvin Booth // Jerome James

and they still have Nick Collison coming back next season -- so it'll 
be like having 3 #1 picks.

I don't imagine i'd need to explain why this is good for Boston, but 
Allen would definitely elevate Pierce's game (and vice-versa) and 
brings a team-oriented attitude.  I think he'd fit right into our 
defensive system too.  The trade would also have some nice ancillary 
benefits:

- it'd level out our roster creating more classical starter/backup 
tandems at each position
- almost guarantee Perkins getting some PT with Battie gone
- gives us no more than 8 players to protect in the expansion draft 
(Allen, Pierce, Banks, LaFrentz, Welsch, Perkins, Blount, Hunter)

We'd have a lineup of:

Mike James // Marcus Banks
Ray Allen // Jiri Welsch
Paul Pierce // Jumaine Jones
Vin Baker // Vitaly Potapenko // Walter McCarty // Brandon Hunter
Mark Blount // Raef LaFrentz  // Kendrick Perkins

(the other) mark