The Clippers

by bfan on Jun 22, 2008 1:11 PM PDT

Lots of talk about possible trades leading up to the draft. I get the feeling that Pritchard will definitely be trying to move up in this draft to get the player of his choosing, whether that be Westbrook or Alexander or Augustin or someone else entirely. There's already been enough speculation on who that player actually is, so rather than beat that dead horse I thought it would be interesting to take a look at possible trading partners and their needs.

When you look at the teams filling up the 6-10 range in the draft, which is what it will probably take to get at least one of the players mentioned above, the one team that really sticks out to me is the Clippers. Here are a few reasons why:

1. They simply need bodies. They officially have only 8 players under contract for next season, plus some dead weight, and of those Brand, Maggette, and Livingston are huge question marks. I just don't see how they can expect to improve much next season by adding only one player through the draft.

2. Some of the players they do have qualify as pretty good starters in the league: Brand, Kaman, Thornton, Livingston when healthy, Maggette, so they are not necessarily in the market for more starters. But they are sorely lacking in depth behind their quality players, and this is where we can help. We have a good crop of young, talented players who could do wonders to improve the bench play of a team like the Clippers.

3. The holes that the Clippers do have in the starting lineup and on the bench seem to match up nicely with what we have available. Brevin Knight needs help and Livingston is questionable, so they might be interested in Jack. There's nobody behind Kaman and Brand, so they might be interested in Frye. Maggette might opt out and Thomas can never really be counted on, so maybe Martell or Outlaw appeals to them as well. Clearly we have some answers to their questions.

4. Their competitive window is still open. With the two most important players on their roster, Brand and Kaman, at 29 and 26 years old respectively, they are in a position to still be pretty good if they can just infuse some young talent into their team. No reason to blow it up just yet.

5. Finally, Pritchard rarely leaves anything to chance when it comes to the draft, giving up whatever he needs to to get the player he wants. At #7, it's likely that he would have his choice between Westbrook, Alexander, and Augustin, the three most likely targets for us in this draft based on team needs, workouts, and media reports.

I obviously have no idea what a trade with the Clippers might look like ... Jack, Frye, and the #13 for Thomas and the #7 would work. So would Jack, Frye, a re-signed Wafer, the #13, and the #33 for Mobley and the #7 (I personally like that idea the best). Needless to say, I'll be looking for Pritchard to make a deal with the Clippers come Thursday. Thoughts?

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I like a trade with the Clippers

better than homersolo’s idea of trading for the Bobcats’ #9 pick, because it makes it more likely we’ll get the player KP wants. The only downside is trading our guys to a WC opponent—especially if the Sonics end up moving and the league realigns us back into the Pacific division. You could then expect Frye to morph into Jermaine and Jack into Billups.

"I woke up this morning, Barbosa and eggs in my bed." --BlueBooYay

by MiledAnimal on Jun 22, 2008 1:24 PM PDT 0 recs

Remember, Seattle will retain the whole Sonics name rights and franchise history.

Just like Cleveland did with the Browns, when Baltimore got the Ravens.

Well then, so the question is, where will the next Sonics squad come from?
Conventional Wisdom has it that it’ll be an expansion franchise, but I’d prefer a relocation of a current NBA team.

And I don’t see why not the Clippers . . .

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on Jun 22, 2008 1:41 PM PDT up 0 recs

I've gone on at length about my desire to bank the picks.

Trade the #13 and lowest 2nd-rounder for an unprotected 2010 first-rounder, and the two high 2nd-rounders
(#33 and #36, I think) for a lottery-protected 2009 first-rounder, with protection wearing off in 2011.

What your post made me realize is that the Clippers are a PRIME target for one of those trades.
They need bodies now, and stand a great chance at stinking during the 09-10 season.
That’s the criteria for a team for the first trade; for the second trade, a pressing current need for bodies is all.

On the first trade, the Clips would add the #9 AND #13 picks, plus get a bencher out of the second round.
We’d get their 2010 pick, no matter how high it is.
That is a winner for both teams – the purest criterium for getting a trade done.
_

On a side (but very related) note, I was thinking extensively about Livingstone yesterday.
I came to the following conclusions:

1) The Clippers should tender him the qualifying offer.
He’s not worth a longer commitment than one year right now, but just in case he’s due to actually recover
(and it should be evident during next season if he can or not), they wouldn’t want to just let him go for nothing,
and have paid him for being out but missing him when he’s good.

2) He should accept that qualifying offer.
He’d be NUTS to either press for a long-term deal OR try the market right now.
His best hope for a decent contract is to play one year as cheap as possible,
hope (and WORK) for a recovery, and then get a better contract in the 2009 offseason.

3) These would put him on pace to be an UNRESTRICTED free agent next season,
rather than the RESTRICTED free agent that he is right now.
And we’ll have cap space in 2009 that we don’t have right now.

Well, there’s my wish list: Shaun takes the one-year qualifying offer,
comes back from the injury like gangbusters and becomes what he was always projected to become,
and we shnag him next year just like picking a blueberry in August.

It could happen – and along with Rudy’s potential, our not-THAT-great draft standing,
and the insane trade value of the REC as it would stand not now, but at the February trade deadline,
it’s just one big bunch of reasons to not try and fill our long-term point guard needs now,
but to wait (for the next half-year or so ONLY; I’m not talking an indefinite postponement on taking action)
and watch the development of some of our young players (especially Rudy, but also
Martell, JJ, Sergio, Frye, Blake, and The Petter), the usual midseason shakeout of NBA sellers,
and the development of certain non-Blazer NBAers such as Livingstone.

It all adds up to not making the BIG move until the trade deadline at the earliest,
and next off-season at the very latest. That’s, like, a four-month window, starting half a year from now.

Patience, people.
Soon. Soooooooonnnn . . .

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on Jun 22, 2008 1:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Or his knee could fall off entirely this coming season of soon after we sign him.

And if we have a legitimate chance to get any one of Westbrook, Alexander, or Augustin in this draft, that is much better than trading for a future pick. Especially if we can create roster room for them to play now (i.e. trading Jack so Augustin or Westbrook can get minutes, or trading Frye so Outlaw can play PF and Alexander can get minutes).

If we can’t move up at all and get a player we like, then trading out to a future draft makes more sense. Although I’m guessing KP would sooner just take Rush at the #13 or trade down to get something else and then take Rush with a later pick …

"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez

by bfan on Jun 22, 2008 1:46 PM PDT up 0 recs

No, I think if it falls off entirely, it'll be this comeback-tryout season.

I’m okay with whatever we know come this time next year.
And what we know might be, “He is SO done after all.”

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on Jun 22, 2008 1:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

Hording picks

Right on. I actually agree and want us to try to use our picks this year to get good picks in the future.

by homersolo on Jun 22, 2008 11:14 PM PDT up 0 recs

Alexander

I’m not that smart because I was born with a learning disability, where I saw all letters as numbers and all numbers as letters. It took my home school teacher TL years to figure out a new alphabet for me.

Anyhow, you’ll don’t want to read about me. I think KP is only targeting Alexander as a BPA. There are too many guys who play his position in front of him. If KP (I call him 6-14) is gonna go after a guy he wants, I think he’s gonna go after a point guard.

by RudyFTW on Jun 22, 2008 4:35 PM PDT 0 recs

6-14, Good Buddy

"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"If you don't want to get banged. Don't go in there" - Van Gundy

by BlueBooYay on Jun 22, 2008 4:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

A necessary read.

Go read the cap analysis on “Why You will See Blazers Traded This Year”. This is the piece most of us never understood. If you read it, you’ll see why we have to make decisions on Webster, Frye and Jack this summer – not next. We don’t have the luxury of holding onto everyone and seeing how they develop. This is the principal reason, not potential, that we see KP working the trade phones this year.

by Eben Calder on Jun 23, 2008 6:08 AM PDT 0 recs