Being a forum moderator is a tough thing. There are the rules, and then there are shades of grey. Sometimes, when something big happens, like Chris Paul reportedly wanting a trade, the sidebar explodes. Greyness ensues. It was just easier to let the speculation explode, than trying to keep it all contained.

But it's been a few days. There aren't many scenarios that haven't been explored on ESPN Trade Machine. So, as of this moment, the Trade Drawer is being reinstated. What is a Trade Drawer? What? You didn't know? There right here in the Site Conversation Rules, permalinked on the sidebar. It says, 

All speculative trade discussion goes in the daily Trade Drawer Fanpost.  Any speculative trade suggestion outside of the Trade Drawer will be deleted.

I know, us moderators have been real lax on that rule lately. Mostly because it hasn't really been a problem. Well, after so many days of "My Trade for Chris Paul" fanposts, it's becoming a problem. 

However, we don't just want to tell you what you can and can't post. That would be silly of us. But we would like to keep it contained. So if there is a trade drawer in the recommended fanposts OR ten most recent fanposts, then please put your brilliant idea in there, so all the conversation can be contained to one place. If there is not a Trade Drawer fanpost in those places, you are welcome to make one, just please label it Trade Drawer. That would be a good way of not having it deleted.

So do we do this because we're power-hungry gnomes wanting to control your world? Mostly, no. It's because only so many fanposts are visible at one time. And good conversation is being pushed off of the page for multiple posts on the same subject. So to keep the good conversations going, in all places, the Trade Drawer is the best solution we have at the moment.

So there you go, have at it. Post your trade ideas here. Talk about them here. And keep that Bedger spirit alive and well. Thanks!