Trade Talk And Booze Talk

Update: The Tyson Chandler deal has been rescinded by the Thunder. Shocking… I was even going out of my way to praise the team for the way they were building.

Starting with the ever-present Booze, well at least ever-present in the news…. not so much in the games. First, he is out Thursday, at least. Hey dude… February 17 was yesterday.

Meanwhile, from Yahoo! comes this bit…

When the Detroit Pistons sheered nearly another $1 million in salary-cap space with the trade of Alex Acker to the Los Angeles Clippers this week, GM Joe Dumars further solidified his franchise as the favorite to sign Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer as a free agent this summer.
…
The Jazz and Boozer have grown tired of each other, and league executives believe Utah is more inclined to re-sign power forward Paul Millsap to a long-term contract.

---

In trade news… a 3-way deal of sorts. At it’s end…

Sacramento gets: Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, Ike Diogu
Chicago gets: Brad Miller, John Salmons
Portland gets: Michael Ruffin

Blog a Bull, Sactown Royalty, and Blazer’s Edge have thoughts (BE already has like 3 posts up on it). The Kings get a trio of expiring contracts, plus Nocioni (who many people wanted for the Jazz once upon the time… me not included). Ruffin hasn’t even played this season, has he? He’s now been traded twice this season (both today, since I don’t think this was a 3-way, more like 2 2-team deals). Chicago gets a starting C (what about Noah?) And Salmons, who will probably end up on the bench… unfortunately for him and a lot of fantasy players.

---

The Grizzlies decided to thank the Kobes for stealing Pau Gasol from them last year, taking back Chris Mihm for a conditional 2013 2nd-rounder. 3 Shades of Blue.

---

Yesterday, it was Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and the draft rights to Devon Hardin. At The Hive and Welcome To Loud City. And here’s At The Hive explaining that it’s not a “give up on the season” trade. Sigh… if only it was.

---

Earlier Tuesday, the Kings traded for Sam Cassell. Sactown Royalty and CelticsBlog with thoughts.

---

And for a chuckle to end it… the Rockets owner on T-Mac’s season coming to an end…

“Daryl (Morey, the Rockets general manager) and I were talking this morning. We both discussed how great Tracy is in the playoffs. There’s very few people who have the ability to step up their games in the playoffs and he does. So we’re not looking to run away from Tracy.”

Filed under: Carlos Boozer, Rumors, trade

Raptors/Heat Deal

This only relates to the Jazz indirectly. The Raptors & Heat have agreed to a deal that’ll send Shawn Marion & Marcus Banks to Toronto, and Jermaine O’Neal & Jamario Moon to Miami. Marion needed a change of scenery, it seems, but Calderon/Marion/Bosh could show flashes of Nash/Marion/Stoudemire… which I don’t think The Matrix much enjoyed. On the other hand, the Heat now have a Wade/O’Neal combo. The last time they had that, they won the NBA Finals. Of course, we’re talking about a different O’Neal now.

What this does it more or less take Miami out of the running for Booze if/when he opts out, but that could lead to a painful domino effect…

What this DOES do is take Carlos Boozer off the table for Miami this summer, which could create a domino chain that makes Paul Millsap more likely to move

Oh man… not good.

Filed under: Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, trade

Minor Trades Made… None By Jazz

Update: Hassan Adams has a Shaun Livingston pulled on him, as he is released just hours after being traded for.

OKC trades a big man … to the Nuggets. The trade is as follows…

Nuggets get: Johan Petro, OKC’s 2nd round pick in 2009
Thunder get: Chucky Atkins, Denvers 1st round pick in 2009

Chucky Atkins. Seriously. It’s a salary dump for the Nuggets (like the Marcus Camby trade before the season and the Cheikh Samb trade a couple days ago… both to the Clippers, no less). The team had no need for Atkins, and decided they needed a young big-man that wasn’t Samb. Atkins is making $3.2 million this year, Johan Petro is at $1.9 million.

I guess my hopes that the Jazz would add a big man took a slight blow, as I had mentioned the Thunder bigs… but I doubt they’ll trade either Sene or Swift now. The Jazz could’ve potentially made a similar trade… Mo Almond & Flop have salaries that add up to $3.1 million, and both are expiring contracts, unlike Atkins. And it’s not like the Thunder needed a PG… they’re already lacking the minutes to keep Earl Watson & Russell Westbrook happy. And both guys have 2 years left on their contract… with Westbrook being on his rookie contract (in other words, and extension can be made). In comparison to Petro, Swift’s salary (if traded) is something like $4 million, while Sene’s is $2.2 million. All 3 are in their final year, and Swift would have to consent to any trade. Even then…

---

In an interesting move, the Grizzlies, already overstocked with PGs, traded for Shaun Livingston & cash considerations. In exchange for him, they gave the Heat a conditional 2012 2nd round pick. And then the Grizzlies promptly waived him. So let me get this straight… the Grizzlies waived Darius Miles to make room for Livingston, traded for Livingston… and then waived Livingston. What?

---

And finally, the Clippers made another minor trade… after the aforementioned Cheikh Samb & cash for a conditional 2015 2nd round pick (if it’s in the bottom 5 of the round)… trading a future conditional 2nd round pick to Toronto for Hassan Adams.

I wonder if the Jazz will make a trade to improve… they not only have the available players (previously mentioned here), but also a small trade exception from the Jason Hart trade ($484,000).

Filed under: CJ Miles, DEN Nuggets, Jarron Collins, Jason Hart, LA Clippers, MEM Grizzlies, MIA Heat, Morris Almond, OKC Thunder, TOR Raptors, trade

Three Team Trade

The deal:
Wizards get: Mike James, Javaris Crittenton
Grizzlies get: Future 1st round pick (originally Memphis’)
Hornets get: Antonio Daniels, 2nd round pick in 2015 or cash from Memphis

After the trade went down, the Wizards released ex-Jazzster Shorty.

The Wizards were in need of guard help, especially with Agent Zero out. So they settled on youngster Javaris Crittenton (traded for the 2nd time in his short career), a youngster who was caught in a log jam in Memphis… one that resulted in him played about 6 minutes a game in 7 games this season. He struggled to get the time behind Kyle Lowry & Mike Conley (on the other hand, I assume we can put an end to the Conley-to-Portland rumors). The Wizards also acquired Mike James from the Hornets. James was added in the off-season, but couldn’t beat out Devin Brown (another ex-Jazzster) for the back-up PG spot. So now the Wizards have 2 new PGs to man the position, especially with them trading their other PG. Pradamaster over at Bullets Forever likes the deal, but nails it on the head by mentioning that it totally depends on Crittenton’s development. And nails it on the head again by mentioning that the Daniels-for-James swap is a definite downgrade.

Filed under: Dee Brown, Devin Brown, MEM Grizzlies, NO Hornets, WAS Wizards, trade

Suns/Bobcats Deal

The deal:
Suns get: J-Rich, Jared Dudley
Bobcats get: Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Sean Singletary

Seems like a wash for ex-Jazzmen today (Shorty gets cut, Bell leaves a team he wasn’t happy with).

Interesting deal though… the Suns add another wing that would really fit the system if D’Antoni was coach. (Note to Steve Kerr… D’Antoni isn’t the coach!)

Bell was unhappy in the new system. Fine. You have to deal him. From the rumblings over at Bright Side of the Sun, it seems like they think Diaw was being overpaid (which he probably was, at $9 million). Still, just dealing him because of that is stupid. I look for the Suns to be trying to add a better PG soon, be it via trade or FA. Or maybe just play Barbosa a whole lot more, as he could end up being the key back-up behind both Nash & J-Rich. They do have Alando Tucker too, but I don’t think he’s just going to jump up to playing major minutes. And trading Diaw… all of a sudden, their back-up bigs are Robin Lopez & Louis Amundson (another ex-Jazzster). Not exactly solid… at least not yet.

Filed under: CHA Bobcats, Dee Brown, Louis Amundson, Matt Harpring, PHX Suns, Raja Bell, trade

Nuggets/Pistons Make A Deal

No, this isn’t Jazz news. But it still impacts the Jazz in some ways. The Nuggets & Pistons completed a trade today, as Allen Iverson ended up in Detroit, and Chauncey Billups, Cheik Samb & Antonio McDyess found themselves going to Denver.

The Nuggets needed a PG, and they just found one. The Pistons, on the other hand, now have 2 SGs (AI & Rip… who just got an extension), and no real PG (unless Rodney Stuckey is ready to lead them).

There has also been talk of McDyess getting waived. If that happens, I think the Jazz should go after him. Flop is expendable (or Almond, it seems… if you can trade him for a pick), and McDyess would give the team a much better option inside than anyone we have (save ‘Sap, of course).

Good deal for both teams. It makes the Western Conference playoff race that much tougher.

Filed under: DEN Nuggets, DET Pistons, trade

Ex-Jazzster On Move

Well, after being in the rumors for months, ex-Jazzster Maurice Williams is now on the move, heading to Cleveland in a 3-team deal.

The deal has Mo going to Cleveland. Milwaukee gets Luke Ridnour, Adrian Griffin & Damon Jones. Oklahoma City will get Joe Smith & Desmond Mason (an ex-Sonic if I remember correctly).

Filed under: Maurice Williams, trade

Hart-less!

It’s been called for by many people (including me here in pretty much every post). And finally, it’s done. Jason Hart has been traded!!!! He goes to the Clippers for Brevin Knight.

Not much else to say right now. This could potentially impact Ronnie Price’s minutes next season (if J-Slow prefers the vet as his back-up PG), and all but rules out any chance of Kevin Kruger or Tyrone Brazelton (amazing RMR, especially last night) joining the team (unfortunately). To imagine, if the team had worked faster, Shorty might still be on the Jazz.

Well, that’s one guy gone. Just 2 more to go.

I really don’t have much else to say.
ClipsNation on the trade
SLC Dunk on the trade
FLA is back, and has something on the trade as well

I guess something about Knight… he’s not much of a 3-point shooter, but he’s alright passing the ball. Which is all the Jazz will need him to do, of course. Find the open guy. The team has scorers, Brevin doesn’t need to be one of them. Of course, before any of this matters, he has to be getting time. Will he be?

Filed under: Brevin Knight, Jason Hart, trade

Draft Day Chatter

Well, the day is finally here. And, as can be expected, there is news and rumors flying all around. Stuff being mentioned right now is below the jump… including a major deal or two.

Filed under: Draft, Rumors, trade

Jazz Trade Giricek!

Update: Originally posted 12/29/07 at Biased Fan. This move has really turned out well for the Jazz, even though KoKo’s shooting has disappeared as of late. Giricek is currently a Sun…

EDIT: According to Sixer GM Ed Stefanski the draft pick is protected. The first year the pick can be granted is 2009, and there are different protections for each year.

Well, that didn’t take long. One game after re-instating Gordan Giricek (who was never actually suspended in the first place), the Jazz dealt him to Philadelphia for Kyle Korver. Going to Philadelphia along with Giricek is a 1st round pick. Seeing the headline originally made me extremely excited. Seeing the first round pick took some of the excitement away, but not much (yet).

Of course, it all comes down to how the Jazz use Korver. If they are willing to let him back-up AK at the 3-spot (and maybe even back-up at the 2-spot occasionally), the Jazz could gain a huge advantage. He was the Sixers top 3-point threat (he’s a career 40.9% shooter from long range, though it’s fallen to 35.2% so far this year), and if he starts connecting, he could be huge for the Jazz. But, on the other hand, Jerry Sloan has a crush on Matt Harpring, and if that keeps up, Korver might not be playing very often. In that case, the Jazz lose big time. Sitting Korver, and trading a first round pick to be able to do that, would be a huge blunder by the Jazz. They need to use Korver… he’s more or less a first round pick for them. The Sixers are a young team, the 1st round pick (hopefully some future “lottery-protected” pick) could be big for them (and is probably the big reason behind the deal). Also, Giricek’s contract comes off the books after the year, which’ll help them. So he’ll have a bit more than half the season to impress the Sixers (and the rest of the league). The 26 year-old Korver has 2 years left on his contract (plus the rest of this year), and is scheduled to make $4.5 million this year (Giricek is making $4 million this year). Korver is 4 years younger than Giricek, a bit taller, and more of an outside threat. The question is… can he play defense?

Until we see the roles that the 2 guys are going to play on their new teams, it’s hard to pick a “winner” of the deal. Could the Jazz have gotten more if they had waited? Maybe. Or maybe not. Personally, I’m a fan of Korver, and I have no problem with the deal (depending on the restrictions with the 1st round pick). I would love to see Korver come into Utah and give the Jazz a viable outside threat (though CJ Miles has been doing that recently too) to complement Booze.

The Jazz play Boston tonight, not sure if Korver will be in Utah in time. But he should be here for the next game… a January 2nd home date against… Philadelphia.

Best wishes to Gordan. He deserved better than he got here with Jerry. While Philadelphia might not be his home for long (they seem likely to shed his salary after the season), hopefully he’s able to latch on with a team that can better utilize him (and one that doesn’t have a coach that’ll make him a scapegoat for everything).

Filed under: Gordan Giricek, Kyle Korver, trade