Ok, we have all heard the Draft Day Rumor that KG and Paul Pierce could be on their way to the Nets for a package of three 1st round picks, Kim’s Ex, and Gerald Wallace and Toko Shengelia.
This post isn’t about that trade. It is about me having too much time on draft day and coming up with a conspiracy theory that is bigger than this trade.
So, lets review what has happened between now and a few days ago.
Dwight Howard wants out of LA (Lakers that is) & The Lakers won’t trade him to the Clippers.
Dwight at one time was talking he wanted to go to the Nets.
The Clippers have been shopping DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe in the Doc Rivers deal and in other deals away from the Doc deal the last three weeks.
Doc was traded to the Clippers for a 2015 1st round pick but they can not make a trade with the Celtics for the next year.
Doc wanted to bring KG and Pierce to the Clippers.
Ok, that pretty much sets up this way too complicated trade.
The Nets trade for KG and Pierce who make a bunch of money (27 million or so) and they are old for a bunch of draft picks and bad contracts.
Option 1:
The Nets then offer KG and Pierce to the Clippers for DeAndre (11 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil0), Caron Butler (8 mil), and a pick or two plus another contract, cash, or trade exception whatever it takes to make that work under league rules.
The Nets then get Dwight Howard to agree to come to New York which probably already happened a week ago because that is how the NBA works. The Nets then call the Lakers and say we are getting Dwight you can either get some picks and young good talent for him or let him walk.
The Lakers seeing that they can get Dwight in the East decide to talk trade with the Nets. The Nets then float out several trade scenarios
Option 1: Dwight (20mil or so) and Metta World Peace (7.7 mil) and a second round pick or two for DeAndre (11 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), Brook Lopez (14 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil) the picks they got from the Clippers.
Option 2: Dwight (20 mil), Chris Duhon (3.75 mil 1.5 Guaranteed), and Steve Blake (4 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), Brook Lopez ( 14 mil) and cash or second round picks.
Option 3: Dwight (20 mil), Chris Duhon (3.75 mil 1.5 Guaranteed), and Steve Blake (4 mil), Metta World Peace (7.7 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), Brook Lopez (14 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), and the picks they got from the Clippers and some cash.
Option 4: Gasol (19 mil) Howard (20 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), Brook Lopez (14 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), Caron Butler (8mil) and the picks they got from the Clippers and some cash
Option 5: Dwight (20 mil), Chris Duhon (3.75 mil 1.5 Guaranteed), and Steve Blake (4 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), Caron Butler (8mil) and the picks they got from the Clippers and some cash
Trade plan 2
Option 1: The Nets do a wink-wink deal with Pierce and the Clippers buying him out for the 5 million he is due allowing him to go to the Clippers. The Nets then trade KG for DeAndre, Bledsoe, and a trade exception , a pick, and some cash.
The Nets then get Dwight Howard to agree to come to New York which probably already happened a week ago because that is how the NBA works. The Nets then call the Lakers and say we are getting Dwight you can either get some picks and young good talent for him or let him walk.
The Lakers seeing that they can get Dwight in the East decide to talk trade with the Nets. The Nets then float out several trade scenarios
Dwight Howard (20 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), some cash, a pick or two and the trade exception from Clippers trade.
I don’t anyone in the NBA is creative enough to be able to something like this off but I think it could work. I am not an expert on the salaries but at first glance it looks to work.
I would rather have Bledsoe and Jordan than Dwight Howard but I am not the Nets. They want the big star to go with the other guys so there is a chance something really big could be in the works.
If I am the Lakers and I can get Bledsoe to replace Nash in a year and get Jordan to be my new big. I like the deal. LeBron James isn’t coming to the Lakers in 2014 so, why not get two young guys to help Kobe when he comes back. The team could amnesty Metta if he isn’t traded and could look to trade Gasol.
I personally like
Option 3: Dwight (20 mil), Chris Duhon (3.75 mil 1.5 Guaranteed), and Steve Blake (4 mil), Metta World Peace (7.7 mil) for DeAndre (11 mil), Brook Lopez (14 mil), MarShon Brooks (1.2 mil), Bledsoe (2.6 mil), and the picks they got from the Clippers and some cash.
The Lakers are taking back the contract of Lopez in this deal but I think the fact that they are getting Metta, Duhon, and Blake off the books is a bigger deal than adding money with Lopez. The four players the Lakers would get back are all young and talented. If they deiced to keep all of them ok but if they decide not to all four can be easily traded.
