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May 2008 - Posts
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 The campaign by Cleveland fans to make Michael Redd a Cavalier has, in only its second week, ground its way into the NBA trade mills and hit the rumor boards on ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated's FanNation. The NBA is on notice: the Bucks are looking to trade.
But what do Bucks fans think of trading leading scorer and one-time All-Star Redd to the Cavaliers?
To be brutally blunt, some of the reaction has been brutal and blunt. In fact, terrible things have been said about Lebron's supporting cast in Cleveland. I can only imagine what Bucks fans think of players on teams that didn't play in the 2007 NBA Finals or push the Celtics to seven games in this year's Eastern Conference semifinals.
Other fans have been supportive, even reasonable, while others are naturally skeptical. If there is any concensus it's that the Bucks might be able to find a team that can offer more player value in a trade for Redd than Cleveland(say, Dallas and small forward Josh Howard). Generally, Bucks fans are more receptive if the Cavs 25-year-old big man, Anderson Varejao, is part of the deal.
A recurring theme is that Bucks fans are surprisingly difficult traders, given a roster that's won 54 games in two seasons.
"Cavs fans, we aren't good trading partners," signs fan ReddBogutCharlieV to his posts at realgm.com. "Stop trying to make us such."
Let's review the anatomy of this Redd-to-Cleveland beast:
The trade centers on two players contracts: Michael Redd's (3 years/$51 million/$15.8M next year) and veteran G-F Wally Szczerbiak's (one-year/$13.2M). Cleveland has other "expiring" contracts that when pieced together work with Redd's, but let's be realistic: There is almost no chance the Cavs would pay Redd and Szczerbiak a combined $29 million to suit up next year. Wally would come to the Bucks and his contract would expire at the end of next season, creating some salary cap relief, which the Bucks don't have a dime of now.
What else do the Cavs have to offer the Bucks? Assuming Bucks GM John Hammond will want players who could at minimum join the Bucks rotation next season, two young players who played key roles in the Cavs run to the 2007 Finals stand out: Varejao and 21-year-old guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson.
Gibson is a free agent, which would require a sign and trade deal. The Cavs are loathe to trade their sharpshooter, who made his mark during the run to the Finals. Gibson scored 31 points to eliminate Detroit in Game 6 of the conference finals last year.
Varejao, a relentless 6'10" rebounder and tough defender, will be paid $6 million next year and has a player option for 2009-10, which means he could leave the Bucks in free agency unless Hammond makes the type of commitment Cleveland GM Danny Ferry refused to make. Things got ugly last year during Varejao's contract negotiations, and Varejao is rumored to be on the trading block.
Varejao's salary matches Dan Gadzuric's 3-year/$20M, which the Bucks would love to trade anywhere they could.
Complicated?
Cleveland has the #19 pick in the draft, and that's simple enough.
Let's go first to our old friend, Bucks fan Al in Ohio:
"Unless the Bucks decide they really, really want Szczerbiak's expiring contract (which to me means they decide to kind of write off next year, and look toward 2009-2010), I just don't see where a Szczerbiak/Gibson/maybe Pavlovic? package makes the Bucks noticeably better. Let's not forget: Gibson is not much of a PG. He's a great shooter (although he's even smaller than Mo) but in terms of PG skills, there's nothing about him that really stands out."
 BobBoozerJinx: Hold up, Al. Gibson's not a point guard, he's a shooting guard; and at 6'2" Boobie's taller than Mo (who really is kinda short). We're not off to a very good start here.
RealGM Bucks forum moderator PaulPressey25:
"I have no problem sending Redd to Cleveland if he takes Gadz contract with him and we bring back [Varejao], #19, and Gibson, plus their salary deadweight."
Bucks fan Europa on the realGM forum:
"It's my hope that if Hammond can't find a better deal for Redd than anything the Cavs can offer on their own that he just keeps him. I really don't like the idea of giving Redd away."
GlennInTampa on the JSOnline Bucks Blog:
"Gibson and Szczerbiak for Michael Redd? Loserville! Add Varejao and maybe. Maybe."
jpaul34 on the Sportsbubbler fan forum:
"I don't think Gibson, Szczerbiak and the 19th is anywhere near enough for Redd. I'd like to see how this group (the Bucks, with a couple of changes) reacts to playing for a new coach with a strong voice. I think the talent is there, but they definitely need direction."
Jpaul blogs at The Scores Report, where he predicts that the Bucks will "give Redd, Mo, Yi and Bogut a half of a season to gel before making any major moves."
Frank at Brewhoop:
"If the Bucks pull a salary dump of Redd then I'd have to get more than Wally World and Boobie Gibson -- at the very least I'd want to add Varejao and Gadzuric into the mix plus some picks. Even then I'm not sure how compelling it is. Agent Dan Fegan would love having his clients Yi and Varejao battle for minutes, wouldn't he?"
DAWG 13 On the JSOnline Bucks forum:
"It's amazing how many of you guys want to trade Redd. I've got nothing against it but lets face it, he's by far and away our best player. If we trade him we need to get value, not role players as some have suggested. If properly coached Redd can be an allstar again. I'll bet the people wanting to trade Redd also supported the Ray Allen trade, look how that worked out."
BBJ: Nope. The Ray Allen trade was a maniacal ploy by George Karl that, to this day, no one understands.
ReddBogutCharlieV on RealGM:
"Something revolved around Varejao and Gibson plus a pick. Or else we'll have to get a third team involved."
Isocleas2 on RealGM
"Bucks trade: Redd, Gadzuric - Cavs trade: Varejao, Wally, #19. This trade is starting to grow on me. We shed salary, pick up a couple of good players in Varejao and the pick, and Wally's expiring contract could possibly be used in a deadline trade."
The Brewtown Beat sportsblog:
"First, I don't want Boobie Gibson. The Bucks already have Mo Williams, and seem poised to add Eric Gordon with their 8th pick. That's three undersized shooting guards if you're counting at home. Sorry, but no thanks. I don't want Wally Szczerbiak, but I realize we'll need to bring back a large contract in return. That being said though, Cleveland is going to have to take some of our bad contracts, just as they expect us to do in return."
BBJ: That's not very nice. That Bobby Simmons contract is really bad.
Smooth32, a Cavs fan, weighs in on RealGM:
"Don't get too high on Boobie guys ... The kid isn't expected to go anywhere this summer. ...Varejao is definitely available, as well as the expirings... Everyone else is pretty much fair game but I think they would like to keep West, Smith and the #19 pick."
BBJ: If the Cavs get to keep Boobie, the Bucks get the # 19 pick. You can't have it both ways Smooth.
Raferfenix on RealGM:
"Varejao will have a lot of value to a team that wants to commit to him long term -- I'm not convinced that's the Bucks as he'll probably end up being overpaid, and especially considering he'd be a backup here. I don't think Hammond would do that."
love hoops on the Sportsbubbler fan forum:
"I would hope Mr. Hammond wouldn't even consider this trade with the Cavs. The only player they got is Lebron. Maybe trading CV to the Cavs, but not Redd; we can get more for him. ... If we could get quality for quality, then maybe take a look at trade."
Johnny Newman on Realgm:
"I say fold this topic up. We got enough bait to land us AK47 and Jermaine O'Neal. While keeping Bogut, Yi, Bell, Session. Good enough core and line up."
BBJ: Sorry Johnny, too early in the hand to fold. Did you say Andrei Kirilenko and Jermaine O'Neil?
NotYoAvgNBAFan on RealGM:
"Hogwash! What are you doing!? Redd is your major chip, you don't trade him to a divisional rival for cow manure of a motley crew such as that!"
BBJ: Reactions like this are the reason too many expiring contracts do not make for friendly trading. Cleveland's got some manure, including former Bucks Damon Jones (2003-04) and Joe Smith (who asked to be traded out of Milwaukee in 2007), and Eric Snow (set to retire). "Dung!" barked nuttinbutta Big Dog balla party.
MontanaMan on JSOnline Bucks blog:
"I still would rather see Redd get traded to a team other than the Cavs. It's too good for the Cavs and for Redd, but may not good enough for the Bucks (as compared to what it can do for the Cavs). ... If they included Varejao, Gibson, and a draft pick, and take Gadzuric and his contract away, then I would say it's very good for the Bucks.
Coolhandluke121 on RealGM:
"West, Varejao, Pavlovic, #19, and some expiring deals have solid value. But for the me the Cavs would have to sweeten the deal by also taking Gadz's terrible contract and throwing in their 2011 draft pick, which could be top-5 if Lebron leaves. Which he may want to do if the Cavs are paying Redd and Gadz a combined $26 mill starting in 2011. I would give up Redd for a deal like that for the simple reason that Redd is not all that hard to replace. To me, it's not about whether it's equal value."
BBJ: What it does seem to be about is whether Bucks fans want to trade Redd or not. There are Bucks fans who have not/will not renew their ticket packages if Michael Redd is on the team. Others would trade him for a case of beer and a Bob Boozer Jinx subscription. Still others think he deserves a sixth shot at winning in Milwaukee as a starter.
Bucks fans didn't just begin talking about trading Redd to Cleveland with the start of the Paint Cleveland Redd '08 campaign. It came up before the trading deadline this year. During the Cavs 1st round playoff series with the Wizards, I proposed a trade here with that phone call to Lebron (he still hasn't changed his cell phone number, believe it or not).
About ten days later it came up on RealGM. The Cavs had dropped Game 1 of the East semifinals to Boston. The question on the forum: What could the Cavs offer the Bucks in trades for Mo Williams or Redd?
Paulpressey25:
"Mo for Varejao and Gibson. Redd for Varajao/Gibson/Cav's 2008 #1/Wally as filler."
DrugBust:
"Redd for Wally and #19, and a 2010 pick works for me."
Sigra:
"Varejao, Pavlovic, Smith and their pick for Redd works for me."
Luke 23:
"I say this in all seriousness that the only player on the Cavs I would actually covet on the Bucks is LeBron. The rest of their roster is just yuck. I can't even think of a deal for either off the top of my head, considering the Cavs pick 19th, would want a higher pick than that."
Dow Jones:
"I guess the issue is whether or not you want to get rid of Mo and/or Redd. If you don't, then there is nothing that the Cavs could do. If you do, I think Cleveland is one of the few teams that would want to make a deal.
"I don't really see how the Bucks could get much value for Redd or Mo. I know [there is] talk about a [Josh] Howard for Redd swap, but that type of deal doesn't make sense for Dallas. What other deals are out there for Redd and Mo that Milwaukee fans would consider?"
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Lakers up two, 93-91, Spurs to inbound the ball with 2 seconds left and a chance to tie or win with a three ...
What excuse could a referee possibly have for missing that call on Derrick Fisher? It's almost as bad as some of the noncalls against Philly in the 2001 Eastern Finals against the Bucks. We know the small market blues well here in Milwaukee, and now the NBA is telling me that the defending champion San Antonio Spurs can't get an obvious call on their home court against the Lakers?
No, Barry didn't sell the call like former Buck Sam Cassell would have. Sam, as Bucks fans have seen so many times, would have flailed into the leaping defender, lost the ball and crashed all over the floor to make sure a shooting foul was called. But why should Barry have had to sell it? Fisher whacked him in the head with his elbow as they bumped. Barry was not quite in the act of shooting when Fisher jumped into him but it was still a foul! Barry, one of the best free throw shooters in the game, should have been at the line for two free throws and a chance to send the game into overtime. The game ended with the Spurs having shot no free throws in the fourth quarter.
I'm not going to go into a paranoid rap about big markets vs. small markets (although I'm tempted to post the Jim Rome rant about the officiating in the 2001 East Finals) or the league wanting to ensure that Kobe and the Lakers make the finals to increase TV ratings and profits. I don't think Kobe and the Lakers need any help from the refs to get to the Finals, and neither should you. I would appreciate it, however, if the league I love and write about found a way to stop giving ammo to people who say (and believe it when they say it) that "the NBA is just like pro wrestling."
ESPN blogger Truehoop expressed similar sentiments after the game. Hear, hear. I second those.
Celtics-Pistons series in need of desperation: Some drama wouldn't hurt either. Neither team looks concerned at all about this series, though that should change tonight in pivotal Game 5 in Boston. I didn't like the Pistons chances against the Celtics and I still don't (the prediction evidence is way down at the bottom of the "Free Ray Allen" post) -- but here it is knotted up at 2-2. I'm fully prepared to be wrong about the Pistons, though with point guard Chauncey Billups hobbled, they'll need some playoff magic to keep their backs off the wall.
The East finals has been a showdown of the conference's best in need of a story. This past weekend, the going ticket was the rivalry between former UConn players Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton. While that was a fair enough tale for a holiday weekend, it didn't hold that much interest even for the AP writer of the story, who left his theme behind in favor of Ray's revelations about his gameday shooting rituals and other idiosyncrasies -- which are, in fact, more interesting than the Rip-Ray rivalry. Ray treats the art of shooting with a religious reverence, though it's a solitary pursuit mixed more with meditative science and superstition; fascinating stuff -- and still only a matter of time before all that juju starts to work for him.
Again, the Celtics don't seem desperate for Hall of Fame shooting from Ray, though it would give them some breathing room. The Pistons and Tayshaun Prince aren't likely to let Paul Pierce go off on them the way Pierce did against the Cavs; and if the Celtics are going to lose shooting 20-foot jumpers as they did in Game 4, Ray Allen should be the player shooting them, not Kevin Garnett. ...
Sam Cassell, the clown prince of the NBA, has been back in Doc Rivers' rotation the last two games. Doc went to journeyman guard (and former Buck) Eddie House off the bench with Paul Pierce as point forward for the better part of four games. The result was a widely spread clearout offense for Pierce that worked against the Cavs but runs into a wall against Detroit's better defenders (Prince again). Good, bad or hilarious, it's good to see Sam back on the court.
NBA DRAFT - The Chad Ford Watch: ESPN draft columnist Chad Ford has gathered more information about what NBA teams are looking for in the draft and has somehow found new incoherence regarding the draft prospects of the Milwaukee Bucks. In today's installment of the Chad Ford Watch, Ford has the Bucks taking Russell Westbrook out of UCLA. Why? Because Eric Gordon will be taken by the Clippers at #7. Why will the Clippers take Gordon when they wouldn't last week? Let's go now to Chad Ford:
"The Clippers need a point guard, but it may be a little high to take D.J. Augustin or Russell Westbrook here. With Corey Maggette likely hitting free agency, the Clippers will need a big-time scorer who can shoot and get to the rim. Gordon looked like a top-three talent before a late-season slump. He looks like a bigger, better version of Ben Gordon."
So, Chad, let me get this straight. The #7 pick is too high for a team looking for a point guard to take Westbrook, but it's OK for a team NOT looking for a point guard to take Westbrook at #8. That's incoherent. Before the lottery, this writer recalls that you had no problem drafting D.J. Augustin 7th when the #7 was the Bucks probable pick, but now #7 is too high for Augustin? That's even more incoherent. Am I foolish to expect these mock drafts to make sense or that you do, in fact, have "the latest word?" Chad, you're not giving me much incentive to sign up for ESPN Insider.
Ford doesn't seem to really know what many teams will do, which he as much as admits r.e. our Bucks:
"It's tough to project the Bucks right now. New GM John Hammond is ready to make changes, but where does he start? Their biggest need is at small forward, but this is probably too high for Donte Greene or Joe Alexander. One thing Hammond wants to emphasize is defense, and Westbrook could be an excellent addition. He can play both guard positions and be a Leandro Barbosa-type scoring threat."
The Bob Boozer Jinx take: If the Bucks want Leandro Barbosa, it would make more sense for John Hammond to trade Michael Redd to Phoenix for Boris Diaw and the real Barbosa than it would to draft a could-be, shorter version of Barbosa in this draft. Hammond helps his Bucks more by scouting out which teams might want the #8 pick, or certain players in the draft, and using the pick to complete trade possibilities (Dan Gadzuric and Bobby Simmons come to mind). As far as keeping the pick, this is looking like the type of draft where the best idea might be to take the biggest player available and hope he develops (this could be construed as an argument for DeAndre Jordan if it comes to that).
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 SATURDAY EVENING, Celtics-Pistons tipoff less than an hour away. I was getting ready to run to the grocery store before missing any of the pregame when the telephone rang. It was Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson.
"J-Mo, do you have that money I lent you last month? Jerry Reinsdorf cut off my expense account again."
"Huh? Pax, that was 17 years ago, and I won it back. Remember our three-point shootout?"
"You won that?"
"I have witnesses."
"Why's your number still in my phone?"
"Why'd you call it? This is a Bucks blog line."
"I don't know. I felt like calling somebody, but I couldn't decide who to call."
"Why didn't you just call for pizza delivery? ... [pause] ... [no answer from Paxson] ... [Still pausing] ... Umm, Pax? Hey, congratulations on winning the lottery. It doesn't make up for two decades of Bears quarterbacks or Eddie Curry, but the people of Chicago'ave gotta to be at least half happy about your dumb luck."
"Yeah, thanks. I'm still in shock to tell you the truth. I still don't know what to say, especially about the Bears quarterbacks."
"Please, don't say anything about Bears quarterbacks. But what about the ultimate question, Pax? Who's it gonna be? Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose?"
"I dunno. I guess I'll decide after I get them both in here for workouts. I won't decide until then."
"Is that really necessary? I don't think Beasley and Rose are lying on their resumes. Rose could be the second coming of Chris Paul, if only because every team wants a CP3 or Deron of their very own and this requires a second coming. Beasley's a good-sized forward who loves the paint -- you know how rare that is nowadays. None of that's going to change at the workouts. The only thing that matters is who you think helps you more."
Beasley vs. Wisconsin in the tournament:
"It's just .... such a tough choice."
"Well, you haven't had a low post scorer in Chicago since, since ... Bill Cartwright? ... Artis Gilmore? I'm gonna say Artis."
"Artis? You know that's not true."
"Artis is funnier. Like the first coming of Ben Wallace. I'm trying to make a point."
"What is your point, J-Mo?"
"Beasley's the point. Most of your talent is at the guard spot - four players. If you draft Rose, you'll get better eventually but in the meantime, you'll be back to having a rookie point guard again, five years after Kirk Hinrich -- and you still won't have a low post scorer for your rookie to pass to."
"I have Drew Gooden. He's maybe more of a post-up guy than Beasley. Gooden's 6' 10" and he's only 26."
"Gooden? Please! Beasley's all over the court. He's the All-World version of Nocioni, loves to scrap and rebound. Nocioni you just trade to make your fans happy and you're back in the playoffs. Just make sure Noah doesn't shoot, try to coach, talk to the media or drink in front of Florida cops when he's stoned. ... By the way, going through your roster, you had NO business being in the lottery."
"I don't know about that. This season ... everything just got so ...."
Rose vs. Georgetown, Dec. 2007
"Pax, if you draft Rose, it's the same as making a decision about Hinrich. You'd be saying, 'Kirk, I know that when you signed your contract we said you were imperative to the foundation of the organization, etc., etc., but we don't think you can lead us to the next level. Thanks for the memories.'"
"Did I really say that?"
"Yes, you did. 'Imperative to the foundation of the organization.' And then some stuff about 'character and commitment.' It's on your website, October 2006."
"You know, Kirk was the only guy who signed the extension I offered him. Gordon and Deng wouldn't do it and now they're free agents. I don't know what to do with them."
"Well, you were trying to trade them. Or someone. Did you ever decide who were going to trade?"
"No, no, I never did decide. But I knew I wanted Kevin Garnett. And then Kobe wanted to be a Bull. I don't know what that was all about. But Kirk, you know, he made a commitment ... and it's such a good contract too. Four more years, $36.5 million, fair for both parties. I don't want to devalue that ..."
"So just draft Beasley and you've still got Hinrich, Duhon, Gordon and Hughes. You can always trade one or two of them later. You've got too many good guards already Pax. And the 'draft the best player available' NBA wisdom - the Jordan rule - forget it this year. It's entirely debatable whether Beasley is the best player available or whether Rose is better. In this case, draft for bigger need."
"I dunno J-Mo. You make it sound so easy."
"It is easy. We're learning that lesson up here in Milwaukee with John Hammond and this 'Detroit Way' of his. Make a decision and get on with it -- 'Just like me and Joe did in Detroit,' he says - before the competition even has time to pick up the telephone. Some fans don't like it, but most seem to find it kind of liberating. We've got a full coaching staff already. Bucks coaches are watching film, evaluating players, going to China to check up on Yi ... Hammond is already working on trades. While other teams ..."
"Can't even hire a coach. Just say it, I know. Look, I had D'Antoni hired. I thought that was done. Reinsdorf dawdled."
"Dawdling seems to be part of corporate Bulls culture. What happened to Carlisle? I thought he was your defensive coach."
"He was the Chicago Sun Times' coach, J-Mo. Our columnists are bigger idiots than you are. I never made a decision. I talked to Carlisle, he said he wanted to wait. I said that was fine with me, so we waited. I'm still waiting."
"Pax, he took another job. He works for the Dallas Mavs now. What were you doing, feeding the pigeons under the ELL?"
 "Not with Carlisle, but with Avery, yeah. It was fun. We spent a few days feeding the pigeons and I thought we were building a relationship. I was about to hire him."
"And then you postponed the interview, Avery got tired of waiting and went home. Pax, you've got to start making decisions. Your head coach candidates have dwindled down to the assistants and guys who've never coached at all. I read you're planning to interview Eric Snow?!"
"Well, maybe. I'll decide on that soon. I will. They are all such good candidates. It's just been ... such a tough decision. And now this lottery thing ... Why do we have to choose first?"
"You shouldn't have been in the lottery at all!!!!"
"I mean, I like Beasley and I can't find a knock on him, even if he turns out to be only 6' 8", but, I just don't know. ... I guess I don't like our guards as much as I used to."
"Well, then draft Rose and make a deal for a power forward who can score. We have two in Milwaukee, Yi and Charlie Villanueva. You've got enough talent to make a good trade."
"I ... I dunno. Yi has great upside. He's a great athlete and can shoot, and we have a substantial Chinese population in Chicago. It would make people happy. I can picture Deng and Yi running the floor with Derrick Rose. It would be beautiful. ..."
"Yi's not really on the market, Pax, unless you risk your job and make an offer the Bucks can't refuse. That's one less decision to make, in any case. Draft Rose and maybe the Bucks will deal you Charlie V ... and Mo Williams."
"No, J-Mo ... Charlie's OK, but he's so soft. Where did he learn to play power forward like that? Is he afraid of the paint, or does he just not like Bogut? He seems to be a decent enough player when he remembers to play near the basket ... I dunno. There's always Gooden. And I am going to ignore that Mo Williams crack. I've got four guards just as good or better than Williams and my guys play defense."
"There. That almost sounded like a decision. Are you saying, 'No'?"
"I guess so."
"So draft Beasley and you can keep your guards until a later date."
"But Rose is from Chicago and the fans seem to want him ... You know, that whole Chris Paul thing. And we need a leader ..."
"Rose is 19. He can't even buy beer much less lead."
"It's just ... such a tough decision."
"Don't sweat it, Pax. You might as well wait until you hire a coach before you make a final decision anyway. The coach will want some input, right? So who's it going to be?"
"We're talking to Corbin, and I'm going to wait until I talk to a few more before I decide. ... There are so many good coaches out there. Detroit still won't let me talk to Michael Curry. And Tom Thibodeaux's still in the playoffs, too, with Boston ... It's just ... such a--"
"Pax, why did you fire Scott Skiles anyway?"
"I didn't fire him. I told him I wanted to wait a little while to see if things turned around and ..."
"He didn't want to wait, did he?"
"He basically fired himself J-Mo, right on the spot. Gave himself a nice buyout too. It was just ... such a...
About 9 minutes into the first quarter of the Celtics-Pistons game, Doc Rivers goes to his bench and for the first time in four games, SAM CASSELL HAS ENTERED THE GAME FOR THE CELTICS ...
"tough ..."
"Pax, I gotta go. My guy Sam's in the game."
"... decision."
[click]
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 This was some mighty fine police work down in Gainesville, Florida:
"Do ya think the tall kid with the crazy hair is holdin?"
"Prolly. And look, he's violatin our municipal open container law. The gall of it awl. I bet he's one of them stoned NBA-ers."
"He is too. Ain't that that Noah kid who won us two straight titles?"
"Shore is. We could just write him a ticket for the open container. He ain't doin' nuthin', just drinking a beer."
"Nahh, let's run him down to the station. I don't want to stay out here 'til shift change."
"Alright. You got yer game on?"
"Let's git 'er done."
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The Charlie Villanueva damage patrol: With half of Ohio clamoring for the Cleveland Cavs to trade for Michael Redd and Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel reporting that, yes, John Hammond is scouting around for trades with Redd's name featured prominently, what does the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel do?
The daily floats Charlie Villanueva trade talk in its Saturday edition (Friday online).
True, Charlie's was the other name mentioned in the "Woelfel World of Sports" report on Hammond's trade discussions, but how can the big name in Woelfel's story be ignored? It should be noted that Charlie's name came up as a player "other teams were interested in" not as a player Hammond was dangling out there, though by telling Woelfel Hammond might as well have dangled him out there.
Here's where I make excuses for the daily and wonder why Charlie V gave JS reporter Charles Gardner this story. With the team in flux this offseason and only Andrew Bogut and Yi Jianlian on the virtually "untouchable" keeper list, Redd has been smart enough not to talk to reporters. In fact, he's been media silent since fired coach Larry Krystkowiak went public about Redd's season-long disregard for his team -- in story that appeared on JSOnline the day before the Bucks announced the hiring of Scott Skiles (pay no attention to Krystkowiak's pal, Skiles, pulling strings behind the curtain to make that story happen).
Charlie V? Not so smart -- although he did take the opportunity to give JS the obligatory kiss-up-to-the-new-coach quotes. Charlie played at UConn with two of Skiles' Bulls players, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, who've given Charlie the skinny on his new coach: "They say he's a good coach. I think he's a very defensive-minded coach; he's a tough coach. It's exciting [for Charlie] for [Skiles] to be with the Bucks. He has won before, and we'll see what he can do this year." Get a media coach, Charlie.
Fans, though not surprised, have been somewhat caught off guard by the Charlie trade talk. How could we not be? Charlie will be a free agent after next season -- unless Hammond offers him an extension -- and his trade value is weirdly undefined at this point in his career. In response to this, Brett at the Bratwurst blog has proposed a number of impossible "dumb" Charlie V trades.
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October 2006, Gordon commits to Indiana ... And all heck broke loose on the Chicago Sun Times fanblogs. I don't pay too much attention to college basketball unless a Badger or Marquette game is on the toob, or during tournament time, and stories like the Eric Gordon recruitment story are part of the reason.
The fuss between Illinois and Indiana over Gordon, who would only play one year at Indiana before entering the NBA draft, painted the NCAA and the schools in shade after shade of ridiculous. The Alice in Wonderland set-up that the NCAA and the NBA has created for the best young players (the one-year rule) leaves everyone involved looking foolish, including the fans for caring too much about too little.
Gordon reversed his verbal commitment to Illinois to play for Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, who had taken the Indiana job in March 2006. Gordon's change of schools occurred when Sampson was barred from leaving the university on recruiting trips or making recruiting calls, sanctions that stemmed from Sampson's "impermissable phone call" violations while coaching at Oklahoma. Investigators later charged that Sampson had made 100 calls during this initial year of sanctions. One has to wonder how many were calls from/to Gordon or Gordon's father.
The only reason I'm recounting all this is to wonder whether Sampson would still be at Indiana if Gordon hadn't changed his mind -- which was completely within his rights, obviously, as long as his dad said it was OK. The indignation spewed over Eric Gordon's one year of basketball (led by Illinois coach Bruce Weber) was not only an embarassment, it probably put Indiana on edge about Sampson. It certainly didn't help the coach's situation.
There's something very wrong about all of it, but nothing moreso than the realization that the shame felt by the parties involved was probably minimal. Why be embarassed by the ridiculousness of it all when you can just fire the coach?
The Bucks and Gordon? Sampson being a Milwaukee assistant does have some bearing on whether the Bucks draft Gordon. How could it not? Sampson's not likely keeping his high opinion of Gordon to himself, and Milwaukee becomes the place to be for Gordon -- if he's still available when the Bucks pick 8th. Almost every mock draft out there has Gordon going no later than the Bucks pick. If the Bucks are lucky, Gordon'll be the best player available when the Bucks pick.
The driving factor on whether Gordon becomes a Buck, however, will be what Hammond finds on the trade market. The pick itself and/or the player the Bucks select is on the table and could be in motion -- even if the player in motion is Eric Gordon.
-
 It wasn't the shot heard 'round the world, but that "Redd to Cleveland" business that began so humbly here at the Bob Boozer Jinx in late April has taken on a life of its own in Cleveland.
The Redd to Cleveland in Cleveland campaign was kicked off earlier this week by "Cavaliers Corner" blogger Dan Labbe and is now a gathering storm, complete with slogans, artwork and calls for mobilization, petitions and letter-writing efforts. An "all-out campaign" is promised under the banner Paint Cleveland Redd '08.
The heart of the deal proposed by the Paint Cleveland Redd campaign is the same as proposed here April 28 - Bucks get 21-year-old shooting guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson and small forward/shooting guard Wally Szczerbiak, whose name I'm finally spelling correctly, I hope. With the good input from some Bucks fans on the realgm.com forum, we added the Cavs #19 pick in the draft. That's just fine with Labbe and the Cavaliers Corner faithful, whose exploits are hosted on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website Cleveland.com. In fact, Paint Cleveland Redd's got the daily behind it -- and a hype block on the Plain Dealer's sports home page.
Let's Review:
1) Wally Szczerbiak, age 31, has one year left on a six-year, $66 million contract that will pay him $13.5M next season. Michael Redd has three years, $51M remaining on his contract and will make $15.8M next year. Wally's contract is essential. Cleveland won't deal unless the Bucks take it, and, well, Wally's contract makes the deal viable under league rules.
2) Boobie Gibson is a free agent this summer, and that complicates things somewhat. A sign and trade agreement would have to be made. Gibson made $687,000 this year, so the deal still works under league rules if the Cavs don't go nuts and give Gibson a $6 million raise. He's more likely to get a $3-4M bump -- Danny Ferry is the Cavs GM, not Larry Harris.
3) The Bucks would then be sending out $15.8 million and taking in $17-18 million or so, which makes this deal doable. Wally's contract clears out after next season, when Redd's contract will be up to $17M. Even if Gibson's contract pays him $7M in 2009-10, the Bucks will have cleared $10M in salary cap room. The Bucks are going to need that sort of cap flexibility if they are going to improve over the next 2-3 years.
So we know the numbers work, and that's why fans in both Milwaukee and Cleveland have been talking about this deal. If you don't think Cleveland fans are excited about Redd and ready to mobilize, they've even got a campaign song that is perfectly appropriate when ordering that fourth pitcher of beer. We go now to Cleveland where we join the Paint Cleveland Redd anthem (The Redd Spangledd Banner) already in progress ....
". . . and the shooter's REDD glare,
Treys bursting in air,
Gave proof through the game
That a legitimate #2 scoring option was there ...
Oh say, ddoes Ferry have
What it takes to get the tradde ddone . . .
'Cause it will suck to not get a real SG - eee
'But with REDD we'll have fun!"
(Thank you, thank you -- don't forget to tip your waitress!)
-- "The Redd Spangledd banner," complete with double-dees, comes courtesy of Cavs fan "The Cavalier".
Let's review some more:
Bucks fans generally want a lot in return for Redd, but Michael -- who really should have been able to pick up a nickname in this town by now -- is a guy with one of those difficult-to-move contracts. I can't see a developing team going for it, which leaves the contenders and playoff teams looking to get that "one more piece" at shooting guard that could put them over the top. The list of teams is short: Dallas, possibly Utah and Phoenix, New Orleans, Orlando and ... Denver if George Karl declares Allen Iverson the point guard. That's it. Cleveland is the most obvious trading partner, having bid on Redd three years ago in free agency.
Philly can't make the trade because it can't match the salaries. Toronto? Do we really want to see TJ Ford back? Denver, now that I think about it, has J.R. Smith up-and-coming at shooting guard. Would Phoenix give up Boris Diaw and Raja Bell/Leandro Barbosa for Redd? Would Orlando trade Lewis or Turkoglu or Nelson? Dallas could use a scoring option like Redd at 2-guard, and a trade looks good if the Bucks can get Mark Cuban to give up Josh Howard. Many teams just don't have a hole at shooting guard.
I realize I'm picking arguments to make my point, but Cleveland, still woozy from the Game 7 loss to Boston Sunday, wants desperately a 2nd scoring option for Lebron and now its fans are on the campaign trail to bring home one of Ohio's own (Redd's from Columbus, played at Ohio State). This is a trade the Bucks could make as a courtesy to Redd.
Wally and Boobie are no slouches:
Both players are great shooters who can play the 2 and would fit in nicely on the Bucks, a team tuned to develop its big men. They'll replace a player who hasn't fit in too well with the Bucks development plans for players not himself. Call it addition by subtraction, whatever you will, but the ball has got to move. Szczerbiak is a solid veteran who makes his teammates better with smart, team play. He's like a coach on the floor, with a Toni Kukoc-type presence sorely lacking on the Bucks ever since, well ever since Toni Kukoc retired.
Boobie Gibson has had a tough year with injuries and is currently recovering from the Celtics series, in which his arm was separated from its shoulder. Gibson was the go-to guard during the 2007 Eastern Conference finals, rescuing Cleveland from the terribly mediocre play of its other guards against the Pistons. Gibson rang up 31 against Detroit in Game 6, helping send the Cavs to the NBA Finals -- quite an achievement for a rookie. Needless to say, Cleveland fans love Boobie, and don't want to see him go. This season, he missed 18 games with an ankle injury and returned to find newly-acquired Delonte West in his starting point guard spot. Gibson then split time with newly-acquired Wally at shooting guard (often playing in the 4th quarter) and backed up West at point. Gibson's a smart, quick player who shoots 40+ % from behind the arc and has many years in the NBA ahead of him.
At this point I'd like to point out that all three of the principles in this trade are better shooters than the top six guards in this year's draft, the possible exception being O.J. Mayo. Redd, Wally and Boobie are all proven NBA three-ballers with 40+ % seasons under their belts.
The Cavs would throw in their #19 pick in this year's draft, which should make Bucks fans more comfortable with the trade (y'all haven't been too hip to the idea of trading Redd for just Wally and Boobie) -- and the #19 pick gives GM John Hammond one more tool to pursue the small forward he's looking for this offseason.
The best thing about Paint Cleveland Redd '08 is that I'm not making any of this up! Not even the anthem!
A lot of good things happen for both teams in this trade; it's time now to forge ahead by supporting the efforts of our NBA brethren (and sistas) in Cleveland. I'm sure they'd love to hear us grouse about all this over at Cleveland.com. Knowing the snap pace at which GM Hammond operates, he's probably contacted the Cavs already. Twice. The least we could do, as Bucks fans, is let our GM know that we're behind him.
Today could be a great day for NBA fan unity. Si se puede, baby!!! Let's make a deal.
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