June 19, ESPN Insider: The Suns and a number of other teams are talking to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Nets about trading up in (or out of) the draft... The Wolves seem especially ready to make a deal if Michael Beasley isn't on the board at No. 3.
This is all preceded by rumors that Chad Ford has heard saying that the Suns want to find a starting small forward and bring Grant Hill off the bench, and then lists several players that are available, Tayshaun Prince being one of those players.

But with the Suns dangling Barbosa, Diaw and the 15th overall pick, there would not be much interest from Dumars. Other players listed are Josh Howard, Richard Jefferson and Gerald Wallace. Mr. Ford goes through the reasons why there are problems with the Suns ability to acquire any of those players. But let's take the column as a whole and see if there is something that can be worked out to the benefit of everyone.

With the Wolves looking to trade down from the third overall pick, the Knicks wanting to trade Zach Randolph for cap relief, the Suns putting Diaw, Barbosa, and the 15th overall pick as trade bait, Joe Dumars saying his whole roster is in play(sans Rodney Stuckey), the Bobcats holding the 9th overall pick and Gerald Wallace as tradable assets and the Mavericks putting Josh Howard on the block, there seems to be the making of a massive trade that could work out for all of those teams.

In a scenario that works, the Timber Wolves could end up with the 6th overall pick from New York, a future first from the Mavericks and their second round pick from the Pistons returned(Ronald Dupree trade), the Knicks get Jason Maxiell, Rasheed Wallace and the 29th overall pick from the Pistons, the Suns get Tayshaun Prince, the Bobcats get Josh Howard and the 15th overall pick, the Mavericks get Diaw, Barbosa and the 3rd overall pick and the Pistons get Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph and the 9th overall pick.

There would have to be additional players involved as cap fillers, but it's a deal that works for everyone involved. Based on the information that Chad Ford gives in his Insider piece, there could be some big trades during the draft, and finalized in July. This is just one of the many possible scenarios that could occur.

That has to be the worst massive trade ever! Zach for Rasheed str8 up or Rasheed and Maxiell and the 15 for Zach and the 6.

I'd do that trade. It sucks we won't be able to get either Gordon or Westbrook, but we do get solid lower contract starters, and the 29 pick.

Posted by fishmike:

Zach is a cancer but Sheed is ok and we lose the pick? Terrible

i wouldn't consider Sheed a cancer... he's well liked by his teammates & has been 1 of the leaders on that Pistons team... he may act like a baby on the court but he's not a selfish me first type player like Zach... also the difference is Sheed has an expiring contract, plays defense & blocks shots, all things that are needs for us to fill at this point... his 3 pt shooting ability will also be a nice complement to Curry's game... & Maxiell is a nice player to have off the bench... plus Barbosa is a good value at MLE dollars... & you're not losing the pick, only moving down 9 slots... what's so terrible about it?

[Edited by - TMS on 06-20-2008 12:58 PM]

Posted by playa2:

June 19, ESPN Insider: The Suns and a number of other teams are talking to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Nets about trading up in (or out of) the draft... The Wolves seem especially ready to make a deal if Michael Beasley isn't on the board at No. 3.
This is all preceded by rumors that Chad Ford has heard saying that the Suns want to find a starting small forward and bring Grant Hill off the bench, and then lists several players that are available, Tayshaun Prince being one of those players.

But with the Suns dangling Barbosa, Diaw and the 15th overall pick, there would not be much interest from Dumars. Other players listed are Josh Howard, Richard Jefferson and Gerald Wallace. Mr. Ford goes through the reasons why there are problems with the Suns ability to acquire any of those players. But let's take the column as a whole and see if there is something that can be worked out to the benefit of everyone.

With the Wolves looking to trade down from the third overall pick, the Knicks wanting to trade Zach Randolph for cap relief, the Suns putting Diaw, Barbosa, and the 15th overall pick as trade bait, Joe Dumars saying his whole roster is in play(sans Rodney Stuckey), the Bobcats holding the 9th overall pick and Gerald Wallace as tradable assets and the Mavericks putting Josh Howard on the block, there seems to be the making of a massive trade that could work out for all of those teams.

In a scenario that works, the Timber Wolves could end up with the 6th overall pick from New York, a future first from the Mavericks and their second round pick from the Pistons returned(Ronald Dupree trade), the Knicks get Jason Maxiell, Rasheed Wallace and the 29th overall pick from the Pistons, the Suns get Tayshaun Prince, the Bobcats get Josh Howard and the 15th overall pick, the Mavericks get Diaw, Barbosa and the 3rd overall pick and the Pistons get Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph and the 9th overall pick.

There would have to be additional players involved as cap fillers, but it's a deal that works for everyone involved. Based on the information that Chad Ford gives in his Insider piece, there could be some big trades during the draft, and finalized in July. This is just one of the many possible scenarios that could occur.

I think the Mavericks would do it--that is for sure. I dont know about the rest of the league. The Knicks would get wallace for one year pick 29 and Maxiell for pick 6 and randolph.

Posted by newyorknewyork:

#6 Randolph for Sheed, Maxiel & #29 ain't bad.

If we follow that up with Marbury for J'Oneal & Lee & Richardson for Artest

O'neal & Wallace playing interchangable PF/C spots with Artest on the perimeter would be sick.

Package Curry & Nate for Ridnour & Watson, sign Posey to the midlevel exception, draft Alexis Ajinca at 29.

O'neal/Blount/(Ajinca-france)
Wallace/Maxiel/Jefferies
Artest/Posey/Chandler
Crawford/Posey
Ridnour/Watson/

You would have O'neal, Wallace, Artest, Posey locking opponents down defensively, with Maxiel & Blount providing quality depth. Then you would have Crawford as the clutch 4th quarter scorer in close games. Ridnour excelled in Nate Mcmillans scrappy uptempo style.

i like all those moves except the Curry & Nate for Ridnour & Watson one... i happen to think Nate can do well in an uptempo style too... & where did Blount come from?

It sucks that we would come out of this with the 29th pick. And how do the Pistons get the better players and the 9th pick to boot? Somehow, we need to get a higher pick in this scenario, or a future first either next year or 2010.

[Edited by - uptown on 06-20-2008 6:28 PM]

Posted by loweyecue:

Rasheed >>>>> Zach from a team player point of view, he is not Selfish. I dont want to give up the pick though. Why can we work something out where we tarde Zach + filler for Sheed + fller? Rasheed plus ron ron may be too volatile though.

why? because DET would be taking on 1 of the worst contracts in the NBA, that's why... why do u guys think teams would be willing to do the Knicks any favors & take back our albatross contracts w/o us having to give back any assets to sweeten the deal? do u think DET wants to give us the cap space so we can target the bigname FA's in 2 years while they have to suffer w/Zach's contract on their books for another season because Dumars wants to throw us a bone for firing his buddy Isiah? come on people... think in realistic terms here... there's no teams out there that will take on Zach's deal w/o getting back another asset to sweeten the deal... Zach's cheery personality & winning smile aren't gonna get it done.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by fishmike:

Zach is a cancer but Sheed is ok and we lose the pick? Terrible

i wouldn't consider Sheed a cancer... he's well liked by his teammates & has been 1 of the leaders on that Pistons team... he may act like a baby on the court but he's not a selfish me first type player like Zach... also the difference is Sheed has an expiring contract, plays defense & blocks shots, all things that are needs for us to fill at this point... his 3 pt shooting ability will also be a nice complement to Curry's game... & Maxiell is a nice player to have off the bench... plus Barbosa is a good value at MLE dollars... & you're not losing the pick, only moving down 9 slots... what's so terrible about it?

[Edited by - TMS on 06-20-2008 12:58 PM]

I couldn't agree more, Im a little suspect on sheed because he has been consistanly dissappearing in big games. Im also concern that his desire just isn't what it use to be.

Posted by knicks1248:

I couldn't agree more, Im a little suspect on sheed because he has been consistanly dissappearing in big games. Im also concern that his desire just isn't what it use to be.

Sheed's also 33 so he's not that young either.

Maxiel eats babies!!!