Posted by GKFv2:

I thought RealGM were idiots, according to Briggs. And hoopshype is hardly reliable but they do quote the Bergen Record so I guess we can take it with a grain of salt.

I don't think the Clippers would want to add more salary to a team that clearly sucks right now. It wouldn't make much sense.

[Edited by - gkfv2 on 11-17-2008 4:34 PM]

I think they want to move Kaman and want to pair a different player up front with Camby. I don't think you can get a better complement than Zach, with his low post scoring/muscle.

Kaman would make sense here cause he's a 2 way center that can run. We need size in the worst way.

Change in Team Outlook: -2.7 ppg, -8.2 rpg, and +1.0 apg.
Incoming Players
DeAndre Jordan
6-11 C from Texas A&M
2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.0 apg in 2.7 minutes
Eric Gordon
6-3 SG / PG from Indiana
3.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.2 apg in 11.8 minutes
Cuttino Mobley
6-4 SG from Rhode Island
12.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 apg in 32.7 minutes
Outgoing Players
Zach Randolph
6-9 PF from Michigan State
20.8 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 1.4 apg in 35.2 minutes

i say offer Zach & Curry for Marion, Blount & a 1st round pick from MIA... that puts us right in the hunt for a bigname in 2010 & we still have a fun team to watch this season... Marion's still a valuable commodity & i would love to add his expiring & shotblocking ability... yeah i know Zach's been playing his heart out but before u couldn't have expected to get even an expiring contract for him, i think it would be smart to move him now while we have the chance.

that gives MIA low post help to play w/D Wade & Beasely, & we get a guy who's already proven he can play great in MDA's uptempo style game who can also provide some much needed defense & shotblocking... i mean the dude's a career 18 & 10 guy himself so it's not like he's chopped liver, & he's only 30 so he's still got some years left in his body & he still runs the floor w/the best of them... i know he's having an off year but u have to remember he's also competing w/D Wade & the rookie Beaseley for touches on offense... plus Marion's not the type of player that can really create his own shot, he plays best off other guys' penetration & dish & on backdoor cuts & offensive putbacks w/the occasional spot up for open J's... i think that would go tremendously well w/Duhon's style of play.

this team would be very quick & exciting to watch... not that the current team's been horrible to watch this season, but getting Zach's contract off our books will be HUGE to our longterm flexibility & we wouldn't be giving up much in talent to do it either in this case... whatever we lost in low post offense we can make up for in improving the defense, & we could showcase Chandler more in the low post cuz he does have the ability to score down low on guys.

C - Lee / Fishlips / Blount
PF - Marion / Gallo / Malik
SF - Chandler / Q Rich / Ewing Jr.
SG - Jamal / Mardy / Roberson
PG - Duhon / Nate

Posted by Marv:

i say hold on to zach. I don’t think you're going to get anyone back who’s going to do for this team what he's doing. plus i don't think we're getting lebron in 2010. unless he states he will only sign here and nowhere else. in which case cleveland and ny will get it done no matter what our roster looks like

there's other FA options out there other than Lebron bro... don't u wanna at least be a player for 1 & not be left out of the party w/only our MLE to use to improve our roster? we don't even have a draft pick that year.

i guess if Zach keeps playing like this that's a viable option... i just don't wanna risk things start to decline again... hopefully we can dump Curry & Fishlips for some expirings but i'd say that's a much more unlikely option right now.

kaman is a good player who happens to be a seven footer, who can play both ends. Did anyone wonder why the clipps want to move a Young center?

What if Walsh and coach want to keep Zach...............

Here's another idea I have. If the Knicks can' deal Zach and break that money up, then it is possible that dolan may end up making just one more buyout. Buyout Curry before his last year begins to make the money good. Curry and Zach after all have Lebrons money. They say their just keeping if warm, but I say 'yeah, sure you are'.

This also puts into perspective the importance of not buying out a contract that is going to end also after this year. Marbury's contract. Let it run out. He's away from the team, not being destructive so it's all working out. And I don't even wanna hear about Jr. It's not worth dumping Marbury's contract 'just to pick up Jr.'. Sorry bout that, but we have to look at the bigger gain here in the overall plan.

[Edited by - 4949 on 11-18-2008 12:23 AM]

Posted by TMS:

interesting idea... i wonder if the NBA would allow a team to do that (buy out a player before his option year at full value so his option year comes off the cap)... i doubt it tho, the contract would probably stay on the books.

Then we have to get a little desperate here in getting rid of both in trades. We'll have virtually no options to get rid of others, because Jeffries is also player option and Collins measley little 2.7 million isn't going to do it either. And this is considering Zach is already a goner. We'd have to dump Craw and keep Curry for his lasts year. This also increases payroll for 2010-11 season and with those empty spots still needing to be filled, it will be a little harder to fill them with quality players, with less money and may play a factor in the Bron sweepstakes.

Gallinari also has to be coming into his own by then (no guarantee).

So getting rid of Zach and Curry is the major, major key to bringing Lebron to New York. Plain and simple. Any other ideas? I can't see anything else to do.

Could I be over exaggerating how much it would cost to make this work? Should we just go over the cap again, this time making it worth every penny without having to end up in cap hell again?