Chad Ford: Finally ... let's get it out of the way so that we can all move on ....

Joe (NYC): Why would the Pacers trade for Stojakovic? Won't he just leave (maybe to Chicago) after this season, leaving Indiana with nothing?

SportsNation Chad Ford: He was the best asset they could get. I emphasize asset. Peja can help the team this year and if they love him, they'll re-sign him. If he's not a fit, the Pacers can engineer a sign-and-trade this summer. Only one team with any strong interest in Peja (Chicago) is under the cap enough to pay him. If they balk ... a sign-and-trade is the only way he gets paid. Once you factor in everything, I think the Pacers made the right deal. Their patience paid off.

Jason (Dallas, TX): Is there anything to prevent the Kings from trading Artest at the deadline? They could allow him to play and show good behavior for another month, thus increasing his value and then trade him to either an eastern or western conf. team! I think from that standpoint a well-behaved Artest brings more than an injured and falling Peja. What do you think?

SportsNation Chad Ford: No. As long as he's traded straight up (rules will prevent him from being packaged with another player) he can be traded. I think it's a possibility. The Kings could've thought that they can improve Artest's trade value by putting him on the court. Indiana couldn't do that. I don't think Ronnie really wants to play there. I think the Kings know that at some point it will come back to bite them. Whether it be at the trade deadline or perhaps this summer, it wouldn't shock me if they made him available.

Ryan (Canton, MI): hey Chad, wouldnt it make a lot of sense for the kings to send artest to l.a. for odom. odom seems to fit the kings concept perfectly and he seems pretty unhappy with the lakers. would they have to include someone like brian skinner for it to work (salary wise)

SportsNation Chad Ford: Would make some sense for both teams. However, that trade couldn't happen before the trade deadline because the Kings would have to package Artest and Skinner to make it work salary wise. However, this summer, that deal would work.

Atma Brother #1 (Golden State Warriors BLOG): Please tell Warriors Nation we're not headed to the lottery.... AGAIN!

SportsNation Chad Ford: I was high on them in the pre-season, but after watching them a lot and given the Artest trade, I think they're going to finish at the bottom of the Pacific again. I think Chris Mullin made a major mistake by not aquiring Artest. I think the Warriors would've preferred to get two young players like Diogu and Pietrus. I know Mullin feels that they both have a lot of upside, but at some time you have to decide that your franchise is going to more than a farm team ... you have to actually win. Artest was a great fit for that team and I think Mullin overvalued his young guys. In two or three years, they may look back and Diogu and Pietrus will be great players. But, another two years of missing the playoffs and Mullin may not have a job.

billy (taipei): Now that Artest is gone will the trading season swing into gear?

SportsNation Chad Ford: I think so. I number of team (Denver, Minnesota, Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Warriors) thought they were in the sweepstakes and didn't want to make a trade before they knew whether they were getting Artest. Now that he's gone, I expect we'll see something soon ... especially from Minnesota or Golden State who are both in danger of missing the playoffs thanks to the Kings latest move.

Knox Tucson,AZ: I have to believe the Blazers will make some sort of move, what if any do you see them making to shake up the roster?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Who knows what they're doing. Several GMs said that they turned down a Theo Ratliff-Ruben Patterson for Penny Hardaway trade a few weeks ago. If that's true ... they blew it big time. Ratliff is way overpaid and Patterson is still a huge distraction. It would've given them more salary cap flexibility (Hardaway's in the last year of his deal). I don't get it. The Blazers have a lethal combination of too many young high school players and a couple of overpaid veterans who aren't a good fit. I say the odds are about 90 percent that they'll be a new GM in Portland this summer. I'm sure Kiki Vandeweghe's near the top of the list and they could make another run at one of their favorites from the last search, Pistons assistant GM John Hammond or the guy that almost got the Cavs job, Pacers vice president David Morway. All would do a better job than what John Nash has done.

Bill (Howell, MI): Your thoughts on the Pistons. Will they reach 70 wins?

SportsNation Chad Ford: They're very capable of doing that as long as they stay healthy. I'm just not sure it's in their best interest. As long as they've clinched home court advantage throughout the playoffs, I'm sure Joe Dumars and Flip Saunders will take their foot off the pedal a bit and rest their starters.

steve, ATL: How do Billy Knight and Mike Woodson keep their jobs in Atlanta. Woodson is clearly over his head and Knight makes questionable picks in the lottery. What gives?

SportsNation Chad Ford: I have a feeling they'll be cleaning house in Atlanta this summer. The free agent market is ugly, the draft is weak and the last thing the Hawks need is another rookie. I think Billy Knight's strategy isn't going to take them where they thought it would.

Justin (East Hartford, CT): With the Artest deal done, will we finally see Mark Blount get moved?

SportsNation Chad Ford: If Danny Ainge can move him for an expiring contract (like Michael Olowokandi) I think he does it in a heartbeat. It won't put the Celtics under the cap, but it might give them the flexibility to add a mid-level free agent next summer.

Jeff (Chicago): Will there be any fallout from the latest Isiah saga? Any chance of him getting canned?

SportsNation Chad Ford: I can't comment on the sexual harrasment suit. She said he did it. He said he didn't. That's usually how these things go. The funny thing is, I think there are plenty of reasons to fire Isiah, none of them having to do with this latest legal dispute. He's been a good judge of talent in the draft ... but honestly, that usually has more to do with your scouting staff than the GM. The GM rarely has the time to get out and see all of these guys. The rest of Isiah's calls for players in the league have been pretty awful as has his management of the cap and trading away draft picks. He did convince Larry Brown to come to New York, something another GM may have not been able to do, but I think Brown may be the wrong coach for this team. Not enough talent and not enough flexibility to make the changes that Brown is used to making. Still, I expect Isiah's going to give it one last try. He has Penny Hardaway's expiring contract to deal and my guess is that he pulls the trigger on something soon.

Micah (Cambridge MA): Bill Simmons recently opined that Kobe's teammates seem joyless and unexcxited by Kobe's ball-hogging ways. What do you think?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Let's just put it this way. I was talking to a former NBA player who now works for an NBA team and here's what he said his reaction would've been had he been Kobe's teammate on the night he scored 81 points and took 46 shots. "I would've told all the reporters in the locker room that it was an amazing performance and that I was proud of him. Then, once they all left, I would've punched him in the face. Basketball is a team game. I'm not just running up and down the floor to get a better view of Kobe shooting it." So ... yes, I'm sure guys like Lamar Odom aren't thrilled.

bob, WI: What are your update playoff predictions given the Artest trade in the West?

SportsNation Chad Ford: 1, Spurs
2. Suns
3. Nuggets
4. Mavs
5. Grizzlies
6. Clippers
7. Lakers
8. Kings


Drew: you say the draft is weak and every week you say from whatscouts have said this is a very deep draft, no superstars, but very deep. Please explain these constant contradictions by the "experts"

SportsNation Chad Ford: It's weak in that scouts say there aren't any superstars in this draft. That's a problem for rebuilding teams like the Bobcats, Blazers or Hawks who really need some star power. However, there are a lot of solid prospects, meaning that teams in the 20s may be getting rotation players. In a lot of drafts, that doesn't happen. So ... weak for lottery teams. Pretty good for everyone else.

aron (clemson): what happened to the number one pick in the draft question?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Weird. The question and the answer disappeared. I think LaMarcus Aldridge is still the most likely No. 1 pick. Of the teams that are looking like they'll have the best shot of getting it, he's the best fit. However, if the Blazers or Sonics were to end up with the No. 1 pick, I could see them taking Adam Morrison. Andrea Bargnani is in the mix too, though I think given the recent flops of several high profile Euros, most GMs wouldn't have the guts to take him No. 1.

Jamie (CHC): With the draft being deep but not top heavy,will the Bulls try to make a trade with one of their first round picks? Any idea who (Paul Pierce)???

SportsNation Chad Ford: I've said this before, but I think they should explore it. They have plenty of young players. What they need are some guys who can fill in the holes ... a veteran low post scorer and big two guard who can defend. Of the guys in the draft, Ronnie Brewer looks like he may be a fit with one of those picks. I'd use the other pick and maybe an expiring contract to land the low post player. There just isn't much available on the open market this summer and I don't think the Bulls should blow all of their cash on Peja when they have Luol Deng waiting in the wings.

Gary (Detroit): Hey Chad, I like Maurice Ager more and more every day. I think he can be another Dwayne Wade, he has that kind of athleticism. What do you think he does in the draft?

SportsNation Chad Ford: I don't think he's quite the athlete or player that Wade is ... but he'll get a look in the late lottery in part because he's a much better shooter than Wade is. If he was two inches taller, he'd go even higher.

George, Philly: What about Randy Foye ... he's the guy who reminds me of Dwyane Wade only with a better jump shot.

SportsNation Chad Ford: Foye seems to have some of the intagibles that Wade brings to the table. He's helped his stock this year more than anyone else in the draft. He's shooting the ball well, can handle it a little bit, and is a tough, gritty player who will make things happen. We had Wade a little underrated before the last week or so of the draft and the same may be true for Foye. He's going to look great in workouts I think and that may be enough to overcome the fact that he's a little undersized for the two.

Jimmy (CT): Boone has been playing better as had Rudy...how are their stocks doing?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Rudy Gay will be great on an up tempo team with a point guard who can get him the ball in a position to score (he'd be awesome in Phoenix). However, if a team is asking him to be the go to guy and create his own shot, I just don't see that right now. He's still too reluctant to put the ball on the floor. I'm not sure Boone is even the best big man on UConn. Some scouts like Hilton Armstrong better. Boone has talent, but doesn't seem to have the passion or drive for the game.

JJ, Puerto Rico: Will G.Diaz be a 1R pick, he was a late lottery now it seems that is on the 1R border.. thanks

SportsNation Chad Ford: Diaz is an explosive athlete who knows how to score, but he's undersized and still lacks a great feel for the game. Some scouts believe he might be able to be a scoring point like Gilbert Arenas. If a team feels that way about him, he could be a mid first round pick. If they see him as an undersized, scoring two, then he's on the bubble. I've heard Pat Riley loves him.

Jacob, Memphis: Other than Oden, how do you see the 2007 draft being? Strong?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Strong. The high school senior class is one of the best in years. And, a number of talented college freshman (like Josh McRoberts and Julian Wright) should stay in school another year and then become studs during their sophomore campaigns. Most scouts believe it could be one of the best drafts in the last five or six years. I think you'll see a few teams try to move their picks this year in anticipation of that.

SportsNation Chad Ford: I've got run everyone. Great chatting with you. See you again next week.

SportsNation Chad Ford: I was high on them in the pre-season, but after watching them a lot and given the Artest trade, I think they're going to finish at the bottom of the Pacific again. I think Chris Mullin made a major mistake by not aquiring Artest. I think the Warriors would've preferred to get two young players like Diogu and Pietrus. I know Mullin feels that they both have a lot of upside, but at some time you have to decide that your franchise is going to more than a farm team ... you have to actually win. Artest was a great fit for that team and I think Mullin overvalued his young guys. In two or three years, they may look back and Diogu and Pietrus will be great players. But, another two years of missing the playoffs and Mullin may not have a job.

i wonder if he feels the Knicks should have done the same, since we find ourselves pretty much in the same situation.