Posted by Andrew:

Why would we want to add another Max $ injured shooting guard to the mix?

cause we currently have only one of them. Even balls go in pairs.

...the downside for Washington is they added a player making maximum $ that is not really a superstar player.

Posted by Andrew:

I have to disagree with the KT for Stack trade. Why would we want to add another Max $ injured shooting guard to the mix?

Stack makes about the same as Shandon Anderson...that's not nearly max money...if Isiah can somehow figure out a way to get Stack from Dallas, maybe by giving them KT & Shandon for Stack & a filler contract like Najera, i would have no problem w/it whatsoever.

WAS didn't get a superstar player imo...to me, Jamison is on the same tier of players as Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur Rahim...definitely not 1st tier among guys like Duncan & Jermaine, & not even quite 2nd tier as far as NBA stars go among guys like K-Mart & Odom...& Jamison gets paid like a top tier player...i think Dallas made a good move here personally by getting some pieces to make further deals with & unload that crazy contract of Jamison's in the process.

I thought it was a good trade for both teams. Washington got a proven player who can put up 19/7 for two of their bad contracts and the 5th pick of course. Dallas on the other hand, got the number 5 pick which is the only thing important to them in their quest to land Shaq. Washington got the better deal of course, but both teams got what they wanted in the end. I have always thought that Ernie Grunfield is one of the better GM's out there.

If Arenas and Hughes keep committing a ridiculous amount of turnovers every night the Wiz are still going no where. This trade does help out their balance though, and having healthy players was gonna make them a better team regardless. I still don't think they are passing us any time soon.

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~28541~2231336,00.html

In what could be the prelude to a Shaquille O'Neal trade today, the Mavericks agreed to a trade with the Washington Wizards in which they would acquire the No. 5 pick in tonight's draft plus Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner in exchange for Antawn Jamison.

The Dallas/Washington trade is pending approval by the league office this morning.

An NBA executive said late Wednesday that the Mavericks now would approach the Lakers with a new offer of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and the No. 5 pick in exchange for O'Neal.

To make the deal work, Dallas would have to find a way to add another $8 million or so in salary owed to a player or players as a way of balancing the NBA-high $27.7 million O'Neal is set to make next season.

Owner Mark Cuban had told the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday that Nowitzki would not be included in an O'Neal trade. But the executive speaking late Wednesday said the Mavericks' new offer would include the sixth-year All-Star forward.

Dallas still would be able to pair O'Neal in a lineup with Antoine Walker, Michael Finley and Steve Nash should it trade away Nowitzki.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak declined to address O'Neal's situation in detail during a Wednesday conference call with reporters, which ended only a few minutes before the trade was announced.

O'Neal's business manager, Mike Parris, did not return multiple messages Wednesday.

"I'm always optimistic that things work out for the best and I feel this will also," Kupchak said. "Obviously, the best of all worlds is that we keep this team together and carry on and win."

the plot thickens!

even if the Mavs gave up Dirk & the picks + a young player like Josh Howard or Marquis Daniels for Shaq for example, you don't think a roster of Shaq, Walker, Finley, Howard (or Daniels) & Nash could be competitive in the West? i think that's actually a better starting 5 than they had last year.

[Edited by - TMS on 06/24/2004 15:47:02]

you guys forgot what ernie did in ny. first arenas, now jamison and its not even over. whatch what ernie started in ny just to finish in washington

to develop on my idea on the other thread about the Magic trading Francis, here's what i would do if i were Mark Cuban:

1 - trade Dirk & filler for Shaq
2 - try & work out a sign & trade of Steve Nash w/the Magic for Steve Francis
3 - sign Malone w/the MLE if he's not going to retire...otherwise, sign Blount, Etan or Swift.

C - Shaq / Blount, Etan, Swift or Bradley
PF - Malone or Walker / Najera
SF - Howard / Walker
SG - Finley / Daniels
PG - Francis / Harris

that's as good a team as any other in the West...a billionaire owner like Cuban is in this to win a ring...he doesn't want to just compete & be good...if you make that trade, you still have Shaq for 4 more years (since he is demanding that 2 year extension if he's traded to begin with)...then you have Francis, Harris, Howard, & Finley along w/him for extended years...you have unloaded both Dirk & Jamison's contracts this year, & Walker comes off the books at year's end...it's not a bleak future outlook at all imo...they could very well get 2 championships out of this deal & have flexibility once Shaq's contract expires, which they wouldn't have had anyway if they kept Dirk & signed Nash to an extension.

i think Francis would be better for that team...they should get more athletic...Nash doesn't play much defense anyway, but he's a better shooter, i admit...Francis can create his own shot better though, which is why i would go that route...but i can see the logic in keeping Nash over Francis too.