http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_basketball_081001.shtml

Portland has supposedly offered Damon Stoudamire, Bonzi Wells, Dale Davis, and Will Perdue for Gary Payton and Vin Baker (what a dynamic duo Baker and Kemp would make!). If I was managing Seattle, I would take this deal in a blink of the eye, if only because Portland is willing to take on Baker's appalling contract, which plagues them until 2006. Stoudamire is a sound point guard (13.0 points and 5.7 assists in 32.4 minutes), Dale Davis is solid (7.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.7 minutes), and Bonzi Wells is one of the league's exciting up-and-comers (12.6 points and 4.9 boards in 26.6 minutes).

However, the big problem with this potential trade is that Stoudamire's agent, Aaron Goodwin, has already publicly said that if Stoudamire was traded to Seattle, he'd want out. Seattle doesn't want to have to deal with that kind of situation, especially if they couldn't find a suitor for Damon right away and he's forced to stick around.

But that doesn't mean that this trade should die completely. Seattle has to balance out their team and the Blazers are dying for Payton. Portland should be looking to bring a third team into this deal, a team that would want Stoudamire and could accept his contract, and that would be willing to part with someone good. In fact, why not put this trade on the shelf until December, and then get the Knicks involved. By that time, I'm sure New York will be desperate for a point guard who can score and create for himself, a legitimate center, and a way to unclog the Sprewell, Houston, Rice debacle. This is also the first month that Houston can be traded.

Seattle could receive Allan Houston ($16.6 million), Othella Harrington ($2.5 million), and Charlie Ward (4.7 million), for a total of $23.8 million. Portland would get Payton ($12.2 million) and Vin Baker ($12.4 mil), for a total of $24.6 million. New York would obtain Damon Stoudamire ($11.6 million), Dale Davis ($7.8 mil), Bonzi Wells ($1.6 mil), and Will Perdue ($2.4 million), for a total of $23.4 million. If this deal is not up to the Sonics' expectations, the Knicks could also swap Clarence Weatherspoon ($5.5 mil) for Calvin Booth ($5.5 mil), unless Seattle really wanted to keep him for some reason. In that case, Weatherspoon could be shipped for McCoy and a few undesirables.

This deal would save the Sonics $800,000, New York $400,000, and would cost the Blazers $1.2 million, but they don't seem to ever mind that do they? Perhaps they could send a player making the minimum over to the Knicks to balance it out a little bit.

Seattle would then have a decent point guard, an all-star shooting guard, an up-and-comer in Lewis, and Harrington, Weatherspoon, and either Booth or McCoy up front. The team would be improved, especially considering Harrington by himself is better than Baker. Portland would have their Gary Payton and a legitimate shot at winning the title, especially because Payton is one of the hungriest players in the league. As for New York, they would actually have a point guard and a center, while holding onto Sprewell, Rice (17.9 points per game and 48.3% shooting last year in the 27 games he shot over 12 times), Camby, Thomas, Bonzi Wells, and Mark Jackson. Wells would be a great back up for the 2 and 3 positions because, unlike Rice, he doesn't necessarily need lots of shots and minutes to make a positive contribution. So, all three teams win.

There's only one thing I don't understand looking at the lineup that the Sonics have right now. Why isn't Gary Payton demanding a trade?

Realistically this trade would have to wait at least a year. Because Allan's deal made him a BYC player, a trade must invlove a team that has salary cap room in order to work under the CBA. Seattle did have some room, but I think after they are done in the free agent market they will be over.

Allan's BYC status goes away a year after he signed, so I think we will see him a Knick until at least this time next year.