Trade for Al Jefferson?
by Blond Ricky on Feb 26, 2010 7:33 PM CST
7 comments
First off, I'm a Timberwolves fan. Almost everyone in MN are quite envious of your team. Congrats. You're like where we hope to be 3-4 years if we'd happen to get lucky with a draft pick like Wall or Turner to be our Durant (or half that guy...he's great).
Right now the Wolves 2 best players, Love and Jefferson, aren't looking like they can coexist long term. Wolves fans are quite high and Love so there's many who think Big Al will be traded. Al's playing hurt right now coming back from the ACL tear last year so his numbers are down, but I think whoever gets him in trade is going to get a great deal. Put him alongside better talent and I think he'd look better than this year's Zach Randolph -younger 20/10 guy, better attitude, better shot blocker and contract than Zach had/has. Personally, I would hate to trade Jefferson, but I like Love better (dude is good in a jack of all trades way, with elite rebounding skills) and one of them likely has to go.
Personally I think Al is more a center than a PF in today's NBA. I believe he'd fit quite well in OKC given the length/athletcism of Durant/Green. Is Jefferson a name that interests you? He's still so young that he'd fit well with your core group of talent. And...the guy can score on the block and rebound. By next year he should be at full strength more than a year out from the ACL.
I'd love some honest feedback on an offseason trade based in principle on these players: Al Jefferson and Wayne Ellington for James Harden, Serge Ibaka and a late first rounder.
Is Harden an untouchable for the Thunder? Perusing your site a little looks like many are high on Ibaka. I know most teams fans overvalue their players...I know I do (ask me who it would take for me to give up Rubio's rights). Is this kooky talk from a delusional Wolves fan, or the kind of deal where it makes you uncomfortable enough to actually be fair for both teams? It makes me uncomfortable to propose a deal where the Wolves give up a talented 25 year old 20/10/1.5 (healthy numbers) guy for 2 prospects who have proven little at the NBA level despite their upside. Is this the kind of deal where you deal a couple of your top farm system guys to land that big cleanup hitter your team needs?
A little more info: Ellington has come on lately and I threw him in to replace some of the shooting that Harden provides. Ellington looks like he's got rotation player talent.
Al's contract would eat up most of your cap space this summer. I don't know what your thoughts are on the Thunder's FA prospects, but I don't think Bosh will be coming to OK given the other cities he'll have to choose from. Al's reasonably priced given the contracts handed out to NBA big men IMO.
What say you?
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i wouldnt..
And my reasons are as follows:
1. Jefferson has been injured and SOME never fully come back around
2. Ibaka and harden are crucial members of our bench
3. I personally see etan thomas (our highest paid player that never even plays) and/or krstic. I could see collison being traded but he’s become quite the 6th man this year so I personally would like to see him stay.
Basically what I’m saying is why would we fix something that isn’t broken? Sure, we need a defensive, rebounding big man, but ibaka is a more raw version of that great to backup someone. What we have now is working pretty well, so basically, I think presti is gonna try his best to trade using krstic, thomas and the 2 first round picks that mean nothing to us and see what he can get without breaking up our core.
by tron solo on Feb 26, 2010 11:55 PM CST via mobile reply actions
I am a T-Wolves and a Thunder fan
I love this trade, Love and Jefferson just doesn’t work for me anymore, I wouldn’t mind switching Love for Jefferson in this trade, if that would make Thunder fans happy. As a T-Wolves fan I really wanted Harden and Flynn in last years draft and I think they would do goood together. As a Thunder fan I think we need one dominant down-low player and either Love or Jefferson would give you this. I also agree that Ellington would be a good switch for Harden and would improve in OKC. If you don’t want to give away Ibaka I would take Collison.
Finally if there is some way Minn. could get Nenad I would appreciate it so we could finally have a true Center
by Arrowhead Alec on Feb 28, 2010 11:57 AM CST reply actions
Throwing out the Jefferson development…
Trading Love for Harden/Ibaka would be blasphemy for most Wolves fans. Post that idea on the Wolves sister site, Canis Hoopus, and prepare for a firestorm. The Wolves love Love!
Jefferson is the PF that will be traded, not Love, IMO, although this could prove harder given the DWI.
by Blond Ricky on Feb 28, 2010 10:05 PM CST up reply actions
Not now...
Jefferson, 25, was arrested by the Minnesota State Patrol and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree driving while impaired about 2:15 a.m. according to Hennepin County jail records. He was released about an hour later.
Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_rumors.shtml#ixzz0grQXmF1d
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
Yep...
Al really messed up. Malik Sealy was killed by a drunken driver, the darkest day in a futile Wolves history. DWI is absolutely stupid, but it hurts Wolves fans a little extra.
by Blond Ricky on Feb 28, 2010 10:00 PM CST up reply actions
haha
Even before this, I would much rather have love than jefferson.
by tron solo on Feb 28, 2010 11:23 PM CST via mobile reply actions
interesting suggestion
I have gone back and forth on this and my final answer is gonna be no.
The main spot on the roster that OKC can improve on is the center position. Krstic is really not a very good rebounder or defensive player and his offense is good but not great. If we could get an excellent big man there it would be a big improvement to the team..
I do not think that the thunder are going to go ahead and blow all there cap space on an FA, make a big trade, or consolidate their picks to move up. I don’t think any of these scenarios are gonna happen because they are not consistent with the slow and steady approach that Presti has taken. While getting a big name center would improve the team, it would also lock them in. That is to say, after extending their current rookie contracts shortly, they would have no cap room to give them flexibility. I expect the thunder to bring in a mix of rookies and lower priced FA’s and see who sticks. There may be an appropriate time to go all-in and spend the flexibility on a marquee player, but I don’t think that time is now.
With the trade you propose, I think you are asking for too much. Ibaka already represents a tremendous value, making around a million a year. He rebounds at a rate slightly higher than Jefferson per 48 mins. While Jefferson is still clearly a much better player.. The fact that Ibaka is close in a lot of aspects of his game, is 5 years younger, and makes 10+ mil less per year for the next few years is huge. The thunder can keep Ibaka and use the 10 million in cap space to go after a Camby, Lee, Boozer, etc. type player. They would also not have to accept the huge downgrade of Harden to Ellington. While I like Ellington as a player, there is a reason Harden was picked so high (not just by OKC, a lot of GM’s liked it up high). Harden is a playmaker, he can create shots for himself and teammates in a way Ellington will never be able to. They look somewhat similar on paper, but Harden is the vastly more valuable player. He is just scratching the surface of his potential.
So the bottom line is, why should OKC downgrade at SG and give up a major prospect that is already contributing in Ibaka to get a PF/C that is making 12-13 mil a year? They have to spend an extra 10 mil or so and give up a draft pick for this. Doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of good moves OKC can make by accepting an extra 10 mil in salary.. most don’t involve giving up prospects, downgrading positions, and giving away picks!
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