Golden State Warriors

2009 Offseason Whirlwind

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:07:34 -0800

Man, this week had been filled with some HUGE trades. Let's talk about 'em.

For my thoughts on Richard Jefferson going to San Antonio, check out this entry.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL TO CLEVELAND and SASHA PAVLOVIC AND BEN WALLACE TO PHOENIX
Okay, so this may possibly be the biggest trade of the offseason... and the people are making me dislike Cleveland all over again because they're pencilling in L.A. and Cleveland for the 2010 NBA Finals. Sure, O'Neal makes them tougher inside but he's not the entire solution. First off, we wonder if they can co-exist. Second, let's see how they mesh. LeBron loves to drive in and there's going to be a 7'1", 350-pound guy inside the paint at all times.

But what really needs fixing is that they need more than just isolation plays. And, in turn, better decision-making. This stuff falls on the coach. Part of what doomed Cleveland is that they took some terrible, terrible shots. LeBron's not the greatest three-point shooter in the world and, at times, he would just chuck one up without warning. His teammates would do the same thing. Basically, while they can score, they weren't an efficient scoring team against Orlando. And while Shaq adds power to the frontline, they still need a wing scorer/slasher that can create. Yeah, I didn't explain that very well when we did our inaugural 8th Seed podcast (check THAT PODCAST out, by the way... and I'm not afraid to admit that I actually sucked it real bad in that cast).

As for Phoenix? Steve Kerr said that they're "a team in transition". That's never good news to the fans. With Amare Stoudemire being thrown around in trade rumors (which I don't get because they can still win 50 games with this team), I just wonder if Phoenix has decided to start all over. What a waste. I would think Steve Nash would want out, too, for a better shot at a title.

For other viewpoints of this trade, check out this Chicks Who Love Hoops blog entry.

VINCE CARTER TO ORLANDO and COURTNEY LEE, TONY BATTIE, AND RAFER ALSTON TO NEW JERSEY
I don't think this trade is as bad as some people make it out to be because I think Orlando is a strong enough team. However, Carter does need to adjust to being the #2 or #3 guy. He certainly fills their need on the wing position but will his head be in it? Carter's also been known to disappear a bit in the postseason. But who knows? While he was pretty good last season, maybe this motivates him even more? A change of scenery? What kind of Vince Carter are we getting here?

As for the Nets' new pieces? Courtney Lee is pretty damn good and it sucks that he had to go. But he and Devin Harris will form a real good (HOT) backcourt. They might peddle Rafer Alston around because I'm sure he doesn't want to be an expensive back-up and Tony Battie is Tony Battie. New Jersey did accomplish freeing up MORE cap space after the shedding of Vinsanity's contract.

I think it works out better for Orlando if they can get Hedo Turkoglu back. Turkoglu was the jack-of-all-trades for Orlando (rebounding, passing, ball-handling, clutch shooting). If he leaves, I think Orlando will really miss him.

JAMAL CRAWFORD TO ATLANTA and SPEEDY CLAXTON AND ACIE LAW IV TO GOLDEN STATE
Well, Crawford was just on his way out of G. State. Don Nelson and Crawford clash a lot. So Jamal had to go. But to get those bit pieces from Atlanta? I thought they could've done better. Where is Golden State going?

Now this represents a little conundrum for Atlanta. They sure as hell got more talented but where will Crawford fit in the equation? Is he willing to come off the bench as a potent sixth man (a la Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili)?

MIKE MILLER AND RANDY FOYE TO WASHINGTON and ETAN THOMAS, DARIUS SONGAILA, OLEXSIY PECHEROV, AND THE 5TH PICK (RICKY RUBIO) TO MINNESOTA
Washington's a talented team that was just decimated with injuries last year. I believe they're a playoff team when healthy (ESPECIALLY Gilbert Arenas). Anyway, they fill their need in outside shooting with Mike Miller. I think Randy Foye's numbers were a bit inflated in Minnesota but he'll be a serviceable back-up guard (maybe even start if Arenas STILL isn't healthy). They are getting a bit crowded in the backcourt, though...

Minnesota just really cleaned house and was lucky to have Ricky Rubio drop to their laps for the 5th pick. But I'm trying to figure out their stance after they drafted Jonny Flynn right after Rubio. Their new players will help in the frontcourt but it's not like they'll set anything on fire.

By the way, the New York Knicks' draft pick, Jordan Hill? She sounds hot.

Follow me on Twitter for some hot, sweaty basketball (everything, really) conversations. The name is @TheNoLookPass.

Slipping Away: Glen Davis' Return Becoming Less Likely

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:35:00 -0500

Jason Kidd rumors and more from CelticsBlog.

With the Draft and the majority of blockbuster trades behind us, a question still looms concerning the Celtics. A question that, at the moment, I don't want to answer: Will we re-sign Glen Davis? Davis' last words of solid encouragement (I mean statements that suggested that Davis was surely going to return back to the Celtics) to the fans dates back to... well, I won't say it just to save you a trip to the ER.

Davis implied that he'd love to come back to Boston and play off the bench just recently, but like other times when he's talked to the reporters, he's also strongly implied that he's "curious," and would like to look around the market to see what he can get.

And let me tell you folks, this big baby is going to get a monstrous contract. Not just big, because I know you were expecting me to say that. Teams with young players like the Thunder possess of raw talent and would like to know that they have a future All-Star big man down low -- no matter how small. Despite the fact that Davis is merely 6-9, he compensates as he is a hefty 289 pounds. He also averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the playoffs, in which he substituted for the injured Kevin Garnett. I'm sure OKC would enjoy a slice of him.

You might as well call Davis a bull of a basketball player. The budding power forward is capable of slowing down massive centers such as Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard. Now, understand me when I say "slow down." I'm obviously not saying Davis could completely shut down the two All-Stars, but with help (like Perkins or Garnett), the "Ticket Stub" can surprise most people when facing up against guys like O'Neal and Howard.

The fact that Davis will be satisfied in any basketball city scares me. Read what he has to say:

"I'll be very excited to come back to the Celtics or go to a team where I might start. Wherever I'm at, I'll be happy.''

And believe me, Davis truly does mean "anywhere." The big man would be happy on a contender where he is a factor off the bench, but he is also looking to start if he happens to land on a team that may be a touch below the "contender" category. So that means teams like the Kings, the Grizzles (although that's quite a stretch), and the Warriors are all in consideration. That's not a good thing.

Teams like the Kings, Grizzles, or Warriors may be an undesirable destination for most free agents (of course, those only playing for money would book a flight to any one of those cities in a heartbeat), but for Davis, shockingly, they still may be a valid competitor in the "race for baby," as I like to call it. Here's why.

The Kings, although being notoriously seen as the laughingstock of basketball (yes, basketball, not just the NBA), would take a step forward by acquiring Davis. They have good young big men on their roster, some being Spencer Hawes, Donte Green, and Jason Thompson. Sacramento MUST add one more young big guy to that list, and what do you know, Glen Davis is a perfect match. He would compliment Hawes especially as his outside game could be another passing option for the skilled Hawes down low when he finds trouble shaking free of defenders. Both Thompson and Green are very athletic, and I find that Davis, when paired with one of those two, could become part of a dangerous open court game.

The Grizzles have many guys tradeable on their roster that could bring in some fresh blood. Rudy Gay (although he's one of those tradeable players), an explosive small forward, would help Davis immensely when trying to find an open shot. Gay would compliment Davis in so many aspects of the game, especially when Davis is trying to get open. Gay will soon be drawing constant double and maybe even triple-teams, and it would be deadly for the other team if Davis could sneak down low for the easy two or creep out for a wide open jumper.

The Warriors would be able to offer Davis an enormous amount of cash, as well as giving him the opportunity to become an offensive player no one had predicted when seeing him the first time as an NBAer. He would flourish under Don Nelson, the offensive mastermind that is partly running the Golden State Warriors team. With the new backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, an addition of Davis would basically make them the second coming of the 2005 Phoenix Suns -- only Amar'e Stoudemire's role would be played by a noticeably smaller player.

Davis sure does love to play defense, which all three of these teams scarcely seem to focus on. He's followed in his hero's footsteps, Kevin Garnett, to become an undeniably intense defender. I'm sure he'd be extremely disappointed to find that these teams don't thrive as much on defense as the Celtics do.

Every Boston Celtics fan that is existing on the face of this Earth would give anything to see Glen Davis come back. Hopefully, he'll realize the support he has under him in Boston from both the fans, coaches and players, and return to blossom as one of the league's best.

Sunday News and Notes

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:23:37 -0500

Curry will stay a Warrior, says Don Nelson.

Insight: Newly drafted guard Stephen Curry, from Davidson, has already become the center of discussion in the basketball world. Curry, who is an offensive machine, has been rumored to be on the move later in the offseason in a package deal which involves Suns All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire heading to Golden State. However, longtime basketball coach Don Nelson feels that Curry will make an instant impact on the league with the Warriors, and denies the rumors by saying, and I quote, "He can unpack his bags and relax. He can buy a house. We drafted him because we think he's a terrific player that fits right into our program. He ain't going anyplace."

The Warriors have been known to be an offensive based team for the past couple of years now under Nellie, and it seems there is no better match for Curry other than in Oakland itself. With a backcourt of Monta Ellis, who has proven himself to be a threat on the offensive end, and Curry, who lit up almost every opponent he faced in college, together, the Warriors will be a feared offensive team once again this year.

Knicks interested in Rubio.

Insight: Rumors of the New York Knicks going after 18 year old guard Ricky Rubio have once again come about after Thursday night's NBA Draft. Team president Donnie Walsh has expressed serious interest in the European phenomenon, more so after he found that the T-Wolevs were caught in somewhat of a pickle Thursday night when they drafted two PGs (Rubio and Jonny Flynn). Rubio's father stated that he would prefer Rubio to head back to Spain for a season or two.

Walsh jumped on the opportunity to take the Rubio situation off Minnesota's hands, and is planning to contact them soon. It hasn't been clear on whether or not the Knicks would give up their draft pick, Jordan Hill, or Knick stars David Lee and Nate Robinson. It's been whispered that the Knicks are hoping to drop some salary before the 2010 offseason by trading Robinson or Lee, so they can sign superstar players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and, if still on the market, Chris Bosh.

Chronicles Of Crotty #22: Summertime

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0800

PLAYER:

DL LINK: Episode 22 Download

Episode 22 of Chronicles of Crotty!

Podcasting from... DENNY'S! We went to get CHEAPER food right around the 2nd round of the NBA Draft!

We break it down like this.

1. We talk about all the trades that had taken place in the last few days. (Richard Jefferson, Jamal Crawford, Shaquille O'Neal, Vince Carter)
2. We talk about the draft. Duh! (Stephen Curry to Golden State! Surprise!)
3. We mention Jollibee WAAAAY too much.

Check out our podcast archives!

CHRONICLES OF CROTTY KREW
Pictured L to R
Peter Kim, Nick Perkins, David Diep, Rey Moralde (taken at Denny's)

Jimmy Castro (not pictured)

Find us on Twitter! I (Rey) can be found at TheNoLookPass, Jimmy is WinInTheEnd, Peter is YungBolo, and Dave is at Illastrate.

BANNER CREDITS
Thank you to Greg Sorvig for our awesome show banner! His graphic design portfolio site is at http://www.gregsorvig.com. You can follow him at Twitter as well at gsorvig. Not only is he great at designing but he's also a huge basketball fan as well. Great guy.

MUSIC CREDITS
Jam by Michael Jackson (REST IN PEACE, MICHAEL)
Beverly Hills 90210 Theme
Vacation by Vitamin C
Summertime by The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff

WE ALWAYS NEED HELP
To the people that tune in to the podcast... whether you're a blogger or a regular listener... we'd love it if you can give us audio promos. You'll get free publicity for you or/and your blog. And if there are any suggestions, feedback, loveletters... send them all to r2estyle@yahoo.com! By the way, to those that have sent us praise and E-Mails about the podcast, we THANK YOU.

Yeah, so tell your friends, relatives, girlfriend, boyfriend, nephew, grandma, grandpa, dog, cat, hamster, lion, etc. about us!

Remember, guys... the game's not over until the clock says all zeroes.

Bored on Draft Day? Here's Something To Do: Live Comment Thread -- All Day, All Night

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:52:40 -0500

Sidenote: This isn't a live blog friends. The thread will take place in the commenting section below the article. I'll also have a rumor section below this for tomorrow's rumors, trades, and updates. Make sure to check in throughout the day/night for new rumors, trades, and updates!

Rumors/Trades/Updates

NBA Draft night over at Project Spurs: In addition to this comment thread (comment guys!), Project Spurs will be providing live coverage of the NBA Draft (link is above). Project Spurs will be offering you guys a lot of options over at the site. They will have an ongoing live blog powered by Cover It Live, as well as a live-streaming podcast, which will be hosted by Project Spurs' Michael De Leon, and the Dugout Sport Show's Glenn Moore. The two will be interviewing bloggers live on the podcast.

There will be an MVN representative at the live event provided by Project Spurs, Jeff Garcia. Jeff will be able to call in a few times throughout the night to tell us about the atmosphere and environment at Madison Square Garden. Jeff will be tweeting and offering his analysis on the picks through Twitter, which you can follow both on his profile (which is where the "Twitter" link directs you to), or from the live blog, as Michael will have his updates going through the live blog. Make sure to check it out!

Shaq heading to Cleveland.

Insight: Well, looks like Danny Ferry took notice of the work pile he had waiting for him. This deal took a big load off of the Cavs' executive. It looks to me like the Cavs won't try to do much more this offseason but draft another J.J. Hickson-type guy with the 30th pick they hold. The team will be preparing and/or meshing all offseason. Expect them to be reared and ready to go by the beginning of the '09-10 season.

Congrats LeBron. You've got yourself a second chance. Do something with it.

SI: Rondo could possibly be involved in package deal.

Yao out indefinitely with foot injury.

Insight: Could the Rockets pull off a deal today?

Suns active, rumors of Amar'e going to Warriors.

Nets, Magic, agree to deal, send Carter to Orlando.

Insight: Here's that link. Few quick thoughts...

This could either make or break the Magic's chances next year. Carter has always been a reliable scorer and a clutch player, which may prompt them to let Hedo leave. The main reason they were trying to re-sign him was because of the major role he played on the team. With Carter there, they won't need to restrain him from joining another team. But, Carter also has been known for his disruptive behavior in the locker room at times (more on the third bullet). Screwing up chemistry is dangerous for any team, especially the Magic.

The Magic are likely done this offseason. They may try to shape their team out this Summer by signing a few minor free agents. Obviously, if they don't grab an SG in the free agent market, Mickael Pietrus will assume the starting shooting guard role, allowing Carter to become the team's small forward (that is if the Magic don't bring back Turkoglu).

Van Gundy will have his hands full next year. Although Alston is gone, he still has some big egos with Howard, Carter, Rashard Lewis. The Magic have an interesting mix of players, and it will be costly for SVG to even think about letting his guard down.

Lakers send 29th pick the New York Knicks for cash.

Rumors have the Suns asking for Chandler in exchange for Ben Wallace.

Pacers Pulse (via Indy Cornrows): Pacers close to trading for Bulls two first rounders, surrender 13th pick.

Rondo's agent responds to Ainge's criticism.

Ray believes he'll stay.

Ray WANTS to stay.

CelticsBlog: Analysis of Draft day.

Expect Rondo to be involved or mentioned in Draft day trades.

Bob Ryan: The curious case of Rajon Rondo.

Blazers deal three picks to Dallas for pick number 22.

Crawford to Atlanta.

Draft Day is here, and I thought you guys might want something else to do besides refresh ESPN and Yahoo! every five seconds. So I set up a comment thread for the sole purpose of discussing the rumors and trades going on during the day, as well as the selections being made at the Draft. I'll be updating the rumor section, which as you can see is featured above, throughout the day and providing the latest whispers and the hottest trades being made throughout the day.

I'm sure they'll be a lot of issues to talk about during the day/night, so let your voice be heard and express your opinion by commenting below! After all, this is a commenting thread right?

Draft Updates: Crawford Headed to Atlanta

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:06:30 -0500

Expect Rondo to be on the move.

Hawks, Warriors close to blockbuster.

The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors are closing in on a trade that would find a new home for Jamal Crawford.

NBA front-office sources say that the Warriors and Hawks will soon complete a deal sending Crawford to Atlanta for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton. -- ESPN

Trail Blazers trade for Mavericks' first rounder.

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired the 22nd pick in Thursday's NBA draft from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the 24th and 56th picks in this year's draft, and worst of their second round picks in 2010. -- ESPN

NBA trade buzz continues to build

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:36:15 -0800

The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors are closing in on a deal that would send Jamal Crawford to the Hawks for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.

Nam's take: This is an interesting trade for the Hawks. It will definitely have an impact on what type of contract offer they give to Mike Bibby. Crawford is not a true point guard but he is a prolific scorer. I would have preferred the Hawks re-sign Bibby and try and find a legit center because a frontcourt of Zaza Pachulia and Al Horford won't cut it.

Stu's take: Crawford is a good player, and will certainly be an offensive spark plug for Atlanta. However, Crawford does not have a history of being a winner and has shown that he needs to be a volume shooter to be a successful contributor to a team. A talent upgrade for Atlanta? Absolutely? Does it bump them up a tier within the East? I don't think so.

The Portland Trail Blazers acquire the 22nd pick in Thursday's NBA Draft from the Dallas Mavericks for the 24th and 56th picks in this year's draft, and a 2010 second round pick.

Nam's take: Word around the league is that the Sacramento Kings are interested in Omri Casspi from Israel with the 23rd pick. Casspi is a lanky 6'9'' post that plays all out and can step back and shoot the three-ball. Casspi would be a good pick for the Blazers, who can provide some toughness in the front court. Other possible selections for the Blazers could be Florida's Nick Calathes, Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, Georgetown's DeJuan Summers, or VCU's Eric Maynor.

Stu's take: Who knows what the Blazers are up to. I've heard Ty Lawson rumblings recently, but they seem a bit unfounded given the recent Kirk Hinrich rumblings as well. Something's got to give. While this trade might indicate that they have their sights set on a specific player (possibly Casspi), it also could be used as a more valuable chip in a larger trade. I expect Kevin Pritchard to be up to his old tricks again this year, and we can definitely expect more draft activity from Portland.

There are strong indications that the Pistons will be very active this offseason. They are planning to pursue Ben Gordon aggressively. They also wish to sign Carlos Boozer but will walk away if he demands $14 or $15 million.

Nam's take: Boozer would be smart to just exercise his $12.6 million option and wait for 2010's free agency market. I don't believe Ben Gordon will be the answer for the Pistons to move back into the Eastern Conference's elite teams. They have a decent core with Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince. In order to battle with the Dwight Howard's and Kevin Garnett's they will need some young, athletic big men to support the aging Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

Stu's take: The addition of Gordon would be redundant with their current core in place (Stuckey, Hamiltion), although Detroit's interest may mean there is some truth behind their shopping of Hamilton. Gordon did show his grit and determination throughout that epic first round battle against Boston, and he definitely has higher value than he did last year. Boozer would be a nice addition to any team for the right price, and he would be a nice addition to the Pistons - especially if 'Sheed isn't playing with his threats of early retirement. I agree with Nam though, in this shaky economy, Boozer might be better off staying put until the market rebounds.

Chicago has been very willing to part with Tyrus Thomas however; Kirk Hinrich's name continues to come up on the Blazers wish list given their growing pessimism with Phoenix unlikely to trade Steve Nash or attempting to sign Jason Kidd away from Dallas.

Nam's take: The Blazers are obviously trying to find a point guard that can take them to next level; someone they can pair with superstar Brandon Roy in the backcourt. If they do find another PG they will have to get rid one of their current PGs, so there won't be any controversy in shared playing time.

Stu's take: The point guard situation in Portland is such an enigma, but it's looking like there will be changes in the backcourt whether it is through trading for a vet or building through the draft. Sergio Rodriguez is as good as gone after expressing his desire to be elsewhere next season. Steve Blake was highly criticized after an unproductive series against the Rockets this year. And Jerryd Bayless is somewhat of an unproven commodity, although people in Portland love his intensity, toughness and ability to get to the rack. But, we all know, you have to give something up to get something back. One or two of these guys might be packing their bags this offseason.

With Shaq And Suns, Ferry Is Talking With The Right Team, But For The Wrong Player

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:30:00 -0500

You can't blame the Cleveland Cavaliers for not hogging the NBA headlines even while being out of the NBA Finals. They're doing just as good of a job as anybody at staying in the headlines despite their season being over.

First, the news was about the transfer of 15 percent of the team's ownership to an overseas Chinese investment group last month. Next, erroneous reporting by SLAM Magazine incorrectly had them talking with Rasheed Wallace about a two-year deal worth $10 million per year, an impossibility given the Cavs' current cap situation. Then, Mike Brown's job came under fire with Pat Riley being thrown in the mix as the replacement.

Now, on the day that the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th championship and Kobe Bryant won his first NBA Finals MVP, the news throughout Sunday was about the possibility of Shaquille O'Neal teaming up with LeBron James in Cleveland in 2009-10.

The thing that should strike you as the most intriguing with this recent news is that Ferry is already all over it this early in the offseason. The NBA Finals weren't even over as of Sunday morning, and talks were already about the Cavs being aggressive in the wake of their devastating loss to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.

And the fact that he was talking to the Phoenix Suns and GM Steve Kerr, a good friend of his, should be even more encouraging if you're a Cavs fan. So while it was good to see Ferry being aggressive and talking to Kerr, he struck out on his third at-bat:

He was talking about Shaq.

Because if the Suns are looking to do a salary dump and get rid of a player with a big contract -- a player that could fill a need for the Cavs, at that -- then Ferry should be talking to Kerr about one Jason Richardson.

Oh, Ferry is no stranger to Richardson. Rumors linked the Cavs to Richardson even at the trade deadline in '07, when the former Michigan State Spartan was in the midst of an injury-riddled season. Ferry was said to have tried again for J-Rich last summer when the latter was with the Charlotte Bobcats, but an early-season trade sent the two-time Slam Dunk Champion from North Carolina to the desert in Arizona to play with the Suns.

And in 58 games with the Suns this past season, the 28-year old Richardson averaged 16.4 points while shooting 38.3 percent (102-for-266) from 3-point range and a stunning (for a perimeter player) 48.8 percent from the floor. The 6'6", 225-pounder is a big two-guard who played all 82 games for the Bobcats in '07-08 (automatically dismissing any impending comparisons to Larry Hughes), during which he put up 21.8 points and shot 40.6 percent (243-for-599) from downtown.

In fact, outside of that '06-07 season, Richardson has been durable and injury-free for the most part. With that one season as the outlier, the least games that Richardson has played in a season is 72 in 2004-05. Starting with his rookie year in 2001-02, he has played in 80, 82, 78, 72, 75, 51, 82, and 72 games, respectively. That's pretty impressive and speaks a lot for Richardson's durability.

As far as his contract goes, Richardson is due $13.3 million next season and $14.4 million in 2010-11. If the Suns took back a package of Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, it wouldn't save them any money for this season, so Ferry would have to get creative while still including Pavlovic's non-guaranteed contract in the deal.

That would be the difficult part, as a package of Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson would total only $9.2 million and not work under the league's trade provisions. Including J.J. Hickson in the mix makes the deal work, but then the question becomes about whether or not a young big man with a lot of promise is too much to surrender for acquiring a potential 20-points-per-game shooting guard. The answer from here, by the way, is "yes it is."

The other options would include either trading Ben Wallace, with him and the Suns agreeing to a contract buyout (in the case Wallace retires), or getting a third team involved (like Ferry did in the Mo Williams trade). Trading Wallace for Richardson straight up actually increases the Suns' payroll for next year and gives them absolutely no incentive in getting a deal done.

But with Richardson, the Cavs have a big two-guard in the prime of his career who can really shoot the lights out and attack the rim. Yeah, he was humiliated by LeBron earlier this season when he tried to go for a 360 dunk on a fast break in a game against the Cavs in Phoenix, but I'm sure that bygones can be bygones in this case.

Pairing Richardson with All-Star Mo Williams in the backcourt would give James his most dynamic backcourt to work with since he's been in the NBA, and sliding Delonte West to the bench would add a punch to a unit that was pathetic at best against Orlando. West has proven that he can play both guard positions, and that trait would be valuable in having him be the team's sixth man backing up either Richardson or Williams.

It doesn't address the team's problems in the frontcourt, but you can't argue that adding a 28-year old shooting guard who has averaged 18.6 points per game and shot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc during his eight-year career doesn't make this team substantially better. It may not help much with the matchup problems posed by the Magic, but it also makes the Cavs harder for Orlando to match up against on their own end.

So Ferry and Kerr are talking. That much is for sure. Ferry's friendship with Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti helped tremendously in getting a deal done for Mo back in August. And he's going to have to rely on his friendship with Kerr to help him get a deal done this summer.

Now, if only he can talk about the real player that will make the Cavaliers a nightmare to defend for years to come. Then we're really talking.