Washington Wizards

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.

Wizards: Schizophrenic or just crazy like a fox?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:53:35 -0500

The Wizards did as I expected with SG Jermaine Taylor, whom GM Ernie Grunfeld selected with the 32nd pick in the NBA Draft last night -- they sold him. Taylor's draft rights were sold to the Houston Rockets for cash.

This seems lame. Teams sell 2nd round picks all the time [and sometimes first round picks, too], but the Wizards actually needed a body with that 32nd pick. They needed a big, powerful forward who could rebound and muscle up inside. Amazingly, DeJuan Blair, predicted by most to go in the middle of the first round -- balky knees and all -- was still available. He fit what Washington needed and he was there for the taking. Instead, Washington picked a player for another team and then sold him. And then justified it as providing future "flexibility." Utter nonsense. Or is it?

Is the team management is schizophrenic? Do they want to compete and win right now [re-signing Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison to big contracts, trading a first round pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller], but they make moves to get rid of bad contracts and sell draft picks for money when they need the player? Is it as if the Wizards can't decide if they're a serious contender or not?

Let's be clear about one thing: You can't be a serious contender without being serious. The moves made by Orlando to acquire Vince Carter, by Cleveland to acquire Shaquille O'Neal and by San Antonio to acquire Richard Jefferson demonstrate clearly that if you want to compete with the Lakers and Celtics for a title, you'll have to spend a lot of money. Teams are either tanking [the Nets, Bucks, and Suns should have plenty of ping-pong balls in the hopper next year] or stacking their lineup for a championship run. If the Wizards are trying to shed salary AND make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals, that's not going to be possible. When you're spending over $160 million on Arenas and Jamison, why get cheap with second round picks?

Unless, of course, you weren't being cheap, you were being smart. The Wizards reportedly sold the rights to Jermaine Taylor to the Houston Rockets for $2.5 million -- a lot more than the $700,000 they got for Bill Walker, last year's 2nd round pick. If Abe Pollin pockets that $2.5 million so he can make his children a bit richer when he passes, that's one thing and it will demonstrate that the Wizards are schizophrenic about winning a playoff series or two right now.

However, what if Pollin and team management use that money to help pay luxury tax on a big man or two the team acquires with the mid-level exception? Here is a [non-exhaustive] list of big men that could be available this year for the mid-level exception or less:

Zaza Pachulia

Mikki Moore

Juwan Howard

Joe Smith

Rasho Nesterovic

Shelden Williams

Chris Wilcox

Drew Gooden

Any or or two of those players could fill out Washington's front court problems, giving them extra height and heft to help spread the minutes and guard against injuries. Those are not great players, of course, or even particularly good ones, but they don't have to be. They need to be solid rotation players who will work hard, play some defense, rebound and not bitch about shot opportunities, which will be few and far between.

Then there is also the possibility of another trade. If we're going to dream for a moment, the Wizards could, theoretically, trade Deshawn Stevenson and Mike James to the LA Clippers for Marcus Camby. The Clippers are looking to get rid of a big body to make room for Blake Griffin and haven't had much luck moving Chris Kaman or Zach Randolph. Camby would give Washington the rebounding and defensive-minded big man they need. If that's unrealistic, and it probably is, considering Stevenson's injury problems, the Wizards could add in Nick Young and take back Mardy Collins with Camby. [Yes, all these trades work under the CBA. Whether or not the Clippers would do it is another matter and may depend on the other offers they get. James' expiring contract would be attractive, though, as would getting back hometown boy Nick Young.] The Wizards would move out 3 guards and get their big man and a shooting guard who would hardly ever play -- or need to.

There are other opportunities, as well. My point is that it is dangerous to pass judgement on the Wizards for trading the rights to that 2nd round pick until we find out what they do with the $2.5 million they got back.

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?

Brendan Haywood likes the trade, not the Poet

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:04:03 -0500

Wizards center Brendan Haywood, who missed virtually the entire 2008-09 season with a hand injury, is blogging now, as you know, and had this to say about the trade the Wizards pulled off to bring Randy Foye and Mike Miller to town.

I think this trade should cause our fans to be very excited. Mike and Randy both fill huge needs for us. Mike Miller is one of the best shooters in the NBA and has proved to be highly accurate from behind the 3-point arc consistently throughout his career. He's a high IQ player and most importantly understands the importance of ball movement.

Uh-oh. Mike Miller is a "high IQ player"? I'm not disputing it, I just find it funny to read an African-American player writing something about a white player that is so often written and said by white commentators. No doubt it is actually accurate in this instance, though. Anyway, on with it....

Randy is also a great young player with a lot of potential. He's a guy who averaged a little over 16 points and over 4 assists per game last year and has the ability to play both guard spots very well. He can carry the load for a team if needed and will provide a great insurance policy for us in case Gilbert Arenas happens to go down again.

A great deal was made here by our GM Ernie Grunfeld, who has a history of pulling off these types of deals. Let's not forget how he brought in All-Star Antawn Jamison for an aging Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse. He was also responsible for bringing in All-Star Caron Butler for Kwame Brown. This is just another great trade to move our franchise in the right direction. I think it will produce great dividends right away. I can see us winning the Southwest Division, especially if Hedo Turkoglu leaves the Orlando Magic via free agency!

So NBA GMs, if you're listening, please offer Hedo a big contract so that he leaves Orlando because I'm not trying to see him and Dwight Howard doing any more pick and rolls! It was lethal!

Okay, so he likes the trade, doesn't like playing against Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. Fair enough. So, does Brendan have any goodbyes to say to the departing Wizards players? Indeed, he does.

On a sad note, we're sad to see Darius Songaila leave our team. He's a true professional and did way more than he was asked to for our team, especially last year with all of our injuries. He's a good friend of mine and I'll miss him as well as the Washington staff and fans - we wish him luck!

Darius gets a friendly hug on his way out, but, as you probably noticed, nothing for Etan "the Poet" Thomas, with whom Brendan shares a volcanic personal history. I guess some feuds can't be buried, but Haywood and Thomas will have a chance to bury that feud in each other's spines this year when the Wizards and Timberwolves play -- twice. Unless, of course, one or both are out with injuries. That's a distinct possibility, of course, especially with the notoriously fragile Etan Thomas.

What should the Wizards do with the 32nd pick?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:54:39 -0500

After trading the 5th overall pick in the draft and 3 undesirable players/contracts for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, the Wizards are left with only the 32nd pick in the draft, the second pick in the second round. What should they do with it?

Well, drafting someone very large seems like a good idea. After the aforementioned trade left the Wizards with only 4 players capable of playing power forward and/or center [Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche, Javale McGee, Brendan Haywood] and 8 players capable of playing one or both guard positions, the Wizards are a bit unbalanced and need some bodies in the front court. GM Ernie Grunfeld, the man responsible for this situation, appears to agree.

"We may be looking for another big body.Who ever we get it will be the fifth big man on our team behind Brendan, Andray, JaVale and Antawn so there will not be a lot of minutes for that type of player."

Good. So we're agreed -- the Wizards need a big man capable of playing the 4 or the 5 or both. So who will be available and appropriate? Well, Jeff Pendergraph of Arizona State comes to mind. Pendergraph is 6'10" [in his shoes] and weighs about 240 pounds, making him suitable to play power forward in the NBA. He's a good athlete who shot 58% from the field during his career at ASU. He's got very few moves and it is hard to see him ever becoming much of a scorer in the NBA, but he can step out a bit and hit a shot and he's a good free throw shooter, though he doesn't get to the line often. He's got a great motor, though, running the floor hard and pounding the glass with enthusiasm. I think he'd be a nice fit on the Wiz and there's a good chance he'll be available at 32. If he's there, I'd strongly consider taking him.

Another possibility is Josh Heytvelt, a 6'11" and 245 pound power forward from Gonzaga. He's another very good athlete and a solid, though not special, rebounder. He can step out and hit shots like most guys from Gonzaga, just don't ask him to bang with the big boys in the paint 'cause he doesn't like to do it. [What do you want, this is the second round!]

I think both Pendergraph and Heytvelt would be suitable for the Wizards and there is a very good chance that one or both will be available at the 32nd pick.

Can Heat Compete in East?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:15:58 +0000

The 2009 NBA Draft is only one day away, but I'm not talking about the Draft. The Miami Heat's lack of a first-round pick and the Draft's weakness contribute to that; however, division rivals Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks have completed lopsided trades that could potentially put them ahead of the Heat.

Washington traded away its No. 5 selection in the Draft, Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia and Oleksiy Pecherov for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. This instantly makes the Wizards a playoff-contending team when healthy. Foye, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison can all put up points in a hurry. Miller and DeShawn Stevenson can come off the bench and stretch the defense with their shooting. Moreover, Washington still has Brendan Haywood and JaVale McGee, who are both 7-feet tall.

The Wizards still have to become a better defensive team -- and the addition of Flip Saunders as the team's head coach doesn't help -- but Washington can be a playoff team that challenges the likes of Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta.

The trade that could affect the Heat more is the one that ESPN is reporting today, though. The apparently imminent deal would send Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to the Warriors in exchange for Jamal Crawford. The newest member of the Hawks has been especially keen at picking apart the Heat's defense. His career-high 52-point game Jan. 26, 2007 against Miami officially cemented his status as a Heat killer.

This deal does add questions to where free agent Mike Bibby will call home in October. The 6-foot-5 Crawford is not a true point guard, but could play alongside Joe Johnson in the backcourt for Atlanta. My guess is the the Hawks have Crawford and Johnson in the backcourt and wave goodbye to Bibby. No matter what Atlanta decides to do with Bibby, Crawford still gives the Hawks yet another offensive weapon.

Just to make things clear, the Heat had no viable shot at either of these trades -- or the Richard Jefferson trade that sent the dynamic forward to San Antonio. Jefferson and Crawford have contracts that go beyond 2010; and while Foye and Miller both have expiring contracts, the Minnesota Timberwolves were looking for a first-round pick, something the Heat doesn't have.

One has to wonder how this shakes up the Eastern Conference. Orlando, Cleveland and Boston are still leaps and bounds ahead of any other team in the East. Beyond Atlanta and Washington, Miami will have to fight Philadelphia and Chicago in the four-to-eight range. The Heat could conceivably go into the playoffs with the fifth seed, but putting Miami ahead of Atlanta right now would seem to be a bit of a stretch.

Heat President Pat Riley has made it clear that his team's off-season will be quiet until he gets a definitive read on Dwyane Wade. The negotiations for a contract extension can start July 12, so Miami will likely have to be spectators as far as trades go until then. Wade has made it clear that he wants to fast-track the rebuilding process. Unless Riley comes to Wade with an agreement with another General Manager on the table, it is highly unlikely for Wade to sign that extension.

After Washington and Atlanta clearly upgraded, Riley must know that this team cannot make a lateral move. Riley needs to make some moves that will upgrade his team and vault them ahead of Atlanta, Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia in the East. This team is not going to be better than No. 5 in the East if Riley does nothing. Wade wants to be on a championship-contending team, not a playoff-contending team. If he wants to keep Wade, Riley's going to need to be very busy.

Wizards trade is official

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:17:44 -0500

Etan Thomas signed a waiver last night promising not to opt out of his contract this summer, which was not a surprise since doing so would cost him well over $8 million. Here is the official press release from the Wiz:

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired guard/forward Mike Miller and guard Randy Foye from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov and the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft.

"We are very excited to welcome two solid, proven veterans in Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington," said Grunfeld. "Mike is one of the NBA's elite three-point shooters who can really stretch the defense and provide an all-around game, and Randy has shown the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates while providing excellent perimeter defense. Their skills complement our core very well and they will provide a boost as we re-establish ourselves as a contender in the Eastern Conference."

A 29-year-old swingman, Miller has averaged 13.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game over nine professional seasons in Orlando, Memphis and Minnesota. A former Rookie of the Year in 2000-01 and Sixth Man of the Year in 2005-06, Miller has connected on over 40 percent (1,173-2,926, .401) of his three-point field goal tries in his career. Miller's career best statistical season came in 2006-07 in Memphis when he averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists while connecting on 202 of 498 (.406) three-point tries. Miller averaged a career-high 6.7 rebounds the following season in Memphis, and recorded a career-best 4.5 assists per game last season in Minnesota.

Foye, a 25-year-old guard, had a breakout season for the Timberwolves in 2008-09 when he averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. He started 61 games for Minnesota, recording a career-high 36 points vs. Indiana on February 20 and recording a career-best 14-assists at Detroit on November 23. Foye has seen his scoring average increase by at least three points in each of his three professional seasons after being selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by Boston and acquired in a draft day trade by Minnesota via Portland.

Thomas averaged 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 373 career games for Washington, including 3.1 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 26 games last season. Songaila appeared in 184 games for Washington over the last three seasons, and averaged 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds last season (with a career-high 29 games started). Pecherov, drafted by Washington with the 18th overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, averaged 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 67 career games for the Wizards.

"We appreciate the contributions that Etan, Darius and Oleksiy made to the team and the community during their tenures in Washington," said Grunfeld. "We wish them the best and we're pleased to have been able to accomplish a trade that benefited all parties involved."

Should the rest of the East be scared of the Wiz?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:40:50 -0500

Former NBA coach [in Sacramento and Golden State] Eric Musselman really likes what the Wizards did by trading the 5th pick, Darius Songaila, Etan Thomas and Oleksiy Pecherov for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Musselman told Sam Amico of Pro Basketball News that the trade vaults the Wizards into one of the top 4 teams in the East.

* Musselman also said he thinks the Wizards will lead the league in scoring under new coach Flip Saunders. "They already had some real potent scorers (in forwards Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, and guard Gilbert Arenas, when healthy)," he said. "You have to love the fact they added a guy who averaged 16 points in Foye."

* As for Miller, Musselman believes the veteran guard can average anywhere from 18 to 25 minutes and score in double digits in Saunders' offense. "Miller stretches out the defense; you can't leave him open," Musselman said. "So with Arenas' ability to create, Miller causes the game to be 4-on-4. He is also a much better passer than he gets credit for."

* Musselman astutely pointed out the new Wizards already have Wolves connections. "Flip had the whole year off and lived in Minnesota -- so he got an up-close look and probably watched the Timberwolves more than anybody," he said. "The lead assistant on his staff in Washington is Randy Wittman (who, like Saunders, coached the Timberwolves). Another of his assistants in Washington is Don Zierden, who coached Minnesota's WNBA team. Between all those guys, they obviously know what they're getting in Miller and Foye."

* Musselman concluded, "It's obvious Washington is making a push not just to make the playoffs, but to go as far as they possibly can in the playoffs. Their time is now. The rest of the East should be scared; the Wizards have the potential to seriously threaten."

All good points. My views on the trade can be found here and here.

Reaction to the Wizards trade

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:06:44 -0500

Well, some reaction to the Wizards trade of the fifth overall pick and flotsam with undesirable contracts to the Timberwolves for combo guard Randy Foye and swing-man bomber Mike Miller is starting to come in. John Hollinger, a noted Wizards-basher who nevertheless writes must-read columns came down thusly:

It cost the team a high pick, but Washington traded more than $13 million in deadweight contracts for two players ready to contribute in the backcourt immediately. Shooting guard has been Washington's Achilles' heel ever since Larry Hughes left (did that feel as funny to you reading it as it did to me writing it?), but now it has a deadly ace shooter in Miller and a quality combo guard in Foye to back up both guard spots. No, they aren't great payers, but they're a heck of a lot better than Dominic McGuire and Mike James.

The trade also tips the Wizards' hand in other respects. No, they aren't trading Antawn Jamison, and no, they won't be holding a fire sale to get under the tax. They're on the 2007 Boston Celtics model, and they're going for it. It's a very risky strategy, given how much depends on the recovery of Gilbert Arenas from two seasons lost to knee problems, and the Wizards still didn't solve their biggest problem (a glaring lack of defensive ability). Also, did I mention they won 19 games last season?

But by adding these two players, the Wizards certainly have made themselves a fearsome offensive team. If Arenas is healthy, they could very well lead the league in offensive efficiency, and if that happens, new coach Flip Saunders just needs to coax an average defensive effort from them to win a ton of games. Neither is likely, I should point out, but both are certainly possible, so as long as they're painted into a corner anyway by the foolish contracts they gave Arenas and Jamison a year ago, that appears to be where the Wizards will focus.

The trade also appears to make Deshawn Stevenson (owed more than $4 million) utterly expendable and Nick Young fairly portable, too, so there could be other deals coming down the pike later this offseason. Certainly, Washington would like to have another veteran in the frontcourt -- youngsters Andray Blatche and Javale McGee would have to play heavy minutes in the present setup.

The cost here is the fifth overall pick, and it speaks to the undesirability of the contracts the Wizards unloaded that the Wolves could obtain such a coveted pick for two average players.

Rotoworld editorialized:

Assuming this deal is finalized on Wednesday, the Wizards instantly become a credible playoff team in the East. They also manage to shed three bad contracts without taking any back -- Miller's deal ends after 2009-2010 and Foye becomes a restricted free agent.

This deal leaves the Wizards loaded up in the back court, but a bit think in the front court. The 4 and 5 position players now on the roster are:

C Brendan Haywood

C Javale McGee

F/C Andray Blatche

F Antawn Jamison

That's it. I suppose you could give Dominic McGuire a few minutes at power forward in a pinch, but that's not really a solution to the front court depth issue.

The over-loaded back court now looks like this:

G Gilbert Arenas

G Randy Foye

G Deshawn Stevenson

G Javaris Crittenton

G Mike James

G Nick Young

G/F Mike Miller

Whew, that's a lot of smalls on one team. Ideally, the team would move Deshawn Stevenson and Mike James, who can make no real contributions to this team anymore [and made absolutely none last season] for front court depth with expiring contracts. We will see what is possible there. The addition of Foye and Miller means that Nick Young is now expendable, though the team may try to hold on to him due to Miller's contract expiring at the end of this season. In other words, I have to think Ernie Grunfeld isn't done yet; he does not intend to go into the season with 7 guards and only 4 bigs. The team will probably use the 34th overall pick on a front court player now, but that's hardly a solution. Another trade should must be in the offing.

As I wrote last night, I don't have a problem with this trade. I think the odds of Randy Foye and Mike Miller putting this team into Finals contention are greater than the odds of anyone we take at 5 doing the same thing.

Still another reason I approve of the trade is that I never put any stock in these rumors that the team was millimeters away from putting Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh in Wizards uniform. I never saw any evidence that these rumors were more than just a player talking too much and a leak from one front office or another to put pressure on another team or deceive others about draft night intentions. We should remember that only an infintesimally small percentage of trade rumors turn out to be accurate and there is nothing to suggest that the Wizards were at all close to pulling off the sort of blockbuster deal that turned the Celtics into NBA champs two seasons ago.

Once I gave up on the idea that this team could transform itself through a one-sided trade and reconciled myself to the fact that Dwyane Wade would not be the fifth pick in THIS draft, I began to consider more kindly the possibility of a smaller trade that would move undesirable contracts, address at least one team weakness immediately, and provide incremental improvement to the overall roster. In addition, I favor moves that make it more likely the team has enough financial flexibility in 2010 to re-sign Brendan Haywood.

This trade does all those things. I can understand why people who were looking for the sort of trade that turned the Celtics into a champion the year before last would be disappointed. If those were my expectations, I would be pretty crestfallen, too. However, since I never considered that possibility to be more than a fanboy daydream, I'm considerably less suicidal today than I otherwise might be.

As an added bonus, I am now relieved of the possibility of watching yet another Wizards coach play Darius Songaila 20 minutes per game at center. You may think Flip Saunders unlikely to do that, but I'm not willing to take that chance anymore. Happily, I won't have to.

Timberwolves grab another lottery pick, Wizards bolster offense

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:35:39 -0800

The Finals are over. A very weak draft is looming. There isn't much else to look forward to until the offseason trades and free agent signings begin.

I think we can all say this offseason is already under way.

Just hours after the Spurs-Bucks trade, the Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves churn out a deal that improves the future of both teams.

According to a league source, the Washington Wizards will send the No. 5 pick in the upcoming Draft, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas, and Darius Songaila to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Randy Foye and Mike Miller.

The Timberwolves will now own a very impressive No. 5th, 6th, 18th, and 28th picks in the NBA Draft. There are sources that Minnesota is not done and wishes to move up to grab the No. 2 pick. However, they will not package the Nos. 5 and 6 to move up for the second pick. A dream situation for the Timberwolves would be to package the 5th or 6th pick with the 18th and get the second pick. Then, they would be able to select the 7'3'' Hasheem Thabeet to complete their frontline with Al Jefferson. Losing Foye and Miller greatly hurts Minnesota's backcourt scoring. But, they could easily select either Memphis' Tyreke Evans or Davidson's Stephen Curry at the No. 5 or 6 pick to fill that backcourt void. Now, if the Timberwolves cannot move up in the Draft or make any remarkable Draft day trades, I believe that they will have a bright future with four first-round picks surrounding Jefferson, who I think was robbed from the All-Star game this past season.

The Wizards did a great job of getting rid of some terrible contracts for quality players that will be ready to contribute. I don't even recall Pecherov, Thomas, or Songaila being in the rotation last season. It will be interesting to see how the Wizards work Foye and Miller into the lineup. The Timberwolves moved Foye around from point guard to shooting guard a lot last season with Sebastian Telfair. I believe the Wizards will put him at the 2-guard alongside Gilbert Arenas at the point. Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Brendan Haywood will round out the rest of the starting lineup. They will have a quality guard rotation with Miller, Nick Young and DeShawn Stevenson coming off the bench. However, it will be tough for Washington to swallow paying Miller $9 million next year to come off the bench. He averaged a career-low 9.9 points per game last season and started only 46 games out of 73 on a depleted Minnesota team.

I will definitely be excited to see what goes down on draft day and what other deals develop.

This is why the Wizards traded for Mike Miller

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:29:42 -0500

Enjoy.

How the Washington-Minnesota Deal Changes "Plans"

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:23:40 -0500

TrueHoop MASSIVE Live Blog

Project Spurs: NBA Bloggers on the Jefferson Trade

Project Spurs: NBA Bloggers on the Jefferson Trade Part II

More Rondo Rumors: This Time to Memphis?

Make Your Draft Night Predictions!

Red's Army Call-In Show

Rondo fined for being late to earlier playoff game

Around NBA Draft time, there's a lot to think about -- predictions, careful examinations, and most of all, suppositions. But yesterday, some beliefs, some guesses, and some "theories" came true. Richard Jefferson was traded to the Spurs, in literally a blink of an eye.

Short after the Minnesota Timberwolves wanted to get into the action, and pulled off a deal which included Mike Miller and Randy Foye heading to Washington, and Washington's number five pick in the NBA Draft going to Minny.

And the funny thing is, despite the bags and bags full of rumors, these were the least speculated. The least talked about. Sure, RJ to the Spurs was a hot topic around last year's trade deadline, but nobody predicted him to be on a flight to San Antonio right now. The Timberwolves and Wizards have everybody gossiping around the league, as this deal was entirely unexpected.

Seeing that it (Minnesota-Washington) was unexpected and seeing that the deal officially going down certainly changes a lot of plans, including the days surrounding the NBA Draft and during the NBA Draft, as well as next season.

After the jump, I'll show you why.

J.J. Hickson To Miss Las Vegas Summer League; Cavs Looking to "Move Up Significantly" in Thursday's NBA Draft

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:10:32 -0500

If you're reading this as a casual third-party observer, you probably won't make much of this topic.

But if you are reading this as a Cavs fan, then you know how crippling this could potentially be to the Cavs' chances of developing a young frontcourt player who may have been destined for stardom.

A source close to the situation told The News-Herald's Bob Finnan that power forward J.J. Hickson, the team's first-round pick from a year ago, is "very doubtful" to participate in the Las Vegas Summer League on July 10-19:

The 6-foot-9, 242-pounder was shut down at the end of the season for almost a month. Whenever he works out and gets on the court, he experiences back spasms.

"We're waiting for the pain and swelling to go down," agent Andy Miller said. "There's been some swelling and it's been uncomfortable. He's had an MRI."

At the appropriate time, Hickson will get back on the court and start the process again.

"There's no need for surgery," Miller said.

For now, they are following the course set by Cavs team physician, Dr. Richard Parker.

Hickson, the Cavs' first-round pick in 2008 from North Carolina State, was shut down on April 8 with what was described at the time as a stress reaction in his back.

Fortunately for the second-year forward, he doesn't have any disk problems in his back.

The Cavs are taking a conservative approach to his back. The focus now is to have him ready for the start of the season. It's possible he could be ready to participate in training camp at the beginning of October.

Remember, it was the Summer League last year where Hickson made a name for himself. After prompting a serious of "who's?" and shoulder shrugs from the Cavalier faithful last June, the 20-year old out of N.C. State put up 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in Vegas less than a month after being drafted.

Fans were high on him, and they waited patiently as they anticipated a learning curve and some growing pains for the raw 6'9" kid just a year removed from high school.

And now, while this may appear to be a minor setback on the outside, this could really have a deep effect on a young man that the Cavaliers were hoping would crack the rotation next year. A respected Cavaliers insider who goes by the moniker "Wine and Gold" on a message board "Real Cavs Fans" had this to disclose on Tuesday regarding Hickson:

This is what has been so very frustrating to us. We're going on many many months here, and we're not seeing progress in his issues.

The way doctors have described it is he has spinal bruising, which has lead to swelling, spasms, and all around discomfort, and rest hasn't improved the situation like expected.

This isn't on JJ, folks. This is a condition that has seriously sidetracked the timeline we had him on, and due to the inactivity he's been unable to work on his weight training development, and really advance himself to any degree at all since this injury put him down.

I'll be honest, I was silently questioning his toughness, and ability to play through pain a short while ago. My frustrations with him were boiling over, until I got some medical information back that really verified what is still going on with his back/spine.

We're looking into getting more aggressive with more opinions, and getting more explicit information on just what exactly is going on here, because it truly is dragging on way to long for both him and us, and we need to get to the bottom of it and get him back on track.

We had a full slate of summer plans in line for him that are now very much in jeopardy. I'd really like to see him be able to participate in the bigman camp in August in Hawaii, but now, even that is looking very sketchy.

We're hitting the half year mark of stagnation, and his body not only hasn't progressed and gotten more solid and stronger, but is regressing due to inactivity.

If you remember, the Cavs passed up on Courtney Lee last summer because they sorely needed a young big man to develop. While some Cavs fans are still upset that the team didn't take Lee with the 19th pick last year, Hickson's selection was absolutely necessary.

You can even argue that if Hickson was coming out of N.C. State after his freshman year in this year's draft, he'd be a lottery pick. He might have even been the third-best big man available after Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet -- ahead of guys like Wake Forest sophomore James Johnson and Arizona junior Jordan Hill.

It's a shame, but it's also far too early to jump to any conclusions. It's also very hard considering the Cavs' history of picking injury-prone players in the first round (Luke Jackson, Shannon Brown, and Dajuan Wagner), so having a frustrated fan base get all riled up at this news is completely understandable. But at this stage of the game, that doesn't make it right.

In more positive news, the Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst is reporting on Wednesday that the mega-deals that went down around the Association on Tuesday could have a rippling effect on the Cavaliers:

Multiple league sources indicated Tuesday that the Cavs are now mulling some offers to move up significantly from the 30th pick in the draft. Most involve largely economic deals that would require the Cavs to take on salary.

The Cavs' array of options could have changed somewhat Tuesday as the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards agreed to major trades expected to be completed today. The Cavs were believed to have been in talks with both.

It is definitely now or never for the Cavs, who could be feeling tremendous pressure to add some young talent around LeBron James. There chance is better than ever this year than ever before due to the fact that many are considering this draft the weakest in years.

Nevertheless, there is a gem (or gems) in every draft. Every single one. After years or not having a good enough pick to work with, Danny Ferry could open the door for himself on Thursday. What he does with that pitch could go a long way in determining the future of this very franchise.