RUMOR:

The Knicks, according to league sources, are willing to trade Malik Rose and perhaps Trevor Ariza to the Sonics if they can get Danny Fortson and Reggie Evans in return, reports the New York Daily News.

According to the Seattle Times, a Knicks scout attended Sunday's game between the Nuggets and Sonics.

ANALYSIS:

Of course the Knicks would make that trade.  Trevor Ariza is on the inactive list and Malik Rose is an undersized power forward who brings nothing to the table except a bloated contract.  Fortson and Evans are fantastic defensive players and rebounders.  While both Evans and Fortson have made requests to be traded, certainly the Sonics could get something more in exchange.

 RUMOR:

Pistons Confirm Offer For Darko The Pistons confirmed to Sports Radio 1130 Detroit Sunday that Orlando has once again asked the Pistons about Darko Milicic, reports MLive.com. According to the report, the Magic are offering a first round pick and Kelvin Cato for Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo. This is the 2nd time in the last 30 days the Magic have tried to make this deal happen.

On Saturday, Florida Today reported that Orlando had made inquiries, but Assistant GM Otis Smith told the newspaper that no deal was imminent.

ANALYSIS:

For Darko's sake, this deal should happen.  Unfortunately, the deal is incredibly stacked in Orlando's favor, so it probably will not.  In essence, Detroit would have to give up their only reserve point guard and a player who could develop into something special (just not on a deep Pistons team) for cap relief and a draft pick that would likely fall into the same well Milicic has been trapped.

If the Pistons are willing to give up on Darko for cap space, a team that should get into the running is Oklahoma City.  Since the Hornets are under the cap, they could absorb Darko's contract and send back only a first round draft pick in return.  Or, the Pistons who may need more guard play might be interested in Arvydas Macijaukas who has been buried on the Hornets guard depth.

As an Oklahoman, I feel obligated to defend my state from the attacks made by Charles Barkley in a recent interview of Hornets star Chris Paul.  For those who are not familiar with the jabs Barkley took, he informed Paul that Oklahoma was "no place for black people" (hypothesizing that the only brothers were the OU Sooners and the Hornets), and teased the rookie about living in a "vast wasteland" and having "chickens and cows" in his yard.

The "chickens and cows" comment is not surprising.  My state is mostly unknown through much of the country.  Back in the day when I would spend my time chatting with strangers on AOL Instant Messenger, I would get asked by people from other parts of the country if I rode a horse to school.  The thing is, they seriously believed this was a common practice.  Oklahoma's tourism department has done nothing to dispell such an image.  Brochures and commercials crafted to beckon outsiders accentuate the open praries, Native American reservations (which are much more modern than the images they choose), and the Cowboy Hall of Fame.  It is no wonder people still think the state north of Texas still looks like a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Regardless, Sir Charles stereotyping us based on this image annoys me.  I mean, how would he feel if classified his home state based on the mental images it conjured in me.  As a native of Alabama (a state he talks of governing some day), Barkley's home makes me think of plantations and lynchings.

Which brings me to the question of Oklahoma being a "place for black people."  Having taken Oklahoma history as a required class at my Oklahoma City high school that had a student body consisting of approximately 70% African-Americans, I know that the state of Oklahoma has never allowed its residents to own black people.  That makes it pretty unique for states on this side of the Mason-Dixon line.  In fact, this posed a problem to the state's founding fathers.  The United States hesitated to allow statehood because Oklahoma's entrance into the union would have given "non-slave" states a majority of senators.  Breaking that tie was not something the Southern states would accept because they did not want Congress to outlaw slavery.  At one point, the territory was nearly split into two states, Sequoia and Oklahoma, in order to assure that the Senate would not be tipped.

My high school make-up alone pretty much takes care of Barkley's assessment of the state's African-American population being limited to the Sooner football team and the Hornets players.  Really, though, is Oklahoma City more white bread than other NBA cities.  Using census data, I have found that 12.3% of the total population of the United States of America is of African decent.  The population of Oklahoma City is 15.6% black (compared to 7.6% of the state on the whole).  That figure places OKC at 21st out of 29 NBA cities (there are two teams in Los Angeles).  On the whole there is a large range.  Detroit is 81.6% black while about 2% of Salt Lake City is African-American.  Most interesting, however, is that the second whitest city in the NBA happens to be where Barkley spent his best years in the league, Phoenix.  Sir Charles is not on record as calling Arizona a bad place for people of color.

Even without the history, I would argue that Oklahoma is a great place for anyone to live.  Cost of living is low, crime is minimal, traffic is bearable, winters are tame, the people are incredibly nice, and a disproportionate number of beautiful women live here.  (That last one was geared more to the fellas.)  No matter what your ethnicity, such things should be attractive in choosing a place to call home.

The realistic side of me knows I should not be giving any weight to Barkley's snide commentary.  If it were anywhere else, and any other blogger were taking him to task, I would be saying, "learn to take a joke."  Mostly, I should have been prepared.  When I first learned that Oklahoma would be hosting the Hornets, he was one of the first concerns that occured to me.  Certainly, becoming a "big league town" was great for the place I call home, but I knew the media would not be happy coming into a place that lacked the glitz and glamour most major league franchises operated from.  After watching him lobby the Mavericks to beat the Spurs two seasons ago for fear that TNT would make him broadcast from San Antonio, I knew he could be brutal for a place's image.

On the other hand, this could be great for the state.  Backlash against Barkley's race baiting will raise Oklahoma's profile and get it defended.  Governor Brad Henry has escalated it into a war of words, saying "Obviously, Charles Barkley doesn't know what he's talking about.  Anyone who follows Barkley knows he's notorious for saying ridiculous things that have no basis in fact, and this case is a perfect example."  A plethora of invitations have been sent to the former NBA star and current television analyst including all-expense paid offers from a local television station, and the Oklahoma City chamber of commerce.  Thus far, Barkley has resisted, insisting that Oklahoma is not on his list of places to visit.  In the end he may have no choice in the matter.  With another win tonight, the Hornets are currently slated as the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.  After a season in which the NBA did not put any Hornets on national television, TNT may have to send Charles to commentate from the Oklahoma Ford Center.

We will make sure to have some cow and chickens ready for his hotel room.

This is my initial attempt at a mock draft.  Surely, it is an exercise in futility for several reasons.  For instance, the season is barely half over which means determining the order is even a crapshoot and guessing who will even apply for the draft is difficult.  That being said, if the draft order were determined by current records, the draft lottery gave the three worst teams the spot in the order they would have received based on performance, and no trades were made between now and the day after the draft, it could play out like this:

1.  Charlotte Bobcats - LaMarcus Aldridge - 6'11" C - Texas

For next season, the Bobcats have Raymond Felton and Brevin Knight at point guard, Kareem Rush at shooting guard (probably), Gerald Wallace at small forward, Emeka Okafor and Sean May at power forward, and Primoz Brezec at center.  They also have tons of cap space to make runs at free agents.  So, getting wing help through free agency is more likely than getting a valuable big man, and Aldridge has the potential to be a great one.  Paired with Felton and Okafor, he will be a fantastic base to a bright future for this expansion franchise.  A player they should consider is Adam Morrison who would give the team a scoring punch, but the Bobcat front office is incredibly conservative and will likely be hesitant to risk a first overall pick on a white guy with limited athleticism.

2.  Chicago Bulls (via New York Knicks) - Andrea Bargnani - 6'11" PF - Italy

The Bulls are stacked in the backcourt with Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, and Andres Nocioni.  In the frontcourt they have Tyson Chandler.  This team starts Othello Harrington.  So, while Rudy Gay is the "best available" player, the Bulls have to get some help up front.

3.  Atlanta Hawks - Rajon Rondo - 6'3" PG - Kentucky

Atlanta should probably look to trade down in this scenario.  It is too high to take Rondo, but Gay has the same skill set as every other player on the team's roster.  The Hawks really need a point guard and Rondo will probably be the best in the draft.

4.  Toronto Raptors - Rudy Gay - 6'9" SF - Connecticut

If this scenario plays out, it is a windfall for the Raptors.  Many consider Gay the best player in the draft and Toronto needs star power.

5.  Portland Trail Blazers - Adam Morrison - 6'8" SF - Gonzaga

The Blazers would have to leap at this.  Morrison is likely the best scorer in the draft pool and he is wildly popular in the Pacific Northwest.  Of course, taking him means they will have a problem with Darius Miles, but that can be solved with a call to Isiah Thomas.  Thomas apparently wants Miles for the Knicks, and is pretty easy to swindle.

6.  Boston Celtics - Tyrus Thomas - 6'9" PF - Louisiana State

Many Boston fans, who miss Larry Bird, will be upset that they just missed out on Morrison.  Even though Morrison plays the same position as the two players the team is supposedly building around (Paul Pierce/Wally Szerbiak), the Celts would be elated at the chance to draft him.  Thomas, though, has had the most buzz of any player lately, and would actually fit into plans to build around their established stars.

7.  Seattle Supersonics - Ronnie Brewer - 6'7" SG/PG - Arkansas

For some reason, Brewer has been given a free pass on his failure to lead his teams to victory.  Since his arrival, the Razorbacks have been horrid, yet his draft stock keeps rising and rising.  The Sonics need a point guard to spell Luke Ridnour, and Brewer gives them that and a large frame that can let the Sonics "go big" on occasion.

8.  Houston Rockets - Rodney Carney - 6'7" SF - Memphis

No point guards make sense at this selection, so the Rockets go with the best available non-post player.  Carney is probably the most athletic player in the draft and that fills a void the Rockets possess.

9.  Orlando Magic - J. J. Redick - 6'4" SG - Duke

There is a lot of talk that Redick's game will not transfer to the pro ranks.  I don't buy that.  He is too good of a shooter and too great of a competitor not to succeed whereever he plays.  The Magic could use someone with that kind of attitude.

10.  Chicago Bulls - Tiago Splitter - 6'11" PF - Brazil

If the Bulls knew ahead of time that Splitter would fall this far, maybe they do something different at the two slot.  Instead, they get two awfully good big men in a draft that is supposedly weak on post players.

11.  Sacramento Kings - Randy Foye - 6'4" SG - Villanova

One thing the Kings lack is a sparkplug scorer.  Foye can play that role.  He can likely take some of the point guard duties from Mike Bibby, as well.

12.  Minnesota Timberwolves - Al Horford - 6'9" PF - Florida

The comparison being made for Horford is Amare Stoudamire.  Odds are that is overhype, but if it is not, the T-Wolves cannot pass him up.

13.  Golden State Warriors - Mardy Collins - 6'6" PG/SG - Temple

Golden State has stocked up on young players over the years and has made a long term committment to many.  The last thing they need is another prospect.  Collins could have some trade value for the many teams needing a point guard, but if the Warriors keep him, he provides a taller floor general than what they currently have available.

14.  Utah Jazz - Shelden Williams - 6'9" PF - Duke

Assuming that Jerry Sloan does not retire, Williams is his kind of player.  It does not hurt that the Jazz are in serious need of some post help.

15.  Philadelphia 76ers - Paul Davis - 6'10" C - Michigan State

Personally, I think Davis will be worthless as a pro.  His ceiling is low, based on his failure to improve since his freshman year as a Spartan, and he really offers very little that is not height.  That being said, the 76ers have Shavlik Randolph in their frontcourt rotation, so Davis cannot be a downgrade.

16.  New York Knicks (via Toronto via Denver) - Brandon Rush - 6'6" SG - Kansas

A ton of Jayhawk fans are under the delusion that Rush will be back for a sophomore year at Kansas.  This is a player who declared for the draft last year and barely withdrew when he could not get a first round guarantee.  Then, he nearly went to a prep school this season because he did not want to go to class.  The odds of his one (impressive) year in Lawrence convincing him that studying is fun and the millions can wait are not listed in Vegas.

Now, for why the Knicks will take him:  They picked up two decent young big men and a promising point guard in last years draft.  Adding a promising young point guard would give the Knicks an impressive corps of prospects.  Now, if they can only exile Stephon Marbury...

17.  Phoenix Suns (via Los Angeles Lakers) - Shawne Williams - 6'9" SF - Memphis

Williams fits coach Mike D'Antoni's preference for versatile players.  He has a lot of potential, as well, and no immediate need to produce.  It is a good fit for both parties.

18.  Washington Wizards - Julian Wright - 6'9" PF - Kansas

With a strong backcourt, the Wizards need more front court help.  Wright has been somewhat disappointing at KU, but he has a lot of potential.

19.  Oklahoma City Hornets (via Milwaukee) - Josh McRoberts - 6'10" PF - Duke

Pickings are slim late in the draft.  McRoberts has (say it with me) potential, and the Hornets need height.  McRoberts would be a player who could replace P.J. Brown when he decides to hang them up.

20.  Oklahoma City Hornets - Rudy Fernandez - 6'5" SG/PG - Spain

Speedy Claxton has already dropped hints of leaving Oklahoma City, most likely for San Antonio, after the season.  That means the Hornets will be in dire need of a back up to Chris Paul.

21.  Indina Pacers - Maurice Ager - 6'5" SG - Michigan State

Ager shot up the draft charts when he dominated the Maui Invitational at the beginning of the college season.  Since then, he has been awfully quiet, but he is probably the best player available to the Pacer who could use some depth at shooting guard.

22.  Memphis Grizzlies - Curtis Stinson - 6'3" PG - Iowa State

The Grizz are in dire need of a back up to Bobby Jackson.

23.  New Jersey Nets - Nick Fazekas - 6'11" PF - Nevada

Fazekas is being hurt by Keith Van Horn comparisons.  Regardless, the Nets have to get someone with height, especially considering that Cliff Robinson is going to fossilize at some point.

24.  Cleveland Cavaliers - Daniel Gibson - 6'3" "PG" - Texas

Someone is going to be convinced that Daniel Gibson can play point guard, and my bet is on the team that thought signing Damon Jones long term was an answer to the point guard position.  When (and I said when) Gibson fails as a floor general, the Cavs are finally going to move LeBron to the position full time.

25.  Miami Heat - Marcus Williams - 6'2" PG - Connecticut

Gary Payton is going to have to quit sometime, and then the Heat will be stuck with "White Chocolate" as their only option.  They need to start grooming a long term running mate for Dwayne Wade.

26.  Los Angeles Clippers - Leon Powe - 6'8" PF- California

L.A.'s "other" team has had a great season based on a great corps.  They really are not looking for a miracle worker anymore, so they can take a risk on a guy like Powe who has fabulous upside, but knees that could possibly give out at any time.

27.  Phoenix Suns - Corey Brewer - 6'8" SG - Florida

The Suns do not need anything, but since they have the pick, Brewer is another versatile player who can contribute.

28.  New York Knicks (via San Antonio) - Taj Gray - 6'9" PF - Oklahoma

I took a vow never to say anything positive about an Oklahoma Sooner, to whom I was not related, and I am not going to start now.

29.  Dallas Mavericks - Brandon Roy - 6'5" PG - Washington

The kind of combo guard the Mavs have favored since giving up on Steve Nash.

30.  Portland Trail Blazers - Hassan Adams - 6'4" SG - Arizona

What the Blazers really need is a shot blocker, but I doubt any of UConn's front court stays in the draft.  That means the Blazers will have to settle on taking a chance on Adams.  Adams may end up being a better NBA player than college player due to his incredible athleticism, but he has been unable to put it all together at Arizona.

As anyone with more than a cursory interest in the NBA knows, the New York Knickerbockers are as dysfunctional on the court as the Portland Trail Blazers used to be off the court.  Despite having on the league's all-time great coaches, and the highest salaried players in the league, they rest in the cellar of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference at 14-33 (behind Toronto and Boston).  This record is even misleading when recent play has the team losing their last six and eleven of the past twelve contests.

Isiah Thomas has been the punching bag for the team's woes, and to an extent, most of the problems can be traced back to him.  However, he is not horrible enough to have caused all of the team's problems...this is a team sport.  Isiah, who is a bad team president, works for a bad owner, replaced a bad general manager, and caters to a bad fanbase.  It is the perfect storm for putting a team into a dire situation.

Hope for righting the ship is not entirely lost, however.  While "fixing" the team is probably a dream, some things can be done to get them back on the right track.  I submit two plans, one more realistic than the other, that Isiah could pursue.

PLAN A: Make the team more Competitive now

Step 1:  Get rid of Stephon Marbury for market value

This is the key to any plan that could improve the Knicks' circumstances.  Acquiring Marbury from the Phoenix Suns has been the marquee roster shake-up of the Thomas era in New York.  It got the Knicks the kind of bigger-than-life star a New York fanbase demands.  The fact that Marbury grew up in Big Apple and honed his "me-first" craftiness as a local playground legend helped.  Selling it to the fans was easy, but the repurcussions have been horrible.

Marbury has no business playing team sports.  Sure, he's talented.  And sure, he is not a Ron Artest-like distraction in the media.  On the floor, though, he's cancer.  In a team full of guys talented enough to command salaries that have the Knicks tripling the league salary cap limit and practically doubling the luxury tax threshold, Marbury pretends he is the only guy on the floor.  Maybe those other players are overrated and overpaid, but they have enough talent to have become overrated.  Steph does not see it that way.  If he played any position other than point guard, perhaps he would be a valuable player who could isolate and play one-on-one whenever passed the ball.  The problem is that Marbury is the point guard and he does try to play one-on-one evertime he touches the ball which is every possession.

Other teams have noticed that Marbury is not a good team player.  When he left Minnesota for New Jersey, the Timberwolves started a string of making the playoffs (something they did not do when Marbury played there).  When he was traded from New Jersey to Pheonix, the Nets went from lottery team to Eastern Conference champion two years in a row.  Then when Isiah procured him from Pheonix, the Suns suddenly became one of the most feared teams in the league.  With a salary ranking him among the league's elite, and a pedigree of doing a team more good afterwards, his market value is minimal.

With his talent, though, some team is bound to overpay for him.  The best option available is a deal the Knicks are supposedly working on right now.  Rumor says that the Knicks are attempting to pry away Kenyon Martin and Earl Watson from the Denver Nuggets.  The problem is the rumor involves someone other than Marbury on the Knicks side.  Instead, the Nuggets would get Penny Hardaway's expiring contract and possibly Channing Frye.  Another rumor has the Knicks sending Jamal Crawford to the Orlando Magic, the Magic sending Steve Francis to Denver, and Denver giving New York Kenyon Martin.

Considering that Francis and Marbury are basically the same player, the Knicks should look into making a hybrid of the two trades without involving the Magic.  If Isiah could convince Kiki Vandewege to take Stephon (who could be the shooting guard the Nuggets have coveted), Trevor Ariza, and one of the two young bigs (David Lee and Channing Frye) in return for both Martin and Earl Watson, it would do a lot toward making the team competitive right now.

Losing Steph would be an addition by subtraction and Ariza is coveted even though he's on New York's inactive list.  New York would have to give up one of their young bigs in Frye or Lee, but with Martin coming in there would not be enough minutes for all three.  After this trade, the team's depth chart could look like this:

PG:  Earl Watson - Nate Robinson

SG:  Jamal Crawford -  Anfernee Hardaway - Qyntel Woods

SF:  Jalen Rose - Quentin Richardson

PF:  Kenyon Martin - Frye or Lee - Malik Rose - Maurice Taylor

C:   Eddy Curry - Jerome James - Jackie Butler

Watson makes the rest of the team better.  As a pass-first point guard, he can keep the offensive minded starting line-up involved in the game.  When an offensive minded player is happy on the offensive end, they play better on defense also.  Martin gives the team a shot blocker.

Step 2:  Eat Hardaway's expiring contract

With the trade outlined above, the Knicks will have improved enough to satisfy the New York fans as much as New York fans can be satisfied.  This team is not going to make the playoffs and an improved product is the best that can happen.  What that means is that using Anfernee Hardaway's expiring contract as bait to bring in another player would be a mistake for the longterm.

Obviously, Hardaway is hardly even a decent bench warmer anymore.  So, the only way to get any value for him is to take another bad contract from a rebuilding team that is hoping to clear salary cap space.  The most likely deal that could be made for his contract would be Ruben Patterson and Darius Miles from Portland.  While that is the kind of star power that New Yorkers want, it is difficult to see how those two would fit in.  Patterson (who once felt compelled to inform the public, "I ain't no rapist") has been complaining he deserves starters minutes, and in New York he would probably be nothing more than a defensive specialist.  Miles, on the other hand, has no skill to provide the team (though ESPN's Sports Guy would be pleased to see him re-united with Quentin Richardson), and has another five years and $41.25 million left on his deal.

PLAN B:  Look to the future

Synopsis:  Getting a fanbase to swallow a prolonged rebuilding period is a difficult sell.  Doing so in New York is damned near impossible.  Supposing Isiah were willing to look toward building a team that can compete year in and year out instead of bandaid fixes to keep the status quo, and were willing to take the short term p.r. fallout, it could be done.

Step 1:  Blow it up.

Cap space in New York is a pipe dream.  This is never going to be a team that can fit themselves comfortably enough under the cap to make a run at a premiere big name.  That's why they always get stuck taking big names who are past their prime and make too much money.

That being said, if the team were a healthier environment that was not stocked with egos, New York does have a location that is attractive to free agents.  When a player who cannot get a big deal has to select from teams that can only offer the salary cap exception, the Knicks would be able to get whomever they wished.  That would mean jettisoning the high priced egomaniacs for role players or just buying them out.

Step 2:  Tank the next two seasons.

David Stern wants the team in the nation's largest media market to succeed.  Conspiracy theorists think that is why the Knicks won the first draft lottery and the prize of that draft class, Patrick Ewing.  Next season, the odds could easily be on their side, even without commissioner intervention, if they let their current young guys have the floor and get rid of guys like Marbury and Jalen Rose who make the team competitive.  Next year's prize is Greg Oden, a young big man with star power like LeBron James.

After two seasons are completed, the Knicks salary situation is a lot more manageable.  Allan Houston, Jalen Rose, Penny Hardaway, Malik Rose, and Maurice Taylor will be off the books.  The players left would be pieces the team could win with in the 2007/2008 season.

PG:  Nate Robinson

SG:  Jamal Crawford

SF:  Quentin Richardson

PF:  Channing Frye - David Lee

C:  Eddy Curry - Greg Oden - Jerome James

That could develop into strong front line and they could get some backcourt help in with their mid level exceptions.

Journalists have been joking about this for awhile now, but it seems to keep happening.  Any player with a bad contract has to be on Knicks' President Isiah Thomas' wish list.  Sure, a lot of the bad contracts on the Knicks cap were inherited by the mismanagement of the Scott Layden era.   Since Isiah took over, things have only gotten worse.  Some of his acquisitions:

*  Stephon Marbury -- the most overrated point guard in NBA basketball and his max contract

*  Anfernee Hardaway -- Making $16MM a year to sit at the end of the bench

*  Quentin Richardson -- Has five years and $41 million left on a contract that cannot be insured on account of Richardson's back problems.

*  Jamal Crawford -- Despite the fact that no other team could offer him more than $4.5 million a year, Isiah engineered a deal that allowed Crawford to make twice that.

*  Jerome James -- A career back-up, Isiah inked him to a long term deal for nearly $6MM a year.

*  Malik Rose -- Three years and $20MM left on a contract for a powerforward who has to crane his neck to look several point guards in the eye.

*  Eddy Curry -- Probably the best of his bad acquisitions.  He's making $7.5MM this season, which is a decent price for a starting center.  Of course, this will likely get ugly in the off season when Isiah gives him a max deal that cannot be insured based on Curry's heart defect.

The Knicks had three things going for them as far as contracts went.  1) In the new collective bargaining agreement, the "Allan Houston Rule" was instituted allowing teams to cut a player and get his salary off the books for luxury tax purposes.  2)  Antonio Davis' $14MM contract was in it's final season, and 3) Anferee Hardaway's $16MM contract was in it's final season.  Getting all three of those contracts off the books would have put New York beneath the luxury tax threshold.  Isiah screwed it up from the beginning when he failed to pick up that the "Allan Houston Rule" was there to allow them to get the chronically injured shooting guard off their books.  Instead of cutting, say Allan Houston and his $20MM contract, they cut a forward who had a reasonable contract.  While he still possesses Hardaway's expiring contract, today he lost Davis for a player who provides even less help to the team.

That's right, today Thomas made another heinous trade.  In return for a player who isn't helping the team this year for $13MM, he acquired a player who won't help the team for the next two seasons at $16MM a year when they picked up Jalen Rose from Toronto.  I mean, Isiah may earn an award for "Man of the Year" from NBA executives in honor of all the charitable efforts he's made to rid the other 29 teams of bad contracts.  No one wanted Rose.  Aside from his horrible contract, he is no longer even a decent player.  He does not care about winning.  And he pouts.  So, Isiah gives away one of the few contracts that was about to stop stinging the team, and gets a player who could pollute the team's horrible chemistry.