Reports have come out that the Lakers and TWolves are discussing a trade that would send KG to the lakers to pair with Kobe Bryant. This deal involves LA, Minnesota, Indiana, and probably Boston. The bare bones of the trade is this:
LA gets KG and Marko Yaric
Indiana gets Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom
Boston get Jermaine O'Neal
Minnesota gets Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastion Telfair, Boston's #5 and LA's #19
My thoughts on this trade? Well, obviously this deal makes a ton of sense for LA. They get KG for bargain basement price of Bynum, Odom, and the #19 pick. Boston trades a decent prospect in Green plus the #5 pick in order to get a very strong post in O'Neal. Minnesota gets cap relief, a good prospect, and 2 draft picks, a pretty good return considering the circumstances. The only thing I don't get is why Indiana would want to make this trade. They give up a second-tier star (not superstar, but a notch below) in order to get a decent prospect in Bynum and a lazy role player in Odom. Bynum is a decent prospect, but he's certainly not worth O'Neal. Odom is overpaid, lazy, and just blocks the progress of Indiana's young guys like Danny Granger and Ike Diogu. I'm usually a proponent of being willing to part with your stars, but I fail to see what the Pacers would be gaining here. I would want at least a first rounder along with Bynum if I were giving up O'Neal. Maybe I'm undervaluing Bynum, but I just don't see the benefit for the Pacers.
I think the two winners in this trade would be the Lakers and the Timberwolves. Minnesota is going to have an opportunity to have a lot of young talent on their team.
There are some rumors circulating right now, Xan, about the possibility of the Hawks dealing Marvin Williams to the Nuggets in exchange for Marcus Camby. What do you think about this trade, and what implications would this have in these respective teams' drafts?
I'd take that deal in a second if I were Atlanta. They'd be trading from a position of strength (swing forwards, which they've stockpiled) to fill a defense and rebounding need. Obviously, if they made the move, it would open them up to either taking Conley or trading for a veteran point guard. I'm not sure what the incentive is for Denver. Williams' future is as a 3, and they've already got Melo there. Camby is someone they need to hold down the middle if they're going to contend next year. Doesn't make much sense to me from Denver's side.
