NBA Chat With Jason Fleming 12/12/11

Joel from Sydney

Any chance of Bogut going to a contender? Surely he is too good to be left langusihing with the Bucks for to much longer?
Is he an All Star this year?

Jason Fleming

Welcome to this week’s chat, amid all the crazy, crazy, craziness of trades and non trades!

There has been no indication the Bucks are looking to make any trades at all. They made their splash on draft day with the Stephen Jackson addition and in free agency have spent money on Mike Dunleavy and Luc Mbah a Moute, plus bringing back Darington Hobson. At this point, I think the roster they have is what they will go with – at least for now.

If Bogut is healthy he absolutely could be an All-Star. Howard will be the top center (assuming he’s still in the East), but after that Bogut has to be included in a group of Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah for the other center spots.

Chris

From everything you have been saying the last few says about the Lakers getting Chris Paul, you seem a little biased/unprofessional. I hope Paul walks and the Hornets value decreases even more, hurting the NBA.

Jason Fleming

I am biased and unprofessional because I think the Hornets absolutely had the right to walk away from the trade? Ownership always has veto privileges – this has happened before and it will happen again. The problem is the league and the owner are the same person, so it creates this gray area where no one is really sure what hat is being worn when decisions are made.

I will also stand by my position that it was a bad deal for the Hornets. Yes, it returned talent, but the goal of trading Chris Paul is not to lock in long-term veteran contracts that only insure the Hornets will be a 35-45 win team for the next four years. The goal of trading Chris Paul from the beginning has been to return a multitude of talented players still on their rookie scale contracts who have a shot to become stars. The owners of the Hornets (in this case, the NBA) did the intelligent thing by killing the Lakers-Rockets deal, because it didn’t make sense for New Orleans.

The Clippers proposals are much closer to what the Hornets should be pursuing…but I think the asked for too much and it killed this last version.

Pratham (from India)

greetings from India..How does a buyout differ from amnesty..nate robinson gets a buyout and becomes free agent but billups can’t ? Also there r very few NBA games telecast here in INDIA(though i can see some Ncaa games running) …how can this situation be improved

Jason Fleming

A buyout is in effect the amount of money a team is willing to pay to make a player go away, or conversely the amount of money a player will be willing to take to earn his free agency status. Whatever that negotiated amount is stays on the cap of the team.

With amnesty the amount is completely removed from the team’s books, the player has no input into that decision, and the player still is paid the full value of his contract. If he is not claimed in the amnesty auction – like Gilbert Arenas was not – the player becomes a free agent and can sign a new deal on top of the balloon payment he gets from his old team. In Billups’ case, since the Clippers made a claim, he makes the same $14.2 million, but the Clippers pay whatever they bid and the Knicks pick up the rest.

As far as games in India, I know you can buy an online version of NBA League Pass, though you are then limited to watching them on whatever internet access you have. Here’s a link to contact the NBA and ask them about getting more games on TV in India.

dyrese

rip hamilton got bought out would the knicks consider picking him up hes a defensive guard who can shoot well and help td space the floor or knock down the 3

Jason Fleming

Rip is headed straight to Chicago.

ronj027

its only saturday but why am i sure the bulls are going to go the cheap route and sign rip hamilton and bypass signing jrich or crawford why are the bulls run like a small market team when it comes to signing free agents

Jason Fleming

Well, to be honest, I think Hamilton is the best fit of those three. If that’s going the cheap route the Bulls are better for it.

kirk

When can I look forward to a trailblazers season with out being met with sadness and disappointment?

Jason Fleming

Um…let’s be optimistic and say 2012-13. Have to be optimistic, right?

vHalz

hi….
if knicks signs chandler and amnestied billups i think melo should run the offense and forget his scoring role..
become an all-around point forward..he has the skills…can he do that???

Jason Fleming

I disagree with this from a philosophical viewpoint. Melo has proven to be one of the NBA’s most gifted scorers. That’s how he became an All-Star, that’s how he earned his monster paychecks, and that’s why the Knicks traded for him. Why would you want to minimize the aspect of his game he truly is one of the best in the world at in favor of facilitating?

Melo has averaged 3.1 assists per game for his career. That’s a good number for a guy who takes 19.3 shots a game, but that doesn’t make me think he should pass more and shoot less.

ben

4 years and $55mil for Marc Gasol? Surely the Grizzlies do not match this, thats way too much for someone who averaged 12 pts and 7 boards. I know big men cost more, but thats a ridiculous offer dont you think Jason?

Jason Fleming

I do and I don’t. I think it’s a ton of money, but he’s also a glue on that roster. Look at the alternative – who plays center if Gasol is gone? Memphis has maintained all along they would match any offer, so we shall see, but I expect they will.

bobby

Does emeka okafor have ANY trade value with that terrible contract? How about a Mike Miller, Eddie House, Joel Anthony for Okafor?

Jason Fleming

Pretty sure none of those players are what the NBA is looking for in trade.

Mike Clay

Please tell me that RIP (Richard Hamilton) to the Bulls wasn’t a joke… Also, any way we go after Mike Redd as veteran firepower off the bench – I think it’s a low risk and high reward if he’s healthy… Oh yeah, and to my NBA 2k’ers the first Roster updates went live today !!! Thanks for the answers, Jason.

Jason Fleming

It’s not, they just have to wait for him to clear waivers. He officially hit the wire today, so 48 hours must pass first. It’ll happen. I think Redd is just waiting for that one team to offer him more than the minimum. Portland is another team who should really think about it.

Arthur

Doesn’t the DeAndre Jordan signing just prove nothing has changed in the NBA. “might” improve to 8 pts and 8 rbs a game…worth $10+M annually, craziness.

Jason Fleming

This is what happens when there is more cap space to spend than legitimate, proven talent to spend it on. It’s a weak class, and when there is a weak class young talent with a ton of potential is going to get overpaid. Look at Marcus Thornton too. We’ll have to wait and see what Arron Afflalo gets.

Josh

Thanks for looking at my question. Is there any chance the Pistons can pull of a deal of a re-signed Stuckey or Prince as those guys won’t be around when the Pistons are finally getting out of the cellar?

Jason Fleming

Well, Prince is signed, so can’t be traded for three months. As for Stuckey, it seems pretty clear he’s not part of their future plans, but there isn’t much buzz around him from other teams either. His best move may be to just sign the Qualifying Offer, in which case he’ll be able to veto any trade.

mike

why are the bulls not making any moves yet are they stuck on rip hamilton dont u think they should trade for kevin martin or try to get crawford i really dnt think rip will get us over the hump with the way the east is starting to look

Jason Fleming

Hamilton > Crawford. As for Martin, what are they offering the Rockets in return? Is it really necessary to gouge into the team the amount of contracts it would take to get Martin? The Bulls, really, don’t need to do much at all. If they do nothing but add Hamilton and Jimmy Butler, that’s a good offseason for the Bulls.

the real jordan

if nick young does not sign with the wizards what numbers do u expect from jordon crawford

Jason Fleming

17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal. Hopefully his shooting percentage improves from the dismal 38% of last year.

Colin Dunne

If LAC have made the highest bid for Billups services, what are the chances that he is then included in the Chris Paul trade so that they can take on Okafor or Ariza’s contract?

Jason Fleming

Players claimed in the amnesty auction cannot be traded until July. Since Billups is on a one-year deal, it means he can’t be traded at all. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.

raptors

who will lead the raptors in scoring this year bargnani or demar derozan

Jason Fleming

Bargnani

Connor

Do you know what commissioner David Stern’s “demands” are for a team trying to trade for CP3?

Jason Fleming

Rookie scale contracts, draft picks, and at least one player with star potential. That seems fair for a player like Paul in my mind. If they do take a bigger contract, the player must be productive and the contract must be short, or they have to have a deal in place to flip that player to another team for more rookie scale players and draft picks.

Mac

If I was the GM of the Clippers, I would take the offer for Chris Paul off the table and give it to Otis Smith. Kaman, Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, and the T-Wolves Pick for Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkalou. Then trade DeAndre Jordon at the deadline to fill out the rest of the roster, as there is always a huge market for a starting center (Houston will give you half their team). Would you do the same if you were Neil Olshey?

Jason Fleming

Dwight and Hedo make $29.1 million; Kaman, Aminu and Bledsoe make $17 million. The draft pick has no value in a trade. In that scenario, with the Clips now over the cap after matching on DeAndre Jordan and signing Caron Butler, they can only take back $25.5 million in trade. They’d have to add in someone like Gomes, but it’s possible.

Hey, wouldn’t hurt to call and ask, right?

Of course, then what do you do with this $10.75 million big man you just committed to for four years?

Jordan

The Spurs are seeming to target all SF’s are they going to make a move and address the most important need which is a decent big man to go along side Tim Duncan?

Jason Fleming

San Antonio’s issue is they have only the mini MLE to spend and not any big men interested. The only way they can offer more is to amnesty Richard Jefferson.

Not a DeJuan Blair fan?

Rich

What are the Bulls waiting on? There aren’t many shooting Guards left. And what is the likelyhood that Rip will be claimed by someone else?

Jason Fleming

Rip can’t be claimed. If he was, that team would be paying him $12.5 million for the next two years. With a buyout he just has to clear waivers – Detroit didn’t formally waive him until today – and then he is unrestricted and he can choose where he plays. I’m sure that Wednesday he’ll be a Bull.

eddy

Barea has signed with the T-Wolves. Great signing! Do you think they should package Ridnour and Beasily? Maybe they can get Jamal Crawford, Nene or big Sam Dal via sign and trade.
As a Laker fan, i’d love to see Derrick Williams as a Laker. Any chances of this?

Jason Fleming

Derrick Williams will not be traded.

As I said elsewhere Crawford isn’t a sign-and-trade option and all the Wolves have left to spend is the $2.5 million “I used all my cap space” exception after signing Barea.

Using them to go after a big man is intriguing, but the Nuggets probably aren’t interested. The Kings though? That’s an interesting thought…they need a true PG.

DJ

Would the Clippers trade their preferred package for paul (Min’s #1, Kaman, Aminu and Bledsoe) for Rajon Rondo? Great deal for both sides and Boston could use Minnesota’s pick to draft Doc’s son.

Jason Fleming

I wonder if they value Rondo as highly as Paul to offer up all of that? Considering Rondo’s limited offensive production they may not make the same offer. For Boston, though, that doesn’t give them a PG to replace Rondo, either. They are headed for a playoff run and probably wouldn’t put a lot of faith in Bledsoe.

Mychael

What is the latest on Jamal Crawford..Could the Wolves do a sign an trade and send Luke Ridnour to the Hawks?

Jason Fleming

No way the Hawks do that. They won’t be signing and trading Crawford unless it returns nothing but a trade exception and a draft pick. The Hawks are over $69 million in contracts, so any kind of deal with Crawford or using Crawford to return a contract adds salary, making them a luxury tax team. That’s not going to happen.

PardontheIguana

Who do you see as the top 5 teams in the west and east come Christmas?

Jason Fleming

West: Dallas, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Lakers…and, um, Portland?

Clips or Warriors could join that group depending on what they do.

East: Chicago, Miami, Orlando, New York, Indiana

Not sold on NY, could be Boston instead.

Tripp

So, no Oden again?

Jason Fleming

Word is it will probably be February at the earliest now. I think it’s safe just not to count on him at all, and if he gets cleared he gets cleared.

RPM

There are reports that Stern keeps vetoing deals because he believes its worth more with CP3 on the team. But Stern has to know that potential buyers are aware that CP3 walks next year regardless? Does Stern really think there’s a better offer than the Clippers package?

Jason Fleming

I guess he can look, but he may have lost the Clippers package. I would have taken that deal for CP3.

Steven

would it be good if howard came to cleveland next year

Jason Fleming

For the Cavs, sure, but they aren’t on his list and they can’t afford him.

Eric P

Who will be a Pacer? Jammal Crawford , OJ Mayo or both?

Jason Fleming

Probably not both. If I’m a Pacers fan, I’d prefer Mayo over Crawford.

I know from all these answers it’s going to look like I am down on Crawford, but I’m not. He just needs the right fit and in my opinion the role he played in Atlanta was the perfect fit – first guard off the bench. I think he fits that role better than the starting shooting guard role, and teams like Chicago and Indiana are looking for legit starters. He just doesn’t fit those teams in that role.

Ruben H.

J Flem
Could the Blazers go after a guys like Marreese Speights or Kosta Koufos? I’m not sure about the Big Sexy pick up. Or is it time to just blow it up and start from scratch? Nothing worse then being a middle of the road team in my opnion.

Jason Fleming

I don’t think Portland is at the middle of the road yet. The Oden and Roy issues got a ton of press, but remember, they weren’t around last year (Roy not much) either, so what has really changed? Now they have a full season of Gerald Wallace, who they got for a steal. They are pushing the tempo with Ray Felton. They have Kurt Thomas anchoring the middle on the second unit. Everyone is raving about the improvements of Elliot Williams and Luke Babbitt (yes, it’s camp, but it’s worth noting this went on all summer in the case of Williams from Aldridge and others). Let’s see how this season plays out.

Koufos wouldn’t play in Portland. Speights? Maybe, but Denver can make a better offer.

Sutton

Jason, please tell us what moves the Blazers may have up their sleeve. Is Thomas a decent pickup? Is Joel coming back? A trade on the horizon? Will the Blazers make the playoffs as is? Will Crawford sign? Merry Christmas sir!

Jason Fleming

Love the Kurt Thomas signing. He’s exactly what they needed because he can play D in the post, be physical, rebound, doesn’t need shots, and can start and play significant minutes if necessary. He’s the perfect backup to Camby. Crawford has no interest in Portland with them having only the mini MLE to offer.

I really do think the Blazers will look for a player like Reggie Evans now, and then call it good. Right now they have 15 players under contract, including Roy and Oden, plus two non-guaranteed deals to Earl Barron and Chris Johnson. If they sign someone else, it means they either have amnesty Roy or waive Barron (won’t be Johnson).

eddy

Will this be the year where we will see a Laker vs Clipper playoff matchup? 2 seed Lakers vs 7 seed Clippers?

Jason Fleming

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Clips higher. Maybe in the second round they can match up.

will

is there really a chance that NY knicks get crawford and how much will it hurt there bench

Jason Fleming

Very, very slim. He’d have to sign for the $2.5 million “I spent all my cap space” exception, which is unlikely. Are you asking how much it will hurt the Knicks to not have him on the bench? Or how much will it hurt the Hawks to lose him?

Fox

I think the Bulls should take a shot Michael Redd. He shouldgo cheap and would complement Rose perfectly. Rip and Redd sharing time at the 2 would work well. What do yuo think

Jason Fleming

I think no matter where Redd goes he is going to make an impact. He isn’t the player he used to be, but he can still contribute and shoot that pretty three ball.

sam

why can dan gilbert comment on this trade — i get he is an owner — but didnt he overspend on talent around lebron to try to win ??

Jason Fleming

Gilbert’s letter was full of fluff and some things that were blatantly wrong – check our Larry Coon’s skewering of the points made on ESPN – but he can still express his opinion. The one thing he has somewhat right is the owners of the team should be allowed to voice their opinions on trades. It just sucks for everyone involved the NBA is the owner and the Hornets and their fans are stuck in the middle of this fiasco.

sam

if i am a laker or clipper or nba fan why should i respect david stern anymore

Jason Fleming

Well, that’s a personal decision and nothing I say is going to change your mind. However, if you put on a Hornets hat and think about what’s best for the future of that franchise, I think you can see what the NBA is trying to do.

matt

I really hope Nash can fetch something good for the Suns. I expect him and Hill to leave PHX at the deadline.

Jason Fleming

Hill can actually choose where he goes. As a veteran on a one-year deal with Bird Rights involved, he can veto any trade.

Would he, if he were getting a chance to play for a ring? Maybe not.

Joe

Are the Kings going to do anything??? They have alot of money to spend and are doing NOTHING.. Why would people support this team and a new arena in Sactown when the front office is doing absolutly nothing to improve this team..

Jason Fleming

Last question!

The Kings spent $54 million on Chuck Hayes and Marcus Thornton! They still have about $11 million to spend, though they might not spend it all. Look for them to add another big man after the big names find a home. Aren’t you excited to see Fredette, Cousins, Evans, Salmons, Thornton and everyone else? This team should be fun to watch. Not sure if they will be successful, but fun to watch.

That’s all the questions I have time for today – there were a ton in the queue! Hit me up on Twitter @jfleminghoops any time.

matt

Camby plus a few 2nd rounders for Okafor. LA and Okafor could be the best big man combo in the league, Only STAT/TYSON can challenge them right now.

Jason Fleming

I kind of like this idea, but I don’t think it would be enough for NO. They’d want one of the rookie scale guys too – Smith, Williams, Babbitt.

Steven

Do u think howard and paul or howard and dwill would come to lakers as free agents if possible.. Like say lakers waive bynum with team option. trade gasol for brand or jamison cause that would free up cap or amnesty on gasol

Jason Fleming

No. The Lakers have to make the decision on Bynum before the end of June. What if they decline the option and none of those players come? Then what? Also, it wouldn’t matter anyway because even without Bynum’s contract the Lakers are over the cap in 2012-13. Brand is not opting out of the $18.1 million on his deal for 2012-13.

The only way the Lakers can get one of those big names is via a sign-and-trade, and to make one attractive they have to keep assets like Bynum and Gasol. They aren’t going to do anything super crazy.