NBA Chat With Jason Fleming 12/5/11

Bhagdeep

Hey Jason,
What do you think about a treade where raptors send Amir Johnson and James Johnson to Portland for Greg Oden? Portland get a servicable back up big man in Amir Johnson and a cheap replacement for Brandon Roy in James Johnson and the Raptors get to experiment with Oden at Centre…if he works out great…if not let him walk away at the end of the season and Raptors get even more cap space for sumer of 2012?

Jason Fleming

Won’t happen that way. If Oden signs the one-year deal, he has veto rights on trades. Or is Toronto offering him a one-year deal worth MORE than $8.8 million? I think Portland values Oden higher than many think.

Kevin in Tokyo

First, can Portland pick up Carl Landry without amnestying Roy? Will Carl Landry come for the Mini MLE? If they do, he’d start at the 4, and LA would start at the 5 ala Atlanta Hawks with Smith/Horford.
Camby / Oden / Batum coming off the bench to spell LA/Landry/Crash. Or should they keep starting Camby and have Landry as a 6th man? Will he take less money to play in Rip City?

Also how much has LA beefed up?

Jason Fleming

Landry will get much better offers in free agency than $3 million. Plus, his chances of starting in Portland are nil in my mind. The only way he is a Blazers is in trade. Landry has never had a big paycheck – he’s taking the money wherever it’s best. As he should. I believe Aldridge has put on 15 pounds of muscle and cut his body fat in half, down to 5%. Must be nice.

OT from the Philippines

hi jason. i’m a fan of lebron and has heard rumors of the heat’s target FAs. i was thinking, realistically, of the heat getting battier, kwame and nate rob if its true that he’ll be bought out. can these moves be done and do you think it will help the heat? can they or should they may a play for deandre jordan?

Jason Fleming

The HEAT are limited in that they only have the $5 mil MLE to spend. Battier will probably cost that much by himself, and while they could potentially sign Robinson for a minimum salary he’s going to take the highest offer he gets, no matter where it is. Kwame actually has a lot of suitors and could earn MLE money as well.

Jordan will also cost more than the MLE, and unless the HEAT are trading a star they don’t have anything the Clippers would want in a potential sign-and-trade scenario.

Todd

If you were Pat Riley, would you offer Joel Anthony for Greg Oden? Maybe throw Pittman in to sweeten the offer?

Jason Fleming

Portland wouldn’t be interested.

devonte

the knicks need three point shooters so how likely would they consider signing michael reed?

Jason Fleming

Any team that needs shooters will take a long look at Redd. Initially I thought might get signed by someone for cheap, but his value goes up when compared to all the other available shooters. As long as his knee is okay, he may even sign in the $3-5 million range. And even then might be a steal.

Josh

Am i crazy to think that the Jazz have more assets and trading chips than most teams in the NBA if they were wanting to get into CP3 or D12 sweepstakes. I know if would basically be impossible for them to agree to sign long term with Utah but honestly Orlando and NO have to be looking at Utah and liking what we have….

Jason Fleming

But why would Utah give up all those assets if Paul or Howard wouldn’t sign a long-term deal there? Can you imagine the firestorm in SLC if the Jazz gave up the picks and Favors and whatever else they received in the Deron deal, and then had Paul/Howard walk in free agency? That’s exactly why they traded Deron in the first place.

Ruca

Do you think SAC would do a S&T with Dalembert+FGarcia for MMiller+JAnthony, maybe sweetened with draft picks?
FGarcia doesnt bring much to them at SG and an healthy Mike Miller could start at SF, with Joel backing up Cousins.

Jason Fleming

Not sure which side you meant would sweeten the offer with picks. Judging from the players, I would guess Miami. However, Miami can’t trade a first-round pick until 2017 (from the LeBron deal, Cleveland gets Miami’s #1 picks in 2013 and 2015), so I don’t see that adding a lot of value. I could see the Kings doing the S&T for one of those players in an unbalanced move to help raise them to the minimum team salary, but maybe not both. That’s a lot of commitment to players who don’t necessarily fit the direction.

Mike

Realistically, Who do you think the Pacers are going to get via free agency? And where does that rank them in the East with those additions? Thanks!

Jason Fleming

I think if they offer Carl Landry more than the MLE, they get him. And for the money, maybe that’s a better investment for them than David West. West is a good player, but he’s going to cost twice as much and the Pacers will have to run plays for him. That move by itself makes them a playoff team, but I don’t see them improving enough to be top four in the East. Not yet.

Dylan

Reports all indicate that the Lakers are looking for older defensive 3′s. Does this mean they are actively thinking of using the amnesty on Metta World Peace?

Jason Fleming

I will be very surprised if they Amnesty Peace. Steve Kyler made a great point this morning (link) that using the amnesty now doesn’t gain the Lakers much of anything. They still only have the MLE, so why bother? Peace is still a solid player and he’ll be a good fit under Mike Brown. The Lakers should save the amnesty for when the really harsh lux tax kicks in.

Dylan

There was a rumor that the Lakers are interested in Delonte West and Josh McRoberts.

Do you think they are good fits on this Laker team?

Jason Fleming

Absolutely. If the Lakers split the MLE on those two, I’d call that a solid offseason.

Steve

Hi Jason,
I read, here on HW?, that Aldridge has bulked up some more and is prepared to play more center. I think his game is fairly suited for Center and he is tall enough at 6-10 or 6-11.
Could this mean a starting line-up of Felton, Matthews, Batum, Wallace, and Aldridge? WOW

Jason Fleming

Well, for what it’s worth, Nate McMillan just said he plans his starting lineup to be Felton, ROY, Wallace, Aldridge, and Camby, so we shall see.

Until I see Aldridge on the floor with the new look – he’s leaner, stronger and heavier – I’m hesitant to roll with that kind of lineup. I think it’s fine for some stretches in the game, but I don’t know about using it as a starting lineup.

Jimbo In Molalla

Jason-You’re the blazers GM. What is your plan for the next 12 months? Roy? Oden? Batum? Hope Crash opts out next year? Felton? FA’s? Euro’s? Consider Trades and who is untouchable?

Jason Fleming

I wait on Roy – see how this season goes. If he returns to his old self, great. If not, then his contract is simply too much to justify on my cap. I re-sign Oden to a five-year deal starting at $6-7 million – has to be above the MLE. Batum gets an extension now, hopefully starting in the $5-6 million range if I can pull it off. There is zero chance Wallace opts out, and I know that, but I will pursue trading him because I believe Batum should be the starter. Assuming this season goes well, I sign Felton to a long-term deal. Next summer I also use my MLE to bring Joel Freeland over from Europe. He’ll no longer be tied to the rookie scale (five years after being drafted a la Tiago Splitter in San Antonio). As for trades, depending on how this season goes I explore moves regarding flipping Camby to a contender. What can I get in return? In the next draft I choose only centers.

Steve

Jason,
Are there any Fan promos that you have heard about to make-up for the angst and games lost?

Jason Fleming

Not yet, but just like back in 1999 you can bet there will be plenty of interaction with the players getting involved in the community, more so than usual. Truthfully, though, it may be more next summer and next season. With the schedule as tight as it’s going to be, there isn’t a lot of downtime available.

Vince

Bonsoir From France Jason,
Accordong to the excellent Bill Ingram, Crawford may land (HE wishes) in Windy City. Do you see him accept the MLE,So The Buls would not have to trade big shadow warrior Brewer ?
You HW guys are a famous teams ! thx for lightening our french night…

Jason Fleming

Bonsoir to you! And Portland thanks you for Nic Batum.

Crawford is going to follow the money, I believe, so if someone else offers him more than $5 million, he’ll go there. Only if all the cap space dries up will he sign for the MLE. The real question is what can Chicago give the Hawks in a sign-and-trade? If Crawford gets $8 million – not unlikely – the Bulls have to send at least $4 million in return. It would make sense for that to be Ronnie Brewer or Kyle Korver, since Crawford would soak up most of those minutes anyway.

Lance

I read where Warriors would pounce on Roy if amnestied, but would they trade for him?

Jason Fleming

I believe ZERO teams would be willing to trade for Roy. Why would they? If Roy will produce at his contract value, Portland won’t even consider using amnesty.

Charlie

Rajon Rondo tore up my fantasy basketball league last year. Yet, when Hoopsworld published its “Top 100 Fantasy Players List” Rondo comes in at number #38 (even behind Kyle Lowry at the point!!!) What factors contribute to Rajon’s low ranking?

Jason Fleming

Poor three-point shooting for one. Also, he just isn’t a scorer. Remember, fantasy is all about producing numbers – 38 seems about right to me. If you want more explanation, email Tommy Beer. He’s always glad to chat.

Sweet Dee

If you were the GM of the Miami HEAT, would you offer Greg Oden a 3 year/14 million dollar deal to give you a legit big man for your playoff run?

Jason Fleming

Portland would match that in a heartbeat.

Sweet Dee

If you were the GM of the Houston Rockets and missed out on your top two free agents of Nene Hilario and Marc Gasol. Would you offer DeAndre Jordan a 4 year / 40 million dollar contract to fill your void at center? Or is this too much guaranteed money for such an unproven player?

Jason Fleming

My personal opinion is that’s too much for a player with Jordan’s limited sample size, but that’s the market for centers. If the Rockets believe he is their starting center for the next four years that’s the going rate. Here’s the real question: Do the Clips match that deal? They probably do.

ray

how long do you think it takes for kemba to take over as starter in charlotte? and what do you think his stats will look like

Jason Fleming

Honestly? I don’t think he starts this season at all unless D.J. Augustin completely falls apart. I’m on record as saying Augustin isn’t my idea of a NBA starter, but I’m not that excited about Walker either. I think the only way Walker starts – at least the first half of the season – is if there is a management decision to play the rookies. Off the bench I see eight points and four assists for Walker. If he starts, then 13 points and 6-7 assists.

Dennis

Who would you prefer to sign a max deal to if your hand was forced: Nene Hilario or Marc Gasol

Jason Fleming

Gasol. He does more of what I want my center to do, which is play D and rebound. Nene doesn’t do either nearly enough.

Dennis

As things stand today, rank these teams in terms of number of wins next year: Charlotte Bobcats, Toronto Raptors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers

Jason Fleming

Raptors, Cats, Cavs

Frank

If you were the GM of the Raptors, would you use the amnesty clause on Jose Calderon, Linas Kleiza or keep it for later?

Jason Fleming

I’d hold onto it. The Raptors are already under the cap, so I’d hold it until later. Maybe instead of wiping Calderon or Kleiza off the books now, next summer when I already have MORE cap space and there will be many, many more options I use it on one of them then to maximize the value. Besides, if I use it on Calderon now, I’m giving him $20.3 million to do nothing. Next year it would be half that. Am I going to get a better PG to replace him now? Probably not. I say save it for next summer.

JDC

What about Nene in Sacramento!?

Jason Fleming

With the Kings’ cap space it’s theoretically possible, but I haven’t seen anywhere that Nene has expressed interest in the Kings.

K Sharma

How likely is Oden to Miami? and your thoughts on him

Jason Fleming

I think Oden to Miami is very unlikely. They can’t offer him more than $5 million – and that’s only if they amnesty Miller – while he can get $8.8 mil just by signing the QO for a year. Plus, Portland wants to work out a multi-year deal. As for my thoughts on Oden… I like him. When he’s on the floor he’s a stud. Defensively he’s a beast simply by being on the floor, and offensively he was just starting to get his groove when he got hurt. So many ifs…but the prospects are tantalizing. I think Portland is smart to want to keep him.

Owais

i think lakers should pick up Dwight howard not cp3 history has it that teams with a powerful center has won more championship, what do you think?

Jason Fleming

Sure, but for what? What package are you going to offer Orlando that’s better than they can get elsewhere?

jonathan b

what will it take for the knicks to get chris paul and when?

Jason Fleming

The only way the Knicks get Chris Paul is if he signs for about half of his free agent value (which is a max salary). I remain very skeptical.

wayne

With the Grizzlies willing to pay Gasol, OJ Mayo seems like the odd man out in MEM…Do they trade him now n get value or let him walk? Is Mayo for McBob alive again?

Jason Fleming

I think Memphis more wanted the draft pick than McRoberts. He doesn’t really fit anywhere for them. And yes, I do believe the Grizzlies would be smart to work a trade with Mayo. He deserves a chance to be a starter. If he’s still in Memphis past the trade deadline I’ll be very surprised.

JDC

Is there any possibility that the bulls sign Butler and work a sign and trade for crawford?

Jason Fleming

I’m guessing you mean Caron and not Jimmy here. Sure, they could – if Caron is willing to sign for as little as $5 million.

William

What’s your opinion on Brandon Roy and the amnesty clause? If it was your call what would you do?

Jason Fleming

I don’t use the amnesty now. Instead, I wait and see how Roy responds this season. If he can’t be a starter, or at minimum a 25+ minute/Sixth Man Award contender off the bench, then I use it.

richard

Besides greed, what prevents a player under contract from restructuring his deal to enable the team to bring in other players?

Jason Fleming

The CBA is very strict about renegotiating and limits the ability – greed has nothing to do with it. Click this link to read the details from Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ.

Steve

Chris paul to Orlando magic,is there any chance at this?? He said he would like to play with Dwight Howard.

Jason Fleming

Orlando simply doesn’t have the means to make such a deal. They would have to get a third team involved with assets the Hornets would want, but even then that third team would have to want something from Orlando. I honestly don’t see Paul in Orlando at all.

chi town bulls

if we sign caron butler do you think it will lead to us trading for D12

Jason Fleming

I don’t think it would be related at all. For the Bulls to make a Howard play it has to revolve around Joakim Noah (who, by the way, is a Base Year Contract player). What else do the Bulls add to that package? Gibson? Butler? What else? At least one #1 pick….is that even enough for Howard? I just don’t think it is.

Neil olshey

Hypothetical free agency question for you, disregard contract lengths and whether or not the free agents like the clippers as a new home, say the clipps in a perfect world could choose any player who would you pick out of hill,Prince,battier ,Richardson,butler,or Vince Carter and why?also the clipps would have a little cap room left over,what position/player would you consider adding the remaining cap, back up forward maybe humphries? Thanks

Jason Fleming

Well, the Clips need a clear small forward. For that reason I eliminate Richardson and Carter. Of the remaining group Butler is the best choice, as long as he is fully healed. If not I’ll go with Prince.

With the rest of the cap room I’m looking for a point guard…or a team with a point guard to trade. How about Andre Miller throwing oops to Blake Griffin?

Jared

The Nets are one of the most active teams in regards to getting players. They’ve been linked to just about every name worthy free agent. If they were to add Nene and possibly a Caron Butler, what expectations would be fair to set for that team?

Jason Fleming

Honestly? I’m not sure. They would be better and a playoff threat, but is that a contender? And what about Brook Lopez? Is Nene playing the four? Is Lopez? Do they then dangle Lopez for a wing scorer? Probably 25 or so teams would have interest in Lopez, but the best addition to the Nets would be O.J. Mayo – and the Grizzlies don’t need Lopez. I’m not real clear on what Jersey’s plan is if they go that route. Does adding Nene and Caron convince Deron to re-sign?

Gut

What is the legitimacy of the idea that the Lakers would get both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul through trades? would the magic and hornets really allow that to happen? And what can the Heat do in terms of free agency? Can they get a legit center and some decent wingmen if they amnesty miller?

Eric Pincus

If it’s in the best interest of the Hornets to take a deal that works for them – and the best interest for the Magic to take a deal that works for them – then where their stars go is not the worry. HEAT need role players. I am confident they get ‘em. Looks like Shane Battier could be the guy – a move I like if true.