NBA Chat With Jason Fleming 1/30/12

1. Radeesh (Germany)

   Trade question:
   Indiana gets: Bynum, Redick, 1 Pick Lakers
   - 2nd beste Center for a fair price longterm

   Orlando: Hibbert & P. Gasol
   - 2 bigs, which allows to compete
   - no Hedo contract

   Lakers: Granger, Howard, Turkoglu
   - Howard,
   - Athletic forward

   • Jason Fleming

     Welcome to this week’s chat! I’ll touch as many topics as possible in an hour, as usual.

     It’s an interesting trade, but I see Indy being the first of those three teams to say no. They lose two starters and don’t really get an adequate replacement for Granger. Is the assumption then that Paul George steps up and makes a big impact, essentially replacing Granger? Maybe… I just don’t see them being that thrilled with their return. Bynum is good, but he’s not worth two starters who are very good in their own right.

2. John

   With Kaman on the trading block, I don’t see many teams in need of a center that also have the right pieces for a trade. What are the chances that the Indiana Pacers trade a couple of players and use the rest of their cap space to acquire Kaman?

   • Jason Fleming

     With Hibbert very likely an All-Star I don’t think acquiring Kaman is going to be too high of a priority for the Pacers. Sure, they have the space to absorb him (without any other moves), but I don’t see it as a priority.

3. Sabin C

   Hi.Otis should call Raptors for Calderon and get him.He’d be a great fit for Magic.I don’t think that Raptors will ask much in return.Your thoughts ?

   • Jason Fleming

     Why wouldn’t the Raptors ask for much for a point guard who averages 10.5 points, 8.4 assists, and only 1.8 turnovers a game? Calderon would be a nice fit on a lot of teams.

4. alan

   dwight howard said he would be open to plaing on the bulls. how much would you give up for him

   • Jason Fleming

     Not much.

     Oh, you want an explanation?

     Here’s my reasoning: Howard is going to cost ANY team an arm and a leg to acquire. Orlando is also going to try and force any team they decide to do a deal with to take on Hedo Turkoglu as well. Together that’s $29.1 million in contracts. Both Orlando and Chicago are just under the tax line and both teams want to stay that way, so that means we probably wouldn’t see one team take on a significantly larger amount of salary.

     Any Bulls deal starts with Noah. That’s $12 million. Also, Noah is a Base-Year Contract player, but this deal is big enough that won’t matter. If you are Chicago and you are bringing in Hedo, do you feel compelled to then trade Luol Deng? Do the Magic want Deng right now with the ongoing wrist issue? And if Deng is not the player to move, how do you make up that $17 million difference? Trade Boozer and rely only on Taj Gibson at the 4? Or do you hope to coddle together something like Brewer/Korver/Gibson and hope the Magic think that’s enough?

     Now, let’s say you have a deal in place – how does that impact the Bulls? Keep in mind you are probably trading two starters and returning only one (depends on what you think of Hedo). The Bulls are a team built on speed and precision. The Magic are a team built around Howard in the middle and shooters on the outside. If you put Howard on the Bulls, is everyone else as effective? If you take Howard out of the Magic, will they have any chance at all?

     My last argument is this: Chicago is 17-5, the best team in the Eastern Conference. They match up well with every team in the league because they have a nice balance of speed, defense, shooting and post play. Why would you mess that up?

     Chicago needs to not screw it up, that’s it.

5. Frank

   Who has contributed more to Golden State’s slow start this season: the injury to Steph Curry or the inexperience of head coach Mark Jackson

   • Jason Fleming

     I think it’s not necessarily inexperience by Jackson, but it’s the change in team philosophy. He’s taking a team built around scoring points quickly and forcing the same group of players to be more defensively oriented. Curry, Ellis, Lee – the team’s best players – aren’t exactly lockdown defenders. To their credit their defense has improved this year…but their offense has fallen off the map. They’ve swung to far the other way, just as I feared they might when they announced the hiring of Jackson.

     Curry’s injury hurts them more, but the base issue is the Warriors are not comprised of a roster consistent with the style of play Mark Jackson wants to have.

6. Sweet Dee

   If you were a NBA owner, who would you rather have as your center: Darko Milicic at 5 million a year, Brandon Haywood at 8 million a year, or Emeka Okafor at 12 million a year

   • Jason Fleming

     Haywood would be last on that list. I like Okafor as a player better than Darko overall, but for the money Darko is pretty dang productive.

7. Chip

   You replied to a post about going after Kaman. couple fo questions:1, Do the Blazers have any interest in him? 2, I proposed something like E.Will, a pick and some of PAM. You replied that contracts don’t match, blah, blah, blah (LOL) and the need for $6.35M in contracts going back. How would you make that work, and is it worth it? (okay, thats 3 questions)Would you do it? (4)

   • Jason Fleming

     1 – As of right now I have not heard the Blazers have interest in Kaman.

     2 – Yep, I remember – Portland has to send back at least half of Kaman’s contract of $12.7 million, and I noted the picks and cash don’t count towards the 150% requirement to make the deal work (Portland could send as little as $6.35 million or as much as $19.05 million). Now the word is the Hornets really want to cut his salary and will take back a draft pick, which really limits the field of teams who could make an offer.

     3 – To make it work, using Williams’ $1.35 million as a base, Portland has to send another $5 million at least. Crawford fits the bill, but can’t be traded yet (90 days from signing). That means either they go up and it’s Wes Matthews ($6.14 million) or they put together some lower salaries, adding in Babbitt, Nolan Smith, Greg Oden…and that might not be enough. Plus it would gut the team for a player who wouldn’t start for them.

     4 – That makes the deal pretty much Matthews and Williams (or Felton and Williams) for Kaman. From the Portland POV it doesn’t make sense in my mind, especially if you have to add in a pick or something for a player who won’t start and will be an unrestricted free agent. I wouldn’t do it. NO probably wouldn’t either, since that means taking on three more years of Matthews’ contract. It would be nice for Portland’s depth, but I don’t see how it could make both sides happy.

8. Chip

   About how long do we give these guys some credit for the lack of training camp, practices and the schedule before we can realistically start trashing them? I mean geez, Felton and Crawford are way outside our comfort zone as far as style of play is concerned. Turnovers, horrible shot selection etc are things kind of antithema to what we’ve been accustomed to as a franchise. When do w start throwing them under the bus, as fans?

   • Jason Fleming

     Interesting question…I say after the All-Star break.

     Then again, Crawford has never been a consistent shooter with good shot selection. Neither has Felton. I think that has to be kept in mind – the expectations were sky-high and the reality hasn’t matched it. Yes both are shooting lower than their career averages…but those averages were already not great in the first place. If Crawford and Felton were expected to come in and hit 40% from three and 45% from the field, well, that’s ignoring the reality of their NBA careers.

     The turnovers, though, that has to come down. Then again, Crawford is averaging 2.0 a game – his career average is 2.1 (his minutes are down, so the per minute turnover rate is up).

     Felton is averaging 2.9 turnovers a game. Twice he did that in Charlotte and he averaged 3.3 in New York before the trade. His career average is 2.6 a game.

     Probably doesn’t help anyone’s perspective that Andre Miller is very near his career averages in less minutes per game in Denver, does it?

9. keeweekid

   If Nets/Magic eventually get around to putting together the Howard to Nets trade, would Blazers be interested in being a 3rd party in this trade as was originally reported (wallace going out and Blazers getting a lot of 1st round draft picks)?

   • Jason Fleming

     They might be interested, but I don’t see the Magic not wanting some of those picks for themselves. After all, they would be, by far, giving up the best player in the deal. Why would they trade that future for Wallace? No matter what they do, that team is rebuilding after a Howard trade. Bringing in another vet like Wallace wouldn’t make much sense in my mind.

10. keeweekid

    Do you think Blazers are making a big push for Kamen? Seems like if Oden is out, Camby is older, they need a C option and soon.

    • Jason Fleming

      Quick comment here: Camby and Kaman are both unrestricted free agents this summer, as is Oden. The Blazers will absolutely need to bring in a new starter and it could very well be Kaman, but they can just as easily do it in the summer without disrupting the team they have now. I honestly don’t think Oden factors into anything they are planning for 2011-12, so if he doesn’t play it’s not going to change a thing they are doing or planning.

11. Robert

    How’s this trade look?

    To Magic: Andrew Bynum, Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry
    To Lakers: Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson
    To Rockets: Pau Gasol, Darrius Morris, Andrew Goudelock, Dallas 2012 1st Rounder, Lakers 2012 1st Rounder

    Lakers giving up too much? Houston not getting enough talent?

    • Jason Fleming

      I agree with both of those things. The Lakers are giving up two starters and maybe getting two in return, but they don’t have much in reserve in the frontcourt to weather losing Gasol and Bynum and only returning Howard. Houston is trading out two starters and only returning one, so that’s asking a lot. I don’t think the Rockets are ready to blow it up yet.

12. Anthony Pascua

    Calderon to the Lakers? I think would be a great fit. Is a deal in the works or is it in the “talking” stage?
    Also, read the Lakers have not interviewed or worked out Arenas yet. Are the Lakers still hesitant to pull trigger?

    • Jason Fleming

      What can the Lakers offer Toronto that the Raptors would want? The Odom Traded Player Exception isn’t big enough and the Raptors aren’t going to have interest in Steve Blake, Luke Walton, Derek Fisher, or Metta World Peace. I just don’t think the Lakers have the trade assets to pull it off.

13. Andrea

    in your opinion How many years will Bargnani remain to the Raptors?
    in which team would you see him better?

    • Jason Fleming

      I really don’t see Bargnani being traded anytime soon. I think next year when they bring in Jonas Valanciunas next to him in the frontcourt that’s a combination they want to see play together. As for playing better…he’s posting career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, FG% and FT%. I don’t see too many other teams where he’d be MORE productive. Perhaps just as, but not more.

14. Cain

    Any All-Stars coming out of Indiana this year?

    • Jason Fleming

      I do think they get one and it will be Hibbert. He has to be the second center in my mind. Granger has a chance too, but has much more competition.

15. anthony curry

    hi Jason what are the chances spurs trading for Chris Kaman From the hornets THANKS

    • Jason Fleming

      Until the Hornets said they wanted just a draft pick I would have said higher. The Spurs can’t do a pick for Kaman, similar to Portland. They would have to send out at least $9.525 million in trade (they are over the tax so must adhere to the 125% rule rather than the 150% for teams under the tax). That means Splitter, Bonner and other cheaper pieces, or it means something like Jefferson and James Anderson. I don’t see the Hornets being interested.

16. Sweet Dee

    Which team has a greater chance of derailing the championship hopes of the HEAT this playoffs: The Chicago Bulls or Oklahoma City Thunder

    • Jason Fleming

      Both of those teams can do beat the HEAT, and the HEAT can beat both of those teams. I don’t see a clear edge to any of the three.

17. Ryan

    The sixers were interested in Trading for Kaman a year ago, why havent I heard anything about them wanting to trade for him now? He fills a big need for them as a strong big man that can score, which they lack. What do you think they would have to give up to get him?

    • Jason Fleming

      Actually, the Sixers don’t seem to be lacking that anymore. Spencer Hawes was doing just fine in that role before getting hurt, and then rookie Nikola Vucevic did the same thing (did just fine and then got hurt). That’s not saying Philly wouldn’t be interested, just that if they are healthy it’s not as big of a need as before. They have to send out $6.35 million in trade to get Kaman…I’m sure the Hornets would take Evan Turner and Brackins. They might take on Nocioni (they could decline his option for next year) if it also returned Vucevic. Both of those are way too much for Philly to give up, especially at 14-6.

18. Jerome

    With Nate Mcmillan losing faith in Raymond Felton, do you see Buchanan hitting up Utah for Devin Harris? A deal of Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, Armon Johnson for Devin Harris,CJ Miles, and Paul Millsap..what do you think?

    • Jason Fleming

      Portland may look into Harris, but that’s quite a large deal. I don’t think a deal that big makes sense for Portland. Wallace is a better fit than Millsap.

19. Richard

    With Pau Gasol on the market, do you see Portland making a move for him? A 3 way trade with Another team involved..a front court of Pau and Lamarcus would cause nightmares for teams on a nightly basis

    • Jason Fleming

      No, I don’t. That would mean another team being willing to take Camby and give the Lakers something they think is a fair trade for Gasol. I don’t see that kind of deal out there…would be a nice tandem though.

20. Nery

    With Batum showing so much promise is it time to trade wallace? he really holds the team back on the road and chokes in the playoffs

    • Jason Fleming

      It’s worth exploring. However, I have to take issue with the chokes in the playoff thing because his production does not back up that statement.

      Wallace has been in the playoffs five times, but we’ll throw out the first three because they were in Sacramento and he didn’t play much.

      In Charlotte Wallace put up 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in four games in 2010. Those were higher than his season averages.

      In Portland last year he put up 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. The scoring was just above his season average the boards a +1.2 per game.

      His scoring and shooting percentages have been way down on the road this year. Way, way down. Not sure why. Then again, the whole team has been bad on the road.

21. Mike

    any chance the bulls amnesty Boozer this offseason? he is terrible on defense, very inconsistent on offense, massively over paid and heard teammates are getting mad with the way he plays

    • Jason Fleming

      Highly unlikely.

22. Chris in Detroit

    It’s been a depressing year but do u see any bright spots for the Pistons? I think Frank is a better coach than the record shows…I like him long term. Thoughts?

    • Jason Fleming

      Last question!

      I see some bright spots – namely Greg Monroe. I also like Brandon Knight and Austin Daye on that team. What the Pistons need to do is close the freaking checkbook. Spending all that money on Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey was really ridiculous. Saving the money would have been a much better option. But again, I think they have a future – they are just doing everything they can to make things difficult for themselves.

      Thanks for all the great questions this week! We’ll do it again next week, same time and place. Hit me up on Twitter @jfleminghoops.