NBA Chat With Stephen Brotherston 2/20/12

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Stephen Brotherston for his weekly NBA Chat covering the Toronto Raptors and all things NBA every Monday at 3pm ET.

It’s been a tough home stand for the Raptors. Fans were treated to some great games, but the team only managed a single victory so far – at least it was over Boston!

Heading towards All-Star weekend, the pressure is starting to build on teams who are under-performing or see cap problems looming in the future.

Get your comments and questions in now.

  1. reily

    Grizzlies get: george hill paul george & roy hibb

    Pacers get: Oj mayo maurice speights 1st round
    ESPN trade machine saide its works and you can also send josh selby to the pacers…do you think it works for both teams?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Welcome to the Chat
      The fun is about to start in the NBA as everybody heads to All-Star soon and the really good rumors will get their chance to blossom.

      The Grizz could only dream of acquiring those 3 from the Pacers as they currently fall into the Not Going Anywhere category.

      The Pacers could use OJ Mayo and maybe tempted to give up Granger for Mayo, Speights + a 1st at some point – it doesn’t seem like enough for Granger but that would sure solve some of the Pacers needs.

  2. Ron

    What are the chances that Colangelo goes after George Hill as a free agent. He fits the bill as an underated point guard who can create his own shot and get into the lane. We need to start bringing in proven young players and less unproven talent.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Colangelo might want to go after Hill – BUT – the Pacers have a ton of cap space next season and they really want to hang onto this kid. They will match most any offer sheet.

      Pacers gave up Kawhi Leonard to land Hill.

  3. Flute

    Wat are the chances iverson goes to the d league?…what are the chances lakers sign him?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      It would be a shock to see AI in the d.

      If the Lakers signed AI – they are admitting desperation – very unlikely.

      Lakers are one team that doesn’t need to get any older.

  4. laker fan

    Why don’t the lakers try a 3-team deal by which they get dwill from the nets and send pau gasol to chicago and the nets get boozer and other younger players..???

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Would D-Will make the Lakers better – YES!

      Would Chicago like Pau Gasol – sure – who wouldn’t

      Nets want Boozer – really???? Not likely – if the Nets have to blow this up – Boozer isn’t going to be part of the plan.

  5. Mark

    Can you give a percentage guess on chance of Jose or Barbosa being a Raptor past March 15? Thanks.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I’d give odds of 30/70 they get moved – maybe, but not likely

      Colangelo wants to preserve cap space. Very high priority.
      Casey needs Calderon.

      That said – if some team needs to unload a player Colangelo covets – no Raptor is safe from being traded and Jose & Leandro are players certain teams might just need heading towards the playoffs.

  6. Omar El-Khodary

    Who would you standings be in the east at the end of the season? Top 8!

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Heat, Bulls, 76ers, Magic, Hawks, Pacers, Celtics, Knicks – just as they are NOW – most likely.

      With a good chance the Pacers and Knicks switch spots.

  7. Jay

    Who do you think the heat will pick up with there last spot on the roster

  8. Vlad

    Have you seen Pekovich lately? He is probably a top 5 center in the NBA IMO. Do you agree? Also there would you vote for him to be MIP?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      18.8pts/10.4rbs/1.4blks/1.1stls past 10 games – if he keeps this up – a lot of people will be agreeing with you!

  9. Howie Abrams

    Hi Stephen. In Bill’s chat earlier today, he discussed how much teams actually are fearing the Wolves right now, and how reluctant they are to give the Wolves a 2 guard which appears to be their only glaring need. What is your opinion of the Wolves? Are they going to have to pay above face value to get that final piece? Also, if they get a 2 gaurd, are they a playoff team this year in a very stacked Western Conference?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      No one in the WEST wants to help the T-Wolves, not sure that applies to the East.

      When everyone knows what you want to buy and how badly you want to buy it – do you think you’ll get a good deal?

      Wolves will have to give up something at least as good – or better – to get their starting 2-guard. But they have the assets to get a deal done.

      A deal helps them make the playoffs – but a young team led by a rookie PG isn’t going to fair well in their first trip to the playoffs – BUT – it is huge to get the playoff experience – it will help them next time. They need to go for it.

  10. matt

    Barbosa+Bayless for D.Harris and Utah’s first round pick. Utah saves a lot of $, Harris has been abysmal for utah this year, raps don’t have to worry about resigning bayless or LB in the summer, get a decent player in harris who needs a change of scenery, and get a 12-16th pick in a loaded draft. everybody wins :)

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I could see it happening – Utah is just on the outside of the playoffs looking in – if they believe this will get them those extra couple of wins – they’d do it.

      Colengelo is protecting his cap space though, so he’d have to be convinced Harris can get back to where he once was.

  11. laguanero

    One insider said gerald wallace will be traded to d lakers for nothing at the deadline due to frustration and to save money. They might even throw in felton. Have u heard about that?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I believe Lakers TPE is for $8.9m but Wallace makes $9.5m so the Lakers would have to send players back – don’t see anyone on the Lakers roster that Portland wants.

      Felton + Wallace = $17m – who are the Lakers going to send back Pau Gasol? Are the Lakers that desperate yet?

      You can’t trade players for nothing unless you are far enough under the cap or have a big enough TPE.

  12. matt

    Jose for Felton. Raps save $, can keep or resign felton in the summer, and get younger. portland would thrive with a pure distributor like jose, and don’t worry about resigning felton.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I get the logic – add a first round pick and I could see the Raptors being tempted because of the cap space it would free up in the summer.

      Casey relies on Calderon and he’s getting a bit frustrated with the learning curve the kids have. Raps would have to believe Felton could step in and start – possible – but a bit cruel to do this to the coach.

  13. JP

    Who is first in Pacers pecking order to trade for Pacers if the right offer comes in: Paul George or Danny Granger?

  14. matt

    Where does Ed Davis land? Bargs and JonasV are the PF/C of the future, Amir’s contract is harder to trade than ED’s. Ed could be a solid 10/10/1 starting PF in the league. Let’s say raps get Barnes, MKG, Lamb or Beal in the draft. Do the raps deal ED and DeRozan for a legit starting SF or SG, or do they package those two with Jose for a PG?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I like your thinking.

      This is a try-out season – to see who to keep and who to trade. You’ve hit on a lot of the real points that are under consideration – there are moves that must be made. They just don’t have to be made until the summer.

      If the Raps could land someone they believe would star on the team – they’ll be trying to build packages of 2,3,4 to 1 to get it done.

  15. clipps fan

    if you were the clippers gm and had a chance to to add dwight to cp3 and griffin by trading deandre mo bledsoe or by signing him straight up in FA do you do it?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I’d be extremely cautious about doing any trade to acquire Howard unless he agree to pick up his option – I don’t get a comfortable feeling that we know where he really wants to land next summer.

      If he’s available as a FA and wants to sign with your team – get’er done – you’ll be holding a lot of cards in any S&T negotiation.

  16. Jerry

    Barbosa or Calderon. Who do the Raps trade first?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Odds – neither.

      Raps like Barbosa – he’s a good vet to have on a young team + his contract is up = cap space (also makes him easily to deal)

      Casey likes Calderon – he is the team’s stabilizing influence.

      Either could be traded in a heart beat for the right deal – but it has to work long term for Colangelo – he has no incentive to just dump either of them

  17. matt

    4th pick in the draft would be ideal for the raps, raps pick the leftover of who wasn’t yet selected, so the leftover of drummond, davis, mkg or barnes.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      or Lamb or Beal – Raps could use either a dominant SF or SG – and need a SG more.

      They’ll take the player they rank the highest – and that won’t be done until after the tournament – might be influenced by the workouts. Lamb could go higher than some expect.

  18. Rocky

    Do you see the Suns landing Mayo, Batum, Beasley and possibly Lin in free agency? Do you think this is a playoff team with Nash at the helm?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Suns need more talent. Too many holes – even at backup PG.

      I’m more in the blow it up and rebuild camp.

      They could get a younger starting PG + picks for Nash.

  19. Brandon

    Whats your take on the D12 situation? How do u see it playing out?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Likely to see another management freeze like in Cleveland and Toronto with the same result.

  20. matt

    how does otis smith still have a job?

  21. matt

    DeRozan for Milwaukee’s pick. DeRozan is so 1-dimensional and Colangelo says he wants the team to “hit the floor running” in 2012-2013. DeRozan joins his buddy Jennings in Milwaukee, a pg who can’t distribute with a SG who can’t handle the ball to save his life. Raps get 2 top 10 picks.

    • Stephen Brotherston

      I think the team could do better in a deal but DeRozan might actually fit better on a team that wasn’t as defensive oriented as Casey wants them to be.

      It will be very hard for Toronto to trade a 22-year-old who is expected to keep improving.

  22. Jerry

    Who do you see as the biggest name involved in a trade this season?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Pau Gasol.

      Lakers have a salary cap disaster pending after next season – moving Gasol next year will be even tougher – and they (and everyone else) knows it.

  23. a different matt

    So has Wilson Chandler been given clearance by FIBA?

  24. cavsfan

    Why aren’t some of the teams needing a SG going after Morrow?

  25. JM

    Name 3 PGs that are better than Calderon and that raptors have even an outside chance of getting without giving up half of the team.

  26. Ryan

    If you are GM of the Raps and ownership comes to you in the off-season demanding one player be amnestied Who do you chose, given current contracts?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      There is no point in amnesty when you are below the cap unless its to make room to land a big name FA. Are you imagining D-Will coming to Toronto and Calderon getting bought out to make room? That’s about the only scenario.

      Only other candidate would be Kleiza if his knee is shot – but it doesn’t look like that’s the case.

  27. Drew

    Give me your thoguhts on this trade.
    LA- Scola, Beasley, Luke plus the 1st Wolves have of either Utah’s or Memphis’s (both if really needed)
    Houston- Gasol
    Minny- K Martin. Minnesota knows that we need to get the SG and everyone else knows that as well. So that is why we would give up the 1sts. Would K Martin make us a legit Playoff team and only giving up Beaz and Luke

    • Stephen Brotherston

      Other than the Lakers getting far too much – Scola + Beasley or Luke is enough – I like the concept.

  28. JDC

    I’m a Bulls fan and every time I see them play i think they don’t have enough athletes. They survive because they out hustle you on defense. Rose is an elite athlete and then is maybe Taj and Brewer (dont create their own shot) .. Do you think they needed to go after a J.R Smith, Crawford or do something where they give Boozer to find more speed, offense and overall better athletes?

    • Stephen Brotherston

      That’s all for today.
      Thanks for all the great comments and questions.

      Bulls athletes? Rose, Deng, Noah, Gibson, Brewer…. just how many athletes were you looking for?

      Even Hamilton is non-stop motion – when he isn’t hurt.

      Asik plays center, Korver is a specialist, Boozer is an effective below the rim big.

      If you are looking for sympathy from Toronto – you stopping at the wrong place.

      The Bulls are a well constructed team with size, defensive players, scorers and athleticism – They don’t really need anything except to play at the top of their games after April.

  29. Howie Abrams

    Just a follow up to my earlier question. You made it seem like the Wolves may be able to find a better deal by trading in the eastern conference. Who from the eastern conference might the Wolves be targeting? WHat are some possible scenarios?

  30. Jeff

    Do you attend all Raps games at ACC?