Reading between the lines

[Netted]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Astral @ Jun 17 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Netted @ Jun 17 2008, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Astral @ Jun 17 2008, 01:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>And why would the Nets do that trade? They give up all of their assets for what? An extra $2.5M (Raef is $12.7M, Swift+KVH are 6.2+4=$10.2M; 12.7-10.2=$2.5M) expiring contract, a backup big man who makes $7M for the next 3 years, an average player and a late lottery pick?</div>
You have an idea about what they will do with these assets? KVH will be bought out once the season starts so he only has a value for the next 3 months. Getting out of Jefferson's contract and replacing it with Pryzbilla's shorter and cheaper deal, getting #13 (it's a mid 1st round pick... not late), and a young player with upside is not a bad deal.

Hey I'm all open to other ideas, but short of getting Brand which is always the #1 option if it's feasible, I don't see a lot of great options for all these assets.
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For one, we don't have to do anything. There is nothing that says "RJ must be traded before the beginning of the season".
Two, Swift usually plays well in contract year. We can just reap the benefits and let someone else overpay him.
KVH is the tricky one: he is a very nice asset to have, and other teams will want it badly, but you have to make sure there are more positives than negatives.

Do you really see the Nets with 3 rookies next season? I surely don't. If we trade away RJ, KVH and SS, our only chance of dealing the picks may be something like packaging all 3 of them for a #5 or #6.

RJ has sucked this year because he stopped paying attention to defense. There will be plenty of people to tell him so this off-season. If he re-establishes his commitment to defense I'm not against having him. Remember, so far he DID improve every season. He came in as an energetic slasher. Worked into a pretty good defensive player, then worked on his shot, shooting 46%/36%/80% for the season. Those are solid numbers for a small forward. If he combines them with his commitment to defense, he'll be worth his money.

My main problem with your deal is that it just gets rid of RJ for nothing. We don't get a young promising player, we don't get a good pick, and we barely get any expiring contracts back. What's the point of doing the deal? Crowding our front court even more?

P.S. I said "late lottery", which is equivalent to "mid 1st round".
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So you rather keep everything status quo.

Some people think Outlaw has a lot of upside. You get an expiring, solid bigman, young talent with potential, and a late lottery pick.

I expected some people on here to say Portland was giving too much for RJ and that pile of junk.

P.S. - Yes I think the Nets will keep 3 rookies because I don't think they are keeping Marcus. See no reason why the 11th, 12th, and 13th guys on the roster can't be rookies.

 

[Dumpy]

There's a rumour that Brand will opt out--and that he doesn't just plan on returning to the Clippers with a new contract.

 

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Jun 17 2008, 02:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>There's a rumour that Brand will opt out--and that he doesn't just plan on returning to the Clippers with a new contract.</div>
Sweeeeeeeeeet... if he changed his mind it will change everything for the Nets this year.

He's probably watching Garnett, Allen, and Pierce in the Finals and thinks that could be him next year.

With the right situation he doesn't have to wait to compete for a title.

 

[Dumpy]

In the spirit of the title of this thread:

Brand still undecided
June 12th, 2008, 6:12 pm · Post a Comment · posted by ART THOMPSON III, OCREGISTER.COM
Clippers forward Elton Brand knows Clipper Nation does not really care how well his off-season workouts have been going. Clipper Nation really isn’t concerned about how Brand’s left Achilles’ tendon feels.

A 17.6 points per game and eight rebounds per game in the eight contests he finally was able to get in, to finish out the season, would attest to Brand returning as good as new, from last summer’s injury, that cost him all but 74 games in 2007-2008.

No, what fans want to know, is whether Brand will exercise the opt-out on the final year of his contract that is due to pay him $16,440,000 for the 2008-2009 season. Brand’s agent, David Falk, has been having preliminary discussions with the Clippers.

“Nothing’s really come up,” Brand said Thursday. “We’re just looking at the landscape. He’ll probably know more in the next week and a half or two weeks. But I’m here now, training and getting prepared.”

There have been rumors that Brand not only is considering opting out but also rejecting any contract offer the Clippers extend and instead severing ties with the franchise that he has played for the past seven years.

Including his first two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Brand has averaged 20.3 points and 10.1 rebounds.

“Even if there is an opt-out, it doesn’t mean I’m going to a new team,” Brand clarified. “It’s hinging on my agent saying to me, ‘Here are your options.”’

So what does Brand believe is his best-case scenario?

“The best-case scenario is to be here and to get to the championship, in the time that we have, and then everything would be great,” Brand said.



http://clippers.freedomblogging.com/2008/0...till-undecided/

 

[Netted]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>“The best-case scenario is to be here and to get to the championship, in the time that we have, and then everything would be great,” Brand said.</div>
Sounds like being a championship contender is a big part of his decision. All discussions will center around how the Clips plan on getting there.

Interesting. I don't see how they can.