What does trading away youth say about your GM?

[MARIS61]

On a team where nearly all the players were originally hand-picked or drafted by him, it says basically that he screwed up and over-rated his prospects, and probably passed on better players, and is now desperately trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

I don't think KP screwed up. I think he's been a great assembler of young, unspoiled talent that mixes well, and he's avoided poisoning the pie with stale ingredients from half-baked teams.

I expect him to stay on course, and reject the ridiculous offers he has gotten from teams desperate to unload overpaid, overplayed, overrated players.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Having vets is a good thing, Marris. Our youngsters could learn a lot froma vet like Carter (or whomever).

Take a chillaxative.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

This team would benefit from some vets. Getting rid of Sergio is just icing on the cake and makes room for Bayless

 

[MIXUM]

maris....see what happened in chicago

 

[hasoos]

It means you were wrong about Sergio. What the hell else do you think it means!

Just giving you a bad time Maris!

 

[Ed O]

Trading assets is in no way an indication of failure.

If Portland can turn an expiring contract and a pair of late first rounders into Vince Carter, how could anyone reasonably do him for doing so?

Ed O.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I think it's actually the opposite, Maris...if this goes through we've taken a 23rd and 27th pick and turned them into Vince Carter or Richard Jefferson or Wallace. I think it shows that our GM has played Rumpelstiltskin, spinning late picks into potentially-HOF players. 26 teams (including NJN) passed on Sergio, and now we can get VC for him. Travis could've been had for around 4M this year, but teams didn't want to sign him for that.

 

[Sinobas]

On a team where nearly all the players were originally hand-picked or drafted by him, it says basically that he screwed up and over-rated his prospects, and probably passed on better players, and is now desperately trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

I don't think KP screwed up. I think he's been a great assembler of young, unspoiled talent that mixes well, and he's avoided poisoning the pie with stale ingredients from half-baked teams.

I expect him to stay on course, and reject the ridiculous offers he has gotten from teams desperate to unload overpaid, overplayed, overrated players.

Huh? I don't follow your logic there. All it means is that he's trying to make the team better. And who are we talking about trading here? Outlaw, Sergio, Frye, LaFrentz? These are expendable scrubs. Also ee didn't draft Outlaw, we acquired Frye and LaFrentz in trades which brought in Brandon Roy and got Randolph off our books. And Sergio? He was a good prospect..he's has his strengths as a ball player but that doesn't mean you shouldn't trade him to upgrade a starting spot.

 

[hasoos]

Ok for official chime in: I will ask you this in return. Can you name a team that ever, became competitive without making a few moves to fill in essential pieces, and just drafted every player on the team and made it to the finals? I highly doubt it, I can't remember one team that did that. The chances of a team purely drafting its way to an elite level, are very small. It would require that almost every pick, for several years, work out perfectly. The NBA is far from a perfect world. You try to get close, and then add a few pieces you need to make a run.

 

[alex42083]

It's hard to develop 10-11 young guys all at once, but KP should get credit, as well as Nate and the coaching staff, for developing them into assets that teams actually want.

 

[Ed O]

Ok for official chime in: I will ask you this in return. Can you name a team that ever, became competitive without making a few moves to fill in essential pieces, and just drafted every player on the team and made it to the finals? I highly doubt it, I can't remember one team that did that. The chances of a team purely drafting its way to an elite level, are very small. It would require that almost every pick, for several years, work out perfectly. The NBA is far from a perfect world. You try to get close, and then add a few pieces you need to make a run.

I asked him something similar a couple of months ago.

He is on record as believing that this team is unique in NBA history in that it doesn't need to make ANY other moves.

Ed O.

 

[Stepping Razor]

A consolidation trade would be a good thing. It's almost impossible to develop a whole bunch of good young prospects at once, because they need a chance for PT or they're never going to thrive.

I like Bayless *and* Sergio... but they're almost certainly never *both* going to become great NBA players because they will get in the way of each other's development.

Ditto Travis and Martell and Nic etc...

Now, I'm not in favor of a fire sale or anything like that... in the absence of a great offer, just let it bake (as you like to say). But if we can move a few of those pieces that *might* develop into a great player in the future for a guy who *is* a great player right now, I think we have to do it.

Now, is that "great" player a 32-year-old Vince Carter? I would say no. John Salmons? Hell no.

But Caron Butler, just entering his prime? Gerald Wallace, just entering his prime? I'd make that kind of move, and I don't think it would reflect badly on KP's judgment in putting together the kind of young talent necessary to make such a move. Quite the contrary.

SR

 

[Nikolokolus]

It says he's a smart mofo.

 

[Tortimer]

A consolidation trade would be a good thing. It's almost impossible to develop a whole bunch of good young prospects at once, because they need a chance for PT or they're never going to thrive.

I like Bayless *and* Sergio... but they're almost certainly never *both* going to become great NBA players because they will get in the way of each other's development.

Ditto Travis and Martell and Nic etc...

Now, I'm not in favor of a fire sale or anything like that... in the absence of a great offer, just let it bake (as you like to say). But if we can move a few of those pieces that *might* develop into a great player in the future for a guy who *is* a great player right now, I think we have to do it.

Now, is that "great" player a 32-year-old Vince Carter? I would say no. John Salmons? Hell no.

But Caron Butler, just entering his prime? Gerald Wallace, just entering his prime? I'd make that kind of move, and I don't think it would reflect badly on KP's judgment in putting together the kind of young talent necessary to make such a move. Quite the contrary.

SR

Perfect thinking and that is what I think KP is thinking. That is the reason I think the rumor for VC is a smokescreen or just wrong and MB said we will be surprised who we are trading for.

 

[hasoos]

I asked him something similar a couple of months ago.

He is on record as believing that this team is unique in NBA history in that it doesn't need to make ANY other moves.

Ed O.

That makes my brain hurt.