Twisting in the wind

[JoMal]

Trade rumors - if it were any of us, how would we handle having our name being constantly mentioned in the media that your company is trying to ship you to Mongolia for cheaper outsourced labor?

Mike Bibby is being heavily shopped by the Kings. The Maloofs (NOT Geoff Petrie, or none of this would be known) are essentially doing whatever they can to land Jason Kidd. The only problem is that bringing in Bibby does not really do much for the Nets, and if any team in the League is more desparate for front court line help then the Nets, it would have to be SacTown. Meaning that not much else on the Kings squad would appeal to New Jersey.

More likely, this could work as a leveraging tool to provoke the Cavaliers to sweeten their offer for Bibby. Besides Drew Gooden, they could use an additional draft pick and a point guard. If that deal goes down, then trading Sharif Abdur-Rahim to the Bulls for some forward help would be Sacramento's next step.

Let's see. It is 9:45 currently in Sacramento. Only 2 hours and 15 minutes to do both deals.

Can anyone say, status quo on trades this year?

[westkoast]

Trade rumors - if it were any of us, how would we handle having our name being constantly mentioned in the media that your company is trying to ship you to Mongolia for cheaper outsourced labor?

To make it worse, over the all-star weekend while you have nothing to do except hear the rumors?

If I heard my company was shopping me for an India worker (I am in IT so it's fitting) I would be HEATED.  If they didn't pull the trigger I would be the most worthless worker they had.  If there was anyone worse then me I would step my crappy worker game up.

This is what I feel is going to happen if they do not in fact deal Bibby.  He has had a pretty bad year between the Artest/Bibby beef and now all the trade rumors.  How can you ask a guy to give his heart and soul to your franchise if he doesn't feel the franchise is putting it's heart and soul into him?

[JoMal]

Yeah, but the thing is, Bibby started it by saying this past summer (outloud and within hearing distance of people who took notes) that he was considering opting out of his Sacramento contract after this season ended.

In that he is making the most money on the Kings, and added fuel to the problem by playing most of this season like he is using a medicine ball, you begin to wonder how his agent is selling this guy to other teams. I have heard his agent (Falk) is reknown in the League for making side deals (what the League might call 'illegal') with potential teams trying to trade for his clients, if they consumate the trades.

But the Maloofs thinking on this potential deal for Kidd has me flummoxed. Kidd is five years older then Bibby, will be making $40 million over the next two seasons, and, while a true point guard (which Mike is not), trading for him is not how you go about rebuilding your team. He is what you go about acquiring if you are a piece or two from getting to the finals. The Kings are a baker's dozen away from doing that. 

[westkoast]

Yeah, but the thing is, Bibby started it by saying this past summer (outloud and within hearing distance of people who took notes) that he was considering opting out of his Sacramento contract after this season ended.

In that he is making the most money on the Kings, and added fuel to the problem by playing most of this season like he is using a medicine ball, you begin to wonder how his agent is selling this guy to other teams. I have heard his agent (Falk) is reknown in the League for making side deals (what the League might call 'illegal') with potential teams trying to trade for his clients, if they consumate the trades.

But the Maloofs thinking on this potential deal for Kidd has me flummoxed. Kidd is five years older then Bibby, will be making $40 million over the next two seasons, and, while a true point guard (which Mike is not), trading for him is not how you go about rebuilding your team. He is what you go about acquiring if you are a piece or two from getting to the finals. The Kings are a baker's dozen away from doing that. 

While certainly he deserves some of this because of the comment you mentioned.  ALOT of players opt out of their contracts so they can use other teams to get the highest possible contract they can.  I don't know if Mike opting out of his contract meant he dislikes the team or doesn't want to stay with them.  Could be or it could not be.  Only Bibby and fam would know.

The deal for Kidd doesn't make much sense for the Kings other then maybe it will excite some of the players/fans.  Kidd is an awesome guard.  He can play both sides of the ball pretty damn well.  Much better then Bibby no doubt.  However, he is somewhat of a gamble right now.  I say he is a gamble because in order to pick him up the Nets are asking for alot in return....will you get your return on investment with Kidd in two seasons?  I don't know.  Most would say the only return on investment would be deep in the playoffs or a ring.  If you are trading for him you are trying to do alot in a short amount of time since Kidd is at the end of his career.  That right there is the gamble...you are tossing alot out the door in order to have two-three quality seasons (not baring injury which Kidd is a bit prone to).  With the strength of Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio it would be hard to say that Kidd in purple equals deep in the playoffs right off the bat.

Although Kevin Martin's speed with Artest's strong finishing abilities...put the ball in Kidd's hands and run......sounds like it would be fun as hell to watch.

[JoMal]

Well, since no meaningful trades happened, no fun mixtures of players will keep things interesting in SacTown. But then, the only thing that Petrie has said to media-types about speculations about him making a deal was this:

I think if we do anything, it would be more geared toward the future and some combination of things that give some flexibility, potential, and hopefully some talent too.

If we don't do anything, we're going to go forward with the guys we have, continue to evaluate that and gear up for what you can do at the draft and in July.

Considering what the mixture of possible players could have been, if Petrie had pulled off that trade, it would have meant some front court players would have had to be shipped to New Jersey as well, because that was what the Nets need. Petrie did the right thing in not doing anything. This season looks pretty much lost anyway, so working the draft and making some deals this summer - geared for the future, appears to be the best option left for him.

But now what for the Lakers? Jackson's recent comments in the media were just short of pointing fingers (his favorite way of getting his players' attention). Kidd would have given them the point guard that is needed to reckon with come playoff time. I think Phil should let youth be served this season and expect more from them next year, when they all start to realyze what it takes to play in the NBA for 82 games.

Same with Petrie and Musselman and the Kings.

[WayOutWest]

I don't think the Lakers were in any real trade discussions.  The asking price seems to always be Bynum.  At this stage of the game a 3rd tier journeyman center is a valuable commodity, especially to the Lakers.  In the current NBA a 3rd tier center is actually a 2nd tier because there are really no established 1st tier centers other than Yao.  Amare and Howard are on their way but they are not exactly in the mold of a traditional center.

I think the Lakers were talking trades with one arm tied behind their backs.  IMO the Lakers should just allow Walton and Bynum to continue to develop and then figure out how to land some talent, hopefully Odom will raise his stock this year so he can be traded.  His game is very good but his attitude and mentality sucks big time, I'd trade him if I could.

[JoMal]

I think the Lakers were talking trades with one arm tied behind their backs.  IMO the Lakers should just allow Walton and Bynum to continue to develop and then figure out how to land some talent, hopefully Odom will raise his stock this year so he can be traded.  His game is very good but his attitude and mentality sucks big time, I'd trade him if I could.

Would you trade him for Artest?

I know, the likelihood of the Kings and Lakers making a deal is low, but we need a PF and you need to replace your last rap star.

[westkoast]

I think the Lakers were talking trades with one arm tied behind their backs.  IMO the Lakers should just allow Walton and Bynum to continue to develop and then figure out how to land some talent, hopefully Odom will raise his stock this year so he can be traded.  His game is very good but his attitude and mentality sucks big time, I'd trade him if I could.

Would you trade him for Artest?

I know, the likelihood of the Kings and Lakers making a deal is low, but we need a PF and you need to replace your last rap star.

I would not.  The reason being the focus of the media on the team like the Lakers.  ANY tiny thing that Artest does is going to be poked, twisted, and covered quite a bit if he was in LA.  Some incidents maybe worth the coverage and some may not.  However, I don't think it would help Artest in any way.  He is focused in alot as it is.  LA fans tend to pick out one or two players they ride very hard if the season doesn't go 82-0 regardless of the real problems with the team (see Smush Parker)...so pretty much every year they do this.  If ANYTHING went wrong it would go strickly on Artest's shoulders.

From strickly a basketball stand point it would be nice to have a intimidating defender and strong body in the middle.  That part is a no brainer.  The Lakers defense STINKS and Artest is one of the best one on one defenders.   I just don't know exactly how Artest would do inside of the triangle unless he was to be used in the post.

[JoMal]

After watching Artest play for what amounts to a full season now, I have to say that Artest's opinion that he is one of the 'elite' players in the NBA is a bit far fetched.

While he definitely is tenacious, it would help if he also were a better offensive player. His defense is unquestioned, but on offense he seldom passes the ball after he gets it, thinking the offense should start and end with him. He gets a bit defensive if the coach stops running plays for him, and he clearly does not fit into Bibby's idea of the gameplan. His taking so many shots that should go to Kevin Martin and Bibby most definitely has hurt the Kings' offense. As shown in the Indiana game, ball movement escalates when he sits out, making matchup problems all over the court. When Artest plays, teams can really just play for the rebound once Ron gets the ball.

Roughly sixty percent of the time, this is a great gameplan.