What New Orleans Wants: Losing Paul is going to kick start a rebuilding process, and that means that the Hornets need to turn solid veterans with big contracts (i.e., Emeka Okafor) into less expensive players and assets. The Hornets also want good first round draft picks.

• Takeaway: New Orleans probably isn’t going to trade Chris Paul unless Okafor goes along with him.

What Los Angeles Wants: Chris Paul at any cost. Paul can be the face of the Lakers for the rest of this decade, succeeding Kobe. Furthermore, Paul + the Hollywood lifestyle will ensure that L.A. can entice free agents for years to come.

• Takeaway: L.A. will probably trade anyone who isn’t named Kobe to acquire Paul.

The Problem: If we look at the centerpieces of the Chris Paul – Lakers trade:

1. New Orleans would pass on a Bynum for Paul trade because that doesn’t get rid of Okafor.
2. Trading Paul + Okafor for Bynum + Gasol (or perhaps Bynum + Odom), solves #1, but neither Odom nor Gasol help the Hornets rebuild. There’s also the fact that Odom and Gasol are incredibly expensive players for a rebuilding team.
3. The Lakers can offer first round picks, but none of the picks are going to be very high. They’re likely to come in the late 20′s, which is nothing to get excited about considering Golden State and the Clippers can offer more.

The Solution: Why not pull in the Hawks?

Josh Smith is available, and Atlanta has picks they might be willing to offer up in a Gasol trade. L.A. could then trade the pick(s) from Atlanta to New Orleans (along with a pick or two of their own) and take back Okafor and Paul. Here’s the deal I would propose:

• L.A. gets Chris Paul, Okafor, and Josh Smith
• New Orleans gets Bynum, Kirk Hinrich, and draft picks from both Atlanta and L.A.
• Atlanta gets Gasol and saves about $2 million in salary

Everyone wins.

• L.A. gets a great group of players and a legit shot at a championship, but they also get to pay a hefty luxury tax. As time goes by, these types of contracts are going to become very toxic, and only big markets like L.A. will be able to take them on.
• New Orleans gets a nice young asset in Bynum, picks, and a veteran point guard who can hold down the fort (and who might take a buy-out later this year). New Orleans could also probably work out some cash in this trade too.
• Atlanta gets to move Al Horford to PF, adds an All-Star at Center, and gets rid of a malcontent who will be very expensive to re-sign (Smith). They also save money this year.

While this trade isn’t perfect – New Orleans would prefer picks from lottery teams, L.A. probably doesn’t want to take on Okafor, and Atlanta needs depth – all three teams get what they need.

Furthermore, both L.A. and Atlanta have a legit shot at a championship this year as a result of this trade. Gasol + Horford + Joe Johnson is a formidable group out East that will give the Heat and the Bulls a good run.

Thoughts?

Image copyright Keith Allison - click photo for details

He led one team to three NBA titles and helped Dwayne Wade lead another to one. He was MVP of the NBA Finals three times, and his 28,596 points rank him fifth all time behind NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain. The stats alone show that Shaquille O’Neal will go down in history as one of the greats, but the stats do not tell the whole story.

To understand how dominant Shaq was on the court and how entertaining he was off the court, you had to watch him, study his moves, and listen to him crack jokes. There have only been a few players over the years who have been classified as unstoppable, and even fewer were able to maintain that classification consistently and for as long as Shaquille O’Neal.

To understand “Shaqness”, you first need to understand just how awesomely huge this man is. Plenty of centers were tall, and some were even big, but Shaq is 7”1’ and over 300lbs. People his size are normally pretty immobile, but Shaq was agile, probably not classified as graceful, but undeniably in control of his body and anyone else on the court who got in his way.

In his early years with the Orlando Magic, he immediately made his presence felt by breaking down backboards and even pulling down an entire goal after a dunk. He snapped the entire backboard like a twig and quickly moved out of the way as the whole structure fell to the floor.

The standard defensive protocol with a big man is to put another big body on him, but none were big enough, strong enough, or skilled enough to defend Shaquille O’Neal. As a result, in several seasons of his career he averaged close to 30 points per game, over ten rebounds and at least two blocked shots.

Off the court, Shaq was known for dropping “Random acts of Shaqness”, inventing his own words, joking with his teammates and commentators, pretending no to know who Kobe Bryant was, and even launching a hip-hop side job. In music videos, movies, and interviews, O’Neal’s charisma, unmistakable heavy monotone voice, and jolly sense of humor were always present.

More than just a dominant player, Shaquille O’Neal was an entertainer, and fans all over the world loved him. He served as an ambassador, introducing the game of basketball to people who may not have ever cared about it. His influence and power to bring across a positive message was phenomenal, and that will undoubtedly continue long after his retirement.

Now that his 19-year career has ended, it will be left to the critics, commentators, other players, and fans to decide where Shaquille O’Neal ranks among the all-time greats. For his position, he was easily the most dominant to ever play center, and the statistics indicate he was one of the most productive. While he was not the guy you would want at the free throw line in a clutch situation, he was an immovable force in the paint on offense and defense.

At the end of his career, Shaquille O’Neal had played for six teams, winning three NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. He won 3 finals MVP awards, one NBA MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, 15 NBA All-Star appearances, 2 scoring titles, 8 All-NBA First Team awards, 3 All-Defensive Team awards, and 3 All-Star MVP awards.

Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement marks the end of an era: the era of the true big man. NBA teams still have centers, but aside from Dwight Howard, there are few true back-to-the-basket centers left in the game and none as dominant and explosive as O’Neal. When Shaq came into the league, there was stiff competition at the center position with greats like Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Alonzo Mourning. Shaq battled them all and lived to tell about it. As Shaquille O’Neal leaves the game, the style of basketball that made him great may unfortunately leave with him.

Is Shaq the greatest of all time? For many he will be remembered as that, and for everyone else, he will still be remembered. Shaquille O’Neal was so many positive things to the game of basketball and will continue to be someone people tune in to watch, regardless of what he does with his millions of dollars and free time. As one YouTube commenter put it best, “Like his free throws, Shaq will be badly missed.”

Shocking, right?

Looking at Utah’s cap situation and the seemingly inevitable drama that would have followed the Jazz around next season – the “Where will Deron go?” hysteria – Utah made a gutsy decision and turned a great point guard into a very good point guard, an interesting rookie, and two draft picks.

The conclusions that we can draw are:

1. Sloan’s departure hurt the Jazz in more ways than one. Some might say that Williams hated Sloan, but the Jazz never (or almost never) lost 4 games in a row during the Sloan era.

2. Williams must have given Utah a signal about leaving. Why else would they trade the cornerstone of the franchise? He must have said or done something to show the people in Utah that he wasn’t on board for the long haul.

3. The Melo’ drama scared Utah. If we assume that Williams made it clear he wasn’t planning on sticking, then we have to wonder why Utah wouldn’t try to change his mind. It’s much easier to convince a superstar to stay than it is to replace him…but the Melo’ craziness must have shown Utah that keeping Williams was difficult. Not to mention all the media circus crap.

4. Utah isn’t going to fall off the map. Devin Harris can play, and despite his defensive problems Al Jefferson can play. Harris and Jefferson are a nice inside-out combo – throw in some shooting and Utah isn’t too bad.

The two draft picks are a nice pickup too – hopefully one of them is NJ’s and hopefully it’s unprotected. Houston’s “18 protected” pick that was rumored to be included in the Melo deal isn’t much of a first-rounder.

5. What happens to Milsap? I doubt that Utah trades him now, but moving Milsap seems like a foregone conclusion either this summer or before the next trade deadline. In all likelihood, Favors is good enough to replace him in the next year.

6. What happens if NJ can’t get Williams to agree to an extension? It’s high-stakes poker if New Jersey gives up Derrick Favors and picks for a guy who hasn’t committed. Bold.

It looks like small-market teams will be more likely than ever to jump the gun when a big player comes up for free agency. In this new era where players are all friends with one another, small-market superstars seem likely to leave…maybe that’s not a bad thing. If small-market teams build around good players, smart drafting, and fundamentals, they’ll be just as capable of playing for a championship as unbalanced “super teams” with little depth.

Raymond Felton is a good passer, a decent defender, and a better shooter than Miller, and therefore he’s a better running mate for Brandon Roy. He’s also younger, so he’ll have a chance to develop chemistry with Portland’s new franchise player LaMarcus Aldridge.

In other words, Felton is a better fit than Miller.

In my opinion, Denver will be open to trading Felton right away because:

• Lawson is the new star in Denver
• Lawson has a bigger upside than Felton, which is important for a rebuilding team
• Lawson is cheaper

Therefore, if Portland is willing to offer something of substance in addition to Miller’s psuedo-expiring deal, I think they can get Denver to send Felton just a little further West.

What About Devin Harris?

It’s also been rumored that, should Carmelo head to New York, New Jersey and Portland will make a deal that sends Devin Harris, Travis Outlaw, and Anthony Morrow to Portland for Andre Miller, Joel Pryzbilla, and a youngster. I don’t like this trade for two reasons:

1. The Travis Outlaw contract – 5 years and $7 million per – is horrible.
2. Felton is probably available, and he’s a better point guard than Harris

Harris has more speed, and he could certainly be the focal-point of a new Blazers offense if Roy is indeed never again the player he once was. Still, Portland is winning games with Andre Miller, and Ray Felton is more like Andre Miller than Devin Harris is.

Felton’s contract is better too. Most teams are looking for ways to reduce their future salary commitments right now, so trading for Felton is a better move in that regard as well.

Bottom Line: If Denver is willing to move Felton (and I’m nearly certain that they will be), Portland should get involved. Ray Felton is a younger, better-shooting and more athletic version of Andre Miller, and he’s a better pure point guard than Devin Harris. He’s an upgrade now and a better player for the future.

1. Bynum has missed a lot of games this year and we still win without him
2. Kobe is on the downhill slope of his career – it’s a good idea to have a successor waiting in the wings
3. Melo might be a better player with Kobe and Phil Jackson looking over his shoulder – after all, we saw a glimpse of what Melo can do in the Denver-LA Western Conference Finals
4. Melo creates space for Gasol and Kobe and puts a lot of pressure on defenses

I also think LA is hesitant to trade for Melo because he wouldn’t improve their defense. There’s also the issue of usage – where will the ball go with Odom, Gasol, Kobe, and Melo all on the floor?

To be honest, I don’t see LA having a lot of reasons to do this deal. Unless Bynum isn’t taking things seriously and applying himself, trading him seems like the wrong move.

As far as Denver is concerned, this deal is a no-brainer. Here’s why:

1. Bynum is young, and he’s a franchise talent. Denver doesn’t want to trade Melo unless they can get a franchise talent – or a chance at drafting a franchise talent – in return. Bynum, when healthy, would be the 2nd best center in the league and a tough matchup.

2. Bynum is easy to flip. If Denver decides that Bynum isn’t the answer, they can flip him this summer for draft picks and interesting young players very easily. I think there are at least half a dozen teams that would get serious if Bynum were made available.

3. Grabbing Bynum makes moving Nene very possible. If Denver acquired Bynum, they would have every reason to trade Nene. Nene’s upside is much smaller, and he’s an older player – but he’s healthier and he doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Houston reportedly loves Nene and has a lot of great assets.

The main reason that Denver likes a Melo for Bynum deal, however, is this: Bynum brings back more than Melo in any trade scenario. Because Melo is unwilling to sign an extension with most teams, his trade value is lower than the value of Bynum, who is under contract for at least two more seasons.

I don’ t think I’d like this move if I were an LA fan, but as a Nuggets fan I’m all about it. Here’s to hoping it goes down, or at the very least gets NY to raise their offer.

Not so fast.

While it’s certainly true Denver would probably be wise to move Carmelo now, they certainly don’t have to. There are a lot of unknowns that play in Denver’s favor.

A New C.B.A.

The obvious threat in a new CBA is that player salaries would drop 10-20%. However, I don’t think they’ll fall more than 10%. Therefore, I don’t think that Melo’s primary concern is losing cash. Instead, I think he’s more concerned about his limited team options under a new agreement.

Let’s assume, first, that Melo opts out in the summer. Next, let’s figure that the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) includes a hard cap at or near the current salary cap of $58 million. Finally, let’s estimate that player salaries are scaled back about 10%.

Under these conditions, a max contract for Melo in 2011-2012 would be worth about the same amount he’s making now – $17 million. How many teams will have $17 million in cap space next year?

• Nets
• Knicks, but only if they dump the contract or two
• Indiana
• OKC
• Memphis
• Sacramento
• Houston, assuming they don’t re-sign Yao
• Minnesota

Obviously, this list is subject to change. A lot of teams could move some things around to make room…but none of these teams are likely to be contenders. OKC is definitely a contender, but I don’t see a role for Melo on that team. Jeff Green + Kevin Durant already play SF/PF pretty well…not sure what Melo adds to that team to put them over the top.

Basically, if Melo wants to play for a contender, he needs a trade to make it happen. Otherwise, he’ll have to take his chances in NY, NJ, or hope that some other team blows things up to have a chance at Melo.

Melo Needs Kroenke More Than Kroenke Needs Melo

Melo’s wish is to complete a max extension under a sign and trade arrangement with a contending team like Houston. If he wants that to happen, he can’t do it by trying to put the screws to Kroenke.

If Melo wants to sign an extension for the maximum amount of money, he needs Denver to make the offer. Trouble is, Stan Kroenke is a billionaire. He doesn’t have to worry if the Nuggets enter a long period of budget-draining “suckiness” – he can just write a check and blame the poor performance of the team on Melo’s demand to leave.

Is it in the best interest of Denver to sacrifice Melo’s rights to prove a point? Of course not. Does anyone think that a billionaire like Stan Kroenke would hesitate to put a young punk like Melo in his place?

I think he might – at least I think it’s possible. If I were Melo, I wouldn’t bet $20 million on it.

Melo needs Denver just a little more than they need him, which means it’s in Melo’s best interests to help Denver obtain value for him in a trade. Expect to see Melo be amenable to a variety of trades once the real offers start coming in.