According to the Boston Globe former Celtic shooting guard James Posey has agreed to a four-year, $25 million contract with the New Orleans Hornets. He’ll bring athleticism, outside shooting, stellar defense and a championship swagger to a young Hornets squad that can use all of that — but it’s a steep price to pay for a 31-year-old who has averaged just 9.2 points per game over his nine-year NBA career.

James Posey Photo Credit: Icon SMI

I’ve been a fan of Posey’s since his days in Denver at the beginning of the decade when he was a much different player. Back then the Ohio native and Xavier product was a pesky defender, but he was also a big part of the offense and pretty decent dunker. In his last two seasons for the Nuggets Posey averaged double-digit scoring and just under 3 assists and 6 rebounds a game to go with his solid steals totals. Posey wasn’t what you would call efficient though, sporting around 2 TOs a game to go along with a field-goal shooting around 37%, including over three three-point attempts at under 30%.

He was shipped to Houston during the 2002-03 season where his offense took a back seat before he signed free agent in Memphis for the 2003-04 season. That was the last year Posey scored in double figures, but despite the decline in offensive production his game has aged well in recent years. Over the last five seasons he’s shot at least 37% from behind the arc and over 40% from the field four times. He’s also kept his turnovers at less than one per game in each of the last three seasons.

Posey always had fast hands and a nose for the passing lanes, which has led to 1.2 steals a game over his career. His good defensive instincts have only gotten better and his discipline is greatly improved, allowing him to be a strong defensive rebounder and one of the best in the league at taking charges in limited minutes.

That good footwork and discipline is why Posey has become renown for his ability to keep premier scorers off balance and out of the paint.

He’s honed his game in those respects over the years in addition to adding a mental edge, carving out a role for himself along the lines of a “young” Bruce Bowen. Posey focuses a bulk of his energy on being an incredibly scrappy, irritating and effective defensive presence on the wing. He gets under people’s skin with chippy defense and active hands and throws them off their game by refusing to stop just because the whistle has blown. And like Bowen, on offense he’s now content to just hover around the perimeter knocking down threes. Last season Posey attempted 3.8 of his 5.6 field goals from three-point range — burying 38% of those triples.

What to expect from Posey in The Big Easy, after the jump…

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The NBA Finals are in the books, with Boston taking home the 2007-08 NBA Championship. The NBA Draft has come and gone, with Kevin McHale’s annual bonehead decision in the books. As primarily an NBA and NFL blog, that means ETB gets a brief respite before ramping up our NFL and fantasy football coverage. We’ll take this opportunity to hang up the ole’ Gone Fishin’ sign on our porch, and be doing just that (or as close as you can get in Brooklyn).

If there’s breaking news we may still be checking in to opine on it, but the regular content will be on hiatus. And besides:

NBA teams and players must wait for the salary cap to be set before trades and most free agent signings can commence. Teams may negotiate with free agents beginning July 1, but they have to wait until the moratorium ends before signing a contract. This season it ends on July 8th, so the signing and trading can begin at 12.01 am, July 9th.

We’ll be back sometime after then with all kinds of summer shite:

- Updates on NBA Free Agency Comings, Goings, and Trades
- NFL Gossip and Heresay
- Interviews with NBA and NFL Bloggers
- 2008 NFL Fantasy Football Guides and Rankings
- Our Fantasy Football Mock Draft and Sleepers
- A look at the NFL’s 2008 Offseason Police Blotter
- And of Course, Our Award-Winning* Weekly Fantasy Football Content

In the meantime, here’s a few things to help bide your time:

- Read our NBA free agency updates.

-Read ETB’s Greatest Hits of the 2007/08 NBA Season (not including playoffs)

- Learn how to make whole-wheat bread

- Relive all the titillating moments of ETB’s 2007 NFL football coverage.

- Think twice before making pot brownies

- Rock out

- And finally, enjoy the first episode of “Skunked with Brownie Troop 666,” the new fishing show hosted by Mr. Mickey Melchiondo (Ween, Moistboyz). More info, episodes, and Brownie Troop 666 merchandise can be found at the Official Brownie Troop Fishing Show website.

*May not actually be true

After his gritty contributions to the Celtics’ championship run this season, however, there’s no denying the sizable impact Posey can make for teams gunning for the NBA crown. The 31-year-old knocks down clutch triples, comes up with loose balls, has averaged at least 1 steal/per over the life of his nine-year career, and perhaps most importantly can man-up on defense with some of the NBA’s elite scorers from the wing.

Oh, he can be a dirty player at times alright, and I don’t especially care for his recklessness when he’s running down fast breaks, but as ABC’s Mark Jackson would say, “the man gets the job done.”

James Posey Photo Credit: Icon SMI

He did it with the 2006 Miami Heat—perhaps ETB’s least favorite NBA Champion of all time—and he did it again this year with the Celtics. That track record has a number of contenders lining up to speak with him about accepting their respective mid-level exceptions; that list could include the Celtics, Pistons, Rockets, and Cavaliers amongst others. Based on contracts already awarded this month to mediocre players with limited skill sets like C Desagna Diop (5 years, $30 million!), you can bet Posey will be looking for some security as well.

Quick thoughts on a few possible landing destinations for Posey:

Boston Celtics

GM Danny Ainge denies it, but rumor is that the Celtics have reached out to ex-Los Angeles Clipper Corey Maggette (22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.7 free-throw attempts/per in 2007-08) about taking a paycut for a chance at helping the Celtics repeat. If that’s true—and of course if Maggette bites—Posey won’t be back. I personally think that’s the only scenario in which he leaves, however, given Boston’s success, his familiarity with the system, and his guaranteed role and minutes off the bench.

Detroit Pistons

It’s no secret that the Pistons have struck out repeatedly in their efforts to settle on a consistent backup at small forward behind ironman Tayshaun Prince. I’ve bemoaned this seemingly never-ending search before, and unfortunately it seems last season’s backup, Jarvis Hayes, is the next addition to the “One and Done Club,” an exclusive pack of vagabonds and castoffs that now includes Hayes, Carlos Delfino, Darvin Ham, and Maurice Evans. Clearly, they need some stability there.

Posey’s scrappy, tough-guy defense would fit in well with the Pistons, who’ll likely place even more of an emphasis on solid team defense under new head coach Michael Curry. There have been rumors of a possible deal between the Pistons and Denver Nuggets that could potentially include Carmelo Anthony and Prince swapping jerseys, which would make Posey an even more important addition as the backup to the defensively challenged Anthony.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Posey just personifies Eastern Conference defense, doesn’t he? If the Cavs didn’t have a glaring hole behind LeBron James off the bench, you might think GM Danny Ferry was interested in signing Posey in large part just so James didn’t have to deal with him. The Cavaliers remain an ugly offensive team outside of The Best Thing That Ever Happened or Ever Will Happen To Them, but they are a somewhat surprisingly elite squad at the other end; Posey would, obviously, only strengthen them further.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets were the West’s version of lockdown team defense last season, finishing second in the conference behind only the San Antonio Dullards Spurs in allowing 92 points per game; they were second in the NBA in opposing team’s field-goal percentage at 43.3%. But with Carl Landry’s status up in the air, however, and Chuck Hayes kind of “meh” in our book, the Rockets could certainly use a defensive player of Posey’s talents behind Shane Battier. Not sure whether having two guys of extremely similar skill sets there would be a good or a bad thing, but Posey would again fit in here.

The Los Angeles Lakers (perhaps, but not likely) and New Orleans Hornets (maybe, but wouldn’t that stunt second-year forward Julian Wright’s development some?) are other possibilities.

Related: James Posey, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets

Every year there are several shrewd decisions in free agency on low-risk players that end up paying huge dividends. Each year there are also a number of guys who receive far more than they can possibly contribute, and their bloated contracts become salary-cap anchors (*ahem*, Gilbert Arenas).

On the first day of free agency the Dallas Mavericks signed one of each. According to the Dallas Morning news the Mavs have an agreement with ultra-athletic SG/SF Gerald “Birthday Cake” Green on a one-year deal. That would be the shrewd decision. Later in the day is was reported by ESPN that the Mavs had also struck a six-year deal with C DeSagana Diop for roughly $30 million. That would be the salary-cap anchor.

Hey, we love DeSagana Diop, that’s just way too much money.

Gerald Green Photo Credit: Icon SMI

In their embarrassing first-round loss to the New Orleans Hornets the Dallas Mavericks looked as old and creaky as they have at any point in the Dirk Nowitzki era. They were getting out-hustled, out-run, out-gunned, out-blocked and out-dunked.

They looked tired. Decrepit. Unathletic. Unexciting.

Meanwhile 22-year-old Gerald Green has as much raw athleticism and explosiveness as any player in the National Basketball Association, and that’s not even a bold statement. It’s just a fact: the young man is spectacularly gifted. If you’re a Boston Celtics or Minnesota Timberwolves fan, or if you’ve watched either of the last two NBA Dunk contests (one of which Green won), you know this. Unfortunately for Gerald there’s more to professional basketball than high-flying acrobatics with the ball in your hands. There’s also a little something called defense, and it’s this phase of the game which has completely escaped him to date.

Count me among those who believe the kid can still become a passable defender, and that with a modest improvement there his offensive talent can more than outweigh those shortcomings. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: given 30+ minutes Gerald Green can be an 18+ PPG scorer in the next few seasons (he’s averaged 16 points in 29 career starts). The 6-8 swingman has the necessary skills: a feathery outside jumper, explosive leaping ability, a quick first step, good size and the capability to rise over defenders, a desire to be great (on offense) and the ability to stop-and-pop on a dime. That raw agility, quickness and athleticism also means he could become at least a serviceable defender with the proper coaching and work ethic.

37-year-old Eddie Jones has exercised the option on his contract (even if Dallas wishes he hadn’t) so he’ll be back for a 15th season. The Mavs shouldn’t expect much from Jones. He’s no longer a plus defender, he can’t stay healthy and on offense he shot a putrid 36.7% FGs, 71.4% FTs and 29.3% from three-point range. The man is done. The 34-year-old Jerry Stackhouse is falling off a cliff nearly as fast. Josh Howard disappeared in the playoffs, and he’s rumored to be on the trading block after his public admission of marijuana use during the playoffs drew the ire of the franchise. The swingman situation in Dallas is dire. On top of that, this team needs to get younger and start to play for the post-Jason Kidd era, which will begin the day their season ends in 2008-09.

Who knows if Green will finally get his head screwed on straight after three forgettable years in the league, but it won’t cost the Mavs much to give him a shot. Given his proclivity for dramatic aerial assault, if Gerald Green earns his minutes I have no doubt he will quickly become a fan favorite. And it’s not like Green is a locker-room cancer or has significant off-court troubles, so the risk is very small. The rewards are potentially great.

Related: Gerald Green, Dallas Mavericks, DeSagana Diop, Dirk Nowitzki

The Sacramento Bee reports the 6-3 point guard, who’ll turn 26 years old on Saturday, has signed a five-year deal to stay in Sacramento that will pay him approximately $30 million in all. Udrih joined the Kings relatively early last season after a three-year stint on the bench with the San Antonio Spurs by way of the Minnesota Timberwolves (more on that in a second). With incumbent starter Mike Bibby sitting it out with a broken hand, Udrih stepped right into the starting lineup and played surprisingly well for a player few had put any stock into.

Bibby was eventually dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, and Udrih will now be the main man running the show. In 65 games with the Kings, Udrih averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 boards, 46% FG, and 2.3 turnovers in 32 minutes.

Beno Udrih Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Those aren’t exactly standout stats, but Udrih is a smart player who plays within himself and should improve next year with a full season now under his belt playing extensive minutes in the NBA; over his first three campaigns he averaged just 12 minutes/per and was hardly asked to shoulder any kind of load while he was out there.

With Bibby gone, Ron-Ron regretting not opting out of his contract and likely on his way out via trade, and three new draft picks joining the fold (headlined by 12th overall pick Jason Thompson), the Kings are well on their way towards weeding out the bad seeds and retooling their approach. I personally love their direction and was pleasantly surprised by the results first-year head coach Reggie Theus got from his underachieving crew last season.

It shouldn’t go without mention as to how, exactly, Udrih landed with the Kings in the first place. Yes, he signed as an unrestricted free agent, but that happened courtesy of one of the most bone-headed, under-the-radar roster moves of the 2007-08 season… and surprise surprise it was made by our good friend Kevin McHale. Approximately, oh, 5 minutes after sending a second-round pick to the Spurs in exchange for Udrih, McHale waived him. Waived him. Udrih. A guy now the starting PG for the Kings. With Bassy Telfair in the mix there apparently just wasn’t enough room for Udrih in the Minnesota backcourt. Nevermind that the Wolves are S.O.L. at the moment as far as a backup PG behind Randy Foye…

For some reason this move never really got much press, but we’re here to remind you, boys and girls, that it in fact did happen and that McHale is in fact one of the densest GMs in all of professional basketball. And with that, I congratulate you, Beno Udrih, and wish you a prosperous stay in Sacramento.

Related: Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings, Kevin McHale, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Ron Artest, Mike Bibby

The Donald Sterling era has not been kind to Clippers fans from Buffalo to Los Angeles. Since the real estate mogul acquired the team in 1981 for $12.5 million they have been a depressing paradigm of hopelessness. This has never been what you would call a “proud franchise,” but few professional sports teams can match the level of futility that has become synonymous with these Clips. The team moved to Los Angeles in 1984, and since then they have managed a better record than the crosstown Lakers just twice and made only four playoff appearances – meeting hasty elimination in the first round thrice.

After a 16-year drought the team made the postseason under Larry Brown in 1992, but lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz. They made the playoffs again the following season and were met with another first-round thrashing, this time at the hands of Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. After a few more poor seasons Los Angeles managed to sneak into the playoffs in a weak West with a losing record in 1997. Once again, they were swept by the Jazz in the first round.

The pathetic product trotted onto the court has been the product of a combination of poor management and stubborn refusal by the stingy Mr. Sterling to invest in the Clippers. Injuries and misfortune have played their role, sure, but Mr. Sterling’s stinginess has been primarily responsible for the dismal state of this team.

It appears he’s finally trying to shed his image as an owner who just doesn’t give a shit.

In the last few years the Clippers have opened a state-of-the-art practice facility in Playa Vista, they’ve brokered new television deals with local stations, they’ve appeared on national television more than ever before and they’ve signed a few free agents. Don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers might actually be trying their hand at competitiveness.

Things appeared to turn around for this beleaguered franchise in the 2005-06 season, when they made a nice playoff run with the leadership of stud PF Elton Brand. That season they went all the way to the Western Conference semi-finals, losing to the Phoenix Suns in seven games. They posted their first winning record in 14 seasons and things were looking up. But a number of injuries kept them out of the postseason the last two years. The newfound momentum was petering out. Just days ago they were threatening to hit bottom again with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette looking to bolt.

Queue hometown hero Baron Davis: franchise savior.

After the jump: The Clips are suddenly a fun team to watch…

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That’s how much they would have made during this upcoming season—Davis was due $17.8 million from Golden State, Brand a cool $16.4 million courtesy of the Clippers—before opting out of their respective deals and declaring themselves open for business on the first day of the NBA’s summer free agency bonanza.

Well, let’s backtrack. For the first year in some time this year’s free-agent class isn’t an especially exciting one. It’s like a bland slice of pizza that tastes like cardboard but does the job at 1:30am after a night at the local watering hole: not much nutrition, doesn’t do much for you in the long run, but is a decent stop gap for warding off a hangover.

Elton Brand Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Until Davis and Brand entered the fray, the most interesting names out there from our view aren’t players that are going to come in and save a franchise: SG/SF Corey Maggette, PG Beno Udrih, SF James Posey, SG/SF Ricky Davis, SG/SF Mickael Pietrus… hell, in today’s point-guard needy NBA one might even say that Sebastian Telfair will be somewhat “in demand.” Gilbert Arenas is out there too, but it’s looking more and more likely that Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld is intent on retaining his services and throwing $100+ million at Agent Zero to do so. We think that’s money more better spent elsewhere, but then the Wizards have long been a team content to wallow in mediocrity so resigning him to a lucrative deal makes complete sense.

The list of restricted free agents is considerably more loaded, but we really don’t anticipate much movement from that class. As most of you know, every restricted free agent’s current team has the right to match any offer said player receives from another team. That makes the chances of Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala, Monta Ellis, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, et al changing locales under any circumstances save for a sign-and-trade deal rather unlikely.

So what becomes of Baron Davis and Elton Brand? Davis could, of course, return to Golden State, though that doesn’t seem like his first choice at the moment. Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski (one of our favorite NBA writers) reports the Clippers are wooing Davis and have hopes of resigning Brand too. This is the Los Angeles Clippers we’re talking about, however, a franchise well known for bungling big opportunities and squandering big-time talent, so we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if instead of landing both of these guys they signed neither. As Wojnarowski points out, however, the Clips could have about $26 million to split between Brand and Davis so it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Some think that B-Diddy may be eyeing the New York Knicks as a potential new employer, though for that to happen the Knickerbockers would need to find a way to wriggle out of Stephon Marbury’s $20 million salary for the 2008-09 season. Given his fledgling movie ambitions, we’re inclined to say Davis wants to stay near Hollywood, so the Clippers do make some sense. Other possibilities include the Memphis Grizzlies (very unlikely) and perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers, though they already have an above-average PG in Andre Miller and would likely pursue Brand first with their cap space.

The most sensible options for Brand (read: teams with money) are to either stay with the Clippers, which he has repeatedly hinted at, or perhaps heading back to the Eastern Conference and signing on with the up-and-coming 76ers, who made great strides last season and would have to be considered strong contenders next year with a lineup headlined by Brand, Miller, Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert, and Thaddeus Young. The 29-year-old, 6-8 Brand is exactly the kind of dedicated post-up big man the team needs, and it would seem an enticing possibility for Brand if he’s intent on winning a title. The 76ers would still have some serious work to do on that front, but we all know that advanced civilizations on another planet will be discovered long before the Clippers win a NBA championship.

There are also sign-and-trade possibilities for both Brand and Davis; I recently outlined one scenario that saw Brand winding up in Detroit (admittedly somewhat unlikely). Whatever happens, both of these ETB favorites will be handsomely paid, but it still takes some cajones to throw two sheets to the wind and politely decline a $16+ million salary.

Related: Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Gilbert Arenas, Philadelphia 76ers

As a Minnesotan I was extremely apprehensive heading into this draft. Anybody who roots for the Timberwolves should be nervous about every draft headed by Kevin McHale. He has a history of botching these things and a stubborn refusal to simply take the best player available. It started back in 1996 when McHale swapped Ray Allen for Stephon Marbury and continued without fail into recent years with draft-night decisions like trading the rights to Brandon Roy for Randy Foye and selecting Rashad McCants over Danny Granger. Let’s not even get into the Joe Smith fiasco that cost them five first-round draft picks (even if two of the picks were ultimately returned).

In between those more publicized gaffes McFail has compiled a first-round resume that includes first-round busts Ndudi Ebi, William Avery, Radoslav Nesterovic and Paul Grant. In his inexplicably long tenure in the Wolves’ front office the former Celtic star has only made two great moves: drafting Kevin Garnett and trading Kevin Garnett.

The primary reason last summer’s trade of Garnett was a success is that Minnesota netted future All Star Al Jefferson. He will be the second superstar power forward in Timberwolves history, but it appears McHale is intent on misusing his talents as well by forcing Big Al to center and refusing to surround him with complementary talent.

There was little secret that Kevin Love was the apple of McHale’s eye heading into the draft, so I was shocked when Minnesota went ahead and passed on the big man out of UCLA. I was surprised that McHale actually did was he was supposed to do and didn’t try to get cute. I was relieved, to be honest. O.J. Mayo was the consensus third-best prospect in this draft and he fit a team need as a wing scorer.

Then just hours later McHale did get cute and traded for Kevin Love, a player who is by all accounts completely redundant with Al Jefferson. For those few hundred people out there who actually watched Wolves games religiously last year it was painfully obvious that Al Jefferson thrived as a power forward and struggled as a center.

This move will force Big Al into the middle, a position where he is both uncomfortable and significantly less effective.

After the jump: Why moving Al Jefferson to center is a crying shame…

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In all seriousness, it’s already been quite an eventful afternoon: the Nets have agreed to trade Richard “Peanut” Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, while the Sonics and Clippers have agreed to swap picks provided the T-Wolves draft O.J. Mayo third overall (not a given with McHale making the decisions). You can bet more moves are on the way.

Please check back at ETB throughout the draft for updates on some of the most significant moves, shocking picks, etc. We won’t be live-blogging the entire draft, or listing every pick, but we’ll hit the highlights and give you plenty of our patented, indispensible insight.

We’ll also be participating in a live chat hosted by Matt Moore over at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out here.

The 2008 NBA Draft starts at 7:30pm and will be aired on ESPN. See you then!

- Though the Miami Heat are looking more and more likely to trade the #2 pick, right now a lot of people are saying the draft begins with the third pick and the Minnesota Timberwolves. On that note, I’d be very concerned if I were a Timberwolves fan. GM Kevin McHale has a history of being “too cute” on draft day, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he botched this golden opportunity to line up either Michael Beasley or O.J. Mayo alongside Al Jefferson (beast!), Randy Foye, and Ryan Gomes.

If rumors are true that he McHale is in love with Kevin Love, and trades down to get him, it could shape up to be another cringe-worthy draft for the T-Wolves.

- This is pretty weird (per Chad Ford on ESPN): “The San Antonio Spurs sent an e-mail to every team in the league at 3:30 p.m. saying that they were willing to move the 26th pick. The e-mail asked league executives to ‘E-mail us your interest and your offers to 26.’”

- Waiting for Next Year says that last night’s Pacers/Raps trade will likely wind up screwing Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers with the 19th pick.

- I admittedly don’t know much about him, but I don’t like the cut of Italian forward Danilo Gallinari’s jib. Maybe it’s his poor taste in suits, maybe it’s the floppy, boyish haircut; whatever it is, there’s no way I’d spend a top-10 pick on him.

- Booth Newspapers’ A. Sherrod Blakely says that if the Detroit Pistons trade up in the first round, watch out for a bigger deal involving one of the core players later this week. More specifically, I’d expect a deal to come sometime after July 1… when PG Chauncey Billups is eligible to be dealt.

- ESPN says that Gallinari “is one of the most skilled players in this draft and that he put the ball on the floor at 6-9.” Uh huh. I still wouldn’t draft him. If the New York Knicks, as suspected, end up taking him sixth overall this crowd is going to riot.

- The Chicago Bulls franchise now belongs to Memphis PG Derrick Rose, whose arrival means that either Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon will be wearing a new uniform next season–maybe both will. This kid is a winner and is going to make an impact immediately. Already he’s said his goal is to only be an All Star but to be a superstar on par with Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, et al. Lofty personal expectations, but you have to love his confidence.

Now the draft gets interesting.

More from 2008 NBA Draft night after the jump…

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According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “The Indiana Pacers have agreed in principle to send six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for point guard T.J. Ford and the 17th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.” The story has been backed up by the Toronto Star and Indianapolis Star, so it’s as done as a deal can be before league approval. The trade is still pending all players involved passing their physicals (no easy task with Ford and O’Neal recently), but word is that it’s gotten to this point after recent medical information allayed the concerns of both teams.

I’m usually one to look for what will go wrong with a trade, but frankly this one just makes a lot of sense. It allows both teams to unload a player they didn’t have in their long-term plans and one injury risk is swapped for another. It also gives both teams a degree of financial flexibility when they would prefer to have it while filling a serious need for each. Basically, it’s what an NBA trade should be: a calculated gamble that makes financial and basketball sense. And because it pushes each team in the right direction for this season and beyond, even the casual fan can get behind it.

Jermaine O’Neal and Rasho Nesterovic Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Toronto figures to be a contender in the East in 2008-09 and Indiana doesn’t, so we’ll start with what this deal does for the Raptors. After a decent start to the season they faded in the second half amid a point guard controversy. As they started to fall in the standings Chris Bosh, the face of the franchise, publicly opined that the Raptors were “too soft.” He was right, and Bosh playing center was part of the problem. GM Bryan Colangelo has built a decidedly Euro team around shooters finesse players. They had no interior presence on the defensive end of the floor and undrafted 27-year-old rookie SF Jamario Moon was their best shot blocker.

After compiling a 41-41 record in the regular season Toronto was quickly dispatched by the Orlando Magic in the first round because they simply had no answer for the overpowering Dwight Howard. That will happen when you have starting center and power forward duo of Chris Bosh and Radoslav Nesterovich.

When the hot rumors had Jermaine O’Neal going to the Cleveland Cavaliers we talked about what a healthy Jermaine can bring. When healthy he brings an inside presence on both ends that nobody on the Toronto roster provides. This is a three-time All-NBA player and six-time NBA All-Star who finished third in the MVP voting for 2003-04. He can be a dynamic low-post defensive presence and interior scorer. A front line of Moon, Bosh and O’Neal should be considerably less soft and give Toronto an answer for NBA centers like Howard.

Why this deal works for the Pacers after the jump…

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Source: Contra Costa Times

Analysis:

Just a few days after seeing his name bandied about in trade rumors involving the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons All-Star PG Chauncey Billups has again found himself the subject of speculation.

This time it’s with the Golden State Warriors and a swap with Baron Davis, whose relationship with head coach Don Nelson seems to have soured. Tack on the hefty $17 million he’ll make in the final year of his contract next season—and the fact that GM Chris Mullin is getting ready to pony up big bucks to keep restricted free agents Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis this summer—and it’s not surprising to see Davis mentioned in NBA trade rumors.

According to the report in the Contra Costa Times, the Pistons initiated the conversation and talked about a deal that would also include a swap of versatile big men Al Harrington and Rasheed Wallace. Though Chris McCoskey of the Detroit News claims this rumor is a complete fabrication, it doesn’t seem completely unfathomable to me.

Baron Davis Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Wallace would give the Warriors the strong overall defensive presence in the post they’ve lacked for what feels like forever (Biedrins is a great shot-blocker but can be pushed around and beaten with ease by bigger centers/forwards), and ‘Sheed’s penchant for drifting out to the three-point line is exactly in line with the Warriors’ current offensive philosophy of chucking at will from anywhere and everywhere past the half-court line.

Though a few years older, Billups shares many of the same qualities with Davis—big, excellent long-range shooter, takes and makes big shots—but is less of a health risk and is locked up for years to come. Davis will almost certainly test the free-agent waters next summer and at the moment looks like he’d prefer to leave. Billups’ contract is actually relatively reasonable at about $50 million over the next 4 years (team option the last year)… reasonable assuming that he stays healthy and keeps his conditioning up.

The Pistons would get significantly younger and more athletic in welcoming Davis and Harrington, though Davis would almost certainly need to agree to opt out of his current deal and renegotiate a new one with the Pistons. That is, of course, unless Dumars is ready and willing to rent him for one season, then see his contract come off the books. The versatile, 6-9 Harrington is an interesting player: very talented, can play any frontcourt position, a bit weak on defense, and has bounced around some since the Pacers traded him to Atlanta following the 2004 season. Davis is one of my favorite players in today’s NBA, and though there are injury concerns he’s a dynamic, charismatic dude who’d fit in well with the Pistons. I’d personally love to see him land in Detroit.

That said, I think there’s a very slim chance of this happening. With Rodney Stuckey waiting in the wings at point guard, trading for Davis or another PG like him doesn’t fit with Dumars’ outlook of the team and where he wants to improve it… again, unless he is looking for a one-year renter.

One thing is for certain: Chauncey Billups will continue to be the subject of trade rumors all summer long until something happens one way or the other.

Related: Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Al Harrington, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors

Rumor: Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, and/or Allen Iverson have been mentioned in possible trade discussions with the Detroit Pistons.

Source: ESPN

Analysis:

After being eliminated in the first round yet again despite employing one defensive and two offensive superstars—all three of which are being paid rather handsomely—the Denver Nuggets are understandably looking to shake things up.

The Detroit Pistons advanced to their sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals only to lose for the fifth time and fail to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since they won it in 2004. Their head coach has already been fired, and GM Joe Dumars has made it very clear that he thinks his core group has grown too complacent playing with each other. Changes, possibly big ones, could be on the way.

It would make sense that these two teams be linked in early offseason trade rumors. The Pistons could use a young, up-and-coming superstar who can score with the best of ‘em most nights (Anthony), while Iverson is one of the most intense All-Stars not only of his generation, but in NBA history. He’d give the Pistons—or any team for that matter—a dynamic, scrappy scorer who’s somewhat of a man-to-man defensive liability but who plays the passing lanes as well as anybody. And while some question his leadership skills, nobody can say that he doesn’t leave it all out on the court every night. The man is hungry for a championship ring, and he’d no doubt endear himself to Pistons fans immediately.

The Nuggets, on the other hand, need some backbone. They’re sure as hell fun to watch, but their style of all-offense, no-defense basketball hasn’t translated well to the postseason. Most successful NBA teams need a solid, steadying presence at the point who can not only play at a high level but also help put his teammates in a position to succeed and help get them where they need to be; that’s Denver native Chauncey Billups. And Pistons’ do-it-all starting small forward Tayshaun Prince would be a fine replacement for Anthony should the 24-year-old be involved in a trade. Prince is capable of averaging 16+ points in an uptempo offense and is usually up to the challenge of playing tough defense on the opposing teams’ top wing scorer.

Conflicting reports have been flying these past few weeks. First it was Dumars inquiring about Anthony. Then it was the Nuggets inquiring about Billups and Dumars countering with Billups and Prince for Anthony and change. Then it was Denver counter-countering with packages centered around Iverson and/or Marcus Camby for Prince and Billups and Dumars passing. The latest is that Denver has assured Anthony and his agent that he will not be traded.

Could these two teams still swing a blockbuster deal this summer?

More on the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors after the break…

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