Offseason: Now With Bonus Speculation

Chad Ford outlines a mega-trade scenario:

• The Wolves send Kevin Garnett and Marko Jaric to the Lakers.
• The Lakers send Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to the Pacers and the No. 19 pick to the Wolves.
• The Pacers send O'Neal to the Celtics.
• The Celtics send the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair to Minnesota.

Ford seems to me to be leaning on the notion that Telfair is a "prospect" rather than a "bust" in describing this deal, and even he doesn't think Minnesota would go for it unless "another young player or future draft pick were included." On the other hand, once you get Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge talking to each other, there's no telling what kind of goofy deals will result as we recall from the deal that brought Wally Szczerbiak to Boston.

Photo by Flickr user Compujeramy used under a Creative Commons license

Comments

So, basically, the Wolves get the No. 5, the No. 19, cap space, and Gerald Green. For Garnett.

I'm not convinced this is a smart basketball move for the Lakers, either, but if it will shut Kobe up, it's probably a good management move.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | June 26, 2007 11:03 AM

I may have to go to church today to pray for this deal as a Lakers fan. But this highlights the problem with making deals in this new age of media, in that now that the particulars have been made public its just that more unlikely that it gets done.

Posted by Derrick | June 26, 2007 11:10 AM

This seems like a great deal for the Lakers and just an awful trade for the Pacers, so I fully expect David Stern to do all he can to engineer this trade.

Posted by Max | June 26, 2007 11:18 AM

This is a bad deal for the Pacers?!? You get replacement numbers for a O'Neal at a lower price and the guy who would be the #3 pick in this year's draft. For an injury prone player who can't carry a team.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | June 26, 2007 11:24 AM

Seems like a decent trade all around, for the various reasons the various teams would have to make it. It will never happen.

Posted by Antid Oto | June 26, 2007 11:55 AM

For this deal to go through someone must have some pictures of Kevin McHale doing something awful with a chicken or something. 3 teams get huge talent infusions and he gets a draft pick, a prospect and two stiffs. Can the other GMs keep straight faces long enough to get this done?

Posted by markg | June 26, 2007 11:56 AM

3 teams get huge talent infusions and he gets a draft pick, a prospect and two stiffs.

He gets two draft picks.

Posted by Max | June 26, 2007 12:23 PM

I would agree with all of you except that there's one thing that McHale could do that would guarantee his team's fortunes not improving: not doing anything. This team simply is not going to get over the hump with anything resembling it's current roster. But Garnett keeps the team from falling so far that they could get a top 3 draft choice, and potentially a player who could make the difference. If you're McHale and you've got the deepest draft in a long, long time staring you in the face, you may just roll the dice for the 5, Ratliff's cap room and Green, and just eat Telfair.

Posted by Freddie | June 26, 2007 12:25 PM

I don't know about this for the Celtics. Is Jermaine O'neal that valuable these days?

Posted by The Animal | June 26, 2007 12:30 PM

Jermaine O'Neal is as valuable as the #5 pick and a bunch of cap room and crap, yes. McHale might do a better than two draft picks and cap room for Garnett, but no one will offer him a decent deal because he's a known idiot.

Posted by Antid Oto | June 26, 2007 1:25 PM

After speaking with a league source, I think the deal has some legs, though it doesn't appear imminent.

Come on Dr. Buss - stop playing poker, fire Mitch Kupchak, rehire Jerry West - and make this happen.

Posted by SoCalJustice | June 26, 2007 1:55 PM

I don't know about this for the Celtics. Is Jermaine O'neal that valuable these days?

Recent history shows that any temporary infusion of veteran talent is enough to get the Celtics kiddie korps to the playoffs. Unfortunately, it's also shown that Paul Pierce is a second- or third-tier all-star, that Gerald Green has a screw loose, and that Danny Ainge would be better situated running security for Mitt Romney. Until Ainge is gone, there is no hope for those of us who still worship at the shrine of Cousy, Russell, Havlicek and Bird.

Posted by Walter Crockett | June 26, 2007 2:32 PM

Jermaine O'Neal is as valuable as the #5 pick and a bunch of cap room and crap, yes.

Agreed. Heading into last season, Gerald Green was considered a pretty good prospect in Boston...but the total lack of basketball IQ he showed this season, along with the glut of swingmen on the roster, has made GG expendable. As a Celtics fan, I think it would be a pretty good gamble, insofar as the C's could potentially get quite a bit better without giving up Jefferson. McHale would have to be insane to do the deal, however.

The Boston Herald continues to insist that the Minnesota to Boston (straight up) deal is not dead, presumably because the Celts are offering a much better package for KG than anyone else. A source within the Celtics organization says Garnett's agent is just blustering about KG hating Boston...implying that KG may yet come around to the idea yet.

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1008154

Posted by owenz | June 26, 2007 2:37 PM

The reason the Wolves might do this is that many of us hear doubt Glen Taylor will be willing to spend what it takes to make Garnet happy, and Garnet can walk after next season if he wants. We figure its better to get something now than have another season like this one and then get nothing.

Posted by dan | June 26, 2007 2:49 PM

"It's typically not good for a sport when the offseason is more entertaining than the season itself."

-- Ken Berger, Newsday

Posted by Thlayli | June 26, 2007 4:54 PM