cavs close to two deals...

[tradepeja]

While I wouldve kept Gooden, i still think this is a good trade. Maybe they couldnt get it done unless they unloaded Gooden (which is very likely) and decided to pick up Wallace on the way.

Though I am very disappointed they didnt pick up a single Miller. Both of those guys were exactly what they needed to a tee.

However, they do have 3 legitimate, consistent shooters now, one of which can take the ball pressure off lebron. So, good trade.

 

[Superman]

Bad trade. It's good right now, but remember that Lebron is only what, 23? I think they could have gotten a much better, YOUNGER player for Drew. The Cavs got lucky last year and they are lucky to even make the playoffs this year. IMHO they need to look for players in the long run, not right now.

Come one, you have Lebron. Build a dynasty, not a mediocre team that only gets worse with age.

Ben and Wally only have two more years on their deals, right? It's not like they're going to be stuck in salary cap hell for the foreseeable future. They'll be okay, especially if they continue to go deep in the playoffs.

 

[hrdboild]

I like this trade for both teams. The Bulls have gotten infinitely better now that Tyrus Thomas is starting. I didn't realize how good that guy is. Did you see him against Houston the other night? He's going to be a great player. Call me crazy, but I think Larry Hughes is a better fit for them than Ben Gordon. Gordon was only ever a scorer for them which is why he's struggled in the starting lineup. He's a younger Bobby Jackson but he wants a lot more money. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls decide not to re-sign him this summer. Hughes is a better playmaker, a better defender, and he's not undersized as a 2 guard. I think this means the end of Ben Gordon in Chicago. Gooden is a surprisingly good fit for them as well.

And I think Cleveland got better too. They need Ben Wallace more than they need Drew Gooden. He's going to score points in Cleveland because he'll be wide open and when he's motivated (which he clearly was not in Chicago) he's still one of the best post defenders in the NBA. Delonte West is a great great pickup for them too. Finally they have a legitimate PG to play alongside Lebron. Wally is whatever, though he'll probably help them more than he would help anyone else. Great trade. Both teams are fun to watch again.

And speaking of the Cavs, here's a hypothetical question I've been kicking around. I would bet money that Lebron is moving to Brooklyn with the Nets and his buddy Jay-Z. It just makes too much sense for everyone involved not to happen. And if you're Jay-Z or Lebron and you're constructing a championship team in Brooklyn, who would you want on that team? One of the first names that comes up for me is Ron Artest. It doesn't get much more New York than Artest, and he'd be crazy to want anything to do with the Knicks right now. This is a win-win for everyone. Artest gets to move back home and play alongside the next rising star of the NBA for at least one guaranteed championship. The Nets get to market Artest as "Brooklyn's own" (though he's actually from Queens but that's closer to Brooklyn culturally and geographically than the Knicks out there in Manhattan) If he does sign an extension with Sacramento I'm thinking it's going to be short-term with the idea of Brooklyn already in his longterm plans.