ESPN: Shopping season begins in the NBA (merged)

Team Dime said:
I'm starting to like Deng. The kid has been averaging 19 ppg and 8 boards over the last few weeks, he also hustles all over the floor.
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and deng's best years are still well ahead of him! peja's "MVP season," as many like to call it, has come and gone. i don't expect peja will ever play with that same fire again. he seems so complacent and disinterested. deng is a 19/8 guy right now, and he can still get better. if petrie can pick up that kind of talent for peja--whose trade value has dropped considerably since '03--then my faith in him would be utterly restored.
 
Team Dime said:
I'm starting to like Deng. The kid has been averaging 19 ppg and 8 boards over the last few weeks, he also hustles all over the floor.
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Indeed, Deng's a stud IMO. Can't believe Phoenix traded their rights to him away... and am glad they did. :)

Amare/Deng/Marion/Barbosa/Diaw would of been a crazy group (future). Amare/Deng/Marion alone would be a ridiculous trio.
 
piksi said:
Pedja will not get a max.

His agent is not stupid. However, he will try to get as much, as possible.
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If Michael Redd can get a max deal then it's no stretch of the imagination to think that Peja can get one. Should he? No, but there's a chance he might.
 
Diabeticwonder said:
If Michael Redd can get a max deal then it's no stretch of the imagination to think that Peja can get one. Should he? No, but there's a chance he might.
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well, hopefully the door doesn't hit him on his way out
 
Peja is the reason I started watching the Kings, but...

if it makes the Kings better, then do it. I can always root for 2 teams
 
Team Dime said:
I'm starting to like Deng. The kid has been averaging 19 ppg and 8 boards over the last few weeks, he also hustles all over the floor.
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Wouldn't it be nice to having someone at the SF position who does that??
 
For those of us who watch him all of the time I think we can all agree he's not a max player. But, on the other hand, let's not discount the value of desperation. How many GM's out there have a real need for someone like Peja that they think will put them over the top and lead them to the finals? But how many GM's are out there that wish to be seen by those he represents that his passion to win exceeds the next guy's and they're willing to bite the bullet on a max contract for Peja that they can proclaim will lead them to the promised land and buy them some more time and sell more tickets? Peja WILL get a max contract if that is his holy grail, not winning. More likely he and his agent would couch it in more acceptable PR terms, such as "Peja is going to an up and coming team and will sign for slightly less than the max to proclaim his determination to win". Throw in all of the teams who've cleared cap space to go FA shopping next summer, a summer light on valuable FA's, and Peja will command top dollar if that is his ultimate goal. Believe it.
 
As critical I am about peja, I don't know about that deng and nocioni deal... I mean were kinda short on shooters(as wierd as that sounds)... I don't wanna lose peja(our best outside threat) for 2 hustle type prospects(as good as they can be)... I don't know, I'd rather just get artest.. But that's just my opinion.
 
Not to be a name dropper or anything but I just talked to my "guy" with the Kings. Peja is indeed Indiana's #1 choice in an Artest swap and if the Kings want Artest it could be done. Kings are the ones holding it up and if they won't do the trade then the Pacers will move on with other trades..
 
Jesus, I don't know about your guy, but on that, I just don't see how the Kings can hold up on a player like Artest. Also, has indeed, been fine since the brawl blew over (sometime in December/January for the players, given their comments and all). Ray Allen has it down pat on what he said today about Artest coming to a team/his team.

I'll also admit I'm impatient on where he ends up. ;)
 
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ONEZERO said:
As critical I am about peja, I don't know about that deng and nocioni deal... I mean were kinda short on shooters(as wierd as that sounds)... I don't wanna lose peja(our best outside threat) for 2 hustle type prospects(as good as they can be)... I don't know, I'd rather just get artest.. But that's just my opinion.
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kings fans need to start thinking to the future. peja's time in sacto is done. that much is clear. whether by trade or free agency at the end of the season, peja's gone. artest's deal is short term, and as curious as i am to see some defense being played in a kings uniform, i dont know how well it would hold up, considering artest doesn't wanna come out west (guess he's an east coast rapper). its intriguing as hell, but given the two trade possibilities, i gotta go with the chicago one. deng and nocioni are both very solid players, and if we could get either, we're looking at some upgrades in youth. deng is a great all-around ball player in his second year. he's no gerald wallace type prospect. he's proving himself out there. he's putting up 19 points on 47% shooting and pulling down 8 rebounds in a little over 30 minutes per ball game this season. those are stellar numbers. as for nocioni, he's a defensive stud, and its not necessarily reflected in the numbers. if we could get both, oh hell yeah....deng as our starting SF, with nocioni being the defensive super-sub. if we could get only one, i'd say deng. i like what he's doing, and we really need to trade peja for starting material.
 
Rowdyone said:
Peja will command top dollar if that is his ultimate goal. Believe it.
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It would be my goal and Your goal and everyone's goal too.

So Your point again ?
 
From a talent perspective, Artest is the most complete player in the game today. No other player can play defense and offense at the level he does night in and night out. However, bringing him in is a HUGE risk. On the other hand, brining in someone like Deng plus some bench help is not a risk at all. While brining in Artest may make our starting 5 better, without other moves, our bench is still the same and we can't expect to go anywhere if the bench is going to only put up 8-15 points a night.
 
ONEZERO said:
As critical I am about peja, I don't know about that deng and nocioni deal... I mean were kinda short on shooters(as wierd as that sounds)... I don't wanna lose peja(our best outside threat) for 2 hustle type prospects(as good as they can be)... I don't know, I'd rather just get artest.. But that's just my opinion.
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Have you ever watched at least a handful of Bulls games? Luol Deng is not mainly a hustle player like Nocioni is (Nocioni has proven he CAN at least score consistently though), Deng's that, and a whole lot more. :)

I'd take Deng or Artest for Peja. If both deals are on the table, I'd choose for Luol Deng (being the main piece).

Padrino said:
i dont know how well it would hold up, considering artest doesn't wanna come out west (guess he's an east coast rapper).
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Artest said he'd go anywhere.
 
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What about Nocioni/Luol Deng for Peja/Thomas? Nocioni logs in more minutes than Thomas, but if Thomas played more I think their stats would be nearly identical.
 
Kings113 said:
Have you ever watched at least a handful of Bulls games? Luol Deng is not mainly a hustle player like Nocioni is (Nocioni has proven he CAN at least score consistently though), Deng's that, and a whole lot more. :)

I'd take Deng or Artest for Peja. If both deals are on the table, I'd choose for Luol Deng (being the main piece).



Artest said he'd go anywhere.
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Dude, you would lose your instant outside threat and close the gaps for any type of penetration that made Bonzi the crowd favorite. I would not take a 1/1 trade without getting a little more "insurance", specifically that horrible bench we have. I still think the bench is whats going to get traded and not any of the starting 5. Peja would be the only trade if one goes down, but not without added insurance.
 
Diabeticwonder said:
From a talent perspective, Artest is the most complete player in the game today. No other player can play defense and offense at the level he does night in and night out. However, bringing him in is a HUGE risk. On the other hand, brining in someone like Deng plus some bench help is not a risk at all. While brining in Artest may make our starting 5 better, without other moves, our bench is still the same and we can't expect to go anywhere if the bench is going to only put up 8-15 points a night.
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And Tim Thomas is bench help? errrr...no thanks. I would add Thomas to Peja and get someone we "really need".
 
piksi said:
It would be my goal and Your goal and everyone's goal too.

So Your point again ?
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As I said, "Peja will get a max contract if that is his holy grail, not winning".

The point being that if he chooses free agency he'll get his pick of teams...winners and losers...and a max contract. I don't see him doing a Joe Johnson to Atlanta move just for the money. With his international following I think he's on a quest to play in the NBA finals and money is a peripheral perk, made more necessary now that he has a family, but not his prime motivator.

And I do take issue with you that "we all would do it". I think many people would rather win and make, say, $8 million/yr than not win and make the max. Once you're that wealthy what does one or two more million really mean?
 
Getting Nocioni on this team would be awsome for the Maloofs since they are trying to get the Latino community outside of Cali to root for the Kings. Argentina is getting full time into the NBA thanks to Manu. Bringing Nocioni in would add more popularity to the Kings.
 
You win wiht great players. Always have. Always will. If you;re going to take Deng instead fo Artest (assuming both ar e bout there), it couold onlyh be because Deng was going to be a great player AND you were convinced Artest woould implode for you. Its safe, but if Deng enever develops into anything more than a midlevel starter/all around roleplayer type, then you blew it. Artest is the real deal, when sane that is. I like Deng. Would love to see him as a King. But not more than a proven stud just entering his prime.
 
PFFFT!! said:
Dude, you would lose your instant outside threat and close the gaps for any type of penetration that made Bonzi the crowd favorite. I would not take a 1/1 trade without getting a little more "insurance", specifically that horrible bench we have. I still think the bench is whats going to get traded and not any of the starting 5. Peja would be the only trade if one goes down, but not without added insurance.
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Where did I mention Bonzi in that post? Also if you've been watching at least some Bulls games this season, Deng is a good shooter (can hit the three now), is still quite young, and will only get better. Peja/Deng wouldn't be a straight-up swap because of Deng's rookie contract, hence why I said him being the main piece, referring to the filler that'd come with him.
 
Bricklayer said:
You win wiht great players. Always have. Always will. If you;re going to take Deng instead fo Artest (assuming both ar e bout there), it couold onlyh be because Deng was going to be a great player AND you were convinced Artest woould implode for you. Its safe, but if Deng enever develops into anything more than a midlevel starter/all around roleplayer type, then you blew it. Artest is the real deal, when sane that is. I like Deng. Would love to see him as a King. But not more than a proven stud just entering his prime.
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Brick, are you sure your not posting from your Blackberry??? Your spell check was obviously not working on that post. Whenever I send an e-mail from my Blackberry I have to read it about 5 times to correct all of my spelling/punctuation errors from typing with those little keys.
 
I love Deng myself. I liked him since I first saw him in his second pro game against the Kings in Chicago. I also think Antonio Daniels would be a great fit on the Kings, if theres some deal possible with him.
 
Ryle said:
Brick, are you sure your not posting from your Blackberry??? Your spell check was obviously not working on that post. Whenever I send an e-mail from my Blackberry I have to read it about 5 times to correct all of my spelling/punctuation errors from typing with those little keys.
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I am the master of the typo, whether it be blackberry, cell, laptop, or desktop. :) Type too fast, and have gotten too used to having spellchecks in word processors or secretaries aroound to clean things up. Basically combined being pressed for time with being lazy. ;)
 
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