?Big show, no results.? - Magnus Buchan in Rushmore
The 2007 NBA trade deadline will be known as the one that got away from a handful of GMs that approached the finish line of season-changing deals, but pulled back in the end.
There was no shortage of star power as Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Pau Gasol and Mike Bibby were all thoroughly discussed, but in the end it was Juan Dixon, Fred Jones and Anthony Johnson swapping uniforms.
It is of course easier to analyze the supposed infinite wisdom of a GM by the moves they make, but what is more difficult to quantify, yet sometimes equally important are the moves they elect to not make.
Keeping Jason Kidd was a blatant mistake by the New Jersey Nets. Kidd?s classmates from the 1994 draft have been dropping out of the NBA very quickly and to pass up a chance at getting several young players whilst shedding two more huge salaried seasons seems like an example of na?vet?.
?When you?re talking about trading players who are of a substantial reputation and playing ability within the league, and you are thinking about doing something that would involve players of lesser ability and lesser stature in the league, I think the perception would, most of the time, be that you were doing it for financial reasons or to help yourself cap-wise,? said Rod Thorn to the New York Times on Thursday.
?There may come a time when we?ll do that, but our objective here was, if we traded a player of repute, that we would get something that would be useful to us, either at this time or very shortly.?
No Kidd Deal for Nets: D+
Trading away Andrew Bynum for Kidd was never an option worth considering, but even a lesser package would have been a stretch for the Lakers, who didn?t have an expiring contract they could have just dumped away in New Jersey.
The point guard position isn?t terribly relevant in the triangle offense and the Lakers will only be a few games better with one of Kidd?s talent.
No Kidd Deal for Lakers: A-
I imagine that the Suns called the Nets regarding Kidd merely on a whim, given their history of avoiding going too crazy with their payroll. Kidd and Nash were teammates early on in their career with Phoenix and the pairing is tremendously intriguing. They are still the best pure point guards in the NBA and as they age into their 30?s, sharing the duties would have preserved them from putting additional heavy miles on their bodies.
The biggest concern would be how they would play when on the floor together and though I believe they would have found a way to gel, it would have disrupted the club?s equilibrium. Additionally, the perimeter isn?t where the Suns may fall short in the postseason.
No Kidd Deal for Suns: B-
Passing on trading Vince Carter was far less risky for the Nets. The option most people overlook when considering whether or not Carter becomes a free agent is the possibility of a sign-and-trade.
The value they can get for him in July won't be much worse than the offers they received on Thursday.
No Carter Deal for Nets: B
The logic from Orlando is rather obvious; why trade away young talent for Carter now when they can have him for free in July?
By not making a deal now though, the Magic are effectively writing off the rest of this season, as their efforts to score are an exercise in futility.
No Carter Deal for Magic: C+
I really wouldn?t have had the stomach to watch what the city of New York would have done to Isiah Thomas if he would have included David Lee in a deal for Carter. They think so highly of Lee that they would even hesitate for a second in trading him for Oden or Durant.
The trade proposal they reportedly offered, Channing Frye, Malik Rose and Jamal Crawford, would have guaranteed a playoff spot for the team and given them the Eastern Conference?s best shooting guard/center combination now that Dwyane Wade will be shelved for several weeks, let alone the remainder of the season.
No Carter Deal for Knicks: A-
Pau Gasol requested a trade out of Memphis in January and you could count on Jerry West to not yield to such a demand and getting below market value in return. He never blinked once in his negotiations with Chicago and was only going to make a trade that would have made the Grizzlies even better without Gasol. They are significantly better than their record and will surely get an impact player in the June draft and could have a record turnaround in 2007-2008.
No Gasol Deal for Memphis: A
John Paxson played chicken with West and he deserves credit for not wavering from his careful construction of a very serviceable young team. A great low-post scorer won?t merely fall into their laps, but giving up Luol Deng would have been a monumental error.
Squandering P.J. Brown?s expiring contract is a disappointment, but they do have a ton of young players that they will need to extend.
No Gasol Deal for Chicago: B+
The Cavaliers certainly get an A for effort in their pursuit of Mike Bibby. Cleveland has been stagnating after getting out to a fast start and Bibby would have been a huge upgrade for them at the point guard position, especially with his ability to spread the floor.
No Bibby Deal for Cleveland: B
The price Geoff Petrie set for Mike Bibby was high, but had he found a taker with more mobility than the Cavaliers, I believe he would have pulled the trigger. Bibby will not opt out of his contract and will instead be a player that has declined from the price he set for himself during Sacramento?s legendary playoff battles versus the Lakers.
No Bibby Deal for Sacramento: C+