Great Article by Shaun Powell Regarding Trade Deadline Moves

Shaun Powell, writer for NBA.com and has no affiliation with OURBLOC.com. Reprint from NBA.com

Moreso than in past, money matters most this trade deadline Posted Feb 18 2011 3:28PM

There won’t be a trade deadline this year. In its place will be a raid deadline; that is, what player(s) will be heisted from one team by another, made possible by the looming labor uncertainty?

Yes, it always comes back to the issue of money and teams not knowing how much will be available under the cap after David Stern and his soldiers are finished shaking down the union, or vice versa.

The new labor contract could be a game-changer, and teams want to be as flexible as possible when the new numbers and rules kick in. With the raid deadline roughly one week away, this much is true: not many teams are willing to add payroll, given the labor situation, unless it’s an outright steal.

Most likely, all the big deals (except one involving you-know-who) were made either last summer (free agency) or last fall (Orlando). Players on expiring contracts always get moved before the deadline but those are mainly minor deals, made for money reasons, not necessarily to improve a contender for the stretch run.

So what happens between now and Feb. 24? As always, lot of talk, with big and semi-big names thrown around. And of course, you know where we start:

Carmelo Anthony: Forget what you hear from agents pushing their agendas and even general managers. Anthony will not be moved unless Stan Kroenke, the Nuggets owner who’s calling the shots, believes the team isn’t getting fleeced. Kroenke would rather let ‘Melo walk this summer. He wants value in exchange and won’t settle for less. That’s why he took a hard-line stance on the many proposals made by the Nets. He also knows ‘Melo wants a contract under the current labor terms and therefore the leverage is in the Nuggets’ favor. There’s still a chance ‘Melo will be moved before next Thursday, but only if the Knicks, Mavericks or Bulls (yes, Bulls) include multiple No. 1 picks and at least one young starter and rotation player. The Nuggets team you see now could be drastically different than next Friday’s version.

Rip Hamilton: Several teams would love to have him come off the bench and start gunning, but he’s due two years and $25 million and even the rich teams will think twice. Tayshaun Prince, with an expiring deal, is more attractive. However, with the sale of the Pistons still a work in progress, the team isn’t in position to take back major payroll in exchange for Prince or Hamilton. This is a trade that should’ve happened last summer or even two years ago. Now, the Pistons must pay the price for holding onto the memory of that 2004 championship far too long.

Andray Blatche: Teams are calling the Wizards about JaVale McGee, but Washington would rather steer the conversation toward Blatche. Normally, a 6-foot-11 player with the skills of a small forward would command a hefty price, and if he’s signed to a reasonable contract, even better. But teams are wary about Blatche, his maturity and willingness to blend in. Also, is he merely putting up decent numbers (16 points, 8 rebounds) on a bad team? If he were so good, why can’t he make the Wizards better? All it takes is one team to be convinced that Blatche is the solution to its problems, though, so someone needing front-line help might ignore the red flags.

Andrew Bynum: The Lakers would rather trade Bynum if they don’t reach the NBA Finals, rather than do it now and risk being second-guessed all summer if they fail to win it all. The conventional wisdom is you don’t break up a championship team until it’s not a championship team anymore. Still, the fact the Lakers are even weighing the possibility of trading the 23-year-old means they don’t have as much confidence in his upside as they once did.

James Harden: He may never get the touches he needs in Oklahoma City, so Harden could be better off somewhere else. The only problem is he hasn’t shown himself worthy of fetching a big man in return. The Thunder is a solid 7-footer away from making a serious title run (OK, who isn’t) and might be willing to give up on Harden, who’s just 21, if he can bring some size.

O.J. Mayo: If the Grizzlies were unsure about moving Mayo, the last few weeks convinced them that life without him might be better. While Mayo sat 10 games, his suspension for testing positive for DHEA, the Grizzlies went 8-2 and ran smoothly. As coach Lionel Hollins said: “The team has moved in a positive direction” and added that Mayo’s ability to fit into the changed structure is “going to be difficult.” Mayo’s biggest fan in the organization is owner Michael Heisley, who might be finally convinced to give the OK. The Grizzlies need front-line help, not Mayo. And if he can fetch some insurance at center or power forward, where the Grizz might possibly lose Zach Randolph and/or Marc Gasol to free agency, then consider it a done deal.

Steve Nash: The Suns are putting up a brave front, saying Nash will not be traded, which means they’d rather stick with a 37-year-old guard than prepare for the future. If this sounds foolish now, it’ll be ridiculous if the Suns hold onto Nash next season, the last of his contract, and get nothing in return. At the very least, the Suns will probably wise up and send Nash to a contender after the labor situation clears up, assuming there’s no work stoppage.

Corey Brewer: He has no future in Minnesota so it makes sense to move him now. But his value is at its lowest. If Brewer, a 40-percent career shooter, couldn’t establish himself after getting major minutes on a losing team, what can he do on a good team where minutes are harder to come by? Someone will take a chance because he’s only 24 and does good things defensively, but the Wolves shouldn’t expect anything major in return unless the conversation shifts to Kevin Love (it won’t) or the rights to Ricky Rubio (ditto).

Shaun Powell is a veteran NBA writer and columnist. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.

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