Mount Ellis?

Right when we thought we were done talking trades regarding the Golden State Warriors, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has reported that Monta Ellis and his agent will meet with the Warriors this week to discuss is future. I'm not close in any NBA circle, but I believe that if your meeting with a team the week one of your best players gets traded, something isn't right. According to other reports, Ellis has been very upset with coach Don Nelson, and he even said today that he was the teams only defender, because of the trade of Jackson. Another source indicated that the Warriors HAVE been calling teams to offer Ellis in a trade. He doesn't seem happy, and I think he saw the blueprint of getting your way out of Golden State. Complain to the media enough, and alienate your teammates will get you your wish. The entire franchise seems to be a mess. Don Nelson never got along with GM Chris Mullin, and he eventually was replaced by Larry Riley. Ever since their epic upset of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs, this team hasn't made a playoff series, and they seem to be in a serious disconnect. The team let Baron Davis go, let Mickael Pietrus go, traded Jason Richardson, let Matt Barnes go, and traded Stephen Jackson. There doesn't seem to be any continuity with this team. As if things weren't bad enough, it is being reported that F Anthony Randolph is also very upset with the team, but I highly doubt they will trade him.

Another reason you could see Ellis get traded is the fact that the team is going no where. The Warriors are 3-6, they just traded Jackson, and they are battling a bunch of injuries. G Kelenna Azibuke is out for the year, F Brandon Wright will be out for an extended period of time, newly acquired G Raja Bell is having wrist surgery, and C Andris Biedrins is battling a bad back. The Warriors season already looks to be in trouble and we are only 9 games in.

In regards to Ellis, I can see him getting traded, but I have a feeling he will stay put. He is young (24 years old), has solid size for a PG (6-3), solid defender, good finisher, has lightning quick speed, and he has a solid mid-rangejumper. He doesn't dish out a lot of assists (5 per game), and he can't really shoot the 3 well (29% for his career). I just don't see how he would fit here in Cleveland. We already have a PG in Mo Williams, and while he isn't a great assist man, neither is Ellis. You could move Mo to the bench, but you would have to trade a combination of Gibson/West/Hickson/Z. If you have to trade Hickson to get Ellis, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't trade Z for him unless you could get another bigman in return (Ronny Turiaf). If you can trade him for Wally and Delonte/Daniel, then I might consider it, but I would still be hesitant trading Delonte. He returned tonight, and while he is still uncertain, he can handle the ball and he can play D on the perimeter.

Ellis' contract is also very long. It pays him $11 million for the next 4 seasons. While it isn't that bad because he is so young, but it could hamstring us in a couple years when it comes time for free agency. With Ellis' elite speed, he seems better suited to play in a fast paced style of offense, such as the one in Golden State or New York. Also, Ellis does not have to size to guard Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant, which was something Jackson had (this is one reason I wanted Jackson). While this isn't a fact, I don't think the Warriors will trade Ellis for pennies on the dollar like they did Jackson. They will look to get nearly full value for him because it would look bad to their fan base if they trade 2 of their best players for either draft picks, young un-proven players, or expiring contracts.

I have always been a big fan of Ellis, he is an excitingly good player. I just don't think he fits with the Cavs style of play. The Cavs biggest need is a tall SG/SF who can guard the perimeter, score at will, and be willing to come off the bench. Ellis doesn't fully fit that description for me. I just think the Cavs will end up having to give up more than people expect. You never say never in the NBA, but don't count on Ellis wearing a Cavs uniform anytime soon.

Also, since Allen Iverson has been released, people have tried to rationalize him on the Cavs. You have a better chance of me playing on the Cavs than AI. He is a small SG at 6'0, who doesn't defend, pass, and isn't willing to come off the bench. Not the exact description the Cavs are looking for.

If I hear any updates about Ellis or other possible name, I will continue to write my thoughts to put some pieces together. Untill then, thank you and go Cleveland!

-Raz

No Jackson

Well I guess we can kill all discussion about a possible trade for a Stephen Jackson deal. The Warriors traded him to the Bobcats for G Raja Bell and F Vlad Radmonovic. With the uncertainty of Delonte West this season, I really thought the chances of trading for Jackson would be high. As I stated earlier, I always thought Jackson would be a good fit for our squad. He can defend the perimeter, he can score, and he worked with Mike Brown in Indiana and San Antonio. According to Brian Windhorst, the Cavs offered Z in the deal but only if he would take a buy out. According to Marc Stein of ESPN we offered Delonte and a sign and trade of Wally for Jackson. Apparently the Warriors were close to accepting the Delonte deal, but the Bobcats came up with a better offer. I feel like the reason why the Warriors didn't accept our deal was because of the Pau Gasol effect. They would be trading Jackson for almost nothing, especially with Delonte's pending court case and the uncertainty of his mental condition. At least with the Bobcats deal they get a defender in Bell, who also has an expiring contract. Radmonovic provides Don Nelson a 6'10 bigman who can shoot. We know how much Nelson loves shooters.

To be honest with you, I would've done both deals. Delonte right now is stabilizing and he needs to get his life in order. He has not been responsible, evident in the fact that he has not been taking his meds, and that he got caught with his gun charges. The Cavs cannot babysit him his whole life, he needs to put his life in order. I love him as a player, and as a person he his hilarious, but he has to show that he is going to be accountable for his actions. With Z, I have stated before that I am not going to be upset if he gets traded. His expiring deal is a huge trade chip for us and if it can get us a player who will improve our roster I am all for it. If we can buy him out even better, and we also must get a bigman in return if he is traded.

Where do the Cavs go from here? I don't know any available names right now. I can guess some guys who could become available. The key is to look at teams who are not contending, not rebuilding, and have high pay rolls. There are two teams that I can think of that fit this mold right now, the Washington Wizards, and the New Orleans Hornets. The Wizards are 2-7 and the Hornets are 3-8. The Wizards added Randy Foye and Mike Miller this offseason, and have Gilbert Arenas fully healthy, and were expected to be the 4th seed in the East. Instead their offense has sputtered (94 ppg), Arenas is averaging 4 turnovers a game, and the team can't defend well (allowing 98 ppg). The team has the 8th highest payroll at $79 million and they are paying the luxury tax. The team isn't rebuilding with a core of Jamison, Butler, Arenas, Miller, and Foye. If the team isn't going anywhere soon, they might as well rid themselves of a bad contract or two. Caron Butler could be a name you hear as his deal goes till 2011.

The New Orleans Hornets are a team that could start unloading some of its players as well. With a payroll of $73 million, they have the 11th highest payroll in the league. The team isn't rebuilding with such a high payroll, and the team has no viable young talent (Julian Wright? ha, Hilton Armstong? ha). Some players names you might hear are Emeka Okafor (contract till 2014), Peja Stojakovic (contract till 2011), and David West (contract till 2011). I really don't want any part of Okafor or Stojakovic, but I wouldn't mind West. Peja is another Wally Z, and Okafor has a very long contract, who isn't that good at scoring in the post. The problem with West is that we are seeing JJ Hickson develop before our eyes (18 and 20 points the last two nights), and we still have Leon Powe waiting to play in February. We might not need another PF.

Hickson is untouchable according to Windhorst, which is reasonable. Hickson won't get traded unless its for a superstar (Chris Bosh or Chris Paul). Also, I mentioned earlier that Rudy Gay could be a guy whose name you hear later in the year as well. Remember the Cavs have assets to make a trade, young talent (Danny Green, Christian Eyenga, JJ Hickson, Darnell Jackson, expiring contract (Z), non-guarenteed deals for 2010 (Delonte West, Jawad Williams, Leon Powe) and a draft pick (first round in 2010 NBA Draft). If a team is looking to unload some salary, they can attach it to a good player come February. Only time will tell....

Thanks for reading, go Cleveland!

-Raz

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

At around 6:00 PM today it was reported by numerous sources that Browns GM George Kokinis has been let go. I haven't really written much about the Browns this year, and its probably because they are so bad. I am shocked that this team is 1-7, because I look at the talent and theres no one we can be this bad. Here are some thoughts.....

-I feel like Kokinis is taking the fall for Manigni and Daboll. Browns owner Randy Lerner is letting Mangini know that he isn't scared to make changes. Mangini is the one who makes the calls, not Kokinis. Mangini hired Kokinis to be his GM, but in most of the organizations in the NFL, the GM has a say in hiring the coach. After the Chicago game, Lerner stared at the players and coaches and was apparently disgusted with the team. He made it known that wants to hire a VP of football operations, and firing Kokinis is a step in that direction.

-I don't really know who to place all this blame on. A part of me wants to put it on the players and the fact that they make stupid mistakes which kill us. Jamal Lewis fumbling the ball, Mo Massaqoui dropping passes, Steve Heiden fumbling the ball. Mangini has no control over these actions. Yes, Mangini brought in some of these players, but Massaqoui has showed signs that he can be a solid receiver in the NFL, Alex Mack has continued to improve. At the same time, some of Mangini's acquisitions have not panned out as well (Robert Royal, Abe Elam, John St. Clair). Also, our defense is dead last in the NFL which is inexcusable, but you can see that the defense at least shows some life in that they attack the QB and make some stops sometimes, especially in the Chicago game. The offense just looks horrible out there, and no one seems to know what to do.

-While I think it is still too early to fire Mangini, he needs to really start to make some changes in coaching style/philosophy quickly. If the team continues to flounder and sputter going into week 15, then I think you fire him. Up until now, Mangini has had complete control over this organization, but now with the firing of his GM, and his assistant Erin O'Brien was fired last week. Also, the team hired Bernie Kosar as a consultant to the team, without Mangini's blessing. You can see that Lerner is now starting to loosen the grip that Mangini has on the team. I feel that if Mangini responds to this pressure and does well, that he will survive the season. If Mangini continues on the path he is on, I am all for firing him.

-There is no reason why this team should be 1-7. The lone win we got was probably the worst win I have ever seen us win. I wouldn't be as concerned if we showed some progress, but the best game we played all year was versus Cincinnati, and we still lost. Since then, the team hasn't shown any progress, and has gotten worse. The talent on this team isn't that horrible. Josh Cribbs, Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers, D'Qwell Jackson, Eric Wright, Brodney Pool, Kamerion Wimbley, Eric Steinbach, and Ryan Pontbriand are all very solid players. Alex Mack and Mo Massqoui are good up and comers in the league as well. There just seems to be a problem with game planning and execution.

-I am interested in seeing who Lerner brings in to be a VP of football operations. What will their responsibilities be exactly? Who has the final say in decisions? If this person clashes with Mangini, I think you'll see Mangini out of here pretty quickly as well.

-In terms of the team itself, I don't even think its worth talking about now. Both QB's we have don't seem like they can play well now. Jamal Lewis wants to retire, and I don't blame him. We heard so much in the offseason that everyone had bought into the system of Mangini, but we haven't seen any positive results.

Cavs

-The return of Delonte West is huge. I am so happy to see him back as he will provide a great spark off our bench. He can play backup PG, and provide another ballhandler that we really needed. I still think the biggest problem for our team going forward is trying to integrate Shaq into our offense. His numbers haven't been stellar, but his impact on the floor can be seen at times with teams double teaming him, and leaving guys like Boobie, and Parker open for 3's. Its still going to take a little bit of time to integrate all the new parts on this team.

-I still think our team should try to trade Z sometime this year. He is our last chance at getting a big name. We have the assets to pull off a trade for a big name player, this includes an expiring contract (Z at $11 million), first round pick in 2010, and young players (JJ Hickson, rights to Christian Eyenga). Our team really need another true perimeter scorer who can create his own shot off the bench. West will not be sufficient enough come playoff time.

-Here is one name to keep in mind for now. Memphis Grizzlies SF Rudy Gay. Yes, I said it. Here is why he could be traded.

1. He is unhappy in Memphis. It was reported by ESPN's Bill Simmons that Gay is unhappy in Memphis, and who wouldn't be. The team traded Pau Gasol for nothing, and they haven't won anything in years. When your on a team with AI and Zach Randolph, I don't blame you for being upset. They will probably be one of the worst teams in the West.

2. They have a cheap owner. The Grizzlies have the 27th lowest payroll in the NBA at $56 million, and their owner is one who will try to avoid the luxary tax. He traded Pau Gasol because he knew he couldn't afford to keep him anymore, and the same might happen to Gay, which brings me to my next point.

3. Gay did not agree to an extension, which means he will become a restricted free agent next summer. While the Grizzlies can match any offer, if a team comes in and offers a large deal, it is unlikely that the Grizzlies will match. There are numerous teams with cap space going into next year. Add in the fact that Zach Randolph will be making $17 million next year, and that OJ Mayo, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol will be coming off their rookie deals in the next couple of years, this doesn't add up well for Gay. The Grizzlies and Gay had until today to come up with an extension for a deal (Rajon Rondo, and LaMarcus Aldridge both did), and they didn't. Come January when the Grizzlies are losing, the team could look to unload Gay, along with the bad contract of Marko Jaric (2 years $14 million left). If the team couldn't agree to an extension now, they could look to unload Gay to just get something for him, instead of letting him walk for nothing.

4. The Cavs have the assets to satisfy the needs of the Grizzlies. Z has an expiring deal, and there is even a possibility of a buyout there. If we could save the Grizzlies $2-3 million then I am sure they would definitely look into the deal. A deal of Z, Hickson, and a 2nd rounder in 2011, for Rudy Gay, Marko Jaric, and Steven Hunter works out. The Grizzlies still get a young bigman, and another draft pick.

Rudy Gay would be a great fit in Cleveland. He is a SF with great size (6'9), who has long arms and could defend the perimeter. He is very athletic, and he is very capable of scoring. Acquiring Gay would allow LeBron and Moon to play the 4 more often as well. Hunter would provide the Cavs with a center who is 7'0 to put behind Shaq. Gay could easily defend all the guards I have listed before, along with Rashard Lewis. By no means do I have any insider information on this, I am just going off intuition. The chances of this happening are very slim, but in the NBA you never say never.....

Thanks for reading, go Cleveland!

-Raz