re: The 2011 Offseason Trade Idea thread

It's hard to map out a trade like this without knowing how the CBA will turn out. Actually, it's pretty much impossible. But anyways...

Hornets get:
G Russell Westbrook (2 years, $4 million)
F Serge Ibaka (3 years, $1.2 million)
G Andre Iguodala (4 years, $12.3 million)

Thunder get:
Chris Paul (3 years, $14.9 million)
David West (1 year, $7.5 million)

76ers get
James Harden (3 years, $4.3 million)
Nate Robinson (2 years, $4.2 million)

New Orleans would be sending away about $22 million in contracts, and receiving $17.5 million, helping us get closer to being under the cap.

Philadelphia basically gets Harden for Iguodala. They will give you about the same production offensively, except Harden is under contract for the next 3 years at a much cheaper rate than Iggy.

Oklahoma City would be receiving a lot more in contracts than they would be trading away, so this is probably where the trade falls through. However, they aren't currently over the cap. So maybe with a nucleus of Paul, Durant, and West, some veterans may be willing to play for the minimum of $1.2 million to chase their dream for a championship. For example, a guy like Nazr Mohammed could potentially re-sign in OKC for the minimum.

Hornets
1 - Westbrook/Jack
2 - Iguodala/?
3 - Ariza/Pondexter
4 - Ibaka/Landry/Smith
5 - Okafor

Assuming the Hornets can re-sign Landry, that's a pretty solid team. Yes, they'd need be an incredibly terrible shooting team. But they'd also be one of the best defensive teams in the history of basketball. On offense, everything would go through Westbrook, with the 2nd options being Iguodala and Landry. To me, it would look a lot like the situation with Rose in Chicago. Instead of re-signing Gray, maybe they could use a couple million to sign a good veteran shooter to stretch the defense.

Oklahoma City would be giving up their young core of Westbrook/Harden/Ibaka, but I think that would be fine with them if they got Paul and West out of it. That's a championship-level team.

Paul/Maynor
Sefolosha/Cook
Durant
West/Collison
Perkins/Mohammed


This trade probably wouldn't work out, but I'm bored. I can't put it through the trade machine because it says West's contract is expired. But I'm pretty sure he's going to take his player option after his injury this year. Bash away...