KG to Lakers rumor including O'Neal to Celtics

by David Fucillo on Jun 25, 2007 5:38 PM EDT in Green Bandwagon

[Editor's Note - This diary is making the jump to the main page because it does a great job of delving into a trade rumor that I was actually in the process of putting together a post about. Special thanks to Fooch from Niners Nation for the quality diary.]

Obviously there's probably a 95% chance this deal does not happen, but here's the latest from Chad Ford and company. The main part of the primary deal involves the Lakers getting Garnett and the Pacers getting Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

In order to make that deal work, Chad Ford has suggested the Celtics may get involved (Insider protected). The general gist of the article:

The Los Angeles Times reported on Monday that the Lakers were in discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves about a trade that would send Garnett to the Lakers. The trade would also involve the Indiana Pacers and possibly a fourth team.

After speaking with a league source, I think the deal has some legs, though it doesn't appear imminent.

According to the source, the key to completing the deal is finding a fourth team that would (a) take Jermaine O'Neal and (b) send the Timberwolves enough pieces to complete the deal.

So a deal that could work according to Ford:

Boston gets Jermaine O'Neal
Lakers get KG and Jaric
Pacers get Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom
Minnesota gets Gerald Green, Telfair, Kwame Brown, Theo Ratliff, Lakers 19th pick and Boston 5th pick

Ford thinks the only down-side is that Minnesota may not think they're getting enough value, although they would be getting $20 million in cap space next season. Maybe if the Celtics gave back the 2nd rounder they're getting from them from the Ricky Davis deal (I think that's correct, but not sure) that could end up being enough.

As far as the Celtics are concerned, this could be the type of deal that makes sense. They get a big man to pair with Jefferson that allows Kendrick Perkins to come off the bench. There were some conflicts in Indiana this year, but I'd have to believe some of that is due to the team struggling so much. Assuming everyone else is healthy, I suppose a rough sketch of the lineup would be something like:

PG: West.Rondo
SG: Pierce.Allen
SF: Szczerbiak
PF: Jefferson.Gomes.Scalabrine.Powe
C: O'Neal.Perkins

If Wally World gets hurt again, Pierce would move to SF, Allen/West are the tandem at the 2 and Rondo gets a shot at the starting point guard spot. Either way, that is a solid lineup that could be extremely competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Thoughts?

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I like O'Neal, but...

...that seems like an awful lot to give up for a player who has missed significant time to injuries each of the last three seasons. I think I'd rather have Green and the #5.

by RSNexile on Jun 25, 2007 6:14 PM EDT reply actions

One concern

The SportsCenter report had Big Al going to Minnesota in the deal. While Chad Ford or maybe it was Ric Bucher was quick to say he didn't see that happening it made me incredibly nervous. As much as O'Neal scares me with his injury history I can see how that deal would go down if Jefferson is not involved. Keep in mind O'Neal would not have to be the man in Boston. Although he is making a ton of money.

Regardless things are heating up.

Green Bandwagon: Celtics '08 or bust. Are you on the bandwagon?

by Jim Weeks on Jun 25, 2007 6:22 PM EDT reply actions

If Jefferson is involved...

...then Ainge should be fired right away and banned from the NBA for life just for considering the deal.

by RSNexile on Jun 25, 2007 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Jefferson should be kept untouchable

this much is true. That's why I always doubt these rumors. They gut teams and not much else. Minnesota though gets plenty back for Garnett. Cap room/ plus 3 draft picks in a deep draft with the already good young players they have. Plus moving Jaric is a huge bonus for them. So who knows this might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Minnesota. That's assuming LA is willing to do it. Which I still doubt. Giving up Bynum, which I've always thought to be a very small long shot, is just that.

"Get me another highball Gordo"-- Tommy Heinsohn

by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2007 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

Some of these rumors are just ridiculous. It seems like you can make anything into a "legitimate" rumor these days.

I wonder if I could start this rumor.

by RSNexile on Jun 25, 2007 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Or...

...this one.

by RSNexile on Jun 25, 2007 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Big Al/Green

Jefferson and Green are clearly the two guys most people consider to have the biggest upside on this team. It always seems like big guys have a better shot of even approaching their upside, whereas a more athletic player like Green is likely to. I think he's clearly not Kedrick Brown, but I think Green's 2006-2007 season can best be described as inconsistent, which you'd expect from such a young player. While I'm as much a proponent of the youth movement as anyone else, adding Jermaine O'Neal without giving up Jefferson could be a coup.

Jermaine O'Neal is no Kevin Garnett, which would remove Jefferson from the equation in my opinion. With the free agent class of 2008 looking to be pretty impressive, that $20 million in cap room would be huge for the Timberwolves. I'd love to see Green become the next Tracy McGrady, but I think it's worth a gamble on O'Neal's injury history considering the upside of the big guy. A front court of Jefferson and O'Neal could compete with most anybody. We'd have a new legitimate #2 scorer behind PP, which the team is trying to establish.

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by David Fucillo on Jun 25, 2007 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

KG isn't worth Jefferson anymore either

The problem I see is that teams want to hit home runs with trades. Every time a guy like KG comes on the market teams expect too much. Then when they don't get it everybody kills the other teams for not wanting to gut their team to make the other team pleased. That's why the NBA GM's are so dumb. None of them have reasonable expectations of their roster combined with the fear of being fired by their even more unreasonable owners with no clue of what's going on.

"Get me another highball Gordo"-- Tommy Heinsohn

by pookeyguru on Jun 25, 2007 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Lot of good stuff

I enjoyed the trade rumors. Good times. As far as the C's making a trade it seems to be about Green and Jefferson. A couple of years ago I would have thought that Ratliff was a big deal but now I just don't know. Expiring contracts have not been moving as much as they used to. I think Ainge has to make the deal if Jefferson is not in it or else he's probably going to have to trade Pierce. I do wonder about O'Neal and Jefferson together as at least part of the impetus for the Pacers/Warriors trade, other than getting Stephen Jackson out of Indy, was the fact that Harrington clashed with O'Neal's style of play. And O'Neal is making 19 million + over the next three seasons.

Not a lot of people shoot and jump like Gerald Green. But will he make the leap? I don't know. I don't mind a trade as long as they build a team.

Green Bandwagon: Celtics '08 or bust. Are you on the bandwagon?

by Jim Weeks on Jun 25, 2007 9:09 PM EDT reply actions

Drop Indiana from the deal!

I just thought about this. I would much rather have Odom and Bynum than Jermaine O'Neal in a deal. Minnesota and LA would be getting the same exact players (KG to LA, Theo, Ba$$y, Gerald, #5 and #19 to Minnesota). Why doesn't Danny just tell LA and Minnesota to drop Indiana from this deal and have LA send Odom and Bynum to us? To be able to pair Bynum and Jefferson for years would be huge for this franchise.

by Rizzo on Jun 25, 2007 10:45 PM EDT reply actions

That would be interesting

I'm sure Pierce wouldn't be thrilled with the slowly developing Bynum but Odom would help ease that. Odom is on the short list of guys who play on other teams that I for whatever reason I can't evaluate because I think they are awesome. There is just something about Odom. When he's healthy and focused he's a monster. I'm sure he'd miss LA but take Boston over Indy.

Green Bandwagon: Celtics '08 or bust. Are you on the bandwagon?

by Jim Weeks on Jun 26, 2007 12:03 AM EDT reply actions