Trade Deadline Madness Thankfully, we won't have to listen to any more Andre Miller trade rumors after 3 p.m. today. Either he'll be here for the playoff run, or he won't.However, I wouldn't be doing my job (OK, hobby) as a Sixers blogger if I didn't at least explore the possibilities. Before we get started, let me state for the record that I don't think Miller is going anywhere. Mo Cheeks was extended yesterday, the Sixers had a huge win in front of a pretty big crowd last night. I think Ed Stefanski sees the progress the team is making, realizes they may be just a player or two away from making some noise in the Eastern Conference with Miller next season and won't do anything major before the deadline passes unless someone makes an offer that's over the top in favor of the Sixers. That being said, here's my list of teams who could really use Miller for the playoff run.
Orlando
Here's a deal that would work out, cap-wise. This is also a deal that has a shot of keeping the Sixers good enough to hold onto the #8 seed this season, or possibly moving up if the acquired players pan out. Sixers give:
Long Term: This deal would give the Sixers another #1 pick, albeit a pick in the late teens, early twenties most likely. More importantly, it would free up another $8M-$10M in cap space this Summer. Effectively, the Sixers could out-bid any team for a restricted free agent, or at least make it extremely hard for a team to match their offer, if the guy they target is available. The only long term piece involved in this deal is Reddick. If he pans out, the Sixers have an affordable shooter under control for the rest of his rookie contract, '09 and '10 then he's a restricted free agent in '11. Denver This is really the only other deal I could come up with that would work out cap-wise and might make some kind of sense for the Sixers, although I like the Orlando package better. Sixers give:
Long Term: Najara, Smith, Carter and Wafer could all come off the books this Summer (Smith is a restricted free agent). That would create roughly $8.1M in additional cap space for the Sixers and again, that may make enough of a difference to land a Josh Smith or Elton Brand. Kleiza is a nice piece to have, he brings an outside game to the team. So more flexibility in the Summer and possibly another piece to the puzzle for the long haul. The pick would be in the 20's most-likely, so an asset, but not a great one. Either one of these deals could happen, theoretically. Neither Orlando nor Denver would be giving up a player vital to the core of their team for the playoff run. The Sixers could potentially pull off either deal and still compete for the playoffs. Both deals would create more flexibility in the offseason while also providing them with a potential piece for the team, namely outside shooting. As I said before, I don't think any deal involving Andre Miller is going to happen. The one name that I think may have a chance of being moved is Willie Green. Willie is not a starter, but he is instant offense if used correctly by the right team. Any team who struggles for offense could use Willie, and they may be willing to swap an expiring contract for him. Two other names who could have value to certain teams: Reggie Evans and Rodney Carney. A team looking for toughness and rebounding could take a flier on Evans, although his contract isn't exactly favorable. Carney's upside may be a lure for certain teams looking to get more athletic. Alas, only time will tell. Luckily, we won't have to wait or speculate for much longer. The deadline is imminent.
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Amazing that with Iverson and Anthony, the Nuggets are only battling for the 8th position.
I agree with your assessment that Orlando and Denver are the two teams with possibly the best trade possibilities, but of the two, which appears the most desparate to improve?
I would think Denver has to be. They're way over the cap, Iverson isn't getting any younger, and they're in serious jeopardy of not making the playoffs at all.
I don't know that Denver would trade Kleiza for Miller, because they are having a hard time putting Kleiza into a trade for Ron Artest. Who knows though, they may value Miller more than Artest.
It depends on what they see as their #1 need. Are they better off w/ Miller in the starting lineup as the point, or Artest at the 3, Melo at the 2 and Iverson at the 1?
I'd think the former, but again, this is just wild speculation on my part, and I don't think anything is going to happen.