Is there a realistic Z-Bo trade out there?

by ClipCat on May 20, 2009 12:13 PM PDT

Based on recent Clipper injury history, we need all the frontcourt depth we can get. Playing all our bigs for reduced minutes may just keep them fresher, sharper and more motivated next season. Randolph may be overpaid and a poor defender, but he is still a productive player who helped the Clippers win games last year. While the punch and the DUI were inexcusable and disappointing, I don't believe he will corrupt BG this year any more than he corrupted EJ or DJ last year.

Therefore, I would not trade Zach Randolph or any of the other bigs just to get rid of them. Merely dumping Randolph will not improve the Clips in the short or long term.

The only way Randolph should be traded is if a deal could be done that (at least potentially) improves the team. Trading for expiring contracts just isn't realistic before 2010 free agency. Rumors of a deal with Randolph and McGrady as the pricinples, for example, seem like wishful thinking. So what is left?

If the Clippers are to get useful talent back in a trade for Randolph, they'll have to take back more guaranteed money then they owe Randoph. I don't know if MJ and Larry Brown would have any interest in Randolph, but a trade of Boris Diaw and Nazr Mohammed for Randolph would be interesting for both teams.

The Clips would receive an excellent passer and glue guy in Diaw, who could rotate with Griffin and Thornton. While the Clippers would be getting much less talent back, this would be better value than either the the Blazers or Knicks received. The downside is that Diaw's contract is $9M and an extra year longer than Randolph's contract. And Nazr is expensive filler the Bobcats tried hard to dump last year.

Randolph would give the Bobcats a go-to scorer and more of a traditional starting PF than Diaw. And they would save about $7M over the next three years.

So would this be a fair trade the Clippers should consider? Anyone have another realistic trade scenario?

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Comments

What about trading Blake Griffin straight up for Kevin Durant?

by Jerdog on May 20, 2009 12:24 PM PDT reply actions

Ok

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 20, 2009 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions

i thought of this deal also

but really, its going to be tough. Durant and Thornton on the same team. Does OKC realy want to let Durant go for an talented, but unproven, player? Thornton and 1 pick for durant and 3 pick? is that fair? I cant seem to weigh out the options. lol

by JackduhSun on May 20, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions

they wont go for it

maby griffin for wesbrook though

by gswfan2 on May 20, 2009 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions

no way

by XXDC2XX on May 20, 2009 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I like that idea

I just don’t see a realistic trade, except for maybe a team desperate for Camby dealing with Randolph, too.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 20, 2009 12:25 PM PDT reply actions

You're probably right

There probably isn’t a realistic trade right now. Camby with Randolph is a big chuck of salary to move at one time, and a third team might be needed. Probably wouldn’t happen until mid-season.

by ClipCat on May 20, 2009 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Hollinger came up with some ideas

So where they can possibly offload Randolph? A few places, actually. A deal with Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson would work, providing the Bucks more post scoring and a replacement for likely goner Charlie Villanueva. However, the Bucks supposedly deep-sixed a deal for Randolph when he was a Knick and might turn their noses up at this idea too.

A few other partners come to mind. Golden State could even out its roster at a stroke by sending Jamal Crawford and Corey Maggette to the Clips, and we know they won’t ask Zach to play any D. Memphis is desperate for a power forward and could do a deal for Marko Jaric, Darko Milicic and the Grizzlies’ pick at No. 27. And Chicago, which really needs a post scorer to get to the next level, could make it work for Brad Miller and Tim Thomas … a deal that doesn’t really solve the Clippers’ frontcourt logjam, but does achieve the aim of ridding the team of Randolph.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 20, 2009 12:57 PM PDT reply actions

ooops, forgot to use the quote box

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 20, 2009 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Some interesting ideas

I’d love to get RJ for Randolph, but that’s probably too much to hope for. We’d likely have to take back Gadzuric, too, and then throw in a draft pick and someone like Thornton or DJ. I doubt it happens unless the Bucks want to get rid of RJ, but I don’t see why they would.

Chicago has potential, but I doubt the Bulls would want to give up that much future salary cap flexibility to get ZBo. Maybe they would go for a trade of either Deng or Hinrich and TT or Jerome James, and we could add in next year’s 1st rounder.

But none of these deals happen unless another team actually wants Randolph. If there’s no market, then we’re better off doing nothing. Zhiv makes a strong argument for that.

by ClipCat on May 21, 2009 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions

would the bulls be interested?

last i heard, they’re desperate for a big guy

by highriser on May 20, 2009 2:39 PM PDT reply actions

Make the trade with the Bucks

but get Ramon Sessions in the deal.

by dulciusEXasperis on May 20, 2009 2:45 PM PDT reply actions

Is it really possible to get Jefferson?

Jefferson is an all-around player and a great locker room guy…great addition if we could get him. But I wouldn’t give up on Randolph just yet. I just think he could be a great team-mate given the right crew to run with.

by bystander on May 20, 2009 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions

no way in hell would they give up jefferson for randolph. Jefferson is a true 20 and 10 player who plays defense and isnt 50 pounds overweight

by andrewexd on May 20, 2009 9:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe...

If we threw in a top 5 protected 1st rounder?

'Cause how you play, is how you'll be remembered. PLAY LOUD!

by CLiPPz WeRD 12 on May 20, 2009 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

for al jefferson or richard jefferson ? for Al I dont think we need to trade zbo for another power forward… as for richard jefferson, no because that pick could end up being anything.

by andrewexd on May 21, 2009 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions

richard jefferson, not al jefferson

by dc5dugg on May 21, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions

theres always a way

lakers got all star pau gasol for kwamay brown… brian cook n evans for trevor ariza… gm just need to work their ass off

by kaynam20 on May 20, 2009 2:55 PM PDT reply actions

The Gasol trade is a total outlier

I don’t think we can bank on that. I woke up this morning thinking no way Randolph can be moved, but Hollinger came up with some ideas that just may work.

If there is one thing Dunleavy is good at, it is pulling off trades.

F-Elton!

by mikey p on May 20, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions

It probably has something to do with his NY upbringing

but is a decent enough GM. I think there is a trade out there to move Randolph but we just have to look hard for it. And it shouldn’t be hard to move Camby and then we would have plenty of time for Griffin

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on May 20, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

keep camby for now

i think we should keep camby…. incase the clips makes a run for da playoffs he might be useful… if a good oppportunity comes then trade him…

by kaynam20 on May 20, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions

I think it might be a good idea to keep Camby but

only if he comes off the bench. I think it would be good to have him either behind Griffin or Kaman and then later trade him or let his contract expire. Also I think we have one weapon that might help us trade Randolph in the Twolves pick. Now that we are getting the 1st pick I don’t think we need their pick anymore. And sense they didn’t get a good pick and I don’t see them being able to make a move their pick may be valuable.

In Gordon we trust

by bestclipfan on May 20, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions

The time to trade Randolph

might be during the season. I’m not sure if Griffin starts on opening day. Let Zach start for a couple months, Griffin off the bench. Zach’s going to get his 20 points, plus his contract is that much shorter. I feel like he’s got more value then. Everyone’s aware of the Clippers abundance of front court guys, so they’re a little at other teams’ mercy. No reason to rush into anything unless they can get a Kirk Heinrich, or Gerald Wallace in my opinion.

by Jonee on May 20, 2009 4:15 PM PDT reply actions

I don't think there's a chance of getting Gerald Wallace...

I’d trade a Camby and/or thornton for him any day though.

by bystander on May 20, 2009 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions

i think getting rid of randolph would help both in the short term and long term

short term?
better team chemistry and i believe griffin’s hard work ethic would rub off on the team making them work that much harder

long term?
zbo won’t hurt any development of blake griffin through taking away playing time or just being around him

by wily6 on May 20, 2009 7:37 PM PDT reply actions

Z BO to the raptors

if the rumors are true and cB4 is gone, there gonna want a 20 and 10 guy

by gswfan2 on May 20, 2009 7:41 PM PDT reply actions

The rumors usually aren't true

Either Bosh would have to traded first, or this would have to become a complex 3 way trade. From a Raptors perspective, replacing Bosh with Randolph has to be a terrible idea.

by ClipCat on May 21, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions

throw in camby

by gswfan2 on May 21, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Two ideas

The first being Randolph to the Pacers for Dun Jr. and Tinsley. We get rid of the bad influence for Griffin. We get a total team guy in Jr. and a veteran PG with a really big chip on his shoulder. These two guys also have smaller contract which could make them easier to move down the road.

The other deal would be to send Randolph back to New York for Curry. I’m not sure if this can happen, but I think it might be okay 1 year after we acquired Zach. We of course get rid of the bad influence. We get a guy that’s not in shape and may never play for us, but at least we don’t have crazy Zach around. The Knicks would get the better player and they both expire the same year so it doesn’t effect the Knicks plans for 2010.

by Hooch20 on May 20, 2009 7:43 PM PDT reply actions

The Pacers idea would be good for the Clippers,

but a frontcourt of Murphy and Randolph would play dreadful D. Can’t see the Pacers being interested. Randolph for Curry requires the Clippers to take back someone else, probably Jeffries, because the Knicks aren’t giving up cap space. That doesn’t make us better, and buying out Randolph would have the same effect.

by ClipCat on May 21, 2009 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions

The Pacers have Hibbert

to play D. They get a low post scorer that they need for two guys that may not play there next year. Tinsley still isn’t going to play and Dunleavy Jr. is out until February.

The Knicks deal should be pretty close money wise. I’m just not sure if we can deal Randolph back to the Knicks. And Randolph and Curry both expire the same year so this no way effects their cap space in 2010.

by Hooch20 on May 21, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Here's an idea

There is a team that has a power forward that doesn’t fit into their system and lost time as the season went on. He is familiar with the Clippers and I think has a house here. And he would be a solid backup to Griffin and the center spot. That’s right, ZBo to the 76ers for Elton Brand…..

and now I will stop laughing…..

by Rubble44 on May 20, 2009 8:13 PM PDT reply actions