Ridnour to HAWKS?

[TexasPete]

It has been reported in a Seattle paper that the Hawks are interested in Luke Ridnour. The price is a #1 draft pick according to the paper. Woody and BK are are dissatisfied with Speedy and Woody wants a better distributor than Speedy. You wonder why BK didn't know Speedy wasn't a good passer cause that was well known.

Anyway, they are offering Speedy and I'm sure that won't be enough. The other aspect to this deal is that one of our owners is close friends with Ridnours agent and the agent is trying to get a deal done.

I would LOVE Ridnour. I know his defense is shaky but the kind of PG he is..wow..it is just what the doctor ordered. He would transform us into the up tempo team we need to be with this talent. What should we give up for Luke?

Here is my deal. First, this years pick is off the table because the draft is too good. If the Sonics would take Speedy and his contract off our hands I would give them our 2008 #1 pick. With Ridnour and this years #1 pick and a team getting getting older and better...that 2008 #1 should not be a lottery pick. I would put lotto protection on it anyway. If the Sonics would do that deal we would be in business because I think the team could make the playoffs this year because the East is so bad.

Opinions?

[vdunkndunk]

Ridnour and Speedy are like bizarro-world versions of each other. Ridnour can shoot from outside, Speedy can't. Ridnour is a distributor, Speedy is a scorer. Ridnour's defense is terrible, Speedy's defense is great.

But I would do this deal, especailly if we could find a way to unload Speedy onto somebody else. I keep thinking a team like the Heat or the Cavs or the Lakers...contenders with a weaklink at the point....would be willing to take a risk on Speedy. If we could get a late first round pick for Speedy that would be great, but even an expiring contract would be OK with me.

And then Ridnour would be a great idea. I don't think that he's a really great player or anything, certainly no Steve Nash, but at least he's young and healthy, and he would make this team a LOT more fun to watch. I'd like to see us run and gun way more often. Woody's right...Speedy dominates the ball too much, and even when he's having a good game individually, the TEAM offense sputters. That's why Speedy is better off the bench.

[TexasPete]

Speedys deal is an albatross for sure. Luke reminds me of Nash in the way he plays, penetrates, and distributes. A poor man's Nash obviously, but that isn't bad.

We do need to move Speedys contract somehow...with our upcoming re-signing obligations his deal is a drain...and his play doesn't live up to it.

The Sonics are going to move him at the deadline I think...lets not touch our core, but a creative deal that might kill two birds with one stone would be great.

[Admin]

**Not sure where you read we are offering Speedy. Sounds to me like a future first would get it done and I'm sure they want a little cap relief.

Sonics talking trade, yes, but actual deals not likely

FRANK HUGHES; The News Tribune Published: February 17th, 2007 01:00 AM

LAS VEGAS – Though it remains unlikely that the Seattle SuperSonics will pull off a deal before the Feb. 22 trade deadline, that does not mean general manager Rick Sund is not having conversations, some of which could lead to potential trades in the future. The Atlanta Hawks have called Sund, according to a source, seeking to obtain point guard Luke Ridnour.

Sund, who is in Las Vegas for the All-Star game but declined to comment on any trade discussions, told the Hawks the only way they could get Ridnour would be to include a first-round draft pick in any deal, the source said.

The Hawks currently have the seventh-worst record in the NBA (21-31) and do not want to give up a selection in a draft that is deep and talented.

It is unclear what players the Hawks offered, though they are said to be displeased with point guard Speedy Claxton, who is not the distributor that coach Mike Woodson would like.

Ridnour’s agent, Lon Babby, is close with one of the Hawks’ owners and could have tried to facilitate a trade for Ridnour, who has been in and out of the Sonics’ starting lineup this season.

[pimp]

i would give the sonics the indy pick him.

we have enough deveoping players right now.

I don't think speedy's contract will be all that hard to move , because of the way his contract is setup.

Speedy has one of those backwword contracts, where he gets

paid less every year.

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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You wonder why BK didn't know Speedy wasn't a good passer cause that was well known.

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Of course he knew. But you have to find someone. BK has failed to find the right PG or center, at some point you settle for what you can get. We tried cassell, he turned us down, and then we got the next best PG available. Everyone knows he's not a distributor and he can't shoot. Everyone knows he's injury prone. But at some point you have to compromise because if healthy his D is still a huge upgrade over anything we had and he can penetrate at will and run the fast break with our athletes.

I would love to get Ridnour here though. We need to find a distributor somewhere.

[TexasPete]

I disagree about "settling" because there are other solutions to our PG isues. First, I would look at the younger players that look good but don't have a lot of value yet. Guys like Calderon, Blake, and Jack had shown some promise but their value was still relatively low heading into the year. Jack had established more value than the other two...this approach requires taking a chance on upside. Now, all 3 guys have established value and their prices are high.

Although BK frequently falls into the "but there is nobody else" trap, it is a fools move. He also did it in this past draft with Shelden. We HAD to get defense and rebounding in the offseason and BK decided the draft was the way even though there were no great prospects that could provide the defense, rebounding, and shot blocking available. Shelden had question marks, big ones, about his athletic ability and how his game would translate to the NBA. We passed over a transforming player in Roy to get our immediate help on the inside even when that help was questionable.

The moral of the story is that good executives don't settle, they get creative. Now, we have a poor fit that we need to pay for several more years. The fact that Speedy is now not the answer because of his poor shooting and distributing is a little laughable. That is what we bought.

[DJ_Money]

Ridnour has put up 14 points and 6 assists when he's started this season. He shoots a good percentage from the field and is over 80% at the line. He's the up-tempo PG that we've looked for. (Does is sadden anyone else that the only player that looks to lead a break is Smoove?)

The only knock on Ridnour is his defense...but we've got all defense, no offense in Speedy right now, and it's not working.

Do we think Ridnour is better than anybody that will be available with the Indy pick? You have to believe that any big man worth having will be gone and that we will be looking at a PG. James, Crittenden, Fernandez, etc.

I'd much rather add a guy like Ridnour, who has NBA experience and has shown he can play in this league.

It would be nice to keep the pick and offer Seattle a future first, lottery protected for several years. But, we have to give up something to get something, and we need to build for now. With Ridnour already signed to an extension, we should be set at PG for several years.

(On Speedy...I don't think we need to dump his contract now just for the sake of dumping it. It may be crucial next summer if we want to make a trade for a high-dollar player.)

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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Do we think Ridnour is better than anybody that will be available with the Indy pick?

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Yes...yes...and absolutely YES.

Toss em Salim or a pick or whatever (non-JJ or JS).

Give Ridnour the keys to the Ferrari and watch. Next Nash.

[lawman]

the fact that smoove is the only player that will start the fast break to get us out running is crazy. he is not the best ball handler on our team nor is he the best passer but when he gets the rebound he is out and running and i love it. would be great if we had an actually point gaurd.

[DrReality]

If they don't bite on the Speedy deal, maybe we could send him to one of the teams mentioned for a first rounder and then we would have two that we could use. A first round pick and Salim?

I had heard on 790 one day Shapiro said "I know for sure that the Hawks are looking at a pg." Don't know if he said one or more than one. But he implied that we are in the hunt. Anyone hear anything further?

[DJlaysitup]

We really need to get Ridnour. Toss JC if you have to.

[DrReality]

This came off the Seatle board related to the trade article:

What do you guys think?

I'd part with him if we could get Atlanta's 1st(via Indiana Pacers) + Childres, filler for Rid, Petro.

Would be a lot to give up but we would get a pg and a big, the two pieces that we desperately need.

[TexasPete]

Dr, I think I would do that deal. We get a young and promising big in Petro and we get a poor mans Nash in Ridnour. FWIW, at age 26 Nash wasn't Nash either...Luke is the closest guy I have seen to Nashs type of game. Nash doesn't defend well either and I think Luke would transform us and make us exciting to watch.

We will have to trade Chill or Marvin at some point due to position redundancy so why not get us two nice pieces in positions we have a desperate need?

[DJlaysitup]

Done - what's the harm?

[TexasPete]

The more I think about it, the more I doubt the Sonics do that deal. We can't get a Petro or a Ridnour at where the Pacers pick will be...

Chill is playing a position where we have a guy 3 years younger with better upside. He is redundant. BK needs to go forward with that deal. Petro has a shot to be pretty good and I think he is only 21 or in that area. He is a good 7 footer with upside...do it BK.

I would have to be careful but with that deal I would be pumped about the Hawks again...I might even renew my tickets and I have written those off.

[DrReality]

Other post from the RealGM board:

THIS WORKED ON TRADE CHECKER:

WE send Speedy/Salim/1st for Ridnour/Sene/Swift

Would they do that?

There is also talk about Fortson's expiring contract which is 6.5 mil.

Don't really think we want Sene since we have Solomon, but the Petro sounds enticing. Wonder if it would be done this weekend while they are in Vega.

[atl_takeover]

Quote:

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It has been reported in a Seattle paper that the Hawks are interested in Luke Ridnour. The price is a #1 draft pick according to the paper. Woody and BK are are dissatisfied with Speedy and Woody wants a better distributor than Speedy. You wonder why BK didn't know Speedy wasn't a good passer cause that was well known.

Anyway, they are offering Speedy and I'm sure that won't be enough. The other aspect to this deal is that one of our owners is close friends with Ridnours agent and the agent is trying to get a deal done.

I would LOVE Ridnour. I know his defense is shaky but the kind of PG he is..wow..it is just what the doctor ordered. He would transform us into the up tempo team we need to be with this talent. What should we give up for Luke?

Here is my deal. First, this years pick is off the table because the draft is too good. If the Sonics would take Speedy and his contract off our hands I would give them our 2008 #1 pick. With Ridnour and this years #1 pick and a team getting getting older and better...that 2008 #1 should not be a lottery pick. I would put lotto protection on it anyway. If the Sonics would do that deal we would be in business because I think the team could make the playoffs this year because the East is so bad.

Opinions?

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That would be a good idea but we gave up our 2008 1st round pick to Phoenix in the Joe Johnson trade.

[Nicholasp27]

i'd trade for ridnour

i'd trade this year's indy pick

i'd trade next year's first (we'll be in playoffs anyway)

i'd trade slim/lo

i'd trade lue if that's what it took

don't wanna trade chill/marvin/smoove/joe

[TexasPete]

No, we didn't trade the 2008 pick unless we get in the top 3 this year. If we don't pick in the top 3 this year then we get our 2008 pick with no strings attached.