We HAVE to trade both AJ and Lue this year.

[bumpyphish1]

Those expiring contracts are too valuable not to use. Plus, I dont really see either of them in our long-term (or even next or this season) plans anyways. With their veteran contracts, and another player, we would actually target a legit player from a team trying to cut salary and rebuild. Throw in a good vet with these young dudes and who knows how good this team could get.

We are gonna have to eat Speedy's bloated contract

+

Lue and AJ's expirings

=

WE GOTTA TRADE THESE DUDES!

Plus, it's always fun to be a mover and a shaker on the trade market. Here's to hoping we get something done.

[dakast]

Maybe trade those two for another shooting guard.

PG - Speedy Claxton/Law/Stoudamire

SG - Joe Johnson/Stoudamire/????

SF - Marvin Williams/Josh Childress

PF - Josh Smith/Horford/ S. Williams

C - Zaza Pachulia/Horford/Wright

[Swatguy]

You want a "good veteran" when we already have that. If you cannot see the value of Tyronn Lue, you need to seek knowledge first. We just had a season with 168 man games missed and you want to trade the depth? A clutch shooter and a veteran steady point?

You seem to want to trade just to trade. This ain't PlayStation.

[DrReality]

I don't see this happening any time soon. It seems to me that it would be more likely at the trading deadline when teams are looking for help or expiring contracts.

[coachx]

I don't think that would be too smart...

That would mean Speedy and a rookie are our only PGs for an 82 game season. (Salim will never be a NBA PG).

Speedy will play 40 games tops. That leaves the rookie, Law, as the ONLY PG for half the season. Now I really like Law but no rookie PG should have that much responsibility forced on them. Should they ?

I am even hesitant to trade either AJ or Lue before the trade deadline unless Law just straight up takes over as the PG in his rookie year. I have absolutly ZERO confidence in Speedy's health. Lue and AJ are no spring chickens and cannot be counted on to play 82 games and 25 minutes a night without geting hurt.

I agree we have more pieces to the puzzle then we need.

Lo, Lue, & AJ are in their last contract last year. I do believe 2 of these 3 pieces with another player who does not fit (Sheldon, ZaZa, Marvin, or Chills) will be moved at the trade deadline to better round out the roster.

The question is which player will get out played by his teamates and find themselves without minutes ?

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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I don't think that would be too smart...

That would mean Speedy and a rookie are our only PGs for an 82 game season. (Salim will never be a NBA PG).

Speedy will play 40 games tops. That leaves the rookie, Law, as the ONLY PG for half the season. Now I really like Law but no rookie PG should have that much responsibility forced on them. Should they ?...

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Man...I'm not expecting 82 games in a row out of Speedy...but I gotta hope he can be effective out there for more than 40

[gsuteke]

Speedy Claxton's contract is not "bloated."

he's making what? 6 million a year? that's nothing in the NBA.

[mrhonline]

Quote:

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he's making what? 6 million a year? that's nothing in the NBA.

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He has 3 yrs., $17M left on his deal, which is same thing the Hornets paid to replace him with Bobby Jackson last season. (And Claxton's deal declines over the next three, while Jackson's increases).

[Nicholasp27]

speedy's contract isn't bloated anymore if he comes back healthy and plays 70+ games/year for the rest of his contract

[bumpyphish1]

Quote:

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I don't think that would be too smart...

That would mean Speedy and a rookie are our only PGs for an 82 game season. (Salim will never be a NBA PG).

Speedy will play 40 games tops. That leaves the rookie, Law, as the ONLY PG for half the season. Now I really like Law but no rookie PG should have that much responsibility forced on them. Should they ?

I am even hesitant to trade either AJ or Lue before the trade deadline unless Law just straight up takes over as the PG in his rookie year. I have absolutly ZERO confidence in Speedy's health. Lue and AJ are no spring chickens and cannot be counted on to play 82 games and 25 minutes a night without geting hurt.

I agree we have more pieces to the puzzle then we need.

Lo, Lue, & AJ are in their last contract last year. I do believe 2 of these 3 pieces with another player who does not fit (Sheldon, ZaZa, Marvin, or Chills) will be moved at the trade deadline to better round out the roster.

The question is which player will get out played by his teamates and find themselves without minutes ?

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I'm talking about at the deadline. Why would we trade these guys now when we can get just as much (or more) for them at the deadline while still getting their services for part of the season? I think by the time the deadline rolls around, Acie will have proven himself as the starter of this team and hopefully Speedy will be playing well and remain healthy, allowing us to confidently deal those other guys. I forgot about Blo, btw. We need to trade him, too.

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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...I forgot about Blo, btw. We need to trade him, too.

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Word is from the early articles that Lorenzen has come into camp in great shape and ready for action.

Contract years do wonders for conditioning.

[coachx]

We are on the same page then. I thought you meant trade Lue & AJ now or early in the season.

I totaly agree that by the allstar break the organzation can make better informed decisions regarding the current personell.

I still can't get over what was in Holliger's piece, posted this morning. The Hawks top 8 players in mpg only played 7 games together. This is just astonishing considering we added no one late in the year at the trade dead line who were in the top 8. (Speedy, Lue, Johnson, Childress, M. Williams, S. Williams, Smith, & ZaZa). All of these guys missed at least 10 games.

Definately need more then 8 games to evaluate how they play together, not to mention Law and Horford have been added the mix.........It will take at least till' December to get a feel for how all these pieces BEST fit together.

At least 2 or 3 players, with good talent, are not going to get minutes and will be ideal trading chips. No way to know who they are yet...that is why they play the game.

[bfwolf]

I doubt we will be able to trade AJ and Lue to the same team. Who would want both of them? Both of these guys aren't going to be getting minutes so why not trade one of them now for somebody who can help us now? Then trade the other guy at the deadline for whatever we can get (2nd round pick probably).

[coachx]

Quote:

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I doubt we will be able to trade AJ and Lue to the same team. Who would want both of them? Both of these guys aren't going to be getting minutes so why not trade one of them now for somebody who can help us now? Then trade the other guy at the deadline for whatever we can get (2nd round pick probably).

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This is why I would not trade any one now:

Lue is coming off knee surgery and can't even practice yet. So I doubt his knee could pass a physical necessary to complete a trade.

Speedy is a little over priced and is coming off a 2nd knee surgery a 2 years himself. He has yet to prove his health. So no one will trade for him and we can't count on or depend on a certain amount of minutes or games from him. I think the franchise is quietly taking the approach that anything from Speedy is GRAVY.

AJ is the only guy with ANY expierence with a good history of health. Therefor, I would not trade AJ until I am positive we got enough HEALTHY bodies at PG.

The only PG other then Lue who could pass a physical is AJ. AJ is so important to us b/c we can count on him to stay healthy more so the Lue and Speedy comnbined.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

One thing you need to remember Bumpy. Both Smoove and Chill will be restricted free agents at the end of the year. By keeping Lue and AJ until the end of the year, and letting their contracts expire, that frees up enough money to comfortably re-sign both Smoove and Chill next summer.

Between Lue and AJ, you're talking almost 7 million coming off the books next summer. Add Lorenzen and Salim to that, and you're talking around 10.5 million.

If we take back a contract, it better be for a player who is better than Childress. If not, we're probably better off keeping Chill.

The only way in my eyes that Lue and AJ get traded, is if they're part of some big time deal that brings in a legit scorer, regardless of position. But if a deal like that goes down, that means any one of our other players, outside of JJ, could be the major piece in the deal, from our end.

It would be a Smoove or Marvin + Lue + AJ + Lorenzen for x-player. It wouldn't be just Lue and AJ for somebody.

WE may be better off just letting their contracts expire.

[bumpyphish1]

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I doubt we will be able to trade AJ and Lue to the same team. Who would want both of them? Both of these guys aren't going to be getting minutes so why not trade one of them now for somebody who can help us now? Then trade the other guy at the deadline for whatever we can get (2nd round pick probably).

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actually, teams might make that deal because their CONTRACTS EXPIRE. Hence the point of the thread. They arent getting these guys to play for them, they are clearing the cap space and getting one other guy (Zaza/Childress/etc.) that can help them in the future.

Come on guys.

[bumpyphish1]

Quote:

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One thing you need to remember Bumpy. Both Smoove and Chill will be restricted free agents at the end of the year. By keeping Lue and AJ until the end of the year, and letting their contracts expire, that frees up enough money to comfortably re-sign both Smoove and Chill next summer.

Between Lue and AJ, you're talking almost 7 million coming off the books next summer. Add Lorenzen and Salim to that, and you're talking around 10.5 million.

If we take back a contract, it better be for a player who is better than Childress. If not, we're probably better off keeping Chill.

The only way in my eyes that Lue and AJ get traded, is if they're part of some big time deal that brings in a legit scorer, regardless of position. But if a deal like that goes down, that means any one of our other players, outside of JJ, could be the major piece in the deal, from our end.

It would be a Smoove or Marvin + Lue + AJ + Lorenzen for x-player. It wouldn't be just Lue and AJ for somebody.

WE may be better off just letting their contracts expire.

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You bring up some great points as usual, 'cyde. I agree, we gotta get someone back better than Childress. No doubt. I am even suggesting to use Chill in the deal. The deal has to include one desirable player. We are kidding ourselves if we are saying Lue or AJ are "desirable". The cap space for re-signing Smoove is a very good point. But, I think we can re-sign Smoove as long as we include someone like Zaza, Chill, or Shelden with some combo of Blo, Lue, AJ.

[DJlaysitup]

This is so much BS - IMO. Everybody wants to "clear cap space"...Boston (after losing out in the lottery) just figured out how to get three top players and are expected to go from tankers to top 4 in the EC.

Lordy....we need ownership and management and a good coach.

P.S. - of course they already had PP.

[mrhonline]

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This is so much BS - IMO. Everybody wants to "clear cap space"...Boston (after losing out in the lottery) just figured out how to get three top players and are expected to go from tankers to top 4 in the EC.

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Well, they traded a top-tier young PF AND expiring contracts(which they drafted) for Garnett, a #5 pick for Allen, and they drafted Pierce.

Seems like the key to putting together a good team runs through the draft either way.