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The NBA’s trading deadline is just a few days away and there are still several players in the league that need trading. The Magic need to get rid of Steve Francis, the Hawks must trade Al Harrington before he leaves via free agency this summer, and the Jazz have reportedly begun listening to offers for Carlos Boozer.
Rumors have also circulated that Cleveland is looking to move Drew Gooden, and despite denying reports that they are shopping Lamar Odom the Lakers wouldn’t think twice if Steve Francis was involved. I have taken the liberty of deciding on two blockbuster deals that will solve problems for five NBA teams.
Trade #1 – Atlanta and Utah
The Atlanta Hawks trade Al Harrington, Tyronn Lue, and Tony Delk to the Utah Jazz for Carlos Boozer and Jarron Collins.
This swap works extremely well for both Utah and Atlanta. The Hawks would ensure they’ll receive something in return for Al Harrington, rather than just watching him walk away this summer. As for the Jazz they’ll pick up a scorer in Tony Delk, and a quality point guard to spilt time with rookie Deron Williams in Tyronn Lue. The Jazz also get a healthy player in Al Harrington to lead them in a possible playoff run.
The Jazz can then either try to re-sign Harrington for a long-term inside threat, or let him walk away and enjoy a great amount of cap flexibility. The Jazz, who also have an unrestricted free agent in Matt Harpring, can decide to rebuild or stick with what they have. A lot of that will depend on if the Jazz are able to make a playoff push, and if they make the playoffs, can they pull off an upset of one of the West’s top seeds?
Atlanta receives a blue collar center in Jarron Collins, and a marquee player in Carlos Boozer. While Boozer has only played a handful of games this season because of injury, he averaged 17.8 points and 9.0 rebounds during 51 games last season for the Jazz. While Boozer may not be the scorer the Hawks have in Harrington, he’s a better rebounder and will allow guys like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith to get more offensive opportunities.
Most importantly for the Hawks, Boozer is of great value when compared to Harrington, who is expected to leave this summer via free agency.
Trade #2 – Orlando – Cleveland – Los Angele
The Orlando Magic receive Drew Gooden and Damon Jones from Cleveland, and Luke Walton and Smush Parker from Los Angeles. The Cleveland Cavaliers receive Lamar Odom from Los Angeles and Jameer Nelson from Orlando. Finally, the Los Angeles Lakers receive Steve Francis and Bo Outlaw from Orlando, and Ira Newble from Cleveland.
It’s not the simplest trade that has ever been executed, but in my estimation it works for all teams involved.
Cleveland gets rid of Drew Gooden, who has been the subject of trade talks for the better part of his tenure as a Cavalier, and the failed free agent experiment of Damon Jones and essentially gets Lamar Odom in return. The Cavaliers also pick up Jameer Nelson, a promising young talent, from the Magic and have to give up Ira Newble for cap reasons.
I believe Odom would fit nicely in Cleveland’s system as a versatile power forward. Once Larry Hughes is healthy, Cleveland would immediately become a powerhouse in the East. With three stars in Odom, Hughes, and LeBron James, and an unselfish point guard in Eric Snow the Cavs could give LeBron his first championship ring sooner than later. And I didn’t even mention Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a quality center in a center-deprived conference.
The Magic get rid of Steve Francis, who has overstayed his welcome in Orlando, and receive a quality inside presence in Drew Gooden, as well as a perimeter threat in Damon Jones. While they give up the bright future of Jameer Nelson, they get an immediate impact point guard in Smush Parker. Parker, who shares shots as a Laker with Kobe Bryant and Odom, will be able to show off his scoring skills as a focal point of the Magic offense. Orlando would switch to more of a team offense, with no Francis-led isolation, and get a few million dollars in cap relief as a bonus.
Los Angeles gets Steve Francis after losing out on the Ron Artest sweepstakes a few weeks ago. The Lakers also receive Bo Outlaw and Ira Newble as fillers in order to make the trade with Orlando and Cleveland work financially. They can then feature a starting line-up of Steve Francis, Kobe Bryant, Devean George, Kwame Brown, and Chris Mihm. The addition of Francis would free things up for Kobe on the perimeter at times, and allows Los Angeles to get rid of a possible problems brewing between Odom and Agent 81.
Trading season is in full effect, but don’t blink because before you know it the NBA’s deadline will have come and gone.
Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com