Chad Ford:• As Kidd suggested, Cleveland was emerging as the likeliest destination for Bibby. I heard from a very reliable source that the Minnesota Timberwolves were involved in three-team talks with the Kings and Cavs, with Mike James looking like the likeliest replacement at point guard for the Kings. Drew Gooden would headline the package the Cavs would surrender.
There was also talk that a fourth team was trying to get involved, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was Phoenix. I'm told the Suns and Cavaliers have discussed a Marcus Banks-Damon Jones trade as a fallback in the event a Bibby deal fell through. There also was a possibility Banks could go to Sacramento in a four-way Cleveland-Sacramento-Phoenix-Minnesota deal, with the Kings getting one of the two spare No. 1 picks the Suns have at their disposal (their own and Cleveland's). The third No. 1 pick Phoenix owns is a pick owed by Atlanta for the Joe Johnson trade. It is top-three protected in 2007 and unprotected in 2008, and is virtually untouchable.
Eric (Phoenix, AZ): What are the odds that Marcus Banks gets traded and are their any PGs out there that the Suns could bring in to back-up Nash?No! Trading for Marcus Banks reeks of making a move simply to make a move.
Chad Ford: (12:26 PM ET ) They are trying to move Banks who's been a MAJOR bust in Phoenix (don't get me started on this ... I'm still stunned they passed on Rajon Rondo to get this guy ... that's almost worse than the contract). I think they are less worried about point guard at this point than the front court. They've been showing a lot of interest in Drew Gooden lately and the Cavs might be willing to do a deal for Banks, Kurt Thomas and a couple of first round picks (Phoenix has three this year, including the Cavs pick). Not sure if Gooden is a great fit in Phoenix ... but they seem to like him.
Banks is owed roughly 17 million over the next for seasons (not including the 06-07 season). He just signed a contract this past offseason (5 years, $20 mil) and the Suns are already trying to unload him. For his career he's a 43% shooter and blazing 31% 3pt bomber.
Is he an upgrade over Eric Snow? Probably. But he's a short term fix for with long term problems. The Cavs have enough long term contract issues the way it is (Hughes, Z, Marshall, Jones, Snow) and they need to sign Varejao and Pavlovic this summer. Trading for Marcus Banks won't help matters.
It's risky enough trading Gooden for Mike Bibby, but for Marcus Banks? No thank you.
2 comments:
Yahoo Sports reporting that the Bibby deal is dead. Neither side could find a third team to get involved.
It wouldn't surprise me at all to hear in the next hour or two that the Cavs have, in fact, picked up Banks. I don't think it would be much of an upgrade over anyone they already have. All it would do is throw another guy into the mix at PG, and probably take minutes away from Gibson.
Like you said, making a move just to make a move. Just for Ferry to try to prove to LeBron that he's not sitting on his hands.
3 p.m. on the nose, but I know it sometimes takes hours before a deal is announced. If the Cavs made a trade, it might be 6 or 7 before we find out about it.
But here is my question of the moment. Do you think the Dwyane Wade injury made Ferry back off the trade accelerator a bit?
The Cavs' main goal seems to be to get one of the first two playoff seeds and go from there. Miami was the team that was charging hard from behind, but now Wade is going to be out a while, and Miami is probably going to end up as a 5-8 seed if Wade is out until April.
Wade's injury might change the entire complexion of the East playoff race, and teams like Washington and Cleveland who felt Miami breathing down their necks might now be more apt to stand pat and play the hand they have.
Just a thought.
Post a Comment