Marc Stein: Miami interested in Mike James

Rumors are so fun. Here, Marc Stein talks about Miami's backcourt problems and says they were interested in James earlier this summer, but Washington wouldn't take back anything except another expiring contract.

Stein writes that, of the Heat's expiring contracts, only Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem make around James' salary. He concludes a third team needs to get involved.

(Please Udonis Haslem, please!).

If the Wizards want to cut money, they could get a team like Oklahoma City involved (because OKC has cap space and can absorb salary). Maybe something like James and Shaun Livingston to Miami, Haslem to Oklahoma City and a second-round pick to DC.

3 months ago Mike Prada 23 comments 0 recs |

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Does Miami have the frontcourt depth to trade Haslem?

Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.

by Jon L on Dec 9, 2009 5:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't know what Stein is talking about

Nearly all of Miami’s deals expire at the end of this season. There might only be two players who, alone, make as much as James, but there are a bunch that could be packaged together to be close enough to James’s contract to make a deal. The Wizards would likely have to cut someone they acquire, but if they can save money in the process and pick up a pick (that Grunfeld can sell for cash later!!), that would be good.

by disgrunted on Dec 9, 2009 6:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sounds like Stein had a dealine to meet, and he didn't have a real story to turn in.

by Pryme on Dec 9, 2009 6:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's not how those TrueHoop contributions work

The espn.com writers only contribute when they feel like it (I think).

So Stein just didn’t bother to fire up the trade machine.

Cook, Beasley, and Jones are their only NON-expiring contracts.

by Manimal Smith on Dec 9, 2009 6:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Wizards have a full roster, so they can't take back multiple players

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 9, 2009 6:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Quote:

“Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem are the only expiring deals Riley can offer in exchange for James without a third team being recruited to help faciliate a trade.”

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Truth About It on Dec 9, 2009 6:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Won't happen

Miami may need a guard, but they’re not going to give up O’Neal or Haslem to make it happen. That’ll just leave them in need of a big man, and big men have more value than guards.

by nate33 on Dec 9, 2009 6:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ya, it is farfetched

that they would trade a high quality PF for a low quality PG

by Manimal Smith on Dec 9, 2009 7:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A bit confused

If they have to give up Haslem anyway, then couldn’t we just do a direct swap?

I don’t see too much incentive for us to give away a sizeable expiring contract for a 2nd round pick unless it gets us below the tax line (which afaik, it doesn’t). If we trade our expirings it should be to significantly improve or to dump other bad contracts.

by Manimal Smith on Dec 9, 2009 6:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It doesn’t get the Wizards below the Tax line,,, but that would be $13 Million ($6.5Million salary, and $6.5 Million tax) that the Wizards would shave off their current roster costs…

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Dec 9, 2009 8:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

The Wizards have already paid about 1/4 of Mike James salary for this year…. so adjust my $13 Million savings accordingly…

It’s still a significant savings for THIS year + getting back a 2nd round draft pick = for a player that is currently injured, and will probably not play much this year for the Wizards…..

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Dec 9, 2009 8:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Savings and a 2nd round pick are still not worth

as much as a $6.5m expiring deal, right?

It would be great for the team to save ~$10m, but I think that James’ contract could have even more value (and long term savings) in trying to dump bad contracts or get better draft picks at the deadline.

by Manimal Smith on Dec 9, 2009 8:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It doesn't work that way.

We can’t just trade Mike James for nothing. Unless the other team is under the salary cap, they need to send back a contract roughly the size of James’ in order for the deal to comply with the CBA. Miami is well over the salary cap. Indeed, I believe OKC is the only team in the league with enough cap room to absorb James’ salary.

Basically, there isn’t a realistic way to trade James and generate significant savings.

by nate33 on Dec 9, 2009 9:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right, but ..

We were talking about a scenario where OKC is involved in a 3 team trade, so it could happen that way.

by Manimal Smith on Dec 9, 2009 9:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right, that's why you involve OKC

OKC can take Haslem (they could use a veteran big off the bench) and give us back like a second-round pick or something and give back someone else to Miami (maybe Serge Ibaka, I dunno) to allow us to offload James to Miami.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 9, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see Miami...

parting with either Haslem or Q at this point. They fit in pretty well with Dwade. You bet we could use Haslem but I can’t see it happening.

by khrabb on Dec 9, 2009 10:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, probably not

All teams have 15 players now, so what about something like this:

To MIA – Mike James, Shaun Livingston
To OKC – Dorrell Wright, Chris Quinn
To WAS – 2nd-round pick

Wizards cut money, Heat get their guards, and the Thunder take flyers on two young guys for nothing.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 9, 2009 10:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OKC has no reason to do this

Why would OKC absorb the contracts of two utterly worthless players while also giving up their 2nd round pick in the process? If anything, they should be receiving Washington’s 2nd round pick.

by nate33 on Dec 10, 2009 8:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So then give them an option to swap second-round picks

Or something.

They take a flyer on Wright for a year, and Quinn’s better as a backup PG than Kevin Ollie.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 10, 2009 8:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Give them cash

Something Lyrical Rico and I have discussed at RealGM:

Wait until the trade deadline when James has a prorated amount of just $2.4M left on his $6.4M contract. Then just give him to OKC and give OKC $3M in cash for their trouble. It costs us a net total of $600K, but we save $6.4M in luxtax fees.

That’s one of the few Mike James trades I see that make sense for all parties. That said, OKC is really in the driver’s seat in such a deal. They could make that kind of deal with any over-the-luxtax team and they might be able to demand more than just a bit of cash. Some teams might even offer a 1st round pick to get that kind of savings.

by nate33 on Dec 10, 2009 9:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Basically, there isn’t a realistic way to trade James and generate significant savings.

Except by involving a third team, that is under the Cap – Like Mike Prada suggested… and that’s the scenario I was trying to show the savings for this year….

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Dec 9, 2009 9:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think the most productive trade

Would be to somehow include stevenson. I haven’t messed around with the trade machine this morning, but package our expiring deal with Stevenson, and take back only expiring deals. The Wiz are going to desperately need Stevensons $4M off the books next year.

Do you think there is any way Stevenson excepts a buy-out? He is not going to play this year, and going to want at least one more contract. With a buy out he get a chance to play for the bad team for the rest of the year, but gets playing time and a chance at one more free agent contract next season. Or if we cannot trade him, but are able to complete a trade similar to Prada’s above where we trade james to a team under the cap and do not take any contract back, use that saving to buy out stevenoson.

Really, we need his money off the books in every way, no matter what happens the rest of the season

by Blatche4MVP on Dec 10, 2009 9:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Won't be easy

Yes, Stevenson needs to be dumped so we have the luxtax room to retain Haywood and one of Miller/Foye. But dumping Stevenson is easier said than done.

As a starting point, we can give someone $3M cash as incentive to trade Stevenson for an expiring contract. That way, the receiving team would only need to come up with the $1.1M necessary to pay the rest of his salary next year. In effect, the receiving team would be paying Stevenson the vet minimum.

But even with the cash, I don’t see a team jumping at that trade. We’d have to throw in a bit more incentive – at least a 2nd round pick.

For a trade partner, we’d be looking for a team who is projected to be far enough under the luxtax next year so that they don’t mind Stevenson’s salary. Furthermore, that team can’t be so far under the salary cap that the addition of Stevenson wrecks their free agency plan. Finally, that team will need to have expiring contracts and hopefully will be in need of a defensive guard. One team that fits these criteria is Milwaukee.

Stevenson + $3M cash + 2nd round pick for Kurt Thomas works. Milwaukee is paying $1.1M next year for Stevenson plus a 2nd round pick.

by nate33 on Dec 10, 2009 9:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs