Bullets Forever Poll: I would have liked the Minny trade better if ...

by Truth About It on Jun 25, 2009 7:13 AM EDT Comment 23 comments

Most who fall from mildly content to absolutely enthused about the Mike Miller/Randy Foye trade can agree that they would have like the move better if one of two things had happened (both 'things' being reasonable scenarios which we know Ernie Grunfeld and Co. sought):

One being the desire to maintain better team balance by shipping DeShawn Stevenson to the T-Wolves instead of Darius Songaila (as some have pointed out, Stevenson likely would not have passed a physical, although those can always be waived ... clearly David Kahn sees Songaila playing some sort of role for the Wolves); and
Two, thinking the Wizards should have gotten the Minnesota's 18th overall pick back (one of four they have in the first round) -- evidently Kahn wasn't budging on that.

It's not like Grunfeld got 'jobbed' by not accomplishing either of these ... do you think Kahn really wanted to give up Foye? Not likely.

So Bullets Forever nation, what say you ... which would you have rather had happen?

Poll

I would have liked the Miller/Foye trade better if:

the Wiz would have kept Songaila and not Stevenson.

242 votes

the Wiz would have gotten the 18th pick back.

295 votes

537 votes | Poll has closed

This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.

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Comments

18th pick

All I keep hearing is that Minny is trying to package that 18th pick with newly acquired #5 pick to move up to #2. So, I don’t think we ever had a chance of getting the 18th in this trade.

by 7Swords of Salat on Jun 25, 2009 7:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

even

the 28th pick would’ve been better. It’s possible we couldv’e packaged that with the 32 to move up to the low 20’s or high teens.

by CJHutch on Jun 25, 2009 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's the point I've made

The Wizards should’ve taken 28 back. 28 + 32 could’ve yielded a pick high enough to get Blair or Hansborough.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jun 25, 2009 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We had no chance at 18

But that would be WAY better than Songaila. We could have got a cheaper and more effective low-post defender/rebounder.

Getting buckets since 2003.

by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 25, 2009 8:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

#18 could have potentially been

Hansborough or Blair and if not, #18 + #32 in a deal might have netted one of those guys. Both being younger, cheaper and just as effective as Songs would have been. #18 clearly wins this poll.

by Mr. E on Jun 25, 2009 8:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm really surprised

to see how dissatisifed folks are with the trade. I hold none of the players that we lost in high regard. I think Songalia is completely overrated on this board, and Thomas and Pecherov serve no purpose IMO. I’m not a stats man, so I’m sure there could be statistical evidence to the impact of D Song when playing PF, but the eye test to me says that he is barely above worthless if we have a complete roster.

To me, we traded #5 for Miller and Foye and that is a win win situation. I do believe other moves have to be made to shore up the Bigs.. but Songalia is just another body to me.

'he nails an open three from the corner....just like you and me, this one was made by penetration' - Truthaboutit - Round 1 Game 5 Recap

by KDP on Jun 25, 2009 8:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i agree

songaila wasn’t well liked here until after the 19 win season. that speaks volumes to me.

by DarrellWalkerFan on Jun 25, 2009 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, most were just haters...

Without enough astute basketball knowledge to truly appreciate the intangibles that Songaila brought to the table … In My O.

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

by Truth About It on Jun 25, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will hold my hand up on that

Although most of my frustration with Songaila was just as much at the coaching staff for playing him at center instead of power forward. I still feel that McGee should’ve played more, but that isn’t Songaila’s fault. And there is no denying during the years the team was in the playoffs that Songaila was effective when playing at PF.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jun 25, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

point taken but i think it's more that

when you’re losing 3 out of 4 games you don’t have anything to look up to other than intangibles. those intangibles start looking a lot better!

i like the guy fine. darius was a gamer who can shoot and who maximized his ability and brought it every night, but he’s a marginal nba role player at best. (not that i don’t wish i could be a marginal nba role player.)

nor do i think minnesota wanted him or targeted him, but faced with the necessity to take either songaila’s or stevenson’s long term deal off the wizards hands (to make the deal work)… i’d take the stay out of trouble guy who can pass a physical too.

by DarrellWalkerFan on Jun 25, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More on DeShawn vs. Songaila

From Marc Stein’s Trade Chatter article yesterday:

Bonus Wolves nugget: Kahn’s willingness to take on Darius Songaila, who is scheduled to earn $4.5 million next season, looks like the clincher that persuaded Washington to take Minnesota’s offer over New York’s for the Wizards’ lottery pick: Randy Foye and Mike Miller in exchange for No. 5, Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov and Songaila. Shedding Songaila wasn’t an option in a deal with the Knicks built around Wizards ex Larry Hughes.

This makes it sound like Ernie was pushing Songaila out the door. This did not make sense to me because of Songaila’s production. But then there was this from Michael Lee today:

A person familiar with the trade discussions said that the Wizards had hoped to include guard DeShawn Stevenson in the deal, but the Timberwolves requested Songaila instead. Stevenson is still recovering from back surgery in March.

This actually makes more sense to me and solidifies my theory that Minnesota wanted to get at least some added value in addition to the 5th pick for two of their quality rotation players.

I still believe that D-Song is valuable and productive, and I think he’ll find a good role with the rebuilding T-Wolves. He may not have been incredibly valuable, but certainly worth $4.5 million per season, IMO. Which is probably why Minnesota wanted him.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Jun 25, 2009 9:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The national media usually...

Have nothing more than Peter Vescey-esque blather over the real beat reporters from teams.

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

by Truth About It on Jun 25, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't believe the 58% of you jerks so far

I liked Songaila and I want him back!

(runs away crying)

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

by Truth About It on Jun 25, 2009 9:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

There There

It (our big man void) will be ok by the morning. Trust me.

by Unkle Wheez on Jun 25, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know .... I'm being facetious

…it’s my mood/word of the day

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

by Truth About It on Jun 25, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It occurred to me this morning that the current guard heavy Wizards roster is pretty similar to rosters Grunfeld has put together in the past. See, e.g., http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIL/2001.html.

by disgrunted on Jun 25, 2009 9:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs