First off, I'm very happy to see this news confirmed, just because we can stop talking about a potential Gil for Kobe swap. We all seemed to agree that this Chad Ford trade proposal didn't help the Wizards one bit, so it's nice to see that it's not even remotely on the table.
But while the main member of the Big 3 is untouchable for now, one of the complimentary members had their name pop up again in a trade rumor. This item regarding Antawn Jamison was buried deep inside Peter Vescey's latest column, so take it for what you will (emphasis mine).
I've said before that I'm not so high on a potential Jamison trade, but if the return is Shawn Marion, I'm all for it. I don't see any upside in this deal for Phoenix, but if they're that desperate to get rid of Marion, the Wizards should be pouncing like they seem to be. Marion would fit in perfectly with this team replacing Jamison.
The bigger question, however, is how exactly can we define Jamison's value? He's getting older, and his faults are easily defined. On a team that struggles defensively, Jamison is arguably the biggest culprit. He's physically overpowered by most power forwards, and he doesn't exactly help himself with awful defensive footwork. It's as if he decided earlier in his career that he'd get paid more if he just concentrated on offense, and now, years later, when he has to lead by example on both ends of the floor, he can't do it. In an ideal world, the Wizards would start a defensive-minded power forward and bring Jamison off the bench for 25-30 minutes of scoring. His 16 million dollar expiring contract also could be of some worth, though expiring deals are becoming less valuable these days.
At the same time, Jamison's offensive value and leadership qualities are nearly impossible to replace. As a former clown himself, he understands how to manage a clubhouse full of eccentric personalities, and he absolutely played his heart out once Arenas and Butler went down. His ability to play the two-man game with Arenas is particularly underrated. Jamison's perimeter tendencies is precisely why the Wizards offense works so well, because he creates space for Arenas and Caron Butler to operate.
Moving Jamison for just anyone probably isn't a good idea, but if the right guy came around, it could significantly upgrade this team. My question to you is, who do you think that guy is?