Utah having issues

[YKOil]

I have to wonder if they would look at Bargs as a player they can work with. If so then:

Jefferson
FOR
Bargnani, Barbosa and $3 million cash**

or

Jefferson and Price
FOR
Bargnani, Evans, Wright and $3 million cash**

(** and I would dangle the Miami pick to close the deal)

Both work through ESPN.

Much longer contract for Utah but just a little more expensive. With Ak47 probably gone after this season, and given that Utah would be MUCH better at supporting Bargs on defense, Bargs could be a good scorer for them. They may even use him as a bench guy (as he should be).

Shorter, and possibly more tradeable, contract for Toronto. Jefferson is no great shakes defensively but he is better than Bargs. The big key here is that he is gone in 2012/13.

[Tim W.]

Utah is having issues, in part because Jefferson is a poor defender. So you want to replace one poor defender with another. Why?

[YKOil]

Bargs and Jefferson play totally different games. Bargs may be an easier cover and fit with the personnel better. Also, I think AK is going. Utah may need to retool.

That said, Bargs is going to be hard to move, especially given the BYC. Kleiza can probably be packaged with Evans or Barbosa and ditto with Weems so most of the problem guys can be dealt with but Bargs is the elephant in the room. Going to be a long 5 years when the best chance a team has to make a player moderately productive is to have play off the bench.

[Tim W.]

Bargs and Jefferson play totally different games. Bargs may be an easier cover and fit with the personnel better. Also, I think AK is going. Utah may need to retool.

That said, Bargs is going to be hard to move, especially given the BYC. Kleiza can probably be packaged with Evans or Barbosa and ditto with Weems so most of the problem guys can be dealt with but Bargs is the elephant in the room. Going to be a long 5 years when the best chance a team has to make a player moderately productive is to have play off the bench.

My issue is not with Utah, but why you'd want Jefferson on the Raptors. He's yet another one of those big men that puts up great stats but doesn't help you win because he doesn't play defense.

I agree Bargnani needs to be traded, but I don't think you need to take back a player you don't want in return. Wait until this summer when he's not a BYC player and I think Bargnani will be easy to move.

[Raptorsss]

Utah has Mehmet, so why would they want Bargs!?

[YKOil]

My issue is not with Utah, but why you'd want Jefferson on the Raptors. He's yet another one of those big men that puts up great stats but doesn't help you win because he doesn't play defense.

I agree Bargnani needs to be traded, but I don't think you need to take back a player you don't want in return. Wait until this summer when he's not a BYC player and I think Bargnani will be easy to move.

Looks like our main divergence will be on how easy it will, or will not be, to trade Bargs. I see it as becoming harder and harder every game. So for me it becomes a matter of mitigating the damage - 2 more years of Jefferson is far better (imo) than 4 more years of Bargs.

As for Mehmet, my thinking is that Bargs is younger and hasn't blown out an achilles yet. As well - Jefferson for Bargs means Utah takes in $13+ million extra salary over all while Mehmet for Bargs represents some $30+ million.

[Tim W.]

Looks like our main divergence will be on how easy it will, or will not be, to trade Bargs. I see it as becoming harder and harder every game. So for me it becomes a matter of mitigating the damage - 2 more years of Jefferson is far better (imo) than 4 more years of Bargs.

As for Mehmet, my thinking is that Bargs is younger and hasn't blown out an achilles yet. As well - Jefferson for Bargs means Utah takes in $13+ million extra salary over all while Mehmet for Bargs represents some $30+ million.

If Colangelo can get Barbosa for Turkoglu, who had a far, far worse contract, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have to take a bad contract back to get rid of Bargnani. If a salary dump is all you're looking for, I'm pretty sure New York would take Bargnani for Eddy Curry. I wouldn't do it in a million years, but I think they would.

[YKOil]

Ummm... it's a rather large step to go from a getting a guy - Jefferson - who can play well (arguable better than Bargs but they play totally different games) and comes with a reduction of years and salary to a guy - E. Curry - who is a straight up salary dump.

That said, Jefferson has had a string of very good games for Utah so even if (a huge IF at that) there had been a glimmer of a chance it is probably gone now.

[Tim W.]

Ummm... it's a rather large step to go from a getting a guy - Jefferson - who can play well (arguable better than Bargs but they play totally different games) and comes with a reduction of years and salary to a guy - E. Curry - who is a straight up salary dump.

That said, Jefferson has had a string of very good games for Utah so even if (a huge IF at that) there had been a glimmer of a chance it is probably gone now.

Bottom line, Jefferson is a poor defender. Why would you want to take that on? The Raptors should completely ween themselves of poor defending big men from now on. Follow the San Antonio/Boston/Laker/any contender worth it's salt model.

[JoePanini]

Jefferson isn't that good, he is a little overweight, is slow but can rebound and has decent post moves. His defense is just as bad as Bargnani's, so he won't improve us. Bargnani is better offensively.

[YKOil]

Difference of opinion I guess. Somehow you guys seem to think that Bargs will produce a 'we win' trade for us. I think we will be lucky to get a sideways move out of it. Time will tell.

[Tim W.]

Difference of opinion I guess. Somehow you guys seem to think that Bargs will produce a 'we win' trade for us. I think we will be lucky to get a sideways move out of it. Time will tell.

It MAY be true that the Raptors will have to take garbage in order to trade Bargnani away, but don't you think it's a little silly to go into a trade ASSUMING that will be the case?

And, just for the record, I'd rather trade for Eddy Curry's expiring contract than take on Al Jefferson and his contract for another 2.5 years.