Bargnani... For Ilyasova?

[white men can't jump]

Let's be straight here, I am seeing a potential here. We do not talk about the current stats. I am only basing my evaluation on what I see... here it is:

1. above 80% FT shooting tells me he's more than capable developing a mid range jump shot, similar to the one Ibaka has developed in his last 12 months. Just look at Jonas - the guy is an above average FT shooter, I'd even say an excellent shooter for 7 footer, but he still struggles in game 15-17 ft shot even if left alone. For now. I have no doubt he could and will develop this shot.
2. Udoh is not an "ok" shot blocker - he's an elite shot blocker, that's why he was picked 6th overall!
3. Udoh is a freak by your definition - here is his comparison to Ibaka:
Ibaka - 6'10'', 235lbs, 7'4'' wingspan
Udoh - 6'10'', 245lbs, 7'4.5'' wingspan

Again, I am not advocating Udoh is a superstar. All I am saying he has got potential to become an elite defensive PF in a right environment (Casey system?!); very similar to Ibaka in OKC. As for his age, he's still young in NBA -its only his third season with a second team. He has never been given a chance to play yet. These type of players are worth trading for as fillers. In our case, like I said, I'd do #7 for him straight up. Why did I bring this up, cause you have originally said he's shit and not worth anything. As for going to Bucks forums; I won't there are enough knuckleheads here... oh, and by the way, I like Milwaukee talent a lot. If they let this team develop, we will be fighting with them for 5-8 spot for years to come.

I think my issue with Udoh, is he was drafted so high partly because they thought they were getting more than just potential. He was an old rookie, by current standards. The fact that he's 26, and has not really improved his game since coming in is quite alarming. The only thing that seems to have improved is ft shooting. He may be long too, but he's not the explosive defender that Ibaka is...size is not that useful if you can't move your body to the right places fast enough. 26 is not young, even if he's only had a couple years in the pros. Most old draftees are picked hoping they can contribute right away. His contributions have hardly been significant.

In my mind, Udoh will never be anything more than a 4th or 5th big...in the absolute best case. And he's going to be making 4.5 million dollars next year...that's a lot of money to pay someone who's not likely to be in your 8-9 man rotation every night.

*also, my main point originally was that he is a guy they might be looking to move to clear cap or roster space. Again, you can get a cheaper depth big. They might also want some added flexibility with their roster. Whether it's trading for Bargs or a much better player, I do believe any team could have to take back extra players and money....and I pray that this would be a younger person like Udoh who could expire next year, than an old fart like Gooden who has a lot of money and years left.

**Basically, I agree with you Udoh has some potential, but it's not much higher than the level he's playing at. I see no reason the Bucks would make keeping him a dealbreaker if they had the chance to make a trade they like (again, even if it's not for Bargs, just focusing on Udoh). But for a team like TO, or any team hoping to improve going into next year, Udoh is a much better gamble than Gooden, for example. I don't think any team willing to take Ilyasova's deal will want to take such an amount/length either. To me, this leaves Udoh as a likely option for them to dump because a)he doesn't seem to matter for their long term plans, and b) he's throw in other teams might want because of even limited potential and no long-term commitment....which is clearly why Milwaukee wanted him tossed into the Bogut-Ellis trade.