If Toronto is smart, they’ll trade Calderon and move Jack to the starting lineup. Is Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo smart? The media thinks so, but we’re talking about a guy that just gave Hedo Turkoglu a Rashard Lewis contract. Should Toronto move Jack and his $5mil/yr. salary, we may not have an equivalent piece to trade (and they don’t need Maxiell), but it could be worth exploring.
Goodbye, Carlos Boozer.
Hello, Chris Bosh.
This is not as far-fetched as it might seem. See, both players are going to become unrestricted free agents this summer.
Although he is without a doubt an All-Star caliber player, Boozer’s time in Utah has come to an end.
There already has been talk about the Jazz resigning him to a new long-term contract, and in the coming weeks and months there is sure to be more of the same. It’s true, Boozer did a nice job for the Jazz this season, even after a rather dicey offseason in which he essentially mounted a get-me-out-of-here campaign.
In the right situation (and against the right opponent) Booz is a dominant big man and a lethal offensive weapon.
But the Jazz need something more … something different.
They need Chris Bosh.
Bosh was in the stands at Staples Center the other night as the Lakers beat the Jazz in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series. Rumor is he was in L.A. to get fitted for a new Lakers jersey for next season.
Speculation is, he’s definitely leaving the Toronto Raptors and that the Lakers are his next stop.
Maybe so. But the Jazz shouldn’t let this opportunity pass without putting up a fight.
Rather than attempting to resign Boozer, they need to let him go to the Heat or the Bulls or the Nets or whoever will give him the big-money deal he’s looking for.
But the Rockets would face a possible dilemma with Luis Scola being a restricted free agent himself. Coming off his best season with averages of 16 points and 8 boards on 52 percent shooting, the Rockets are certainly not lacking talent at the power forward position.
It’d seem unlikely that he would stay if Bosh were to come to Houston, but Luis recently commented on the situation:
"Chris Bosh is a great player, an All-Star, a 20-10 guy," said Scola. "I know people who play with him on the same team, and everybody says he’s a great teammate. You always want a great player and a great teammate and a 20-10 guy on your team. Winning is always first."
We can interpret it different ways or that Scola is being diplomatic about the situation, but would the Rockets be willing to pay him $8-10 million for being a mere backup? As great as Bosh would be, the Rockets would have bigger needs—more specifically a backup center that could step in and start if Yao were to prove unstable once again.
Then there’s the counter-argument that the Rockets could run a three-man rotation with Scola, Yao, and Bosh, but much like the Raptors and what the Rockets faced last season, the defensive intimidation on the inside would be minimal.
Frankly the Rockets already have enough scoring, and in a team setting where Bosh would likely take on a lesser offensive role, how much better is Bosh for the Rockets compared to the production Scola provided, especially post All-Star break?
I think that trading him to Golden State would be the best possible deal for both teams involved; here is how and why.
To Golden State Warriors: Chris Bosh (PF, 24.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.4 APG), Fourth Round Draft Pick (2010)
To Toronto Raptors: Monta Ellis, (G, 25.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.3 APG), Andris Biedrins (PF, 5.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.7 APG), Second Round Draft Pick (2010, 35th Overall)
This deal makes perfect sense for both teams. It could very well benefit both teams and would improve both the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors. Let’s begin with the Golden State Warriors.
Giving away Monta Ellis would be okay for the Golden State Warriors because of point guard Stephen Curry, who is on pace to become the next point guard star of the NBA. Curry averaged 17.5 PPG and was nominated for Rookie of the Year. Some even believe that he should have been the one to win the award.