25 And Counting

I wouldn't mind seeing Bill Walker do this in the Q.

As the Cavs firmly plant themselves in the record book for all of the wrong reasons, let's celebrate with another trade idea to save them from themselves.


Trade #1

Cavs get:
Eddy Curry
Bill Walker
Anthony Randolph
Jamal Crawford

Knicks get:
Carmelo Anthony
Al Harrington
Mo Williams

Nuggets get:
Wilson Chandler
Toney Douglas
Kelenna Azubuike
Jeff Teague
Danilo Gallinari
Miami's 2013 #1 pick ( via Cleveland)
Atlanta's 2012 #1 pick

Hawks get:
Chauncey Billups
Timofey Mozgov


Who says no to this deal first?  The Knicks get Melo, but they also have to take on Mo Williams's $9.3 million per year for the next 2 seasons, as well as Al Harrington's reasonable $5.7 million per year over an unreasonable 5 more seasons.  The Nuggets get quantity over quality, shedding themselves of their two best players in exchange for a collection of young, interesting pieces with little commitment beyond this season (as Douglas and Gallinari are the only 2 players coming to Denver under contract through 2012).  Plus, this deal would save the Nuggets $18.9 million this season (actually, probably about half that since half the season's already over).  The Hawks would be the big winners here, upgrading their point guard position from Mike Bibby (who may actually be useful as a gunner off the bench) to Chauncey Billups.

As for the Cavs, they shed themselves of Williams's contract (and desperate stench) while bringing back two huge expiring deals in Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford ($22 million off the books this summer), and, more importantly, two intriguing young players in Bill Walker and Anthony Randolph who will get an extended opportunity to try to mold their vast potential (especially in the case of Randolph, as you can see in the embedded video below) into actual production.  Yes, the Cavs would be giving up a first round pick, but--considering that the Heat are almost always going to be picking in the lower-20s for the next 5 years--there is very little chance that someone with the upside of Randolph would be available by the time that pick comes around.  Crawford could be bought out, while Curry could just stay in New York for all I care.  With this move, the Cavs' new 8-man rotation would look something like this:

PG Ramon Sessions
SG Bill Walker
SF Christian Eyenga
PF Anthony Randolph
C J.J. Hickson
BENCH
F Antawn Jamison
G Boobie Gibson
G Manny Harris

This lineup is still quite bad, and there would still be the matter of trying to shed Jamison and/or Boobie's contracts, but it's a step in the right direction.  The Cavs are at the point where they need to start taking flyers on guys with talent who for whatever reason just haven't put it together yet, a la Micheal Beasley in Minnesota, and Randolph (and even Walker, to a lesser extent) fit that mold.