Just when many thought there no big moves left in the offseason, a four-team trade was made involving the Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Hornets. In the trade, Courtney Lee was dealt to Houston, Trevor Ariza will be a Hornet, the Nets got Troy Murphy, while Darren Collison and James Posey will be heading to Indianapolis.
With the addition of Collison, the Pacers have resolved their need for a point guard. Last season, when Collison started in spite of Chris Paul's injury, the former UCLA standout averaged 21.6 points per game, 8.3 assists, and 49.6% shooting from the field. Posey, also sent to Indiana, is a formidable three-point threat. Having won a title with both the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, respectively, he will also bring a valuable veteran presence.
The Kobe Beef blog also touched on the financial benefits of the deal: "Although the Pacers took on the bloated contract of Posey’s salary (two years remaining at #13 million) it will save the team $4 million on their overall payroll. This is something the organization is very apt to do considering that they claim they can no longer afford to pay the yearly leasing fee for using the Conseco Fieldhouse."
The Kobe Beef blog also touched on the financial benefits of the deal: "Although the Pacers took on the bloated contract of Posey’s salary (two years remaining at #13 million) it will save the team $4 million on their overall payroll. This is something the organization is very apt to do considering that they claim they can no longer afford to pay the yearly leasing fee for using the Conseco Fieldhouse."
Since Indiana could not trade injury-prone point guard T.J. Ford, the Pacers offered to buyout Ford's contract for $5 million. "I'm not taking a buyout," Ford told the Indianapolis Star. Ford is set to make $8.5 million this season, having picked up his player option.
The Houston Rockets received the type of scrappy player coach Rick Adelman loves with the acquisition of Lee. Lee, who appeared in the 2009 NBA Finals as a member of the Orlando Magic, also has a good shooting touch. In the process, the Rockets got rid of Ariza, who struggled with his shooting percentages, and his contract. From a business perspective, this is a fantastic decision for the Rockets. The team will save $10 million this season and plenty more down the road.
The New Orleans Hornets received Ariza in the deal. The move pleased Paul, who had a conversation with his new teammate. "He was excited," Ariza said. Paul said,"I’m all about winning. I’ll do everything to win. I’m just more hungry now. Just getting to the playoffs is not good enough for me." Ariza, of course, won a championship with the Lakers and is a multi-faceted player. Although he struggled with his efficiency, he has great range, can drive to the basket, and is a commendable perimeter defender.
In the least influential component of the deal, Troy Murphy is now a member of the New Jersey. Nets. Perhaps The Kobe Beef put it best: As for Murphy heading to New Jersey, well, he will be as invisible as he was when he was with Indiana. He is one of the better players in the league but no one gives him much credit or attention because he has played in small markets for much of his career . Over the past couple of seasons he has become a double-double machine averaging 14.45 points and 11 rebounds. Avery Johnson will likely try and use him as a poor man’s Dirk Nowitzki."
Overall, the deal seems beneficial for all parties involved.
1 comments:
Really good article. I agree with what you said about Ariza last year and how he could become a much better player this with chris paul
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