http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3077037


The Miami Heat, reeling from the continued injury absence of Dwyane Wade and an 0-7 record in the preseason, were on the verge Wednesday of a double boost to their depleted roster, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Heat will soon complete a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire swingman Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount.

The latest incarnation of the deal, according to one source, has Miami sending Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien to the Wolves for Davis and Blount.

Minnesota initially balked at taking back Walker in the deal, sources said, but it's believed that the Heat will send the Wolves at least one future draft pick to push the trade through.

Walker has fallen farther and farther out of favor with Miami coach Pat Riley since the Heat's 2006 championship, in part because of conditioning issues, but Minnesota might also have been convinced to shed its reservations and make the swap because Walker has only one year left on his contract more than Blount.


Doesn't seem like much of a deal for the Wolves. 'Toine seems the last veteran guy a team with young guys would want. Great role model. Show up to camp fat because all you're gonna have to do is jack threes and wiggle up the court after one of the twenty go in.

They get rid of Ricky Davis, though.


And Davis is only going to try and take shots away from Wade. I love the trade.

Davis is an expiring contract! Minnesota gets the pick and one less year of a bad contract (Walker instead of Blount) because Walker has a team option in 09/10.

This gives Miami a "Wade light" while he's down for pretty much nothing but a pick. Good move on their part. This has gotta be Shaq's last real chance.

Wow the heat just rob the wolves.

Davis isn't complete shit and Blount is a better player than toine and Doleac.

Shaq
Blount
Davis
Wade
mo Williams

Not too shitty

Over/under: Wolves winning 20 games this year.

This deal is chuck-a-licious!

I like how Davis/Blount keep getting passed around as a package.

I think this is just another destination on Fatoine's tour around the NBA as well. When his deal gets closer to expiring, he might get moved 2-3 more times.

How would you like to be responsible for selling season tickets for the TWolves?

Hey, we've got Juwan Howard and Antoine Walker!

Blount's looking like he's more of a player than Walker these days, and it's entirely possible that Ricky Davis nets them something reasonable in a S+T. I'm having a hard time believing that Miami misses the playoffs in the East, and I think McHale just bent himself over a table again.

Fuckin McHale... he really likes to help other East teams get better. Hell just taking away Fatoine helps Miami by subtraction.

Hey, why not give us Al Jefferson for Nazr and Flip M while you're at it?

Wow the heat just rob the wolves.

Davis isn't complete shit and Blount is a better player than toine and Doleac.

Shaq
Blount
Davis
Wade
mo Williams

Not too shitty

Mo Williams is still on Milwaukee not the HEAT[smilie=heatsmiley2:

How many players do the TWolves have on their roster now?

They might be giving the Knicks a run for their money.

Doleac's going over to Minny too... uninteresting.
Simien's going over to Minny too... interesting.

I could see him being the best player involved in this trade in a couple years, assuming he stays healthy.

Doleac going there is a little interesting.

It gives them 5 guys capable of playing center:

John Edwards http://www.nba.com/playerfile/john_edwards/index.html?nav=page
Al Jefferson
Mark Madsen
Theo Ratliff

Not many teams have 5 centers, stiffs or not.

Edwards will be waived, of course, but there is potential for another deal from McHale, especially if he wants to move Theo's massive expiring deal.

I was just checking out Fatoine's contract and I just can't believe that ANY team agreed to sign him to that much $.

2007/08 $8,329,640
2008/09 $9,052,460
2009/10 $9,775,280
2010/11 $10,498,100


even though he'll never see the last $20m of it due to this: 2009-10 and 2010-11 not guaranteed if waived before 6/30/09, fully guaranteed after that

That article never says anything about a FIRST round pick. Just one future draft pick. And its not really Davis and Blount for Walker and a pick, its Davis and Blount for Walker, Doleac, Simien and a pick. Those are two very different packages going to Minny.

Lateral move IMO...now the Heat have ZERO 3 pt shooting now that Kapono and Fattoine are gone...

Ricky Davis isn't anything special, he'll have inflated numbers while Wade is out, but he's nothing to fear come playoff time, and I'd be stunned if he doesn't end up in Riley's doghouse at some point during the season for dogging it during a blowout or wonders why the ball isn't in his hand when Wade gets back....

I really don't see how this helps the Heat all that much except for the fact that 'Toine won't be shooting 10 3's a game anymore.

Ricky Davis is can score, but he also needs the ball in his hands. Maybe somehow that will help the Heat, but I think Davis and Wade will butt heads after a couple of months.

Walker was great at setting up Shaq. For that reason alone, I endorse his move to Minnesota.

I think adding Blount will work out better for Miami in the longrun than adding Ricky will... Blount actually had a solid season last year and for a team that lacks bigs that can stay healthy, Blount could put up career numbers putting back all the bricks Smush, Jason Williams and Ricky will toss up

Blount can shoot, but he rebounds like a bitch.

That article never says anything about a FIRST round pick. Just one future draft pick. And its not really Davis and Blount for Walker and a pick, its Davis and Blount for Walker, Doleac, Simien and a pick. Those are two very different packages going to Minny.

The updated article on ESPN has the first round pick info. Not sure how I knew that if the first article I saw didn't include it. I guess I knew even Minny couldn't be that bad at trading.

And in the title, I tried to sum up the trade as succinctly as possible for brevity sake, although I agree Simien may be a decent player down the line.

I really don't see how this helps the Heat all that much except for the fact that 'Toine won't be shooting 10 3's a game anymore.

Ricky Davis is can score, but he also needs the ball in his hands. Maybe somehow that will help the Heat, but I think Davis and Wade will butt heads after a couple of months.
I dont believe that'll happen. It didnt happen with king chucker Antoine walker, and Davis may be willing to compromise on a competitive team much like Walker did.

bottom line is, neither blount nor davis do anything else well except score.

They don't make the Heat any better than Walker, who did a little of everything.

bottom line is, neither blount nor davis do anything else well except score.

They don't make the Heat any better than Walker, who did a little of everything.
Actually Blount is a better rebounder these days and Davis is a better scorer. Sounds like they'll cover Walkers stats fairly well. Along with Blount having a decent consistent post game. Something walker didnt have. And both guys shoot better at the FT line. Another thing Walker didnt do so well.

I honestly cant see how they are worse off. Walker was no defensive stopper. Nor was he known as one in his career. But when you got shaq and zo behind you, you can take more gambles on defense. Also Miami will zone quite a bit to keep anyone from getting too exploited typically. Another reason Walker was saved from getting served as much as he typically has been in his career.

Either way you hold Walker in a much higher regard than i would expect at this stage in his career to measure him above Blount and Ricky Davis combined. Either that or you hate the idea of Miami getting better overall so much that you block it out mentally. They arent a powerhouse by any means yet, but they did get better.

But why am i telling you all this. Why dont you elaborate on what Walker did that they lost on the positive side. I only ask because you brought it up and i just dont see it. And please explain when blount became a scorer only at 6 rebounds a game and ricky davis adding almost 4 boards a game last year ? Yikes even blount was a better 3 point shooter than walker.

I think Blount is the bigger pickup than Davis. Ricky will be relatively lost once DWade is at 100% again. But Blount at least gives them more of an inside presence, something they obviously needed since Antoine was one of their PFs.

I can see the Haslem for Alston (and a salary throw-in to make it work) swap picking up some steam again.

I like Davis, I've always liked Davis. Davis > Walker

bottom line is, neither blount nor davis do anything else well except score.

They don't make the Heat any better than Walker, who did a little of everything.

...

Getting just one of these players alone for Antoine is good enough. This guy was too fat so he got suspended. Do you really want that kind of shit?

Blount can play both the 4,5 and has some outside game as in taking jumpers from 15 feet out.

Offense is supposed to be Antoine's strong point, and Antoine's shot 39% FG (27% from 3P range) and a Ben Wallace-like 43% from the FT line last year.

On the bright side, he'll make Juwan Howard look good.

I want the Walker/Howard/Ratliff/Madsen poster for my wall when it comes out.

I hope Walker gets depressed in Minnesota and just keeps eating, so that way there is an athlete I can actually pity instead of envy.

I've heard that repeated chucking cures depression.

Who knows, maybe he'll find the "fours" there that he's always been searching for.

I certainly will not miss seeing that wiggle as we are being eliminated by the Heat in game 6. That was traumatic.

I certainly will not miss seeing that wiggle as we are being eliminated by the Heat in game 6. That was traumatic.


~cue Fool~

Also, it's a shimmy, not a wiggle.

rkVCeYq4Dx0

Say, is that your boy commentating Glenn?

And wiggle/shimmy, whatever....that still hurt.

You motherfucker.

That was a low blow.

I'm sorry. Here...is this better?

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