Pistons trade rumors/media speculation (Offseason 2009)

[Pharaoh]

I haven't read this anywhere but here's an idea:

Washington trade #5 and Haywood for our best Second Round Pick.

It clears $8 million in payroll for the Wizards (and could save them as much as $16 million if they're over the tax!)

I'm sure some people are gonna wonder why Washington couldn't get more for that pick and an expiring and the answer is they probably could.

But how desperate are they to cut costs?

[Higherwarrior]

lol- that would be nice. but even in this draft and even if they're real desperate to dump salary, i don't see them trading assets like that in return for a high 2nd rounder.

[Zekyl]

Maybe our first and a high second rounder? They still get a 1st round pick, but the salary on it is going to be millions lower and they don't have to commit anything to the 2nd rounder. I still feel like they'd want us to take on a different crappy salary though since Haywood would be their starter and they've got other guys making similar money (Etan Thomas?). If they're giving us the #5 pick, they're going to want us taking something they DON'T want, the lesser of two guys making similar money at the same position.

[Pharaoh]

Wait a minute - I thought the whole rumour surrounding Washington was that if they didn't get a Top 2 pick that they would trade it?

Are you guys assuming that the rumour meant in a deal for a big time player? With all the talk of them being over the tax I thought the idea was that they would give up the pick in order to have some team take on salary.

I'll look at their contracts and find someone they'd want us to take other than Haywood and see what I find.

But for now, here is a New Orleans deal (been mentioned before but I couldn't find it):

We trade Richard Hamilton and Amir Johnson
We get David West, Morris Peterson and Antonio Daniels.

Daniels would expire next off-season. Peterson expires the off-season after that.

New Orleans saves some money on this deal, too. They dish out $21,654,740 and only take back $14,479,167 so that's a big saving.

So, in that deal we're using approx $7 million in cap space - but we got our impact big man! (Also got a back-up for Tayshaun!)

Back to Washington:

We could take back Etan Thomas if he doesn't opt out (why would he) but he'd be an expiring so maybe the Wizards would like to keep him...

Darius Songaila is another option. He makes just over $4 million and would expire when Mo Pete does.

Would the Wizards part with their pick (with a salary of $3 mil) to get us to take Songaila? That's the big question.

I'll say they would, because it saves them over $7 million in payroll and a further $7 million in taxes! Let's face it - the #5 pick is not gonna get them a franchise player. A quality starter? I hope so.

So, we took $7 million from WAS in a trade and another $7 million from NO in a trade. That leaves us with just $4 million to spend - Hello Birdman.

Roster:

C: Birdman/Kwame/Songaila
F: West/Maxiell
F: Prince/Peterson/#15 (Johnson)
G: Harden or DeRozan (#5)/Afflalo/Daniels
G: Stuckey/Bynum

plus 2 second round picks

A package including some combination of Kwame and Songaila, Johnson or Peterson, AA or Daniels, the 2 second round picks and a future first could be laid out for Toronto and Phoenix in our bid for Bosh or Amare.

So, we have a lot to offer for Bosh or Amare and if those teams don't wanna deal we still have a pretty good team IMO, with youth everywhere.

[Zekyl]

I think if they trade Bosh, they're going to ask for a little more in return, like Tayshaun maybe since the rumor was they were interested in him. Unless they're absolutely sure they're not getting him resigned and no one makes a better offer than Kwame's expiring, Johnson's potential, another expiring, and a handful of picks.......

When did Songaila become a C?

[Kstat]

IMO, dropping to #5 really hurt them. They might need to package something along with the pick to make it worth Joe's while.

Heck, they could wind up having to forgo the pick and trade nick young.

[Zekyl]

Forgo the pick and trade Nick Young? Explain.

And why would they have to package something to make it worth Joe's while? He's getting the #5 pick for the price of taking on a contract. The very most I could see them packaging to make it "worth Joe's while" would be Brendan Haywood instead of some other crappy contract (Mike James, Darius Songaila, Etan Thomas), because he'd still clear some cap space for them and he'd be an asset to us, unlike the others.

[Glenn]

I wouldn't mind Songaila if he is healthy.

He's a tough guy.

Not saying that's enough, but he's got chutzpah.

[WTFchris]

Fixed

I wouldn't mind Songaila if he is healthy and we didn't have a roster full of PFs already.

[Glenn]

We may not have Dice, we won't have Sheed and Amir's probably gone, too.

Who is left?