Let's settle it--Wally's contract: What to do with it?

[Smooth]

Who could resist this??????​

There seems to be a lot of talk and a lot of topics on the board about what to do with Wally's contract and who to get with Wally's contract so I figured I'd make a post that could hold all of that talk instead of having 5 or 6 different threads discussing the likes of JRich, VC, Crash, etc.. With that said..

Danny Ferry and Co. will have a lot to think about in regards what to do with Wally's expiring contract worth $13 million... Wally might not make or break this season but his contract could certainly do it... It could be traded for a player that puts us over the top or sinks us to the bottom.. It's a very interesting scenario either way.. You could make an argument either way, which I'll do..

For Keeping The Contract: The biggest thing would be keeping this team together and keeping together a team that is doing so well and has a lot of chemistry... Breaking up a team with a 17-3 record might not be a smart thing to do, even if it means bringing in a bigger name... A lot of the time the best moves are the ones that go unmade and Ferry is a big proponent of that.. By trading Wally for a certain player could set the Cavs back rather than putting them over the top...

It would also give us a lot more cap flexibility the next few years... If we trade Wally, it'll more than likely be a for a player whose team wants to get his contract off the books because of the length... By doing that could very much possibly restrict us from signing another big name player, should LeBron stay in 2010... It would also make it hard for the Cavs to sign many free agents, with the MLE and BAE, because of the Cavs being over the luxury tax so much... Sure Dan Gilbert will dole out money for a winning cause but I don't think he'll be in line with $90 million+ payrolls every year... By keeping Wally, and letting all our expiring deals expire, the Cavs would be at right around the luxury tax threshold and be in a nice place to sign free agents now and in the future...

For Trading The Contract: The goal of every team every single year is to win the NBA championship, period... By trading Wally's contract could possibly ensure us of that... By gaining a player of Jason Richardson's or Vince Carter's caliber could put us over the top and finally bring home Cleveland the Larry O'Brien trophy.. Not only that but it could make the Cavs a championship contender for a window for the rest of LeBron's contract and could ensure some great runs with LeBron in a Cavs uniform... We all think and hope LeBron will stay but you never know... We might never have this opportunity again so we might want to take advantage of it..

It would in general make our team better... Getting a nice player would be a huge plus to this team and make us a much better team.. It may even be a bit of addition-by-subtraction with the way Wally plays sometimes...

My Take: The Cavs need to do something in between... They can't completely focus on trying to pair a Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire with LeBron but they can't also completely focus on doing everything they can to making this team better just for now and not worrying about the future... There needs to be a balance to what this team does with Wally's contract... Obviously it'll be hard to protect both interests (now and the future) but it might in the team's best interest for then and now..


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So what happens if we do trade Wally's contract? Who should it be for? Who would be the best fit? Who would we most want here? Well, here's a quick breakdown for the top 5 realistic targets, as of now:

Vince Carter
The Vitals
Age - 31 (Jan. 26th)
Contract - 3 years, $38.8 million (4th year, $18 million team option)
Stats - Player Card, 82games
For: He is probably going to be the best player that the Cavs will be able to get with Wally's contract... He's a 8-time All-Star and still one of the better SG's in the whole entire league.. He doesn't get nearly enough respect for still being able to produce and do the things he does at his age...

He gives the Cavs another playmaker, ball-handler, scorer and a guy that can take the pressure off of LeBron, more so then any other player... He would give the Cavs one of the best lineups in the entire NBA and teams would have a hard time stopping the Cavs with all the options they have offensively... Vince also gives the Cavs another "serious" threat for teams to worry about and a legit #2 option... He's a guy that can carry a team when LeBron is hurt/playing bad..

He consistently shoots in the high %'s, he is very durable, he can rebound, he can create for others, he can create for himself and he can get to the free-throw line... He's not a one-dimensional player..

Against: He quit on his team in Toronto and Jason Kidd accused him of being a bad teammate in NJ... He has a problem, it seems, within the locker room and might have a primma-donna type attitude.. No one knows this for sure but he doesn't exactly have the best history of endearing himself to teams and teammates...

While his defense has been solid, it's never been great... Pairing him with Mo Williams might give the Cavs a lot of problems on the defensive end... And going up against guys like Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, etc., scare me in the playoffs...

His contract runs past 2010 and it's not exactly a small one... If VC coming to the Cavs turns out to be a bad one, it's not exactly easy to move him and his contract..

He's 31 (will be 32) so there's a question how much longer he'll be able to produce and at what kind of level...

The biggest question might be how he fits in with Mo Williams, who didn't fit in with Michael Redd in Milwaukee... VC isn't as one-dimensional as Redd but he's certainly a guy who is a scorer first and passer second with average defense...

Mike Miller
The Vitals
Age - 28 (Feb. 19th)
Contract - 2 years, $18.75 million
Stats - Player card, 82games
For: He'd be one of the better 6th men in the league... Bringing him, Boobie and Andy off the bench would be quite the trio...

He's one of the most, if not the most, efficient shooters in the league... His shooting %'s have been consistently been high...

He's also able to handle the ball and create for others (not much, but some) and is able to rebound the ball at a high rate for a SG...

His contract is real favorable, as it expires before 2010...

The Cavs would likely be able to get some other talent along with Miller, maybe a young big...

Against: His defense is not too great and is not really going to help the Cavs at all on defense..

He's really a one-dimensional player on offense, not able to get to the basket much and he struggles to get a shot for himself...

He won't likely make us any more of a championship contender then we already are..

Has missed 8-12 games consistently the past few seasons...

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Right now, those are the guys at the top of my list... The other guys that have been talked about:

Jason Richardson - I really don't see the Bobcats shopping him... They're shopping Wallace, not Richardson... I don't think they'll trade him because of the fact they basically invested a #8 pick on him two years ago.. And if the do trade him, they'll be looking for a good low-post scorer which isn't something we can offer...

Gerald Wallace - Larry Hughes 2.0... I think Danny would be scared off by Wallace because of his reckless play and injury history... He's a good player but he doesn't fit in terrifically well with this team.. With Ben Wallace and LeBron already starting, bringing in another guy who can't knock down a jumper makes it a lot easier for defenses to guard us and makes it a lot harder for Mo and LeBron... His contract also is pretty long..

John Salmons - Geoff Petrie is a tough negotiator and I don't think he'll give up a guy who's outperforming his contract by large margins for an expiring contract..

Raja Bell - he's a good fit but I don't really see the Suns trying to dump his contract without getting some type of very valuable player back, considering they're competing for a playoff spot and he's the heart and soul of that team...

Michael Redd - the Bucks recommitted to him in the off-season, saying they're going to try to win now and have him be a part of it... I doubt they trade him after trading for RJ over the off-season... Plus would a Mo-Redd reunion be a good one?

One name to keep an eye on is Corey Maggette... Ferry reportedly had interest in him over the summer and now the Warriors, reportedly, are unhappy with him and will look to trade him... He's under performing this year and can't shoot much but he is talented..

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Regardless of who it is or what the Cavs should do, it'll be interesting to hear all the news coming out of the Cavs front office, especially as we get closer to the trade deadline..

So flame away...

(Also, try to keep this away from a trade idea thread... Try to keep it to what we should do with Wally's contract and who would be the best fit, if we were to trade Wally... Thanks)

 

[Thunder]

Maggette signed a 5 year/50 mil contract just over the summer and I don't think he's worth that so it'd be bad for us financially. I like Salmons, J-Rich, and VC alot. Sometimes I want G-Wall, sometimes I don't. I think what we do with Wally depends on Andy.

-We re-sign Andy, we compromise our 2010 cap space anyways, so trade Wally for the best option
-We decide to not re-sign Andy, then package him and Wally for a PF/SG combo

I like the first option better because I love Andy and it probably would guarantee us back to back championships, and possibly more. I think, in terms of availability, injury risk, best fit, chemistry, etc., we should look to trade Wally for, in order: Vince Carter, Michael Redd, Jason Richardson, John Salmons, G-Wall, Miller

I think we can snag a big with Salmons even though that big wouldn't be too valuable. If we HAD to trade Andy, I'd package him with Wally for VC and one of their young bigs.

 

[roozy]

Trade him, It makes no sense to keep him so he can rack up 4 or 5 fouls in 10 minutes. If we are getting better talent back its a no brainer. I'm tired of watching him dribbling the ball off his feet. I had to block that picture, its gonna give me nightmares :chuckles:

 

[Lyuokdea]

I don't understand why Maggette is that much different offensively than Wallace?

I think everybody already knows who I think we should get. I'll just note that bringing in another slasher now is much different than it was in 2005, because we have a PG who can shoot from the perimeter, as opposed to Eric Snow. The big problem with Hughes was that nobody on the team could shoot from the outside. I would almost argue that the Hughes from Washington (pre-sucking) is exactly what you need now, as much as I'll get burned for it.

~Lyuokdea

 

[KI4MVP]

we have a nice stretch of tough games before the all star break (starting with boston on jan 9th and including our two meetings with the lakers). Lets see how those go and then decide if we need to make a move to put us over the top or not. THat also gives time to see of Joe Smith can get bought out and return.

 

["MVP"]

Good read.

I would only keep Wally if we are on pace to win 65+ games. We can't trade him and risk screwing things up if we are that good. But if we feel we can really improve, I would pull the trigger. Of the guys you listed, I would only want Gerald Wallace, and John Salmons. Vince, Mike Miller, and J-Rich don't play any D. You have to play defense on a championship caliber team. Also, J-Rich and Vince have too big of contracts for the Cavs to risk taking on for guys who don't play D. And Raja Bell is getting old, and I personally think that Boobie, Delonte, and Mo are much better. If we got him, he would just be taking minutes away from them.

Gerald Wallace can score, is a great defensive player, wants to win, and is a smart player. Honestly, on this new team, I wouldn't mind taking a Larry Hughes player in now. Obviously not THE Larry Hughes, due to past problems, but Gerald Wallace would be great. If we teach him his role (play great defense, go after the boards, don't take bad shots (Larry), hustle, drive to the hoop) then he could be a great fit. However, if he consistantly tries to do too much jump shooting, that could be a problem. I still have always like Geralds game, and Brian Windhorst has, too. Windhorst is one of the most intelligent people I know about the Cavs, so I trust him when he says Wallace is one of the most under-rated players in the league.

Now, John Salmons is another guy I would want. Very good defensive player, and this season has really proven that he can score, and shoot the ball. His percentages are phenominal, and way up from previous seasons. He is another very under-rated player. But as you said, he is way outperforming his contract, so it will be hard to get him.

As for Corey Maggette... Yuch! I don't want him at all. I have to admit that I wanted him a lot over the summer, but that was before we got Mo. His defense is horrendous, and his basketball IQ seems very low. Have fun on Golden State, Maggette!

Caron Butler is another guy, who is on a terrible team, but is a great player. Antawn is probably going to be the one traded, but if we give them a good enough offer, maybe we can get Caron. Great defensive player, great scorer. Couple time all-star, and still in his prime. I like, I like.

Other possibilities I like are: Josh Howard; Stephen Jackson; Mike Dunleavy (possibly available?); Chris Kaman; David Lee (without taking a contract if all possible. May have to be a three-way); Andre Igoudala or Elton Brand (if either come avaible from the Sixers apparant suckishness. They have good players, just not a good mix); Martell Webster or Travis Outlaw.

 

[Rick Astley]

I'm hoping to see Wally wearing a Nets #10 jersey. For whatever the contract of Carter is, the owner is willing to pay up and it is now determined that this team is in win now mode.

 

["MVP"]

I don't understand why Maggette is that much different offensively than Wallace?

I think everybody already knows who I think we should get. I'll just note that bringing in another slasher now is much different than it was in 2005, because we have a PG who can shoot from the perimeter, as opposed to Eric Snow. The big problem with Hughes was that nobody on the team could shoot from the outside. I would almost argue that the Hughes from Washington (pre-sucking) is exactly what you need now, as much as I'll get burned for it.

~Lyuokdea

I agree 100%.

 

[Wine and Gold]

Not that I know anything, or am trying to tell anybody anything that might be going on, because I'm not. But, what is Stephen Jackson's situation as far as contract numbers ? Trade possibilities.

He seems to me to be the type fit we'd be looking for in terms of his style, and excellent relationship with Mike Brown.

Would something for him work numbers wise ? Say if we paired Wally with Sasha and tried to get back Jackson and maybe something in the bigman bracket that GS might want to include to salary match .... just me brainstorming now ...lol.

I think we'll be revisiting Vince's situation if we can't find something better beforehand. Adding a mentally ready to compete Vince to what we have going on right now will bring us the next two championships in my mind.

 

[*L-Train*]

Not that I know anything, or am trying to tell anybody anything that might be going on, because I'm not. But, what is Stephen Jackson's situation as far as contract numbers ? Trade possibilities.

He seems to me to be the type fit we'd be looking for in terms of his style, and excellent relationship with Mike Brown.

Would something for him work numbers wise ? Say if we paired Wally with Sasha and tried to get back Jackson and maybe something in the bigman bracket that GS might want to include to salary match .... just me brainstorming now ...lol.

the problem is that he signed an extension with golden state a few weeks ago (he has now 5 years left on his contract ~8mio per year). also he would have to concentrate here a lot more on defense than in golden state and i'm not sure if that's what he wants to but as you said his good relationship to mike brown could be a factor regarding that.

 

[The George]

I would love SJAX because the guy is tough as nails plays hard and is an excellent defender.....only drawbacks are that he is a little crazy and likes to shoot it a little too much on offense

BUT he knows the Mike Brown system and would plug in perfectly at the 2 guard spot making us pretty damn good especially because Delonte coming off the bench with Boobie would be deadly as well

he has 4 more years left on his deal and he is butt buddies with Nelly so I really dont see GS dealing him

They are terrible right now though and have lost like 8 in a row and they are a shite load over the cap


A trade of

Sjax
Turiaf

for

Wally
Sasha

might make sense for them because it saves them a ton of money...

 

[NarlCavs]

I'd stay in wait and see mode for a while. Any deal can pretty much wait until around the trade deadline. My first choice would be for a player whose contract doesn't run past 2010. That would make things a little more difficult though. I'd still like to keep some long term cap and payroll flexibility.

MVP brought up a player I'd take even though his contract runs until 2011. Caron Butler. He'd bring a lot to this team and has the best all around game of any player that's been brought up.

After that I'd probably like Mike Miller next. He'd bring a better version of what Wally brings and just as importantly his contract expires in 2010.

I wouldn't complain at all if Carter, Richardson or Wallace was acquired. No doubt they'd bring a talent upgrade but they better be the right fit for the next 3 seasons.

I wouldn't want Maggette. He's being exposed as a selfish player more interested in getting his numbers.
Salmons would be fine but I don't think he's easily available or available for the right price for the Cavs.

After S. Jackson's contract extension, which now runs until he turns 35, I wouldn't have interest in him.

 

["MVP"]

Not that I know anything, or am trying to tell anybody anything that might be going on, because I'm not. But, what is Stephen Jackson's situation as far as contract numbers ? Trade possibilities.

He seems to me to be the type fit we'd be looking for in terms of his style, and excellent relationship with Mike Brown.

Would something for him work numbers wise ? Say if we paired Wally with Sasha and tried to get back Jackson and maybe something in the bigman bracket that GS might want to include to salary match .... just me brainstorming now ...lol.

I think we'll be revisiting Vince's situation if we can't find something better beforehand. Adding a mentally ready to compete Vince to what we have going on right now will bring us the next two championships in my mind.

This isn't geared specifically for W&G, but I have two questions:

First, I was hearing a lot of rumors about S-Jax signing an extension with the Warriors. Did it happen, or was it just rumor?

Also, If he did sign an extension, is there still a good chance of him being traded?

I, too, like the idea of getting Stephen. Mike Brown seems to be very fond of Stephen, and vice-versa. He is a great defensive player, who would ruin no plans for 2010. The only problem is that he seems to have a poor shot selection, but hopefully he will get more open looks if he was on the Cavs. His numbers are clearly very impressive, and he could be our missing piece.

 

[Damage]

As I said in another thread, I would like to see a trade get done before Wally getting dealt. We need a SF/PF to come back in return that can do the things Wally does (Shoot, provide depth for Bron at both forwards positions, etc). If we can trade Sasha/Snow/Kinsey (not all 3 but any combo) and get a decent player that does what Wally does, then you can afford to pul the trigger without worrying about really altering the scheme and player roles.

As for the aforementioned players, Raja Bell seems to be the best fit of all (although I question his defense and I Don't know how long his contract is). Wince and JRich get inured. A lot

 

[JayP146]

Gerald Wallace also has a history of injury. ^

...One of few reasons I'm not too high on getting him in a Wallytrade.