NBA Trade Rumors: Troy Murphy, JJ Hickson, Antawn Jamison, and Danny Ferry’s Decisions
Written By: TD | Category: General | Comments: 67
Some of our best story ideas are built on our daily back and forth email conversations. We seem to have spirited debates seemingly every day. Instead of coming up with a piece surrounding this commentary, from time to time we bring you the actual email conversations. We had another one of those this morning surrounding Cavs GM Danny Ferry and his decisions surrounding the J.J. Hickson trade rumors.
Rick: Chad Ford on the Cavs standing pat-
“I don’t believe (the Cavs will stand pat). I think that’s classic posturing at the deadline. Washington and Indiana are asking for a lot for Jamison and Troy Murphy. I think this is Cleveland’s way of saying ‘If you keep asking for so much, we may not do anything.’ Problem is, no one believes it. Danny Ferry has been pretty aggressive the past few weeks. They really want to add a stretch four. I think the Cavs will cave and do something. Given Washington’s reluctance to trade Jamison, I think Troy Murphy is the most likely candidate.”
Please Ferry, don’t give up Hickson for Troy Murphy.
Andrew: I have to agree. I’m ok with giving up JJ for Jamison. Not thrilled with it, but ok with it. But giving up JJ for Troy Murphy makes me nauseous.
Craig: Yeah… last year, I was disappointed the Cavs didn’t make a move. Guess what though? Szczerbiak isn’t logging minutes on this roster. Last year I would have traded JJ. Now, not so much. I would trade the hell out of draft picks, etc, but unless it is BOSH I don’t want to mortgage the future for Troy Murphy.
TD: I think the choice is simple: JJ stays. Why? Because Lebron wants him to. No way Lebron wants Troy Murphy over JJ. Jamison, yes. Murphy, no.
Craig: Nobody wants our draft picks, though. They’re worthless. I do wonder, though…..we’re unbeaten when JJ scores more than 7 or whatever. I wonder if that would hold with Murphy, because I do believe Murphy will score more than 7 a LOT more consistently than JJ does.
Rick: The number is actually 14. And I’d take JJ’s athleticism on defense with his occasional lapses, over Murphy’s unathleticism.
Andrew: Totally agree with you, Rick. The Pacers give up 7.1 more points per 100 possessions when Troy is on the floor vs when he is off it. And they score 7.0 fewer points on offense with him. So they’re -14.2 points per 100 possessions with Murphy playing. How is that worth giving up JJ?
Of course, the Cavs give up 7.6 more points per 100 possessions with Hickson on the floor, and they actually score 3.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, so the Cavs essentially are -11.4 per 100 possessions with JJ on the floor, so I suppose it’s a bit of a wash, but still.
And for comparison’s sake, the Wiz give up 5.4 more points per 100 possessions with Jamison, but they also score 8.8 more points on offense, making them +3.4 overall with Jamison. And that’s why the Cavs should still consider giving up JJ for Antawn.
TD: It also comes down to do you play for now or the future and its impossible for Ferry to decide between the two. If you mortgage the future for this year and LBJ stays, what are you go have around him in say 2-3 years? This roster is not getting any younger. But if you play for this year and win it all, isn’t it all worth it? Can’t be easy to be Danny Ferry right now.
Andrew: Agreed. But then again, Ferry could always bank on trying to use Jamison’s expiring in 2 years to get someone else. Although we’ve seen how successful he’s been at trading expirings the last couple years…
Denny: This. I’ve been saying this for a while. It’s not the most exciting, but it’s a reality. Unless, of course, they change the CBA in 2011 (?) and we get stuck with him on ol’ poop creek with no paddle.
Craig: The thing is that Danny needs to be SURE that whatever deal he makes actually improves the Cavs’ chances this season. I am sorry. I know that Troy Murphy is a known entity, but I don’t know that he really improves the Cavs chances much more than just getting Leon Powe on the court.
Jamison, I am positive instantly makes the Cavs better than JJ + Powe. Murphy? Eh.
If they want to clear Murphy’s money I will take him. If they think they can get something other than cap relief and draft picks, I would tell em no thanks. I know what you are saying about our draft picks Rock, but they are better than nothing.
TD: and factor in the new CBA being up and the owner’s new public stance that they want the max salary to go down as well as the players share of the revenue….I’ll say it again, It’s hard to be Danny Ferry these days.
Andrew: And lets be honest here, there is NO EVIDENCE of Antawn deteriorating. He looks good and healthy, and he’s performing better now than he ever did in his “prime”.
TD: Jamison is the only guy I think LBJ and Shaq would approve coming in with sending JJ out. He is still the perfect fit, but everything we read makes it sound as though the Wizards have zero intention of sending him our way.
Sucks when we own a team to the extent that they are bitter and would rather eat $22 million and hang around in the lottery.
Andrew: I think a comparison can be made to when the Cavs traded Andre Miller for Darius Miles. The Cavs realized they were going nowhere and were stuck in neutral, so they had to get rid of Miller, who was keeping them afloat. They took on a young guy who was a freak athlete with a lot of potential (much like JJ). Well, we saw how that one turned out. Not to say that JJ is going to fail because D-Miles failed, but the Wiz should take that lesson into consideration none the less. The young guy with potential doesn’t necessarily help you and it’s still better to get rid of the money and the guy who will keep you afloat. I think that’s Danny Ferry’s point, and I think he’s going to stick to it unless the Wiz make Jamison available.
Denny: Shhh…. don’t tell the Wizards this.
photo via Cleveland.com
Author: TD
TD is a born and bred Clevelander who agrees with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt when he says "Ranch Dressing makes everything better except for cereal and ice cream." You can follow TD on Twitter http://twitter.com/WFNYTDTD has written 380 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I think the overriding theme, and something everyone seems to agree with is: JJ can be included for Jamison but not Murphy. I agree with that. If Murphy is available as a pure salary dump for Indiana, I would definitely do that. I would also definitely move JJ for Jamison.
He wasn’t mentioned in this post, but I would also move JJ for Iguadola.
Great write up.
I’m in the No to Murphy camp. The cost outweighs the reward in my opinion.
When was the last time a trade deadline deal in the NBA actually moved a team to “the next level” or put them “over the top”? There really hasn’t been one.
I think the Cavs made their moves in the off-season, when you correctly should build your team. You can’t say it’s not paying off. So unless something horrible happens Thursday night on the injury front, or they can get something for nothing (i.e. Sczerbiak), then I think the negatives of a trade outweigh any perceived positives.
Murphy would be a significant improvement over Hickson in this year’s playoffs. I’m not saying that the Cavs should trade Hickson for Murphy, but Murphy’s rebounding and consistency are far more dependable than J.J. Hickson’s flashes of competence.
That’s assuming that Mike Brown would even let Hickson be on the floor for more than 10 minutes in the Playoffs. You saw last night that Brown still doesn’t feel that Hickson has earned consistent minutes. Nothing in Brown’s history indicates that would change this season.
@3: To answer your question: Pau Gasol.
No way the Lakers make the finals in ’08 or win the championship in ’09 without him.
The Cavs adding Jamison would be about on par with the Lakers adding Gasol.
I can’t believe there’s a serious debate about the merits of JJ Hickson vs. Jamison. Also, considering that the Cavs went out and threw away their first pick on Christian Eyenga last year, why is anyone concerned about giving up draft picks?
If they don’t win it all this year, we’ll be talking about Jamison at the end of this season the way we were talking about Shaq at the end of last season. Ferry’s second legacy in the Cavalier organization will be decided in the next 6 months.
Completely agree with all of the WFNY and Lloyd Braun – Murphy is worth nothing more than salary relief. Honestly, I’d be hesitant to even give up Z for him, though I’m not sure if we can get away doing the sign and trade with Wally straight up for him.
I’m also in the camp that I’d give up JJ for Jamison. I think JJ has looked a lot better here because he has LeBron and he’s usually the 4th or even 5th offensive option. Plus, the Cavs a schematically sound defensive teams, so his defensive missteps are more easily disguised. I think JJ would struggle with the Wizards. I like his athleticism and his effort, but I fear that his basketball IQ and bad hands will keep him from ever becoming an all-star level talent. To me his biggest upside is consistently useful rotation player, but to me even that isn’t a guarantee. Because I think Jamsion would make the Cavs the odds on favorite to win the title, giving up on JJ wouldn’t hurt all that much in my eyes.
And I’ve said it before, but if the Wizards don’t unload Jamison they are absolutely nuts. How is an aging power forward making $22 million over the next two years going to help you? They need to bite the bullet and trade him to a team that wants him and is willing to take on that mammoth contract.
Ferry may need to show that he can make “now” happen, rather than show that he can make the future look bright.
Can he do “now” without mortgaging the future?
That’s the $64Q.
Jamison and Iggy are the most “now” players.
HIckson is every bit of “now” as Murphy, plus apparently more future.
How about Hix and a box of candy for Iggy?
Hix and West for Iggy and a box of candy?
@6 Not with the way he’s played lately. I find it amazing that all the Jamison fans haven’t been paying attention enough to see that he’s shooting just 31% over his last five games, and that he blew two late-game opportunities last night.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t do the trade, but Jamison has looked a little off his game lately.
J.J. has now learned under Ben Wallace, Z, & Shaq. You DO NOT trade him. Unless you want to regret it.
@9. His shooting has been done a little. Although, you have to believe he would get a lot better looks playing for the Cavs with all the attention paid to Lebron and Shaq. The Wizards don’t have that threat to help Jamison.
Jamison is not meant to be the primary option, that isn’t his game. However, he is a great secondary option whihc is why he would fit so nicely with the Cavs.
*down
If we can agree that JJ for Murphy is a resounding “no”, what would Murphy provide over Z, besides a stupid contract?
I say let Larry Bird keep that contract in his pipe and smoke it. I honestly don’t see the benefit of trading Z for a year and a half of Troy Murphy. Someone please make me understand the logic behind this.
Chris – Troy Murphy has an Irish name. He is, therefore, both lucky (See: Irish, generally) and going to gel with former Irish standout Lebron James. You are obviously not GM material.
The Wiz have two options for Jamison. Keep him and eat his & Arenas’ contracts & put off rebuilding for another two seasons, or trade him to the Cavs for whatever Ferry will give them. I don’t know of any other teams willing to take on big money and years for a power forward the wrong side of 30. If the Wiz don’t move him they will be in the same sinking boat next year as they are this year, except with Jamison another year older and much more difficult to trade. The Cavs have all the power in this negotiation, they are already the best team in the league. Danny needs to stick to his guns and keep JJ out of any proposed deal, or walk away.
Murphy is worth Wally’s bird rights. That’s it.
If Philly wants JJ for Igoudala, I’d listen, because that is a deal with the future in mind.
Hmmmmm should I post here or not…I’ve been repeatedly told I call for an Antawn Jamison to Cleveland trade to much and even worse I’ve been told I don’t know what I’m talking about this in spite of the fact that I use reasoning and actual information to back up my stance unlike the people who feel the need to tell me I’m wrong. So guess what: Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers would be a great move even if it cost Z and possibly Hickson because come playoff time you won’t be seeing much of JJ. If Z can be bought out by Washington and decides to return (this is a gamble because we don’t know if he’d be bought out or if he was if he’d come back eventhough you’d think he would you just never know) this trade is a no brainer.
If Ferry sits on the sidelines for the second year in a row and this team comes up short I sure hope I don’t read people whining but I’m sure I will. I wasn’t around a year ago at this time but I would be really interested to see the comparison of comments from that time to next. I’m sure just like a year ago when the Cavaliers were blitzing their way through the regular season everyone had a championship parade planned down Euclid Avenue, oops.
I desire a trade because LeBron James still needs help primarily from someone in the frontcourt who can create his own shot and make that shot. If the Cavaliers stay in tact then just like last night against the worst team in the NBA it will take another Herculian effort by LeBron James to win it all simply because he’s so head and shoulders better then anyone else on the team it’s not even close. Unlike Boston, Orlando and LA who have multiple threats when you boil down Cleveland we start and end with #23. Have a nice day!
Matt#2 makes good points. Also, Brady Quinn played for the ND Fighting Irish, and he’s dreamy.
@Denny- I think the Tribe should offer a minor league deal to Troy O’Leary. They’d be the luckiest team in baseball!
He’s Irish, right? And old? The Indians like old.
Denny – some “get it” and some don’t.
bitmatt
“The Indians like old”
LOL
Btw LeBron isn’t Irish he’s French – get a clue!
Keep JJ, LeBron loves him, huge upside. And I love what Gren said about not getting rid of him unless you want to regret it. Wouldnt it be such a Cleveland thing to go to another team and grow into an All-Star. This team has won 11 games in a row and have an overwhelming lead in the East, I dont understand why you have to shake it up. Is anybody really scared of another team in the East? Im not. My biggest scares are honestly Atlanta and Charlotte… And in my mind we win would easily win a 7 game series against them. I think there is something to say about winning the right way and with the people who got you there (Z).. It would be a real shame to ditch him after what he’s been through with this team and how far we are now.
#10 – A five game sample? Really?
//Shakes head in disbelief.
“I think there is something to say about winning the right way and with the people who got you there (Z).. It would be a real shame to ditch him after what he’s been through with this team and how far we are now”
JK is not a cold blooded killer.
I, too, want to see the movie where Z and JJ stay and do something really clutch to give Cleveland its first championship since before I was born.
boogeyman
LeBron is a Chrysler convertible.
^^^As long as he’s not in the Toyota fleet we should be ok!
i am still waiting for a Cavs thread where draft picks are brought up and noone dumps on Christian Eyenga
To me the solution is simple. Danny Ferry needs to call/invite Lebron into his office the conversation would then go something like this:
GM Ferry – “Do you think we need to make a trade?”
Lebron – “No”
GM Ferry – “Please don’t leave if we don’t win it all”
or
GM Ferry – “Do you think wee need to make a trade?”
Lebron – “Yes”
GM Ferry – “For who”
Lebron – “{player of his choice}”
GM Ferry – “Who do we trade away”
Lebron – “{player(s) to be traded}”
Why hasn’t this already happened?
@24: last ten games antawn is shooting 28%. take out one game (vs knicks) and it’s like 20%. and he singlehandedly lost the game _at home_ vs celts. (2-17 suckfest.)* i think it’s just as valid to look at a recent sample as it is for those who use his playoff performance two years ago as a metric. probably more so.
*in looking at those stats, you could make the case that he’s suffering from having to carry the team with no arenas to help; and that having lebron would bring him back to life. i’m open to that possibility because the DC-based posters here really seem to love antawn and they see him more than me and i know they’re not dumb and certainly not wizards homers. but i still think jj too much to give up for him.
i’m with bitmatt on trading scenarios. no jj for antawn. for AI2, i’ll listen. for al jeff, i’ll deal because it shores up center and gives us someone to build around if lebron bails.
@ bitmatt (comment #16)
I agree 100% with you
@ Brian – If that happened, we probably would have Jason Kidd and/or Allen Iverson on this team right now.
Moral of the story? Wally’s bird rights for Troy Murphy. Got it.
@ jimkanicki
I would give the world to get Al Jefferson.. The world minus Dan Gilbert/Ferry and LBJ.
the thing i find kind of hypocritical (general comment) is how people are looking at 3 or 5 games for jamison yet they don’t mention the 24 point, 23 reb. performance he had i think the week prior.
@30 jim i can respect your opinion no matter how wrong you are
in saying jj for jamison was to much! i watch every cavaliers game and while hickson has shown flashes he is far from being close to any kind of force at PF let alone an All-Star which someone said he would be eventually. Eventually is a long time and I don’t know about you but I’m tired of waiting on guys who “could be” or “might be” when a Cleveland team has an opportunity to get a player who you know “is.” That player might be older but so what your still talking about a 20 and 8 player in Jamison this year and a career 19.9 and 8.1 player as opposed to Hickson’s 5.4 and 3.5 career.
Uh Boogey…. that someone who said JJ will eventually be an All-Star was…. me
@35 Okay now I hate you…j/k!!! The fact that you can admit your mistake is admirable.
boogeyman- you can’t give up young, cheap talent with potential for aging veterans. That is how you become the Knicks. That is how Isiah Thomas ran that team into the ground. If Ferry trades away JJ the only young guy the Cavs will have left to build around is Danny Green. This is a product of not drafting well and having a lot of money wrapped up in vets like Z, Ben Wallace, Wally, Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, etc. Granted, Ferry has done a great job of shuffling old money around to get the team we have now, but he has not done well at all in creating a core for the future. Giving up on Hickson without getting a comparable young talent back would be like starting over, because those older players stop performing at high levels sooner or later & need to be replaced. The financial future of the league is gloomy, and simply trading away expiring contracts (which the Cavs will not have next year BTW) to take on greater salary may not be possible soon if hard salary caps are established.
I truly believe a deal is available that does not involve Hickson. It will be a stalemate until the last moment, but somebody will flinch, and I don’t think it will be the Cavs. Because, believe it or not, of all the teams looking to make a deal the Cavs are in the least need of one.
Boogey, you lost me at “I broke the Delonte injury story” in a post about, you guessed it, Delonte’s injury.
In Ferry I trust!
Come on guys, cut the boogeyman some slack. Hes cool.
Anyway, Im done saying weather or not i’ll make a trade because its so tough to pull the plug on something like that when the team is getting along very well and winning at the same time. It takes alot of guts to do something like that so Danny Ferry has a tough choice to make. May God be with him because whatever he decides to do, it better result in a Championship or Lebron staying.
bitmatt you have your opinion and i have mine it’s fine i just don’t see jj hickson as being a player you build around, ever. i think the cavaliers have needed a legitimate PF since boozer shafted the team so this has long been a sore subject for me. btw i’m watching bruce drennan on STO and mark him down for being a pro-Jamison person. i just had to mention it!
chris sorry i lost you i think i was posting when i heard it mentioned so i don’t know how much breaking news that was at the time. i don’t remember saying much if anything after the original post.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-mcgradyrockets020910&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Looks like the Wizards might not be so quick to dump Jamison after this deal.
Gren- if that deal even happens, it does not change the fact they still need to move Jamison, since outside of Arenas he’s their biggest salary anchor. And, because they will be chewing on the Arenas deal for quite some time, they have to clear as much cap room as they can in order to start over. That Agent Zero contract is a giant obstacle they will be working around for several years to come.
@42 Gren not necessarily Harrington is more like a PF which means if they keep Jamison he’d either have to play SF or come off the bench. Also if the Wizards trade Haywood their big man would be Andray Blatche which might make Z of interest. Of course that might eliminate a buyout of Z by Washington which would mean he wouldn’t come back to the Cavaliers but who knows maybe that could mean a Z for Jamison straight up allowing Hickson to stay.
Btw BREAKING NEWS (just kidding) Cavaliers Q host announcer Ahmaad Crump has been chosen by the NBA to be the host at the All-Star game.
Dear Mr. Ferry,
You are finally going to get NBA executive of the year given you do NOT make a trade.
The Cavs are cruising, even with two of your juggernauts out hurt. A trade for anyone would be devastating to the fabric of the team unless it’s Anthony Parker considering he has been looking pretty bad against Kobe, Wade with his inability to jump in their face on the 1 on 1. If you trade anyone let it be Parker for someone that can seriously guard a top guard 1 on 1. Other than that.
You do NOT have permission to trade anyone, including JJ nor Z away since JJ is LeBron’s around town side kick and Z has sentimental value and is the best outside shooting center in the league next to Dirk which helps spread the defense and therefore opens up looks for the offense.
Have a great day Mr. Ferry, and remember you are not allowed to trade anyone… except T. Parker.
Thanks!
PERMISSION DOTH BEEN DENIED.
Here is an interesting article from a Washington Post on the Jameson situation:
[WaPo]
Might be out of Ferry’s hands.
Murphy is as highly productive double-double machine who brings the oh-so-valued element of outside shooting from the 4, which opens up the floor. Of course I don’t have to explain this to you guys, you saw it plenty last postseason when Orlando used it to make short work of your team.
You can stay as you are and watch history repeat itself, or you can up the ante, put the undersized young PF on the table (who’s not even productive per-36) and maybe something can get worked out. If not, then no dice. You’re getting Troy Murphy for your trashy offers, not when there’s no less than five other teams acquiring about his services.
no lie – i was driving in Tampa today, and the plate in front of me was “WW Wes”
(cue dramatic music)
And what was he driving?
I’m not a big fan of Hickson but to me I think Ferry should sit tight the the roster he has right now. With Powe coming back soon he may fit the bill and fill a void nicely with his experience. So sit tight and do nothing for now. But…if we’re going to trade then trade Hickson but not for Troy Murphy. I don’t see the value there but then again I’m not Danny Ferry nor an expert either. Go cavs! Been a fan since 1973/74 season!!
@#3- Sheed to Pistons.
And I say Jamison or West or no one.
Too close to call.
@ The Jam
The Cavs don’t have to deal. They hold all of the chips. Best team in the league. Leading the East by like 6 games, will beat Orlando by 10+ Thursday night. The Cavs can sit on the sideline for the trade deadline and still cruise through the East. That being said, they have something EVERY team wants, and that’s Z’s expiring contract. 11 some million dollars to be off the books next year. Cha Ching!
BTW in my humble opinion the Magic dismantled their team this past offseason to get Vincanity. Shortened their bench for an aging star (in your face boogey, lol) and where are the Magic now? Looking up at the King
BTW I have a feeling that The Jam is Larry Bird and he’s trying to convince us that a Troy Murphy for Shaq, LBJ, and Molonte would be a fair trade.
I absolutely would not trade J.J. Hickson in a deal for Antawn Jamison. Somebody pointed out in these comments that it’s foolish to debate the merits of Hickson vs. Jamison, and yeah there’s no doubt that Jamison is the better player. But remember, not too long ago, the Cavs were one of the least athletic teams in the league (LeBron was pretty much the only guy with great athleticism on the roster, to be honest).
Then Hickson finally showed this year that he should be getting minutes, and we signed Jamario Moon. For the first time in as long as I can remember, LeBron isn’t the only Cavalier finishing alley-oops.
As great as Jamison is, I really like the way LeBron and Shaq have taken Hickson under their wing and helped him grow as a player. The guy is only 21 years old! You cannot trade him for a guy who is 12 years older. I’d love to get Jamison in here, but not at the expense of J.J.
There are a lot of All-Star or All-Star caliber power forwards around the league that put up modest numbers in their first few seasons before the light switch finally flipped on. J.J. at age 23 or 24 could be a 16/10 player who is dunking on people left and right. The way he has progressed from last year to this year has done nothing but show that he can keep getting better.
I have a funny feeling that the Orlando Magic are going to exoppose the Cavs once again as a poorly contructed team tonight.
Eric, we get it: you are either a) an Orlando fan, b) a Laker fan, or c) just a Cavalier hater…..I’m quite certain even a 50-point Cavs win tonight would not be enough to impress you and that you’d be hammering on the “well, you lost in the ECF last season” nonsense you enjoy so much. Regardless, your point has been made. Feel free to go troll elsewhere with your obviously ample free time.
The worst thing Orlando did was pick up Vince Carter and lose that guy to Toronto.
This Orlando team is not “over-achieving” team of last season. They are good, but it’s quite obvious they dont have the well striking power of last season.
A banged up Cleveland team without MoLante is still proving that we can make the right win, yet people want a trade?
What really needs to happen is for the Cavs to start activating Darnell Jackson, and for Jawad Williams to up his post play.
Those two will be the key to our success, if we can get these guys to start getting reps and upping their play in the post on Defense and on the Offensive boards. The Cavs are a complete package.
No need to trade anyone, an Ferry will be on his way to winning the executive of the year award.
I really am amazed at the comments about JJ Hickson tonight when I watch the Cavaliers I’m going to pay special attention to what he does because I’m sorry I think people are completely overrating this cat. I’m not surprised tho that people even after all of these failed attempts at not winning a championship are willing to wait on a guy rather then move him in an attempt to win a championship now. If history has taught us anything when it comes to Cleveland sports it’s that there is no tomorrow and so far tomorrow has never come i.e. a championship. Kinda reminds me of the Stockholm Syndrome!
The Pacers don’t have to trade Murphy and his fantastic production (16/11 per-36). Our cap situation is fine. We can keep Troy and move him next year when he’ll have added trade value due to his hefty expiring contract. If for whatever reason the team feels Murphy must be moved now there are plenty of other teams knocking on the door. Sacramento, Dallas, Denver, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Portland are all rumored to be interested. We’ll simply move on to one of them.
Cleveland has two options:
i) Keep your current roster, get beat in round 2/3, and wave bye bye to LeBron this summer.
ii) Trade for T-Murda, who will instantly be your second best player and, perhaps more importantly, add that extra dimension that’ll get your team over the hump. LeBron is thrilled and signs a max contract to stay with the Cavs.
The smart decision would be option two, but Cleveland doesn’t have a history of making smart decisions (see: Larry Hughes, 5/$70M; Christian Eyenga, etc.).
Neither do the Pacers, see Hansbrough, Tyler
see trying to trade Rush, Brandon for a first round pick, I love Brandon Rush, but seriously?
come on Jam, there are a lot better players out there that the Cavs can get besides T-Roy Murphy. Giving up JJ just isn’t an option to ME, unless we get a player who is young, contracted for more than 6 months (or willing to resign), and will step into the lineup and make an immediate impact. Iggy or Amare (if he’ll resign) are my two choices.
The Jam is clearly not Larry Legend–#33 isn’t total fool.
“T-Murda”? Really? HE would be our second-best player? Troy Murphy wouldn’t be the second-best player on the old Cleveland Rockers, let alone the Cleveland Cavaliers. Enjoy your delusional world, kid.
At least our options don’t involve “struggle to be within 100 miles of a .500 record, then draft yet another white stiff in the 2010 lottery”–that would be truly sad.
J.J. Hickson isn’t that good. He’s really not. Look at his (lack of) production. He’s shooting a miserable 13-73 from outside the paint, a miserable .178. That tells me he has no offensive skill whatsoever. He gets feeds from LeBron and (usually) makes wide open dunks. He can’t rebound, he’s a non-shot blocker and he has zero passing skills. He’s not impressive at all, but he’s the best non-LeBron trade asset on your sorry team so he’ll have to suffice.
I know it’s hard for you bandwagon Cleveland LeBr…err Cavs fans to comprehend, but outside of your delusional world J.J. Hickson is nothing more than a below average, undersized PF prospect. He’s not getting you Antawn Jamison and you need to be thankful he may get you Troy Murphy, a man who would instantly become your second best player.
Psycho T. is better in every way, shape and form. He’s far more productive, across the board, and in less minutes. Please never, ever insult the legend that is Tyler Hansbrough by comparing him to Larry Hughes, Christian Eyenga, or J.J. Hickson a.k.a. the Triad of Suckage.
lol Jam, you are hilarious. If JJ was ‘so bad’ why would you want him? He would just move the great white hope that is Tyler Hansbrough further down your weak bench. Come on dude.
Jam, I agree, it is never a good idea to insult the legend that is Tyler Hansbrough. If you do, he’ll kidnap your dog.
JJ Hicksons role is the “tip-in” or the alley-oop. Play a lil one on one and a few blocks. Thats all he needs to do. He isn’t a great player … yet.. if ever. But he has had a great first quarter. All he needs to do is continue his role. We don’t need stars we need role players. He knows his role and at time exceeds it. That’s all we need to win a championship. No need to make a trade, especially this deep in the season.