CelticsStrong
Around the League => Transaction Ideas and Rumors => Topic started by: LooseCannon on February 03, 2013, 10:18:27 PM
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Reportedly, the Cavs are open to trading Speights, who they acquired in a salary dump from Memphis, because he plans on declining his player option and becoming a free agent. Because he was so recently traded, Cleveland can't aggregate his salary in a trade.
He's a 6'10" PF/C who can rebound and hit a mid-range jumper, which sounds to me like a useful player. His career numbers translate to 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per 36 minutes, but he has had problems getting minutes. Even when he started 54 out of 60 games for Memphis last season, he still only averaged 22.4 mpg. So far, he has averaged 15.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 25.6 mpg in five games with Cleveland. With his defensive reputation and reported basketball IQ, he sounds like he might end up being a taller Brandon Bass who can rebound and play center.
I've looked at the cap numbers and it looks to me like the Celtics would need to trade either Bass, Lee, or Terry to make a trade work. Before Rondo went down with an injury, something like Terry and Fab Melo for Speights might have made sense to me.
If Speights opts out, what kind of deal he would be looking for? Would he be available for a four-year full MLE contract or is there a team that would give him much more? The idea of a big man rotation of KG/Bass/Sullinger/Speights seems acceptable to me if the goal is to take one last outside shot at title contention.
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I don't see the wisdom of trading your future center you drafted in the first round for less than half a season of Speights. Bass for Speights I might be open to but I can't see the Cavs wanting three years of Bass.
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I wouldn't trade Fab Melo for Speights and I wouldn't give Speights the MLE in the summer.
Minimal interest in Speights. I wouldn't give up anything of value for him.
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Speights can be a top option on a lottery team. And he wants that. We are not a lottery team