NBA Off-Season...

[Miami Vice]

What do you guys think of this rumored trade?

To Dallas: Vince Carter

To Golden State: Antonio Walker

To Toronto: Eric Dampier and someone else/draft pick

[David Hassellhoff]

Mark Cuban shot down that rumor a week ago during a summer league game I was watching on NBA TV.

[thuganomic]

It'd be stupid for Golden State, along with Mavs. They don't need Vince.

[sahyder1]

What do you guys think of this rumored trade?

To Dallas: Vince Carter

To Golden State: Antonio Walker

To Toronto: Eric Dampier and someone else/draft pick

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The Mavs do want VC but Dampier is pretty much set to go to the Knicks in a sign and trade for Nazr Mohammed and someone. Dampier is also in discussions with the Hawks

[Guest bukkake bandit]

Dampier to the Knicks. And here I thought Isiah was a decent GM.

[naiwf]

Dampier to the Knicks. And here I thought Isiah was a decent GM.

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Dampier's better than Nazr & Othella. If the money's about equal, I'd make the deal.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

Dampier wants a huge contract and he's 30. He's only had one good season his entire career, that being last year. The Knicks will be paying a guy 10+ million in his early-mid 30s who will most likely revert back to being an 8/8 guy. They might as well keep Nazr.

[naiwf]

Othella's 30, Nazr's 27. It's not like they are trading for someone ten years older. I think all three are mediocre NBA players, but I'm assuming Isaiah's trying to clear some contract space.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

Othella's contract is up after this season and Nazr in two years. Signing Dampier to anything over four years would cripple them. Well, cripple them further.

[naiwf]

According to ESPN the magazine -> Golden State's Nick Van Exel has been traded to Portland for Dale Davis & Dan Dickau

[Guest bukkake bandit]

And...Eric Snow has been traded to the Cavs for Kendrick Brown and Kevin Ollie.

[Maxx]

I'd say that makes the Cavs a solid playoff contender, at least moreso than Boston or Philly

[thuganomic]

Without a doubt.

Eric Snow is one of the most underrated PGs in the NBA, and he will be a huge help to that team.

[D-Extreme]

Detroit just signed Ronald Dupree to a two year deal. This is a guy who WAS with them in the rookie training camp yet he was undrafted in the 2003 draft. It seemed as if Detroit gave up on him. He spent a few months on the minor leagues before the Bulls signed him last season.

He made one solid contribution to Chicago and I hope he finds a good place in Detroit. So in the end, Dupree is back in Detroit after they cut him last October of 2003. Hope he stays longer in the motor city this time.

[Assy]

Cleveland acquires Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter and the rights to Anderson Varejao from Orlando for Tony Battie and two future second-round picks

Not really sure what to make of this I think Cleveland should have held onto Battie, but Gooden is a solid young player that should help.

[Green Demon]

CLEVELAND -- Needing to replace Carlos Boozer, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Drew Gooden in a four-player trade with Orlando on Friday, sending the Magic forward Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks.

Drew Gooden

Forward

2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

79 11.6 6.5 1.1 .445 .637

In their second major deal this week, the Cavaliers also got rookie forward Anderson Varejao and 7-foot center Steven Hunter -- a former first-round pick -- from Orlando.

Gooden should help Cleveland offset the surprising loss of Boozer, who bolted as a free agent when he signed a six-year, $68 million offer sheet with Utah last week.

The 6-foot-10, 242-pound Gooden isn't quite as good as Boozer, but he's young, talented and inexpensive.

Gooden averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 79 games -- 17 starts -- for the Magic last season. Drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2002 by Memphis, Gooden was traded by the Grizzlies to Orlando during his rookie year.

Gooden's raw talents had the Magic believing he could be a big man to build around.

The former Kansas star capped the 2002-03 season by averaging 14 points and 12.7 rebounds in a seven-game playoff series against Detroit in which he outplayed Pistons star center Ben Wallace.

The Magic signed free agent Juwan Howard before last season, hoping he and Gooden could play together. However, the experiment was quickly shelved, and Gooden was sent to the bench.

Last season, Gooden recorded a team-high 18 double-doubles (points-rebounds), 23 fewer than Boozer got for the Cavaliers.

Orlando, which lost a league-high 61 games last season, has been overhauled since John Weisbrod was hired as general manager in March. Of the 15 players, active and injured, on the roster when the Magic ended the season, only five remain: Keith Bogans, Andrew DeClercq, Pat Garrity, Grant Hill and Britton Johnsen.

Meanwhile, this was the second trade in four days for Cleveland, which is attempting to regroup following Boozer's unexpected departure.

On Tuesday, the club acquired point guard Eric Snow from Philadelphia for Kevin Ollie and Kedrick Brown. The Cavaliers may not be done making trades, either. They have reportedly shopped guard Dajuan Wagner and center DeSagana Diop.

Battie, 27, was a solid defender and role player in Cleveland, averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 50 games after coming over in a December trade from Boston.

Varejao and Hunter, too, can help the Cavaliers recover from losing Boozer, the club's leading rebounder last season.

The 6-foot-10 Varejao was drafted by the Magic with the first pick in the second round (No. 30 overall) in last month's draft. The 21-year-old averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds for F.C. Barcelona last season, but the Brazilian national team player has some work to do before he can be a contributor in the NBA.

Hunter, 22, averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds and blocked 73 shots in 69 games last season. He was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2001 draft by Orlando after playing just two years at DePaul.

Here is another good trade for the Cavs in the past few days. I know Gooden wont be able to completly fill Boozer shoes but he will be able to help out. They also didnt give up much to get him or the other guys. Like the article says I wouldnt be surprised to see Wagner go since they now have 2 PG ahead of him. I just hope Paxson can churn out another good trade and things might not look as bad as they did after the Boozer fiasco.

[D-Extreme]

Damn! I wonder how THIS Paxson makes his team good with these good kinds of trades. Hell I like that. He got Gooden and Hunter. They were two of the most promising players in Orlando last season in my view. To me, those two were the next best players next to T-Mac and Howard. I see the Magic sending Gooden for Battie but, Hunter? I think Steven Hunter still can develop and become a force to be reckoned with in the Orlando Frontcourt. But Orlando's loss is the Cavs gain.

Battie is good at the D game but then again, Orlando is a team on a change. So maybe his type of game might be a good mix. I still say it was The Cavs who got the better deal in this one...well unless the draft picks the Magic will get in the next draft in the 2nd round from the caves makes a surprisingly good impact in their first season on the NBA.

[Guest Finisher123]

I love the Cavs two deals, for Snow and Gooden. We got rid of ollie and his long term contract, and kedrick brown wasnt needed anymore. Snow is the backup PG this team needs. And as for the Magic trade, the cavs definitely got the better of that deal... Battie is solid, but gooden alone gives the cavs the better part of the deal, plus the Cavs get an interesting project player in anderson varejo.... Steven hunter is rumored to be waived by the cavs, so we'll have to see about him.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

Trenton Hassell has agreed to a Blazers offer sheet, which could potentially kill the rumored Nets/Blazers trade involving SAR and Kittles. Good, I say.

[EWRFan]

Hassell is a good player and he will improve. Too bad for the TWolves if they dont match the offer.