more news from insider

[codyatl]

Chad, how about solving the Sonics' woes in a deal with Atlanta -- Kenny Anderson, Vladimir Radmanovic and Joe Forte to the Hawks for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau? -- Mark Osborne, Pittsburgh

Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Power Forward

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

45 20.2 8.1 2.9 .474 .821

FORD: It makes a lot of sense for the Sonics. They need a low-post presence in the worst way. Anderson and Forte are expendable. They'd hate to give up on Radmanovic, but it's pretty clear that he's a small forward. Given that they already have Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason to play the position, it isn't a huge loss. Dickau would also be a nice pickup. If they plan on re-signing Gary Payton this summer, they need to start grooming a young point guard to take his place. I think this move would absolutely propel the Sonics back into the playoff hunt.

The bigger question is why would the Hawks do this deal? This only makes sense if Stan Katsen has decided to blow this team up and it's coupled with a few other moves to seriously cut back their cap. There's talk of the Hawks sending Theo Ratliff back to Philly for Derrick Coleman (see story below). If the Hawks could swap Rahim and Ratliff for a few expiring contracts, they could have around $10 million in cap space next summer. I'm not sure that Hawks fans (all 12 of them) are ready for yet another rebuilding project after being promised the playoffs this season, but there are a lot of people in Atlanta who believe that the current group doesn't have the juice to turn the Hawks into a contender. If they're just going to be mediocre, then they should just blow things up.

They also reported that the sixers are thinking of moving coleman for theo.

[JTFan31]

If Babs pulls that trade he will be the biggest idiot on the face of this earth. If we gonna trade Reef to the Sonics it better include Payton in that deal or at least Desmond Mason and Kenny Anderson.

reef/Dickau for Payton. I'd do it

or

Reef/Dickau for Mason/Booth or James/Kenny Anderson

[BlackHawkDown]

This has to be the most god awful ridiculous trade I ever heard. WTF! In all of Diesels trade he never posted a trade even one tenth as bad as this one. Sound like a babcock trade is in the works! HEE HEE

[TheDude]

I mean seriously...That has to be the worst trade I've seen. Give up an allstar and the rookie that COULD turn our to be steve nash II? for crap?

if he does this trade, I'm out...

[Traceman]

They are definitely not going to trade Mason and no other player on their roster makes sense for us other than GP. Even Rashard Lewis. I'd rather have Reef than Lewis.

I would consider a Radmanovic/GP for Reef/DD deal. Other than that, unless Seattle is offering Mason, they have nothing we need.