Just thinking..... WHY NOT...

[Diesel]

Why not: Walker/Diaw for Mckie/Thomas/Dalembert/Ollie..

I have thoroughly explained why Philly wouldn't do the Big Dog Deal.. Like it or not, they will not trade Dalembert JUST for 5 month rental because Walker is not good enough to get them out of the Eastern Conference.

However, For us, we get a legit Big man...and all we have to do is take on 2 bad contracts.

The way that I look at it....

Mckie would do just as much for us as Diaw.

Thomas is a very servicable big man off the bench.

Dalembert is a player that we couldn't find in the draft NOR could we attract via FAcy...

We'll still have cap relief with KA, Willis, CC, Lue all leaving...

our team structure if we draft Paul would look like this:

Paul/Ivey/Ollie

Chills/Delk/McKie

Smoove/D. Smith

Harrington/Thomas

Dalembert/Drobs

In the second round, we trade a couple of our picks away...

We save a pick for somebody like Head.

I would pick Head and put Mckie or Delk on the IR or trade Delk...

I figure Delk would be easy to trade because he would have an ending contract and he's a good scorer from the 1 position.

[Diesel]

I know that Philly has many Cap Killers and some players that can only be described as servicable...

However, let's look at the facts...

The only unrestricted C going FA is Big Z.

I think Chicago will be keeping it's team.

The only real FA available to us is Swift.

If we really like Dalambert why not take a bad contract or two for him...

Cap Space is only good if you can attract FAs or Broker a trade...

Right now, I don't think we can do either to get a big man the calibre of Dalembert.

So what does Hawksquawk have to say on the possibility?

[macdaddy]

I disagree with one thing. McKie would be much better than Diaw. If Philly would do it I would.

[ATL_BALLER]

For the third time, I say: NO BAD CONTRACTS! They key to this rebuilding is adding good young pieces while we maintain our flexibility for a real stud-

Let me ask you, Diesel - do you think Sammy D is worth the Damp-sized contract he will likely command?

I would rather sign Stromile at a reasonable price and run small and athletic-

[ATL_BALLER]

And yes, I think as Smoov continues to blossom, the FA's will come-

[Diesel]

It's not like anybody is proposing trading a draft pick...

Let's face it BIG Balla...

We're not going to be able to get FAs to come here for a while... Doing this deal will not stop us from getting young players... Especially if we're not against using the IL to hide players. As a matter of fact, what's the difference between having Mckie and having Willis and KA?? Sure the contract is shorter, but McKie brings experience. He's better than Diaw.

My point is that a C is hard to find. Just count up the teams that have them in the league. We have some history with Dalembert (via our coaching staff)... IF we really like him, then maybe we should go after him. I don't see what effect the bad contract will have on our team??

[Diesel]

Let's see.

Dalembert is a young player. I believe he will ask for money... Is he worth it?

Well.... I can't be certain. However, i know that a good building block on most championship teams is the C position. Small ball is a good gimmick but it has never won anything.

I like Swift too and Swift will ask for big money.

The question really becomes would I rather have a 6'9 230 lb C who plays good defense or a 6'11" 250 lbs C that plays good defense.

Samuel Dalembert

Philadelphia 76ers

Position: C

Height: 6-11 Weight: 250

College: Seton Hall '01

Player file | Team stats

2004-05 Statistics

PPG 6.3

RPG 6.9

APG .5

SPG .32

BPG 1.55

FG% .503

FT% .632

3P% .000

MPG 22.4

Stromile Swift

Memphis Grizzlies

Position: C-F

Height: 6-9 Weight: 230

College: Louisiana State '02

Player file | Team stats

2004-05 Statistics

PPG 9.6

RPG 5.0

APG .7

SPG .50

BPG 1.80

FG% .448

FT% .754

3P% .000

MPG 21.3

That's a good question... Right now... I don't know...

However, if we got Swift in the offseason... Don't expect too many other free agents to come knocking down our door just because we have money. Honestly, us getting Swift is questionable.

[ATL_BALLER]

I don't think Stromile is going to command the kind of dollars that Sammy D will. I don't feel like dishing out a extra cap space for a few inches and pounds. Stromile plays BIG.

In an ideal world, I'd like to sign Stromile AND Kwame.

[capstone21]

Stro plays big but he is still a PF. Dalembert is a Center and that is a major difference. Swift still only gets backup minutes for Memphis who are in need for a center. That tells me that he is not an answer to the Center problem. I would like to have Swift but as a PF or backup for our PF/C positions, not as our starting Center.

[ATL_BALLER]

Hence, I would like to sign him AND Kwame, to give us different looks in the middle. Assuming we deal AW or let him walk, do we have enough cash for both? We draft Paul or Felton and then we've got a squad...

[capstone21]

Yes, we should have enough cash to sign two of Dalembert/Brown/Swift if we can get 2 to come here. Don't forget that Crawford, Anderson, WIllis also come off the books too along with Walker's 14 million salary. We should have enough to resign Lue and sign Paul as well. Maybe we can trade Delk for an expiring contract as well.

[Spiral]

Quote:

---

Small ball is a good gimmick but it has never won anything.

---

I wouldn't exactly call Luke Longley & Bill Wennington stellar centers, but I can see your point. Any championship team of recent memory that didn't have Michael Jordan on it, had a good center.

Personally I think last year was the year to go after Swift hard. We could've front loaded his deal so much that it would have been next to impossible for the Grizzlies to match. Now we will have to compete with every other team in a bidding war for a center in a league that is starved of quality big men. I think Swift is going to have a nice pay day similar to Mehmet Okur.

[Diesel]

Swift may be doable...

However, Washington will not let us take their rFA (former #1 pick) for nothing... That's a pipe dream...

I still say that if we feel that Dalembert is quality at the C and we like him then we should trade for him and take back a bad contract... We're not a playoff calibre team right now anyway.....

[Diesel]

No... West was going to match any deal for Swift... BK did the right thing in getting an ending contract and waiting for there to be no strings on Swift. This is why I think that Swift will be a Hawk...

The real question is who will be Hawks with him?

[Spiral]

I disagree, I think we'll be outbid. I hope your right and I'm wrong though. The way folks overspend on quality centers, It wouldn't surprise me if someone gave him a near max contract.