Peja is demanding a trade: http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2643502
Obviously, the kid misses Vlade.
So I just about salivated over the thought of one of my favorite players, the best pure shooter in the NBA, going to a team with a quality big guy.
Here are my scenarios:
1. Miami – Miami sends Eddie Jones, Dorell Wright and a 1st rd draft pick. Pros: Can you imagine that team? You’ve got the big guy with the inside game (Shaq), the Kamikaze who can pass or penetrate (Wade) and the pure shooter (Peja). This team will FUCK. YOU. UP. Sac gets another pure shooter. Dorell is a project, but he’s young. Cons: Eddie’s ridiculous contract. Eddie is old and injury proned. Miami gets the better deal.
2. Portland – Portland sends Shareef, DA and scrub for Peja and Christie. Pros: Shareef has made it very clear he is not putting on a Blazer uniform, so Portland has itself a “situation.” Christie, while an club favorite, has been shopped around this off season. Assuming that Bobby Jackson is healthy next year, they get another scorer in DA, but will miss Christie’s defense. Nevertheless, Shareef bolsters the frontcourt exponentially more than Ostertag will. Portland’s starting 5: Mighty Mouse/Van Exel, Christie, Peja, Zack Randolph, Ratliff. They’re young and competitive, with weapons on both ends of the court. Cons: Shareef plays the same position as a little crybaby named CWebb. They could move him to the 3 spot, but that’s what pissed him off about playing in Portland. He’s a post-up guy who is too good to come off the bench.
3. Houston – Houston sends Jimmy Jackson, Reece Gaines and a draft pick. Pros: Sacramento likes Jimmy, Reece has played extremely well in summer league, etc. but more importantly, how SICK would it be to have a lineup of T-Mac, Peja and Yao?!? Cons: Yeah, right. Jimmy is great but getting up in the years. Reece has yet to prove anything in the league. Sac would give up a star for a has-been and a possible bust.
4. Seattle – Seattle sends Ray Allen, Radman. Sac sends Peja and Songaila. Pros: Allen and Peja are the two best shooters in the NBA. So it’s an even swap. Seattle would like to get rid of Radman though. Cons: Peja is gonna have a shitty time in Seattle. They’ve got no big guys. Every single shot of his is going to get contested.
5. Golden State – GS sends Jason Richardson and Mike Dunleavy. Pros: Sac gets an energy guy who keeps the fans excited and gets the merchandise (read: $$) off the shelves. Dunleavy is developing nicely and is versatile. He can play 4 positions and will fit in nicely with Sac’s team mentality. Plus, these two can commiserate with CWebb about escaping the horror that is the Golden State organization. Golden State is also in desperate need of a pure / clutch shooter. Cons: GS has no offensive threat in the frontcourt. Troy Murphy is underrated and really bangs down there, but he also plays a lot facing the basket. GS would need an intimidating force of some kind in the paint to pull the pressure off of Peja. Just like in Seattle, every shot of his is going to get contested. At least he has a better supporting cast though, in GS. And he would be the uncontested star here.
6. Cleveland – Cavs send Ilgauskas and Dajuan Wagner. Wagner is a bit like Bobby Jackson when he’s healthy. He’s quick and can score at will. Ilgauskas, also when healthy, is a damn good center and shoots his free throws pretty well. A lineup of Snow, LeBron, Peja, Gooden sounds like a pretty good start. Maybe they’ll be this year’s Denver. Cons: Sac has too many big men. They just committed money to Ostertag. Bring in Ilgauskas and you have two very good centers (Brad Miller). Wagner would be attractive to Sac as he’d do well in the run-and-gun game, but they will be missing a reliable perimeter player.
7. LA Lakers – Lakers sign and trade Malone and Kareem Rush. Pros: Peja gets to be with Vlade, so he stops pouting. Sac gets another great shooter in Rush, as well as a veteran presence and another great big man adept at passing. Cons: This is weird. Rivals swapping stars. Again, Malone plays the same position as CWebb, the supposed “franchise player.” You see a pattern here? (GET RID OF WEBBER! NO TEAM WILL RIDE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP ON HIS SHAKY LEGS AND SHAKIER HEART) Trading your star for a guy who will come off the bench? (As Malone would behind Webber) No way. Sac would probably prefer Odom and Rush. But it’s not likely they’d be willing to let the Lakers have one of their best players.
8. New Jersey – Nets send Kidd. Pros: Peja goes to the East Coast so he doesn’t terrorize Sac. Kidd comes to the West Coast so he doesn’t terrorize New Jersey. Kidd is somewhat close to his hometown, to which he has wanted to return. Cons: Both teams would give themselves big problems. Sac would have the best backcourt in the NBA with Kidd, Bibby, Jackson and Christie in rotation. New Jersey would have Peja, who plays the same position as Jefferson, but no point guard. More likely, NJ would want Bibby to be included, but Sac would want Jefferson. A swap of each teams PGs and SFs? Well, it’s a possibility. But a highly unlikely possibility.