Bucks trade Jefferson to Spurs

[PrinceFielder28]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4281291

[patrickgpe]

i like bruce bowen and kurt thomas even though they may be way pass their prime. Should make thursday interesting.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't get it. What point is there for a team like the Bucks to trade for this kind of return? Is there any kind of plan at this point?

[gobrew23]

Salary dump?

 

I'm not sure of everyone's contract status.

 

EDIT: They added a little more info to the article now:

 

"The Bucks incentive to make the trade is largely financial. Bowen, Oberto and Thomas are all in the last year of their contracts. The deal will clear $15 million off the books for the Bucks next season and give Milwaukee more flexibility for next year. It also saves them roughly $3 million this year. That may give the Bucks the wiggle room to sign one of their restricted free agents -- either Charlie Villanueva or Ramon Sessions -- next year."

[CheezWizHed]

Wow. I expected the Bucks to move Jefferson, but I expected something in return. Salary cap flexibility is good, but yikes.

[brewdude15]

It was just a salary dump. A poor salary dump, though...Bowen might help the defense and Oberto and Thomas will deepen the bench. This will hopefully allow us to re-sign both Charlie V and Sessions, and sign both our draft picks.

[PaulRigdon]

Bowen and Oberto won't even make the team. It saves the bucks about 8-10 million and allows to resign Sessions and sign the #10 pick.

[Outlander]

It's a salary dump that saves them 3 million this year and 15 million the year after. I guess they would rather have Villanueva and/or Sessions and their #1 draft pick instead of Jefferson, and I wouldn't disagree.

[FVBrewerFan]

What?? Of course Bowen will make the team. Definitely a Skiles type of player- defense first. Sure it's primarily a salary dump, but having Bowen here for a year hopefully helps instill a defensive, tough-minded attitude that can reamin after he's gone. They really do need to burn it down before they build it back up. I know that's been tried before, but it's the only way they get out of this hole. I really hope they sign Charlie V- i fear he's the very definition of a contract year player. Get Flynn, Holiday, Lawson...a point guard with some real ability in the draft. Throw in Bogut, Redd, Sessions, Alexander, and The Prince... that's where you start from. Then next year they have a lot of room for a big name free agent, and there's many that will be out there.

[ninja33]

I don't get it. What point is there for a team like the Bucks to trade for this kind of return? Is there any kind of plan at this point?

Enough salary flexibility to resign Sessions and/or Villanueva. When healthy, it's a borderline playoff team. Granted we all want a team that can win a championship, but a 7 or 8 seed with a young core would be a big step. So you see what you've got with this young team, and then with RJ's $15 million 2010 salary gone, you see what you can do in the free agent market in summer 2010 (which will be immensely talented).

 

He's a very good player and I wish we could have gotten more back, but theres definitely a plan. I'm content with it.

[owbc]

Isn't every NBA team a borderline playoff team when healthy?

[JJHardy7]

It sounds like Bowen isn't going to be on the team per the link (I'm assuming updated):

 

Bowen has a partially guaranteed contract for next season, so the Bucks could release him, further saving about $4 million next season and giving them a better chance of retaining Sessions and Villanueva. In that case, Bowen might return to San Antonio later this summer.

 

The Bucks expect to save $6.35 million next season after releasing Bowen (only $2 million guaranteed) and Oberto (only $1.9 million guaranteed), a source told ESPN.com.

[patrickgpe]

this move ensures that the bucks will have huge cap room after next season, gadz and redd coming off of the boards as well.

[homer]

this move ensures that the bucks will have huge cap room after next season, gadz and redd coming off of the boards as well.

True. And let's face it, they were just going to tread water until that happened anyway. Would have been nice to get someone with some upside for Jefferson but cheap players of that ilk are few and far between.

[bbrauch2000]

Not trading Jefferson for Wally World last year makes this trade look worse. If I had never known about that, this wouldn't be that bad. Look at what Marcus Camby was traded for last year. You can't get quality players and cap flexibility at the same time

[Gobias Industries]

Hammond pulled a rabbit out of his hat on this one. If you don't like this deal, look at it this way. Would you rather have 2 of a Sessions, CV, or Ilyasova trio, or Richard Jefferson? Keep in mind the Bucks have a 0% chance at winning a title next year, and that LRMAM might be a better all around player than RJ as of right now.

 

Well done John Hammond. Now just don't blow another lottery pick.

[ninja33]

Isn't every NBA team a borderline playoff team when healthy?

Very true. So essentially tread water and see what the team is made of next year...and then afterward fix what needs to be fixed in the FA market with the money they've freed up. Its not a perfect plan, and it could be a very long season next year, but i think its their best option.

 

And someone mentioned Redd and Gadz coming off the books next summer as well. Redd has a player option of $18 million which he could very well exercise and stay with the bucks because its more money than he can get on the open market. And Gadzuric has two years left, he isnt a free agent til 2011. But trading Jefferson combined with Ridnour coming off the books frees up over $21 million....close to 40 if Redd opts for free agency.

[Diskono]

Not trading Jefferson for Wally World last year makes this trade look worse. If I had never known about that, this wouldn't be that bad. Look at what Marcus Camby was traded for last year. You can't get quality players and cap flexibility at the same time

Yeah, that would have been preferable, but this deal is about as good as we could have hoped for. I like it. Now we can re-sign Sessions, our pick, and maybe Ersan - I'd take those over RJ any day.

[CheezWizHed]

Charlie V reminds me too much of Tim Thomas. He got a bit better at rebounding and defense last year, but TT did also in short bursts... I'll take him for one year, but I don't want to see him in a big extension.

 

I like Sessions, but it looks like we will draft PG this year.

 

And Bowen is redundant with MaM on the team. Although it sounds like they can cut him to save more room.

 

Kurt Thomas = Malik Allen

 

Oberto doesn't even have a place here. Gadzuric, Elson, Thomas, Allen are all ahead of him on the bench.

 

If Alexander and MaM can put up 15 PPG/ 6RPG, this is a good deal, but I'm not sure they can....

[davego]

I'm torn about bringing CV or Sessions back. If Ersan comes back and Flynn is there at ten (Boy, it would be great if the Wizzards want Redd for their #5) I wonder if the Bucks would just be better off w/o CV and Sessions. Get thru one more season and they have all the salary cap room you could ask for.

[trwi7]

this move ensures that the bucks will have huge cap room after next season, gadz and redd coming off of the boards as well.

Gadz and Redd come off in two years. So we have to wait until 2011.

 

And yes, this is a financial move. Bowen and Oberto will be waived and probably go back to San Antonio. Bowen sucks anyways, so I don't want him.

[ccbrew]

I wouldn't want anything to do with Bowen either - hasn't he built up quite a reputation as a dirty player?

 

Edit: A simple search of "Bruce Bowen" on YouTube brings up a great collection of nasty plays he's accumulated over the years

[Gobias Industries]

Kurt Thomas = Malik Allen

Kurt Thomas is light years better than Malik Allen ever was or ever will be. Allen is probably one of the worst players in the league, and if he didn't have a guaranteed contract, he wouldn't have a spot in the NBA.

 

I'm guessing he's gonna ask to be bought out, which is a shame, because he'd be a good addition to the frontcourt for one season.

[trwi7]

Kurt Thomas is light years better than Malik Allen ever was or ever will be. Allen is probably one of the worst players in the league, and if he didn't have a guaranteed contract, he wouldn't have a spot in the NBA.

Wow, I missed that post, but yes, Allen is awful. Easily one of the 15 worst players in the league. Thomas is actually a good rebounder and defender. Allen is good at nothing relating to basketball.

[yoshii8]

I like the trade, Kurt Thomas is a major upgrade at pf/c if he plays for us. Oberto and Bowen will probably be released and that gives the Bucks some financial flexibility to hopefully sign Sessions, and maybe even Villanueva or Ilyasova. I wasn't overly impressed w/ Jefferson, although I think he will be a good fit w/ the Spurs. I think Mhah a Moute and Alexander(fingers crossed that he actually improved) will do fine filling in for him.

 

Now I'm hoping they do one more move to clear some space, maybe Redd to Washington or a Ridnour trade.