Dumping Dampier

[ddh33]

Well, with the Mavs all jumping off the Dampier bandwagon for the time being (or at least trying desperately to motivate him), it might be time to start looking at places where Damp could fit.

We know he's got a nasty contract. But he can rebound, and he has size. I would think that some team in the East who is worried about running into Shaq would like to have someone like Damp.

We also know that if Damp leaves the Mavs will have a little bit of a hole at the 5, and we know the team will need some real help on the boards.

Chicago has given the impression that they might be sick of Chandler. He's been bad since he got paid. They also have Tim Thomas to move. They'll want to keep their cap room, but Van Horn could be someone to grease the wheels and keep their cap room.

Indiana is wanting to make a deal, I hear They used to like Damp.

New York seems to like big contracts, and they certainly have people to send back to Dallas.

Orlando might be crumbling a little bit. Cato and Battie are in their last year though, so they may hesitate to deal either of them.

Portland might deal Theo Ratliff and junk, but I think they want Joel Prizybilla to be their center. Who wants to pay that kind of money for a backup center? Insert your Mavs joke here...

Toronto needs a big guy who could be an enforcer for Bosh. Unfortunately, they don't have any rebounders or decent bigs to send back.

Utah may be completely sick of Carlos Boozer by now. Boozer can rebound and even score inside, but he's not a great defender.

That's about all I come up with. I hope the Mavs are able to do something to salvage this situation. Honestly, the best solution would be for Damp to just help his team more.

[DubOverdose]

Toronto has Charlie V. I KNOW we'd have to give up much more than Damp to get him, but that might be a nice option to explore.

[madape]

It would take someone pretty desperate for a big man to commit the kind of money Dampier's contract demands. A young team won't touch him because of his reputation for not giving a damn.

[Murphy3]

There's no need to move damp.

[Drbio]

Two things....you won't get a center back that has his upside and you won't find a team willing to eat that contract right now in all probablility.

edit--> He isn't my favorite player and I think that he has done less with so much talent than you can imagine, but he is a better player than most at the position when he wants to be.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

There's no need to move damp.

No kidding. Jesus, I swear, for several weeks I hear everyone raving about him playing better, then he has one lousy game and it's time to trade him again... Unless you can get a definite upgrade that IS A CENTER, then no need for a trade.

[ddh33]

I was one of the ones who was saying that Damp was playing better recently.

But when teammates, coaches, and management all jump ship at once, it tells me that there is something more to this. Guys don't just overreact to one loss in the NBA. They are professionals. They obviously think this is something that has the chance to derail their season...

I still believe the best solution is for Damp to do more to gain the trust of his teammates. If this is all the Mavericks people have to look forward to though, then they need to start looking for deals right now.

[Stranger]

I'm not necessarily for trading Damp, but I think Memphis might be the most logical place to move him if we were to do so. They've wanted a big center for a long time. Dampier/Van Horn for Wright/Jones works under the cap.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Stranger

I'm not necessarily for trading Damp, but I think Memphis might be the most logical place to move him if we were to do so. They've wanted a big center for a long time. Dampier/Van Horn for Wright/Jones works under the cap.

Wright isn't an upgrade at all. And why would we trade the expiring contract of KVH for Jones who has another year left? Plus Jones would be yet another swing player and we would be short a backup PF.

Wright for Damp straight up is the best I would do with Memphis.

[MFFL]

Anfernee Hardaway & Antonio Davis for Keith Van Horn & Erick Dampier is the best we could really hope for. We exchange expiring contracts with NY and trade a long term big (Damp) for a short term big (Davis).

We could always dump Dampier to New York for Malik Rose. But that's not a good deal on our side at all.

[Dirkenstien]

Keep Damp and get him playing better as soon as possible. Right now he is better than anything we could get in return for him. Boozer would be an interesting piece as an undersized center for us but Utah is already committed to Okur at the C position and adding Damp may just create a log jam.

[chumdawg]

A few things to bear in mind when thinking about the possibility of trading Damp..

--You don't have to get a starting-quality center back in return. Avery likes a center-by-committee approach. Diop and Benga can reasonably contribute 30 minutes a game, even with foul trouble, if Benga can be relied upon to give one two stints of solid play. If you can just get a solid guy back (I'm a little intrigued by the idea of James from New York, since you know they won't balk at the contract), you may well have a committee that can get it done.

--Even if dealing Damp would make you take a little step back this year, it's something you have to consider. I'd say that Damp's first year was not a great success, and evidently the second year has been no better. He's on the books for four more, and he isn't getting any younger. This harkens back to the Nash deal a little bit. If you keep Damp, then in a couple years you are almost certainly going to have a guy who you are paying far more for than what he is delivering--and he won't be getting any younger. If we could infuse some youth at that position, a couple years down the line it might pay great dividends.

--It might be a case of addition by subtraction. Young teams are very easily influenced. Not only do we have a solid core of young players, but we also have a coach in his first year. In our situation, you might be surprised what simply getting everyone on the same page mentally would do for us. If even one guy--as long as it's a guy who you are counting on to contribute--is not on board, it can drag the whole team down. It's only natural. NBA players are human, too. And the younger they are, the more easily influenced.

--If Benga and/or Pavel do start to contribute sooner rather than later, you aren't going to miss Damp much if at all, anyway.

I don't think the guy is absolutely killing us on the court, by any means. Certainly he can't be, as 26-10 is still damn good. But I also don't think that losing him, especially if you got a little something of value in return, would be our death knell.

If he suffered a season-ending injury tonight, or pulled an Artest and quit on the team, do you really think you would say, "Well, season's over"?

[snoop]

damp to orlando for kelvin cato. Cato comes off the books after the year and is a good back up and shot blocker.

[jayC]

Bring in ron artest and the championship banner would be signed sealed and delivered.

[FreshJive]

I'd do this in a heartbeat

Dallas Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Incoming
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Change in team outlook: +13.4 ppg, -3.3 rpg, and +10.6 apg.


Phoenix Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Incoming
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Change in team outlook: -13.4 ppg, +3.3 rpg, and -10.6 apg.



Successful Scenario
Due to Dallas and Phoenix being over the cap, the 25% trade rule is invoked. Dallas and Phoenix had to be no more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

[V2M]

^^
I don't think Cuban would do that trade. As you know, PGs wear down faster than Centers as they age.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

I'd do this in a heartbeat

Dallas Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Incoming
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Change in team outlook: +13.4 ppg, -3.3 rpg, and +10.6 apg.


Phoenix Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Incoming
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Change in team outlook: -13.4 ppg, +3.3 rpg, and -10.6 apg.



Successful Scenario
Due to Dallas and Phoenix being over the cap, the 25% trade rule is invoked. Dallas and Phoenix had to be no more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

So would everyone else with half a brain.

It's too bad Cuban doesn't have the benefit of hindsight. As poor as his foresight was.

[JetFutofMavs]

Originally Posted by FreshJive

I'd do this in a heartbeat

Dallas Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Incoming
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Change in team outlook: +13.4 ppg, -3.3 rpg, and +10.6 apg.


Phoenix Trade Breakdown
Outgoing
Steve Nash
6-3 PG from Santa Clara
19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 11.2 apg in 37.5 minutes
Incoming
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes
Change in team outlook: -13.4 ppg, +3.3 rpg, and -10.6 apg.



Successful Scenario
Due to Dallas and Phoenix being over the cap, the 25% trade rule is invoked. Dallas and Phoenix had to be no more than 125% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Yeah, and I'm sure Phoenix would jump at such an opportunity; seeing as how they've done so well since Nash went there...Hmmm, I say think again.

[Dirkenstien]

Outgoing
Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.8 minutes

Incoming
Ron Artest
6-7 SF from St. John's
19.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg in 37.8 minutes
Eddie Gill
6-0 PG from Weber State
0.8 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.2 apg in 3.0 minutes
Change in team outlook: +14.6 ppg, -2.4 rpg, and +1.8 apg.

Here's a trade worth considering. Jermain O'Neal really wanted Dampier as a free agent and Indiana could use another big body to take some pressure off of O'Neal down low while also giving them a decent center to match up with Shaq in the East. I would do this in a heartbeat. Gill's contract comes off the books at the end of the season as well. It's too bad Mark Cuban has said he doesn't want Artest on the Steven A. Smith show, however. Perhaps he was bluffing?

Worst case scenario here would be Artest goes crazy and quits, but we still have Damp's contract off of the books. I say pull the trigger on this deal...seems as though Indiana would be interested also.

Our potential lineup:
Diop / Benga
Dirk / KVH
Artest / Stackhouse / Griffin
Howard / Daniels / Griffin
Terry / Harris

That looks like a terriffic defensive minded team with incredible energy off of the bench. A little weak at the C position but we could address that with a signing in the offseason.

[JetFutofMavs]

Now that's a bit wiser...

333

[MFFL]

Indiana is NOT going to absorb Dampier's contract. They traded away Brad Miller in order to get out from under a huge contract - they are not going to reverse course and want Damp.

[birdsanctuary]

Originally Posted by snoop

damp to orlando for kelvin cato. Cato comes off the books after the year and is a good back up and shot blocker.

This is a good one Snoop, it's a journeyman type in Cato that could provide some hustle minutes up there with Diop and DJ. I'd do it...

[bobatundi]

This one works on paper:

Dallas Trade Breakdown
Outgoing

Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.5 minutes
Incoming

Eddie Griffin
6-10 PF from Seton Hall
5.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.7 apg in 19.4 minutes

Michael Olowokandi
7-0 C from Pacific
6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 24.0 minutes
Change in team outlook: +6.1 ppg, +4.2 rpg, and +0.6 apg.

Minnesota Trade Breakdown
Outgoing

Eddie Griffin
6-10 PF from Seton Hall
5.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.7 apg in 19.4 minutes

Michael Olowokandi
7-0 C from Pacific
6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 24.0 minutes
Incoming

Erick Dampier
6-11 C from Mississippi State
5.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 0.6 apg in 24.5 minutes


Minnesota's supposedly looking to move Olowakandi, and wants to get better--perhaps they believe Damp will be better alongside Garnett (I know, wishful thinking on my part). We dump Damp & his contract, and get another underachieving--and less expensive--center back, along with a nice young player in Griffin. Doubt Minnesota'd part with him, but it was the only way I could realistically make a deal work without getting too crazy.

[snoop]

dont think minn wants to part ways with griffin

[bobatundi]

Me neither.

Then again, after two games, Damp may have proven himself the best second-string center in the NBA. At least he's the best at something. Now let's see if he can keep it up. From where I was sitting, I'm not sure he even kept it up into the second half last night.