Ricky Davis for Szerbiak

[bobatundi]

ESPN.com's showing this as the centerpiece of a seven-player deal...no additional details yet.

[bobatundi]

The Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a trade that will send Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two future second-round draft picks to Minnesota for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and rookie Dwayne Jones, ESPN.com has confirmed.

The Boston Herald and TNT first reported the trade Thursday night.

Davis was the team's second leading scorer at 19.7 behind Paul Pierce, while Szczerbiak is averaging 20.1 points for the Timberwolves.

[Drbio]

Just saw this on TNT. The trade helps neither team really. I'll look at the numbers later to see who was doing the salary dump.

[MavsFanFinley]

Timberwolves get to dump Wally's contract ($10,000,000 - $11,000,000 - $12,000,000 - $13,000,000) and get back a decent player in Davis at a cheaper price ($5,908,500 - $6,360,000 - $6,817,000).

They take back Blount's contract ($5,512,500 - $6,125,000 - $6,737,500 - $7,350,000 - $7,962,500) but don't have to worry about overpaying for Olowokandi or losing him for nothing.

Boston gets to dump Blount's contract but not sure if they plan to resign Olowokandi or let him walk but they take on Wally's contract at the same time.

It looks more like a salary dump for both teams.

[birdsanctuary]

Olowokandi, arguably the worst #1 pick in NBA history. Kwame has a way to go before he overtakes Kandi-man for this top spot.

[dirno2000]

Wally's a good fantasy player but he's a god awful defender and he doesn't make big shots. If I'm a T-Wolves fan I'd much rather have Ricky Davis...they never should have let him go in the first place. He's ultra athletic, a pretty good defender, a good finisher and he's cheaper.

I hate bad rebounding centers and that's what Blount is although he's a decent scorer. I guess any time you can get Kandi out of your locker room you do it.

I can't believe Ainge would take on that Szerbiak contract to go along with Raef's. There was a time when I thought he had a plan...now I'm not so sure.

[4cwebb]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I can't believe Ainge would take on that Szerbiak contract to go along with Raef's. There was a time when I thought he had a plan...now I'm not so sure.

You don't see it? Ainge is a SG away from being able to field an all-white lineup (Dickau, Wally, Scalabrine and Raef)...

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by 4cwebb

You don't see it? Ainge is a SG away from being able to field an all-white lineup (Dickau, Wally, Scalabrine and Raef)...

of course, of course...can Paul Pierce for Kyle Korver and filler be far off?

[Thespiralgoeson]

I think the deal makes great sense for Minnesota. Davis is a great complimentary player for KG, and Blount is more reliable than Olowakandi (that's a testament to just how sad Kandiman is) I can't figure out why the Celts did this though, other than just to get rid of Blount's contract... But Wally's contract is even worse. I think the Wolves without question got the better end of this deal.

[dirno2000]

4CWebb's theory is the only one that makes sense.

Marcus Banks tends to get ahead of himself on offense and he's yet to develop a consistent outside shot. That being said, he's only in his 3rd season and he's already one of the better defensive PG's in the league. He's a nice throw in.

[Nash13]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I think the deal makes great sense for Minnesota. Davis is a great complimentary player for KG, and Blount is more reliable than Olowakandi (that's a testament to just how sad Kandiman is) I can't figure out why the Celts did this though, other than just to get rid of Blount's contract... But Wally's contract is even worse. I think the Wolves without question got the better end of this deal.

I agree 100 percent, but i still don't think this will equate to more wins. The Wolves still don't have enough talent to make this trade seem worth it. And maybe since they added Banks they can afford to quit playing AC Carter. Yuck.

[Five-ofan]

This was a flat out raping by Minny. I love ricky davis. He should have been on the all star bubble and he becomes the 2nd best 2 in the west if you consider tmac a 3.

[dude1394]

I don't get the ricky davis for wally either from the celtics perspective. I also think davis will be happier playing with garnett than he ever was with paul. They were too much of the same perimeter player. Garnett being more of an inside guy will not have the same issue.

As far as wally on the celtics I don't know. But he must expect a lot of drive and kick. He'll knock a lot of those down.

Advantage minnie.

[sike]

nice first game for wally

[alby]

you mean nice first game for ricky

holy cow

[Mavdog]

this will turn out to be a great deal for the wolves imo. ricky davis is a quality player who is toughminded, and the wolves were too soft. the wolves also get a pg, which they needed. the only downside to the deal is the blount contract.

why did ainge do the deal? he didn't get anything that upgraded his team. he dumped the blount contract and got the szerbiak contract.

dude and I had a discussion not to long ago about McHale, dude feeling McHale was just not up to the job (primarily by giving up on billups) and my feeling that his moves were correct but he was just unlucky (injuries and such). this writer agrees with dude...
---------------------------------------------------
After all the goofs, why should fans trust McHale now?
This seemingly desperate deal just might be Kevin McHale's last chance to keep his executive washroom privileges. This deal is Kevin McHale's last chance to keep his executive washroom privileges.
Jim Souhan, Star Tribune

Before analyzing whether Kevin McHale made a good trade this time, we should ask a more fundamental question:
Why is Kevin McHale still allowed to make trades?

If you're Wolves owner Glen Taylor, how do you look at McHale's personnel record and say, "Go ahead, Copperfield, work your magic again."

Had Jerry West or Joe Dumars made this deal, you would express patience and wait for the inherent genius to reveal itself. You'd also be willing, if the deal failed, to grant the architect the benefit of the doubt.

But this is Kevin McHale, patriarch of Ndudi Ebi, Joe Smith, Marko Jaric and Michael Olowokandi.

This is the guy who fired Flip Saunders, the coach who now owns the best record in the NBA.

This is the guy who, like a bad golfer, allows one bad shot to turn into three.

That's why, of all the questions you can ask about this deal, the most startling is: Another first-round pick?

You can argue the merits of the players involved, but casting away another first-round draft pick, after losing three because of the Joe Smith cheating incident and another in the unimpressive Jaric acquisition, makes McHale look like the new Mike Lynn.

Except you can say this for Lynn, the Vikings general manager who dealt 84 draft picks for Herschel Walker and a used bobsled: At least Lynn got an All-Star in return. McHale has acquired Smith, Jaric and now the detritus of a bad Eastern Conference team.

There is a sick logic to this: The Wolves' drafts under McHale have been so horrid, why would the Wolves want to keep any of their picks? (Answer: Because eventually someone competent might run the team and make use of them.)

Now, to the current deal -- Wally Szczerbiak, Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a conditional first-rounder to Boston for Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and two reserves.

Szczerbiak had been shut down by two consecutive strong defenders -- Detroit's Tayshaun Prince and Memphis' Shane Battier. It is clear that, even if you value him, you need him to be your third or fourth-best player, not your second-best player, and especially not your second-best player behind Kevin Garnett, because that leaves you without an All-Star who can create his own shot with the game on the line.

If the Wolves could have miraculously added a dynamic point guard like Baron Davis or Stephon Marbury, Wally might have worked as a third option, but this team was not going to get better waiting for Wally and Garnett to carry the team offensively.

So trading Wally and his inflated contract for Davis, who is more athletic and better defensively, makes sense, if only to try something new.

Blount for Olowokandi? Both teams lose. Olowokandi has one asset -- his contract comes off the books this year, clearing salary cap space. Blount is a better scorer, and the Wolves can use another option down low, where Eddie Griffin looks so uncomfortable. But as a rebounder, 'Kandi makes Blount look like, well, Wally. And Blount has had his problems with Boston management and self-motivation, so let's not be too relieved that we've rid ourselves of the perpetually logy 'Kandi.

Let's remember that McHale felt obliged to sign 'Kandi because a lack of draft picks left the Wolves without a reliable center. And here we go again with the bad golfer analogy: The fact that the Wolves haven't drafted or developed a starting-quality point guard might be the reason they acquired Marcus Banks in this deal.

Banks is playing about 15 minutes a game for Boston. Here, he may be a more pivotal player, may allow the Wolves to stop pretending Jaric is a point guard, but it's hard to get excited until we see how he handles more responsibility.

In all, this trade looks like a desperate move by a desperate man. If it proves as unwise as many of McHale's other moves, it should also be his last.

But who knows? Davis could bring excitement and intrigue back to the Target Center for at least a few weeks.

If he becomes the scorer who can win some of the close games the Wolves have squandered, this could wind up looking like one of the smartest things McHale's ever done, right up there with befriending the owner.

[Arne]

I think Wally Szczerbiak might as well be an upgrade for the Celts, since Ricky Davis needs the ball in his hands more than Wally. Paul Pierce and Delonte West already handle the ball in Boston, so Szczerbiak is a good piece for them as a shooter/scorer who doesn't need the ball that much.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Five-ofan

This was a flat out raping by Minny. I love ricky davis. He should have been on the all star bubble and he becomes the 2nd best 2 in the west if you consider tmac a 3.

He ain't better than Ray Allen - no way, no how.

[dude1394]

Boy reading through this history by Kerr...
kerr

Why o' why have the 'wolves kept McHale around. Stupid move after stupid move.

[sike]

Ricky will bring back a little of that Spree thoughness....I just hope he can feed his babies

Wally will get plenty of open shots from Pierce double teams....I think it might be a trade made in NBA Heaven...

[snoop]

this tade is a desperate move by both teams to show their players they are trying. I think wally will help PP more than ricky will help KG, but not by much

[sike]

Originally Posted by snoop

this tade is a desperate move by both teams to show their players they are trying. I think wally will help PP more than ricky will help KG, but not by much

what do you base that opinion on?... a hunch?...

[alby]

ricky/kg >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wally/pp

[SeriousSummer]

Boston got the better deal--it's the First Round Draft Pick. Neither Wally nor Ricky are worth as much as that (and Blount and the Big O are barely worth 2nd rounders).

[dude1394]

What are the conditions on the first round pick? Once KG bolts it might be pretty good.

[Five-ofan]

Ricky davis is better than anyone you will get in the first for at least the next 3 years. I forgot about ray ray but its alot closer than you think.

[sike]

Originally Posted by dude1394

What are the conditions on the first round pick? Once KG bolts it might be pretty good.

ha...KG is in it for the long haul...