Let's dig into the latest — and last — flurry of trades.
Cleveland-Chicago-SeattleCavaliers get: Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Joe Smith, future Chicago second-round pick
Bulls get: Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons
Sonics get: Ira Newble, Adrian Griffin, Donyell Marshall
For the Cavs, is swallowing Ben Wallace's huge contract worth the addition of Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith?
Wondrous Wally can shoot with anybody, has a limited handle, and an unlimited ego. He can establish and maintain proper defensive positioning, but he's too slow off the mark to be considered an adequate defender. Delonte West has guts and a nifty shot, but is too slow to play point guard at a playoff-caliber level.
Together, Szczerbiak and West lack the speed and quickness of the departed Larry Hughes and Shannon Brown, but are much superior shooters. In any event, the Cavs have done nothing to resolve their point-guard dilemma.
Smith is a pro — curtail his minutes and he can score in the low post, grab unexpected rebounds, and always be in the right place at the right time. If he can stay healthy, he's a modest upgrade over Drew Gooden.
Ben Wallace is ready for the glue factory. Will he be content to back up Zydrunas Ilgauskas? And when Anderson Varejao returns, who sits: The younger, quicker, much more active Varejao? Or the rapidly shrinking Ben?
Overall, the Cavs got appreciably slower and their perimeter defense got worse. Except for an occasional foray by LBJ, forget about fast breaks and early offense. From now on, it's half-court basketball — and with Wallace on the floor, look for LBJ to be two-timed on his every touch.
Cleveland's grade: C+
Chicago added several interesting players without yielding any of their core guys.
Gooden is an average power forward, getting by on effort more than on skill. Look for him to split time with Tyrus Thomas and provide a modicum of post-up scoring.
Hughes is best in a wide-open game where he can either pull or get to the hole, but do the Bulls have enough defense and board-power to get out and go? Probably not. Still, how soon before Hughes takes over Kirk Hinrich's PT?
Brown is another runner, an improving shooter, and a vastly underrated player. If he buckles down and works harder on his game than he has thus far, Brown could be the sleeper in the deal.
Simmons' main task will be to keep the last seat on the bench warm.
Now comes the real test for the Bulls. How well can they compete with Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray manning the middle? But hey, this tandem can't be any worse than Wallace was all by himself. At least they'll hustle on every play.
All at once, the Bulls are younger, quicker and more motivated. Now if only Hinrich, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng could get their heads straight, then perhaps the Bulls might have a viable future.
Chicago's grade: B
Seattle continues to pay more attention to its crystal ball than to the next game on its schedule. Ira Newble and Adrian Griffin will be gone and forgotten by the Fourth of July. Only the sad remnants of Donyell Marshall's once potent game will stick around.
At least Sam Presti continues to be true to his commitment of totally rebuilding the roster he inherited. Once all the expiring contracts have expired, the Sonics will have enough cap-free bucks to buy Donald Trump.
Seattle's grade: B+
New Orleans-HoustonHornets get: Mike James and Bonzi Wells
Rockets get: Bobby Jackson
Bonzi Wells is a dynamic baseline scorer. He can also rebound and play defense, but only when the spirit moves him.
In a perfect world, Wells would be happy to fit the role he's most suited for — being a scorer off the bench. Too bad Wells yearns to not only start, but be the focus of the offense. If he doesn't get the playing time and the shots he thinks he deserves, then Wells can be — and has been — a totally disruptive force. Perhaps that's why Wells has played for five different teams over the past five seasons.
It should also be noted that Wells had his most productive seasons under Rick Adelman in Portland. If Adelman failed to get the best out of Wells in Houston, then Bonzi's career just may have progressed past the point of no return. But if Byron Scott can somehow make Wells happy, then the Hornets have themselves a potent scorer.
Mike James is a shoot-first point guard who possesses plenty of firepower. His 3-point accuracy demonstrates his consistency, but he has a penchant for looking for the chance to jack up 3-balls before looking for anything else. If his assist totals are admirable, the truth is that most of them come on drives-and-dishes and he's reluctant to initiate offensive sets with passes from the perimeter.
Also, despite being able to score points in bunches, the fact that the Hornets will be his eighth team in the last six seasons says volumes about his selfish attitude. As is the case with Wells, if James accepts his backup role, then New Orleans comes out way ahead in this transaction.
Wells and James make the Hornets younger and also pump up their offense. However, since the Hornets currently sport the best record in the West, why would they risk disrupting their chemistry?
While the possible rewards may be grand, the Hornets have put their season in jeopardy.
New Orleans' grade: Anywhere from an A to F, but most likely a C
For the Rockets, Bobby Jackson represents a welcome degree of stability. As he rapidly approaches his 35th birthday, Jackson's speed, defense, and ability to stay healthy have all diminished. And like Mike James, he's a shoot-first point guard. Even so, Jackson is reliable and goes about his business with diligence and with no complaints.
With Wells and James gone, the Rockets have more available daylight to shine on Luther Head, Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks.
Houston's grade: C+
San Antonio-SeattleSan Antonio gets: Kurt Thomas
Seattle gets: Brent Barry, Francisco Elson, 2009 first-round pick
Getting Kurt Thomas is a bonanza for the Spurs. Even at the advanced age of 35, he still has enough left of exactly what the Spurs need. He's a rugged big man with great hands, a deadly mid-range jumper, veteran smarts, and the ability to play exceptional low-post defense. Thomas' presence will relieve Tim Duncan of some disadvantageous mano-a-mano defensive matchups while permitting TD to do more of what he does best: provide defensive help from the weak side.
Kurt Thomas gives the Spurs another vital interior defender and rebounder. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
Losing Brent Barry is painless because his 36-year-old body is breaking down and Ime Udoka is younger, paid less, plays defense, can hit treys, and is primed and ready for big-time minutes.
Francisco Elson is a runner and a mid-range shooter whose finesse game never really fit into the Spurs' scheme of things.
Unless the Spurs unexpectedly fall on hard times, their top pick in the 2009 draft won't be particularly valuable.
San Antonio's grade: A+
Seattle, on the other hand, was more interested in the future than the present. Barry and Elson, along with their respective contracts, will be cut loose as soon as the law allows. The addition of still another first-round pick, coupled with the creation of ample salary cap space, should make the Sonics important players in both the trading and free agent markets during the off-season.
It's hard to ignore the possibility of some Ainge-McHale-style hanky-panky between Sam Presti and his old team. Perhaps Seattle could have gotten more for Thomas. In any case, they got the chips they were seeking.
Seattle's grade: another B+
