AK for Wallace? Think again
At some point, the Jazz might trade Andrei Kirilenko and whatever remains of his contract, which when signed was worth more than the gross national product of some countries.
I just don't see it happening before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
Kirilenko is playing too well, coach Jerry Sloan is doing too good of a job staying off his back and the Jazz are winning too many games for Larry Miller and Kevin O'Connor to make such a major roster change in the next few weeks.
This summer? Maybe. But not now.
In Sunday's Chicago Tribune, my friend Sam Smith floated the possibility of the Jazz trading Kirilenko for Ben Wallace because of future salary cap issues -- like re-signing Deron Williams and, down the road, re-signing Carlos Boozer.
This, of course, is laughable.
If the Jazz ever trade Kirilenko, they will get more than an aging, moody veteran whose interest in the game seemed to decline the minute he signed his contract-of-a-lifetime a couple of years ago.
Watching the Bulls' game at Golden State on Thursday night, one play stands out.
Trailing by six, the Warriors' Monta Ellis held the ball for the last shot of the first half. With five or six seconds left, Ellis put the ball on the floor, drove to the basket and slammed down a thunderous dunk.
Wallace?
He didn't exactly sidestep Ellis, but he didn't jump in front of him or try to block the shot, either. He just waved as Ellis drove past, which was surprising to see from a supposedly tough, defend-the-rim center like Wallace.
Now, if the Bulls want to talk about a package that includes Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, and first-round draft pick for Kirilenko, O'Connor might listen.
But straight-up for Ben Wallace?
The guy who got into a fight with former Chicago coach Scott Skiles because he couldn't wear his headband?
I don't think so.
-- Steve Luhm
I just don't see it happening before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
Kirilenko is playing too well, coach Jerry Sloan is doing too good of a job staying off his back and the Jazz are winning too many games for Larry Miller and Kevin O'Connor to make such a major roster change in the next few weeks.
This summer? Maybe. But not now.
In Sunday's Chicago Tribune, my friend Sam Smith floated the possibility of the Jazz trading Kirilenko for Ben Wallace because of future salary cap issues -- like re-signing Deron Williams and, down the road, re-signing Carlos Boozer.
This, of course, is laughable.
If the Jazz ever trade Kirilenko, they will get more than an aging, moody veteran whose interest in the game seemed to decline the minute he signed his contract-of-a-lifetime a couple of years ago.
Watching the Bulls' game at Golden State on Thursday night, one play stands out.
Trailing by six, the Warriors' Monta Ellis held the ball for the last shot of the first half. With five or six seconds left, Ellis put the ball on the floor, drove to the basket and slammed down a thunderous dunk.
Wallace?
He didn't exactly sidestep Ellis, but he didn't jump in front of him or try to block the shot, either. He just waved as Ellis drove past, which was surprising to see from a supposedly tough, defend-the-rim center like Wallace.
Now, if the Bulls want to talk about a package that includes Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, and first-round draft pick for Kirilenko, O'Connor might listen.
But straight-up for Ben Wallace?
The guy who got into a fight with former Chicago coach Scott Skiles because he couldn't wear his headband?
I don't think so.
-- Steve Luhm
12:05 PM
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1 Comments:
Desperation. That's all this rumor is, desperation. Wallace never was a good fit for Chicago's system and the Bulls have been in a free-fall since the season began. They are desperate not only to turn things around, but apparently they are short of things to write about too.
Forget about stats and contracts. Where the Jazz are concerned its a matter of will the personalities work and does the play fit our image. In this case the answers are No and No.
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