The Hornets eventually have to get what they can for Kaman, but moving him right now is not the answer.
Right after news broke that it the Hornets would be looking to move Kaman, I told you all why such a trade would be difficult in the short term. However as March approaches, a lot of those obstacles will be removed and Dell’s hands will be untied. There are several incentives to wait until March to get this deal done; let’s go over this point by point.
The 60 days have passed since Chris was acquired, meaning that Dell can put him into a multi-player trade, shipping out fellow Hornets if he sees fit. However, guys signed in the offseason can not be traded until March 1st, meaning J Smitty, Landry, Goose, and Belly can’t be included into the deal. While Goose and Smitty are probably safe, I can definitely see Demps wanting to move Landry or Belly, and either of those guys could make the deal more enticing for the team that we trade with.
Chicago, for instance, were said to be interested in Belinelli this offseason, and Boston is dying to add some shooting off the bench. If the Bulls have to throw in multiple bigs in a trade for Howard or the Celtics want to make one more run at the title, they could be extremely interested in a Kaman/Belly combo, and both teams have their own picks and picks that belong to other teams either this year or in the future.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of teams that would love to add Kaman and Landry to their front court without having to commit big dollars to them long term. A three team trade with the Lakers and Rockets comes to mind (wouldn’t that be ironic?). Rockets finally get Gasol (plus Walton and Belly) while Lakers get Lowry, Budinger, Landry, and Kaman and the Hornets get a collection of expirings (J. Hill, Thabeet, Flynn) and 2-3 1st round picks (Lakers have their own, plus Dallas. Houston has their own plus Knicks).
Let’s say the Hornets just trade Kaman straight up for Indiana’s 1st round pick. Not only would they be getting a pick in the 20′s, but they would be receiveing a 12.2 million dollar trade exemption that they will have on full calendar year to use. If you study the NBA trade landscape, there are two times when the amount of trades made spike- Week of the draft and at the trade deadline. The trade deadline, in a normal year, is usually in late February. What would be the point of trading Kaman today and having that valuable exemption expire two weeks before next year’s deadline? If you move Kaman in March, you can use that exemption all the way up to next year’s deadline and find ways to turn that into multiple assets.
Again, makes sense to wait.
If you are in the weapons trade, you know that you will be underpaid in times of peace and overpaid in times of war. The war has not started yet. The war will not start until March and until the league knows where Dwight Howard is heading. Right now, GM’s like their team and they believe that they will have multiple options to explore if and when they want to make a move. But as those possibilities start to disappear and panic sets in, the price for a Kaman or a Landry will go up. Way up.
Big men will go down, young guys will hit the way. Depth will be needed, and Kaman will have more nights like he had last night. When that starts to happen and GM’s see how wide open this season truly is, they will come a callin’. Oh yes, they will come a callin’.
The problem for us and Belinelli is we have to start him... He plays defense but not great, he hustles and he might get hot... That's not a starter but a contributor... And at the 5 do we build around Kaman or Okafor... LOL.. Landry I agree could be moved with Ayon and Smith plus tweener Aminu... Plus maybe we need to start Henry now.. seeing what he has... But he has to get his shot... he is a big kid but a little young... He needs to get it done... Free throws... What's up with that...
Excellent post. I agree, though, about teams wanting Belly. The Bulls and Celtics value defense, and Belly is solid, but Thirty. Nine. Percent. from the field. I'll miss the good things he brings to the court, but unfortunately he fits right in to the pantheon of Hornets shooting guards.
As poor as belli is playing, as a bench player he can be a solid contributor. Playing against other 2nd units he would probably be much more effective.
As you said, the Bulls WERE interested in Belli, and that was during the offseason. That was before his terrible play this season. All of a sudden he's an asset now because we'd like to get rid of him and teams will for some reason "want" him? At least he's an expiring contract. That's gotta be the only reason.
all good points, but do they outweigh Kaman's propensity to hurt himself. That is why dell explored an early trade so voraciously
Do you really think teams would trade for Belinelli as asset vs. just a salary filler with the horrendous season he is having?
All three points are great, especially the second one; it's a concept that I doubt have crossed many people's minds, and it is incredibly significant. Well done.
CityBrow
In Demps We Trust
[...] – Kaman will play tonight and we will all keep our fingers crossed that he stays healthy through the rest of the month, as Dell continues to look for trades. If you haven’t checked it out, we put this article up yesterday that showcases why Demps is doing the smart thing by waiting a little longer to trade Kaman. [...]
[...] is no fool; he knows that time is on his side. Michael McNamara, another writer for Hornets247.com, explained this point magnificently in a post earlier this week. By waiting to trade Kaman, the team accomplishes three main goals. First, he can be traded in [...]
[...] McNamara has talked in length about how a trade would go down involving Chris Kaman. There’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that Kaman is on the block and that there are teams out [...]