The Improve Our Bench Ideas thread

So I'm still steaming about the lakers loss early today against the Cavs and I'm thinking that:
A) Our bench stinks
B) We need better point guard production both offensively/defensively.

So here are some. in my opinion, realistic trades that could help improve our bench.

Adam Morrison/Farmar/Sasha for Mike Dunleavy/Earl Watson.

Why would Indiana do it?
The reasons would be primarly financial because it would not surprise me with Indiana being a small market team that they are probably losing money this season, maybe even the past few seasons. Granger to me probably is injury prone because he missed a fair bit of games last season and already is missing some games. The pacers are floundering and with this trade they save 7 million off their salary cap off Farmar and Morrison alone, and would only have to pay Sasha his 5 million which expires at the end of 2011 instead of paying Dunleavy 10million.

Why do the Lakers do it?
In my eyes Mike Dunleavy is Luke Walton with a consistant 3 point shot, which the Lakers are in need of. He would also be able to bring in offense off the bench, his contract is also expiring at the end of 2011 as well so it's not a long term commitment. Earl Watson could fit in nicely with our bench as well as he is a better defender than either Fish or Farmar, and let's face it... Shannon Brown is not our answer to our PG woes, he's a undersized SG. Watson is a true PG that could fill the role that we need, his contract is very reasonable at $2.8mil and it expires at the end of the season anyways.


Morrison/Farmar/Sasha/DJ or Powell (As filler) for Kirk Hinrich/John Salmons


Why the Bulls do it?
The Bulls are serious about wanting to be a player during the Summer of 2010. As they stand if they just let their current contracts expire, they would have enough to offer 1 max contract. However, if they get out of Kirk's 9mil/season contract (that runs for another 3 years), but they would have to take Sasha in exchange for Salmons (Both Sasha and Salmons' contracts expire at 2011, but they save about 1.5mil off the Salmon/Sasha swap immediately because Sasha makes less). The Bulls aren't going to be making any noise this season and I think their management and fans know this, the fans don't seem to be very high on Kirk or Salmons anyway. They do this trade and they slash off an additional 10 million off their cap for the summer of 2010 to go shopping for a max player + 10 million offer to another FA. What better way to entice Dwayne Wade to come home to Chicago to play with a core of Rose, Deng...and a David Lee (For 10million/season) perhaps?


Why the Lakers do it?
Hinrich could come off the bench as our PG because it's a midseason trade because he would have to learn the triangle initially. He is the prototypical PG you would want for the triangle that Phil Jackson would love. Tall, good defender, high bball IQ, good outside shooter. Yes his contract runs for another 3 years. But it is pro-rated so it would be cheaper in the following seasons. The Lakers also extended Gasol for 3 years and are in talks to extend Kobe for about the same amount of time. What better way to lock in an ideal heir to Derek Fisher than to have him come study under him for a season or so and take over the reins the following season for the duration of the Gasol/Kobe era?

Plus adding John Salmons to replace Sasha coming off the bench.........self explanatory there.




Any other ideas please feel free to share.

A good back-up who can play SG and SF would be ideal.

-G- wrote:A good back-up who can play SG and SF would be ideal.

HUH?? That is what Smooth proposes. Salmons can play the 2 or 3 -- he plays good D, can slash and be effective on the break.

Kirk can play the 1, 2, or 3 -- depending on how small the other team goes. I would absolutely love this trade.

Esp to put Kobe, Salmons, Ron, LO, and Gasol in at times to close games and get stops.

Chicago is close to a fire sale, and they want Wade to go with Rose, plus room for a big. Could be possible, but unlikely.

Smooth is totally right, Hinrich and Salmons would be great additions. We would only be lacking a better back up center then, but it works out with Mbenga/Bynum/Gasol rotating on the C too, so after this trade, we can really be happy with our g/sf position.
The only risk is, if injuries happen to either Gasol or Bynum, Mbenga and Powell are going to get big minutes. Just like Smooth proposed, I would take care of the hole at the Guard position now. The C position would be upgraded in the summer with, for example Brendan Haywood, if the Wiz start rebuilding.