Real Deal

Is this deal official yet? Why do I get a gut feeling the Lakers are going to get him?

It makes more sense, in that case...but if it's for a backup role, Ilgauskas would want to go back to Cleveland. Someone like the Heat could lure him into a starter role, with Jermaine at the four...but I don't think they'd want that, either...not sure. That makes things complicated for Beasley having to play the three again. Still, there will be teams with enough money to make Zydrunas think, no matter the role.

Well, I don't know why, because you guys already have Haywood and Damp. But with that said, the Mavericks definitely won't be the only team after Big Z.

Uh...did Bogut get injured, or what? And Jennings shot nine total shots, made six...and that's it? That's puzzling.

Mavs are going to pursue him. http://www.otrbasketball.com/forums/topic/9527-mavs-will-pursue-ilgauskas

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/64804/20100217/mavs_want_ilgauskas/

It's official. http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=4922618

Well, I figured all of this would happen...but I guess the main question is...what if Big Z wants to start somewhere else? Is there even a chance of that happening? This isn't Drew Gooden. Ilgauskas is a legit starting big man, and teams will want him.

They are, but the way Phoenix is playing, that lead should be larger. It won't take much for the Suns to get back into the game. They are shooting what...under 40% right now? The Mavs are hitting half of their shots. Good to see Dallas starting Haywood.

B-EASY! Man, what the hell was Lee thinking, jacking up those shots? I turned the game on and off (from the Raptors/Grizz game to this one) and it seemed like it was either Lee shooting bricks, or Devin Harris.

Wow, what a choke job. I can't believe the Raptors lost that game. Why was Calderon and Hedo shooting threes near the end of the game? Hell, why was Hedo even shooting? Amir played a little over a quarter. I know he was in foul trouble, but why sit him for so long? He was playing really well for Toronto. And Sonny Weems was doing good as well. I don't get the Raptors.

Just a thought...as a legit starter, and after having his starting role ripped from him, what are the chances Ilgauskas doesn't return to the Cavaliers, if the Wizards buy out his contract? Would he talk to teams that are in need of a big man and can still upset teams in the playoffs, like the Heat? And what are the chances the Wizards try and keep him?

Nah, I think he belongs on the team. As a starter, I don't know...but from what I've seen of him this season, he's not a bad back-up at all. He just needs to score like a big man, rather than play Lamar Odom's game.

33 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks. http://www.tshirtwatch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/lucy-pinder-superman-shirt.jpg

Amare to the rescue?

LOL, if Blatche ever had a chance to look like a superstar, this is it. Two months of it.

Duncan shot 4-23 from the floor...but had a MONSTER 26 boards. :o Close game, but the Spurs escape by three.

I actually agree (and practically said the same thing) with most of it, but this... Seems like that's how it's been since the 80's, bro. 80's champs (eight championships): Los Angeles, Boston 90's champs (eight championships): Chicago, Houston 2000's champs (seven championships): Los Angeles, San Antonio Five teams, 23 championships, 30 seasons.

I understand where you're going with it and why you said it, but we already had to go through our share of that stuff when Boston, Cleveland, and Nuggets fans (and, well, pretty much every non-Lakers fan) dove into that Gasol topic (on the old board) to whine about THAT trade. The worst part of it all is that we are STILL hearing about it, despite what Marc is doing in Memphis. Yet, when something like this happens, it's not that big of a deal, and the Lakers fans are now whining about it? It's sort of a double-edged sword, I guess. We do something, and we robbed the league and were handed a title we don't deserve, says the fans that have a right to speak on it. Someone else does something similar, and it's a fantastic trade for that team, and the whiny Lakers fans should shut their mouths.

That trade would've made perfect sense for Golden State. Mayo is a legit combo guard, more a two-guard. That allows Curry to play the point, and it solves the problems the Warriors are having right now (with Curry and Monta). As far as Memphis goes, I don't see why they offer this.

And Marc Gasol is young as well. I'm not comparing Jamison and Pau, I'm saying that the ridiculous comments concerning the Gasol/Gasol deal are unwarranted and annoying. If anything, the Cavaliers got a better player for less, and it's not even debatable. Stats, age, whatever...doesn't matter, unless you think that 30th pick in the draft will be John Wall, for some strange reason.

Probably San Antonio. I know they were rushing to bring in Tyrus, but asking about another player as well.

Wow, will you guys get over that [expletive], seriously? Antawn Jamison (a 20/10 player) was just traded for a first-round pick, likely 30th in the draft. Pau Gasol (17 PPG, 11 RPG, 52% FG) Marc Gasol (15 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 58% FG) If you didn't know he was good, you didn't pay much attention to international basketball. Memphis wasn't even going to make the deal if Marc wasn't included, and it wasn't like he had a big contract, either. It's getting annoying. Just because there are incompetent GM's in the NBA doesn't mean it should be placed on our heads. It's not our fault other GM's don't have the mental capacity to pull off a decent trade, or other owners are spending all of their time trying to drop $30-40 million under the cap and tank for a high pick every season.

By the way, this might be awesome for the Clippers...but only if they land LeBron, Wade or Bosh. They now have a chance at it...and that's what they were shooting for all along.

Right, but you'll have six total players signed if the team exercises Howard's team option this off-season, and altogether, that's $30 million on your payroll. Arenas, Howard, Blatche, Young, McGee and Thornton. Everyone else expires (unless I'm missing out on a player/team option I don't know about). If the cap decreases again, that means the luxury tax threshold decreases slightly, and that gives you guys roughly $25 million to spend for another 6-7 players. Give one of those players (your high pick) $4-5 million. What I'm getting to is this: you'll have $20 million to land a big-name free agent...but obviously, you can't go too big with it. Instead, it looks like you'll be spending small, and this is all without Mike Miller's $10 million, without Foye's $5 million (still assuming you're going to let all of them go to make a run at that big free agent). Otherwise, if you keep Mike and Randy...that's another $15 million added to the books, with the rookie's $4-5 million. At the end of the day, you'll have to start signing minimum contracts to fill your roster. Just enough money to breathe, not enough to make a run for contention. To me, that's what happened here. Any young player, expiring or not. Anyone except Al Thornton. Hickson may not be the ideal starting power forward for most teams, but he would've been a better prize than Thornton, who struggles sharing the ball and has shown his bad attitude in the past.