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Toxic Brand

May 25, 2010
By Ron Richards

One of the most talked about trades on this site is moving up to take the Sixer's #2 pick. Siz, JFFP, Cactus and others have proposed this trade. It would likely be AK's expiring contract for Elton Brand and the #2 pick. Since salaries have to match, only a team willing to simply take on Brand's contract and has space available could do it without trading a player....So that's almost assuredly out. It has to be a player for Brand and #2. Philly wants like crazy to be out from under Brand's contract, and the only way to do that is to make it really tempting....Like the #2 pick. Someone, I think it was JonColton, called Brand's contract toxic. Huch thought the idea was untouchable. The more I think about it, I think it's the one surefire way for the Jazz to get to the next level.

Here's why. Brand has three years remaining on his contract. 16, 17 and 18 mil in the next three years. It's not as bad as it seems. First, AK is making almost 2 mil more than Brand this next year. Savings of 2 mil right out of the box. Second, only the second year of his contract is really a burden. The third year in '12-13 is an expiring contract, just like AK this year. It's valuable, an asset, not a liability. That's just speaking money. What about Brand as a player? First, I can't believe we're questioning his being injured. After putting up with Boozer and AK, he'd have to be injured a bunch to be any worse. Besides, I think any play you get out of him is a bonus. I actually think he might get better after playing a season after sitting out a year. All I want or expect from him is minutes at PF reserve behind Sap. I think he can do that. Yes, he's not worth that kind of money, strictly speaking.

On the other hand..... He brings us the #2 pick in the draft. At this point, I'm not sure who that is. It's one of two guys. Derrick Favors or Evan Turner. Now deciding between these two would drive me nuts. My gut feeling is that Favors will be the better pro, unless he gets hurt. Check his measurements out. He's about the same height, length and weight as Dwight Howard, and bigger than Al Horford. He's 19 years old, ate Cousins alive when he played him before college. Simply destroyed him. He's a potentially MONSTER defensive player, just like Howard. He's a much better offensive player than Howard at the same age. I see him more as a C who can play PF. You'd probably want him to play PF at first, then shift over to C, or play him alongside Brand or Sap. Just got a feeling about Favors. Despite how good Wall is, I think Favors might be just as good in the long run.

But then there's Turner. His measurements weren't that great, but so were Brandon Roy's, plus there are no red flags on Turner physically. There were on Roy. Turner could be the best 2 guard ever to play for the Jazz, and join Deron on the All-NBA team in a few years. Okay......I'd go for that. I've watched quite a bit of Vid on Turner, and he's very, very impressive. Love the kid. But I like Favors just as much.

Another thing to consider...... In 2012, we can bring Tomic over. He's a second round pick, so we can pay him anything we want, enough to buy out his contract if necessary. I say we do it. 7'2, he's getting bigger and stronger by the year, he's very, very gifted and skilled as a big man. I'm sold on the kid. He's as good or better as Gasol at the same age. Whether he continues to grow and whether he can become as good as Gasol right now, that's another question. We absolutely need to bring him over next year.

Keep this in mind, and then think about this. We still have the #9 pick. Now I wish someone like Turner was available at #9, but Henry isn't quite as good. Get Turner AND Favors, it's Katie bar the door, just give us the damn trophy. But I'd settle for Greg Monroe. Greg Monroe measured out as big enough to play center in the NBA, easily. He's very,very skilled, perhaps the most skilled big man in the draft. He's not an explosive athlete, but he's not chopped liver, either.

I did a salary schedule for all three years that Brand would be here, and only in the 2nd year was there a problem with the luxury cap, and not by much. I was really quite surprised at how reasonable the team salary was, for the talent on the team. It's those two rookie contracts With a lineup of...'
Williams
Price
Matthews
Miles Gaines
(FA or 2nd round pick wing)
Millsap
Okur
Favors
Monroe
Fess
Koufos
Brand

That's 13 players, about 66 mil in salary, depending on the FA and how much we can sign Matthews for. We can add a wing cheaply enough if we need to. The only possible weakness of that team is at wing. I don't think it is, because I think CJ has finally arrived, and will be terrific next year, and Wes will be even better as well. I'd like to see someone like Anthony Morrow added to the team, if Korver won't sign for a reasonable contract. I think Morrow would be perfect, and he should be reasonable. If not Morrow, then add a wing. I'd also like to see Millsap play more SF, get minutes there. Next year, we add Tomic, and that's the year where we have to worry about the luxury tax. Year after that, Memo is gone and it's the last year of Brand's contract.

Now this team is very heavy and duplicated at PF-C. I think that's exactly what we need to compete with the HATED LAKERS. Unless we get bigger and stronger at the PF and Center position, we simply can't compete with the Lakers. We all saw that happen in the playoffs. Let the best man win with all these guys. We'd have the best PF-C rotation in the league. This is a way we can end that superiority. Yes, it curtails the signing of FA's during the three years, but we don't need them. We've got all the talent we need right here. If we add Turner instead of Favors, it's an absolute MUST to get Tomic over here next year. If we add Favors, we need a wing as well next year in the draft. Spend both picks on wings. I haven't decided on which of the two, but I'm leaning towards Favors.

This isn't pie in the sky, it's something that CAN be done. Philly would do it in an instant. NJ is offering the 3 pick as well, and AK could be the key to that deal. If we sit back and do nothing this summer, we don't get better, we stay the same and eventually get worse, wasting the talents of the best PG in the league right now, and perhaps losing him forever. Best of all, who cares about Carlos Boozer. We don't need him.

Do it. Just do it.