Wiggins and a Bunch of Other Valuable Shit For Kevin Love? NOOOOO!!!!

Now that LeBron James committed to returning to Cleveland, many around the league are waiting patiently to see if the Cavaliers will attempt to add Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love to their roster. Love has been more than vocal about his desire to leave the Timberwolves after his contract expires next summer, so it’s only natural that Wolves’ GM Flip Saunders will attempt to trade Love this season assuring the Wolves at least get something back for their 3-time All-Star.

Undoubtedly, the Cavs have a nice roster filled with young talent, but if they are going to compete with the upper echelon of the NBA in 2014/2015, they’re going to need to add another veteran… And players like Love don’t come cheap. It’s very doubtful that a package centered around Dion Waiters or Anthony Bennett is gonna get it done.

Inevitably, if the Cavs truly want to acquire Love, they’re gonna have to give up their prized possession: The #1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Andrew Wiggins. Since landing LeBron (and subsequently making their team infinitely more competitive), many believe the Cavaliers must add Love in order to compete next season. Others believe Andrew Wiggins has simply too much potential to trade him away before he ever plays his first NBA game. Let’s take a look at the reasons for and against this trade.

Should Cavs trade Wiggins for Love?

Obviously Kevin Love is gonna have a better 2014/2015 season than Andrew Wiggins—he could play on Mars and have a bigger impact on his team than Wiggins will. Simply stated, Love is a top three power forward in the NBA (possibly the best) and arguably a top six player in the league. Although most people believe he’s older, Love is only 25 (turns 26 in September). Over his six seasons, K.Love has averaged a double double (19.2 PPG and 12.2) including a particularly impressive streak of 53 games with 10+ points, 10+ rebounds in 2010/11. And by no means is Love’s game limited to cleaning the glass and scoring in the paint. Love has shot an impressive 45.1% from the field over his career and an equally impressive 36.2% from three. In fact, Love’s offensive game is so well rounded that when he tallied 26.1 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 4.4 APG last season, he became the first player to do so. EVER.

Unarguably, Love is a talented player who brings a skillset to the table that no other player in the league possesses. As most would agree, if the Cavs trade Wiggins in a deal to acquire Love they will be a better team next season and would become an immediate challenger for an NBA championship.

How would LeBron, Love, and Irving stack up?

First of all, I don’t think the Cavs as currently constructed (without Love) are as far away from competing for a chip as others seem to believe. But I would agree that with Love, they will be a much better team next season than without. First, let’s compare this “big three” with the Miami Heat “big three.” Assuming LeBron will be the same player in Cleveland that he was in Miami (yet hopefully playing less minutes and perhaps taking the occasional game off), Miami LBJ and Cleveland LBJ cancel each other out.

Now I love Chris Bosh. When people were taking unfounded shots at him in 2010/11, I thought it was unfair and ill-advised. Some loved to joke that the “big three” was really a “big two” or a “big two and half” and downplayed Bosh’s importance to the Heat. However, by 2014, it became quite apparent that the “big three” is essentially the “big one” and Bosh was Miami’s second best player. Nonetheless, Bosh has averaged an impressive 19.2 PPG over his career (17.3 PPG while he was with the Heat) and 8.7 RPG (7.3 RPG with the Heat). Obviously Bosh made substantial changes in his game coming to Miami from Toronto. With the Raptors, Bosh played far more around the basket and in the paint. He tallied career highs in PPG (24.0 PPG) and RPG (10.8). However, once he joined Wade and LeBron in Miami, the points and rebounds went down but the 3-point shooting went up. But while others may criticize him under the umbrella of declining production, I have to admire the way Bosh contorted his game to fit in with the Miami system.

With that said, Kevin Love is a better player than Chris Bosh. Similar to CB4, Love is a perimeter big who can spread the floor (which is a perfect complement for James) but he’s a better shooter. Love is also a far superior rebounder, and when combined with Tristan Thompson or Anderson Varejao, the Cavs should be an excellent rebounding squad. Neither is a particularly great defender or any type of real shot blocker, so neither player will really wear that crown. Nonetheless, Love is undoubtedly the more effective player right now.

Do we really need to compare Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving? Dwyane Wade is one of the best shooting guards in NBA history. Dude has three rings and nothing to prove. With that said, let’s be honest: He’s got nothing left in the tank. In contrast, Irving’s best years are in front of him and he should CERTAINLY benefit greatly from LeBron’s tutelage. However, one statistic I think is interesting is that Kyrie Irving has played in 181 games over the last three seasons while Dwyane Wade has played in 172, only nine less.

Now I’m not willing to go on record and say 2014/2015 James, Love, and Irving is better than 2010/11 James, Bosh, and Wade, but I will say they’re better than 2014/2015 James, Bosh, and Wade would’ve been… And this is the core of a team that went to the last four consecutive Finals. So what makes everyone think that this Cavs team (with Love) couldn’t represent the Eastern Conference in this year’s Finals?

In fact, I believe the Cavs would be the best team in the East. They’re already better than the vastly overrated Pacers (now sans Lance Stephenson, yet still burdened by Roy Hibbert’s albatross-like contract) and a Chicago Bulls team that receives far more credit than they deserve for a team that hasn’t won 50 games in over two years in a horrible Eastern Conference. As much as I like Joakim Noah, I’m not prepared to act like Derrick Rose is the same player he was three years ago the same way others are. So no one can fuck with the Cavs in the East, but how do they stack up with the teams in the West?

No let’s not act like a team filled with mostly players 22 and under who have never played an NBA game together (let alone a season) is going to take out a team like the Spurs who have kept the core of their team together for 10+ seasons and has won four rings. Nor do I believe they can hang with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have been knocking on that Championship door for almost four years and have really seen their nucleus come together, or the Los Angeles Clippers, who not only have two of the top ten players in the NBA, but an excellent core of role players that round out their squad.

So is the goal of this Cavaliers team to go to the Finals or win a chip? Because I think they can get there, but they’re not winning it all. Does LeBron really want to lose his fourth NBA Finals? Doubtful. Perhaps if the Cavs don’t trade Wiggins, they may be better off in the long term.

Should Cavs just keep Wiggins?

Now of course, one could argue that if the Cavs could somehow nab Love without letting Wiggins depart, they would be the ultimate winners. No disagreement there. And let’s be honest, historically, if any team’s front office has displayed extreme ineptitude over the last eight seasons, it’s been Minnesota. So maybe a combination of Waiters/ Thompson/ another vet and some picks gets it done, but it’s doubtful. Sometimes, it can be difficult to assume what a team like the Wolves values. Johnny Flynn, Derrick Williams, Darko Milicic… All of these players have been seen as potential building blocks by Minnesota’s seemingly clueless front office. But in my mind, there are two prevailing reasons why the Cavs shouldn’t make this trade:

1. No other team has been rumored to be offering much more.
The only other “potential superstar” that we’ve heard about in Love trades is Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. However, the Warriors have steadfastly denied that they would consider packaging Thompson is a deal with Minnesota. So why do the Cavs have to give up Wiggins? To compete with the Celtics’ offer headlined by the Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk? Or the Bulls’ offer of Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler? I’m almost certain that my aforementioned (and completely ficticious) trade offer highlighted by Waiters, Thompson, and a future first is vastly superior to anything the C’s could offer. Is there something I don’t understand about supply and demand? The Cavs don’t have to offer their best package possible, just the best package available. If the Warriors are offering Thompson with Harrison Barnes and a pick, then Wiggins might have to go. But until the actual threat of another team acquiring Love comes to fruition, I wouldn’t feel the need to include Wiggins.

2. Isn’t this approach the same WRONG approach the Miami Heat took?
Let’s be clear: Whatever your opinions towards the “Big Three Heat” era is, it was not a failure. In four years, they made four consecutive finals and won two. But the team took a huge step backwards last season when they began cost-cutting, shedding veterans and salary to get below the luxury tax threshold. Nevertheless, the real problem was building a team around three players all making close to $20M a year essentially leaving the Heat with no money to spend in the free market. Last season in particular, it became quite evident that the Heat’s lack of depth would not only prevent them from competing with San Antonio, but also teams such as Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers. Make no mistake, there was more than one reason James left Miami in favor of Cleveland this summer, but undoubtedly the Heat’s lack of salary space played an integral role in his departure.

The Cavs have already went out and signed Mike Miller and James Jones; and they’ve allegedly been courting Ray Allen as well. Are we getting the band back together? The second worst plan the Cavs could follow is the Miami Heat 2010-2014 blueprint, second only to the plans the Cavs laid out from 2003-2010 which included landing second bananas like Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. How about this? BUILD AROUND YOUR YOUNG, TALENTED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, INEXPENSIVE prospects!! You don’t have to give 85% of your money to three players, and divvy the rest up amongst scrubs (no disrespect, Dexter Pittman). You are allowed to make moves in the interest of flexibility. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Dion Waiters signs an offer sheet in the summer of 2016 and leaves? The Cavs will be okay. Listen, you already have LeBron; people will come. Dudes want to play with this guy (including Kevin Love). Some might say, “Well if you don’t trade for Love now, he might go play with the Lakers next summer.” Fine. Kevin Love’s a good player but acquiring him at any cost may not be the best thing for the Cavs’ future.

The Bottom Line

Kevin Love would make the Cavs a better team in 2014/15, and assuming he would sign an extension, he would also make the squad better in 2015/16 than they could ever be without him. However, by 2016/17, a more mature and developed Andrew Wiggins could emerge. Consider the fact that Wiggins would make approximately $6.5M that year in comparison to the $20M Love could be making by that time. Also consider all of the pieces that can remain with Wiggins but would have to depart in a trade for Love. By 2016/17, Tristan Thompson would be entering his sixth season, Waiters his fifth, and Anthony Bennett would be in his fourth. Doesn’t that sound better than just Kevin Love and one of those four guys?
Ultimately, the Cavs are just giving up too much in this proposed trade. Yeah, it makes them better but for how long? If they make this deal, they need to start winning championships tomorrow because if it takes any longer than two years, they’ll certainly regret trading Wiggins, depleting their young core, and erasing any flexibility they may have had through 2020, the year when James turns 36.

Pat Riley Believes He’s Not A Quitter

Last week, Pat Riley challenged his three superstars his two superstars LeBron James to stay in Miami and see through their his effort to win not 6, not 7, not 8 championships… Riley turned a lot of heads last week when he began his press conference with one simple statement: “I’m pissed.”

While the basketball world spins on its axis waiting to see where not only James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh land, Riley alluded to the character that is required to win multiple championships at the NBA level. “This stuff is hard,” he explained, “and you got to stay together, if you’ve got the guts. And you don’t find the first door and run out of it.”

Wow! Tough talk. Especially from a legend like Pat Riley. He doesn’t know the meaning of quit. This guy’s the next Jimmy Volvano! He never gives up! No matter how tough things get…

… Or maybe he does. All the time. Simply stated, I’m not buying the bullshit Riley’s selling.

Let’s start in 1991. After a year of working on NBA on NBC, Riley returned to the sidelines with the New York Knicks. Things started off great as Riley’s Knicks adapted a hard-nosed, physical style of play that helped them push the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the 1991/92 Eastern Conference Finals. In 1992/93, Riley led NYK to their best regular season record in team history (60 wins, tied with 1969/70 Knicks) but again couldn’t get past the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, this time losing in six games. Entering the 1994/95 season, after Michael Jordan retired to play baseball, one would have to think that this was the Knicks’ best chance to advance to the Finals. However, after defeating the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, the Knicks advanced to the Finals only to lose to the Houston Rockets in seven games.

So the Knicks were one game away from a NBA championship—which would’ve been the franchise’s third chip (their first since 1973). Note: one game away from an NBA championship appears to be FAR closer than the Heat came this year losing their series 3-1 and by an NBA Finals record 14.5-point margin of victory. Nonetheless, Riley began to question his role with the team and his future in New York. I have to assume that in 1994, Riley had yet to learn the life lessons he so hypocritically pontificated last week in Miami. There were no guts and there certainly wasn’t any togetherness in New York, but there was a door and Riley ran through it.

“For the last two years,” Riley said, “I had consistently and repeatedly expressed to Knick management my desire and need to be charged with ultimate responsibility for all significant aspects of the ballclub. During this time, I had tried my best to reach an agreement with management on these issues. Unhappily, the gap between us could not be bridged.” He continued, “I do not believe that any team can realize its potential when its head coach, the person most intimately involved with the players, cannot make final, critical decisions on matters bearing directly and intensely on the team, its performance and its future.”

Knicks President Dave Checketts and General Manager Ernie Grunfeld responded by stating, “We didn’t make any trades that Pat didn’t want. He was in favor of every player that’s on this roster.”

Checketts added, “If anything, he was resentful I couldn’t deliver to him ownership and everything he was seeking. We delivered an offer to him that we thought was extraordinary.” Newsday reported that Riley at one point asked for $50 million over five years, plus 25% ownership of the team, and the Knicks countered with a five-year, $25-million offer.

For the record, I don’t begrudge anyone for attempting to better their own situation, but there is a certain way to go about things as we saw last week when Jason Kidd was heavily criticized for the way he bullied his way out of Brooklyn for more power in Milwaukee. And Riley didn’t show any more professionalism than Kidd did when he exited New York. Riley, an alleged class act, informed the Knicks of his resignation via fax.

In fact, Riley’s move from New York to Miami was so suspicious that it triggered an investigation was so shady and controversial that it lead to an investigation into tampering. Eventually the two teams agreed that the Heat would have to compensate the Knicks with a first round pick and $1 million in cash.

So let’s take a deeper look into the hypocrisy Riley spewed last week when he challenged LeBron and company to stay in Miami and see through HIS vision. As I stated earlier, Riley left a team that was on the doorstep of an NBA championship with New York. Even from the most optimistic perspective, the Heat aren’t on any doorsteps. At best, they’re on the block, but a few houses down. LeBron’s gonna need some new roommates to bring another chip home.

In 2010, when Bosh and James decided to join Wade in Miami, they signed similar cap-friendly deals that would allow them all to opt out in the summer of 2014. They all took less money and potentially less years in favor of having more control of their career paths four years later. In turn, Riley’s assertion that if any of the Big Three moved onto greener pastures, it could be viewed as quitting or “running for the door” holds no weight. Bosh, James, and Wade lived up to their contractual agreements, something Riley failed to do in New York. OK, so Riley quit on the Knicks. Twenty years later, he railed on his three stars challenging them not to be quitters. Seems hypocritical, but perhaps the Knicks’ situation was an isolated incident. I doubt Riley ever quit before (or after) on a team.

After his 1989/90 season with Los Angeles, despite winning Coach of the Year, Riley quit on the Lakers after they were unceremoniously ousted by the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Semifinals. By the end of season, many players including Magic Johnson and James Worthy, had spoken to management about Riley’s long mentally fatiguing practices as well as his refusal to listen to constructive criticism. Riley decided enough was enough, and despite the two years remaining on his deal, Riley ran for the door. Guts are an afterthought; doors are now the best options. After a disappointing 2003/04 season with the Miami Heat, Riley was again looking for an out. Easily enough, with Riley now acting as both head coach and general manager of the team, he decided to step down as head coach and was succeeded by assistant Stan Van Gundy. However, after drafting Dwyane Wade in 2003 and adding Shaquille O’Neal in 2004, the seemingly remote possibility of winning a championship began to become more realistic. That’s when the opportunist gears in Riley’s head started to once again grind. Despite Van Gundy’s insistence that he quit in the middle of the 2005/06 season to spend time with his family, it was widely speculated that the roster simply got too good, and the urge to return to his former coaching glory was too great.

In his book, “Shaq Uncut: My Story” with Jackie MacMullan, Shaquille O’Neal defended himself against the allegation that he had forced Stan Van out by saying that it was all Riley’s decision. “Stan got fired because Pat wanted to take over, not because I wanted him out,” he said.” I had no control over it — not a smidgen of control. We all kind of knew it was coming because Pat and Stan were always arguing. Pat would come down and tell Stan how to do something and Stan would want to do it his own way, and that was a fine game plan if you wanted to get yourself fired.”

So in conclusion, Pat Riley should be allowed to talk about quitting. He has proven to be an expert in the field and could probably offer some good advice. Mike D’Antoni should take notes. But when it comes to not quitting, or honoring a contract, or anything else related to professionalism, Pat Riley’s opinions hold no weight.

Orlando Summer League Roster Recap 2014

Boston Celtics

Player to watch: Marcus Smart Assuming Rondo is on his way out, this is gonna be Smart’s team to run. People are in love with his size and his work ethic, but can he develop the shot Rondo never could?

Notable rookies: James Young Boston absolutely stole this dude with the #18 pick in this year’s draft. He’s a crafty lefty with a reliable jumper and should improve greatly over the next few years.

Other players to watch: Kelly Olynyk Boston’s 2013 lottery pick is back for another summer to build on his rookie campaign. With a year under his belt, C’s fans would hope for a productive summer league.

How did he get here? Edwin Jackson Jackson’s a 24-year-old guard from France. He’s been playing professionally overseas for 7 years and I bet that streak continues.

 

Brooklyn Nets

Player to watch: Markel Brown Allegedly, the Nets bought this pick for a cool mill. Marcus Smart’s backcourt mate does bring a lot to the table. He’s a solid offensive player that doesn’t try to do too much.  He was a four year player at OK State and has been praised as a natural leader.

Notable rookie: Xavier Thames Thames is a knockdown shooter who could’ve gone much higher in the draft. He’s an undersized two that probably won’t be able to play the point at the NBA level. He needs to play off the ball to thrive.

Other players to watch: Mason Plumlee If you watched the Nets play last year, you’re aware of the impact Plumlee made. He’s an aggressive big that can finish around the rim. He’s one of the few bright spots going forward for the Nets.

How did he get here? Donte Green At 25, Green is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. He had a decent 2009/10 season with the Kings, but hasn’t played in the league since the Celtics waived him in 2012. Good luck, youngblood!

Detroit Pistons

Player to watch: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope The 2013 #8 pick showed flashes of brilliance last year, but I won’t hold him personally responsible for what became of the Pistons’ 2013/14 season. I think there’s a good chance KCP puts up some gawdy scoring numbers in Orlando.

Notable rookie: Spencer Dinwiddie Dinwiddie’s a 6’6” combo guard who knows how to get to the hoop. He’s also a solid shooter from anywhere on the floor. He could end up being a real steal for the Pistons at #38.

Other player to watch: Peyton Siva Siva spent the majority of last season sitting behind Brandon Jennings and if your ear’s to the street, he could be possibly sitting behind Isaiah Thomas soon as well. If you’re a Peyton Siva fan, this might be your only chance to see him on the hardwood.

How did he get here? Tim Olbrecht Olbrecht has NBA experience. 12 minutes of it. The 25-year-old German played in three games with Houston in 2012/13. He’ll probably never make the main stage again.

Indiana Pacers

Player to watch: Solomon Hill A lot of people thought Indiana made a big splash last year when they selected Hill with the 23^rd pick in the draft. They didn’t. He only appeared in 28 games averaging 1.8 PPG. Maybe he can turn things around this year.

Notable rookie: None Pacers didn’t have any picks in the 2014 draft and just seem to be loading their summer league team with dudes that will end up somewhere else.

Other player to watch: Donald Sloan Let’s be honest, no one here is too excited to see Sloan play, but he has been able to stay afloat in the NBA since 2011. Perhaps he can catch on with the Pacers after appearing in 48 games with them last year.

How did he get here? Lavoy Allen After being close to a real NBA player with the Sixers in 2012, Allen is entering his 4^th NBA season in summer league. Allen played a career low 8 minutes per game last season.

Memphis Grizzlies

Player to watch: Jordan Adams The Grizzlies selected Adams with the 21^st overall pick in this year’s draft. He’s a solid shooter and should be able to help the Grizz’ backcourt, but isn’t much of an athlete. He could be a liability defending wings.

Notable rookie: Jarnell Stokes Originally selected by Utah, Memphis dealt a future 2^nd rounder in exchange for Stokes. He’s a bit undersized for a PF at 6’8”, but he’s got a big body and can establish himself in the post.

Other player to watch: Jamaal Franklin Many were excited when the Grizz selected the SDSU product with the 41^st pick in last year’s draft. They were expecting Kawhi Leonard. Instead they got a guy who averaged less than a bucket last season. This could be a make or break season for Franklin.

How did he get here? Niels Giffey Giffey helped win two chips at Connecticut. He’s a knockdown shooter, but is there any room for a guy who averaged 4.6 PPG over his four-year career? I’m saying no.

Miami Heat

Player to watch: Shabazz Napier We’re gonna combine player to watch with notable rookie here because there’s only one player here anybody (the team and fans) care about, LBJ’s hand-selected late first-round pick. Say goodbye to Mario Chalmers.

Other player to watch: Larry Drew II Drew’s a solid ball distributor who lost his job at UNC to Kendall Marshall three years ago and has struggled to find relevancy since. At 24 years old, he might not get many more chances.

How did he get here? Tyler Honeycutt This guy’s bad news. The first time someone believed in him, he made zero impact in the league. He’s known mostly for being on the take at UCLA and burning his former agent.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Player to watch: Mitch McGary Many thought the Thunder reached for McGary when they took him 21^st in this year’s draft, but hey, sometimes you gotta go out and get the guy you want. He’s a quick big man willing to crash the boards, but his offensive game needs some work.

Notable rookie: Semaj Christon The 55^th overall pick in this year’s draft is a quick point guard who loves to play in transition and can get to the rim. His jumper’s a bit shaky right now.

Other players to watch: Steven Adams Kendrick Perkins, don’t get too comfortable. The Thunder have found your replacement. I think he’s already better than you.

How did he get here? Nolan Smith After two years of cold chilling on Portland’s bench, Nolan Smith is trying to catch on somewhere. Part of me believes it won’t be in the States.

Orlando Magic

Player to watch: Aaron Gordon

Gordon might take a few years to develop but I really believe this guy can’t miss. So do many others judging by the way he rocketed up the draft board last June. However, he still needs to work on everything relative to shooting a basketball.

Notable rookie: Elfrid Payton Payton’s another guy who worked his way up the board last week. He’s a tall, quick point guard with an excellent handle who can get to the rim.

Other player to watch: Victor Oladipo After playing last year at the point, Oladipo should benefit from more opportunities to play off the ball this year.

How did he get here? Seth Curry/ Kim English Two shooters that didn’t play in the league last year. Two shooters who won’t play in the league this year.

Philadelphia 76ers

Player to watch: Nerlens Noel After basically not playing basketball for 18 months, everyone’s anxious to see Noel begin his rookie campaign. Noel is still very unpolished at the offensive end, but should be able to contribute immediately on the defensive end. Notable rookie: K.J. McDaniels McDaniels played three seasons at Clemson. He’s an excellent rebounder despite standing just 6’6” and plays well in transition.  Look for McDaniels to contribute immediately on the defensive end where he can guard the 1, 2, and 3.

Other player to watch: Travis Bader Bader, an undrafted guard from Oakland, knocked down 504 3-pointers over his four years over his career. Although he may have trouble guarding NBA twos, it is worth noting that he has some size at 6’5”.

How did he get there? Aaron Craft This guy isn’t even a prospect. He’s a solid defender with a high basketball IQ, but he’s in over his head here. I cannot describe how bad his jumper looks.

Ben Gordon: The Worst Free Agent Signing of the Summer

How much would you pay for a 31-year-old undersized two guard who scored 5.2 PPG in 19 games last year? Well the Charlotte Bobcats paid $13.2 million for him last year. That’s about $133,333 per point scored… And this guy’s a scorer (allegedly). So you can consider the 27 rebounds and the 21 assists he racked up last year just icing on the cake. That’s just a bonus. Like his 34.3% field goal percentage.

They don’t just give players like this away… (Well actually they do…)

The Bobcats waived him on March 2, 2014, ending a rocky 2-year stay for BG in Charlotte in which he struggled with injuries, battled inefficiency, fought with coaches, and offered little to zero veteran leadership. It should be noted that Charlotte probably never expected much from Gordon. He was obtained in one of those classic NBA trades in which one team trades a colossal mistake they made to another team for one of their colossal mistakes in hopes that a change of scenery could somehow rekindle some of that player’s past success. In this case, Charlotte traded Corey Maggette (and his remaining 1 yr/ $11 million deal) for Ben Gordon (2 yr/ $25.6 million) and a future 1^st round pick (which recently became Noah Vonleh). Maggette retired after the 2012/13 season, the same season Gordon should’ve retired after.

So why were the Pistons so eager to move Gordon? Why would a team that’s CLEARLY in rebuild mode trade a first rounder that ultimately became a lottery pick in what many believe is the most talent-laden draft in that last 18 years? Was Gordon that bad? … No, but his contract was. In the summer of 2009, with plenty of cap room, much maligned GM Joe Dumars used the majority of his salary-cap space to form his own “Big 3” pairing Richard Hamilton with recent signees Ben Gordon (5 yr/ $55 million) and Charlie Villanueva (5 yr/ $35 million). Needless to say, this team had very little success, never making the playoffs and failing to finish any higher than 4^th in the Central division.  After never scoring less than 15.1 PPG in his five years in Chicago, Gordon failed to ever score more than 13.8 PPG in any of his three seasons in Detroit.

Again, zero-time All-Star Ben Gordon came into this league as a scorer, so where are all the points? The worst part about the 3,363 points that Gordon has managed to score over the LAST 5 years (keep in mind, Kevin Durant scored 2,593 in 2013/14 alone) is how many shots he’s had to jack up to score them. Since 2009/10, Gordon has shot 42.2% from the field (37.8% from three).  In fact, efficiency has never been a big part of Gordon’s game. His player efficiency rating, much like the rest of his statistics, has been remarkably dreadful since he arrived in Detroit. Gordon’s most efficient season with the Pistons was in 2009/10 when he posted a 14.09 PER; conversely, Gordon’s highest PER in Chicago came in 2006/2007 when he posted a 18.31 PER. To give you an idea of Gordon’s current efficiency, he posted a 12.74 and 6.48 PER in his last two seasons with the Bobcats.

Taking Gordon’s last five seasons into consideration, I was naturally dumbfounded when I saw the Orlando Magic signed Gordon to a 2 yr/ $9 million deal yesterday. Now in fairness, the second year has a team option so if Gordon doesn’t live up to the Magic’s expectations (he won’t, and what’re they expecting exactly?) they can waive him with basically no repercussions. Nonetheless, how does this help Orlando?

The fact that the Magic have a good front office is what makes this move so puzzling. Rob Hennigan, a product of both the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder front offices, has done an excellent job rebuilding the team since he took over GM duties in 2012. Ultimately, the Magic won the blockbuster Dwight Howard trade that summer, when they unloaded Howard, the always injured Jason Richardson, and two bums (Chris Duhon and Earl Clark) for Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Arron Afflalo, Josh McRoberts, a first round pick in 2014 (which ultimately became Elfrid Payton), a couple more picks, two scrubs (Al Harrington and Christian Eyenga), and a $17.8 million trade exception. Even more impressive was Hennigan’s insistence on NOT acquiring Andrew Bynum in the deal. In fact, after one season, the three principle players in the deal (Howard to LA, Bynum to Philadelphia, and Iguodala to Denver) all found new homes the next summer and left the teams that worked so hard to acquire them. Furthermore, to Hennigan’s credit, he’s done an excellent job of acquiring young talent both via trade and the draft. In addition to the aforementioned Vucevic, Harkeless, and Payton, the Magic also drafted Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, and Andrew Nicholson, and acquired both Evan Fournier and Tobias Harris though trades.

So two questions remain: A) Why bring in a scorer who can no longer score? B) Why pay him $4.5 million? I don’t know the answer to A. I am aware that the Magic were 25^th in offense last season and need scoring. But how is Gordon gonna help? He’s obviously the third two guard on the squad (behind Oladipo and Fournier). No way he plays over 18 minutes a game or scores more than 8 PPG. Sidebet: I also doubt he appears in 50 games. Any takers? And I have NO IDEA why the Magic would give this dude $4.5 million. Can’t you pay him a veteran’s minimum (another amount he’s probably not worth)? I mean, realistically, was there ANY market for Gordon’s talents this summer? I find it very hard to believe laughable that there was any type of bidding war for him? If so, does Kwame Brown have another 2 yr/ $6 million deal in him? Fuck it, let’s give Mark Blount another 6 yr/ $41 million deal… Ben Gordon, I ain’t mad at cha. Cash your checks and stay out of the way.