For the second year in a row Milwaukee Bucks general manager John
Hammond made a trade on the eve of the draft. Last year the Bucks pulled off a three team trade on the day of the draft.
This year the Bucks pulled off a two team trade the day before the
draft. The Bucks traded Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston, and
the 12th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft to the Houston Rockets for Samuel
Dalembert, the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, a future second round pick, and cash considerations.
Despite giving up three players and only taking back one, the Bucks
added roughly $1.5 million (that might be covered by the "cash considerations" of the trade) in salary for next season in the trade presuming that the Bucks exercise their $6.7 million team option for
Dalembert for next season. The Rockets could gain a fair amount of cap
space by declining their $3.5 million team option for Livingston for
next season while only being on the hook for less than $2 million
dollars for Brockman ($1 million) and Leuer ($800,000) for next season.
The Bucks were clearly targeting a center in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Well now they have one, unfortunately Dalembert is 31-years-old instead
of 21-years-old.
For a quick background on Dalembert, he was drafted
26th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Draft. Dalembert
is 6'11" and usually averages a "Double High-Single" as I like to call
it. A Double High-Single means a player usually averages more than five
but less than 10
points and 10 rebounds a game. That player rarely puts up huge games
(i.e. 20 points and 14 rebounds) but also rarely puts up a stink bomb
(i.e. 4 points and 3 rebounds). Finally Dalembert finished 10th in the
league last year with 1.7 blocks a game and has averaged 1.9 blocks for
his career.
I don't mind the trade although I am a sucker for
feel good stories like Livingston so I am sad to see him go despite his
production diminishing as last season dragged on. Plus it looks like I can technically claim victory on dangling Brockman for a second round pick...thanks for reading my advice Mr. Hammond.
I guarantee the sticking point of the trade was including Leuer. I am on record right before as well as right after the 2011 NBA Draft saying that Leuer will be a solid rotation guy in the NBA. With one
year under his belt, Leuer looks on his way to fulfilling those
expectations.
Before the trade the Rockets held the 14th, 16th, and 18th picks in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. My guess is that the Rockets offered the 18th pick
instead of the 14th pick in return unless Leuer was included. Although
the 2012 NBA Draft is a deep draft, I am guessing (like my speculation
on top of speculation when I have no inside information) that the Bucks
did not want to move out of the lottery so they relented and included
Leuer in order to get the 14th pick instead of the 18th pick in return.
One final point. I never like being on the other side of a trade
with Houston Rocket's general manager Daryl Morey aka Dork Elvis as Bill
Simmons calls him. Although this trade seems like a good one on paper,
Morey is always looking two steps ahead while Hammond always feels like
he is dealing with the present catastrophe instead of looking two steps
ahead.
Check back later tonight for my post on the players that the Bucks
should target with the 14th pick instead of the 12th pick in the 2012
NBA Draft.
Related Posts:
- Wednesday What (Might) Happen - 2012 NBA Draft Second Round Preview for the Bucks
- Wednesday What (Should) Happen - Advice for John Hammond
No comments:
Post a Comment