2011-12 Jazz could play big-man musical chairs

[Xiao Yao You]

Yeah, he's the last guy I'd be looking to trade. He's their best player in so many ways and it would be hard to find a deal worthy of him and his contract.

[magnax1]

AK's not very good?

Average at best. He's not even that great of a defender anymore. He'll get a block a game, a steal a game, and make a couple passes, but then he doesn't really do much else.

Does Evans deserve to play or is he just an spot energy guy like Price? Can always send Evans to the D-league to get him time.

Doesn't really matter if he deserves it. He needs it to grow. Playing against DLeague scrubs isn't really all that helpful,

[Xiao Yao You]

Average at best. He's not even that great of a defender anymore. He'll get a block a game, a steal a game, and make a couple passes, but then he doesn't really do much else.

Considering that he flys all over the court defensively I hate to think where they'll be without him. He's hardly an average player. Highly overpaid yes he was. Makes some bad decisions and can't shoot yes. An unselfish energy guy that makes plays are hard to come by, especially ones that actually want to be in Utah.

Doesn't really matter if he deserves it. He needs it to grow. Playing against DLeague scrubs isn't really all that helpful,

Why give him the time to grow if he's not anything more than a spot energy guy at best? Winning and competing don't matter anymore? The D-league can certainly be more helpful for a guy if that's the level of player he is than being thrown into a situation where he is in over his head.

[Xiao Yao You]

Brian T. Smith: Unless AK gives Jazz serious hometown discount, chances of Utah re-signing him are slim. Too much money, too many years, too much risk. Twitter

Brian T. Smith: Plus, it's not like Kirilenko isn't drawing interest from other teams. More than 10 contacted him when FA talks started last week. Twitter

[Xiao Yao You]

David Locke: Kwame Brown's agent says he is garnering a lot of interest and that is why the Jazz went big with the #3 pick and Enes Kanter Twitter

[Xiao Yao You]

Mike Wells: Kirilenko's agent, Marc Fleisher, said Pacers are one of about 15 teams interested in the free agent. Twitter

[Xiao Yao You]

Chris Sheridan: If there was a third team on LAL-NO talks I would think maybe it's Utah sending Al Jefferson to NO, with Pau going to Jazz. Pau>AJ, younger. Twitter

Poor Ty Corbin! Being put into a hole with Gasol! LOL! Sounds too good to be true. Make the Lakers take Raja. He and Kobe wanted each other last year. They deserve each other. Hornets probably wouldn't mind CJ either maybe Okur's expiring contract and Harris to replace Paul too? He's already replaced Kidd and Deron. Why not?

[Xiao Yao You]

Andrei Kirilenko suffered an injured shoulder in a Russian League game last week.

Same shoulder? Could make his price go down for bringing him back.

[CakeorDeath]

So wait, you're saying let's trade Jefferson, Bell, CJ, Okur, and Harris for Gasol?

No. One rumor had Jefferson going to the Hornets and Gasol to the Jazz. Would be all over that. The others I would look to trade for whatever they can get.

Wouldn't trade Jefferson for Gasol straight up. Gasol is 31 and with all of the time he's played in Europe over the summer he's got a lot of mileage on his legs. He was clearly spent by the time the playoffs started and was horrible in the Mavs series because of fatigue. Most Gasol apologists say that he was tired due to having to compensate for Bynum's injury.

Sounds like it had more to do with personal problems he was having at the time. Not like he would have to worry about it with the Jazz. They aren't going anywhere.

If he came to Utah he'd have to shoulder an even bigger load.

And as he showed on a couple good Memphis teams he's capable of doing that. No one else on their roster is.

His defense isn't markedly better than Al's

Other than he actually plays some.

he is five years older

And in his prime with two rings. World Championship. An proven unselfish winner not a statistical black hole.

Al for Gasol does not make us a better team.

Can't see how it wouldn't.

would rather trade Millsap

Trade their best player and one of the best contracts in the league instead of someone that hasn't proven he can be part of a winning team?

I would rather see us pick up a guy like Danny Granger, who fills a bigger need for the Jazz than Gasol.

Sure but Granger is supposedly untouchable while Gasol was just traded.

Gasol>AJ anyday

[Xiao Yao You]

Why is my post under Cake of Death's name?

[CakeorDeath]

Half a decade ago he proved he could (sort of) do that. Not sure I'd say the Grizz were good when he was the centerpiece; a perennial 8 seed that never won a single playoff game. Would be even harder to do that now given his age, wear, and tear.

He's better now. He was the only guy playing over 30 minutes a game on the Grizz. He carried them. Believe they won 50 games. They were pretty good.

7 footers are not in their prime at 31.

He is. He's been playing his best ball.

He's on his last big contract and will probably only have 2-3 years left once his current deal expires. Again, constant international play betrays his actual age.

Remains to be seen.

Was not a proven winner until he joined an absolutely loaded Laker team with the best player of his generation and the best coach of all time.

And that team would have won with Jefferson? No. He was a perfect fit. He doesn't need the ball all the time to be effective like Jefferson. He's unselfish. Can play high and low post. Can pass. Team player. All the things Jefferson isn't.

Strike while the iron is hot. I love 'sap but he has peaked. Has physical limitations that he can't change and that limits his ceiling.

Again remains to be seen. If he shows he can play the 3 as well this year it's a whole new ball game. I'm not convinced he's peaked. Put him next to a guy that complements him better and who knows. Jefferson and him were a bad fit.

Jefferson has the size we need at the four and is unguardable down low

For being unguardable he was less effective than Millsap.

get him to commit to some defensive basics and teach him to pass out of a double team and he could be a dominant player

Can he be taught these things? Hasn't learned them yet.

team him up with more size (Favors, Kanter).

You forgot Okur. LOL! Kanter doesn't sound like he's anywhere near ready.

Gasol never proved he could be part of a winning team until he was traded to a winning team with the winningest coach of all time and one of the winningest players in history to shoulder the load.

Sure he did. Jefferson hasn't carried a team like Gasol did in Memphis. He's had the chance to do so.

Granger's name is floating all over the rumor mill.

Might be. I read he and George are untouchable.

Only way the Lakers trade Gasol is if it brings them Paul or Howard.

And that was the rumor I was commenting on. Jefferson to Hornets. Gasol to the Jazz. Obviously Scola, Odom and Martin are all better than Jefferson so that never materialized.

Stern isn't letting Paul go to the Lakers and I doubt Orlando would take Al for Howard. They'd rather have Bynum.

Who says they want Bynum? Lakers might want that deal. i wouldn't. What has Bynum done?

[Xiao Yao You]

Why is it posting under another name?

[El Kabong]

Haha, that's pretty funny. Your secret identity revealed?

[Xiao Yao You]

Yeah guys like him are hard to come by. Better get something special for him. AJ is just another Boozer. Puts up numbers and gets paid.

[DMV2]

I want Kanter and Favors 30+ minutes each, so good bye to either Jefferson, Okur or Millsap. Would prefer Al or Okur.

A lot of teams are in need of centers: Boston, Orlando(when Howard leaves), Miami, Portland(Camby is old), etc...

Al's $14 mill and Okur's $11 mill is a lot to take on though.