Friday Trade Idea: Acquiring Ty Lawson in a three-way deal

Every Friday (well, that’s the goal), I’ll analyze a potential Pistons trade. It might be a rumor, a deal I completely made up blindly (like this one) or one you suggest (e-mail me at danfeld11@gmail.com or leave a proposal in the comments).

Trade

Pistons trade:

• Richard Hamilton (19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.8 steals)
• Ben Wallace (5.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.3 steals)
• DaJuan Summers (2.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.2 steals)

Pistons receive:

• Ty Lawson (9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.9 steals)
• Jared Jeffries (4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 steals)
• Renaldo Balkman (1.3 points, 2.0 rebounds,  0.4 assists,  0.1 blocks, 0.6 steals)
• Johan Petro (1.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.0 steals)

Nuggets trade:

• Ty Lawson (9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.9 steals)
• J.R. Smith (14.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.2 steals)
• Joey Graham (4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds,  0.2 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.3 steals)
• Renaldo Balkman (1.3 points, 2.0 rebounds,  0.4 assists,  0.1 blocks, 0.6 steals)
• Johan Petro (1.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.0 steals)
• Malik Allen (1.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.0 steals)

Nuggets receive:

• Richard Hamilton (19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.8 steals)
• Ben Wallace (5.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.3 steals)
• Nate Robinson (12.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.8 steals)
• DaJuan Summers (2.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.2 steals)

Knicks trade:

• Nate Robinson (12.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.8 steals)
• Jared Jeffries (4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 steals)

Knicks receive:

• J.R. Smith (14.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.2 steals)
• Joey Graham (4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds,  0.2 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.3 steals)
• Malik Allen (1.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.0 steals)

Salaries

Pistons trade:

Pistons receive:

Nuggets trade:

Nuggets receive:

Knicks trade:

Knicks receive:

Player option

Team option

Qualifying option

Pistons’ perspective

My initial idea was doing something around Richard Hamilton for Ty Lawson. Obviously, that doesn’t work cap-wise, and since the Pistons would have little use for J.R. Smith, a third team probably would have to be involved.

The Pistons are actively shopping Hamilton, so parting with him wouldn’t be a problem. Ben Wallace is a different story.

He wanted to come to Detroit and nowhere else this summer. Wallace has been awesome this year. He’s been Detroit’s best player, just excellent defensively and on the glass.

But this would basically be the one deal that could work with him. He just wants to be in Detroit, but he also signed thinking the Pistons were aiming to make the playoffs and challenge for the second round – which was true at the time.

This trade would obviously represent a change in the Pistons’ philosophy, aiming more toward rebuilding. I don’t think Wallace would want to be a part of that, so I think he could be convinced Denver would be a good place to play.

I think with the respect Joe Dumars has for Wallace, he would seek Wallace’s approval before doing the trade. Denver would probably require that conversation, too, given Wallace’s previous statements about deciding not to retire so he could play in Detroit.

With Billups and Hamilton there, Denver might be more of a home than Detroit. Plus, we’d get a pretty good look at what it would have been like had the Pistons drafted Carmelo Anthony instead of Darko Milicic in 2003.

Moving to what Detroit would be getting:

Lawson is a true point guard and would allow Rodney Stuckey to shift to shooting guard. Lawson’s outside shooting would balance Stuckey’s ability to get to the rim. This would be the premier young backcourt in the league.

Jared Jeffries was underrated a few weeks ago. Then, he started getting a lot of credit all of a sudden. He’s probably fairly rated now. He’d bring strong defense to a team that badly needs it and could serve as a good role model for Jonas Jerebko.

Renaldo Balkman is a hustle player with an affordable contract. Pistons coach John Kuester recently complained about Detroit’s effort. Balkman would help change that.

The Pistons would cut Petro.

For the Nuggets, this would be a win-now move. Richard Hamilton obviously plays best with Chauncey Billups. They complement each other very well, and Hamilton is finally back from injury and looking closer to his old self.

Nate Robinson would fill the scoring role off the bench that J.R. Smith does now.

A concern for the Nuggets would be losing three more players than they acquire. But the Pistons would cut Petro, and I assume the Knicks would drop Allen and/or Graham. Could the Nuggets survive 30 days waiting for them with 10-day contracts and a smaller roster? That’s the main reason DeJuan Summers is included.

The Knicks would have an extra $851,549 in cap room this summer. They’d also add a very talented player in J.R. Smith to help attract free agents. I’d assume they’d cut Allen and/or Graham.

Nuggets’ perspective

For each trade, I will seek the analysis of the other team’s TrueHoop Network blogger.

Jeremy Wagner of Roundball Mining Company:

From the Nuggets’ standpoint I am not sure this makes sense.

The Nuggets would love to add a big man to help them handle the size of the Los Angeles Lakers’ front line. Nene held his own against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, but he is the only big on the roster with any girth. Kenyon Martin is too light in the haunches to handle Bynum and a little short to deal with Gasol. Big Ben would give the Nuggets much better flexibility when dealing with the Lakers talented front court.

Here is a little update after J.R.’s issues against the Hornets a few days ago.

J.R. Smith once again found himself in hot water with management after temporarily leaving the bench and pouting after getting pulled from a game against the Hornets last week. There was apparently a great deal of debate among the Denver brass about whether or not to suspend him. The ultimate decision was to allow J.R. to play, and reports are that the Nuggets are not seeking to trade him before the deadline, but you have to wonder if the fact that Smith is still dealing with maturity issues in his sixth NBA season makes decreases his value amongst decision makers in the Nuggets’ organization.

I can see how Hamilton would make them a little more stable, but Lawson and Smith are both game-changing players, and they give Denver a lot of offensive depth. Plus, adding Hamilton would force them to radically change what the Nuggets do on offense. Instead of a pick and roll/isolation concept they would have to start running Hamilton off of screens.

Robinson can light it up, and it might seem like he could be the offensive force off the bench that J.R. currently is, but he is wildly inconsistent, even more so than J.R., and is a serious defensive liability. What makes J.R. so special in my eyes is he is much more than a scorer. J.R. is great running the pick and roll with Nene and he can drive and dish as well as any two guard in the league. Robinson might be able to match Smith’s scoring average, but he can not be the set up man J.R. can be.

With Lawson, he is the point guard of the future and with Chauncey showing signs of age and wearing down late last season I do not think they can afford to part with him.

That trade also adds more money to the payroll for this season and next, and I do not think the Nuggets will do that without the deal guaranteeing them a spot in the finals, which would obviously be some special transaction. If they are going to challenge the Lakers, they need a fourth highly competent big man. Even so, I do not expect them to part with Smith or Lawson for another big. They are both too important and each of them are great fits for what the Nuggets need.

I think you are barking up the right tree with the all of the players you have included in the Balkmans, Grahams and Allens.  I believe the Nuggets would part with all of them in order to get the player, or players, they want.

The trade would give Denver a more "stable" shooting guard with a championship pedigree and help in the front court they desperately need to match up with the size of the Lakers.

Even acquiring Hamilton, Wallace and Robinson I believe giving up Earl III and Lawson is more than Denver could stomach. To this point the Nuggets’ front office has not been afraid to make bold and even unpopular moves, but the one thing they have not done is given up a young building block.

My response

If there was ever a time to give up young building blocks, this is it. The Nuggets are on the verge of contention, and this move could get them over the top. Plus, with a lockout looming, planning for the future is harder to do than usual.

Knicks perspective

Kevin McElroy of KnickerBlogger.net:

I like it for the Knicks and think they would probably do it. I would have liked it even more a couple months ago if they’d had time to try to move Smith for an expiring contract before the deadline.

I think they probably get a little worse this year, but have more upside if they can get acclimated to playing with Smith. Long-term, Smith is a more attractive teammate for free agents than Jeffries.

You could put Smith in a sign and trade with Lee this summer to equal the salary of a max player. Say the Raptors can’t sign Bosh, and the Knicks don’t have enough cap room for him. Does Toronto give them Bosh for a package of Lee and J.R. Smith rather than letting him walk for free? I think they at least consider it.

I also think Smith might fetch a late first rounder in a draft where the Knicks famously don’t have one.

I would want the Knicks to take it.

My response

If Detroit and Denver were dedicated to making something like this happen, the Knicks would be the right team at the right time to take advantage. They not only add a quality young player, they meet their primary goal of adding cap room for this summer. The deal is so good for them, I almost had them giving up a draft pick, too.

Verdict

The Pistons would say yes if Ben Wallace approved the move to Denver, and I think he could be talked into that. The Knicks would do it. If the Nuggets can afford the luxury tax hit, I think they are very tempted. In the end, the probably pass.

Previous

• Getting out of Richard Hamilton’s and Jason Maxiell’s long-term contracts and getting immediate help
• Bring David West to the Detroit Pistons
• Dumping Jason Maxiell