I read this on ESPN this morning!



POSTED: Feb. 18 -- 9:14 p.m. ET


Jefferson
Chad Ford: The Bucks got some more momentum Wednesday evening in their quest to find some salary relief for Richard Jefferson.

Sources say the Bucks had discussions with the Cavs about a possible Jefferson-for-Wally Szczerbiak swap. The Cavs have gotten much more active over the past 48 hours, making pitches to Washington for Antawn Jamison and the Clippers for Marcus Camby. However, the Wizards and Clippers have both given the Cavs the stiff-arm.

Another source also confirmed that the Blazers did make a call to the Bucks to renew discussions of a possible Jefferson-for-Raef LaFrentz swap. The two teams had spoken on and off about a deal for several weeks, but Milwaukee hadn't heard from Portland in recent days.

The Blazers, as of this evening, also were still trying to find a way to put together a better package for Gerald Wallace after the Bobcats turned down a preliminary LaFrentz-for-Wallace offer earlier in the day. The Bobcats would still like the Blazers to take back Nazr Mohammed or throw Nicolas Batum into a deal.

With so many parts, it looks as if any Jefferson deal likely will go down to the trade deadline Thursday.

Strong possibility they make a move - they're in cap hell. Do they have a dancing partner - that's the big question...these rumors have been flying around for weeks now.

I guess we'll find out today.

No kidding. JB, you must have been on a secluded beach somewhere for the last month and a half.

Lots of scenerios have been discussed. Raef was one. Wally was another. If we don't shed salary then we will lose CV and/or Sessions. Otherwise we will have to pay luxury tax and Kohl won't do that.

But every team wants expirings and teams that have them seem to be holding on to them for the most part. Gooden was moved. A couple of others.

Harris screwed us with his deals for Redd, Gadz (Horrible!) and Simmons.

I used to think Larry Harris knew what he was doing. "Used to" being the operative phrase. He's looking more and more like the Bucks version of Mike Sherman.

Harris made a couple of good picks like Sessions but the single worst move he made was signing Gadz for 6/36 when he could have had Zaza for 4/16. That was just insanely stupid. The Simmons deal was about as bad.

As for today the word from Hollinger (ESPN) and Woelfel (local guy) is that the Bucks would have accepted RJ to Portland for Raef (expiring) and Outlaw. But Pritchard tried to strong arm us by insisting on Sessions as well. No way we would do that trade. And we didn't.

Now we're going to have to try an offseason move to trim salary or else we lose Charlie V for nothing.

Stern has already said both the cap and luxury tax threshold would go down this summer. A lot of teams are scrambling.

I don't post in here much, but read it regularly. I just thought I'd inject this little tidbit regarding the seemingly league-wide salary dump efforts and VV's point about what Stern just said. The NBA recently applied for a loan against its forthcoming TV contract money because 15 teams in the league are operating at such a desperate ongoing loss that they'll soon be unable to meet basic operational obligations. The amount of the loan/which teams need it wasn't mentioned, but it's believed that this is the first time that such a financing arrangement has been sought, which signals how hard the economy is hitting the league. It could also be foreshadowing of the NBA's imminent moves to dump loss leaders, including the WNBA.

I don't post much in here either. Grew up a HUGE Bucks fan during the halycon days of Alcindor, Dandridge, Robertson, McGlocklin et al. Haven't been to an NBA game in 15 years. The league has lost the support of old guys like me because quite frankly, I'm not paying good money to watch a bunch of tatted, dope smoking gangstas free-lance.

Well, you watch last night and the BC is completely empty in the upper deck. I imagine they can't sell a lot of club and suite deals. They have to be hemorraging. Imagine teams like Memphis and Toronto, as well.

The salary structure in the NBA was getting WAY outa whack anyway. With guaranteed deals like Starbury's, getting $20M a season for not playing, Larry hughes getting 10-15M, or guys like Shaq getting close to $30M for above average play- it's no wonder they're dying so fast. They over-expanded, which diluted the league and the product, and they now have franchises in places that can barely afford to hang onto them all operating at losses while the TV money dries up. Even LeBron can't sell out the BC. That's what happens whey you alienate your fan base.

quote:

Originally posted by Chronic Hobbit:
I used to think Larry Harris knew what he was doing. "Used to" being the operative phrase. He's looking more and more like the Bucks version of Mike Sherman.

Larry Harris never won though...


but i see your point. He talked the talk right away.

quote:

Harris made a couple of good picks like Sessions but the single worst move he made was signing Gadz for 6/36 when he could have had Zaza for 4/16. That was just insanely stupid. The Simmons deal was about as bad.

You could make a case he made SEVERAL bad signings, ala Mo Williams, Simmons, Mike Redd extension, etc. He was like Mike Sherman- he never saw a guy he didn't want to resign or sign to big money.

Add in some draft picks like Yi and it's no wonder this team has struggled.

People also forget just how much cap space and work went into righting the ship after Karl left and Harris pissed that away in a matter of about 2 years.

I really like what I am seeing with Hammond and Skiles so hopefully they will be able to turn things around.

quote:

As for today the word from Hollinger (ESPN) and Woelfel (local guy) is that the Bucks would have accepted RJ to Portland for Raef (expiring) and Outlaw. But Pritchard tried to strong arm us by insisting on Sessions as well. No way we would do that trade. And we didn't.

I read that too

Some of these GMs must think teams like Milwaukee are totally stupid. You could make a case the deal as proposed without Sessions was much too one sided in Portland's favor, and then that idot pulls a Carl Peterson and at the last minute demands even more.

Too bad... Outlaw would have looked good on this team.