The Heat seem like they are definitely in hot pursuit of Mickael Pietrus [Sacramento Bee]:
Uh-oh, let's hope the Heat don't playa-hate on my Artest to the Warriors fantasies and actually believe that Pietrus is their savior. Later on in Sam Amick's piece he notes that the Kings would probably like to move forward Kenny Thomas in a Mike Bibby or Ron Artest deal. Think Thomas could help the Warriors a little bit on the boards?
MP2 would also love to play for a team nearer to the islands [SFGate]:
Who wouldn't want to live near here?
However the question remains who the Warriors would want back. It doesn't look like Smush Parker would do the trick:
A quick look at the Miami Heat as a potential trading partner for the Warriors... after the jump!
So let's assume the Warriors don't want Smush back in a trade for Pietrus. What's left on the Heat roster?
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Mark Blount- A soft, lazy, big man who can't rebound and is being paid nearly $8 million in 2009/2010? Pass.
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Jason Williams- Part of me is curious to see how the artist formerly known as White Chocolate would do in Nellieball, but I just don't know whether he's got all that much left in the tank. I'm skeptical about a guy who's now lost his minutes to Chris Quinn, Smush Parker, and maybe even Luke Jackson [see Miami Herald]. He's suffered a bunch of injuries too, so it's not too far fetched to say he's an old 32. On the plus side, Williams is in the last year of his nearly $9 million dollar deal, so there's no real long term risk if he doesn't work out.
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Ricky Davis- Before Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves gave away Davis to the Miami Heat, I was dreaming up scenarios where the Warriors could use their trade exception from the JRich trade in some form to help bring on Davis. He's in the last year of his $6.8 million contract, so there's no obligation if he doesn't fit in after this season. However I'd expect him to be a perfect fit for this edition of Nellieball. Davis can drive, shoot, pass, and even rebound a little. He should be able to pick up some gaudy theft numbers with the fast paced D the Warriors play. He's only 28, so it's not like he's too old too run and gun either. He's arguably one of the more athletic players in the league too.
I'd even go so far to say that if the Warriors somehow used their $10 million trade exception to help facilitate adding Ricky Davis and he pans out, they're big winners of the JRich trade with the BETcats. As I outlined in my piece 23 Post Draft Day 2007 Warrior Thoughts if the Warriors use the exception to bring in a stud (in my eyes Ricky Davis qualifies) they're big winners. I don't think there's all that much of a gap between what Ricky Davis gives you and Jason Richardson does. This isn't to say I'd rather have Davis or that he's a better locker room guy or even has a more likeable and coachable attitude, but it makes giving up a very productive and popular player in JRich who's shooting the lights out from downtown much easier to swallow.
I bring up Ricky Davis is so much detail because he could possibly be on the trading block [Miami Herald]:Davis will earn $6.8 million in the final season of his contract and could be moved by the Feb. 21 trade deadline if the losses continue to mount. But coach Pat Riley has given no indication he is more disappointed with Davis than any of his other underperforming players.
An added benefit is that the Warriors could go big for some stretches with a Davis brothers backcourt. There's high flying Davis to Davis slamming and jamming guaranteed.
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Udonis Haslem- I doubt the Heat would be willing to give up Shaq's reliable sidekick, but Haslem might just be the type of rugged 4 this Warriors team needs to move forward. He would immediately give Biedrins some help down low in rebounding and interior D. Haslem also has a nice little jumper that could open things up for Biedrins even more inside. Haslem is Pat Riley's current Charles Oakley, so I bet he's much harder to get than you'd believe. I'd be shocked if Rilye gave him up, but just throwing it out there.
- Dorrell Wright/ Daequan Cook- Not that the Warriors need to get any younger or that the Heat would even consider giving up both these young prospects, but Wright and Cook for Pietrus does work numbers wise.
Davis and Haslem would definitely help the Warriors now, while Wright and Cook are a great return for Pietrus. The Heat don't seem like they'd give up Haslem or Wright and Cook for Pietrus though. White Chocolate is an interesting option, but I have my doubts. The take home point is that the Heat might not be that bad of a trading partner for the Warriors as you might first think.
Are there any trades between the Warriors and Heat including Mickael Pietrus that you concoct which make sense for both teams? Post them in the comments.
99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!:
- Rumor: Warriors and Heat Talked about Smush Parker Deal
- Rumor: Miami Heat Interested in Mickael Pietrus
- Mickael Pietrus Becomes Tradeable on January 1st
- Pietrus no longer "White Hot"
- Rumor: Pietrus wants to play in Miami
- Rumor: Pietrus may have other options
- Rumor: Pietrus May Sign a 1 year, $3.4 mil deal with Warriors
- Rumor: Toronto Raptors Saving Midlevel Exception for Mickael Pietrus
- Rumor: Jason Kidd for Jason Richardson, Mickael Pietrus, Monta Ellis and Patrick O'Bryant
- Rumor: Nellie Wants Another Trade + Mickael Pietrus on the Trading Block
- Rumor: Mickael Pietrus Most Likely Warrior to Be Dealt Today
- Rumor: Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, and Mickael Pietrus All on the Trading Block
- Rumor: Warriors Likely to Deal Richardson, Ellis, or Pietrus and O'Bryant