Confirmed: Carney to T’Wolves

It has been confirmed that the Philadelphia 76ers have traded Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth and a future number one pick for a $2.8 million trade exception.

This move clears up $2.8 million in cap space for Philadelphia. The deal can’t be finalized until Wednesday according to NBA league rules.

The fact that Ed Stefanski had the cahones to include a future first round pick for almost $3 million worth of cap space tells me that he is going for all the glory NOW. I am thoroughly excited to see what happens in the days to come. Word around the blogosphere yesterday was that we would have a final word on Brand’s whereabouts within 24-48 hours. We are almost 24 hours closer to knowing his fate.

Sixers “Actively Involved” in the Brand Hunt

According to ESPN.com’s Mark Stein:

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Monday night that the Philadelphia 76ers are again “actively involved” in the Brand hunt — and now a very serious threat to tempt him away from L.A. — after initially fearing that they couldn’t compete financially with the Clippers and Golden State Warriors.

…sources say that the Sixers are growing increasingly confident in their ability to create additional salary-cap space by trading away swingman Rodney Carney and center Calvin Booth, setting them up to make a sufficiently rich offer Brand would struggle to refuse.

Dealing away Carney and Booth — with Minnesota and Memphis quickly emerging as possible destinations — would shed nearly $3 million from the Sixers’ payroll next season as long as the trade doesn’t require new GM Ed Stefanski to take any salary back.

…and if the Sixers can finalize a trade to part with Carney and Booth — it’s conceivable that Philadelphia could possess the financial flexibility to start a five-year offer to Brand at a first-year salary in the $15 million range.

Ed Stefanski is on the move and I like where his head is at.  He looks to finally make a push for the biggest piece of the puzzle, something that could potentially propel us to ‘Contender’ status in the East, something we have coveted for a long time to no avail, a power forward.

Sports Guy’s Trade Machine

Bill Simmons hit the trade machine hard as we approach the 3 pm deadline. Here is what he came up with for the Sixers and Andre Miller.

TRADE 5: Philly trades Andre Miller, Reggie Evans, Calvin Booth and Kevin Ollie to Minnesota for Theo Ratliff’s Expiring Contract, Sebastian Telfair, Chris Richard and Craig Smith.

Why Philly does it: I know, I know … this trade looks insanely lopsided on paper. So allow me to explain. Philly would use Miller to dump Evans’ contract, shed some luxury tax dollars (they’d save $8 million with this trade), pick up a good bargain in Smith (one of my favorite undersized power forwards, although they’d have to re-sign him), take a flyer on Telfair (showing some promise lately), and shed as much as $14 million in expiring deals after this season, giving them extra money to re-sign Andre Iguodala and remain a major player in this summer’s free agent market. I like Miller, but he’s never going to be an All-Star, he’s always stuck on losing teams and he’s a free agent in 2009, so you know they’re dumping him next season, anyway. Why wait a year? The 2008 free agent class is loaded and only four teams will be under the cap this summer? What’s the sense in waiting nine months to deal him for an expiring contract and a crummy No. 1 pick.

Why Minnesota does it: Here’s what I don’t understand about the NBA. You’re the T-Wolves. Your fans are ready to drink the Jim Jones Kool-Aid. You have no hope of ever luring a free agent there, and beyond that, you have a GM who shouldn’t be allowed to sign free agents under any circumstances. You also haven’t had a good point guard since Sam Cassell. So why not roll the dice with Miller and build around him, Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer, Randy Foye and 2008 Lottery Pick X? Not a bad foundation, right? I don’t see how it helps Minnesota to get absolutely nothing out of Theo Ratliff’s Expiring Contract. I really don’t.

(By the way, is anyone else getting sad that we only have 24 hours left with Theo Ratliff’s Expiring Contract? I miss it already. Or him. Whatever it is.)

My Take: 

Uhhh, I cant really grasp this trade, and I don’t think the Sixers front office would go for it either, but it is kind of intriguing cap wise. I do like Craig Smith, and consider him and upgrade over Reggie Evans, however, I don’t see how this really betters the team. Bassy Telfair is a mess, Theo Ratliff again. Ill tell ya one thing though, I sure wont miss Kevin Ollie. No thanks though.

NEXT.

Sixers Humiliate Knicks

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40! Enough said.

No, seriously though, did anyone actually keep Comcast on and watch this game?  I watched the first and second quarters and some parts of the second half.  The first quarter was absolutely ridiculous, the Sixers scored a season high 37 points in the first, and Iggy didn’t even have a bucket.  It was up and down, run and gun, exciting basketball, that was actually fun to watch.  Iggy steal here, Dalembert block there, Willie Green “in rhythm for two”.  Calvin Booth even had a monster jam off an Iggy steal and assist.   They finished the half on a tear ending with a season high 72 points, doubling up their counterpart who went into the locker room down 36.

Oh and Thaddeus Young, Rookie of the Year candidate as of last night.  He is playing incredible basketball, and had a sick dunk last night, in the second quarter I believe, off of a Lou Will steal that he muscled away from Fred Jones (? – I think).  Thad finished the game with 20 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and added 8 boards.

First things first, I must apologize to Mo Cheeks about my prior post.  He did a great job last night; keeping the tempo up, managing to get 9 players at least 20 minutes each, and really confusing Isiah Thomas with his defensive game-plan. Congrats on the big win, on the eve of your new contract.   

Tough few games coming up on the schedule.  The 76ers get to face Orlando two of the next three games with a “should” win game at Miami in between.  After that they hit the road for three tough games; at Golden State, at Phoenix, and at the Clippers (easy). 

Keep it up boys.  I wouldn’t mind attending a playoff game from the box.