[wowthisisneatParticipant]

New Orleans and OKC…
Okc could want to move up in the draft and New Orleans is always down for a salary dump. Not sure what has to happen for the trade to be legal but heres the skeleton.
Peja and his mega salary for this year. gives OKC shooter/vet while preserving future cap space and drops NOH salary.
NOH pick at 11 to OKC to pick a good big. Whiteside or someone.
OKC gives up picks 21&26. Spots where NOH could still get a quality wing like damion james and maybe a project big.

thoughts if numbers fit?

[bigblackNbeautifulParticipant]

I like your thinking. Although Whiteside would need to be whipped into shape to have the work ethic and selflessness a Thunder player has shown. But green and Durant maybe able to whip him into it.

[TyroberParticipant]

the 11th pick in the draft is not worth taking back Pejas horrible contract. OKC needs to move up but i see them trading 2picks for 1 and not taking back a bad contract for no reason

[wowthisisneatParticipant]

sure pejas contract his horrible but its just for one year. also okc is not a good shooting team and peja can certainly hit some open 3s for a team that desperate needs them

[TRC1991Participant]

i think oklahoma city would be making a mistake by adding a washed-up, non-defensive playing, inconsistent shooter with a horrid contract

plus. he’ll be 33 in a couple days and the Thunder only have 2 players currently over 30 (ollie and etan thomas);..they need youth not a contract that will weigh them down

[TyroberParticipant]

i just dont see how Peja would fit with the teams long term plans. He isnt a OKC kind of guy and isnt anything like he use to be. I think a great trade would be trading the 21+26 for the 11th

[wowthisisneatParticipant]

he isnt in their long term plans just next year the 11 pick would be in their long term

[cryan03Participant]

What if New Orleans trades Okafor instead of Peja? Because Pejas contract is only 1 more year left so it is not like NO has that contract much longer while Okafor is a longer contract and IMO Okafor fits better with OKC as he could be that defensive big man that they desperatley need.

[wowthisisneatParticipant]

interesting thought i kinda like it except for the contract length. his deal goes till 2013-14 when all of OKC will be off of rookie contracts and making big time money durant westbrook etc.
and i dont see okafor as an important enough potential future piece for the team t sacrifice all of that money

[burningfloodParticipant]

Um…it makes no sense for NO. Peja is an expiring contract, which means that he’s off the books for NO next season. They’ve kept his awful albatross contract for so long, and it’s finally going to come off the books, so they’re going to trade him now? Like cryan03 said, trading away Okafor’s contract is a better idea…if OKC wants to move up so badly, then they’re going to have to take a crappy contract in return. Peja’s contract is relatively no longer as crappy, because it’s expiring…1 year of cap relief isn’t enough for NO to move out of the lottery.

[cominup7Participant]

The Peja trade DEFINITELY wouldn’t work, and the Okafor trade isn’t much better. Okafor proved this season that as an undersized center, he can’t hang with the big boys out West.

OKC will eventually have to find a true PF and a good starting C, but it won’t be happening in this draft, though they could trade Jeff Green for say, Andray Blatche and a 2nd rounder…and still sign Brendan Haywood.

[the I in winParticipant]

@Tyrober, I think trading the 21 and 26 for the 11 is close. The Hawks have stated they would be willing to sell their pick for the right price. Maybe if they buy that pick and trade the 21, 24, and 26 maybe New Orleans would give up the 11.

[Author]

Posts