Okafor

Murrog · by **Murrog** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:39 am

This is where some of you guys are going to know much more than me, and you might tell me I am full of nonsense--if so, fine.

I read that NO might be willing to trade away their #10 pick if someone would take the contract of Ariza or Okafer. Okafer is a center; he is certainly not the stud we need to contend, and he had a bit of a down year satistically last year. But would it be worth our time to take him and the #10 pick, have 3 lottery picks, and start building in earnest?

Renegade · by **Renegade** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:39 am

The question for me would not worth our time, but worth the expense. Okafor is signed for 12.5, 13.5, and 14.5 million for the next 3 years. Way to much. Pass.

Edit: Toby's numbers are correct. The 12.5 I had was for this year. So 2 years left on his contract.

Toby · by **Toby** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:47 am

That's the good the bad and the ugly right there.

Good- # 10 pick - reinforcements for your team, hopeful future starter.
Bad- Trevor Ariza - total loser, Blazer fans should boo him even if he makes shots for us.
Ugly- Okafor's contract - 13.5 next year, 14.5 after that.

RR7 · by **RR7** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:09 am

it's an easy yes from me. We need a talent upgrade to this team. Especially young talent. I don't like a ton of the UFA this year, so to me, it's the difference between signing someone, or Okafor and 10. Next offseason, Okafor is a large expiring contract. A large expiring contract and 3 recent lotto picks is a great start at trading for a star. It's near identical to what Paul, Deron and Carmelo were all traded for. Who's next? I dunno. but there's always someone, and having the means to pull off a big deal like that would go a long way towards rebuilding the roster. At the very least, you get 3 lotto picks to groom, where you can take a chance on guys, and a stop gap C in Okafor.

discovery69 · by **discovery69** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:47 am

Blazers would probably want to still protect the salary cap space they have for free agency. So that would mean a player like Wesley Matthews would be included in that type of trade scenario, but can't see that happening unless the Hornets expect to resign Eric Gordon and have him play PG.

Trade occurs in July
$6.14M - Wesley Matthews to New Orleans
$12.64M - Emeka Okafor & #10 to Portland

#6 (Robinson/Drummond/Barnes)
#10 (Damian Lillard / Kendall Marshall)
#11 (Terrence Ross / Perry Jones)

I think Blazers would be very interested in acquiring Emeka Okafor for the next 3 years especially if they draft a center like Drummond or Meyers Leonard they could bring along over the next 2-3 years.

Murrog · by **Murrog** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:06 am

I wasn't thinking to touch Ariza; we really don't need anyone at his position.

But Okafer--yeah, stopgap center who, based on what I can recall, is actually decent, though a bit prone to minor injuries. Big contract, so we would be putting our eggs in the rookie basket by doing this--but with those 3 picks we would be for sure drafting a young PG.

Okafer is 29. Who knows, maybe he would be solid for us?

discovery69 · by **discovery69** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:17 am

http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2012/06/new_orleans_hornets_general_ma_14.html

New Orleans Hornets General Manager Dell Demps considers trading 10th overall draft pick if the deal 'makes sense'

Published: Friday, June 08, 2012, 5:15 AM
By John Reid, The Times Picayune The Times-Picayune

Although the upcoming NBA draft is deep in talent, Hornets General Manager Dell Demps hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading the team’s second lottery pick. “Yes, we will if it makes sense,’’ said Demps.

The Hornets have the 10th pick in the draft June 28, as well as the No. 1 overall selection, which the team is expected use on Kentucky power forward Anthony Davis.

“There’s been some teams that have put young guys around a top pick,” Demps said. “Some of the other teams have put veterans around the pick. Some have been successful both ways. I think we’re just going to look at what is best for our situation.’’

To improve the roster around Davis, the Hornets could try to explore a deal that would include trading either center Emeka Okafor or small forward Trevor Ariza, along with the 10th pick. That would clear salary cap space to possibly pursue more veteran help in free agency.

Ariza’s agent, David Lee, said Thursday that he’s not aware of any trade conversations involving his client.

According to league sources, the Hornets are not expected to make any decisions regarding trades until after the NBA’s Board of Governors approve the sale of the franchise to Saints owner Tom Benson, which is expected to happen later this month.

Though Ariza wasn’t injured, he didn’t play in the Hornets’ final 10 games and was excused from accompanying the team on its season-ending three-game road trip.

Ariza, who started 41 games and averaged 10.8 points, appeared unhappy when Coach Monty Williams demoted him to the bench in favor of Al-Farouq Aminu, one of the players acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the deal for Chris Paul.

“My thing is playing basketball, man,’’ Ariza said in April. “Whatever team I’m on or whoever I play with, that’s who I play with. I don’t make those decisions. I just play.’’

Ariza is owed $7.2 million next season and has a $7.7 million player option for the 2013-14 season that he is likely to exercise, because he’s not likely to draw that kind of salary on the open market.

Okafor, who missed 39 games this season because of a knee injury, is owed $28 million over the next two seasons. The Hornets could use the one-time amnesty clause on Okafor to free up salary cap space, but he would still be owed the money on his contract.

“We have some guys under contract that are in our plans based on their deals,’’ Williams said recently. “We don’t want to devalue that in any way. But at the same time, this is an important summer for us, and we’re going to look at every avenue. We don’t want to make a knee-jerk decision that’s going to hurt us two seasons from now.’’

In the meantime, the Hornets have been full bore with their evaluations of draft prospects. After putting nine prospects through workouts Monday, Demps and his staff are in Chicago for the two-day draft Scouting Combine that began Thursday.

“We obviously want to get the best player, and someone who can fit into our system and to our culture and somebody we think we can build around for the long term,’’ Demps said.

discovery69 · by **discovery69** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:20 am

Okafor, who missed 39 games this season because of a knee injury, is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.

Another center with knee injuries... heck he is already a Blazer center for sure... :doh:

blazersinsider · by **blazersinsider** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:45 am

Okafor is solid -- good defender, rebounder, shot blocker. Gets double figure points not through half court offense but rather through dunks, put backs, etc. Way overpaid for his skill level, but he is a legit starting C in the league and would be a good complement to LMA in that Okafor's strength is interior defense and rebounding. We could do a lot worse than Okafor and a top 10 pick.

oldfishermen · by **oldfishermen** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:52 am

I am trying to figure this trade out from the Hornets side. Something is missing in these rumors.

Are Okafer’s knees done? Does the new owner have a tight budget?

What is the agenda for the Hornets trading both the #10 and Okafer on the cheap? Or they only sending up trail balloons hoping to hit the pot of gold?

Mowearwolf · by **Mowearwolf** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:30 pm

oldfishermen wrote:I am trying to figure this trade out from the Hornets side. Something is missing in these rumors.

Are Okafer’s knees done? Does the new owner have a tight budget?

What is the agenda for the Hornets trading both the #10 and Okafer on the cheap? Or they only sending up trail balloons hoping to hit the pot of gold?

I would think it is to save money and keep getting younger. They are also going to be drafting a big for sure. Okafer and 10 aren't really worth that much, getting out of one of the worst big money contracts is worth a lot more to them right now than a solid big man on the decline.

blazersinsider · by **blazersinsider** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:59 pm

Yup, I think mowear hit it on the head -- it's a huge contract. From the Hornets' point of view, this frees them up to get better faster (at least in theory) -- Okafor's contract is the worst contract the Hornets have, by an order of magnitude. The Hornets hardly have any pieces, so they may desire max flexibility rather than continuing to overpay for one solid but not spectacular player. I agree that they aren't getting much back, but these sorts of trades seem to have happened a number of times over the past several seasons (and with greater frequency) and I guess the thought for this one might be that it fits into that same category.

Toby · by **Toby** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:15 pm

Can you amnesty Okafor if he can't make a go of it?

blazersinsider · by **blazersinsider** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:39 pm

Each team can only use amnesty once during the current CBA -- Blazers used it on Roy if I'm not mistaken.

Kmurph1 · by **Kmurph1** on Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:52 pm

the thing about it for POR is that Okafor's deal is only for 2 years....and looking at the FA market for big men, chances are POR would be shelling out probably something similiar for more years...Okafor is owed $13.5 and $14.5....I think Hibbert, McGee and B.Lopez will be in that range...maybe a little lower, but of course for more years....

Also if POR does hit on thier draft picks then they will have to pay 1 or both of them down the road...along with whatever they pay Batum and LA?

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