Kori Ellis
07-28-2005, 01:14 PM
Chat with Chad Ford
Chad Ford: Hey everyone, thanks for coming. Big news today with Larry Brown. Teams should (finally) be able to sign free agents on Monday. Let's roll.
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Alex G (Philadelphia, PA): With Larry Brown taking over the helm of the Knicks he is going to want to make some roster changes. Crawford and Marbury are obvious trade pieces. Do you see any quality players of semi-all-star potential coming to New York in a trade?
Chad Ford: I think so. Neither Marbury or Crawford play the way Brown likes his point guards to play. He's already traded Tim Thomas once. Richardson's eight threes a game won't go down very easy either. I doubt all those guys are dumped, but some of them will be gone. I think Larry will like Nate Robinson, Malik Rose, David Lee and possibly Jerome Williams.
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Delmar from Brooklyn, NY: Chad: Now that Larry Brown's on-board as coach of the New York Knicks, can Larry's input co-exist with Isiah Thomas and how do you think the Knicks record will look this season?
Chad Ford: I think there will be disagreements because they like different styles of basketball? So why did Isiah make the move? I think he wants to win and whatever you think about Brown, he's the best head coach in the NBA. Brown may be the only coach in the league that could get the group Isiah put together into the second round of the playoffs. I think the Knicks will probably win 8 to 10 games more than they did last season. That's a huge improvement for any coach. Don't know if it will get them to the playoffs next season however.
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Gary (Akron, Ohio): I really like Eric Snow, but would love to see the Cavs get rid of his contract and make room for players next year. What about dealing him to his old coach, Larry Brown? Is that realistic?
Chad Ford: I think Larry will make a push for the Knicks to acquire Snow or a point guard like him. He can move Stephon to the two. The Cavs would probably go along with it, especially if they could get an expiring contract (like Tim Thomas') back in return.
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Brian (Detroit, MI): Chad, Did Larry tell the Knicks that his health could force him to leave the Knicks bench at any point in the season, like he reportedly told the Pistons? I find it amusing that this is all we heard about during the Detroit buy-out period and now no one is mentioning it. Or has he miraculously healed? Of course, according to Larry, the Pistons didn't want him anymore...riiiiiight.
Chad Ford: I think a lot of people are skeptical about how this whole thing went down. People in the Pistons had been saying for weeks that he was heading to the Knicks. He forced the Pistons hand and I can't blame them for letting him go. Flip is a very good coach and the team should be just fine. Knicks fans will get a taste of what it feels like to deal with LB. Brown is an awesome coach who will improve your team ... but it comes at a pretty big price. It's going to be a fun year.
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Mitch (NY): I've been hearing conflicting reports on Joe Johnson. Will the suns match the Hawks 70 million dollar offer?
Chad Ford: They say they will. And they claim that owner Robert Sarver is one board. They certainly have acted like they will, trading Quentin Richardson and Jake Voshkuhl for cap space. I'd be surprised if they didn't match. If Atlanta doesn't get Johnson, it's going to be a long, long summer.
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Jason (LA): Detroit needs a backup SG/SF. Who are they looking at?
Chad Ford: They, like a number of teams (including the Suns, Spurs and Bulls) are all hoping that the Mavs use the amnesty clause on Michael Finley and he decides to sign with them. In fact, that's why the Mavs are hesitating in dropping him. They could use the $51 million in savings, but don't exactly want him going to a contender.
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K-man(Atlanta, GA): What credence did the rumor of Al Harrinton and Darko trade have?
Chad Ford: Pistons deny it. Hawks deny it. Harrington is on the block. Darko probably could be for the right price. Biggest problem in the trade is that Harrington is in the last year of his deal. No way the Pistons would give up an asset for a guy who could bolt (or hold the team for ransom) next summer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brady Tate (Ames): Do you think Bonzi will flourish and tone down the attitude now that he will get regular minutes and will be playing for a coach who lets his players have freedom to do just about anything they want on the court?
Chad Ford: Not really. There was a great piece in the Oregonian about a writer who used to cover him in Portland who followed him down to Memphis. Everyone said he'd change there. He didn't. Minutes and freedom help, but you are who you are.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack (nyc, ny): Is Antoine Walker going to resign with the Celtics?
Chad Ford: I doubt it. His agent is shopping him around the league trying to look for a sign-and-trade that pleases Danny Ainge. The Sonics have shown some interest and could potentially send back Vladimir Radmanovic in return. The Heat are also very interested but they don't have a lot of tradable assets right now.
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Kaysville, Utah: How could the Jazz be dumb enough to bring Ostertag back to Utah? Yes I know that the cleared some cap room and that his contract expires at the end of next season, but hasn't Ostertag proven himself as a problem causing, lazy, underachiever who doesn't get along with Jerry Sloan?
Chad Ford: All true. But the Jazz quietly (very quietly) all said that the missed his presence in the middle last season. This is mostly a cap move, but it sounds like they did want Ostertag back. The oddest thing is that the Jazz have now traded away first round picks from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Some of their scouts have to be sweating.
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Dan (Farrell, Pa): The Cavs have shown interest in Marko Jaric, will they land him?
Chad Ford: Jaric is a restricted free agent. He really needs a sign and trade if he intends to get out of Clipperland. While the Clippers might be willing to make a trade, they don't have to. The Cavs could offer Drew Gooden, but I don't think the Clippers are interested. They'd probably have to throw in Luke Jackson before the Clips would bite.
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Jeff (Chicago, Il): Will the Bulls resign Curry and Chandler? and what is the possibility of Jay Williams coming back to the Bulls?
Chad Ford: They are playing the market. Curry and Chandler are restricted free agents and having a hard time getting an offer sheet because teams with cap room think it will get matched. This is especially true for Chandler. Everyone thinks the Bulls with match him. Curry, if the offer was big enough, could be had. But no one wants to over pay for a guy who has a heart problem.
Chad Ford: I talked to Jay recently and he thinks he'll be ready to play again by training camp, barring a setback. He'd love to play for the Bulls, but it seems like they aren't interested.
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Ian (Pittsburgh, PA): What do you think of Golden State this year? with an addition of Digou and Taft (a good project down the road),do you think they can return to the Glory days with Mullin?
Chad Ford: If Baron Davis stays healthy, I think they'll be a playoff team that could get into the second round. I like what Mully has done over the past 10 months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Sioux Falls: In the next couple years, do you see the Lakers adding a big time free agent to go with Kobe?
Chad Ford: They are saving their money so that they have cap space in the summer of 2007. It's limited what they can do in the free agent market next year, however. I think Phil Jackson, like Larry Brown, has a huge task ahead of him if he's going to get his team in the playoffs.
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Ed (Atlanta GA): If GS is in the playoffs in the West, who is dropping out?
Chad Ford: Memphis and possibly Seattle (if they can't get any of their other top free agents signed) are the two top candidates.
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willie (nevada): who do you predict will be boston's starting PG?
Chad Ford: Here's a name to keep in mind: the Grizzlies' Jason Williams. He's on the block and the Grizzlies would likely agree to a Mark Blount for Williams swap.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ddot: (martinsville, va): with Seattle losing Daniels is there any possibility of GP ending his career as a Sonic?
Chad Ford: I think that would be great for Payton, the Sonics and the city of Seattle. They should make that happen. They're going to need the help anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brett (L.I., NY): How legitamte of a chance to the Nets have of making a significant push into the Playoffs?
Chad Ford: I think they are in the same class as Detroit, Miami and Indiana with the moves they've made this summer. I'm not sure anyone's had a better summer than Rod Thorn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex (Philly): Chad what's going on with the Sixers? Are they even a playoff team anymore? Will they ever get better than a .500 team?
Chad Ford: I think Billy King did what he had to do -- find a way to re-sign Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver and Willie Green. They've got a great mixture of veteran talent (Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Marc Jackson) with young up and coming players (Dalembert, Korver and of course, Andre Iguodala). I think they're a playoff team this year. Mo Cheeks will be a good fit there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe (Savannah, GA): Who are in your top 5 pre-season power rankings for next year? Do you believe 1 and 2 should be SA and DET since they both made it to the finals and are returning pretty much intact next year?
Chad Ford: 1. Spurs
2. Pacers
3. Pistons
4. Suns
5. Nets
Miami would be sixth which brings up an interesting point. Remember how the talk has been all about how strong the West is and how weak the East is. I think the pendulum is swinging the other way.
I really like all four of the teams that should be a top the East.
Chad Ford: Thanks for coming to the chat everyone. I've got to roll.
Chad Ford: Hey everyone, thanks for coming. Big news today with Larry Brown. Teams should (finally) be able to sign free agents on Monday. Let's roll.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex G (Philadelphia, PA): With Larry Brown taking over the helm of the Knicks he is going to want to make some roster changes. Crawford and Marbury are obvious trade pieces. Do you see any quality players of semi-all-star potential coming to New York in a trade?
Chad Ford: I think so. Neither Marbury or Crawford play the way Brown likes his point guards to play. He's already traded Tim Thomas once. Richardson's eight threes a game won't go down very easy either. I doubt all those guys are dumped, but some of them will be gone. I think Larry will like Nate Robinson, Malik Rose, David Lee and possibly Jerome Williams.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delmar from Brooklyn, NY: Chad: Now that Larry Brown's on-board as coach of the New York Knicks, can Larry's input co-exist with Isiah Thomas and how do you think the Knicks record will look this season?
Chad Ford: I think there will be disagreements because they like different styles of basketball? So why did Isiah make the move? I think he wants to win and whatever you think about Brown, he's the best head coach in the NBA. Brown may be the only coach in the league that could get the group Isiah put together into the second round of the playoffs. I think the Knicks will probably win 8 to 10 games more than they did last season. That's a huge improvement for any coach. Don't know if it will get them to the playoffs next season however.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary (Akron, Ohio): I really like Eric Snow, but would love to see the Cavs get rid of his contract and make room for players next year. What about dealing him to his old coach, Larry Brown? Is that realistic?
Chad Ford: I think Larry will make a push for the Knicks to acquire Snow or a point guard like him. He can move Stephon to the two. The Cavs would probably go along with it, especially if they could get an expiring contract (like Tim Thomas') back in return.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian (Detroit, MI): Chad, Did Larry tell the Knicks that his health could force him to leave the Knicks bench at any point in the season, like he reportedly told the Pistons? I find it amusing that this is all we heard about during the Detroit buy-out period and now no one is mentioning it. Or has he miraculously healed? Of course, according to Larry, the Pistons didn't want him anymore...riiiiiight.
Chad Ford: I think a lot of people are skeptical about how this whole thing went down. People in the Pistons had been saying for weeks that he was heading to the Knicks. He forced the Pistons hand and I can't blame them for letting him go. Flip is a very good coach and the team should be just fine. Knicks fans will get a taste of what it feels like to deal with LB. Brown is an awesome coach who will improve your team ... but it comes at a pretty big price. It's going to be a fun year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mitch (NY): I've been hearing conflicting reports on Joe Johnson. Will the suns match the Hawks 70 million dollar offer?
Chad Ford: They say they will. And they claim that owner Robert Sarver is one board. They certainly have acted like they will, trading Quentin Richardson and Jake Voshkuhl for cap space. I'd be surprised if they didn't match. If Atlanta doesn't get Johnson, it's going to be a long, long summer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason (LA): Detroit needs a backup SG/SF. Who are they looking at?
Chad Ford: They, like a number of teams (including the Suns, Spurs and Bulls) are all hoping that the Mavs use the amnesty clause on Michael Finley and he decides to sign with them. In fact, that's why the Mavs are hesitating in dropping him. They could use the $51 million in savings, but don't exactly want him going to a contender.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K-man(Atlanta, GA): What credence did the rumor of Al Harrinton and Darko trade have?
Chad Ford: Pistons deny it. Hawks deny it. Harrington is on the block. Darko probably could be for the right price. Biggest problem in the trade is that Harrington is in the last year of his deal. No way the Pistons would give up an asset for a guy who could bolt (or hold the team for ransom) next summer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brady Tate (Ames): Do you think Bonzi will flourish and tone down the attitude now that he will get regular minutes and will be playing for a coach who lets his players have freedom to do just about anything they want on the court?
Chad Ford: Not really. There was a great piece in the Oregonian about a writer who used to cover him in Portland who followed him down to Memphis. Everyone said he'd change there. He didn't. Minutes and freedom help, but you are who you are.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack (nyc, ny): Is Antoine Walker going to resign with the Celtics?
Chad Ford: I doubt it. His agent is shopping him around the league trying to look for a sign-and-trade that pleases Danny Ainge. The Sonics have shown some interest and could potentially send back Vladimir Radmanovic in return. The Heat are also very interested but they don't have a lot of tradable assets right now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaysville, Utah: How could the Jazz be dumb enough to bring Ostertag back to Utah? Yes I know that the cleared some cap room and that his contract expires at the end of next season, but hasn't Ostertag proven himself as a problem causing, lazy, underachiever who doesn't get along with Jerry Sloan?
Chad Ford: All true. But the Jazz quietly (very quietly) all said that the missed his presence in the middle last season. This is mostly a cap move, but it sounds like they did want Ostertag back. The oddest thing is that the Jazz have now traded away first round picks from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Some of their scouts have to be sweating.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan (Farrell, Pa): The Cavs have shown interest in Marko Jaric, will they land him?
Chad Ford: Jaric is a restricted free agent. He really needs a sign and trade if he intends to get out of Clipperland. While the Clippers might be willing to make a trade, they don't have to. The Cavs could offer Drew Gooden, but I don't think the Clippers are interested. They'd probably have to throw in Luke Jackson before the Clips would bite.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff (Chicago, Il): Will the Bulls resign Curry and Chandler? and what is the possibility of Jay Williams coming back to the Bulls?
Chad Ford: They are playing the market. Curry and Chandler are restricted free agents and having a hard time getting an offer sheet because teams with cap room think it will get matched. This is especially true for Chandler. Everyone thinks the Bulls with match him. Curry, if the offer was big enough, could be had. But no one wants to over pay for a guy who has a heart problem.
Chad Ford: I talked to Jay recently and he thinks he'll be ready to play again by training camp, barring a setback. He'd love to play for the Bulls, but it seems like they aren't interested.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian (Pittsburgh, PA): What do you think of Golden State this year? with an addition of Digou and Taft (a good project down the road),do you think they can return to the Glory days with Mullin?
Chad Ford: If Baron Davis stays healthy, I think they'll be a playoff team that could get into the second round. I like what Mully has done over the past 10 months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Sioux Falls: In the next couple years, do you see the Lakers adding a big time free agent to go with Kobe?
Chad Ford: They are saving their money so that they have cap space in the summer of 2007. It's limited what they can do in the free agent market next year, however. I think Phil Jackson, like Larry Brown, has a huge task ahead of him if he's going to get his team in the playoffs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed (Atlanta GA): If GS is in the playoffs in the West, who is dropping out?
Chad Ford: Memphis and possibly Seattle (if they can't get any of their other top free agents signed) are the two top candidates.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
willie (nevada): who do you predict will be boston's starting PG?
Chad Ford: Here's a name to keep in mind: the Grizzlies' Jason Williams. He's on the block and the Grizzlies would likely agree to a Mark Blount for Williams swap.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ddot: (martinsville, va): with Seattle losing Daniels is there any possibility of GP ending his career as a Sonic?
Chad Ford: I think that would be great for Payton, the Sonics and the city of Seattle. They should make that happen. They're going to need the help anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brett (L.I., NY): How legitamte of a chance to the Nets have of making a significant push into the Playoffs?
Chad Ford: I think they are in the same class as Detroit, Miami and Indiana with the moves they've made this summer. I'm not sure anyone's had a better summer than Rod Thorn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex (Philly): Chad what's going on with the Sixers? Are they even a playoff team anymore? Will they ever get better than a .500 team?
Chad Ford: I think Billy King did what he had to do -- find a way to re-sign Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver and Willie Green. They've got a great mixture of veteran talent (Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Marc Jackson) with young up and coming players (Dalembert, Korver and of course, Andre Iguodala). I think they're a playoff team this year. Mo Cheeks will be a good fit there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe (Savannah, GA): Who are in your top 5 pre-season power rankings for next year? Do you believe 1 and 2 should be SA and DET since they both made it to the finals and are returning pretty much intact next year?
Chad Ford: 1. Spurs
2. Pacers
3. Pistons
4. Suns
5. Nets
Miami would be sixth which brings up an interesting point. Remember how the talk has been all about how strong the West is and how weak the East is. I think the pendulum is swinging the other way.
I really like all four of the teams that should be a top the East.
Chad Ford: Thanks for coming to the chat everyone. I've got to roll.