Pooh
12-17-2003, 12:49 AM
A fan emailed Pacers.com analyst Conrad Brunner this week, asking if there was a trade in the Pacers future. Here was his response.
Certainly, Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh will consider trade possibilities prior to the Feb. 19 trade deadline. But there is less chance of a significant deal during the season than after it concludes for a variety of reasons.
In his history atop the franchise, Walsh has been extremely reluctant to make in-season trades under any circumstances. He has only pulled four February trades since 1986, when he became general manager. And he has never made such a deal when the team is performing well.
All of his pre-deadline deals came when the Pacers had losing records. In 1989, he made two deals, acquiring Detlef Schrempf from Dallas and LaSalle Thompson and Randy Wittman from Sacramento while shipping out Herb Williams and Wayman Tisdale. In 1997, he re-acquired Mark Jackson from Denver in a package that included sending Eddie Johnson to the Nuggets. And in 2002, he made the seven-player trade with Chicago that brought Ron Artest, Ron Mercer, Brad Miller and Kevin Ollie in exchange for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norm Richardson and a second-round pick.
Of course, with Bird now in charge of the basketball operations, things could change. But there are some restrictions that limit his options. O’Neal, Artest, Foster and Bender are all rendered virtually untradeable until next summer because their contracts fall under Base-Year Compensation rules. Don’t ask me to explain that one, just trust me. And there are other issues to consider.
Assuming the team continues to win, why break up a successful combination? Is there a trade out there that would put the Pacers on the same overall talent level as the Lakers? Putting all of the factors together, it seems unlikely that a major deal will be made during the season, although some periphery tinkering could be done. Next summer, however, the team’s trade options will be much greater, and so will the possibilities.
Certainly, Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh will consider trade possibilities prior to the Feb. 19 trade deadline. But there is less chance of a significant deal during the season than after it concludes for a variety of reasons.
In his history atop the franchise, Walsh has been extremely reluctant to make in-season trades under any circumstances. He has only pulled four February trades since 1986, when he became general manager. And he has never made such a deal when the team is performing well.
All of his pre-deadline deals came when the Pacers had losing records. In 1989, he made two deals, acquiring Detlef Schrempf from Dallas and LaSalle Thompson and Randy Wittman from Sacramento while shipping out Herb Williams and Wayman Tisdale. In 1997, he re-acquired Mark Jackson from Denver in a package that included sending Eddie Johnson to the Nuggets. And in 2002, he made the seven-player trade with Chicago that brought Ron Artest, Ron Mercer, Brad Miller and Kevin Ollie in exchange for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norm Richardson and a second-round pick.
Of course, with Bird now in charge of the basketball operations, things could change. But there are some restrictions that limit his options. O’Neal, Artest, Foster and Bender are all rendered virtually untradeable until next summer because their contracts fall under Base-Year Compensation rules. Don’t ask me to explain that one, just trust me. And there are other issues to consider.
Assuming the team continues to win, why break up a successful combination? Is there a trade out there that would put the Pacers on the same overall talent level as the Lakers? Putting all of the factors together, it seems unlikely that a major deal will be made during the season, although some periphery tinkering could be done. Next summer, however, the team’s trade options will be much greater, and so will the possibilities.