A geographical move and a position move might do Tyreke Evans wonders.
by Sandy Dover / @SandmanSeven
With the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement expiring in July and there being great success over what salaries, cap restrictions and player movement may look like after an agreement is finalized, many teams will be looking to upgrade their rosters to benefit from the standing rules until they become void. Because of this situation, player movement up until July 1 will be a topic of great discussion among different franchises wanting to improve their roster and/or monetary freedom. In light of this event, this Pre-Lockout Trades piece is part of a short mini-series where I will project what teams might want to make what trades and so on and so forth (with the help of ESPN’s Trade Machine, of course).
In the case of the Chicago Bulls, it was seen that while Carlos Boozer was injured in the more crucial time of the year, the Bulls played extremely effectively with him on the bench. Though he’s an All-Star post player and scorer, it was shown that the more major issue was added athleticism and scoring punch from the shooting guard position, a place where Keith Bogans, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver all filled in admirably, but without much pizzazz.
In the Sacramento Kings‘ case, Tyreke Evans, a former Rookie of the Year, also played injured with a severely sprained foot for much of the year. It showed in his play and he may have developed some bad habits since entering the NBA, as far as being able to share the ball. Though he has the skills to play point guard, he rarely displays his abilities by creating for other teammates, and thus may be more suitable as a sweet-shooting, penetrating shooting guard.
The Chicago Bulls trade Carlos Boozer to the Sacramento Kings for Tyreke Evans 
Boozer would be great for Sacramento for two big reasons. One reason is that Booz would be able to solidify the frontcourt for the Kings, playing next to the talented DeMarcus Cousins, and he would be able to mentor Cousins on the court and off the court. Also, Booz would give the team a surefire No. 1 option on offense that would allow the Kings to have a distinct style of play to focus on.
For Evans, he would have the luxury of playing with former No. 1 pick, Derrick Rose, who would allow Evans to play more as an attacker on offense (his more natural instinct) and he would in turn be able to create a dynamic backcourt that could devastate opponents both on offense and defense (with a little guidance, of course). The Bulls would then be able to see about finding another scorer who more able to defend and provide scoring when needed.
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Though it’s now been widely discussed, I’ve projected this trade weeks before in my own notes.
The Los Angeles Clippers trade Chris Kaman to the Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Iguodala
It’s very clear that while Iguodala is talented beyond belief, his style of play is not necessarily a style that will allow the 76ers to go much further with him as the No. 1 guy (and his salary being somewhat inflexible). Iggy is best when he is not the No. 1 offensive option and he can defend and facilitate as a point guard or point-wing. Going to the Clippers would allow him the ability to freely slash and create for the young guns in Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon without him having to be more than what he’s most effective being. Plus, the Sixers already have the wings in tow to fill Iggy’s spot if necessary.
For Kaman, the center is in his prime and is a scoring-rebounding machine when he’s healthy and given the minutes. But he’s a poor fit in Los Angeles these days and the Sixers have wanted to add a scoring threat in the post for what seems like forever. Sending Kaman to Philly would pay dividends and allow for there to be a focal point in the offense and an anchor for the defense against slashers and players of that nature. The swap would give the big man a much-needed change, and the ability to better showcase his talents for a winning team.
Sandy Dover is a author, fitness enthusiast, and SLAM web columnist and print contributor whose work has been featured and published by US News, Yahoo!, Robert Atwan’s “America Now,“ and now in Buckets and Playmaker magazines. You can find Sandy frequently here at SLAMonline and at Twitter and Facebook as well.
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