With 3 days left until the NBA Trade Deadline, the Liberty Ballers crew will provide you one trade each day to bandy about. Since there are no actual games being played, we've got to keep occupied somehow. This is the 5th straight day that the word 'bandy' has been used. You're all very welcome.
Since the beginning of the season, Chris Kaman's name has been brought up countless times as a possible acquisition by the time February 24th rolls around. Many of those previous discussions revolved around sending a package including Andre Iguodala but since it seems unlikely that Dre will be shipped off, we've come up with a different offer centered around the ever-popular trade chip Thaddeus Young.
Hit the jump to see the finalized, fake proposed deal.
Philadelphia 76ers receive:
Chris Kaman - 2 years, 11.8 million
Los Angeles Clippers receive:
Thaddeus Young - 1 year, 2.9 million
Darius Songaila - 1 year, 4.8 million
Jason Kapono - 1 year, 6.6 million
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Although he hasn't been as bad as some made out to be, Spencer Hawes is not the ideal player to bring out as a starting center during the playoffs. Since all signs are pointing to the Sixers making the playoffs, a serviceable big man looks like the most likely addition they would inquire around the league about.
Kaman has been hurt for just about the entire season to date. He's only played in 11 games and just 1 since the beginning of December, that game being the most recent Clippers game on February 16th. Since this trade is to improve the current roster and make it better fit to complete in the postseason (as opposed to working towards the future), acquiring the injury riddled Kaman could be a major risk. If Kaman would continue to struggle staying healthy, the Sixers would not only have lost his services but also the integral bench play of Young.
However, if Kaman is able to recover and stay on the court, he'd bring an inside scoring ability from the center position that the Sixers currently are without. In a career year last season, Kaman hit 4.9 shots within 10 feet of the basket at a 57% rate. Not only would he bring along scoring, but Kaman would immediately become the most efficient rebounder on the team with a career defensive rebounding percentage of 23.8% (in very short time this year he's at 26.1%).
The Clippers are not going to the playoffs this year and have seen improved play out of the up and coming center DeAndre Jordan. It appears a foregone conclusion that Kaman will not be a part of their future while instead working with the ultra-athletic front court of Jordan and recently crowned NBA Slam Dunk Champion Blake Griffin. Doing this trade would rid them of the $12.2 million that Kaman is set to make next season (if there is one) while also acquiring three expiring contracts and the option to retain the restricted free agent in Young if they please.
So would you take the risk of losing the bench scoring of Young in order to acquire an inside scoring threat? Would you even inquire about Kaman in the first place?
Side note: You can include Willie Warren in the trade and it would still work... just saying.