There's crazy, and there's just plain stupid.
Unfortunately for Roje Smith of
Fansided, his recent work falls into that latter category. Smith recently published an article entitled
5 Crazy NBA Trades That Need To Happen. Without a doubt, the craziest (read: stupidest) trade proposal on the list has the Golden State Warriors sending reigning league MVP Steph Curry to Chicago for Rajon Rondo, Jerian Grant and a first round draft pick.
How 'Bout No?
Perhaps he was just throwing random names into ESPN's
NBA Trade Machine and discovered that this one *technically* works from a contracts perspective.
[caption id="attachment_82282" align="alignnone" width="770"]
Courtesy of ESPN.com[/caption]
Where to begin? First off, notice the estimated change in win total for both teams. The Bulls gain 12 wins by adding Curry, while the Warriors lose 11 wins by bringing in Rondo and Grant. Why on earth would Golden State make this trade? So there's that.
A Weaker Curry
Smith tries to explain his reasoning for the Warriors agreeing to do this (seeing as the Bulls would leap at such a ridiculous opportunity, no explanation needed there.) He argues that the arrival of fellow superstar Kevin Durant has hurt Curry's game this season.
"Curry is averaging 5.9 assists per game right now and that’s the lowest it’s been since the 2011-12 season. His three-point percentage sits at a .401 and that’s the lowest it’s been in his entire career. He was already an inferior overall player compared to Durant before this season. Now with KD as his teammate, it’s even more obvious and it appears as if a new 'face' of Golden State is emerging." - Roje Smith
He goes on to suggest that other Warriors staples Klay Thompson and Draymond Green aren't experiencing the same decline as Curry since Durant signed on.
"Klay Thompson hasn’t missed a beat since Kevin’s arrival and his numbers are nearly identical to last season’s. Only his three-point percentage is significantly down from last year and it’s actually a career-low at .389. Draymond Green also appears to be meshing well with Durant and his game hasn’t taken a major hit. Therefore, it leaves Curry as an odd man out." - Roje Smith
Odd man out of what, exactly? Sure, Curry's numbers are down a bit. But Smith tries to argue that the same isn't true for Thompson, then immediately contradicts himself by citing that Klay's three point percentage is
also at a career low. Besides, it was expected that Curry's numbers would dip with Durant on the team. Curry
recruited Durant to come to Golden State, to take some of the scoring pressure off of the point guard. That's exactly what Durant is doing for the *cough* NBA-leading Warriors.
Which leads me to this...WHY would the Warriors trade Curry while they're trying to win another NBA title after coming so close to repeating last season?
Flawed Logic
The Warriors did some shuffling and freed up the cap space for Durant last summer, because they felt he was the missing piece for this team to get back to the Finals and win it all again. So on what planet does it makes sense for their front office to give up their reigning MVP while they're on that quest, currently sitting atop the league at 30-5?
"Sure, give us Rondo and Grant. We totally have the same chances at winning the title with those two as we would have with Curry." ...Um, no. What's the other explanation for the Warriors making such a move?
"We don't actually want to win the title this year. Nevermind." Preposterous.
Smith then brings up the fact that Curry is on the cusp of free agency.
"His contract also happens to expire at the end of this season and it’s possible that he signs with a different team. It might be in the better interest of the Warriors to entertain trade offers for him. At the very least, they can avoid a scenario where Steph leaves and they get nothing in return for him." - Roje Smith
This is a frequently discussed notion in professional sports. Trade a star player before he walks away in free agency and you get nothing in return. Yes, that's a thing. There are just a couple of tiny details that Smith is missing, though, and they kill this argument. First of all, Curry hasn't said anything about wanting to leave Golden State. Why would he want to? They're poised to be perennial championship contenders, with Klay (2019) and Draymond (2020) already locked in for the next few seasons.
All About The Benjamins
Then there's the big key Smith is missing. The NBA and the Players Association just agreed to terms on a
new collective bargaining agreement last month. What's the headline of the ESPN article in that link? "Warriors' Steph Curry Stands To Benefit In New CBA." They
specifically reference Curry. Why? Because he's the #1 free agent in the summer of 2017, of course. But then there's this: the new CBA has a provision for designated veteran players which will allow superstars' current teams to offer way more cash than any competing suitors. It was actually included to try to prevent more of the Durant-to-Warriors-Superteams from forming, and keep superstars with the teams that drafted them.
Under this new provision, the Warriors will be able to offer Curry a five year deal worth $207 million, making him the highest paid player in the league. Ever. On the other hand, any hopeful suitors could only offer the sharpshooter a four year deal capped around $135 million. So here's Curry's hypothetical decision: 1) Stay with Warriors, a perennial championship contending team in a city that loves me, and become the highest paid player in NBA history. 2) Take a risk, sign with a team that will almost certainly have lower championship expectations than the Warriors, and leave $72 million on the table.
...Gee, that's a tough one.
Now, let's take a look at Smith's reasons for why the Warriors should welcome misfit point guard Rajon Rondo to Golden State.
Balderdash
Here's Smith's reasoning for the Rondo-Curry swap:
"The deal may seem lopsided, but Rondo may actually be a better fit as a point guard in Golden State. He is a pass-first floor general with great rebounding skills. Rondo is also a better defender. It’s possible that his presence provides more balance for the Warriors. Rajon is an immediate upgrade for ball distribution, grabbing boards and defending his position. The Bulls can include Grant and a possible draft pick in this trade since Curry carries the biggest value in this hypothetical scenario." - Roje Smith
Yes, Rondo is a pass-first point guard more so than Curry. But does that make him a better fit? Would his presence "provide more balance"? Well, the Warriors have
three starters averaging 20+ points and four starters averaging double figures. Their 117.3 points per game is the best mark in NBA. Their
points per game differential of +12.6 is the highest in the league, and 4.6 points higher than second place Toronto. I think their offensive balance is fine, actually. Don't you?
Then there's this:
"Rondo is also a better defender." I'm sorry, but no. He's not. Are you thinking of 2007 Rondo? Curry is averaging 1.7 steals per game this year, compared to Rondo's 1.3. Their
current defensive ratings sit at an identical 105. Curry has 1.6 defensive win shares so far this season, compared to 1.1 for Rondo. Neither player is a great defender, but you can't make the case that Rondo is better. Even if you could, would that really be enough incentive for the Warriors to take him in exchange for their MVP? Again, that's a fat no.
Slim Chance
To his credit, Smith admits that the likelihood of this trade happening is very low:
"The chances for Curry being traded to Chicago before the season ends are very low. However, it’s something that needs to happen and it can benefit both teams more than it appears on the surface." - Roje Smith
Oh, darn! He came so close to backing off and hedging his bet. But he just couldn't resist.
I'm not sure what else to say, other than...take it away, Principal of Knibb High School:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0
Unless the front office guys in Oakland are as
experimental with marijuana as their coach Steve Kerr, I can tell you with 100% certainty that this trade proposal is complete malarkey. Go sit in the corner, Roje Smith, and think about what you've done. Thanks for the laugh, though. I needed it.
