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      Is Miles Austin worth two draft picks?

      February 18, 2010 /

      Let’s play NFL GM for a moment, shall we? Would a bona fide No. 1 receiver in his prime be worth first and third round compensation, plus the primo dollars it would take to sign him to a long-term deal? Because that’s the question many general managers face this offseason when it comes to Cowboys’ receiver Miles Austin.

      Thus far, Dallas has been adamant about not wanting to use a franchise tag on Austin (a restricted free agent) this offseason. What they’ll probably wind up doing is placing a $3.168 million tender on him, which means they have first right to match any offer made by another team. If another team offers more money and the Cowboys don’t match it, then Dallas is awarded a first and a third round pick as compensation.

      Legit No. 1 receivers that are 25-years-old aren’t easy to find. That’s why a team might be inclined to part with two draft picks in order to acquire Austin and make him their franchise receiver. After all, Austin appears to be a sure thing and as we all know, there is no guarantee that prospects (no matter how high they’re selected) will pan out.

      But if I could step into the GM shoes for a moment, I think it’s ridiculous to give up a first and third rounder to acquire a receiver – no matter how good of a player he is. Teams that have had consistent success often build from the inside out, meaning after they settle their quarterback need, the offensive and defensive lines take priority over the skill players. I’m not downgrading the value of a No. 1 receiver, but they wouldn’t be a priority over other positions on my team.

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      NFL

      Did Miami just blow its chance to re-sign Wade?

      February 18, 2010 /

      With their two biggest competitors for Dwyane Wade’s services — the Knicks and the Bulls — both successfully pulling off deadline deals to clear additional cap space, the Miami Heat scrambled to add Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer to the mix to keep Wade happy (and in town). We don’t know what they offered, but whatever it was, it apparently wasn’t enough, because the Heat will try to make the playoffs with the same lineup that has the team at 28-27 and in the #7 spot in the East. To make matters worse, Wade heard a “pop” in his calf on Wednesday night and could miss some time, further hindering Miami’s postseason hopes.

      Like the Heat, the Knicks now have enough cap space to sign two “max” free agents, and if LeBron is unavailable, they could go to Wade and ask him who he wants to play with — Chris Bosh? Amare Stoudemire? Carlos Boozer? — and sign both. Wade could get the same deal (and a little more money) from the Heat, but will he hold Miami’s inability to bring help this season against them? Meanwhile, the Bulls (Wade’s hometown team) unloaded John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas, clearing the way for a max offer this summer. Wade would look nice in a lineup with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah.

      I give the Heat credit — they sure tried to acquire a big name. But they failed, and the fact that they were scrambling up until the deadline indicates that they think that losing Wade this summer is a real possibility. And they’re right.

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      Johnny Damon must think he’s Manny Ramirez

      February 18, 2010 /

      If Johnny Damon’s mission was to become the most annoying man in baseball this offseason, then he’s already succeeded.

      Damon is half a player. As he proved last year in New York, he can still swing a pretty good stick and he still has enough speed in his 36-year-old legs to be dangerous on the base paths. But he’s a liability in the outfield and his arm strength often resembles that of a T-baller. There’s also no guarantee that he’ll be a good hitter outside of Yankee Stadium, so writing that he’s even half a player might be too generous.

      How has this guy managed to turn the back half of the MLB offseason into the Johnny Damon hour? He’s the last big name on the market and I use the words “big name” loosely. He’s received offers from the Braves and Tigers, yet he still remains unsigned. Why?

      Damon is doing his best Manny Ramirez impression this offseason. Instead of coming to terms with his value and signing a fair deal, he has decided to drag out contract negations as long as possible. Spring training is ready to kick off and he’s still deciding on where and how much to sign for.

      Of course, this entire situation reeks of Scott Boras, who is also Manny’s agent. Boras battled with the Dodgers last year over Manny’s contract before finally caving in and settling for a two-year deal. Considering he’s about to do the same thing with Damon, it’s clear that Boras hasn’t learned his lesson yet. Damon was never going to get a multi-year contract for over $10 million like Boras wanted after last season. Yet Boras continues to overvalue his clients and drum up a false market for them by publicly stating tons of teams are interested in his free agents when the truth of the matter is they’re not.

      I’ve got a newsflash for both Damon and Boras: Johnny ain’t that good. He should stop with all of the, “I’m a difference maker” nonsense and take whatever deal Detroit currently has on the table. That’s not only advice, but it’s a plea too because I’m sick of reading about when he’s going to sign.


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      MLB

      Rockets, Knicks and Kings complete major three-team deal

      February 18, 2010 /

      ESPN has the details.

      The Knicks will acquire McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez from Sacramento, sources said.

      The Rockets get Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from New York and will have the right to swap first-round picks with New York in 2011 as well as take on New York’s 2012 first-round pick.

      Sacramento obtains Houston’s Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey and New York’s Larry Hughes.

      This differs from the Rockets/Kings deal I wrote about earlier in that Houston will take on Jeffries’ contract next season and in return get a prospect (Jordan Hill) the right to move up in the 2011 draft. In addition, the Rockets get the Knicks’ pick in 2012. I love this trade from Houston’s perspective.

      The Knicks get to see if T-Mac has anything left in the tank and a decent young point guard in Sergio Rodriguez (6 points/3 assists in 13 minutes of PT for the Kings). More importantly, they free up enough cap space (~$30 million) two sign two big-name free agents this summer.

      I’m not sure why the Kings wanted to get the Knicks involved. They’re taking on Hughes contract for this season, so I guess it will save them the trouble of buying T-Mac out.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

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      Miami making a late bid for Carlos Boozer?

      February 18, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Ric Bucher tweeted this 15 minutes ago:

      This is ESPN Rumor Central fodder for now but too tantalizing not to mention: 11th-hour talks are on that would send Boozer to Miami.

      Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski followed up with this:

      Utah and Miami have recruited Wiz to be 3rd team in Boozer talks. Wash would get cap relief out of it. Beasley not involved, source says.

      Michael Beasley wouldn’t seem like a good fit with Jerry Sloan, so it makes sense that Wojnarowski is saying that he’s not involved. But who would the Jazz get in this deal? Udonis Haslem? Jermaine O’Neal? Josh Howard? Al Thornton? Mike Miller?

      I’ve always thought that Miller was destined to play in Utah, but would he be worth giving up Boozer and the team’s shot at a playoff run this year? Maybe the Jazz would go for Miller and one of the Heat’s first round picks.

      Wojnarowski says that Washington will get salary cap relief out of it, but they only have one bad contract (Gilbert Arenas) on the books for next season, so he must be talking about relief this season. How about this trade which would send Miller and Dorrell Wright (and one of Miami’s first round picks) to Utah, Udonis Haslem to Washington (trimming $2.8 million from this year’s payroll) and Boozer to Miami?


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

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