Post by kobe24 on May 8, 2010 14:56:52 GMT -5
Since there has been a sort of fuss over the value of a few players these past few days I decided to do this article again. We have also seen a huge blockbuster go down this week when the Lakers traded LeBron James to the Warriors for Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson. That trade proves the point again that any player can go at any time. Although some GMs list their guys as off-limits, I am sure that every player in this league could be had for the right price. EVERY player has their price, I will break down the most valuable players in the league using four categories, and we will truly see if anyone can be traded for the right price.
Most of the trading happens during the off-season and near the trade deadline. And this off-season was no different. We saw a handful of star players being traded, the biggest name being LeBron James. We saw a lot of teams making trades to get their team better for the upcoming season, though only the Timberwolves are in their contract year and have to win. And come draft time, teams are always trying to trade for the top picks. We saw that when the Mavericks traded Josh Howard and Andrei Kirilenko to the Blazers for Travis Outlaw and the 8th overall pick. I first did this article 9 sim seasons ago, which was my first season I believe. So now that I am a bit more familiar this should be a bit easier. GMs with these types of players should hold all the leverage when trading them and should carefully consider the trade before pulling the trigger.
The List 9 Years Ago:
10. Vince Carter
Now - Vince is now washed up in Boston where he continues to put up good scoring numbers but never really amounted to anything more than a scorer.
9. Shawn Marion
Now - Important glue guy for the Pacers. His production dropped significantly when he was traded to the Pacers. They didn’t really know where they wanted to play him and since he wasn’t a main scoring option he has only been able to average around 15 PPG over the past few seasons.
8. Kevin Garnett
Now - Also washed up in Boston. KG is on the verge of retirement. After he plays out the final two years of his contract he will probably do so. KG has been passed around since I last did this article, kind of sad he never really became what I thought he would.
7. Dirk Nowitzki
Now - Might be the best player from this list. Dirk is coming off his best three seasons scoring wise in his career. And he looks like he will continue that success with his new team. Dirk is the only player to have actually gotten better, if he was a bit younger he might would have been on the list again.
6. Lamar Odom
Now - I don’t think Jah has made a single trade since the last time I did this article. The team looks exactly the same. He failed to put other players around Odom which is really sad. Odom has put up some great numbers over these past few years, but he is starting to slowly decline.
5. Jason Kidd
Now - Kidd is definitely the worst player now from this list. He will probably retire after this year since he is due to make 27 million this year with C B- A- C+ D- ratings. He might not even get a minimum contract if he decided to test the FA waters this off-season.
4. Tim Duncan
Now - Duncan is still putting up great numbers but he is getting up there in age. This could be his last season in a Grizzlies uniform. Duncan has led the Grizzlies to a few titles since I last did this article. He has been Mr. Consistent for the Grizzlies and he looks like he could play at a high level for the next few years.
3. Shaquille O’Neal
Now - Shaq retired a few years a bit prematurely. It seems he was upset with being traded to the Jazz and he decided to call it quits. Shaq continued to be a top big man but he never really could get it done in the playoffs which is kind of sad for someone as dominant as him.
2. Kobe Bryant
Now - Kobe was great in Miami, but ever since going to Toronto he
has been average. No one can really figure out why. His ratings are basically the same but he has just failed to put up 27-28 PPG like he did in Miami. Kobe has definitely been a disappointment for the Raptors.
1. Etienne Preira
Now - Preira has teamed up with Duncan and company over the past few years to bring them a title. Preira is 37, but he is still playing at a very high level. His career has been truly amazing. From a second round no name guy to the best player of his era.
Before I show you the players, I will show you what I used to come up with the list.
Age/Potential - It doesn't matter which league you are in, every GM loves a good young player with potential over almost anything. There has been many cases where GMs would trade their whole team for these types of players in hopes that they would turn their franchise around. Some of the older guys are at a disadvantage with this category, but I won't really be discussing who the best players are during this article, rather the most valuable ones. And the age/potential of a player plays a big part in trades because everyone would rather have a guy that can give great production for the next 10 seasons rather then 3-4.
Contract - Another important thing to consider when considering the value of players. Teams should always map out their salary situation over the next few years with that player they are getting to see if they can make it work. Guys making lesser money are easier to trade then guys making more money, since its easier to match contracts and the team getting the player will have more cap to work with. This is a pretty easy one to figure out here...
Production - This is the one that really breaks the rookies off from the rest of the group. As most rookies just don't put up the amazing stats as some of these other guys. They might have the potential and age factor on their side, but their value will take a hit when considering production. So there was a very fine line between potential and production, but it was very easy to distinguish when making this list.
Name Value - Yes, unfortunately this has to be a category. This league isn't as bad as some of the others I have been in. But it is still a big factor for some GMs when trading. It wont be that big of a factor in this article for me, just simply because I haven't seen any glaring examples of this just yet.
*All stats are after sim 1, so obviously some of them are off*
10. Kevin Durant
Age - 21
Ratings - B- A C B B- A
Stats - 30.9 PPG 6.3 RPG 2.9 APG 1.4 SPG
Contract - $3,321,514 / $3,517,514
Very similar to Vince Carter who was #10 on this list the first time I did this, Durant thus far has been known for his scoring. Durant still has 2 years left on his rookie contract with the Rockets and it looks like this year he could be one of the top scorers in the league at 21 years old. The Rockets GM should be writing some articles for him, Durant could easily be one of the better players in the league right now. Durant still has a ton of potential left and once he gets a little better defensively he should shoot up this list. It is kind of sad that the Rockets haven’t been proactive in trying to bring on talent to put around him. Durant does have the kind of ratings where one bad TC could leave him looking bad, but with a few articles that shouldn’t be a problem. The Rockets need to realize what they have in Durant and put a team around him.
9. Gilbert Arenas
Age - 28
Ratings - B A- A A C C
Stats - 24.6 PPG 5.4 RPG 4.7 APG 2.4 SPG
Contract - $17,325,000 / $18,900,000 / $20,475,000 / $22,050,000 / $23,625,000
You could make a case for Agent Zero as being the best PG over the past few years so I had to find a place for him on this list. You don’t hear much about him out in LA but he has quietly been a top 10 player in the league in my opinion. He has the scoring, passing, rebounding and defense. The only thing stopping him from being the best PG is his turnovers. If they were around 2 like some of the other PGs on this list then he would be a lot higher than this. His contract is also kind of ugly, he is 28 so that contract is about to become a burden when he reaches 30. The Clippers window of opportunity is closing quickly so they need to either trade Arenas now or try to win this season or the next.
8. Dwight Howard
Age - 24
Ratings - A- C- D A- A C
Stats - 10.6 PPG 12.4 RPG 2.9 APG 1.1 SPG 1.6 BPG
Contract - $13,500,000 / $14,625,000 / $15,750,000 / $16,875,000
I was shocked when the Lakers traded LeBron for Dwight, but Dwight is still a top big man because of his rebounding and defense. Once the Lakers camp his scoring a bit and he starts scoring 20 PPG then the trade will start to look a lot better, but for now LeBron>>Dwight. Dwight is still only 24 and like I said if only he could score a bit more he would be a lot higher on this list. The Lakers feel a dominant big man gives them a better chance to win than a dominant SF, so I hope Dwight doesn’t keep putting up 14/15 PPG. I think Dwight is off-limits for now, but I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him go if he can’t get his production up.
7. Evan Turner
Age - 21
Ratings - B B- B B+ B B
Stats - 16.4 PPG 7.6 RPG 3.8 APG 2.5 SPG
Contract - $3,042,835 / $3,255,084 / $3,447,164
Turner is only in his second year and is a bit unproven which is why he isn’t higher on this list. He looks like the second coming of LeBron James though. He could probably net the hornets just about anything they wanted right now. Like LeBron he will need some work on his perimeter shooting but he can already do just about everything else. He doesn’t have the body of LeBron, but he certainly has the skill level. Turner could be the most coveted player in the league right now just because of what he could become. He definitely has the ability to average a triple double at the PG position or to average 10+ RPG at PF. He also has the ability to average 25-30 PPG in the future if he continues to grow. The sky is the limit with this guy.
6. Al Jefferson
Age - 25
Ratings - A- C- D+ A- A- C
Stats - 24.5 PPG 11.8 RPG 1.5 SPG 1.7 BPG
Contract - $13,500,000 / $14,625,000 / $15,750,000 / $16,875,000
Al Jefferson is arguably the best big man in the league right now. He just led the Bulls to their 5th title and looks ready to bring #6 to Chicago this season. Early in his career he was in Dwight Howard’s shadow but he has definitely become the better player. Jefferson left New Jersey to go to Chicago, something the Nets will never forget. Stevenson, who also came over from the Nets, and Jefferson could be the best PG-C combo in the league. With Stevenson being 28 and Jefferson 25 years old, the rest of the league better watch out. Al Jeff will probably be in Chicago for a long time, I don’t see him being traded any time soon.
5. DeShawn Stevenson
Age - 28
Ratings - B A A A C B
Stats - 14.7 PPG 5.3 RPG 11.5 APG
Contract - $19,687,500
Stevenson has been one of the most dynamic players in UOSLR in his career. He has played for four teams in his career, not really sure why the three teams before the Bulls decided to trade him. Some GMs say he is more effective at SF, others say PG. I like him at PG, he is able to put up 10+ APG and under 2 TPG. Most true PGs can’t even do that. DeShawn could be the best player in the league so maybe he ought to be a bit higher, but because of his expiring contract I have him at 5. He will be getting a max contract at the age of 29 so like Arenas, soon his contract will become a burden. Stevenson is still one of the best players in the league and one of the big reasons why the Bulls won the title last year.
4. Amare Stoudemire
Age - 27
Ratings - A C D A- B D
Stats - 29.1 PPG 8.1 RPG 1.3 SPG 1.3 BPG
Contract - $15,750,000 / $16,875,000
Amare could be the best scorer in the league and while his rebound rating isn’t great, he still manages to average more than 10 a night. He is also able to average over 1 SPG and 2 BPG at PF. I think Broph may want more than teams are willing to give for him though. He does deserve a lot though, but the market for great players just isn’t that great right now. 30,11,1,2 is one of the best stat lines in the league and at only 27 he is in the middle of his prime. So if teams want him they better get him quickly. Amare should be traded this season, or so it seems Broph wants him to be traded. But like I said I’m not sure if he will find someone to give up what he may want. It should be an interesting thing to keep an eye on though. But with his short contract and him kind of being stuck between a 3 and a 4, he may just end up staying in New Jersey unless Broph trades him cheaper than what he wants to.
3. Dwyane Wade
Age - 28
Ratings - A- A- B A C C
Stats - 28.8 PPG 6.4 RPG 5.2 APG 2.8 SPG
Contract - $10,375,000 / $11,671,875 / $12,968,750 / $14,265,625 / $15,562,500 / $16,859,375 / $18,156,250
Wade has basically dominated the league over the past 4 seasons; averaging 29, 6, and 5. It looks like he could finally be up for trade though. The Grizzlies haven’t been shopping him around a ton like the Nets with Amare but it is clear that the Grizzlies are looking to get younger. But like Amare, I’m not sure the Grizzlies will find what they want. They are probably better off keeping Wade and just trading Duncan and Preira. You don’t want to trade a player like Wade unless you are getting top notch youth, which I doubt the Grizzlies would get right now. Maybe come draft time this off-season they will find a new home for him, but for now I think he stays in Vancouver.
2. Rudy Gay
Age - 24
Ratings - B+ A C+ B+ B- C
Stats - 28.6 PPG 7.2 RPG 4.0 APG 1.6 SPG
Contract - $12,656,250 / $14,062,500 / $15,468,750 / $16,875,000 / $18,281,250 / $19,687,500
When I first did this list the Cavs had Duncan recently signed to a new contract, now they have Rudy Gay. And with his recent TC I have decided to put him at #2. He looks like he is going to average 30, 8, and 4 this year at the age of 24. He improved on his passing, defense and rebounding in TC and he looks like he is going to be one of the best players in UOSLR. He may not be as good as Wade or Amare of a few of the other guys he is higher than, but he isn’t too far behind. And with his age I had to put him at #2. The Cavs were the best team in the East last year during the regular season, but came up short in the playoffs. It looks like Rudy Gay took it upon himself to not let that happen again. The Cavs are flirting with the HC and have an aging Stephen Jackson so it is kind of hard for them to get better right now.
1.LeBron James
Age - 25
Ratings - A- A- B+ A- A- B
Stats - 27.4 PPG 8.9 RPG 3.7 APG 2.6 SPG
Contract - $15,468,750 / $16,875,000 / $18,281,250 / $19,687,500
LeBron was just traded a few days ago, proving that any player can be traded at any time. LeBron is the obvious #1 guy on this list. He has the ratings, stats, age, contract, and name value that no one else can match right now. DBW’s #1 goal is obviously winning though and he felt that James wasn’t getting the job done. I still wouldn’t have traded him though; I doubt it was his fault. The Warriors will gladly take him though. LeBron really turned around the Lakers franchise after they drafted him, but after a short seven seasons he has been traded. While LeBron is putting up the numbers he still has yet to win in the playoffs. If LeBron can’t win in the playoffs he could be deemed the biggest choker in UOSLR history. I think he just needs the right type of guys around him. Aar has put together championship teams before so I believe he will do so and get LeBron a title.
