The Cleveland Cavaliers have been looking for a new player to run the offense, and trade rumors suggest that Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby is the man for the job.
Backcourt Upgrade
Even though the team made it all the way to the NBA Finals last year, they really do need an upgrade in the backcourt.
Guard Daniel Gibson has done a solid job this year when he was a starter. He averaged 12. 5 points and 3 assists a game. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers need more than solid. They need spectacular.
Spectacular was what guard Larry Hughes was supposed to bring. He’s a talented player, but he’s just not the right fit for LeBron James. He’s more of a slasher than a shooter, which is what the Cleveland Cavaliers need.
Mike Bibby just happens to be a spectacular guard who can shoot.
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Time For A Change
Mike Bibby has missed the 2007 season thus far because of a thumb injury. In the last few years, he’s shown a bit of a decline. That could simply be because of the team’s overall state and Mike Bibby’s motivation level. Trading Mike Bibby away now would allow the team to rebuild, and it could possibly give Mike Bibby a big boost in motivation. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all that a player needs to get his career back on the upswing. Mike Bibby won’t be the only player that will be shopped. Forward Ron Artest, forward, Kenny Thomas, forward Shareef Abdur Rahim, and center Brad Miller will all be shopped in an attempt to clear up some salary cap space. |
Potential Trades
There’ a few potential trades possible between the two teams.
- Mike Bibby for Larry Hughes For those of you that are wondering, a straight up trade between Mike Bibby and Larry Hughes does work under salary cap rules.
However, it’s hard to imagine that the Sacramento Kings would do that deal straight up because Larry Hughes has a few years left on his contract. Plus, he’s not really the type of player that teams will build around. He’s more of a secondary player. With the Cleveland Cavaliers expected to be a perennial playoff team, their draft picks aren’t as highly valued.
- Mike Bibby & Mikki Moore for Larry Hughes & Drew GoodenThis trade might be a bit more appealing for the Sacramento Kings.
Larry Hughes and forward Drew Gooden are two guys that can help the Sacramento Kings out in the short term and long term. If the team can trade their other expensive contracts so they can acquire a superstar, then the team can use Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden as supporting players.
Center Mikki Moore is a throw-in for salary cap purposes, but he could end up teaming up with forward Anderson Varejao in providing the Cleveland Cavaliers with energy on the frontline.
- Mike Bibby for Eric Snow & Drew GoodenGuard Eric Snow and Drew Gooden each have a year remaining on their contracts, which is about $7 milion each. That does provide the Sacramento Kings with some flexibility in the near future.
Drew Gooden is a pretty good big man who is still young enough to be a building block for the Sacramento Kings. He’s not a superstar, but he’s a starter on most teams in the league.
As for Eric Snow, he’s more valuable as a short term mentor for Beno Udrih than what he can actually contribute on the floor.
Closing Thoughts
A trade that sends Mike Bibby to the Cleveland Cavaliers would create quite a buzz for the league.