Nuggets Trade Earl Boykins and Julius Hodge for Steve Blake.

Vyse · #1 01-11-2007, 07:10 PM

Linkified

Anyone else think they got ripped off? Earl Boykins was balling out of control, and while Boykins, Smith, AI, and Melo all don't fit, you at least think they could've got a draft pick too. Instead, they just got a mediocre pass-first PG.

Needle77 · #2 01-11-2007, 07:12 PM

It's for salary cap/luxury tax reasons. That is all.

ThaSaltCracka · #3 01-11-2007, 07:13 PM

trade makes sense after shipping off Miller. Blake handles the ball well and was a decent 3PT shooter in Portland. Plays no d though, so perfect for Denver! I wonder how much cash they got.

Needle77 · #4 01-11-2007, 07:15 PM

Link

Actually J.R. already made a good post on this in the A.I. trade to Denver thread.

Vyse · #5 01-11-2007, 07:24 PM

Hodge and Boykins make 4 million between them and only for the rest of this season. Blake makes one million, so they save three million for one year. How much cash is Milwaukee giving them? In terms of PER, this is absolute rape for Denver, and I get the feeling an instant energy / scoring boost will end up being more useful than an all-pass, nothing else player.

Spellmen · #6 01-11-2007, 08:08 PM

A little offtopic, but has Julius Hodge been a bust? This is the first I've really heard of him NBA wise being really impressed with him for several years at NCSt. I thought he was pro-ready as a junior, but seems I have been way off

J.R. · #7 01-11-2007, 08:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hodge and Boykins make 4 million between them and only for the rest of this season. Blake makes one million, so they save three million for one year. How much cash is Milwaukee giving them? In terms of PER, this is absolute rape for Denver, and I get the feeling an instant energy / scoring boost will end up being more useful than an all-pass, nothing else player.

[/ QUOTE ]

The luxury tax doubles very dollar above the cap, the Nugs are over the cap and Earl Boykins made @ 3 million this year and had a 3 million dollar player option for next year (when the nuggets will also be over the cap). Blake and Hodge have similar salaries.

AI averages 42 minutes a night and JR Smith will be playing 30-35 minutes a night. Not many minutes for Earl. With Melo and AI the Nuggets need an all pass guy more than another guy looking to take shots and possessions away from those two and JR.

Earl is basically the same style player as AI but worse, and as they have demonstrated since the NY brawl and AI trade, an Earl/AI backcourt is a defensive nightmare (Earl is a double liability- he can't guard his guy and he can't help).

Blake is not a great defender but he isn't 5'5. He may be able to shoot the 3 which would help Melo with double teams and AI with penetration.

J.R. · #8 01-11-2007, 08:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
A little offtopic, but has Julius Hodge been a bust? This is the first I've really heard of him NBA wise being really impressed with him for several years at NCSt. I thought he was pro-ready as a junior, but seems I have been way off

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. At NC State he was all around good but not really dominant at any one thing. This hurt him in the NBA and he struggled at first to find a role and then got shot five times last April, ending his season. He just got called back up to the nuggets a week or so ago from the D league, where he was playing his way back into shape. He may have some success in Milwaukee but there wasn't much room for him in Denver.

J.R. · #9 01-11-2007, 08:42 PM

In summary:
Pros:
1) Gets nugs under the luxury tax line, saves nugs a bundle.
2) Gives nugs a pass-first backup PG who will let AI play the 2 some.
3) Rids nugs of a ball-hogging chucker in Boykins
4) Creates a trade-exemption that gives nugs future flexibility in trades (Blake's contract is expiring too) .
Cons:
1) Boykins is more talented than Blake.
2) Nugs had to trade Hodge to get under the tax.
3) Milwaukee fans all say Blake sucks.
4) Denver could really use some draft picks and they didn't get any.

Nugs give up more talent but improve the financial health of the team and get a backup PG who should be a better fit with their needs

Morphling29 · #10 01-11-2007, 09:25 PM

I watched every nuggets game this year and it was clear that Boykins and AI don't fit well together.
They had to play zone 90 percent of time with both in there but niether could still effect a shot taken from outside. The nuggets have been getting destroyed on D with those two. Blake will probaly only play when AI isn't in there.
This will help the Bucks with Mo Williams down though.
Hodge had been in NBDL but they brought him up probaly to show him off some. He couldn't play with AI either because he can't make an outside shot and his man sags the lane on Iverson.