Trading Places

By Justin Albers
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- Draft day was filled with many trades, some that could potentially have a large impact on the future of the NBA.
Portland made some serious moves on Thursday night, and I believe they will be a playoff team in two years. After drafting Greg Oden No. 1 overall, the Blazers traded their star, Zach Randolph, to New York for Steve Francis and Channing Frye. This is a move that surprises me a little, but it should work out in the end. Channing Frye is almost identical in physical size and talent to LeMarcus Aldridge. Why you would want two of those guys on the same team is beyond me. But Randolph was a guy that they had to get rid of because of his attitude issues; such a shame that a player of his caliber cannot control himself off the court. In the second round the Blazers drafted former Duke forward Josh McRoberts, a real steal in my mind. McRoberts is a guy that can do it all; shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. He has a real passion for the game and should be great coming off the bench for Portland. The Blazers are a good small forward away from being a real player in the Western Conference.
Seattle decided that Ray Allen and Kevin Durant could not play together, but chose to look toward the future. The Sonics took Durant with the No.2 pick and then traded Allen to Boston for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and the No. 5 overall pick (Jeff Green). If Seattle can find some way to re-sign Rashard Lewis, then they are looking good for the future. The part I don’t understand about this trade is Boston’s position. If they already have Paul Pierce, why make a move for Ray Allen? Maybe they were looking for bait in the KG deal, but unless Boston gets a legitimate big man, the team will continue to struggle.
One of the biggest trades of the night involved Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats traded to rights to Brandon Wright (No. 8 overall) to Golden State to get Jason Richardson. Personally, I like this move for the Bobcats. All they have on their roster is young guys that have not yet proven themselves at the NBA level. If they can find a way to get a guy like Amare Stoudamire into town, then the Bobcats instantly become a playoff team. Smart move by the Bobcats, let’s see if it works out.
So, after weeks of trade rumors, talk should die down a bit. But people will continue to wonder about the future of KG and Kobe, where will they go? Only time will tell.