Note: The NBA Trade Deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. EST
As most of us have already heard by now, there were serious reports that Gerald Wallace was heading to Portland for Joel Przybilla, cash and a first round pick. It was reported as done by NBC's ProBasketballTalk but nothing official has happened since.
Now that there has been time for the dust to settle and for me to gather my thoughts, I've decided what I think about this trade.
Now, I love Crash like nearly all of the Bobcats fanbase does. That said, I understand trading him. It's probably a necessary evil that has to be done now. He's at the peak of his career (or just past?). And with his style of play built on athleticism, his aggressive, high-flying manner don't lend itself well to effective longevity in this league. So it probably would be best to see Crash traded for some pieces to rebuild this team, which has very little upside as far as contention in the playoffs. However, this trade can't be the best we can get for him. Przybilla is a mediocre center with an expiring contract and the first round pick is likely somewhere near 20th. In an already weak draft class, that's not great. I'd like to see some young talent included as well if we're only getting that much.
Just a minute ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that "Charlotte-Portland talks for Gerald Wallace cooling, sources say. 'Cats pulling back, with one source suggesting MJ's getting cold feet." Hopefully, the Bobcats are still exploring some options that others have offered for Wallace.
Other deals from around the league after the jump...
The day kicked off with a bang as Deron Williams was dealt to the Nets. More details here.
We all know about Carmelo Anthony being traded.
The Hornets traded Marcus Thornton and cash for Carl Landry of the Kings.
And the Raptors traded their first round pick from Miami to Chicago for James Johnson.
EDIT: Late Wednesday night, Baron Davis and the Clippers' 2011 UNPROTECTED first round pick were traded for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.