Trade Winds Blow!

Okafor and Lou Williams for Gooden and Tony Parker

The Lovin' Spoonful sought to acquire some blocks, and was willing to give up some points in the process. Nor'easter needed a boost in points, and had big men to spare.

The Players:

Okafor is injury prone, and a truly terrible FT shooter, but offers significant value in BLK, REB and FG%. He's only 26, and his role is wholly secure in Charlotte. I would think that 14/10 with 2 BPG is a relatively conservative projection.

Williams is in his third year, and remains the Sixer's sixth man. Playing behind Andre Miller and A-Ig means that a significant increase in minutes is unlikely, but Williams has shown that he can provide production in limited time. His inconsistent role will be frustrating, but he should average 12 points and 4 assists, with a 3PG.

Gooden is quite consistent and should be a lock for 12 and 9, with reasonable PCTs. He's certainly going to play a lot, even if Noah and Tyrus demand court time for the Bulls. It's worth noting, given occasional attitude problems in his career, that he's in a contract year.

Tony Parker, the Walloon, is quite consistent, and might even improve his numbers with Manu out for a while. He's good for 19 and 7 with a steal per game and a good FG% for a guard. He doesn't shoot the 3 (or rebound).

Analysis:

This trade should help both teams - Williams is a bit of a wildcard - the Spoonful is betting that he can get closer to 1.5 3s, but the others are basically known quantities. Okafor provides about a BPG and one or two RPG more than Gooden, and Parker should get 6 more points and a couple more assists per game than Williams. The Spoonful can handle the poor FT% and loss in points and assists in order to get a few blocks and to speculate on 3s. Nor'easter had expendable blocks, and will gain in points and assists.