My first post on Indycornrows was beating the old drum of why O’Brien’s offence does not maximise our team’s efficiency.  This post is similar in that it is another potential trade to improve our 4-man position and I do not think anyone has mentioned it previously.  At any rate, here goes:

Pacers receive:

- Tyrus Thomas

- Shaun Livingston

- Eduardo Najera

Bobcats receive:

- T.J. Ford

- Tyler Hansbrough

- Dahntay Jones

This works on the NBA trade machine (can not seem to sort out the link, though) and projects to give the Pacers 9 more wins and decrease the Bobcats win total by 12.  That fact alone should get Michael Jordan, arguably the worst decision maker on personnel in the NBA, to pull the trigger on this one.

Joking aside, it gives the Pacers a young and athletic power forward that can rebound and play defence.  Livingston and Najera are mainly throw-ins to entice the Bobcats as they are owed marginally more money than the three players the Pacers are sending out.  Nonetheless, the trade has the added benefit to the Pacers of getting rid of Ford and thus forcing O’Brien to play our best backup point guard A.J. Price.

The Bobcats have shown interest in Ford in the past and his contract expires at the end of the year, which saves money for a team in a poor financial position.  The trade also saves the Bobcats a few dollars this year.  Larry Brown seems to have fallen out of love with Thomas this year, as indicated by the low number of minutes he has played recently.  In addition, Hans and Jones are both Tobacco-Row products, which Jordan has shown a proclivity to accumulate in the past.

Finally, from the Pacers perspective, this move is a risk as Thomas is in the first year of a pretty hefty contract.  He has also had a reputation for attitude problems, but David Thorpe has said this earlier today:

Ryan (LA)

David, if Skiles, Del Negro AND Brown refuse to play Tyrus Thomas extended minutes, you MUST look at the player, right?

  David Thorpe  (12:21 PM)

Right, expect his PER is great and his body language has looked good to me when I have watched them. Am I missing something?

Ultimately this move will be a gamble, which is something the Bird-Morway brain trust has not done much of at all.  I think in order for us to win, though, we will have to roll the dice on a few transactions.  Nonetheless, O’Brien may go for this trade because when he personally insults and upsets Thomas at a post-game press conference he will have a further excuse to keep playing the Posey-Foster old guard at 4.

What do you guys think?