Tom Gugliotta? What? You can't be serious? What if I told you that the Trade for Tom Gugliotta directly led to the acquisitions of Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and a top 3 overall pick and future NBA superstar? Here's how the trade went down.
Utah Jazz sent to the Phoenix Suns:- Keon Clark (was injured)
- Ben Handlogton (was injured)
Phoenix Suns sent to the Utah Jazz:
- Tom Gugliotta
- 2004 1st round Draft Pick (later became Kirk Snyder)
- Future 1st round Draft Pick from the New York Knicks (protected, will be the unprotected 2010 pick)
- 2005 2nd round Draft Pick (later became Robert Whaley)
- Cash Considerations
Results of the Trade:
Gugliotta had a huge contract that came off the books at the season's close, leaving the Jazz well below the salary cap, with positioning to make a run at major free agents. The Jazz capitalized on the move and snatched up Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur. The draft picks were considered investments in the future.
Kevin O'Connor should have been hailed as a genius for the move. The closest thing to praise that O'Connor received was from himself, saying "we've put ourselves in a situation where we got three draft picks for two players that were hurt".
History of the Knicks' 2010 Pick:
At the time, the New York Knicks were a middle of the pack team. After being swept by the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the 2003-04 playoffs, Isaiah Thomas took an aggressive approach to building the team and sent the conditional pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Stephon Marbury.
The results could not have been worse for the Knicks. The Knicks gave up a future investment for a cancer that has since doomed the Knicks.Moving Stephon Marbury seemed to make sense for the Suns, as he clearly wasn't a player that could lead the Suns back to respectability in the Western Conference. After unloading Marbury's contract, the decided to move some other over-sized contracts (Gugliotta) to free up some space under the Salary Cap. The Suns took advantage of the extra salary cap space and signed Free Agent PG Steve Nash. History has proven Suns' management to have made wise decisions throughout the summer of 2004.
Downfall of the Knicks:
It didn't take long for the Knicks to start falling. In the following years, the Knicks won 23 games, 33 games, 23 games and 33 games. As team President, Isaiah Thomas deflected much of the blame toward coaching. Larry Brown was asked to step down, and Thomas named himself as Head Coach.
Thomas didn't improve the performance of the Knicks, and was asked to step down as Head Coach after the conclusion of the 2007-08 season. Thomas left his mark on the franchise with many terrible contracts, and little talent on the team.After Thomas was asked to step down as Head Coach, the Knicks appointed former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni as their next head coach. While D'Antoni is a significant upgrade over Isaiah Thomas, the contracts left in Thomas' wake will keep the Knicks down for a couple more years. It is widely known that the Knicks are looking to clear as much space as possible for the 2010 offseason when many big name Free Agents become available such as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.
Last season, the Knicks finished with the 5th worst record in the NBA. The only teams worse than the Knicks were the Miami Heat (will be significantly better next year), the Seattle Supersonics (a team full of rookies will definitely improve), the Memphis Grizzlies (mortgaged any chance at success in the Gasol trade, but may improve in a couple of years), and the Minnesota Timberwolves (the future doesn't look bright). I project the Miami Heat and the Seattle Supersonics to surpass the Knicks in coming seasons, leaving the Knicks as the 3rd worst team in the NBA.
2010 Draft:
In honor of the Knicks' horrendous situation, I'll be posting periodic outlooks on players at the top of the 2010 draft. It is very possible the Jazz could end up with a top 3 pick in the 2010 draft, which would only add to New York's hatred of Isaiah Thomas.
2010 Draft Prospect: Xavier Henry, Shooting Guard, 6'6, 205 lbs
Xavier Henry is an extremely gifted swing-man entering his senior year of high school. Henry has not yet declared where he will be playing his college ball, and he will pretty much have his choice of anywhere in the country. Henry currently plays for Putnam City High School, in Oklahoma City. Henry is said to be fond of Memphis, Kansas and North Carolina as potential schools he may attend in a year. Henry's father played college basketball at Kansas University. Henry's brother was a first round draft pick of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees. Henry has grown taller and stronger each year he has been in High School, and has shown an excellent desire to lead his team to victory. Henry is also said to be a reliable student and leader in the locker room.
Henry attacks the basket with athleticism and balance as well as any other high schooler in the nation. Henry has the leaping ability and strength to finish around the basket, and the creativity to position himself advantageously. Henry already has an advanced shooting ability from long range also, which not only makes defenders respect him on the perimeter, but crowd him to prevent an easy jumpshot. Henry shows advanced basketball IQ and fundamentals, choosing to use the glass on any jumpshot inside 15 feet, and finishing with both hands around the hoop. When Henry attacks the rim, he reminds me of Kobe Bryant the way he hangs, maneuvers, and somehow gets the shot to fall gently through the basket. Like many young players, Henry will need to improve his defense, but he has the athleticism, quickness and intelligence to be a strong defender in the future.
The sweet shooting lefty is no doubt on his way to stardom in the NBA. Could Henry end up in Utah? If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the Knicks to be one of the bottom 5 teams in the NBA for the next two years. The thought of a back court featuring Deron Williams and Xavier Henry is scary to imagine. Both players attack the rim (and play above the rim), both players cannot be guarded 1 on 1, and both players have a sweet stroke from the outside. Deron will be only 26 by 2010, and could possibly play 10 years alongside Henry. If the Henry is currently projected as a top 5 pick in the 2010 NBA draft.It may not be easy to fathom, but a simple trade for Tom Gugliotta may end up yielding Boozer, Okur and Xavier Henry. Factor DWill in that lineup and that's a lineup built to bring home many NBA championships. Props to Kevin O'Connor!
Take a look at these highlight films on YouTube, and you'll fall in love with Henry also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hD2a-MpXd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg3w7xon99I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMPfjS4ZsQ0
Here is a link to a website dedicated specifically to Xavier Henry:
http://www.xavierhenry.org/
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