OKC NBA team acquires Desmond Mason in three-team trade
By Darnell Mayberry
Staff Writer
Desmond Mason is coming back to Oklahoma City.
In a three-team trade expected to be announced later tonight, Oklahoma City will acquire Mason from the Milwaukee Bucks and veteran forward Joe Smith from the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to NBA sources. Oklahoma City will send point guard Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee.
To complete the deal, Milwaukee will send point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland. The Cavs are also sending Damon Jones to the Bucks.
Mason, the former Oklahoma State standout who played in Oklahoma City from 2005-07 as a member of the temporarily-displaced New Orleans Hornets from 2005-07, has career averages of 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Mason, who will turn 31 in October, averaged 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 59 games last year with the Bucks.
Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in 1995, is entering his 14 NBA season. He has career averages of 11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 blocked shots. He averaged 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds last year in Cleveland and Chicago, where he played 50 games before his mid-season trade to the Cavs.
Both Smith and Mason have expiring contracts, which will give Oklahoma City more salary cap space next summer.
Mason would have been a part of a logjam at forward in Milwaukee after the Bucks traded for Richard Jefferson this summer and drafted West Virginia’s Joe Alexander in June.
Ridnour faced the same playing time quandary with Oklahoma City after it drafted Russell Westbrook and returnd veteran Earl Watson. Ridnour has two years remaining on his contract at $13 million.
The deal will free up more minutes for Westbrook, who showed flashes of his potential as the franchise’s point guard of the future in the Orlando Pro Summer League.
Mason and Smith also add veteran players to a young Oklahoma City roster. Both players are regarded as hard-nosed defenders and locker room leaders. Mason and Smith are also versatile players who can play and defend multiple positions, which is expected to add more flexibility to coach P.J. Carlesimo’s rotation.
I refuse to call them Thunder until its official.. I really don't like that name..
__________________
Quote:
Granger: Yeah, GRANGERMAN. I'd be GRANGERMAN. I have dreams about [being a superhero]. I have dreams [where] I'll be flying sometimes, it's kind of weird.
Ridnour and Griffin for Mason and Smith...great trade for OKC. It gets them two sorely needed veterans and opens up $6+ million more in cap space for next offseason.
__________________ Chick Hearn: This game is in the refrigerator. The door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are gettin' cool, the butter's gettin' hard, and the jellooooooo's jigglin'!
The 2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers
PG: Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar
SG: Kobe Bryant, Sasha Vujacic, Sun Yue
SF: Ron Artest, Luke Walton, Adam Morrison
PF: Pau Gasol, Josh Powell
C: Andrew Bynum, D.J. Mbenga
I loved Desmond Mason when he was a Sonic before he was traded with GP for Ray allen. He was a crowd favorite and had incredible hops. I can still rremember some of his tip-in dunks.
I am glad to see Luke get the opportunity to play more minutes with another team. Luke was mismanaged over the past two seasons when he lost his starting role with the Sonics. Luke needs to be a starter and to get consistent minutes to be effective. If given the chance, he should do well in Milwaukee.
And I guess this leaves the roster, for now, at...
PG: Russell Westbrook...Earl Watson
SG: Kevin Durant...Damien Wilkins...(Kyle Weaver?)
SF: Jeff Green...Desmond Mason...Donyell Marshall
PF: Nick Collison...Joe Smith...D.J. White
C: Chris Wilcox...Johan Petro...Saer Sene...(DeVon Hardin?)
Like I said, they benefit from having two more veterans, but ****...they suck. At least they'll have a top draft pick and $22+ million in cap room next offseason.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Wilcox move to Denver in exchange for a future first round pick and that trade exception from the Camby deal.
__________________ Chick Hearn: This game is in the refrigerator. The door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are gettin' cool, the butter's gettin' hard, and the jellooooooo's jigglin'!
The 2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers
PG: Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar
SG: Kobe Bryant, Sasha Vujacic, Sun Yue
SF: Ron Artest, Luke Walton, Adam Morrison
PF: Pau Gasol, Josh Powell
C: Andrew Bynum, D.J. Mbenga
Free Agents: Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown
Last edited by Damian Necronamous : 08-13-2008 at 11:39 PM.
Mason will play and probably start some. Smith probably won't be in OKC for more than a year. Mason will be the most veteran player on the team that will make an impact. He'll help in that way alone. Also as others have posted this will open up cap room to make moves in the next couple of years when there are big time free agents. Also Mason went to OSU that will make him the 2nd fan favorite instantly.
I really hope they're called the Bisons.. that is a great name for them. But anyway, This trade wasn't very good for them. Ridnour has so much obvious talent that I still can't see why he doesn't start over Earl Watson who to me isn't good enough to start over anybody. Ridnour is a bad defender, granted. But he is so good on offense that he makes up for it. I think he'll be the Jose Calderon of next year and establish himself as a great point guard (although not top 10).
__________________
Quote:
Granger: Yeah, GRANGERMAN. I'd be GRANGERMAN. I have dreams about [being a superhero]. I have dreams [where] I'll be flying sometimes, it's kind of weird.
Are you kidding Ridnour is a slug. He might do better with another team if he keeps off the injured list, but he's going to need a huge attitude adjustment.
Thunder Trade for Mason
Okay.
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