The Blue Board

Sets them up well to take Drummond IYAM. Okafor and Nene would be great mentors and would allow him to be a 20mpg sub for 2 years.

Wow, Rashard Lewis is due $24 million next year...what in gods name?

yes

@chadfordinsider: This Wizards-Hornets trade screams Bradley Beal at No. 3. Adding Okafor & Ariza should eliminate TRob & MKG

Makes it interesting for the Cavs.

they wont amnesty jack. he only has 1 year left at 5 mil.

i would trade him for nothing. u only get one amnesty. it would be better to save it. only use it now if they get 2 superstars. u never know what could happen with other players.

Ever since pwning the Cavs in the east finals, Lewis Turk and Peitrus haven't done jack.

Absolute TERRIBLE trade for the WIz, are you guys series? You give us the best expiring contract in the league to give us more money.. Take on 2 back ups for 43 million.. Lol it's a joke..

The good news for Washington Wizards fans is that general manager Ernie Grunfeld is building a winner. The bad news is that he's doing it in Minnesota and New Orleans.
Seriously, can anyone explain why this guy is still running a basketball team?

`Grunfeld engineered yet another numbingly brutal trade today when he sent Rashard Lewis and a second-round pick to the New Orleans Hornets for Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza.

`The deal is classic Grunfeld -- taking a "win now" approach with a team that's not even close to win-now mode, overpaying veterans, mismanaging the cap, and basically throwing slop at the wall and hoping something sticks.

quote:
He overpaid for the assets too. Remember, a few weeks ago people were talking about how New Orleans might use the 10th pick to persuade somebody to take Okafor and Ariza off their hands? Instead they're keeping the 10th pick and got rid of both contracts. How hard do you suppose the Hornets laughed when Washington agreed to throw in a second-round pick too?

As for the Hornets, this was a wondrous move that offloaded two problem contracts, cleaned out room in a crowded frontcourt for rookie Anthony Davis, and gives them almost unlimited cap room going forward. Once they waive Lewis, the Hornets will be far enough under the cap that they could amnesty Jarrett Jack, offer Deron Williams a max contract, and still re-sign Eric Gordon.

It's unlikely D-Will would take that bait, but the real fun comes a year later when Jack and Lewis are off their books entirely; if they offer Gordon about $10 million a year, they would still have nearly $30 million in cap space. Of course, they still need to use this space to get actual players, but between trades and free agency the Hornets are in position to put a potent team around Davis fairly quickly. Also, some chap named Chris Paul will be a free agent next summer if he doesn't extend his contract.

Grunfeld said the Wizards are a better than they were yesterday, and in a very narrow sense he's correct: This deal does incrementally improve his roster. But there are far more efficient ways to produce the same improvement, and instead Grunfeld has essentially handcuffed the franchise to two more years of mediocrity so he could win a press