NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Teams to Keep Antawn Jamison From Retiring Next Season
"I feel like a kept man."
I'm not sure if Antawn Jamison has ever seen the '80s Steve Martin and Michael Caine con-man comedy classic, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. However, he's likely to have quoted it this season, and most certainly must feel as if he too is getting scammed.
As a perennially borderline All-Star with 20-8-2 career averages, Jamison has been this decade's version of Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
Here is a guy who, like "Reef" in Vancouver during the 90s, was acquired a bit too high by Golden State in 1998 (traded for Vince Carter on draft day), and was simply asked to do too much.
His numbers were always catchy and his game surprisingly well rounded, but usually on understaffed Warriors' teams that weren't going anywhere.
Just as Abdur-Rahim experienced when leaving the Grizzlies, Jamison has had a number of seemingly good situations slip out from underneath him.
By far, his most efficient season occurred in 03-04, coming off the bench for a loaded Dallas Mavericks squad. That roster was primed for years of offensive goodness with Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Josh Howard, and Antoine Walker, and it represented the best long-term prospects for Jamison's career.
Unfortunately, there was neither enough wing minutes nor enough money to go around, and the team was seriously retooled following their tough first round loss to Sacramento.
Jamison then went to Washington, where the endless potential of his "Big Three" pairing with Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler never materialized.
Constant injuries, off-court distractions, and run-ins with LeBron's Cavaliers presented one hurdle after another.
Still, Jamison was the one constant for the Wizards, soldiering on for season after season as a slightly undersized "tweener" forward who does everything well, but nothing exceptionally so.
He must have felt as if he'd finally reached the promised land last year, as the Cavs acquired him to be the final piece for an expected title run.
Yet, Cleveland's straw grasping for Jamison, Shaq, and Anthony Parker could neither produce a trophy, nor retain the franchise cornerstone.
Suddenly, Antawn Jamison has once again found himself plugging away for another season on another team that's been flushed down the drain.
The Cavs obviously also have a number of reasons to feel "scammed" this year, and not all of them have to do with LeBron: It's certainly proven difficult to move the remaining two years and $13+ million that they've been left holding with Jamison's contract.
Antawn is at that point in his career where he's motivated to win at all costs, and he might not only accept a buyout, but would even settle for the veteran minimum to sign with a contender for the rest of the season.
Yet, where does he fit?
Jamison is a competent outside shooter, a very gifted (and unorthodox) post player, and an adequate enough defender. However, as Cleveland found out last year, the complexities of his skill-set and the limitations of his size make him a somewhat difficult player to simply "plug in".
Still, as a blue collar "character guy", there is going to be a market out there for Antawn Jamison in both this season and beyond.
Here are the top 10 teams who could help Jamison forget that he's been scammed in the past and, like in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, find a happy ending.
10. Atlanta Hawks
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This one probably doesn't make much sense under the buyout and veterans' minimum scenario, as the Hawks already have a stable full of wings without a real position.
However, if the Hawks truly believe they're going to lose Jamal Crawford to free agency this year, a Jamison and Anthony Parker trade for Crawford and Marvin Williams would make a lot of basketball and financial sense for both teams.
While they'd give up a little bit of Crawford's offensive punch, Parker is a better defender and would be much easier to re-sign next season.
The real kicker is that Jamison would not only be a noticeable upgrade over Williams this season, but would ALSO be an expiring contract next year, whereas Williams is on the hook for the next four.
In Crawford, the Cavs would get more of the perimeter scoring they've been looking for, while also getting a little more upside in Williams at a fraction of Jamison's price. Crawford's expiring contract would also grant Cleveland additional financial flexibility next season.
For Jamison, the Hawks would represent a chance to anchor their 2nd unit, play close to starters' minutes at both forward spots, and get back to meaningful games on a Playoff contender.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
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The Bucks are probably a little too far under the radar to attract Jamison into a buyout and signing, but a trade there might actually turn out to be a pleasant surprise for all involved.
Antawn Jamison's personality and game are much more in line with Scott Skiles' liking than Corey Maggette. (Maggette and fellow newcomer, Drew Gooden, have both been on and off Skiles' bad side since they arrived in Milwaukee this past off-season.)
He'd give them similar offensive punch at a more efficient pace, along with at least an attempt to play defense.
What's more, the Bucks' no non-sense approach might be refreshing to Jamison; he'd certainly be a major cog for this team alongside Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, and John Salmons.
Of course, Milwaukee would have to overpay a little bit in order to make Jamison's larger salary fit with Maggette's. This could be done by throwing in someone like Carlos Delfino or Larry Sanders.
However, maybe incurring an extra year of Maggette's contract wouldn't be enticing enough for the Cavs, even though it would be two usable assets for the price of one.
I'm a risk taker, and also wouldn't be opposed to throwing in Michael Redd's expiring $18 million contract alongside Maggette if it netted Jamison, Anderson Varejao (to be used next season), and Danny Gibson in return.
8. Denver Nuggets
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"Karma's a $%@*&!" - Ironic Source of Quote
Unlikely to happen, as it could make Denver a pariah among many other players around the league, but what if the Nuggets finally just said, "Screw you, Carmelo! You want to pick and choose your destinations, forcing us into either getting ripped off by New York or by someone who's only paying to rent you for half a season?
"Fine! We just traded you to the worst team in the league, who's happy to rent you so they have SOMETHING to watch for the next couple of months, who, as a reward for their troubles, just accepted Gary Forbes as a prospect and salary equalizer for Leon Powe, and who's more than happy to have your expiring money at the end of the season!
"What's more, we just replaced a lot of your production with a guy who's willing to take his shot in the here and now (Jamison), and we just saved $3.5 million for this season by doing it!
"Have fun going to New York next year, but remember, it's winter right now in Cleveland!" (laughing maniacally)
(NOTE: I am not a hater. I am neither a Nuggets nor Carmelo Anthony fan. I merely play one on TV.)
7. Phoenix Suns
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Now, bear with me on this one.
If you're the Phoenix Suns, don't you listen intently to an offer that brings in Jamison, simply by moving three guys that you accidentally overpaid for: Jared Dudley, Josh Childress, and Channing Frye?
Sure, they are all nice players, but with Amare Stoudemire now departed, the Suns no longer need to overindulge on floor spacers who can't create their own shots.
What's more, their contracts all run for four and five years apiece, and not a single one of them are the cornerstone type of prospects you're going to need in two years when Steve Nash and Vince Carter's deals are finished anyways.
This way, you bring in a guy for one last two-year run. You now have at least one guy who can create shots in the post, and you trot out a starting lineup of Nash, Carter, Hill, Warrick, and Lopez, with a bench core of Jamison, Pietrus, Gortat, and Dragic.
You're not making the Finals with that group, but you're sure as heck going to be a nasty spoiler in the Playoffs, now that your bench firepower is more concentrated. Plus, now you're set up to actually rebuild this roster correctly when the time finally comes.
For the Cavaliers, they bring in some longer contracts than they'd like, but they now have enough players to actually win a few more games this year, to move when needed in the future, or to develop around in the next few seasons.
If that's not enticing enough for Cleveland, I bring San Antonio in on the deal, now sending Jamison to Phoenix, Channing Frye to add major front line versatility for the Spurs, and a little more upside to the prospect list with Childress, Dudley, Tiago Splitter, and James Anderson all ending up on the Cavs.
The Suns, Cavs, and Spurs can all feel free to chip in a finder's fee for me on this one.
6. Portland TrailBlazers
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It might be expensive, but it also might save the FrailBlazers' season.
They are in dire need of front line bodies and scoring, and still, the knee injuries just keep coming.
Trading the injured Marcus Camby for Antawn Jamison would give Portland enough offensive punch to continue hanging around the Playoff picture.
In the long term, it would cost them the same as Camby's current two-year deal.
In the short term though, the Blazers would probably have to kick in a large portion of the money for Cleveland to buy out Camby, once he was healthy. The Cavs might even demand a low or protected pick for their troubles.
Portland should seriously consider this possibility, as a Pryzbilla, Aldridge, Jamison/Batum, Matthews/Fernandez, and Miller core might net them another Playoff berth in an otherwise crumbling season.
I think that would be worth the extra few bucks.
From Jamison's perspective, the Blazers are also probably the first candidate listed so far who have so much need and so many available minutes as to be an attractive buyout and signing option.
5. Boston Celtics
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There's no possible way to make this work as far as a trade is concerned.
On the other hand, would you be that surprised to see Antawn Jamison accept a rediculously low buyout if it meant that he could join the Celtics' current version of the 2004 All-Star team?
Would you be that surprised to see Boston add yet another front-line veteran, even though they currently have no long-term need for one, (as long as Jermaine O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins return on time)?
However, make no mistake about it, Boston is loaded for bear. They want every hungry veteran with anything left in the tank to outgun Orlando, outlast Miami, and overpower Los Angeles.
If Jamison is truly serious about a ring, this is his best chance.
I can't put him any higher on this list however, as he'd be giving up so much money and playing time, and this would come at the expense of Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels' minutes.
That makes this almost too much of a longshot to fathom.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
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Yes, you could trade Andrew Bynum straight up for him. Yes, you could trade a combination of Lamar Odom or Ron Artest along with Luke Walton for him.
However, since we all know that neither of those would be wise or likely, this would have to be a buyout and signing scenario too.
Cleveland will work very hard over the next three weeks to try and get something for Jamison. Yet, if the trade deadline passes, there is no chance they will keep Jamison or his contract around for the rest of the season. They'll work out a feasible number, and bid him adieu.
Signing into the Triangle Offense would certainly be difficult in the short term, and Jamison might have trouble again without having the ball in his hands enough.
However, the Lakers have minutes to fill now that Matt Barnes is done for the year. What's more, they need some sort of spark, and Jamison might be a fairly low-risk solution.
Jamison's versatility would pair well in rotation with both Artest and Odom's ability to also play multiple positions, and he'd certainly provide a lot of production for such a reasonable price.
The ability to contribute in a bigger way would probably be the only advantage that the Lakers can currently offer over Boston, but for Jamison, that might just be enough.
3. Chicago Bulls
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SPOILER ALERT: This is the last Eastern Conference team of the group. That means the Heat and Magic won't be appearing anywhere on this list, as they don't have the right trade chips, offer any better prospects for playing time than the teams already or yet to be discussed, and Jamison's skills would be quite duplicitous for their current rosters.
So, how are the Bulls this high?
While Antawn Jamison could be traded straight up for Luol Deng, I'm not sure that his offense would overcome what Deng brings to the Bulls defensively. By the same token, I'm not sure that Cleveland would view Deng and the extra two years of his contract as an attractive enough building block.
That is really the only plausible trade scenario, but the Bulls would have to be considered one of the most attractive buyout and signing destinations for Jamison's contender aspirations.
Even before Joakim Noah's injury, the Bulls seemed to be a half-step behind the Magic, Heat, and Celtics in the Eastern Conference arms race. Now, they're counting the days until Noah returns and praying that even that will be enough.
While Jamison won't help the Bulls' size problems, he'll provide the kind of reliable bench scoring and lineup versatility that Chicago would otherwise be missing for a deep Playoff run.
Antawn might not be guaranteed all the minutes he wants, but it would certainly be more than he'd find in Boston.
Between Deng, Jamison, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and Keith Bogans, the Bulls would have wave after wave of wings to throw at their opponents, while taking a little of the front line scoring and rebounding pressure off Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, Kurt Thomas, Omer Asik, and a hopefully healthy Joakim Noah.
The challenge, the need, and the potential are all very real.
If only Jamison could get this lucky for once.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
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Did you know that Nick Collison, (yes, that Nick Collison), makes nearly the exact same amount of money per year as Antawn Jamison?
Yes, the NBA is funny like that sometimes.
The Thunder are just about right where we expected them to be at this point of the season.
But, it's still not enough.
San Antonio and Los Angeles would be clear favorites in any playoff series against OKC right now, while Dallas and Utah have to be considered more than adequate foils.
For all their talent and potential, Oklahoma City is still lacking a crunch time and low post scoring complement to Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and Jeff Green are all phenomenal at what they do, but not a single one of them fits BOTH of those descriptions.
Trading Collison, along with any combination of a 1st Round pick, D.J. White, and Eric Maynor would net the Thunder an assertive veteran who has never had trouble fitting into an already established hierarchy. What's more, his versatility, scoring, and demeanor would quickly win over both teammates and fans.
Jeff Green could easily slide down to the bench, and this would actually be a pretty wise financial move for the cap saavy Thunder.
Yes, Maynor and White may have a future as dependable rotation players. However, despite the blue-collar defense and rebounding that Collison brings to the table, ditching the FIVE YEARS left on his contract would be a no brainer when it upgrades their firepower like this and then gives them an expiring contract asset for next year.
It's unlikely that Oklahoma City would pursue Jamison if he's bought out by Cleveland, and it's equally questionable as to whether he would consider the Thunder if free.
However, given the fact that this is the one team where he could play a major role for this season AND beyond, maybe they should think about it a little bit.
1. Dallas Mavericks
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I know we've all said this about the Mavericks before, but they sure looked like the real deal this season. They finally had some physicality and defensive nastiness to go along with all that offense and depth.
That is, until Caron Butler's injury screwed everything up.
The Mavericks simply do not have a replacement currently on the roster who could offer the same 5-tool production without also screwing up the bench rotation in the process.
It's the difference between them being a legitimate contender this year, and just being another Playoff also-ran for yet another season.
Antawn Jamison does many of the things that Butler did, (thus, a reason why they were oftentimes duplicitous in Washington), but he's also a bit more efficient at doing it.
He brings consistent low-post ability, timely outside shooting, an unselfish demeanor born from a loudly ticking career clock, and a familiarity with both Dallas and Dirk.
Butler's expiring contract, along with a pick and Alexis Ajinca, (or maybe even Roddy Beaubois, if the Cavaliers really insisted), should be enough to get this done.
If Jamison is bought out, then he still won't find a team who needs him more.
The Mavericks and 2004 were the best year of Jamison's career, so far.
This way, it won't have to be.
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