February 8, 2008

  • As an Orlando fan, I would like to see the Magic pursue this trade:

    Rashard Lewis for Lamar Odom

    It works on the ESPN trade machine, so the salaries are close enough.(Lewis is not a base-year player because he was acquired via sign-and-trade.)

    Odom
    would give the Magic a much better power forward option than Lewis.
    Odom isn't heavy, but he's long and a good defender, and has been
    effective at the four. He's turned into a decent rebounder (certainly
    better than Lewis). Odom is versatile enough to play both forward
    spots. He's got excellent ball handling skills for his size.

    After their trade with Memphis the Lakers now have Pau Gasol, who is similar to Odom in terms of being a versatile forward, but a bit
    taller and with more of an inside game, more a PF-C rather than a PF-SF
    like Odom. Lewis would give the Lakers a different dimension in terms of three-point shooting and being a more
    natural small forward, who's game probably meshes better with Kobe,
    Gasol, and Bynum, as Lewis can spot up and take perimeter shots,
    particularly three-pointers (something the Lakers could use). Odom's game really never meshed well with Kobe's, because they both like to slash to the basket and create.

    Meanwhile,
    Turk and Lewis are both really small forwards. If the Magic had Battie
    healthy, you could shift Turk to the two and be OK, but even that's not
    really ideal.

    Furthermore, the Magic would get out from
    under Lewis' ridiculous 6 year max contract. (The Lakers an afford to pay the luxury tax.) Odom's is a little less, and it only
    has one more year. The Magic could re-sign him, or pursue a free agent.

    I think Lewis for Odom is a trade that could work for both teams.