Update: This trade is now official.
This morning the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Jumaine Jones is about to be traded to the Bobcats for a second round pick (registration required). They say the trade could go down today.
It is no shock that Jones is going to be traded — I actually had a note to mention that in an upcoming post — and doing it now allows you to keep a younger player on the roster. My only question is, if you waited, could get more than a future second rounder? This is a last year contract ($1.8 mil), a solid veteran who can shoot the three (39.1% from beyond the arc last season) and had an impressive 1.11 points per shot attempt last season. He would be good off the bench for the right team. Still, a Bobcat second rounder is really equal to a late first rounder, so it’s not a bad deal. I like Jones and hope he does well teamed up with Kareem Rush again.
john says
that was the only thing that bugged me about last night. he didn’t play at all. in a rout.
damn, damn, damn, damn.
he was one of my favorite guys from last year. and hell, i’m not completely sold that george can be a reliable backup. he’s been very up and down in the past.
green shows promise… jumaine’s been to the finals and started on a larry brown team.
how old is he? he’s pretty young himself. yet has the vital experience.
Renato Afonso says
I’m a bit lost here as well… A second round pick? Is it worth it? Jones could be the guy coming off the bench to drain some threes but…
The Lakers have (had) too many forwards. George can supply some help on the defensive side, so it’s worth the risk.
(Anyone knows if the next rookie class is anything special? If we get a year like the one where Rasheed Wallace was drafted, then it’s a great trade. But if it’s a year a-la Tim Duncan then this trade has no sense whatsoever!)
Kurt says
No word yet on what year this pick would be, it is just a “future” pick. The general outlook is that 2006 is going to be a down year in the draft because it is the first year of the age limit, so everyone either came out this year or will have to wait, like Greg Oden (the next sure thing) going to Ohio State for a year.
Kurt says
By the way, while I liked the idea of JJ coming off the bench to hit threes, aparently Phil did not because JJ saw little court time this preseason and was clearly out of the mix. He was gone for sure, the only question is what you could get for him.
Tom Z. says
Remember, too, that Charlotte owns Sacramento’s 2006 2nd-rounder. This could be that pick, though I wouldn’t bet on it.
Also, this means Charlotte really traded Jason Hart for Jumaine Jones. They really didn’t have room for the Hitman, did they?
john says
jesus christ, that just settled into my brain…a second rounder??????????
ugh. i’m sick. now we gotta rely on devean george to be a steady offensive producer this year? and devin green, while he looks nice, c’mon. the guy is rough.
i guess jumaine wasn’t a great defender. were his defensive stats that bad from last year? i don’t remember.
you’d think you could get at least a first round pick from a contender to average team for him. jeez.
Kurt says
Jumaine had a defensive rating of 111 (points per 100 possessions) last year, which is bad (not Atkins bad, but bad). When he tried to cover threes they shot 49.8%, when put on twos they shot 53.7%. I think that lack of D is why he fell out of favor with Phil (just a guess).
james says
Jumaine appeared to be surprisingly successful last year, but a look at the stats suggests that we were a bit fooled by his 3-point shooting.
His PER last year was 13.1, just above his career average of 12.8. At his primary position, small forward, his PER was 12.0, while his opponent PER was 17.7, a -5.7 gap exceeded among regulars only by Chucky Atkins. He was, in other words, below average both offensively and defensively.
To get a second round pick for him is no great haul, obviously, but its no great loss either, and isn’t it better to pay the minimum to the 14th guy on your bench than $2 million?
john says
hmm. well. i didn’t remember jumaine’s defensive stats, i did remember kurt posting how the team’s offensive numbers were so much better with him on the court.
i think this year you keep him and pay the 2 mil, even if he’s not in the desired starting rotation. because odom and kobe haven’t exactly been iron men the past couple seasons. george is up and down. walton was really something alley-ooping to shaq, who knows if he’ll be worth anything as well.
sigh. at least it should be a high second round pick. they’ve found a few worthwhile players that low before.
Kurt says
John is right that Jumaine was +3.8 per 48 last season (the lakers were that much better with him on the floor). I think that is because of his three point shooting, he fit in well with Rudy T.’s offense. In addition, his time decreased with Hamblin as coach and that includes the time the team slid.
Michael says
A little off point but, when the Lakers traded for Jones, what were the conditions on the first round pick that Celtics are to receive? I think last year was conditional, so Lakers kept their lottery pick. Is the pick now unconditional?
Kurt says
Michael, I’m not positive off the top of my head, but I think it is protected again this season but only if it is top 10, then it is unrestricted after that. The Lakers have Miami’s first round this coming season from the Shaq trade, I think.
james says
A few thoughts about Jones’ excellent +/- ratio. First, the other Laker leaders last year were Cook and Sasha. Either the team was worse than we thought, or the +/- ratio doesn’t capture much in regards to the 2004-05 Lakers’ squad.
In Jones’ case, the ratio essentially measures how much better the Lakers did with him on the court rather than the primary 3, Caron Butler. Butler played 52% of the minutes at the 3, Jones 29%.
As a scorer, Butler was miles ahead, putting in 7.9 more points per 48 minutes. Jones was better in other ways, capturing 2 more rebounds per 48, and actually winning the turnover battle, but the biggest difference is those points, and how they came. Butler got them because he shot 5.5 more shots per 48 than did Jones.
Those shots went primarily to Odom, Kobe and Mihm, who took 4.4 more shots per 48 with Jones on the floor than Butler. The Lakers were better with Jones on the floor, not so much because of what Jones did, but because of what he didn’t do–shoot.
What Jones’ +/- ratio really tells us is not that he should still be on the Lakers, but that we should all be glad that Butler is not.
Gatinho says
From realgm.com: “The Los Angeles Lakers are owed a future first-round pick by Miami. The pick can first be conveyed in 2006 and is top-14 protected. Future protection is unknown.”