| The Bucks Blew It Big Time With Magloire Trade Authored by Patrick J. Austin - July 31, 2006 - 10:48 pm
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The Bucks gave away one of the few productive centers in the league for peanuts. Don’t get me wrong, Steve Blake is a solid backup point guard, Brian Skinner is a workhorse, and Ha Seung-Jin has the upside to turn into a decent second unit center. However, this collection of “talent” does not equate to a center like Magloire. Yes, Magloire had a disappointing season (9.2ppg & 9.5rpg) and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but you have to get more than three role players for a 28-year old, starting caliber center. It’s common knowledge that size is treasured in the NBA and yet the Bucks dealt this valuable trade commodity for pennies on the dollar.
It’s shocking how quickly a player’s value can drop after just one less-than-stellar season. The Bucks gave up Desmond Mason and their 2006 first round pick, which wound up being the fifteenth selection (Cedric Simmons), in order to land Magloire. That was a heck of alot, especially when you compare it to what the Bucks got in return for Maggs.
Why did they get so little in turn for Jamaal? To be honest, I think the blame falls solely on the shoulders of their General Manager, Larry Harris. He broke the cardinal rule when it comes to shopping a player – he let everyone know his player was readily available and needed to be moved sooner rather than later. The moment Harris declared publicly that Magloire was on the block, Jamaal’s trade value dropped substantially. Why? Because other General Manager’s realized they wouldn’t have to offer maximum value in order to land Magloire. It’s simple business logic – you don’t pay $100 for a product if you know you can acquire it for $50.
Harris should have gone to all the newspapers and media outlets proclaiming Magloire’s value to the team and how talented the big man is. He should have created a mystique of greatness around Magloire and then started up trade discussions. If he had done that, I guarantee you he could have gotten much more than three bench players.
Steve Blake is the only player they received who is capable of doing anything of significance for the team, but even he will be challenged to get playing time with Charlie Bell and Mo Williams at point guard. The only impact Brian Skinner and Ha Seung-Jin will make is keeping the bench warm. Honestly, I can’t see either beating out Charlie Villanueva, Andrew Bogut, Joe Smith, and Dan Gadzuric for playing time at the 4/5 positions.
Larry Harris had an opportunity to really improve the roster by trading Magloire for a player of need or even some first round draft picks. Instead, he traded him for three guys who will probably make a minimal impact. The entire Magloire in Milwaukee experience is a perfect example of what not to do if you’re an NBA General Manager.
You should never acquire a player for high value (i.e. Mason/1st rounder) and trade him for low value (i.e. the aforementioned bench trio). I don’t think anyone can say the Bucks are a better team after this trade. |
