Vladimir Radmanovic for Adam Morrison Trade Analysis

News came out that the Lakers have traded Vladimir Radmanovic for the Bobcats' Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown.

I'm not sure what to make of this trade. It seems like a lateral move for the Lakers, at best, and a tiny step forward for the Bobcats. I'm going to give the win to the Bobcats for a few reasons. Reason one is that Larry Brown and MJ got to get rid of Morrison, someone they were not fond of, especially after his awful play during his starting job role after Gerald Wallace went down. They add Vlad-Rad, a player they believe can play the 3 or the 4 and can stretch the defense with his outside shooting. Of course, Vlad-Rad has been criticized for his lack of effort at times, and his inconsistency. Radmonovic is also not known for his defensive capabilities, which is one of the reasons Larry Brown fell out of favor with Morrison. When it all comes down to it, Vlad-Rad and Morrison have the same flaws. They both play little to no defense, inconsistent scorers, and inconsistent effort. The Bobcats made the trade probably because they believe that they can Vlad-Rad can hit shots a couple more times than Morrison can. In reality, it was probably just to get rid of Morrison, and they realized that Vlad-Rad was the best thing they were gonna get for him.

On the Lakers side. The Lakers get a 3rd pick who never panned out. We all remember Morrison making ridiculous shots at Gonzaga, but many were skeptical about his success in the NBA. He has proven those doubters correct. Morrison is not the most athletic, but he is a shooter, and that is why the Bobcats took a chance on him. A shooter who will make a shot every now and then, but he won't provide the instant offense we need off the bench night-in and night-out. It is also unknown what role Morrison will play on the team. Vladimir Radmanovic has recently lost his starting job to Lamar Odom, and it will be interesting to see how Phil Jackson utilizes Morrison, if at all. What I think, and what I hope, the Lakers are using Morrison for is a trade piece for another deal. The only one I can see right now is for Amare. Yes, Amare Stoudamire. Lamar Odom and Adam Morrison for Amare would work out financially. The Suns would get the very rare skill set of Lamar Odom, and a guy who could play almost any position except Center in Terry Porter's system. This is all speculative of course, and there has been no mention of Morrison being traded again. It leaves Lakers fans to wonder why Morrison was acquired in the first place. It will save the Lakers $7 million in cap space next season, but the Lakers have not been known as a money saving team. If that is the ultimate reason, I think the Lakers and Lakers fans can live with that. The Buss family has proven they will do whatever it takes to win, and if cost cutting now for wins in the future is what the team is doing, that is something Lakers fans can deal with. Well, Lakers fans can only hope that Morrison will be part of a bigger deal. Morrison's contract is guaranteed until the summer of 2010 with an option for the 2010/2011 season. That could be attractive to some teams, and Lamar's expiring $11.4 million is also an enticing option. As of now, the Lakers just hope that Morrison can develop up to his potential, and prove everyone wrong. Nonetheless, interesting news coming out of the NBA, and one that may not be favorable to Purple and Gold faithful right now. We have seen Mitch Kupchak do it before. We are just outsiders that may not have a perspective on what Kupchak's grand plan is.

Izzy

If you want more trade news and rumors, a great piece by SI will let you know everything you need to know before February 19th.