Something to marinate on why you're thinking about trades:
Is There an NBA Home for Stephon Marbury?
December 1, 2008 12:38 PM
Stephon Marbury. He's strong. He's athletic. He can shoot. He knows veteran tricks. He can get to the line. He has not only hit game-winners ... he has hit game-winning shots in the All-Star game. He says he is in the best shape of his life.
Assuming things get sorted out quickly with the Knicks, he'll be affordable.
And having tasted his NBA mortality, he might also be more ready to listen than ever.
So, will somebody have a minimum contract available for a former superstar with a reputation for alienating coaches and teammates?
I sympathize with the sentiment that his NBA career may be over. The argument there, I guess, would be that he is not getting any younger, and he clearly has never had whatever it takes to turn skill into wins. Stephon Marbury
But in the end, I can't believe it is true. Big-name players on the downward slope of their careers get NBA roster spots even when they're seriously hampered by injury. A healthy one? With NBA skills? With a name that might even sell some tickets?
He'll play.
But where? No team makes perfect sense.
Without the slightest hint of insider information, and knowing that several teams have already shot down such suggestions, here's a big, speculative, alphabetical list of teams where Stephon Marbury might land:
* Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks have Mike Bibby and Acie Law. Speedy Claxton is still wrestling injury demons. And Atlanta was Marbury's home for a year of college at Georgia Tech.
* Boston Celtics: The Celtics have been mentioned for several very good reasons. One is that they have a strong culture, and with Kevin Garnett around and rings on everyone's fingers, there's really no chance that Marbury will rip apart the clubhouse. (Not to mention, Garnett and Marbury know each other.) The other reason they are on this list is that everyone is used to the Celtics taking fliers on bargain-basement veterans like Eddie House. Sam Cassell, and for a little while, Darius Miles. The unfortunate thing for Marbury, however, is that thanks to the presence of Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, Gabe Pruitt, and Sam Cassell, this team really does not need another ball-handler.
* Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks have Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and Jose Juan Barea who can play this position. But if you see Terry as a shooting guard, and Kidd as not getting any younger, you can squint a little and see this as a team that might take a flier. Also, there's a grand tradition among journalists of always including Mark Cuban's Mavericks on these kinds of lists -- and he is not timid about experimenting with players.
* Golden State Warriors: Don Nelson knows how to put shooters to work, has had some injuries, and took a flier on Chris Webber in a similar situation last year.
* Miami Heat: The Heat are starting a rookie at point guard, and have a team president who is not afraid of players with big egos.
* New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets already have an underused veteran bench scorer in Mike James. But on the other hand, a slow start might make them a little more willing to tinker, and last season they relied on Jannero Pargo to create scoring opportunities when Chris Paul was on the bench. The right bench scorer could make a difference for a team that is surprisingly on the playoff bubble in the West.
* Orlando Magic: The Magic are without Jameer Nelson for a few games. Mike Wilks is out all season. Keith Bogans is out as well. The result is talk of a rookie shooting guard getting time handling the ball.
* Toronto Raptors: The Raptors could actually use a backcourt scorer, and a ball-handler to play behind Jose Calderon and Roko Ukic would not be the worst thing. It would be a chance for Marbury to try his hand in a more European-centric system, which he has said will be in his future. But I suspect the Raptors would only take him on if they can pair the signing with another move to keep them out of luxury tax territory.
* Philadelphia 76ers: This teams needs shooting, and might be feeling like they need to tinker with the formula a little bit. They committed to big expenditures with the signing of Elton Brand last summer, but at the moment they're 11th in the East.
* Phoenix Suns: The Suns have been trying out Goran Dragic and Sean Singletary as backups to Steve Nash, who is always coping with various injuries and would ideally not play long minutes. Perhaps a veteran presence would be welcome. On the flip side, the team's resurgence in recent years has long been tied to Marbury's January 2004 departure.
* San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs have such a strong culture that they have the latitude to carry a knucklehead or two without worrying that it will impact the locker room. And they can always use athleticism and backcourt scoring punch off the bench. Gregg Popovich was an assistant on the 2004 Olympic team that featured Marbury, so for better or worse they have a history. The deal-breaker might be Marbury's reputation as a poor defender.
My opinion: Orlando and Miami are ideal locations for him. (He has been rumored to be leaning towards Miami if released.)
. Other than the Marbury for Marion trade the rest would need general managers to be blind and stupid.