WizBlog RSS FeedDRAFT.NET: BEST & WORST OF PAST DRAFTS
NBADraft.net put together a great list which looks back at some of the best and worst moves that took place on those eventful (or non-eventful if you count the 2000 not-so-classic) nights in late June over the last 10 years.
But here’s one part of the piece that got me thinking…
“2004: Washington Wizards trade Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laetner, and the draft rights of Devin Harris to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison.
Dallas got the better of this one, essentially getting their point guard of the future and the league’s best sixth man in Stackhouse for Jamison, a talented player who didn’t fit in with the Mavs.”
I think this is in the eye of the beholder in terms of who got the best of the deal. Washington traded Stackhouse, who was coming off an injury-filled season where it became apparent that he didn’t fit in to Wizards’ future (same goes for Laettner, who was making a relatively hefty salary) and a first round pick (#5 overall) for Jamison, that season’s sixth man of the year.
I think it worked out for both teams in their own way, with Washington making the playoffs for three straight seasons (while Arenas rightfully gets the credit for much of the team’s recent success, Jamison was IMHO the catalyst who brought leadership and credibility to the locker room) and Dallas doing what they did…or in the case of this past season, didn’t do…I know, “kick em while they’re down why don’t ya!” 
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What do you guys/gals think? Who, if anyone, got the best of that fateful 2004 deal? And read the Draft.net story too - great comment on the selection of everyone’s favorite #1 overall pick from 2001 that hits the nail on the head (and is what I’ve been saying for years).
May 29th, 2007 at 4:13 PM
I read that article earlier and had the same thoughts - while Dallas got the better end of the deal, I thought Washington made out pretty well - although I thought then and still do now that we had given up to much by including that #5 pick, plus I always thought Laetner did a solid job - especially popping out and hitting that 12 foot baseline jumper, the roll Songalia seems to be filling now.
As far as the 2001 draft pick, I don’t see how it could have worked out better than getting Caron Butler for it.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:58 PM
Getting rid of Laettner and Stackhouse for Jameson did wonders for team chemistry. It’s a shame we gave up the pick also. I’ll bet the Wiz felt they had to get rid of those two and that was the best deal they could make.
May 30th, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I generally agree with the masses. I feel that adding in the 5th pick was a bit much at the time. Getting rid of Stack and Laettner was needed badly.
In retrospect, I think it was a good deal for both teams. Tawn has meant so much to the ‘Zards since coming here.
Hopefully we can keep the big three together, sign back DeShawn and Andray, then pick up a guy like Anderson Varejao. That would be a sweet offseason, not even counting the draft!
May 30th, 2007 at 11:05 AM
Is Varejao a free agent?
Stackhouse has flourished in Dallas, which I didn’t really think he would do. Jamison is the better of the two players, however.
We *wanted* to get rid of Laettner’s salary, obviously, but he was always a better player than he’s given credit for. Still, I didn’t like the trade because we gave up such a high pick.
On the other hand, 2004 was an up and down draft. We might have picked Devin Harris or, even better, Luol Deng (who went 7th). But, we might have picked Rafael Araujo! He went 6th. Draft picks are chancy! And Jamison worked out ideally here.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:22 AM
In the 2d round of the 2004 draft, we got that sterling monster in the paint, Peter John Ramos — 7′3″ w/ a 6′3″ wingspan — leaving Chris Duhon on the board. That’s 20/20 vision in hindsight of course.
There is a lot of luck in the draft — 2 picks before PJ Ramos, Anderson Varejao was picked!
May 30th, 2007 at 11:23 AM
My guess is that we would’ve picked Deng.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Mine too — and he is a pretty good equivalent to Jamison in a way.
What I didn’t understand about that trade was why we didn’t get some kind of a pick in addition to AJ.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:56 PM
Yes, Anderson Varejao is an unrestricted free agent. So is Andres Nocioni in Chicago. Both would be good fits for the Wizards.
May 31st, 2007 at 9:34 AM
We won’t be able to afford Varejao with Haywood and Thomas being so highly paid.
You never know what unexpected, trade, or sign-and-trade deals will come along, however, so keep your fingers crossed.
Maybe we’ll get Tiago Splitter in the draft, and maybe he’ll be a Varejao type player, and maybe….
May 31st, 2007 at 10:22 AM
It was a great trade for both teams but I think that Dallas got the best of it. Stackhouse did a good job replacing Jamison as their sixth man and Harris is doing well for them also. The Wizards may have benefited from “addition by subtraction”, but they ended up with less talent then Dallas did.
May 31st, 2007 at 2:03 PM
well said odawg.
May 31st, 2007 at 6:41 PM
True, but they ditched a salary and opened up room to build the team from other angles.
It’s very hard to judge most trades, especially just on the players involved. That said, I too think we might have gotten more from the trade. Maybe we didn’t *want* more, however?
April 21st, 2008 at 4:29 PM
we were not a playoff team before tawn came so it worked out. He gives us points and boards and thats what we need.