Blazers send Wallace to Hawks in 5-player deal

[davemania]

Bad boy Rasheed Wallace probably got his most severe punishment yet from the Portland Trail Blazers: a trade to the lowly Atlanta Hawks.

The Blazers sent the volatile forward and reserve Wesley Person to the Hawks late Monday night for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and two other players. In Wallace, Atlanta gets an often-troubled player who's averaging 17 points and 6.6 rebounds a game.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/bask...ade.ap/?cnn=yes

What does everyone think of this trade ? Portland got a scorer and a good defender. Wallace needed a change of scenary and he got one. Atlanta probably still can't win a game ;)

[....]

Ouch. Atlanta. Well, it should help both teams, actually.

[Briandl79]

Looks like with this trade and their last Portland has finally gotten tired of being the butt of so many jokes. Ultimately not only were they a team that couldn't beat the upper echelon teams in the West but they were a team full of players that lacked character and morals, and I'm glad to see a team do the right thing and get rid of these players regardless of what talent they may have.

Atlanta is one of the worst teams in the league and with this trade they'll put themselves in the position to make moves this next off season unless of course Wallace actually plays well in Atlanta, which isn't impossible.

[mattmatik]

If this was any other player I would feel bad for him going to Atlanta, but Rasheed wrote his own deathwish. Now that the Blazers have Abdur-Rahim and Zach Randolph, I wonder who will get the power forward nod. Neither of them are centers, so there might be some issues at first with that.

I think Portland should also let Dan Dickau run point guard and see what happens. I've never like Damon Stoudamire as a point guard - he's more like a Bobby Jackson or Nick Van Exel. If Dickau has the point guard mindset of getting Randolph and Abdur-Rahim the ball, he could average about 7 assists a game. I think Portland did good on this one...although Bill Walton did say Sunday that the Blazers might have found their chemistry after Sunday's win over Seattle.

[Greenstein]

I think Rasheed is way past his prime. Hopefully the Hawks will just use him the remainder of the year and let someone else deal with him.

I am a huge Celtics fan and it seems like this is something they would do. Good thing they have Raef making all the cash sitting on the bench this entire season due to injury. Also glad to see Vin Baker making all that money and he can't even stay on the bench--always suspended. The Celtics are going down the toilet quickly. They need to dump their high paid old players and upgrade. This is why year after year they never have any cap room to be in the sweepstakes for a big time free agent.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Damn. Being a Knicks fan I was kind secretly hoping he would get traded to us, maybe get his act together like it seems like Stephon has. I was however not willing to get rid of Kurt Thomas to do the trade, which was the name that kept popping up for Wallace, so I cant say I am really truly disappointed.

[cmove]

Nice trade for Portland, In any case Sheed will surely leave at the end of the season

[CatnipOligarchy]

holy crap the hawks make headlines for the first time this year! now were on our way to becoming a thug team :woot:

[Fubalastic Fantaculist]

omgosh. is this for real? :o wow, i sure hope not. omgosh. this cant be happening. :no:

[Toxikk Veteran]

i guess this is good for the hawks, good for the blazer, but bad for rasheed. poor guy. i hope he can atleast make an impact in the atl.

[pagal]

good trade for the blazers...however, its not all that for atlanta.

remember how many problems webber had until he got traded to the kings? hopefully wallace will learn his lesson and start getting his act together.

[mattmatik]

good trade for the blazers...however, its not all that for atlanta.

remember how many problems webber had until he got traded to the kings? hopefully wallace will learn his lesson and start getting his act together.

Good point, although...

Rick Adelman > Whoever the Hawks coach is

Also, Webber wasn't exactly THRILLED to be in Sacramento. In fact, for about 2 years after he got there, he threatened multiple times to leave, want a trade, etc. because he felt SacTo wasn't a "city". Obviously, his mind has changed with the success...and somehow I cringe at Atlanta having success anytime soon.

[CatnipOligarchy]

i dont see how anyone thinks this is a good deal for atlanta. we gave up shareef abdur raheem, theo ratliff, and dan dickau, for a player that will be leaving town next season, and the hawks might as well follow suit and move to a town that cares about them. i like the hawks, but they arent going anywhere fast in atlanta.

[davemania]

I think Atlanta's primary aim is to clear their salary. Rahim and Theo combined would probably cost Atlanta $50 M and Wallace is on his last year of his contract. Its a good offseason move.

[aboi]

wow soloredd i didn;t know you are a warrior fan ? thats cool, i thought i was the only one :p

[Greenstein]

I think Atlanta's primary aim is to clear their salary. Rahim and Theo combined would probably cost Atlanta $50 M and Wallace is on his last year of his contract. Its a good offseason move.

I agree.

I heard that Hawks' managements first target is Kobe. Gotta get the cap room somehow, even if it means giving up some of your best/better players.

[CatnipOligarchy]

yeah sure it clears cap room, but im having a hard time believing that kobe bryant would sign with a franchise as pitiful as the one we have in atlanta. maybe we'll get the top draft pick this year, and we can build a solid nucleus with kobe and the top pick.. but i dont have much confidence.

[cmove]

i guess this is good for the hawks, good for the blazer, but bad for rasheed. poor guy. i hope he can atleast make an impact in the atl.

I doubt that it remains after this season

[Greenstein]

yeah sure it clears cap room, but im having a hard time believing that kobe bryant would sign with a franchise as pitiful as the one we have in atlanta. maybe we'll get the top draft pick this year, and we can build a solid nucleus with kobe and the top pick.. but i dont have much confidence.

I agree....why go from a yearly contender to a team that hasn't been successful recently. But most of the teams that have cap room are non-playoff contenders. If he wants the big cash, he might have to settle for a lower calibur team.

I still think he will sign with the Lakers. I can't see him playing anywhere else.

[Toxikk Veteran]

check this out.

would be funny if he moved again.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1737659

[cmove]

Atlanta could send rasheed to detroit ...

[lawtai]

that would be a big move for detroit if that were to happen

[CatnipOligarchy]

well tonight would be his first game with atlanta if he doesnt get traded before it