Breaking: Bucks acquire Magloire

The deal: Milwaukee Bucks acquire Toronto native centre Jamaal Magloire from the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in exchange for small forward/shooting guard Desmond Mason, the Bucks' first-round draft choice in the 2006 draft, and cash.
Quick analysis: The Bucks are suddenly loaded, maybe even overloaded in the middle, with recently signed 6-foot-11 Dan Gadzuric (recently signed to a six-year deal), the NBA's most recent No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut and now Magloire. It doesn't put them up with the major players in the east, but it does move them up the ladder and they've now got to be considered a playoff team. Magloire, the Eastern Commerce product, is coming off a season cut short due to injury. He has two years and a little more than $17 million left on his contract. As for the Hornets, they get an athletic guy (2001 slam-dunk winner) who has some name recognition in their new home (an Oklahoma State product) and is coming off a career-best 17.2 points a year. They get a pick, and some money. But you wonder who will be jumping centre for them. Mason, like Magloire, has two years left on a deal worth a little less than Magloire's.
Edge: Bucks, big time. They get every team's dream: a young centre who can play right now, and they have the luxury to bring Bogut along slowly if they want to. They also clear up a  logjam after re-doing Michael Redd, signing free agent Bobby Simmons and trading for Jiri Welsch.
Fallout for Raptors: They were mentioned in Magloire trade rumours for some time. But the fit wasn't there after the Raptors  weren't willing to deal away their two 2005 first-round picks, using them instead to take Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham. Now, with Magloire headed east, the conference just got a little tougher.

Comments

[Anup]

First of all, GREAT TRADE for the Bucks!! They have solidified their front court by adding Magloire. Some people might question why they would trade for another centre, but in the NBA today there's no such thing as having too many big men. The Bucks can bring along Boguet at a slower pace if they wish. By the time Magloire's contract ends, Boguet will be coming into his own. After signing Simmions, everyone wondered why they would sign another SF, but now they're cleared that jam.

For the Hornets, they might be the only team right now the Raps are better than! They're building from the ground up again, but Mason plays the same position as Smith. The draft pick is the best part of the deal for them, but now who's gonna man the middle, the birdman?

Too bad Toronto couldn't put together a deal for Magloire, maybe Mo Pete and a conditional first rounder?

[Shaheen]

Looks like the Hornets got more for Magloire then the Raptors got for Carter. Something very wrong about that.

[Justin]

Don't rush to say Milwaukee wins this deal. They give up their 2006 first round pick, unconditionally.

Their 2005 first round pick was first overall. Are they going to be *that much* better this season? That could still easily be a lottery pick, maybe a high one.

[Dagomar Degroot]

It's pretty annoying that Magloire wanted to come to Toronto. I'm sure we could have put together a better deal than the Bucks offered. With our weakness at center, we should have bent over backwards to get a talented young center who actually wanted to play here. Instead we get nothing, again . . . .

[Ian Hansen]

Another missed opportunity for the Raptors...a starting line of Bosh/Magloire? That would have been awesome...Keywords there "would have been"...Toronto will be the last in the east for sure...

[Ben]

Sigh... I'm sure Magloire is happy he got out of New Orleans to go to a potential playoff team, but Mason and a 1st round pick for him? C'mon, I'm sure the Raps could do that without giving up the 7th and 16th pick. Peterson, Woods, Denver's 2006 pick and maybe a second round pick would do it. Imagine a frontcourt of Magloire, Bosh, Villanueva (small forward, and he CAN play that position), with Bonner, Graham, Eric Williams off the bench. WOW!! but now, guess we have to suck for this season and hope we can get both Rudy Gay and Daniel Gibson for next year's draft...

[Justin]

Don't worry; his contract is up in 2 years ... just means T.O has to wait a little longer for Magloire

[cy]

"Peterson, Woods, Denver's 2006 pick and maybe a second round pick would do it."
Ben, c'mon, be realistic, it would never do it. MoP can't break into this starting lineup, Woods is even less of a factor. The Raptors didn't put together a better offer than the Bucks because -- they couldn't. They don't have the talent or the flexibility. Their only chance was in June, and they decided to go another direction. I'm with Justin -- except that I think we'll be waiting a little longer than two years. Judging by the Maple Leafs' example, I expect Jamaal to be arriving just as he's heading into his Robert Parish years.

[Joseph]

Remember when Raptors traded Vince Carter to the Nets for nothing. Well they could have traded him to the Hornets for Magloire. Looks like Babcock screwed up another move.

[Tee]

Disgusting. If Babcock isn't going to do anything to make this a winning team, at least make it a team that the fans want and love. He continues to ignore the city and it's fans by doing dumb moves and handling them badly. Like the Bonner deal, Carter deal, the non Magloire deal. Come on Babcock, at least pretend you care about the bill payers.

[Allan]

Great trade for New Orleans. Magloire is an overrated big man (poor in the dressing room) who would never sign back in New Orleans after next year. They would have lost him for nothing. Instead, they relieve themselves of almost 9 million dollars in salaries, get a potential superstar in Desmond Mason and a draft choice to build with.

[Sean]

I wanted Magloire more than most people, but I think Toronto made the right decision to keep their draft picks. Villanueva is looking like a player in pre-season. Graham will likely be an average scoring, tough defender who rebounds larger than his stature.

Babcock will get a centre but he won't sacrifice the Raptors future to get it. If we had traded the two draft picks, whose to say that Magloire is going to even re-sign in 2 years? Especially after the Raptors tank the next couple of years without the two young guys helping out.

Once our core of players is better (maybe after 2006 draft) we will be able to attract the higher profile free agents to Toronto. Right now we just have to patient.

[Jon]

Magloire's contract is up in 2 years, same time as a number of players come of the books for the raptors which frees up enough cash to resign bosh and sign Magloire. We're a young team but 2 years from now we'll have a solid line up.

[f]

please please please don't say that the raptors should have/would have/could have gotten magloire. they couldn't, and not at that price. when vince was on the block New Orl. wanted vince and two first rounders. that would have been A HORRIBLE trade for us. you get talent from the draft, tradeable, playable, droppable - it's how teams are made. (look at minni - if they could have been drafting players, they would have been a serious force - so sorry KG).

on top of that, magloire isn't even that good. he was an all star the year that the east had NO CENTRES (anyone name is co centre that year? haha!).

the move makes milwaukee an interesting team. playoff bound? not sure. they have to beat detroit, indiana, heat, and nets to be in the top half, and magloire can't do jack against detroit D, indy toughness, shaq or the phoenix lite of the east running and ooping.

just because magloire is from here doesn't mean he's a good addition to our team. i'm going to be patient with the rooks, get a good draft pick next year, and guess that we'll be the 7 or 8th seed next year.

[Chesley]

Thoughts of Magloire getting traded were not reasonable. we have nothing to offer. Babcock was right not to trade both pick in the past draft to get him. He's not our savior. The Bucks improve greatly with this trade, but time will tell on the trade. Mason is very talented and goes to a team with few really good scorers. they will have problems in the middle, but the draft pick could be big.

[Daniel]

Definitely a good trade for the Bucks. As for the raptors not trading for Magloire, they just simply didn't have the assets to trade for him, and they weren't going to trade 2 picks for a center, who may be acquired as a free agent in 2007.

Also, some people keep saying that Vince Carter was traded for nothing...these people don't even know how the Raptors' 16th pick - Joey Graham will turn out, and they're already bashing...at least wait until we see how well Joey Graham plays (and the Denver pick next year).

[Jay]

Morris Peterson and a the 16th pick in the draft is what this deal sound like to me. The problem is Babcock ,is not respected so he can't get fair deal. In order for this raptor organization to get respect they have to trade Jalen to Knicks for Penny Hardaway (expirying contract) and Trevor Ariza ,they got to lose the most games so they can get Rudy Gay in the draft ,and fire the president and the gm. Then go after Jamaal. "Please don't play Charlie at the 4 or 5 it will ruin him just like Drew Gooden. He can be the best 3 in the league if he starts."