Magic Trade Ariza to Lakers for Cook and Evans; World Mourns

by Ben Q Rock on Nov 20, 2007 6:30 PM EST in News Comment 5 comments

I just got back from work and got the startling news that the Magic have traded Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers for Brian Cook and Maurice Evans. It's no secret that Trevor is was my favorite Magic player, so obviously I am upset to lose him.

I won't pretend to know much about the players we've received. I do know that Cook is a power-forward with a sweet shooting stroke, like a younger, better Pat Garrity. Maurice Evans is a three-point shooter and defender in the Keith Bogans mode: basketball-reference says as much in its "most similar at age" section on Evans' profile.

The feature player in this deal is Cook, whose contract does not expire until after the 2008/2009 season, with a player option for 2009/2010. In that respect, his contract mirrors that of Hedo Turkoglu. The deal doesn't make sense when you consider that the Magic already have Tony Battie, the player for whom Cook will fill in, on the payroll until 2010. Why saddle ourselves with an unnecessary contract? We only needed a power forward rental, a veteran who would play for us this season, then make his way somewhere else; Chris Webber and Dale Davis would have been ideal.

I'll have much more to say about this trade at a later date, but I have to cut this post short so I can work on a very important paper. Please post your feelings on the trade in the comments or in the diaries. Don't forget to vote in the poll!

Magic fans' first opportunity to see the team's newest editions in person will be Friday against Charlotte. No word yet on if Cook and Evans will be available tomorrow night against the Spurs.

Because we had 15 players on our roster, we cannot take back more players than we trade away. Thus, the Magic were forced to waive Bo Outlaw.

UPDATE: Here's more from the Magic's press release. Brackets are mine, parentheses are from the original release -

"Brian (Cook) helps bolster our frontcourt," said [Otis] Smith. "He is a power forward who shoots the ball extremely well, while also bringing added toughness to our roster. Maurice (Evans) is a tremendous athlete, a solid defender and capable of playing multiple positions. Both Brian and Maurice fit in very well with what we are trying to accomplish."

Poll

Do you approve of today's trade?

Ask me again in another month or so.

18 votes

Yes, it's a good move.

6 votes

No, it's a bad move.

26 votes

50 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 5 comments |

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Comments

Trade

In and of itself it's not a bad trade. Like you, I love Trevor Ariza, and I thought he could help the team more than he was. However, if Van Gundy wasn't going to play him because of his system or strategy, then it makes sense to trade him for someone else. A big power forward who can shoot sounds like a better fit for Van Gundy's system. You're right though that Battie's contract makes this not such a great idea. I think the problem is really that giving Battie that contract made no sense whatsoever. The problem for me wasn't really the money, but the years on his contract. I know he's a good defender, but he is also a limited player, and on paper Cook looks like a better fit. We'll see what kind of defense and rebounding he's capable of, and whether he really has a good shooting stroke. Basically it all depends on how these guys perform. As it is, our bench needed a boost, hopefully these guys can give us that.

by swamidigital on Nov 20, 2007 7:11 PM EST reply actions

Sorry...

I hate to be a downer when you're already bummed about losing Ariza, but I feel like I owe it to you to let you know what you're in for. For a long time I dismissed any trade proposal/rumor with his name involved because I didn't think there was a GM stupid enough to pick up his bloated contract. First off, despite what ESPN.com might say, Cook is by no means a PF. Nothing about his game could possibly be associated with anything with the word "power" in it. He's a SG who happens to be 6'10". He's also a mismatch on defense for pretty much whoever he's covering. He's completely one-dimensional, which is incredibly frustrating to watch a guy of his size put in no effort on boards or defense. He does have a very sweet stroke, but it never seemed to make the headaches he caused worth it. Just scan the comment section at forumblueandgold.com to see the joy Lakers fans have now that Cook is gone. The maker of this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYjFo5K1pNM must be really stoked. With those two gone, the blood pressure of Lakers fans will be significantly lowered this season.

All that said, it does hurt to lose Mo. I much preferred him to Sasha as Kobe's backup. He's a great athlete who plays with energy, is solid defensively, and finishes well around the rim. I'll miss him, but no where near as much as I won't miss Cook's crappy play. The fact that we got Ariza is just an added bonus.

by carter blanchard on Nov 21, 2007 3:57 AM EST reply actions