Re-Do: 1999 NBA Draft

The 1999 NBA Draft is considered one of the deepest drafts in in history. There are nine All-Stars from this draft and players like Lamar Odom and James Posey who were cornerstones in helping their teams win an NBA Championship. Who goes #1 if this draft was redone today? Who would pick the same players if everyone is reshuffled? Here is the 1999 NBA Draft redone if it happened today.

1. Richard Hamilton – Chicago Bulls - I think Hamilton gets the edge over the rest of the class because he is a winner and has been very productive for years. Elton Brand was originally picked here, which was a decent pick. (Hamilton was picked #8 to Washington)

2. Baron Davis – Vancouver Grizzlies – Maybe if the Grizz drafted Baron "The Beard" Davis, the team would have stayed in Vancouver instead of moving to Memphis. Steve Francis was drafted by them, but promptly traded to the Rockets. (Davis went #3 to Charlotte)

3. Manu Ginobli – Charlotte Hornets - Maybe the Spurs wouldn't have been so dominate the last 5-7 years without Ginobli. He would have been #1 or #2, but he has been a sixth man for most of his career in San Antonio. Baron Davis went here in the real 1999 NBA Draft. (Ginobli went #57 to San Antonio)

4. Ron Artest – Los Angeles Clippers – I love playing revisionist history because L.A. is really where Artest wanted to be nearly his entire career. Maybe if they pick Artest here instead of Lamar Odom, he would have stayed with the Clippers and they would have been much better of a team for the past decade. (Artest went #16 to Chicago)

5. Elton Brand – Indiana Pacers - He would have been a much better pick here than Jonathan Bender was at this pick. The Pacers have been searching for a post-man during this time, they could have had a franchise player in Brand at #5. (Brand went #1 to Chicago)

6. Lamar Odom - Minnesota Timberwolves - Odom has been lucky because he has played his entire career either in L.A. or Miami, so thinking that he would do well in Minnesota would be ridiculous, but he would have been a nice compliment to Kevin Garnett during this time. They ended up picking Wally Szczerbiak here, who was a nice player for them. (Odom was picked #4 by L.A. Clippers)

7. Shawn Marion – Washington Wizards - I'm not sure if Marion would have done well in Washington during the 1999 period. He did well in Phoenix because there weren't any real plays set up for him. He was the garbage man and Washington was better off with their actual pick of Richard Hamilton (Marion was picked #9 to Phoenix)

8. Andre Miller – Cleveland Cavaliers - This was the one of two picks in this re-do that was the actual pick by the team. Although he only spent three seasons in Cleveland, if he would have stayed there, he would have been a nice role player with Lebron James. (Miller was picked #8 to Cleveland)

9. James Posey - Phoenix Suns - No matter where James Posey plays, he is well-liked by his teammates and completely over-achieves. If he were on the Suns, maybe they would have won a Championship, but Phoenix can't complain, Shawn Marion did a great job with them with this actual pick. (Posey was picked #18 to Denver)

10. Jason Terry – Atlanta Hawks - This is the other pick during this re-do that actually happened in the 1999 NBA Draft. During Terry's stretch in Atlanta, he spent his time in and out of the doghouse. His most productive years have come as a member of the Dallas Mavericks (Terry was picked #10 by Atlanta)

11. Corey Magette – Cleveland Cavaliers - Maggette would have been a very in compliment to Lebron James and Andre Miller, if those players were still on the Cavs. Cleveland's actual pick was a swing and a miss. They took Trajan Langdon also out of Duke, but couldn't stick in the league. (Maggette was picked #13 by Seattle)

12. Andrei Kirilenko – Toronto Raptors - Kirilenko has the potential to be a triple-double machine and he plays stout defense for Utah. He would probably have seen more playing time in Toronto and would have been a better pick for them than Aleksander Radojevic, who they picked at this spot in 1999. (Kirilenko was picked #24 by Utah)

13. Wally Szczerbiak – Seattle Supersonics - No one was hotter coming off an amazing NCAA tournament in this draft than Szczerbiak. He was a scoring machine for Miami of Ohio. In his prime, he was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, but the Sonics actually picked Maggette with this pick, but didn't stick with the Sonics. (Szczerbiak was picked #6 by Minnesota)

14. Jeff Foster – Minnesota Timberwolves - I put Foster in this slot over Steve Francis because of longevity of career, plus Foster is a very under-rated basketball players. He can play both Center and Power Forward effectively and is very durable. Minnesota could have used a guy like that and would have gave Garnett another big man in the paint. Their actual pick, William Avery, didn't last in the NBA very long. (Foster was picked #21 by Atlanta)

NBA Trade Frenzy : Pack Your Bags

In between Christmas and the trade deadline in February, expect many NBA teams to jockey for position by making a few trades to improve their teams going down the stretch. A lot of contenders have some key players, and more importantly, expiring contracts, to dangle out there for the best deal. Who will make the trades and what players will go? Who will clear more cap-space for the 2010 free agency period? Here are the top eight expiring contracts likely to be traded before the deadline.

8. Ben Gordon - Chicago Bulls ($6,404,750) - Chicago could make a starting line-up filled with guards, and need front-court help. They have just a one-year qualifying offer and it will be hard to trade Gordon since he had what is the equivalent of a "no-trade clause," since he would get Larry Bird rights at the end of this season. It will be hard to trade him, but I have a hard time believing that if Chicago lines up a trade that would put Gordon on a contender, that he would decline the trade.

7. Bobby Jackson - Sacramento Kings ($6,487,888) - The Sacramento Kings are off to one of their worst starts in the team's history and looked like they have already packed it in. Their coach was already fired and appears to be playing for more ping-pong balls in the lottery. The Kings could move Jackson to clear cap space for 2010 and maybe get a draft pick in the process. He has been a deadline gem the last fe seasons and it seems like that could be the case again this season.

6. Andre Miller - Philadelphia 76ers ($10,333,334) - Philadelphia had high hopes coming into the 2008-09 season with a positive showing in the playoffs last year and the signing of Elton Brand. The season didn't start off as they hoped and their coach was fired just a few weeks ago. The 76ers aren't going to be players in the 2010 free agency bonanza, so if they move Miller, it would be a move to build for next year. Philadelphia would be looking for first round picks and maybe a young point guard, something similar to the Devin Harris/Jason Kidd trade last year.

5. Lamar Odom - Los Angeles Lakers ($14,148,596) - The Lakers could be looking to make a move if some other Western Conference teams start improving their rosters. Odom, who hasn't played well in the playoffs, is now the Lakers sixth-man and looks like the most movable piece. Odom seems like he is content with his role with the team, but that could change with a more prominent 4th quarter role for Andrew Bynum. If Portland, New Orleans, or Boston make some moves, look for the Lakers to dump Odom to compete.

4. Eric Snow - Cleveland Cavaliers ($7,312,500) - Eric Snow is basically the Keith Van Horn of this season. He hasn't played in a game this year, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it could be worth dangling out there for teams looking to make a run at free agents this off-season (Carlos Boozer) or the coveted 2010 off-season. Snow's contract isn't Cleveland's only expiring contract worth-noting as you will find out later.

3. Shawn Marion - Miami Heat ($17,610,000) - Miami has had its share of deadline trades and Marion's move has been rumored since the end of last season. The Heat are currently floating around .500 and in the Eastern Conference its good enough to make the playoffs, but probably not get out of the first round. Marion is the biggest impact-players currently on the market and I'm positive that a deal will come across Pat Riley's desk that will be too good to pass up. Shawn Marion will not be in South Beach by mid-February.

2. Wally Szczerbiak - Cleveland Cavaliers ($13,275,000) - It's amazing that Wally Szczerbiak actually signed a contract where he is getting paid this kind of money, but worst contracts have been signed. He is still a great shooter and can put up 20 points on any given night, but Cleveland doesn't need him and can use him to obtain a player to help them win a championship. Rumors of a possible deal with Milwaukee for Michael Redd could be where Szczerbiak lands. His contract is the ace up Cleveland's sleeve, the other elite teams (Boston and L.A. Lakers) can make a trade and improve their club as much as the Cavaliers.

1. Raef Lafrentz - Portland Trailblazers ($12,722,500) - Once the apple of Mark Cuban's eye, Lafrentz is relegated to the bench. His expiring contract could lead to a large power shift in the Western Conference. Portland is a young, explosive team and a trade of Lafrentz could land them some veteran leadership that they desperately need. A veteran point guard would be first on their list, someone to spell Rudy Fernandez and can maximize their offensive ability, since they have some great defenders in the low-post. If Portland can get a veteran or two in a trade, the Blazers instantly jumps up a few spots and could guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

The trade activity this season has only just begun. I think there will be more trades this season than in year's past and will change the playoff landscape. I wonder if Keith Van Horn will make a comeback for some of this action?