Once Again Tip

It's the annual Funk Coalition and Squirtle Squad mega-trade! This time they'll be flipping some more All Star players, and reuniting Deron Williams with his old backcourt mate Joe Johnson, and Carmelo Anthony will rejoin Al Jefferson. Why don't Jon and Brian just switch teams, or borrow each other's players? Pundits aren't entirely sure either but it sure has given the new year a shot of trading excitement. If you'll recall, last February these two teams exchanged Joe Johnson and Al Jefferson and both players performed well for their new owners. Buoyed by that positive exchange, Funk and Squirtles have agreed in principle to a Melo sized deal.

Brian will be trading Carmelo Anthony, Tyreke Evans, and next year's number one pick for Deron Williams. A three for one? Seems a bit steep doesn't it? But digging just a little under the surface, Williams has increased his value over the past two years, emerging as the most well rounded PG in the land. Deron is averaging 22.1 PTS, 9.5 AST, 1.9 3PT, 1.2 STL, and stellar percentages. While there are a lot of great point guards in the league now, we'd argue that Mr. Nu Jazz is the best, thus his hefty trade price.

It's no secret that GM Jon was in absolute love with Deron, but faced with his huge hole at small forward, he felt the need to move his team captain in order to bring in the disgruntled Carmelo Anthony. Melo's NBA future is still cloudy and one thing is certain -- his numbers are depressed also. Averaging just 23.5 PTS, 8.1 REB, and shooting 43.5 FG%, Anthony has clearly been unmotivated all season long. He could still soar to the top of the scoring charts but it's unlikely he'll regain those heights this year. As for Tyreke Evans, the sophomore point guard has struggled with injuries and has been far less impressive compared to his Rookie of the Year campaign. Evans is averaging 17.1 PTS, 5.5 AST, 4.8 REB, 1.8 STL, but only shooting a putrid 39.6 FG%.

With both Brian and Jon fighting for a playoff spot, the number one pick that Brian is sending Jon's way in the 2012 draft could be any position. Looking over the rosters post-trade, we understand why both teams made the move. Brian needed a bonafide point guard stud to secure his backcourt and lead his restructuring team. Williams, Joe Johnson, and Blake Griffin will be the new core of the Squad, and GM Brian will have to put some more talent around them. We wonder if not keeping Baron Davis this off-season -- Brian kept Serge Ibaka instead -- led directly to this move. We do like the sudden uptick in 3PT that Brian's team will enjoy, and we think this blockbuster signals a move to a more perimeter orientated Squirtles' philosophy.

As for the Funk, they'll gain in the PTS and REB department but now they really have no 3PT on their roster. Jon's team was already ranked dead last in long range shooting -- Brian's team is second to last -- so maybe he'll just scrap the whole category. Losing Deron's nearly ten assists a game could push the Funk into the bottom half of the league in AST, but a lot of that will depend on Tyreke and Tony Parker's continued production. There are rumors that Evans could be salted away for the season from plantar fasciitis so if that's the case, Brian has made a very savvy move for his playoff push.

We love the gumption showed by both general managers and hope this leads to more exciting moves in the weeks ahead!