San Antonio NEEDS to get involved in the Gerald Wallace trade sweepstakes – he’s exactly what they need. A dynamic scorer and a solid defender, he’s got a great work ethic and he understands the Spurs ‘team-first’ philosophy. Not to mention the fact that Wallace gives the Spurs a decent chance of winning some games while Manu Ginobili (and now Tony Parker) recover.

Even better, Gerald Wallace is a player that wouldn’t cost the Spurs hardly anything.

Tell me you wouldn’t like to see Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan face off against the Hornets or the Lakers in the playoffs?

Here’s how San Antonio can get their hands on Gerald Wallace:

1. Get the Knicks involved. The Knicks would likely part with David Lee if it would also get rid of Eddy Curry, and the Spurs could send a draft pick NY’s way to make them feel good about it.

2. Get Larry Brown and Michael Jordan excited. This one doesn’t seem to hard – Okafor is a big-time rebounder and defender who struggles to score. Curry is a solid offensive player who can’t defend or rebound. Put them together and you’ve got a decent PF/C combination. Bring David Lee and Sean May off the bench and you’ve got a solid 2nd unit. Dare I say it, but Charlotte’s frontcourt might even be enviable.

3. Remind NY that they can’t hire Lebron if they don’t dump salary. Losing David Lee will likely be a hard pill to swallow, but the Knicks have got to realize that Lee is going to expect a solid contract before next season. Besides, isn’t getting rid of Curry a top priority? (except for maybe getting rid of Marbury?)

4. Part ways with two defensive stalwarts. San Antonio would need to send out about $8 million in contracts to get Wallace, and the only players that they can trade this early in the season that make any significant amount of money are Oberto and Bowen. After December 15th, a few more players are available to trade…but Wallace might be gone by then.

Here’s how the deal goes down:

1. Knicks send Curry and David Lee to Charlotte
2. Charlotte sends Wallace to San Antonio
3. San Antonio sends Oberto, Bowen, a small contract (Vaughan maybe?), and a draft pick to NY.

The Knicks will need to waive someone to make a deal, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Once a buyout is reached with Bowen and/or Oberto, they can bring back whoever they waived (maybe they can even bring Patrick Ewing Jr. back).

This deal makes a lot of sense for San Antonio, makes decent sense for the Knicks (cap space), and is possibly sensible for Charlotte. I think this trade’s got a shot…

1. The Spurs struggle to put points on the board, which puts a lot of pressure on their franchise player Tim Duncan to produce night-in and night-out.
2. Duncan is getting older and the championship window opens or closes with him.
3. Manu Ginobili, arguably the Spurs best pure scorer, could miss the first month or two of the season.

The Chicago Bulls have some problems as well, and a trade or two seems inevitable:

1. With Luol Deng’s big new contract, Nocioni’s contract is a luxury they can’t afford.
2. Captain Kirk Hinrich doesn’t fit their long term plans.
3. Chicago isn’t in a very good position to participate in free agency in 2010, at least not without renouncing the rights to a young player or two.
4. Chicago is a team without a clear-cut leader or go-to scorer.

So why don’t these two teams make a trade? San Antonio sends Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, and a throw-in (Matt Bonner) to Chicago for Andres Nocioni and Kirk Hinrich.

Here’s how San Antonio improves: Hinrich and Nocioni can start at the 2 and the 3, respectively. Captain Kirk is just as capable of a ball handler and passer as Manu Ginobili, and while he’s not as good of a 3pt shooter as Manu according to the stats, I’d like to see what Kirk can do when he gets wide open (something he hasn’t enjoyed much in Chicago). Besides, Hinrich wouldn’t need to knock down as many 3′s with Nocioni on the floor. The Captain can also backup Tony Parker as needed, another bonus for the Spurs.

Nocioni’s hustle play, 3pt range, and solid mid-range game would help to compensate for a lot of Manu’s intangibles (Nocioni seems ideal for the Spurs by the way). Even better, Nocioni and Hinrich would provide comparable defense to the combo of Manu Ginobili and the aging Bruce Bowen – while also offering quite a bit more offense. Team rebounding would improve, and because of these two new players San Antonio’s offensive attack would be more balanced. Tim Duncan’s workload would also be reduced with Hinrich and Nocioni on the floor to score and rebound.

If the Spurs make this trade they get younger, score easier, and don’t skip a beat in terms of defense. Since the contracts of Hinrich and Nocioni get smaller every year, the Spurs would still have a chance of landing a solid free agent in 2010 provided they avoid any more long-term deals. With 4 starters signed, that’s a good bet.

One more benefit for the Spurs – they probably won’t be dropping any close games when the season starts. If San Antonio doesn’t make this move and instead waits for Ginobili to get healthy, there’s a good chance they’ll miss a few early-season wins. That could translate into a much tougher post-season (and another missed opportunity).

What’s in it for Chicago: The Bulls need leadership – badly. When he returns from his injury, Ginobili brings that leadership along with a will to win that ignites this young team. He becomes the leader the Bulls are lacking. He has enough talent to lead the Bulls back into the playoffs now. Bruce Bowen provides toughness and leadership (and most likely limited minutes), as well as giving the Bulls some real defensive chops. Just imagine how much better of a player Luol Deng will become if he practices with Bowen. Bowen and Ginobili also help freshman coach Vinny Del Negro get up to speeed and set the right tone in the locker room.

Perhaps just as importantly, Chicago gets rid of two long term contracts that they really don’t need. Hinrich’s PG skills are officially redundant with Derrick Rose on the roster. Nocioni is a great energy guy, but his contract is too expensive for a bench player. With contracts pending for Sefolosha and Tyrus Thomas in the summer of 2010, moving the contracts of Nocioni and Hinrich clears plenty of space for Chicago to re-sign their own young talent while also being able to participate in the big free-agent market.

Bottom line: What this really comes down to for San Antonio is that it gives them at least one more shot at a title, and probably 2 or 3. The triumvirate of Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan almost got it done last year, but with Bowen showing his age and Ginobili’s helter-skelter playing style, it seems risky to rely on either one of those players much longer. The Spurs need to do something to make their team better, and as important as Ginobili is, his injury risk is too great. His prime is just about past – why not trade him now for maximum value? Indeed this deal is such a no-brainer for Chicago that they would likely part with a first round pick or two. Chicago is going to try and trade Hinrich and Nocioni anyways – the prospect of getting back a real team leader in Manu Ginobili should be enough to get Chicago to cough up a couple of picks.

Why doesn’t this deal make sense? Chemistry perhaps – moving Manu is breaking up the three amigos. However, the truth is that Duncan is the Spurs. He is the most important player, and everyone else is expendable.

But what do you think??

1) Phoenix Suns – With all the angst from last season, these guys have got a big chip on their shoulder that should translate to the best record in the league.

2) Dallas Mavericks – Just because they bombed out of the first round last year doesn’t mean they won’t be a force in the regular season. There’s nothing wrong with this team.

3) San Antonio Spurs – Every year I think “these guys are too old”, but they just keep getting it done. As long as Duncan and Parker are healthy, they’re the team to beat.

4) Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets will beat out the Jazz for the best record in the Northwest division. They’ve got an easy schedule through December, and they’ll finish strong as usual.

5) Utah Jazz – The Jazz had an interesting off-season that will impact their regular season performance, but they should manage to stay very close to Denver for the division lead.

6) Houston Rockets – Adelman’s clever offensive scheme will make Yao Ming the best player in the west (at least on paper), but there will be a learning curve.

7) Golden State Warriors – Assuming Baron Davis is healthy, Warriors run-and-gun basketball will challenge every team they play in the regular season.

8 ) Memphis Grizzlies – Pau Gasol can be a dominant player when healthy, and this team has a enough talent to make a grab for the last spot in the playoffs.

While I’m not going to predict how these seeds will perform in the playoffs until we get closer, I will officially declare my favorite to win the Western Conference. (drum roll…)

Phoenix. The Suns have everything they need to win, and they won’t be denied this year because of questionable calls. While I’m at it, I’ll go ahead and say that Phoenix will also be the NBA champ in the upcoming season.

Also, my pick for last place in the Western conference goes to the Sonics. Between the lack of veteran talent, the lack of defense, and the ownership’s bid to move the team, anything more than a terrible season is wishful thinking.