The Indiana Pacers traded for T.J. Ford, sending Tinsley a clear message that he was unwelcome in Indiana. Even with back-up point guard Travis Diener out indfinitely with a foot injury, Tinsley is still chillin' at home in ATL. Progress was being made to send him to Denver but it was denied he was traded there. If the Pacers want to get Tinsley out, they need a point guard in return in case if injury-prone Ford ever gets hurt again. Tinsley isn't the easiest person to shop with his off-court problems. If any team wants him though, the Hawks, Warriors, Hornets, Thunder and Magic could all use Tinsley and give the Pacers who they want.
Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby for Tinsley and Rasho Nesterovic
31-year-old Bibby is on the tail end of his career. Two years ago, he was one of the premier point guards in the NBA averaging 21.1 PPG and 5.4 APG for the Kings. After being traded to the Hawks last season, he averaged 14.1 PPG and 6.5 APG and career playoff lows of 10.3 PPG and 3.1 APG.
Atlanta trading for Tinsley would be a better move for them than keeping Bibby. It also saves Tinsley the expense of moving out. Although Bibby outscores him by by 2 PPG, Tinsley is a better defender and distributor. Tinsley also turns 31 this year but is playing better than Bibby. Acie Law might not be ready to take over yet. Flip Murray signed with the Hawks and sparked a run for the playoffs for Indiana and barely missed it, but Tinsley will have a better impact. It also give them a quality point guard for 3 years. Nesterovic is just a trading piece to make the trade go through.
Indiana getting Bibby would give them cap space for next year to give Danny Granger an extension. Plus, you have Bibby backing up T.J. Ford. Bibby can play well with other point guards on the same floor. When Ford is on the floor, Bibby can play shooting guard, just like he did with Bobby Jackson and most recently, Beno Udrih. Good trade for both teams.
Golden State Warriors: Al Harrington and C.J. Watson for Tinsley and Shawne Williams
Golden State could really use a point guard right now with the injury to Monta Ellis. In the lead for the starting spot is C.J. Watson. Those competing for a spot are Marcus Williams, DeMarcus Nelson and recently signed Dan Dickau. Tinsley would be an instant upgrade over all of them. I have a feeling that the Warriors don't want Troy Murphy or Mike Dunleavy back.
Al Harrington's already been through Indiana twice. He averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG last year. Getting him would give them a line-up of Murphy, Harrington, Granger, Dunleavy and Ford. Not that bad of a line-up. Harrington has an option to play for one more year and will most likely take it, but they'll be in contention this year. Watson and Travis Diener will contend to back-up Ford.
Tinsley would definitely help the Warriors' point guard troubles, with Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins. The trade would give Turiaf, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph a chance to start for the Warriors. Williams would be tossed to the side. The loss of Baron Davis is huge, but Tinsley, if he acts right, could keep their hopes alive once Ellis comes back.
New Orleans Hornets: Mike James for Tinsley
If the Hornets have any glaring weaknesses right now, it's their depth at point gurad. They have the game's best point in Chris Paul, but no one to back him up. Jannero Pargo left for Russia and they're summer league star Bobby Brown signed with the Kings. Those minutes could take a toll on Paul at the end of the season, but Tinsley could play well as a back-up and give him time to relax. He only gets 11 minutes rest on average. Tinsley's a better player than James and they could really use his help.
Mike James was put in a position where he can't start, and he hasn't played well as a back-up to Chris Paul and played OK behind Rafer Alston before he was traded from the Houston Rockets. He's 33, but it's shown in the past that James performs better when given minutes. If Ford gets hurt again, James' performs better when he starts. He also has one year left on his contract, so it's a good trade for both parties.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Earl Watson for Tinsley
Russell Westbrook is the Thunder's point guard of the furture, but they can't really look at the playoffs until four years from now. Tinsley could speed up the process, playing next to ROY Durant and Oklahoma favorite Desmond Mason. He's one of the better defensive point guards in the league and can pass that on to Westbrook.
Watson is a very underrated point guard with 10.7 PPG and 6.8 APG with the Seattle Supersonics last season. He would be a very valuable back-up if anything happened to Ford. He's one of the more underrated distributors in the game and could help Indiana make it into the playoffs. Watson, who turns 30 next year, has three years left on his contract, but he is a valuable player to any team.
Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson for Tinsley
If the Magic want to become championship contenders, they wait for Nelson. If they want to become contenders now, they get Tinsley. Tinsley is also a better defender and distributor than Nelson and could be the difference maker. He'd be a talent boost on a team that doesn't have to worry about anyone moving for a while, except for the fact that Hedo Turkoglu wants to opt-out next year for a pay raise.
Nelson only missed 13 games, but out of the 69 he did play he missed 7 starts. He started in all 77 games he played the year before. His numbers have gone down every season, probably because the emergence of Dwight Howard. Nelson would still be a reliable back-up to T.J. Ford. He's only 26 and averages 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG.
Any one of these teams could use Tinsley and he could make them better. It's all about if they want to take the risk that comes with him. His stats are at an all-star caliber, and if he gets his act together, he'll be one of the league's best.
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