Open Case #DDUSN33Z3 --- Word of the Day

You're in a fantasy league and agree to a trade with another owner. You go to tell your Commish the great news, only to discover, much to your horror… the other owner has changed his mind and accepted a "better offer" from a third owner. You are S.O.L. I've heard the story countless times, and it has been the subject of more than a few sessions of The Commish's Court. Well, I have just learned there's an actual word to describe this situation. You've been a victim of gazumping. You've been gazumped. Although it sounds like it's a completely made up gibberish word, fit to be accompanied by cartoon creatures mocking your misfortune with their high-pitched laughter, it's real. (Pause for a moment to mark the passing of Peter Tamarkin, who died when the plane he was piloting crashed into the ocean. No truth to the rumor that it bounced around in a random zig-zag pattern for a few moments before… it…"STOPPED!" What! Like you didn't make the "Waaaa-waaaa" sound when you heard the news, too!)

Anyways… in England over three million people seeking to buy homes have been victims of gazumping, and have had the deal they thought they made vanish into thin air when the seller in question accepted a higher bid from a second buyer. English law states a sale agreement is not legally binding until signed contracts are exchanged. I like that. It's like the rule I put in all my Fantasy Constitutions… "A trade is not official until both sides submit the same deal in writing to the Commish." Evidently, the word came into vogue in the 1920's when gangsters reinvented the Yiddish word gazumph meaning "to swindle" or "to overcharge". Oy.

Mvaneps is working on a trade that he hopes won't get gazump'd. (I can't help it. Every time I say the word, I picture Ashton Kutcher in my mind.): "I'm giving up Chris Bosh and Luke Ridnour. I'm getting back Shawn Marion and my choice of one of the following: Quentin Richardson, Antoine Walker, Donyell Marshall or Michael Finley. Would you do it and which throw-in would you take?"

Here's where overthinking can be a dealbreaker. Looking at the TCE numbers, we see that in order for this trade to be of equal value, Mvaneps will need a player with a TCE of 10.30, and as you see from the stats below, only Antoine Walker comes close… and he's still a bit short. In TCE's, that is. I, at 5'-10", wouldn't call 6'-9" short.

Name	Team	GP	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	PPG	XTCE YTD	Rank	XTCE (Future)	Rank
Chris Bosh	TOR	65	9.3	2.6	0.7	1.1	22.6	12.37	23	15.61	31
Luke Ridnour	SEA	62	3	6.9	1.6	0.3	11.7	11.32	34	14.97	39
Shawn Marion	PHO	64	12.3	1.7	1.9	1.9	21.6	15.83	5	20.28	6
Quentin Richardson	NY	53	4.2	1.6	0.7	0.1	8.4	4.93	176	7.63	184
Antoine Walker	MIA	64	5.2	2.1	0.6	0.3	11.8	7.29	98	9.33	122
Donyell Marshall	CLE	64	6.3	0.7	0.8	0.5	9.3	6.92	106	8.87	136
Michael Finley	SA	59	3.4	1.4	0.5	0.1	9.8	4.91	178	6.83	211

But does this mean Mvaneps should dismiss this deal entirely if he really wants Marion? Of course not! Because the part of trading that most people don't get is that you can take this throw-in player and immediately cut him for a player on the waiver wire who better suits your purposes. Mvaneps provided a list of what he felt were the top names from his league's Free Agent roster:

Name	Team	GP	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	PPG	XTCE YTD	Rank	XTCE (Future)	Rank
Bobby Jackson	MEM	54	3.3	2.9	0.8	0	11.9	6.11	138	9.28	124
Earl Boykins	DEN	60	1.4	3.8	0.8	0.1	12.6	6.81	111	9.30	123
Chucky Atkins	MEM	53	1.6	2.6	0.6	0	8.8	4.41	202	6.82	212
Earl Watson	SEA	54	2.1	3.8	0.8	0.2	7.8	5.68	157	8.62	144
David Wesley	HOU	63	2.7	2.9	0.9	0.1	10.5	6.91	108	8.99	131
Ruben Patterson	DEN	55	3.5	1.6	1	0.3	11.7	6.08	140	9.07	130
Jerry Stackhouse	DAL	39	2.9	2.8	0.8	0.2	12.7	4.46	201	9.37	121
Matt Harpring	UTA	54	5	1.1	0.8	0.2	12.1	5.86	148	8.89	134
Hedo Turkoglu	ORL	61	4.2	2.6	0.8	0.3	13.8	7.63	92	10.26	109

What's interesting to me is that the player who I would recommend was the last player Mvaneps listed, and almost as an afterthought… Hedo Turkoglu. And what do you know? Not only is he better statistically across the board than any of the throw-ins, he also has a TCE of 10.26 which is almost exactly our target number for an even swap.

The moral of the story? Don't say no to a multi-player deal just because you don't like every player involved. Trades are not chains. They do not have to only be as strong as their weakest link. As long as you know someone on the waiver wire who can replace that weak link on the cheap. Just make sure you get the deal in writing. I’d hate to have to face any more gazumpitude.

Stern Words of Wisdom

Dontel is cooking up a deal that should cause a lot of hubbub in his league: "My team is holding on to the last playoff spot in a 12-team H-2-H league. I just put Andrei Kirilenko and Steve Blake on the trading block for Rasheed Wallace and Rafer Alston. I did a comparison of their stats over the last month and the players I'm getting have better numbers in the majority of the categories I need. I know AK-47 is a stat machine WHEN he's on the floor, but he has not been the stud I envisioned as my # 1 pick. Should I make the deal?"

Well, Dontel, let's take a look at those numbers, shall we?

Name	Team	GP	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	PPG	XTCE YTD	Rank	XTCE (Future)	Rank
Andrei Kirilenko	UTA	53	8	4.1	1.6	2.9	15	12.04	27	18.64	13
Steve Blake	POR	52	2.2	4.6	0.6	0.1	8.6	5.65	159	8.90	133
Rafer Alston	HOU	46	4	6.7	1.5	0.3	11.4	8.41	77	14.99	38
Rasheed Wallace	DET	63	6.8	2.5	1.1	1.6	15.7	10.86	41	14.13	51

We're at the time of year where, if the players are basically healthy, we're only going to concern ourselves with the Future numbers. A quick total of the TCE's shows us that you are giving up a total of 29.54 in exchange for a total of 29.12, all in all a pretty even swap. But if we look at the stats in the five major categories, we see further that the numbers are fairly close throughout. So, you have to figure out exactly how your team has been doing. If the loss of blocks is not going to affect you team, since you've been blown out in that category anyway… then by all means make the deal. All the other categories will improve slightly.

The one thing you shouldn't do is make this deal based on the fact that Andrei hasn't performed "as you wished" given his first round status. What difference does it make where he was drafted if his blocks are allowing you to win a category that you wouldn't otherwise? Is your seventh round draft pick over-achieving? Wouldn't something like that make up for it? Your team is your team. Don't make decisions based on draft order. If someone else drafted LeBron James at #1, but is a game behind you in the standings, because the rest of his team is not doing him any favors, should he keep LeBron because he is "the stud he envisioned"? Or should he deal him to get two players who can get him enough oomph in a couple of specialty categories to pass you and make the playoffs? Bye bye LeBron. Bye bye playoffs for you. Without hesitation.

One last thing before we go… who are these mystery players… and which one would you want?

Name	Team	GP	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	PPG	XTCE YTD	Rank	XTCE (Future)	Rank
Player X	???	40	3.5	0.2	0.3	0.6	4.3	2.19	285	4.49	289
Player Y	???	7	8.3	0.7	0.1	1.1	11.4	0.78	363	9.17	129

Do you know, do you know, do you know? The answer might surprise you. Player X is Memphis Grizzlies' center Jake Tsakalidis. Player Y? Also Memphis Grizzlies' center Jake Tsakalidis… in his last 7 games. Sometimes it is not enough to look at the stats for the season. You've got to look at, as an American Idol contestant trying to emulate Janet Jackson might sing, in a slightly pitchy voice, "what he has done for me lately". And because of this, somebody in your league picked Jake up this week. And this is why. And if nobody did… why are you still reading this column? Get to your waiver wire pronto.

Next week: More from the mailbag, including angry letters from Mark Goodson, Bill Toddman, Moshiach, Mandisa and Isaac Hayes.

All rise… The Court has now adjourned!

AJ Mass is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column The Commish’s Court runs every Saturday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at thecommish@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.