The internets are ablaze with one specific Wizards trade rumor today.

That trade: JaVale McGee and the #5 pick go to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the #3 pick. The Wizards would then select heartthrob Ricky Rubio and if for some reason he’s not available, the Wiz would “settle” for Hasheem Thabeet.

[via Chad Ford on ESPN then Bullets Forever]

Reaction Process:

  1. A resounding no.
  2. Why not trade Andray Blatche instead? (Unsilent Majority’s claims that ‘Dray runs the fast break like a drunk point guard notwithstanding.)
  3. Many of us in Wizards Nation have tossed around the notion that some other unsuspecting GM would be glad to take a chance on Blatche … in a Kwame Brown for Caron Butler type of way.If Grunfeld is dangling McGee instead of Blatche, either other GMs would rather stay away or Gruns and Flip think that Andray (with his four years of “experience”) is more suited for the ‘win now’ plans.
  4. “Great” the Wiz get unlucky on draft night and are looking to trade two prospects for one.
  5. Would Thabeet even be an upgrade over JaVale McGee? Doubt it.My reasoning:
    • Thabeet hasn’t been playing organized ball for that long versus McGee, whose baby carriage used to rest courtside while his mom played pro ball;
    • The two can be similar defensive players with the caveat that McGee gains more weight/muscle (although JaVale may always be more finesse); and
    • McGee, even with a long way to go, is leaps and bounds beyond Thabeet in offensive ability.
  6. Chill out. These are just “rumors” — Oklahoma City is all over the map and are obviously considering multiple opportunities [via Daily Thunder] and the trade probably wouldn’t happen until draft night when the Wizards would know exactly who is available at the three spot.
  7. We will see … but this is still a resounding no.
  8. A better trade (possibly): Not sure if the numbers work, but I’d rather send Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche and the #5 to OKC for Nick Collison and the #3.
    I’m iffy on how I really feel about this.The Wizards would do it to get that #3 pick and a big who is more dependable and better than Etan in many ways, including passing and shooting.

    The Thunder would do it to get the “promising” Blatche, the 5th, and since Etan and Collison both make about the same amount, but Etan for one more year and Collison for two, OKC would chop $6.85 million of their ’10-’11 salary. Plus, Etan is from Oklahoma … he would get to go home and represent for Wayman Tisdale.

    But like I said, there would need to be some number adjusting/fillers since Blatche makes $3 million next season. Who knows?

What Others Are Saying:

Mike Jones, Washington Times:

I have it on very good authority that there is no truth to this whatsoever. Perhaps OKC has interest in McGee, which would make sense, but that doesn’t mean the teams have had discussions. Often, I’m told, teams will throw rumors out there to get counterparts to nibble, thus starting up some discussions.

The Wizards are very happy with McGee and believe he will bloss0m into a multiple All-Star. Trading McGee would also put the Wizards on the market for another center of the future and backup to Brendan Haywood, because Etan Thomas is injury prone and has an expiring contract the Wizards would like to move.

I’m also hearing that the Wizards aren’t at all interested in James Harden, believing that the Arizona State guard lacks the explosiveness, athleticism and ball-handling skills that they’re looking for.

Someone from Comcast Fantasy Sports seems to believe that the Thunder would “make out like bandits”:

The Wizards appear to be in love with Rubio if they are willing to give up McGee and their pick to move up two spots. If this scenario were to take place, OKC would be making out like bandits. They already have last year’s first rounder Russel Westbrook at the one, so drafting a guy like James Harden out of Arizona State with the five and adding McGee, a tall shot blocker, would seem like a great deal.

Michael Lee, Washington Post:

What do I make of all of this? Not much right now. People talk about a lot right now. Names get dropped. Until something is close to getting done, there is no need to get all twisted up over it. But it is interesting fodder, I suppose.