Larry Bird hasn't had a lot of success with the Indiana Pacers.  Just look at this picture.  Bird is clearly miserable.  Right now Larry is in the final year of his contract with the team and the Pacers have almost no chance to make the playoffs with their current roster.  

Why not shake things up? Well, based on numerous reports, Bird tried to do that last night by dangling his only real asset: Danny Granger.  Evidently, Indiana offered Granger and the 10th pick in the draft to the New Jersey Nets for point guard Devin Harris, the 3rd pick and a few other spare parts. 

Would this trade have made the Pacers a better team and a playoff contender?  Probably not.  However, I have a trade recommendation that will achieve both objectives: 

Danny Granger, Jeff Foster and T.J. Ford to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Al Jefferson, Jonny Flynn, Ryan Hollins and newly acquired Martell Webster  

This deal works according to the ESPN Trade Machine and Larry should give serious consideration to calling Timberwolves GM David Kahn as soon as possible.  Hell, Larry Legend might even be able to convince the often clueless Kahn to thow in a lottery protected #1 pick as icing on the cake.

Let's take a look at the deal from the Pacers perspective.  Right now, they are a 30-35 win team at best without a low post presence.  If this trade went down, Jefferson would provide a solid scoring option in the paint to combine with perimeter players like Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Rush, Webster and 1st round pick Paul George.  In addition, Indiana would get a young and dynamic point guard that Bird has long coveted.   

Once Roy Hibbert, Dahntay Jones and A.J. Price are added to the mix then the Pacers become an instant 7th or 8th seed in the mediocre Eastern Conference. 

Would the Timberwolves bite?  I don't see why not.  Jefferson has been on the block for nearly a year now and Kahn reportedly tried to acquire Granger in a straight one for one deal before being rebuffed at the trade deadline. 

As far as Minnesota is concerned, there is really no hope on the horizon.  With Jefferson, Love and Flynn the Wolves won't win more than 30 games.  That is a given. 

However, a roster with Granger, Love, Wesley Johnson, Corey Brewer and a re-signed Darko Milicic (yes, I am one of the few people who still believes in him) might suddenly look appealing to Ricky Rubio over in Europe.  While I still doubt Rubio will ever wear a Timberwolves jersey, the exodus of Flynn and arrival of Granger might make him think twice a couple years from now.  In the interim, T.J. Ford and Ramon Sessions can hold down the point while the other young players continue to develop and improve.

Come on Larry and David....get on the phone and make a deal.   

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Here are a few other random draft musings...

- Props to the Clippers for acquiring Eric Bledsoe for a future 1st round pick.  Five years from now Bledsoe will be one of the top floor generals in the league. 

- Sacramento struck gold for the second consecutive season by snaring DeMarcus Cousins.  I still am not a fan of Paul Westphal, but Cousins and newly acquired Samuel Dalembert will make the Kings one of the biggest surprises in basketball next season.

- I continue to like what John Hammond is doing in Milwaukee.  The pre-draft deals for Corey Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts were well worth the table scraps (Bell, Gadzuric and a 2nd rounder) and much needed size has been added to the front line in the form of Larry "Hey Now" Sanders and Tiny Gallon. 

- Gordon Hayward ending up in Utah was obviously the least surprising development of the draft. 

- The second least surprising development was Boston snagging Luke Harangody in the 2nd round to replace the soon to be departing Brian Scalabrine. 

- Finally, with Chris Bosh almost certain to bolt for Chicago, Miami or New York, Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo deserves kudos for landing Ed Davis and trading for SKK favorite Solomon Alabi.