[CHRONIC] Bosh mixes meetings and tweeting. Rockets wait and wait.

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/07/bosh_mixes_meetings_and_tweeti.html

In the chase for Chris Bosh, Daryl Morey always knew he would be at the back of the line.

The teams with cap room, among other things, would line up first. He had to hope to get a turn at bat before Bosh made a choice.

When Morey was able to get in Bosh's living room, it seemed that the prospects of Morey landing his top target had dramatically improved. But Bosh's agent set up the process as if the early morning contact — whether in Dallas or over the phone while Bosh was still there — was just preliminaries, with the real meetings the sit downs in Chicago that Bosh has taken since with the Heat, Nets, Knicks and Bulls.

The Rockets had to wait in the wings, but maintained hopes that they would get a chance to sell attributes that would win Bosh over.

They got his attention in Dallas, but still need that audience in Chicago.

That seemed increasingly unlikely when Bosh had his meeting with the Bulls at the United Center on Friday, and his buddy Dwyane Wade met with them a second time in the office of Henry Thomas, the Chicago-based agent they share.

If you think it is tough being on the outside looking in at the long shot Rockets pursuit of Bosh, imagine how Miami feels.

The Heat could put Wade, Bosh and LeBron James all together, and has seemed to be working to that end. But with Wade seeming increasingly serious about the Bulls, the Heat could be coming up empty, with even Amar'e Stoudemire already spoken for, too.

There is a long way to go before Wade jumps ship and returns to sweet home Chicago. He told the Florida Sun Sentinel that a decision was not imminent. But Wade would not have taken this so far if he were not at least considering the Bulls. And the Bulls no doubt want to nail down as much as possible heading into the Saturday pitch to James.

That brings it back around to Bosh and the Rockets' hopes.

If Wade is to make the jump to Chicago, someone could be eager to jump with him. Bosh could do a whole lot worse than joining a team with Wade, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah (though he might not get his hands on a ball a whole lot with a Rose-Wade backcourt.) James could find the same deal appealing. And they all could try join forces in Chicago, a few pay cuts and sign-and-trades willing.

This can work for the Rockets, however, if Wade and James go to Chicago and there is no sign-and-trade that will work for the Raptors to send Bosh there, too. For that matter, Bosh would want a sign-and-trade to join Wade in Chicago whether James signs on with them or not.

If the Bulls cannot make a sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors (and I've been given mixed messages on that), the Rockets could get lucky with Wade in Chicago and James staying in Cleveland, or with both together with the Bulls. The Bulls' difficulty in getting a sign-and-trade for Bosh might explain their talks with David Lee. They can afford Wade or James with Lee.

For the Rockets, this is all like trying to fill an inside straight on the last card. The Rockets, however, are not the team that went all-in. That would be the Heat, who have to hope that when Wade comes home, it is to South Beach.

• • •

In some ways, Bosh seems to be in a no-lose situation. Play with James or play with Wade. Not bad.

But when you look at the gutted Heat, it still does not seem the best bet for a free agent to make that move, even with Wade there.

In this search for information, the Heat cannot provide much. They can be very impressive. Pat Riley does that better than just about anybody. They can win a player's confidence. They can show off their recent championship ring, the latest in Riley's collection. They have no state income tax.

But who is the center? Bosh wants to play power forward and no longer have to match up with, let's say, Dwight Howard in a long playoff series. OK, who is the center? Who is the backup center? Who is the small forward? The backup point guard?

The Heat might be able to draw enough veterans willing to play with Bosh and Wade with minimum contracts to be a good team. A championship team? Seems to sell everyone else short.

Then again, the Heat won a championship with Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, a few veterans and 'everyone else' types. They could understandably want to follow that formula again. But if you can pick through offers, why take the one from a team with almost no team?

• • •

There were reports that the Rockets joined the Amar'e Stoudemire chase. They didn't.

He was among the players that received informational "books," but according to Stoudemire's agent Happy Walters, the Rockets never made a push and never set up a meeting because they never had a sign-and-trade deal with the Suns, as had been reported.

The Rockets were always ambivalent about Stoudemire as a max contract guy. Their trade deadline talks with the Suns were late and limited (they were looking for a bargain) and ended when Steve Kerr told them Stoudemire would not agree to a physical or contract extension.

The Rockets, who like many teams had questions about his defense, rebounding and his future with a microfracture-repaired knee, believed that the offer they would give a free agent Stoudemire would not keep him, something that seems true now that he has his offer from the Knicks. They did not want him as a rental.

He is, however, an offensive force and might have been a good fallback option had he been still standing when the music stops. No chance of that now, if there ever was.

Now, if they can just keep anyone from joining him in New York, those picks would be looking much better.

• • •

The way things are going we might never get a chance to find out, but the Rockets' sign-and-trade deal would not send three veterans to the Raptors. They have the framework of a deal in place that would include two veterans, likely out of Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier.

There was a report that the deal would include all three, but Ariza and Battier are due $13.7 million next season. Unless another player in addition to Bosh headed to Houston (and I'm told that is not the case) there would not be enough money in the deal for Scola to take a sign-and-trade offer. He can do better than that.

He could, however, get a rich offer from the Raptors and head that way with one Rockets veteran. It would not be two others.

• • •

All of which seems to offer a good time to pick up a suggestion in the blog yesterday.

Make your picks. And make them quick before more players make their decisions.

Where will Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James go? There is at least one gimmes in there, sort of like the points you get for signing your name correctly on the SAT. I left out Dirk Nowitzki because many could answer before he announces his deal with Dallas, but I wanted to give everyone else more time to make their picks.

So where will the magnificent six go? (Extra credit if you have Stoudemire not in New York and somehow get it right. Another bonus point if you can name who will commit first, not including Johnson or Stoudemire.)

As for me, I'll go with Stoudemire in New York, Johnson in Atlanta, Wade in Miami, Boozer in Miami, James in Cleveland, and for Chris Bosh — Chicago. And that can change before the sun rises.