PLEASE LOCK IF ALREADY POSTED. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6518619.html When it comes to the Rockets, if you’ve heard what I’ve heard … One thing I can guarantee is the Rockets are not planning to roll out a starting lineup of Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes. There are moves to be made; we just don’t know which. That’s the good news. Be patient, Rockets fans. The Rockets have one of the best front offices and scouting staffs in the NBA. General manager Daryl Morey’s crew has made few mistakes in its couple of years in charge. Plus, traditionally in the NBA — aside from the draft — as many great moves have been made after this date as before it. The Rockets traded for Moses Malone in October, for Lew Lloyd and Mario Elie in August, for the pick that would become Mitch Wiggins in August, for Otis Thorpe in October, and for Vernon Maxwell and Clyde Drexler at the deadline in February. And that was before Morey brought his high-tech understanding of the game to town. It is all-out rumor season in the NBA. Today is the first day free agents can sign contracts for the upcoming season. This afternoon, the Rockets will introduce their newest acquisition, Ariza, one of the NBA’s top 10 free agents. Unless he changes his mind and signs with another team, that is. It could happen. After all, the King, LeBron James, and the Big Poacher, Shaquille O’Neal, reportedly called Ariza to try to talk him into dropping the Rockets to sign with Cleveland. Word is, what they said didn’t work. But who knows? It’s that time of the year. I got a tweet from a guy who knows a girl who is a relative of an NBA forward the Rockets would love to have. The guy who knows the girl said the girl related to the forward said the forward she is related to said the Rockets called to see if he were interested in being a Rocket. If you can’t keep up, he basically tweeted what she said he said they said. (If you don’t know what a tweet is, don’t feel bad.) A bad rumor, it wasn’t true. Do you hear the Timex Social Club playing in the background? For NBA front-office types, the rumors mean more work. It can be important work. “I admit it: We have to chase those rumors down too,” Rockets vice president of basketball operations Sam Hinkle said. “Rumors are just rumors, and the news isn’t as reliable these days with it coming from everywhere, so some things stand out. But we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t look into what is out there. “It’s just one of the new costs of doing business. It’s not like I spend my day chasing rumors.” The NBA should be happy there is so much talk in July about the happenings and non-happenings in the league. Fans have never been more excited about offseason moves being made (or talked about being made). Factoring in the temperature, no stove is needed for this hot stove league. An NBA player sent me a text message that he had been sent a text message that one of his boys, whom he played with in college and had left a voicemail for but hadn’t heard back from yet, was about to be dealt to the Rockets. Then he sent a text that he got a text from one of his boy’s teammates that the text wasn’t true. Another bad rumor. Interestingly, Hinkle said those crazy trade rumors that permeate the Web sometimes open doors for the Rockets to do work. “We sort of like those,” he said. “It gives us an excuse to call. We’re pretty open about guys we like and deals that we would be interested in doing. I don’t think less chatter helps us.” When word of a trade breaks, NBA teams look at the deal and contemplate if they might want to top the offer. When a free-agent agreement makes the news, teams take note to see if they’re interested in making a better offer. There are many lies but few secrets in today’s NBA. Everybody knows everything; at least, they’ve heard everything. With Yao Ming possibly out for the season (almost definitely out for at least half of it), Tracy McGrady almost definitely out for half of it (and subject to never donning Rockets Red again) and Ron Artest out, period (rumor has it he’ll sign with the Lakers today), the Rockets’ three best players entering last season won’t be entering this season with the team. Everybody knows that. But there is no need to panic just yet. Rumor has it the 2009-10 NBA season is still a few months off. “It’s early,” Hinkle said. “No player has changed hands yet. No one has even signed a contract yet. Remember two years ago at this time? The only power forward on our roster was Steve Novak.”
I really hope Landry and Brooks start out hot the first half of the season. I think Brooks with no Artest/ Yao/ Tmac can average 20ppg. I really think that or at least over 17 ppg. So yeah , I don't think this team is done making moves at all. Brooks, Landry, Battier, Tmac these are all guys to me that may be on the blocks and being shopped.
How can Solomon guarantee that's not our starting lineup, if he doesn't know which moves are being made. For all he knows, there could be minor changes to the bench and that is our starting lineup.
B/c Solomon knows the future Ok, GOSH, Idiot... jk.....on that note, i really doubt there going to playing chuck hayes as the starting center......will never win the starting tip...... hayes playes good defense but not much else
If they do roll out that lineup, lottery is a lock. For one thing it will be one of the smallest lineups in the NBA. Defense might be respectable, but, where are the points coming from? Who will demand a double team?
This is just the beginning of the offseason. There is one thing that is certain at this moment: we need to be patient, and confident in the Rockets front office.
A friend of mine in Spain who knows a gal who knows a relative of Rudy Fernandez's just tweeted me and told me that Rudy is demanding out of Portland and the only team he's interested in playing for in the NBA is the Rockets. A guy who once went to school w/Paul Allen's maid left me a voice message saying that Allen is pissed at Rudy's tweets and toots, and wants him off the Blazers pronto. Allen's drinking buddy's uncle also reports that Allen has bragged to everyone that Budinger was a steal and is going to be a big star one day. How's that Morey?
I really hope Jerome Solome is not being paid money. He is by far the worst journalist. I didn't read his rambling article but I can still recap that it wasn't even good enough for me to poop on.
How would you feel about this trade from all perspectives: Houston (out) Tracy McGrady Shane Battier Carl Landry (in) Amare Stoudamire Jason Richardson Phoenix (out) Amare Stoudamire Jason Richardson (in) Tracy McGrady Carl Landry Rudy Fernandez Portland (out) Rudy Fernandez (in) Shane Battier Would give us a decent running lineup: Brooks/Lowry JRich/Barry/Taylor Ariza/Budinger Scola/Hayes Amare/Dorsey
Point Guards Unrestricted Free Agents •Jason Kidd (3 years/$25M DAL) •Mike Bibby (Resigned by Atlanta) •Andre Miller •Stephon Marbury •Jason Hart •Brevin Knight •Smush Parker •Ronald Murray •Marcus Williams •Jacque Vaughn •Lindsey Hunter •Anthony Carter •Kevin Ollie •Quincy Douby •Mike Wilks •Tyronn Lue Restricted Free Agents •Ramon Sessions •Raymond Felton •Nate Robinson •Luther Head •Jarrett Jack Early-Termination Options •Eddie House •Anthony Johnson •Travis Diener •Chris Quinn •Bobby Brown Shooting Guards Unrestricted Free Agents •Allen Iverson •Wally Szczerbiak •Bobby Jackson •Ben Gordon (5 years, $55M Detroit) •Marquis Daniels •Desmond Mason •Anthony Parker •Damon Jones •Keith Bogans •Rodney Carney •Ronnie Price •Morris Almond •Maurice Ager •Gerald Green •James Singleton •Dahntay Jones •Von Wafer •Shannon Brown •Quinton Ross •Kareem Rush •Juan Dixon Restricted Free Agents •Rashad McCants •Joey Graham •Linas Kleiza •Carlos Delfino (If he returns from overseas) Early Termination Options •Kobe Bryant •Jamal Crawford •Quentin Richardson •Trenton Hassell •Michael Finley •Ricky Davis •Devin Brown Small Forwards Unrestricted Free Agents •Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto) •Shawn Marion •Lamar Odom •Ron Artest (3 years/$18M LAL) •Trevor Ariza (Verbal commitment from HOU) •Walter Herrmann •Grant Hill •Ime Udoka •Stephen Graham •Matt Barnes •Darius Miles •Justin Reed •Adrian Griffin Restricted Free Agents •Marvin Williams •Ike Diogu •Jamario Moon •Josh Childress (If he returns from Greece) Early Termination Options •Hidayet Turkoglu •Kyle Korver •Devean George •Yakhouba Diawara Power Forwards Unrestricted Free Agents •Rasheed Wallace (2 years, MLE BOS) •Anderson Varejao •Charlie Villaneuva (5 years, $35M Detroit) •Channing Frye •Malik Rose •Drew Gooden •Chris Wilcox •Stromile Swift •Joe Smith •Shelden Williams •Maceo Baston •Cedric Simmons •Juwon Howard •Chris Anderson •Steve Novak •Donyell Marshall •Ryan Bowen •Michael Ruffin •Shavlik Randolph Restricted Free Agents •Charlie Villanueva •Channing Frye •Hakim Warrick •David Lee •Leon Powe •Glen Davis •Aaron Gray •Brandon Bass •Paul Millsap Ealry Termination Options •Jermaine O'Neal •Al Harrington •Anderson Varejao •Brian Cook •Brian Skinner •Malik Allen Centers Unrestricted Free Agents •Raef LaFrentz •Radoslav Nesterovic •Jason Collins •Zaza Pachulia (resigning with Atlanta) •Robert Swift •Chris Mihm •Saer Sene •Jarron Collins •Didier Ilunga-Mbenga •Calvin Booth •Melvin Ely •Ryan Hollins •Lorenzen Wright •Adonal Foyle •Jamaal Magloire •Sean Marks •Theo Ratliff •Patrick O'Bryant •Jake Voskuhl Restricted Free Agents •Marcin Gortat (Offer sheet from Dallas) •Johan Petro
