Steve is in the first year of his new max contract, making him a base-year-compensation player (BYC). This means, if he is traded, the rockets can only receive 115% of 1/2 the value of his contract (12 mil /2 = 6 mil, 6 mil * 115% is 7.38 mil), while the trade partner must be able to assume the entirety of Steve's 12 mil. salary. However, we also have the 6 mil dollar trade exception left from the Glen Rice/John Amaechi trade with Utah. The trade exception allows us to assume additional salary, and could be used to balance a Francis trade. However, we could not trade Francis directly for another max player. 2 exceptions cannot be used on 1 player (the assigned player exception and the traded player exception, in this case). (if this isn't true, yippee. please correct me and enlighten us all). Another Rocket player and third team would have to be involved. The second Rocket player would complete the traded player exception from the Utah trade. The third team would have cap room to assume a salary outside of the 115% match rule of the assigned player exception, and could offer a draft pick in return. As the draft pick has no $ trade value, this could be used to offset the Rockets salary match discrepancy. So, those who say, "Trade Francis now!" try to fill in the blanks. We need a Utah, or Denver or Washington (under cap) to broker the deal. We need a team that wants Steve Francis. We need a player or combination of players with contracts that we want back. It's not so easy. Good luck.
Before everyone else jumps on this thread, saying that they're tired of the "Trade Steve!" threads, I'll just add: I don't believe that a mutual understanding will allow JVG and Steve to part ways, as Steve is our butts-in-the-seats highlight guy, unless you got a really great player in return. You would also have to find an Eastern Conference team for Steve, as we would not want him to torch us four times a year, and then again in the playoffs. Also, it would be some compensation for trading him after having him sign a maximum contract. Jermaine O'Neal is chafing at his new coach's regimented style in Indy; would he chafe if he played PF alongside Yao-za, if we had guards that could get them the ball? I used to think that Scott Skiles is too much of a disciplinarian for Steve, but maybe Skiles is simply very competitive, and might like to have Francis on his team. (sigh) I wish, anyway. That's my 3-team wish: Francis to Chicago; some combination of Crawford, Cato, Jay Williams, and maybe Fizer to Indy (the Pacers have a 3.5 exception of their own) and Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley to the Rockets. Include Cuttino to Indy for Al Harrington, too, but that's stretching a dream too far. Never happen. But we did pursue Jermaine in the off-season.
Francis's Base Year status is negated by the Trade Exception and no 3rd party team is needed. Francis makes ~$10.5m. The Rockets can receive 2 non-BYC contracts approximately equalling $10.5m and eat the ~$5m difference with the TE.
This can only be done after the season. It might have to be reworked if Kurt Thomas gets traded. He wants out. from the Knicks: Charlie Ward Howard Eisley Clarence Weatherspoon Kurt Thomas Othella Harrington from the Rockets Steve Francis Moochie Maurice It allows Van Gundy to strengthen the power forward position from a defensive standpoint and he gets a competent passing point guard in Charlie Ward who he knows from his days in New York. PG Ward Eisley SG Cuttino Piatkowski SF JJ Weatherspoon PF Kurt Thomas Othella Harrington C Yao Cato Salaries match up for the next year if Charlie Ward signs a 2 year contract for around $4 million/year. ALL the contracts expire after 2 seasons which allows for FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY if a big free agents comes out after the 2005-2006 season.
First, Francis's current BYC contract is for ~$10m. Secondly, the Trade Exception is closer to $7m than $6m...the diFferenc between Rice's $9.5 and Amaechi's $2.5m Lastly, as long as the incoming player is not also BYC, the trade works if the the incoming contract (max or otherwise) is within ~$7m of Francis's BYC ~$5M. Sorry to disappoint you.
What's not to like about this Knicks trade? It frees up a whole lot of cap room after 2 seasons too. Do you know how long Maurice and Moochie are signed too?
Thanks for the input. I knew you or Aelliot would chime in with the answers. So if we are shopping, do we want one very good player on a rookie contract, and one throw-in? I wonder who's going to make that deal to sell their own cheap phenom and a good role player. Maybe someone with a problem signing that guy to the next contract.
For one thing, it leaves us with a merely moderately talented PG who is a proven locker room distraction. I wonder how Ward's tendency to divide the Christians vs. the non-Christians on the team would play to someone like Yao. Personally, I think we have enough trouble getting this team to gel as it is. I'd steer clear of anything that might add to the headache. Although I'd probably make an exception for Ron Artest.
Problems with Yao? Doesn't Charlie Ward just not like jews? I'm sure Les would really think that was a cool idea....
Doesn't anybody else find it curious that we acquired a trade exception (in a trade I consider lopsided in Utah's favor) that would allow us to waive off Francis' BYC status and acquire a max player in return? Gater, I thought we couldn't package the exception with a player? I thought there had to be a contract coming back in the trade which would equal the portion of the trade exception we're using?
I'd bet we could get Caron Butler and Brian Grant from the Heat for Francis. The problem is, that doesn't help our ball distribution problem. IMO, the ideal scenario would be Jermaine O'Neal and the Pacers getting into a bigger feud, and parlaying Francis, Mobley plus whatever into O'Neal and Tinsley. With the Ricky Davis deal, and the Jalen Rose deal earlier, it looks like trades may start to materialize a little earlier than usual.
Personally, if I were dealing Francis, I'd look at a few of these teams and make sure they took one of our bad contracts (MoT/Moochie): Seattle Portland Indiana Maybe Seattle would bit on Francis and Mo Taylor for Allen, Radomanovic and Evans? Maybe we can bring Lewis back home and that would boost attendance? Francis for Lewis and Barry? Rasheed Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley, J O'Neal, Al Harrington, Jeff McInnis, and Luke Ridnour.... I'd love to have any of these guys on my team.
the fact that we traded away an all star for a bunch of guys that will never smell the all star game in their entire lives. ward is okay, thomas is a great rebounder and can score too, but undersized in the west at the four just like moT is. weatherspoon, scrub. harrington, scrub. eisley, scrub. we end up with more scrubs than we started with.
I'm looking down the line at the cap space this frees up after 2 seasons. Has anyone looked at the contracts of Moochie and Maurice? Has anyone looked at the contracts of Steve Francis? Does anyone know what a payroll albatross means? Look at Eddie Jones and Brian Grant. Miami Heat have had those two on the trading block for 2 years straight with every GM in the league knowing they are up for grabs if anyone wants them. If the Rockets end up like the Heat, it will be because of inaction.
Harrington and Thomas will be an upgrade at the power forward spot. Kurt Thomas is better than Mo. Weatherspoon will be a solid backup at small forward. Playing Piatkowski at SF is bad strategy. Boki is not an NBA-caliber player. Ward and Eisley? This is the sticking point of the deal because Steve is supposed to be exciting. Exciting don't mean anything if the team doesn't win. Ward knows the Van Gundy system. Eisley is better than Moochie as a backup point guard. Cato goes back to being a backup center which he really is. This is a 2 year experiment that doesn't committ the team to long-term contracts. Does anyone have any idea of how screwed up the Rockets payroll is many years into the future?
