Its been a long time since I've had a chance to visit the board or watch the Rox play this season, but judging by the recent weeks, Its almost safe to say the this thing is going down to the wire. The team has been playing better than last yr or at least more spirited effort than when Rudy was here. Although i still would have like the Rockets to give Cleamons the chance to bring the triangle to Houston, Van Gundy has done what he said and make people accountable, instead of using the young excuse. My problem and I knew this would happen is the poor job CD has done in trying to improve this team. Since the expiring contracts have becom so valuable, I've never seen a gm waste it like cd did this past summer. After the botched attempt to revive Glen Rice career, the Rockets had the golden chance to turn his 9m into a legitimate player to help the Rockets get over the hump. Isiah turned McDyess into penny and Marbury. Detroit turned Sura and Rebraca into Rasheed Wallace.Dallas turned NVE into Jamison and even Minny turned Brandon into Spreewell. What did the Rockets do with what was 12m in expiriing money? John Amechi. CD had a really good shot of giving JVG a player who could really play to help this team out. He could have turned Rice,Griffin and probably Mobley into Rasheed, even though i think he's a little overrated, but could be a very good 3 man along side Cato and Ming on the frontline. He could have turned Rice and Griffin into SAR at the minimum. Look at the deals Isiah has made in the recent weeks eventhough everyone in america said he was stuck with the cast Layden made up. I feel the Rockets will make the playoffs , but probably won't get out of the 1st rd unless the wind up playing or being a 5th seed and maybe playing Denver. This summer after exiting of the playoffs, Francis comes off his BYC status and they may not say it, but they are in a unique position to acquire a difference maker and younger player in say T-Mac. The question is, will the Rockets pull the trigger and put a package out there that makes Orlando give up McGrady who wuld become free after next season? Dumars made the ecf and made changes. Will CD make the bold move or sit on his hands like he did the summer?
Trading Glen Rice let us sign Jim Jackson, who has been the most consistent and arguably best Rocket thus far. CD also pulled off the incredible Moochie/Amaechi for Weatherspoon deal. We got rid of a ****ty player with a ****ty contract for a great player who hustles, grabs tons of rebounds and scores with a ****ty contract. Pretty good move in my book. CD signed Adrian Griffin who has been a defensive spark off the bench and he signed Piatkowski who is just now getting his shot back. Once he becomes the Polish Pistol again the Rockets will have a very formidable bench.
pheonix turned googs expiring contract into keon clark and another scrub...both injured, neither will ever suit up for them. and to get rid of his expiring contract, they sent away 2 first round draft picks and a 2nd.
Actually Jim Jackson could have been signed without trading away Rice plus a draft pick. The final grade on that deal can't really be given until we see what will be done with the trade exception.
I dont think we can judge this trade until we see what we can get via the Trade Exception this offseason. We still might get Wallace via the TE and not have to give up much at all.
uh....leebigez I know you haent been around...and so maybe you dont know or forgot...but we did get a TE(trade exception) out of the deal....(almost 7 mil iirc)...which the Rockets will be able to use in a number of ways... besides...this subjecthas been hashed out so manytimes already...and the capologists have almost all agreed that the TE is a good thing as long as we use it this summer.
It lasts one year from the time of the trade. I think we made the move in September? Or was it August? Bottom line, we have it ALL summer. So we have the flexibility.
Why not just get the player you want and be done with it? Its not about just being ok, its about being really good. there is a reason why dallas whips us evertime. His first name starts with D and his last name ends with i. Last yr during the playoffs, Wallace proved he is one of the few that can actually guard him. If the Rockets use what they have and go get him, there is a good chance that the Rockets could be a or a 5 seed instead of a 8th seed. The Rockets could have signed Jackson without trading Rice.
Well, I no longer give CD the benefit of the doubt, as I once did, but he's not stupid either. Let's see how this plays out before we judge. So far, we gave up (1) Rice, (2) our 2004 1st pick, (3) the 2 second rounders from Chicago from the Drew debacle, and (4)cash, for (1) getting rid of Rice and his large contract, (2) getting under the luxury tax cap this year, (3) Ameichi, who we traded with Norris to get Weatherspoon, (4) Utah's second rounder, (5) and a 6.99m trade exception. These were all important when they made the trade. (1) Losing Rice was important. His contract was so large and his ego wouldn't let him sit on the bench. He really had to go. Getting Jackson, Griffin, Pike and Weatherspoon are worth more to the team this year. Rice may have been a great spot up shooter, which we could probably use more of, along with his veteran leadership, but he was just too darn slow, and would never have gotten along with JVG. (2) Getting under the luxury tax cap: It is a business, and as such, affects many decisions. This was important. Its the last year of the luxury tax, and by trading being over the luxury cap for room to sign and have the exception, which we could use NEXT year, when there probably won't be a luxury tax, was like stashing a future player, without paying for him now. As long as we were over the luxury cap, our player movement was very confined. (Sorry for confusing the salary cap with luxury tax cap. I edited it for easier reading) (3) Ameichi was worthless, but we did get in on some of this trading fever, and unloaded both Norris, who was driving us all crazy, and Ameichi for Weatherspoon, who has actually been an assett, and will probably be good trade fodder in the future. (4) Utah's second rounder. Pretty worthless, unless Chris Duhon drops that low, and he might. I know he hasn't been doing well the last 2 years, but he could be a real sleeper, ala Mobely, in my uneducated opinion, and the kind of PG we really want. (5) the 6.99m trade exception could turn into something very valuable. If they let this lapse, then I'll have felt this wasn't a worthwhile trade. But, if they use it, they will have been able to get under the cap, but still obtain a good player, such as Wallace, this summer, without losing our core players, to someone who wants to get something, like a draft pick, and still cut salary. The other thing, and possibly one of the most important, is that the team was playing with a certain malaise, fairly confident they couldn't lose their jobs, due to the Rockets cap situation. This gave JVG leverage, because he could trade anyone at any time this year, if he doesn't like how they are performing. Thats a valuable motivational tool. So, if this turns into a player like Wallace this summer, would you have felt it was a good deal for the Rockets? Maybe its not time yet to evaluate this transaction.
If Rice's contract was so valuable, how come the friggin' Utah Jazz cut him rather than holding on to him to trade later? Leebigez, you apparently only see what you want to see.
How many times are we going to go over this one. The reason expiring contracts are so valuable is because there are teams with too much salary (like the Rockets) who were and are afraid of the luxury tax (like the Rockets) and who are willing to give up talent to avoid it (like the Rockets). It was not a basketball move; it was a financial move. And, as has been pointed out, the trade exception will be in effect after the luxury tax threat has subsided, so we'll have an opportunity to recoup some of that loss.
Rice deal or no Rice deal, we did not get under the salary cap I don't think. That is why not matching Poseys was maddening. None of these moves gets us realistically under the cap where we have more than the MLE to lure FA with. We lost player value (Posey/KT) and draft picks solely to make Les' profitable, not to acquire talent to help us win. Unless we really pull a rabit out of our hat with trade exemption the moves since last offseason really look lousy, except for the JJ signing, which we could have done anytime, anywhere, regardless of the other moves. Remember, Wallace, SAR and Ratliff were all basically traded for expiring contracts and little else. It would have been nice to use Rice's contract for that. Again unless this trade exemption faciillitates getting a extra player at Wallace/SAR skills on top of what we coud have had anyway, most of this whole last year's moves stink.
The Rockets have until Sept. 30, 2004 to complete the Glen Rice for John Amaechi trade. I've explained my view more times than I care recall. As yet, none of the critics of the trade have been able to answer why if Rice's expiring contract were so valuable, why Utah just cut him. The mechanics of the trade are as such that Houston can take back $6.99m more in contracts than they send out. IMO, this degree of flexibility (in an expansion draft summer) far exceeds the cost of a (currently) #22 2004 draft pick. If you expected a trade to be made at anytime before Van Gundy had a full season to evaluate the Rockets, you were just flat out not being realistic. The goal from Game was 1 was making the playoffs. With the exception of Norris, 60% of a regular season and no playoffs games is hardly enough time to know what you have personnel wise. As some of the more astute posters have already pointed out...the trade is not complete yet and has 7+ months to be completed.
thank you GATER... I was close...wonder where I got the Aug date from? It s areal shame the search isnt functional...then people like lee and Sane who havent been around much could go thru some of those threads so we dont have to rehash them yet again..
The Jazz have 8 million committed next year. They don't need Rice's lousy contract to take on a big contract. They could have done it this year. The whole purpose for them to get Rice in the first place is for the picks (they have a decent draft history) and so they make the minimum (therefore don't have to pay luxury tax). After that, they can cut him because he'll still be on the payroll (therefore count towards the minimum) while still have an extra roster space.
I don't know how to break it to ya but... JJ is quietly having a comparable season to Posey, at a fraction of the cost. Apparently some people here still don't have a problem with overpaying for talent. Also, are you suggesting that Portland will trade Sheed's expiring contracto for Rice's expiring contract? They would do that because...?
