This is baffling. Could someone compile a list of available ex-Knicks players so we may intelligently speculate on which one we'll be signing?
Marc Stein says that Golden State has taken the lead for Artest: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060104 John Hollinger says that many teams have held on to their trading chips while Artest is available, but once he's actually moved, they'll move on to other deals: http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=10346 Mat (Scottsdale, AZ): Whats with the lack of action on the trade front? Is the Artest deal really that big? Can no other deals get done before this one? John Hollinger: The problem is that all of the "trade bait" guys are tied up in offers for Artest. So yes, Artest is the hold up. For instance, if Denver lost out on Artest you would immediately see them start executing their backup plans for deals involving Watson, Lenard and Nene. Stein also thinks that GS may already have a deal in place for Artest, but it won't be done until after GS plays the Pacers on Thursday. Still, if the rest of the NBA now knows that deal is all but in the books, that domino falling would allow for all the other teams to start swapping, Rockets included. So the odd timing of releasing Lucas and Davis does sound more like a prelude to a deal, given a pending Artest trade would free the rest of the league to move.
Ok ive got some info, apparently, from what a source tells me Lucas was waived for financial reasons. I dont know how true this is, but this is what they've told him, from what I just heard. There was mentions about Luxury Tax, or something....Not too sure, but this is the reason why he was waived. Also a possiblity that he could be brought back, doesnt make sense to me...Take it how you want it..
Was this the same source that told you that the Rockets asked Eddie Griffin to come back or was it the one that told you the Rockets were looking at Shawn Kemp?
Damn, that sucks. If that's true then management didn't want his contract to get guaranteed (on the 10th?), and would rather bring him back on a couple of 10-day stints. I was hoping for an actual move (read:Big Trade).
guys its an odd move but come on lucas wasn't the next iverson or even next rafer alston, he scored 4 points in 2 games he pushed the ball but he wasn't drafted for a reason.
Doesn't make sense to any of us. We have too many players sidelined. We're already over the luxury tax limit; JLIII can't be making that much, unless there were some sort of deadline these next few days regarding the luxury tax...? Still seems that releasing these players points to a larger deal on the horizon, but I've been accused of wishful thinking before, and will again...
Reading in between the lines and what is left unsaid. We are making a trade and bringing in more money than we are sending out, and it is going to cost us some lux tax dollars so we are cutting JL3 to create the space we need to do a 2 for 3 or 3 for 4 deal and then we'll bring him back on the 10 day deals and save a few dollars. Remember, the players are saying nothing yet. They've been told to lay low and they will be re-signed is my guess. Otherwise, some reporter would have gotten a comment out of them by now. John Lucas is too easy to find and too accessible for this not to be the case.
I think people are looking into this way too much. The point about him scoring four points in two games is very valid. Just because he brought energy doesn't mean he is worth keeping on the roster. Anybody else remember the energy that Andre Barrett brought us? That didn't last long.
that is not a valid point because he attempted only 2 shots and played only 15 minutes. you could tell he was a smart player. and barrett was as bb smart as this guy.
Lucas looked better than Barrett ever did. That being said, Moochie looked a lot better than Lucas when he came up, and most people on this board now think that Moochie is awful (though I think he's a good backup). I think people are just excited to see Alston and Lucas out there leading the team, like PGs should. I can't ever remember the Rockets having a true, breakdown-the-defense PG. Kenny Smith was just a shooter and Sam was more of a scorer - Dream and Clyde directed the offense out of the post back then (harder to do today with zone defenses though). Neither Cat nor Steve were true PGs either. Sura was close, but he's still a combo guard. Having a PG to push the ball makes the offense easier and the game more entertaining.
Well, based on what I've seen so far in two games, he distributed the ball well, and showed a lot of speed and quickness vs Washington, and hustled to get loose balls against G.S. on the Rockets final possession. He may not be worth keeping in the long haul, but he needs more than two games to prove himself.
Regarding the airline flights, I just did a quick search and found that Continental does do a non-stop from Sacramento to Houston on Wednesdays. I was unable to find a flight from Sacramento to Houston that goes to Portland first. My guess is that the execs were not from Sactown.
