We all have put the idea of getting Chris Wilcox, Bonzi Wells, or Al Harrington behind us, but i have read on insidehoops that "top free agents like Chris Wilcox, Al Harrington and Bonzi Wells have learned the grim reality, that very few teams have room under the salary cap, and if they don't get snatched up quickly then unless they get sign-and-traded they probaby aren't going anywhere and will be had in the bargain basement." That made me think CD said they were activley pursuing different trades and maybe on of those guys could be the target. The market for all of those guys is non-existent, for teams under the cap, and they do not look to be resigned so maybe as their stocks plunge we could put a deal for one of them along the lines of: Howard/Head/Pick for Wilcox or Wells This will probably get bashed because you do not know how low these guys stocks are going, espescially Wells and Wilcox, you cannot get much value back when you are not going to resign them yourself and their are no under the cap suitors. Thoughts?
I'm not sure anyone will take Howard's contract, I think we are stuck with him as a backup power forward for at least the next 2 years unless we take on an equally crappy contract. I hope I am wrong.
Ain't gonna happen... just in your dreaming mind. When will people get it through their thick sculls no one wants Howard. So now you are talking Bonzi for head. I like Head as much as the next guy but he is just a role player. So now you are proposing Bonzi or Wilcox starters and 1 step below all stars for a role player and a junk player with a bad contract. It's okay to dream but just understand you are not talking reality. Peace out Bro
Per Old man Rock: "Ain't gonna happen... just in your dreaming mind. When will people get it through their thick sculls no one wants Howard. So now you are talking Bonzi for head. I like Head as much as the next guy but he is just a role player. So now you are proposing Bonzi or Wilcox starters and 1 step below all stars for a role player and a junk player with a bad contract. It's okay to dream but just understand you are not talking reality. Peace out Bro" I completely agree. No one will take Howard's mediocre play with a bad contract. Mo Taylor was villified for his bad contract. We are stuck with Howard unless we buy out his contract and that still counts against the cap. Howard was a high price to pay.
I wouldnt say that Wilcox is 1 step below all star level. To me he is like Stro with one good half season under his belt. That being said, you are right and neither team is going to take Howard and Head for either guy. Plus I would be more worried about what adding either guy does to our cap cuz both want money and both have the personality that if they dont get what they think they deserve, it is more trouble then good.
I agree. If you put Stro in Seattle, we'd be talking about how we need Stro. It's that style that fits him.
Wilcox is looking for contract similar to Nene's and Bonzi expecting a good payday after his performance in the playoffs. No one wants Juwan's contract, so he wont be traded. On top of that rockets already have a high payroll, therefore adding a large multiyear contract is out of the question. Besides, what's the point of adding a new PF when Juwan will get at least half, if not more of the minutes at that position.
Even if another team absolutely craved Luther Head, his contract value is only about a $1 million or so. By himself he really is not a trade commodity -- the Rockets would lose much more than they would gain by trading him. However, if the powers that be can couple him with another player (Howard?) and/or the trade exception for two or more other players (one of which we really want), then "Goodbye, Luther."
I’m really not going to be satisfied until the rockets use that trade exception and the rest of their MLE. If we're really going by a win now policy, i want the team to use every available option.... A few guys that interest me: John Salmons TE) i read in a few articles that the Rockets are searching for a 2 that can handle the ball. Salmons can handle the ball and unlike Cuttino Mobley, Salmons at 6-7 has the size to play the SF position. Demarr Johnson The rest of the MLE) another 2-3 that can handle the ball. He could be expendable with JR Smith going to the Nuggets... Eduardo Najera: (TE) The Nuggets have taken spent so much money this off-season and will spend some more if they resign Evans. Maybe they would welcome a salary cut and dump Najera Mark Jackson: (TE) this is scraping the bottom of the barrel. He's expendable with all the size that NO has acquired. Jackson could be a decent backup to Howard. He's on the last year of his deal...
Actually I think this trade is unfair to the Rockets if anything, unless they got another player in return. Juwan would give Seattle another starting veteran, a young, fast shooter coming off a good season, and a first-round pick in next year's highly touted draft. I don't know what the intentions are of Seattle next season. It was only a couple years ago they were easily making it into the playoffs, but last year was just sad. So really this should be a rebuilding year for them, on the other hand, Ray Allen is in his prime right now. Wilcox could be the big rebounder we've been lacking but like everyone has said, his career has not been very impressive until he was signed by Seattle for the brief period he has been there. So he still remains somewhat of a gamble in my eyes. I'd sign him in a heartbeat though. He could very well be our next Otis Thorpe.
Chris Wilcox would be a terrible fit here just like he was with the Clippers. Just like Mike Dunlevy, Jeff Van Gundy offense is very structured, and he wants his bigs to have basket ball IQ's, play tough defense and hustle. These are things which Chris Wilcox doesn't have and refuses to do. The Rockets would have another Stromile Swift (athletic brain dead athlete) on their hands.....
I don't get the love affair with Wilcox. Sure, he was hidden behind Brand on the Clippers bench, but the guy has basically put in 1/2 of a good season. Why would we want to saddle ourselves with a big contract on a guy who has now proven he deserves it? I loved Wilcox at Maryland and think under many circumstances he would be a great fit here, but trading Howard for him is not an appreciable upgrade and the deal would cost us too much if it included Head and/or a #1.
F the nonsense!!! Jared Jeffries!! He'll take care of the big perimeter guys and could handle the small ball guys like Marion and Diaw.
I'm not sure if I understand what your saying completley or if you understood what i said. But to clarify what I wrote: I meant to say that even if the rockets were to get a PF like Wilcox (while keeping Juwan), Howard would still see half if not most of the minutes at the PF position.
Agreed - this needs repeating. Wilcox only had his good year because he was working in a system in Seattle that fit his skill set better than the Clipper's did. The Rockets would see similar results from him than the Clip did earlier in the year when they were willing to dump him for a shooter who would possibly leave in FA at the end of the year(Radmonovich did). ...by the way, Najera would be a great addition to the Rockets as a backup for Howard but I wouldn't see him starting since he is too small to the play the PF full time. Chances are the Nuggets don't dump him though since he is one of the few George Karl type players on that team and he shot 50% as a Nugget last year.
More often than not, getting guys 6'9'' and above in the $50 million to max range, unless you are talking about an unquestionable surefire star (Yao Ming, Bosh, Dwight Howard) at the time of signing, it ends up being a deal the team regrets signing very soon. Most of these guys who got paid on youth, atheleticism, and "potential" before proving themselves are simply busts. Just look at Zach Randoolph, Chandler, Dalembert, Curry for some recent examples of busts to varying degrees. There are also the very near busts of Murphy and Boozer. Were there many actual success stories as far as a team taking a $50 mil to chance on a big gury who had only shown flashes of potential when they signed? Okur, perhaps moderately so. Aren't that many out there. Problem is when you have a <50% success rate with these guys (maybe <30%), and these killer contracts can handicap your team for years in the age of salary cap and luxury tax.
