The "xiki corollary" is that everything contract related moving forward from June 30, including existing contracts, is to be determined. Therefore, deals cannot be made in a business as usual manner. If there is a 'franchise tag' then how would that affect AB's free agency? If there is a hard cap then how would that affect AB's free agency? Or Melo. Or the Knixies. Or...or...or???
But if we dont make a trade, and say Yao retires, we have the same group of guys going 42-40. That does not give us a top 3 pick, I'd rather take a Top 3 pick than keep 2nd rounders like C-Bud and very unknown players like Hill. That is still why I dont really understand why Rockets didn't try to Tank to get Wall Last season because realistically NO WAY are they winning the championship (Although I have to admit it was a fun season and good for some young players to develope)
No offense but 1) Melo isn't a superstar in the level of KG or Kobe Bryant. Those players would also be signed for the long haul, we're talking about a 3 month rental here. 2) Chicago fizzling out isn't a good argument simply because that was practically the only blockbuster move that should have been made. Did Dallas do themselves a favor when they shipped out a pick and their pg of the future for Jason Kidd? How about when the Cavs made their blockbuster move and got Antwan Jamison for that last push? Sixers committing so much money to Brand? PHX getting shaq? The list goes on and on and on....
Kidd, Jamison, Brand and Shaq were all way past their primes going to those teams. Those examples were Brent Barry to Houston pick ups.
But if we make a trade AND Melo leaves AND Yao retires we'll be left with the Charlotte Bobcats. Tanking isn't just a one season wonder, its a full on commitment. You'll need to dump all your non-young players away for future compensation, and it'll take at least 4 years of crap play before you become respectable again. Look at the Thunder for a best case tanking scenario. They got rid of all their assets and tanked their last year as Supersonics (tank year 1). They drafted Durant and Jeff Green and endure a crap first season as the Thunder (Tank year 2). They drafted Westbrook the year after (Tank Year 3). They still sucked bad enough to get the 3rd pick in the draft (Tank year 4). And this was with a superstar wing and an awesome coach. In the case of Grizzlies or Portland, their rookies are already making max contracts and they're still not championship contenders. So if you want to see rockets lose game after game for 4 years then please continue your campaign for tanking.
Shaq was the only one everyone acknowledged as past his prime. Kidd, Jamison and Brand were thought of as win-now players at the time they were obtained. I thought these analogies were perfect for this thread since the OP is advocating a rental to be worth giving up real assets for. Brent Barry made the veteran minimum and came for free. I fail to see how he is similar to Kidd et al who required an asset to get and were making the max or near max amount of money when they were obtained.
At that point, I would say the Rockets are cheap and are not intersted in winning, teams that let their better players go, do NOT win championships. DD
Teams that deal their "better players" for better players tend to win games. Teams that don't extend guys they hold the rights to and who might be an important trade chip don't extend them until they have to. They extend stud players. AB is very good, but he's no stud point guard. Not today.
Please show me the case where the last few teams have done that.....when they traded good players for great ones..... Maybe Boston could be like that...but certainly not San Antonio or the Lakers..... Most teams build through the draft and add a piece here and there, and do not trade their better starting players..... DD
Both LeBron and Bosh acted like they were still shopping but in fact all indications showed that they had already made up their minds to play with Wade in Miami. (This is one of the reasons why people are so upset with their "decisions".) That's why I said we should learn the lesson from this summer. This generation of players aren't like the old school ones.
I was making a general statement expressing my opinion, but since you insist, the Houston Rockets trading Francis and Mobley for Tracy McGrady.
That did not work out did it? While in general I think it was an OK move, I think CD paid way too much for TMac.... And I am being general as well asking folks to think a little more deeply about the situation and how often teams have traded near all star players, or very productive ones to get great ones....and then won a championship? Most teams build through the draft and add a piece here or there but hold on to their really good players. DD
Miami traded Caron Butler and Odom for Shaq, a trade not nearly as lopsided as any other trade involving a superstar. Butler and Odom are both all-star level talent, yet it still wound up being heavily in Miami's favor. They won a championship because of it. It's funny that you mention the Lakers, because they traded homegrown talent as soon as it was clear they weren't good enough. Van Exel was an all-star when they shipped him off to Denver. And they didn't even get a good return, he was just a flawed player and they were tired of his ego. He's a lot more like Brooks than you're willing to admit. They also traded Vlade Divac for the 13th pick. You wouldn't even trade Budinger for the #2 pick.
You're kidding, right? An "OK move?" That was a blockbuster trade that landed a bonifide superstar wing for the Rockets, a truly great player, one of the best in the NBA at the time of the deal, for two very good players. My guess is if I bothered to do a search, which I'm not going to bother doing, you expressed great delight at the time. Am I wrong? (tried a search, actually, after writing this and got a "fatal error." my guess is that it freaked out the computer!)
See this chaps my arse, I said I would trade Bud for Evan Turner...don't be silly. Of course I liked the trade it was worth doing.....at the time.... Too bad both Yao and Tmac were made of glass. If there was a blockbuster trade like that open, I would be interested in it...but I don't think any of the players up for trade are that level.... I guess some think Melo is......I just don't happen to agree. I could see the argument though, but not as a rental, at least TMac agreed to an extension....... DD
Lowry/Hinrich Martin/Lee Carmelo/Budinger Scola/Hayes/Anderson Yao/Dampier/Miller I'd do that for a year rental and convince Melo to re-sign with us.
