LOL at all the people who think Budinger is a starter on this team. He may be a starter this year because we don't have any true goals, except developing youth, but who starts when we want to win a championship next year?...
Worst case Scenario for McGrady: McGrady and Cook to Memphis for: ZBO, Jaric, and Marc Gasol. ZBO and Jaric may be a complete waste but their contracts expire next season and it keeps with Morey's theme of acquiring players through trade. That would be $24 million of expiring deals to use next season in another McGrady scenario and we pick up a quality big man in Gasol who is really blossoming this year. And don't look now, but Zach is actually ballin and could come in handy for the playoffs as a go to scorer with his midrange turnaround game. Who would Memphis do it? Obviously, MONEY! They get to dump all that salary, and if they want they can go after a big name FA (although I highly doubt anyone would want to sign there). Another WORST CASE Scenario involving McGrady: McGrady, Cook, Dorsey, and JT to Clip joint for Kaman, BDiddy, and Camby. BDiddy is the poison we have to take. Kaman is a legit player and would be worth having on the floor for 25 mpg come playoff time. Not to mention if Bosh decides he wants out, I don't know what more creative deal Toronto could get than to do a 3-way involving us and the Clips with Toronto getting Kaman, Landry, and an expiring for Bosh?
Houston Receives: Antwan Jamison Andray Blatch Mike Miller Wizards Receive: Tracy McGrady Shane Battier David Anderson Cap works and everything. I like this trade, I'm a big fan of Blatch, and Mike Miller and Jamison when healthy are very good players.
Starters: Lowry Ellis Ariza Scola Turiaf Reserves: Brooks Budinger Azubuike Landry Hayes Deep Reserves: Radmanovic, Andersen I threw Radmanovic in there as further incentive for the Warriors to do the deal.
So would that put us under the cap, BrooksBall? Not saying what I think of the deal (still pondering it), but you aren't playing nice with your namesake.
Seriously? I get K-Mart is an elite SG, but really.....do you guys salivate at the idea of injury prone players or something?
I knew he was hurt. Didn't realize it was season-ending. Plug somebody else in for Azubuike then. He was a throw-in anyways.
Shoot, I didn't even check the cap stuff. I just threw it out there. This thread is just for fun anyways, right? If you're talking about Brooks as a reserve, I think it would make more sense with Ellis in the mix. Spread out the scoring. At this point, I think Brooks' long-term role in this league is as a scoring guard off the bench, sort of like a Jason Terry or Bobby Jackson.
I know this has been done to death, but I would really like to see a trade involving Battier and Fernandez as the center pieces. Portland seems to have a glut at the SG and SF positions (maybe not while Outlaw is out), but every time I see a trade that mentions Battier going to the Blazers, Portland fans don't want any part of it. I truly believe that Fernandez has the potential to be a break out player - maybe not an all-star, but an efficient offensive player. Also, he could be the one taking shots at the end of games instead of continually running AB iso's at midcourt.
Most important theme: get bigger Our lack of size at the five, in particular, remains the elephant in the room. We've been hit-or-miss on the boards and we lack the traditional shot blocker underneath the basket that protects the rim, provides weakside help, alters shots, etc. Those areas will continue to plague us whenever we deal with one of those teams that we HAVE to beat at some point down the line (Portland or LA, for example, that start two trees in the frontcourt). You reach a point where hustle and smarts get trounced by raw size and talent. It stinks but it's reality. Who do I want? Well, aside from a Kevin Martin type home run of a deal, I think a player that we clearly expressed interest in the past that meets the above criteria like Marcin Gortat is a logical starting point. I realize he's BYC and therefore difficult to trade, but a move is still possible once his retention trade restriction clears. Orlando paid a rather hefty price to retain a player that they don't have any minutes for.
Tracy McGrady and Scola to New Orleans. Emeka Okafor and David West to Houston. It works in espn. We'll get bigger, stronger and still can run&gun. Next year Emeka will be the excellent backup for Yao and you know West is the one of the best guys around the league to complete Yao. Aaron/Lowry Ariza/JT Battier/Chase West/Landry/Cook Okafor/Hayes We can go deep in the playoffs with this roster, and next year when Yao comes. SPLASSH!
http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2009/11/12/1143146/where-the-hell-is-darko-milicic Pacers: * 80% of Mobley's contract is paid for by an insurance company. His contract is a pseudo-TE. Knicks: * Toney Douglas has emereged, AI might be signed, Robinson is also there. All that might make Duhon expenable as an expiring trade filler. Duhon's still starting there but he's been stinking it up in every game played so far. * Can a core of AI, T-Mac, and Harrington make the playoffs in the East? Any which way, the Rockets must draft-block the Jazz. Rockets: * Get a playmaker & scorer in Dunleavy, a big man in Darko, and get under the tax.
West?! He can't play anymore. Chris Paul's game is what improved David's game. His size is good, but wouldn't want him here.
BTW Houston Chronicle mentions that Morey's been working hard to bring in a big man and a deal should be completed in the coming weeks. So will it be a slight upgrade of Pops/Andersen or something more significant? Hmmm.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6726295.html From the article: This was one of those nights that reminded the Rockets what they don't have and that there are going to be occasions when teamwork and passion can't overcome size and strength. The Rockets have known this fact since the first day of training camp. They held out hope Joey Dorsey would emerge as a contributor around the basket, but that hasn't happened. So Rockets general manager Daryl Morey spends a lot of time attempting to add a big body, or at least a bigger body. ----- Is this the reference, in bold?
