The REAL reason for the Rice trade

Before I give you the real reason for this trade, let's make clear that this trade was made after Olajuwan was gone. Keeping him was not an option.

This trade was made so that we would be a championship team when Glen Rice is no longer on the payroll.

Last year, with Olajuwan (sort of) and without Glen Rice, this team did not make the playoffs. After having lost Hakeem, it was obvious to RT and CD that this team as is would not make the playoffs again this year. Griffin is a raw rookie who needs some time to develop and he would actually keep up from the playoffs this year rather than push us to it during his development. Resigning Shandon still does not get us to the playoffs.

But, what this team needed is core (Francis, Mobley, Griffin, Taylor) time playing together and to keep moving forward. And if they are to truly be a championship contender in a few years, they need the playoff clock to start ticking now.

So, the Rockets look at their options, find out Rice is available and realize that trading for Rice might take some time away from Griffin but it is also our only viable way to obtain the firepower to make the playoffs right now.

Making the playoffs next year is very important for this team because you do not win championships until you have several years of playoff experience.

Playoffs means many things to this team. More minutes to further the development. More time in the pressure situations. A better understanding of what is required in the playoffs to win. And most importantly, it creates a winning atmosphere around the team as a whole. This is especially important for guys like Griffin, TMorris, and to a lesser extent, Francis, Mobley, Taylor and Langhi. For Griffin, TMorris, I would love for them to grow up in an atmosphere where winning is the norm and losing is not acceptable. It is a different mindset than the losing is acceptable mindset of teams that have been in the lottery for years like the Clipps.

This trade is about making tha playoffs now, pure and simple, without mortgaging the future. Now we'll see if it works.

One other benefit to this deal that few point out. The last year of Rice's deal 03/04, Francis will be up for his new contract that offseason, which we can go over the cap to sign. But if we sign Francis, we can't use the Rice caproom. However, that last season, Rice will be extremely valuable in trade due to his 9 mil coming off the cap in an expiring contract. That will give us flexibility to add another piece (our bigtime center comes here?) via trade at the trading deadline that we couldn't get any other way. Whoever we add can have a longterm contract that someone may be trying to get rid of and we might now be able to get a 10-11 mill guy at that point in time (more if you add other players to the deal) That is the other big long term benefit of this Rice deal. Resigning Shandon doesn't give us any of that, especially at 6 years, $42 m.