OK guys, I have no inside info or anything, just adding two random pieces together. First, there was this ridiculous rumor in the Toronto paper that Rox would be getting Chauncey for SF, which doesn't even make sense capwise. Then, David Aldridge reports that Detroit is trying to dump salaries onto a third team to get Rasheed Wallace. Sooo, coud it be that the Rockets are getting Chauncey for the trade exception and a future first round pick? I know it's more of a wishfull thinking. First, why would the Pistons want to let Billups go only to rent Rasheed for the rest of the season. Second, why wouldn't Utah, for example jump onto Chauncey (although that might be easier to understand, they would likely not want to part with a pick) Anyway, we'll know by tomorrow...
If they do it, they'll do it after the season since they want to sign Mehmut Okur. I could see them giving Billups to Houston. They sign Okur. Then they use the MLE exception to sign Brent Barry. They might do just what you say but not now. Les Alexander does not want to incur a luxury tax.
Okur will fit into Yao Mings Game perfectly, he is a strong and quick player both inside and outside.
What I meant was the Pistons want to sign Okur. If they have to give up Billups for free for cap space purposes, they'll probably do it. They'll just sign Brent Barry after they sign Okur.
I think the Pistons may be a trading partner this offseason, but when teams gear for a playoff run they usually don't part with the starting PG, much less give him away. I think the best we can hope for stem from compromising pictures of Larry Brown with Joe Dumars. That may be enough to get Billups.
yeah, theres some rumblings going on about sheed going to detroit. if that happens, thats going to be a pretty sick team come playoff time.
No way will DET give Chauncey up for nothing. The player from the Pistons that is most likely to be dealt is Atkins, not Billups. As far as Okur, that guy has game. He only plays about 24 min a game but averages over 10 pts and about 7 reb a game. As far as his toughness, from the games that I have seen he does not mind getting down and dirty. He is pretty much as tough as Cato, with a jump shot and not as many blocks. There is a reason why Joe Dumars wants to clear cap room to sign this guy. He is a hoss with a bright future as a PF in the East.
well since david aldridge never mentioned chauncy and said "they want to move chucky atkins and his salary so they can resign Okur" i would say there is no chance of this happening.
It wouldn't be exactly free. If we use the TE now, it will cost Les gobs of tax money come July 1st. But I like your thinking.
Les could use the TE to grab Chucky Atkins now. Detroit wants cap room. That would be a very solid pickup. Perhaps we could give them some bench players with expiring contracts to soften the blow. Oh wait, we don't have any of those, except Nachbar and MJax. All our guys have multi-year deals. Crap. 1) Still, I'd like to see them take the bite. Use the TE on a very solid guy like Atkins for a backup guard. 2) 1On small deals, I'd also like Cato for Donyell Marshall + contract or Mo Taylor for Vladimir Radmonovic and Brent Barry. 3) If we really really wanted to get busy, we could make a play for Eric Dampier or NVE with the TE and Nachbar and whatever else they'd take. Smaller scale, we could rent Cliff Robinson for a while. Warriors want cap room. 4) We could grab Doleac off waivers, if we move Cato. All the above preserve the team core but add talent in exchange for bench players and/or the TE.
Bottom line: Det isn't going to give up Chauncy for nothing, and they said that if they do deal someone, it will be Atkins.
The Rockets are going to hold the trade exception until this summer when they can combine it with the MLE to be a bigger player in the free agent market. While I'm posting, here are my summer priorities: 1. Sign Rasheed, trade Cato. 2. Sign Barry, trade Mobley.
Well, you got one thing right...they are going to hold on until the summer. The trade exception can not be combined with any other exception (MLE, assigned player exception) nor can it be used to sign FA's. It is as it is described...an allowance of a $6.99m difference in incoming contracts from any team to HOU.
Darko? Where is he anyway? I heard last sighting was with Leon Smith and they were painting their faces and playing hide and seek.
Yeah, his 1.0 PPG average would help free up Yao from the double teams! And that 0.7 rebounds would let our guards get out faster on the break.
While you're checking out stats, why didn't you bother to check out the amount of minutes he gets....a whopping 3.4 mins a game I wonder why he only averages 1 PPG and .7 RPG............
