Mashburn for MoT New Orleans and Mashburn seem ready to part ways. Mashburn has been a pain in the *** and has been hurt. Still, when healthy, he has produced for them. MoT is a decent backup - when he is not hurt or on drugs. Mashburn is a good starter when he is not hurt. Seem like an easy deal to make. We may have to add Griffin to make the cap numbers work. It would leave us thin at PF, with just Spoon and cato, but we are thin even if MoT is here. It would soldify the SF and backup PG spots. Starting Mash/Cat/SF with JJ/Pike/Nachbar off the bench. We still would need a backup PG. We would still need a PF - if we could get a decent starting PF(which we need anyway) then we could use spoon and cato for depth at center and PF. If not, we do the same thing we did this year, get by with Cato/Spoon and free agents. Still, I would rather have a good starting SF instead of the backup PF we have.
I like the idea of getting Mashburn alot and have suggested it in a few other threads, however I'll bet it takes more then MT to get that deal done. Mashburn has burned a few bridges over there and I have no doubt he'll be shopped hard this offseason. Would you consider a Mobley and MT for Mashburn deal. I know most replies will be no but that's because people believe MT has value, which he does not. MT's lack of rebounding and extreme contract make him a negative in any deal he's part of. Mobely is a solid player but I see the need for some type of changes this offseason and I doubt Francis is the one dealt. The Rockets will put Francis on the block but I'm sure every GM in the league will attempt to lowball the Rockets becasue of the problems SF & JVD had this season...so no deal will be made there. Mashburn is a compotent scorer and has shown a willingness to play D (although he'll never be confused with a lockdown defender). The Rockets could do alot worse then a Mashburn deal this offseason.
If we added Cat, then New Orleans would have to add Wesley for it to work under the cap (it also would give us a SG along with JJ or SF). I would still do this deal (despite the fact that Cat really improved this year). I agree on Francis - I don't think we can get fair value. He is too good to give away for scrubs and we won't be able to get a star (like RAllen/Brand/etc.) - so no deal.
Health. Health. And health. Mash claims to be so hurt he may retire. Or he could be pushing for a trade. Mash cannot get along with Baron or most of his other teammates, so why expect him to get along with BD's bud, SF? Or the rest of the Rox? Look for Mash in Cleveland with Silas, more likely, IMO. BTW - what was the relationship between JJax and JM in Dallas, an eon ago?
If I'm not mistaken - and I might be - the friction was between JJax and Kidd over Toni Braxton(sp). Heath id diffently a concern but the reward of a healthy Mashburn out weights the risk. I'd have the team doc's take a good look at those knees and if they give the OK I think I'd have to make that deal. I haven't heard any retirement talk from Mashburn...that would concern me. Is that just speculation you heard or has he really talked about that?
he really said retirement was an option at this point, but when i read the quote it seemed more like he was just frustrated by being misdiagnosed by team doctors a few times.
I kinda suspected NO might leave Mashburn unprotected in the expansion draft, and Charlotte would try to build a team with him as the short-term first option on offense. However, I'm down with the thought of trading for him. Solidifies our starting 3 spot, which in my opinion is our BIGGEST concern. We could then move JJ to the starting 2. Have Cat come off the bench as 6th man of the year. He could spell either Francis OR JJ ... JJ could run the point with Cat as the 2. Play Steve & Cat together in the backcourt sometimes. That would be AWESOME. But it DOES thin us out at the PF position. We'd need a little help there.
My understanding of Mashburn's contract is that he has an option on the last 2 seasons. Is that right? Anyway, I doubt he'll opt out of 2 seasons at $10 million each. Point being, the length of both contracts are the same, with Mashburn's being about $1 million/year richer. My concern on the deal would be that the notoriously cheap management in New Orleans would not be willing to take on Mo's contract. However, his contract is a slight upgrade on Mashburn's. Even so, I wonder if they'd rather trade him for something that will be expiring soon. I think the trade is rather fair really. Mashburn may be the better player, but Mo Taylor will easily bring NO more value -- because he won't be injured as much and because he'll be a better teammate. Hopefully, Mashburn could be a better teammate with a change of scenery. I wouldn't give up more than Taylor for him though. Mashburn comes with plenty of risk as is. I certainly wouldn't give up Mobley for him, with or without Mo Taylor. Frankly, Mobley is worth a good deal more than Mashburn. He's at least as good a player, younger, better defender, great teammate, workhorse, and very durable. I don't want to trade him at all, much less for a guy with question marks on chemistry and injury.
I think we should try to swing a MoT for PJ Brown trade. They'd get younger, more uptempo, more scoring. You don't need a PJ Brown when you have Magloire.
although i have some interest in acquiring Mash (not as much as i used to) but why on earth would the Hornets want Mo, they have Brown and Magloire already up front and have spent the past season grooming David West, who compared to Mo might be unproven but doesn't have an albatross contract and tries to play D and rebound and is rapidly improving
I just want to pass on this information: Apparently, Mo is interested in moving to a new location that is closer to the Toyota Center. The problem is, he is affraid that he will be a Bobcat next year. Mo really enjoys being a Rocket and does not want to move. The information was given to me by someone that does business with Mo. I know it's not much but I have decided to pass it on to you guys. My first post of this kind.
I would do this trade in a heart beat if Mash was in the right state of mind to come to Houston. I would also sign Dampier to play power forward... a bit out of position for him but I would like his rebounding and defense.
I believe he likes being a Rocket. I don't believe he'd become a Bob -- unless a trade was prearranged -- and why would that not be directly with the Rox? Interesting post BTW.
Well, the Rockets would be involved. I just think (based on the conversation with a businessman who is fearing a loss of a big customer) any move involving Mo will go through the Bobcats.
The bit about Mo being a Bobcat is interesting. It's consistent with Doc Rocket's "SF - I'm outta here" post. If you recall, the rumored Charlotte deal was SF and a bad contract for #4 pick. I dismissed it, but maybe Charlotte building around Steve and Mo Taylor is a real possibility, if a very remote one.
lets trade wilks and weatherspoon for garnett c'mon people the playoffs arent even over and its one ridiculous proposal after another.. i hav ebeen wrong before but ..
Still more uptempo than PJ Brown. As for your info, if you can get the message across, tell Mo not to worry. I guarantee that MoT won't play for the Charlotte Bobcats next year. He may play somewhere else, and the deal may be made through the Bobcats, but one thing's for sure... He won't be a Bobcat. Mo makes just under 1/3rd of the Bobcats salarycap, has been suspended for drug violations, and isn't the role-model type. Absolutely no way MoT, at 9M, is playing for the expansion franchise next year, I guarantee it. However, if they felt they could trade him to some other team for some valuable pieces, then I can see that happening. Mo, if you're reading, you need to get into even better shape, work out all summer (don't tear anything!), and learn as much as you can about rebounding and feeding the post. All we ask is that you be able to jump higher and be in extremely good shape (EXTREMELY).
http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-10/1085208932116850.xml HOLDING PATTERN Forward Jamal Mashburn's future with the Hornets is up in the air, and a knee injury clouds his situation even further Saturday, May 22, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer It's hard for Hornets forward Jamal Mashburn to walk through an airport without being stopped by fans who want to know where he might end up next season. On a trip to Atlanta this month, Mashburn said, several people told him it would be great to see him on the same team with LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers star. But Mashburn not only doesn't know where he'll be playing next season, he doesn't even know if he'll be playing. Mashburn said his injured right knee, which forced him to miss 63 games and the playoffs, continues to swell, mainly a problem of bone rubbing against bone because of cartilage damage. He doesn't know if it will heal before training camp starts in October. He also doesn't know whose training camp he'll be in. He said he still hasn't heard whether the Hornets plan to trade him. In late July, Mashburn plans to have his knee re-evaluated. If the problem persists, he said he would consider sitting out next season or possibly retiring. "At that point the fact would be a fact," Mashburn said by telephone Friday. "I've rested it and done everything that I can do, and at that point, they would have go on without me or I would have to take more time off. "But all in all, I'm going to try and to do everything possible to get back on that basketball court. I'm not one to sit out for no reason. That's where all the misconception is, that I haven't come out publicly and explained my injury." Mashburn missed the first 44 games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, then returned to the lineup in mid-January. He played in 19 games after reinjuring his right knee by bruising a bone. Now, Mashburn said he's following the advice of the Hornets' doctor. He is resting the knee for the next two months. Hornets officials declined comment Friday about Mashburn's medical situation. "I'm not concerned that some people think it's not as serious as it is," Mashburn said. Regardless, his trade value likely has decreased because of his injury problems. For the Hornets to trade him, they would have to obtain a player with a salary comparable to Mashburn's. He will make $9.3 million next season. There has been speculation that the Cavaliers, coached by former Hornets coach Paul Silas, are interested in Mashburn. But officials from both teams have declined comment. Since the Hornets' season ended this month, there's been virtually no communication between the Hornets and Mashburn. Mashburn said he hasn't spoken to anyone in the team's basketball operations department since the end of April, even though he's still living in New Orleans until his daughter's school session is completed later this month. The team's only public comments regarding Mashburn this month came at its May 7 news conference to announce the firing of Tim Floyd. "In my opinion Mashburn is an incredible talent," Hornets majority owner George Shinn said. "He had some problems. If Mashburn comes back with us next season, we clearly know the best way to manage him. We played him too many minutes. "If we can get better by getting Mash healthy and getting him right, we'll keep Mash. If we can get better by trading Mash, then we're going to get better." Mashburn was banished by the team for the remainder of the playoffs before Game 2 against the Miami Heat after he publicly criticized the Hornets organization for misdiagnosing several of his injuries. Mashburn met with Bob Bass, the team's retiring executive vice president of basketball operations, two days after the team returned to New Orleans from its playoff game in Miami. "I just think emotions got the best of both parties," Mashburn said. "After we spoke I was fine with it. I think it's all a non-issue now. "I know what type of person I am, and I'm comfortable with me. But a lot of people are not comfortable with me. I think I'm held to a higher expectation than everybody else. I guess it's the way I come across. But I take my job serious, and I don't look at it just as a game." The Hornets are in the second week of their search for a coach. Team officials interviewed former New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott this week, and they likely will interview Brian Hill, Mike Fratello and George Karl in the next week or so. "I haven't paid much attention to the search, nor have I watched a lot of basketball," Mashburn said. "We've gone through that (coaching search) last year. "I'm a veteran, and I'm not concerned what's on the sideline or the things I can't control. That has to be the least amount of my worries at this particular point. The main thing for me is to get healthy."
