And if I remember, Baltimore didn't really cave. They ended up getting a draft pick for sticking with it and they gave up nothing.
true. you can't run a franchise or a league that way...it means that free agency is ultimately always in play, no matter the contract status of the player you hope to acquire.
This may sound corny, but I think it would actually make the team stronger. I doubt Yao and Steve's relationship would be damaged at all. I think this situation would be similar to what happened with Allen Iverson and the trade that fell through to the pistons because of Geiger (health?). I'm not sure if the Rockets can make it to the finals like the Sixers did, but it wont be the end of the world if the trade doesnt happen. Though i hope it does.
I have been pondering some of this myself, and don't think what Steve is doing is anything different than McGrady....but, yet according to most...SF is a sabotaging one team and handcuffing the Rockets, Orlando, and most importantly Tracy McGrady...that is garbage. Look at McGrady. When times get tough, he has no resiliency...no loyalty...Look at Francis...He just WANTS to be a Rocket. He wants to continue to build this team. When SF, Cat, Cato were part of the rebuilding - winning sub-35 games per season with no real guarantee of a turnaround, you didn't hear them threaten to opt out...
Who cares if Steve is doing anything different than McGrady, As a Rocket fan I want this deal bad... ANd the fact that Steve is against the deal and his team is making comments based upon that and it is putting a damper on the deal.. Well I can't help it as a fan in feeling sick that we might miss a super opportunity and I wish Steve and his agents had kept quiet. Just would rather have McGrady than Steve period. So I wish Steve would just call Orlando tell them he loves them and move on.
Good thread. In my opinion, if this deals falls apart, they basically have to fold the franchise. Try and get David Stern to agree to contraction because it'll be over. The franchise will never recover from this. Steve Francis can't come back now because the fans will never accept him back and quite frankly, I don't think I'de even want him back. We couldn't get next to anything of any value in return for him now that the rest of the league knows he'll pull this crap again. Not to mention all of the negative publicity that's come out surrounding Steve. Orlando fans don't want him, Houston fans don't want him, and it doesn't seem like anyone wans him. He has a bad attitude and quite frankly isn't even that good of a player anymore. The best we could hope for is peddling him off to Washington for Gilbert Arenas or some other garbage. Rockets fans had better pray this deals goes down or it's over. Stevie "Franchise" indeed.
Get traded from an up and coming playoff team in the West to the worst team in the East, and you'd cry diesel, too...
I believe that Francis is out of here. With what has transpired, he and JVG will not get along at all. Even if this deal falls through, I could still see McGrady coming here and Stevie shipped out someplace else like Seattle. This really reminds me of the infamous Horry for Elliot trade with the Pistons that fell through. I remember see Horry being in Detroit watching the game with his supposed new team.
I thought Steve was open to playing for Chicago or Washington. I heard that on ESPN I think. Steve is saying he wants to play for a playoff team as a "nice" way to reject Orlando, but in reality he just doesn't want to play there at all. He'd rather be close to his friends and family. (Where is he from again?)
I feel bad for Mobes and Kato. They aren't so vocal about this trade, yet Francis wants to throw a tantrum. I wish we could keep Mobes and Kato and get rid of some of the other scrubs on the team.
That is his problem, is it not? Steve had his chances. We had high hope for him since the beginning. Why do u think we call him Franchise? He could have been the leader of this team for years to come. It's Steve that turned the fans, the team, the city off.
with the Draft so far away, the other GMs and front offices are very upset, they are not just rocking this trade but the draft as stated by many media sources. Though the Gm of Orlando smerks, he is damaging the repuatation of his franchise and delaying the draft and trade possiblities. I understamd his point to thinks thing through, but it is almost misleading and deceptive his course of actions. I believe it tarnishes the appeal and trust for playing with the magic. in the next few years it will damage the repuation and why would free agents want to play for them. Perhaps there was more reasons for Shaq and now T-mac to take flight, and now more than ever I can see why. It is good to be savy in competive business but do so without burning bridges and misleading other teams. As he brags his Havard graduate a$$ off he is making a foul of himself and more importantly the Team and city he represents.
The fans, the team, and the city seemed pretty 'ON' during the playoffs...SF single-handedly carried us through that series, but I guess some have a pretty selective memory.
really?? carried us to what??? a 3-1 loss??? i don't remember this city being all that captivated by the 2004 rockets in any way, shape or form. the extreme of those excited are the freaks like me who post here every day...but the average joe on the street??? i don't think his imagination has been captured by steve francis and the "one playoff win in 5 years Rockets"
Orlando is holding us up, guys. Keep your pants on. News on this just came out too early. If this deal doesn't go down. No biggie. We still trade Francis, Cat and Cato. There are other options. For starters, there are some of the other offers mentioned for Mc. Grady. Those guys are on the hot seat now, too. Harrington and Artest Marion Jacobsen and # 7 Ray Allen and/or Rashard Lewis and/or Brent Barry how about Vince Carter? Clippers for Maggette, Wilcox and picks Chicago for Hinrich, Chandler and contract et al We could come out better. If we sent Francis/Taylor out for Allen and Barry and Cat and Cato for Harrington and Pollard, that's pretty strong. We'd still have the TE and MCE, there, too. Who knows? I'm betting this deal gets done, but it's not the only deal in the league. So long as Yao ends up with a smart, sweet shooting wing player as his complementary star, it's all good.
