Pacers, Raptors still dreaming The weekend passed without a significant update in the Hakeem Olajuwon sweepstakes. Rockets sources told Insider Sunday night that the reports of the Raptors' four-year, $22-million dollar offer to Olajuwon were exaggerated. According to the source, Olajuwon was guaranteed only the first two years, or $9 million with the Raptors. Houston has essentially met that offer, but Olajuwon is still playing the field. He met with Pacers officials last week and plans to meet with Knicks brass on Tuesday. According to the Rockets source, it is likely that Olajuwon will move on. "We truly want to see Hakeem retire in a Rockets uniform, but not at any cost. He seems intent on finding a way out, and there's a point where we won't stop him." Asked if Olajuwon is close to that point, the Rockets source responded, "He's probably already past it." The Dream has plenty of options, though most involve a sign-and-trade. Both the Knicks and Pacers are pushing for a sign-and-trade to land the Dream. The Raptors also would prefer to do a sign-and-trade so that they can keep their mid-level exception. Apparently Miami is also still in the picture, though the Heat are gagging somewhat on the big numbers being thrown around. Houston, so far, has been reluctant to do any deal. The Rockets need most of their cap space to re-sign free agents Maurice Taylor, Shandon Anderson and Moochie Norris. However, they may be inclined to move forward for the right deal. The Raptors are in the best shape. They own a $5-million trade exception that means they can send back considerably less than the salary they would assume with the Dream. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
The only sign and trade deal that sounded okay to me was the one that had Toronto sending their exception over so that we would still have enough cap space to sign our FAs. I am so glad to see that the Rockets didn't allow Dream to bully them into a big contract using the PR angle. I really did not want our org. to become known as a cream puff negotiating basketball org. ------------------ Life is a **** sandwich. The more bread you have, the less **** you have to take. You can Run from the bet, you can Rave at the bet...but you just can't hide.
i hope Hakeem just makes up his mind...i'm sure he's luv'in all this attention being thrown towards him...hope he becomes a Raptor and gets over with it...i'd rather have Houston same cap for next year... How much cap will we have for next year???? ------------------ <<..........>>
Toronto sounds good to me. They are a playoff team that did a good job maintaining their roster in the offseason, so Olajuwon should like them well enough. And with the exception, we can get paid a bit without having to take on a lot of salary. We could just take Clark or picks or whatever and still give Olajuwon a living wage. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
hottoddie, a sign-n-trade with Toronto for a future draft pick has the identical effect on our cap space as renouncing Dream or losing him straight-out to free agency. Other sign-n-trades I agree with you: We should limit the salaries we get back in return to a number no higher than the $$ we offered Dream...$4.1m.
So, we trade Dream for Toronto's trade exception & a future draft pick, while taking no players back in return? That works for me. That exception combined with the one we currently have would give us approximately, a $6 mill trade exception to use. The gears are starting to turn. First we resign MO & then with Denver being over the cap & having already used their mid-level on Avery, maybe, just maybe, we could send Cato & part of the $6 mill exception to them for LaFrentz & whatever(probably Abdul-Wahad). hmmmm...... Do you think they'd go for that? ------------------ A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.
Would you take Indiana's Al Harrington? Would you take (the reported) offer of Sam Perkins and McKey? How about accepting Toronto's trade exception? How about Toronto's Keon Clark offer? How about Denver's Kevin Willis and Calbert Chaney? How about the Heat's Bruce Bowen and then trading him to the half dozen or so teams that are after him? ------------------
Could we trade Dream to the Raptors in exchange for Keon and a future pick? Then maybe send the exception, Cato, and maybe S&T Shandon for LaFrentz and Abdul-Wahad? oeipere-yes no yes yes no yes [This message has been edited by RocketFan007 (edited July 23, 2001).]
The only deal I like out of those are the ones that bring Keon Clark to Houston, or possibly trading for the exception. The Kevin Willis deal is intriguing though. ------------------ "Instruments are like women: After a while, you want to make love to another." - Nicolas Godin of the musical duo Air
We cant fall into the same trap with Kevin Willis as denver did last season. They were actually doing somewhat decently, if you remember, and thought they no longer needed their young, lanky, athletic PF/C but a rugged, tough, interior low post player. Maybe their thinking was right, but Willis is past his prime. ------------------ American business long ago gave up on demanding that prospective employees be honest and hardworking. It has even stopped hoping for employees who are educated enough that they can tell the difference between the men's room and the women's room without having little pictures on the doors.
The problem with us doing a sign & trade with anyone, is that we would have to get at least one solid player & so far, most of the names being thrown out or speculated about aren't worth giving up the cap space for. Unless some team steps up to the plate with an offer we can't refuse, I'd just as soon let Dream walk. I'm all for showing loyalty in the form of giving him extra time to make up his mind, but if he decides to leave in a sign & trade, then it becomes all business & loyalty becomes a non issue. ------------------ A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.
