Even if we could not get him, I think that the player that would change everything is Stromile Swift from the Grizzlies. He was a free agent and we did not pick him up. Thats what pisses me about the Rockets sometimes. We pick up a player in McGrady and then just settle instead of going for the knock out punch. Can you guys imagine how great it would have been if we had an athletic power forward like swift in our roster. We would be awesome. I think we blew a big oppurtunity in not going for him. He would have been awesome as our power forward. Now, we cant get him because we have not trade bait. Would have been sweet.
I don't see how the Rockets ever would have been able to get him. A MLE offer would obviously have been matched by Memphis. A Memphis and Huston trader also seems unlikely as they make very bad trade partners.
We can't get him because Jerry West will match the offer up to the MLE. Therefore no team made him an offer. We can't offer more than the MLE anyway.
there is no doubt that Memphis would have matched ANY offer. they said as much. there isnt a damn thing the Rockets could have done. There is absolutely ZERO way we could have offered enough to outbid the Grizz. it kills me that some people love to come in spouting off crap when it is obvious they dont have a clue to what the facts are.....and there is no excuse for it since the facts normally get posted here....if you dont know them, it is only cause you didnt bother reading.
Didn't Memphis give their MLE to Brian Cardinal. What y'all are saying is Memphis had his rights so could have gone over the cap to match so would have anyway, correct? Wouldn't have hurt to try...at the very least to make Memphis spend more money on longer-term contracts for a philosophy (deep bench, no GREAT players) that they found out this year may not be the best long-term plan.
JayZ - as said already, we wouldn't have been able to offer more than the MLE. I highly doubt Swift would have gone for it, but even if he did, Swift at the MLE is a steal. West knows it and would have matched. I can see what you're saying about making Memphis add on the payroll, but I think we would have been helping them rather than hurting them by letting them sign Swift on the cheap.
People have already said it, but here it is again: The best offer Swift could have gotten really anywhere (outside of Atlanta) was the full MLE, which the Rockets no doubt would have offered. But he was a restricted free agent, so ANY offer he signs goes to Memphis with a shot at matching the deal. Memphis WANTED Swift to take one of those offers. Instead, Swift balked, took the one-year tender offer and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Translation: The Rockets couldn't have signed Swift to anything more than the MLE, and if they had signed him to that with Swift agreeing, he'd be locked up long-term to Memphis right now and not get a whiff of free agency this summer. If the Rockets had significant cap space, I have no doubt Stromile would come here. It's close to home (Louisianna), we desperately need a starting power forward and the Rockets were his favorite team growing up. As it stands now, I think we have no shot at him unless he decides to take a significant pay cut.
This is the problem with today's NBA. Swift is a career 9 ppg, 5 rpg player. He doesn't get significant minutes (21 pg), but then again he is playing on a team with no other great big man but Gasol. Are his minutes really down because Brian Cardinal and Lorenzen Wright are so good? Maybe there is a reason he only gets 21 minutes a game. So, you give that type of player more than a starting salary at 5 million growing at whatever rate (12.5%??) for 4-5 years. You do that, you're crazy, imo. Same with Tyson Chandler. That was my point about forcing Memphis to match. He'd essentially just be another back-up getting big money But I guess that's the state of today's NBA.
Hmm, I didn't know about Swift's connection here. I hope this might become a factor this offseason. Either with us giving him the max allowed for the MLE next season, or through a sign&trade with Memphis using the TE. Watching him play, he does have qualities which would make him a good PF to complement Yao.
Not really true either. Memphis is paying Swift 5.99 mill as part of his qualifying offer. They would be paying him 4.9 mill if he had received a MLE offer and they matched it. IOW, they'd be paying him a mill less and would be able to trade him for more positive assets (if within 1 year, with his consent). Right now, they're stuck paying him 6 mill this year, and can't move him even if they wanted to. So Memphis pay him greater than MLE for a year, and then will get nothing for him next year. meh- the trade exception will expire before free agency begins. Besides, that exception will only be slightly more than the MLE money anyway.
interesting. I hope we somehow sign him this offseason. I think he'd be a great 4 on our team. Of course, I'd rather not overpay for him and not get him than overpay him and be stuck with another motaylorish contract.
Swift is an interesting player, i have several questions that i loved to get answers about 1. What kind of numbers do people think he could put up playing 35 minutes a game every game? 2. Could he play permanently as a PF (seems like he plays as a 5 for the Grizz) 3. Could he guard the quicker/outside shooting type PFs in the league (that consistently kick out butts)?? 4. Describe his offensive game, not sure i have ever seen him score outside of Alley-oop dunk and put backs after offensive rebounds? 5. Could he mesh with Yao at both ends of the floor?
1. I'd say he could get about 14ppg and 9rpg in this system. 2. PF is definately his natural position. 3. He is about as quick as PF's get, so he would be much better defensively against those types of players. 4. From what I've seen he has an improving jumpshot. He would also be great at catching and jamming the passes from Tmac. 5. I think so. He's quick and athletic enough to be a good shotblocker. He's a good rebounder as well. On offense he fits with Yao because he does not really need to post up. If his jumper remains solid he could be the perfect compliment to Yao.
