Rockets, Blazers discussed a Mo Taylor-for-Derek Anderson swap?

Well, this would work .

But even CD is not that good .

Houston trades: PF Maurice Taylor (7.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.4 apg in 23.8 minutes)
SF Clarence Weatherspoon (2.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.2 apg in 7.4 minutes)
PG Charlie Ward (5.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.1 apg in 25.7 minutes)
PG Reece Gaines (2.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.3 apg in 10.8 minutes)
Houston receives: PG Jason Kidd (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 7.1 apg in 34.6 minutes)
Change in team outlook: -4.4 ppg, -3.1 rpg, and +2.1 apg.

Portland trades: PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim (15.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.3 apg in 35.2 minutes)
SF Darius Miles (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 apg in 26.9 minutes)
Portland receives: PF Maurice Taylor (7.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.4 apg in 23.8 minutes)
SF Clarence Weatherspoon (2.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.2 apg in 7.4 minutes)
PG Charlie Ward (5.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.1 apg in 25.7 minutes)
PG Reece Gaines (2.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.3 apg in 10.8 minutes)
SG Ron Mercer (9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg in 35.3 minutes)
PF Nenad Krstic (7.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg in 22.8 minutes)
Change in team outlook: +6.6 ppg, +5.2 rpg, and +5.1 apg.

New Jersey trades: PG Jason Kidd (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 7.1 apg in 34.6 minutes)
SG Ron Mercer (9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg in 35.3 minutes)
PF Nenad Krstic (7.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg in 22.8 minutes)
New Jersey receives: PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim (15.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.3 apg in 35.2 minutes)
SF Darius Miles (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 apg in 26.9 minutes)
Change in team outlook: -2.2 ppg, -2.1 rpg, and -7.2 apg.

TRADE ACCEPTED

There were BYC players involved in this trade, so this trade is subject to the BYC provisions of the CBA. Due to Houston, Portland, and New Jersey being over the cap, the 15% trade rule is invoked. Houston, Portland, and New Jersey had to be no more than 115% plus $100,000 of the salary given out unless trade exceptions were used for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1107521823244970.xml

Anderson wonders if it's time to leave
The Trail Blazers guard, still dealing with medical problems, says his work ethic has been unfairly questioned by the team
Friday, February 04, 2005
JASON QUICK

-- He was once a beacon light for the Trail Blazers -- the solid character, the team captain, the glue to help hold a fraying franchise together.

But as Derek Anderson draws the shades Thursday at his West Linn apartment, keeping out a light that exacerbates his intense headaches, he unconsciously creates the ultimate symbolism of where he stands today with the Blazers: in the dark.

"Lost," Anderson says. "I feel like I'm lost in the shuffle somewhere. Like I'm lost in this whole organization."

The issue at hand is simple: the Blazers -- from management on down -- are questioning Anderson's work ethic and toughness, an accusation that infuriates Anderson so much he wonders if it's time to part ways.

"Maybe I'm not fit for this anymore, this situation," Anderson said. "The way things are going, I'm not. It might be time for me to leave."

The situation started going downhill on Jan. 10, when mired in an inconsistent season of shooting, Anderson was stripped of his starting shooting guard spot. In the next seven games, as coach Maurice Cheeks questioned Anderson's effort, he averaged 5.8 points while playing an average of 16.2 minutes, culminating with a six-minute performance Jan. 22 at home against Minnesota.

Then, Anderson's problems doubled when a series of intense migraine headaches resulted in a flurry of medical procedures. In the past two weeks, Anderson has had two root canals (with a third scheduled for today), a CT Scan, two nights in a Vancouver hospital to receive intravenous fluids, a discovery of a cyst under his left nostril, and the diagnosis of a sinus infection.

Anderson said he has lost 10 to 12 pounds in the past two weeks, and if it weren't for the prescription drugs -- which crowd his kitchen counter -- he probably would be losing sleep thinking about his suddenly sour situation with the Blazers.

But even as people scoff at his latest injury -- "dental pain" as it was released by the team -- and in the face of Cheeks' direct challenge for Anderson to show him "sweat" on the court, Anderson says he will return the same player, like it or not.

"I'm not changing. I'm not changing," Anderson said. "And that's what they want me to say, that 'Yeah, I'm going to do something different.' That means I wasn't doing anything, that I was holding back. But I have never held back, and I don't plan on holding back."

Although he won't say it, Anderson appears frustrated with the team's marked offensive success since he was taken out of the lineup, in particular the emergence of Nick Van Exel and Damon Stoudamire as a backcourt tandem.

As he talks, he often adds emphasis by slamming the folding card table that serves as his dining room table.

"Now that the offense is back to being guard-oriented, to where Nick and Damon are playing well, and everybody is asking 'why are they playing well together?' Well, me and Damon did that last year," Anderson said. "That's because we just played. (Cheeks) gave us an opportunity to do that, to just play. . . .

"Maurice said last year that he wished he had that group for the entire season . . . well he got it this year, and what did they do? They took Darius out and put Shareef in there. For no reason, except their reasons. And when they do that, and it doesn't work, it's on them, not the players."

Anderson argues that when he was a starter, the offense was still a stagnated mess, predicated on dumping the ball into the post, and if a pass did come out, it usually forced the guards to hoist up quick shots.

"And now you are taking me out of the lineup and playing me 13, 14 minutes and you are asking me to sweat?" Anderson said. "I said I have been trying to sweat, I've been passing the ball, I've been doing everything I possibly can. And I haven't complained, I haven't cussed (Cheeks) out, I haven't disrespected him, I haven't disrespected the organization, I have never been late except for one time in four years . . . and now for them to come at me like I have done something bad? I don't feel comfortable with that. So that's why I told them -- I want to be here if they want me here. . . ."

"But if I'm not what you guys like or want, then make a business decision. Don't keep people you don't want to play. You are paying me this money ($8.4 million this season, $9.1 million next season, $9.7 million in 2006), but you are playing me 13 minutes, six minutes. . . ."

If there is a word that irks Anderson more than anything, it's the word "soft."

Since he has been in Portland in 2001, he has battled an image of being injury-prone and unable to withstand pain. He missed nearly all of the 2003 playoff series against Dallas with a torn meniscus in his left knee suffered in Game 2, which required offseason surgery.

Then last season, he missed 31 games because of a bulging disc in his back, which had many questioning whether it was really an injury or Anderson just pouting because he lost the starting job to Bonzi Wells.

That was one of the igniting moments of a clash between Cheeks and Anderson in a 2003 practice, when Cheeks basically accused Anderson of faking his injury and being soft. Cheeks has since apologized, and Anderson accepted.

Now, Anderson's second most despised word is "sweat." Cheeks used that word to motivate Anderson into working harder after he was taken out of the lineup. Cheeks said he felt Anderson was taking his starting role for granted.

"I think sometimes we give a guy a spot," Cheeks said. "And with D.A. I think what happened is he knew he was our two guard. He didn't have to go out there and bust ass to defend to get his job. But now, he's got to show me something. That's all, just show me something. That doesn't necessarily mean he has to score 25 points.

"So I told him: 'I want to see you sweat.' Because for me, it's hard to fathom guys running up and down the court, time after time, and they don't sweat. I mean, he has some ability in that body. But if he doesn't use it, what's the use?"

Anderson will undergo his third root canal at 11:30 a.m. today, and he doesn't foresee being able to practice any sooner than Sunday. He realistically puts his return at Feb. 11 at Memphis.

He will come back to an unsure situation, not knowing how many minutes he will play, what he will be asked to do, or knowing how he got into this predicament.

"I don't know where (Cheeks) gave up on me," Anderson said. "And I don't know if he feels like I have given up on him. I just always thought if he had a problem or a situation with me, we could talk about it. But when you take me out of the lineup, then play me 13 minutes . . . six minutes, that's not good conversation."

But Anderson said there is no ill feelings toward Cheeks, because he understands it is a business, and he said he is trying to put his situation into perspective by looking at it as a test of his faith.

"That's all it is, a test," Anderson said. "It's just a spiritual transition I'm going through. But I know I won't change my character or faith for no coach, no basketball game. Won't do it. And that's the thing, and I tell (Cheeks) this: Once I'm done, you are going to remember me as a strong person. You're not going to remember me when I was not playing well, not when you thought I wasn't playing hard, not when you thought I was soft. You are going to think that man has character. And that's what I want people to remember me by, not what I do on the court, but my character."

Jason Quick: 503-221-4372; jasonquick@news.oregonian.com

 

I wouldnt mind getting another athlete at the swing position. I think Anderson can play the 1,2,3 positions if needed. And would be added insurance if we have any injuries to the guards. Anytime we can add some youth and/or athelticism to this team it is something we should explore.
Getting Anderson also might allow us to give McGrady a few more minutes of rest each game which would benefit us down the road.

And right there is the bottom line! Right now Mo is worthless to us. Anderson's and Mo's contracts are both terrible. You trade trash for trash. But the idea is to get trash that at least WORKS within your system.

I think the only downside of the move is Anderson's history of being injured. But like NIKE said, a healthy Anderson is better than what we're getting from Mo these days (and an injured Anderson EQUALS what we are getting from Mo these days) so I would probably pull the trigger.

 

I don't like those quotes by Anderson in the article, but I would prefer basically anything to Mo at this point.

 

this sounds a LOT like Mo T's situation

.... maybe they both need a change in scenery

 

Sorry guys, this is even worse than rape. If this deal goes down, the Nets get gang banged!

 

After reading that article I don't know if I want him on the Rockets now. At least Mo isn't complaining about not playing. At least not yet anyway.

 

According to a New Jersey paper, they don't want to deal Kidd.

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1106810007322570.xml?starledger?spn

Nets: Thorn's rejecting all calls for Kidd
Thursday, January 27, 2005
BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO
Star-Ledger Staff
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Rod Thorn has put it as bluntly as possible: No more calls, he has told his peers.

Jason Kidd is a member of the Nets, he will remain such for the foreseeable future, and even if you offer something that blows us away, even if it has hurricane-type force, be prepared for us to hang up the phone.


"We put it out there that we're not interested in trading him," Thorn said yesterday. "We made that clear. Until we say that we are (interested), I don't expect any more (calls). Yeah, you might get calls from time to time, but I don't foresee getting anything that I would even consider."

What happened to his GM credo, that line about how you "never say never?" Is this not a departure from Thorn's previous position on roster management, which is that you always remain open to deals, regardless of who is included?

"That's probably true, it's not (consistent)," Thorn said. "Again, you don't know what you might be offered. I say 'never say never,' because as of now, I really don't think there could be anything that makes sense for us. You'd have to get something that really makes sense, but it won't happen, so that's why" the Nets put a block on telephone calls involving Kidd inquiries.

 

if it matters - it looks like the Portland fans want to get rid of DA as much as we want to ditch MO

http://www.*******************/viewtopic.php?t=336068

oops - that was a link to another message board (REAL GM) not for rumors, but just for fan feedback

 

Hmm...Forget about Kidd. What if Keon Clarks head cleared and decided to join with the Rox? Then we could push thru with the Mo-DA swap...what a great all star break move would that be..

 

This deal would be an absolute steal....D.A. is a class guy, one of the few if not ONLY good guy on the Jailblazers and he has game. He would add more athleticism and shooting to the team. He is also a decent defender.

 

i don't see anything wrong w/ obtaining DA....technically we run a 3 guard rotation w/ a PF and Yao anyway.....so I don't see how it could hurt, b/c I think DA rebounds as well as MoT.....hey, if this yr is the yr of small ball.....then y not try it out...can't hurt any.....

 

If you add J-Kidd to the mix we go to the finals this year. Les should find the money.....maybe from all those Yao Ming jerseys being sold in China.

 

Haha, maybe it's just being a cynic, but I read this article and think: Kidd is on the block!

 

Garbage in, garbage out.

It is a wash...why do it?

DD

 

Yea, and also remember the reason why SAR wanted to be traded before training camp. He WANTS and feels he is more effective at PF and Portland wanted him playing SF.

I went to the Blazers' realgm board just to see what their fans' opinions are about this possible deal, and they seem to all like it. Amazing! A team and fans that want Taylor. Whoa, I think I just saw a pig fly by my window!

 

Kidd is as good a rebounder as Sura and he has a better shot than Sura anyway. And no one should argue that Kidd will be able to provide the team, and especially Yao many more touches and easy baskets than Sura will ever do.

The bottom line is, Yao/TMac/Kidd can win us a couple of or more championships within the next 5 years. If Les really wants to win badly, he should never consider $ in this deal.

 

I think it has more to do with Salary Cap issues
Yao, T-Mac and Kidd...thats 3 max players