According to sportstalk.com Celtics, Rockets Duking It Out for Gasol. . . With the draft now just two weeks away the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets are making a major push to get into the top six picks in the 2001 NBA Draft. A league source told sportsTALK late last night that both teams are in the hunt for F.C. Barcelona forward Pau Gasol. The Rockets and the Celtics are among several suitors that covet 7'1" forward from Barcelona despite the fact that he has yet to work out for an NBA team. Both the Rockets and the Celtics have offered the Vancouver Grizzlies multiple first round picks to move up to number six, the source told sportsTALK. The Celtics have offered their 10th and 11th picks while the Rockets are offering their 13th and 18th picks. The Grizzlies like Gasol as well, but prefer Michigan State guard Jason Richardson. The Grizzlies are afraid that if they trade down they'll lose their chance to draft Richardson. The Nets (7th) and the Cavs (8th) also have eyes for Richardson. Boston has the inside track with the Grizzlies right now and Houston is also talking with the New Jersey Nets about sending their 13th and 18th picks to the Nets in return for the Nets 7th pick. According to the same league source, the Rockets also like Charlotte forward Rodney White and will pursue him if they cannot land Gasol. If the Rockets cannot move their picks they likely still land a foreign prospect. Expect them to take Yugoslavian forward Vladimir Radmanovic with their 18th pick if trade talks fall through. The Celtics originally tried to work out a deal with the Atlanta Hawks for the third pick in the draft. However, Atlanta is demanding a veteran, not more draft picks, to get a deal done. Do you guys think Pau Gasol is that good of a player? ------------------ take it one day at a time
i think pau can turn out ot be that good of a player. from what i hear, radmanovic can turnout to be just what we need aswell. ------------------
Darn, you beat me to posting this. Anyway, apart from whether Gasol is really that good (if he turned out to be another Stojakovic, I would be happy), I don't understand why the Rockets seem so eager to get rid of picks, as Sportstalk keeps rumoring. This is one of the deepest drafts in memory, and the Rockets are certainly not in need of throwing away picks just to avoid paying guaranteed rookie contracts. Then again, the last time we had three first-rounders, we kept the picks and ended up with Dickerson, Drew, and Turkcan. Not exactly stellar results, but then again, it was a much weaker draft than this one.
The basic problem with keeping all 3 picks is that 1st rounders carry guaranteed contracts (about $2.6M for 13-18-23). This impacts the Rocks in the FA market for several summers. If the Rocks can get CWebb, the extra 2.6m can be used on Dream, SA, Moochie, or....? ------------------ GATER
Show Me The Money Exactly Gater. We are talking some big money in the First Round picks. One of the problems, as I see it, is that the draft is here and gone before a team can start(legally anyway)dickering with free agents. That means that you must have some stability in the salary department or you end up cutting yourself out of some Free Agents and other offers. Just to put this in perspective. The starting salary for the Number One pick is $3.08M for the first year. It gets decreasingly less as you follow down the ladder but even @ 13,18,23 you still have lots of bucks to budget. And, this is guaranteed money! Gasol He is an outstanding talent. Three questions that face any team that may be earnestly looking at him. 1. The fact that the Kings and the Mavericks have viable "new on the scene" European talents on their rosters (and that both seemed to exploded this year) .... has that made ALL such players with even a modicum of talent that much more visible. Is it just Hype? Is it clouded by the media buy-in that these guys are "great white hopes" waiting to be wined and dined by an enlarging NBA fan base? The key IMHO is that these type of players are possibly more visible because of the recent exposure, but both Rad and Gas are also very talented. They deserve most of the press they are getting. The "great white hope" thing I find deplorable but realistically I suppose it will find a home in some of the more ardent media fronts. The day Stern realizes that NBA fans are far more demographically broadbased and fundamentally "full-spectrum-color" than he thinks ... well lets say he will have a better approach to the the marketing of the game. 2. Will Gasol's Barcelona contract be a stumbling block for any team that drafts him? It requires a buyout of something like $2M. The "contract buyout" clause in the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement limits an exception of only $350,000. From what I understand from some people that know ... two things have taken place with regards to Gasol. Apparently, if he is drafted within the top 10 of the First Round he will come into the NBA and an arrangement will be made to settle any contract conflict. Some of this financial burden PG will shoulder and some the drafting team will layout. If he does not get picked early he will forgo the year and return to Spain and play in the NBA next year or the subsequent year(IMHO: If he chooses to not come in this year, it most assuredly will be Next Year!). 3. Can Either Rad or Gas translate their game to the NBA game? As in most of these things ..... it depends. Great Cop-out answer,eh? But really, if Gas came to the Rockets he would get play time in a system that allows for slowed progress. With a coach and owner that DO NOT criticize in the media or behind the player's back. The Rockets also are fairly astute when it comes to teaching transition of a players' games, patient one-on-one practice time with skilled teachers and a willingness to "do everything for you" that is unsurpassed. Now if these guys end up on a team that wants instant success, instant results or are prone to attack and backbite(listening Krause?) then the answer to the above question gets clouded in the process. The Eurpoean, or any transitional-game player for that matter, may never get the genuine opportunity to show just what he is capable of doing. ------------------ [This message has been edited by oeilpere (edited June 12, 2001).]
SPORTSTALK is r****ded...... or whoever their source is. Boston will obliously get the 6th pick if vancouver is willing to part cuz they are offering 10th and 11th pick in contrast to houstons 13th, 18th, umm i will take Houstons, i'm r****ded! I hope Boston can get him, he will be the prize of this draft. 7,1 SF who is a dazzling Ball Handler, passer and Shooter. Bird 2?? Otherwise Boston will likely go with DIOP, Tinsley, Woods, White at 10th..... and gutsy feeling 11th will take Radmanovic, cuz boston adore him second to gasol. which will piss off Houston fans. Boston like it or not has upper hand in this draft over Houston. ------------------
I see what you're saying, but I still think it's more valuable to spend that cap money on some potentially very good rookies than to use it, for example, to resign someone like Shandon Anderson. Imagine if the Rockets had been afraid to take two picks in the year of Horry and Cassell? (they were in the same draft class, weren't they? If not, my bad!). Also, apart from Stevie Franchise, Cuttino, Moochie, and *maybe* Collier and Langhi, I'm not sure if the rest of the team really offers a foundation to build on for the long-term future. I'm not totally sold on Taylor unless it's as an SF, since he can't even rebound as well as our point guard. I really don't think Webber is going to sign with us. Cato, Williams, Anderson, and yes, even perennial marksman Matt Bullard should be considered expendable. As for the Dream, that's another story altogether. I think we should keep him at a reduced salary for sentimental reasons, and for all he's done for the team. But Hakeem hasn't hesitated to talk about other teams he'd like to play for, so it's not like he's dying to remain a lifelong Rocket either. ------------------
Im hoping we can draft Gasol and I wouldnt mind Rad Man (My nick for him)and I havent heard anything but good things about White but I was wondering if anyone can describe his game for me or a current NBA player he may resemble? Does anyone know if we are interested in Sam Clancy at all? ------------------ Sam Clancy...Sam Clancy...Sam Clancy...Sam Clancy...Sam Clancy
I think we either move up in the draft or we will move down... I'm not sure about these European players just yet... Torkuglu, Stojakovic and Nowitzki are good players but we have SF's that can shoot in Walt, Bullard and Langhi why do we want another good shooter(I want a defensive player at the 3). A Richard Jefferson, Rodney White or Terence Morris(and they can shoot the 3)... ------------------
