My source heard they are showcasing Walt and Kenny(not exactly but he's gettin lots of time). Also Drew before but he apparently is cold now. I have no idea why unless they plan to do another Drew/Kenny/Walt trade like the MD/Othella one. Trade for a star now, or maybe to move up in the draft? Those are my conclusions from what I can tell. Apparently Kenny is generating huge interest. Pretty big, he's like a cheaper version(lower value) of Brand. Walt has also generated some interest to the the half-court teams and I would trade him and soon as possible before he gets cold. Drew has been asked by various teams in need of PG help. I have a feeling we soon will find the complimentary star to Francis... [This message has been edited by rocketsfan34 (edited January 26, 2000).]
Thanks for the info rocketsfan34 ... you didn't by chance overhear this walking through the mall, did ya? I think a lot of people are discussing the Walt Williams "showcasing" thing because of Peter Vecsey's article on Monday, which said he was seeing PT for just that reason. I doubt seriously that the Rockets are showcasing Kenny Thomas for a trade. I don't see why -- he's got good skills, a bright future was a great late draft pick (cost was cheap). Drew I don't know about. I'm sure there is interest around the league but he's just not seeing much playing time lately...
I don't see how it could be to move up in the draft since the draft order has not been decided yet. If your source is considered in the know, why confirm this on a public BBS? Mango
Clutch: This wasn't at the mall, it was over the web, something lots of teens do when they can't drive to the mall. Freakin all these minor driving rules these days. Argh! About the Walt thing, that's the problem...I can't tell if my friend is tellling the truth or from the rumor. Was wondering if somebody could help me clear that up. He works I think as the janitor in his spare time at the arena, so he tells good info. The Kenny thing was just like the Othella situation. I think he's a good buy, but if we want another star, I can see why they would do a Kenny/Drew trade. 2 quality role players for a star. Well if they are trying to showcase Kenny, this is the best time to do it, before Rogers, Cato, and Dream all come back. Mango: This is as good as it gets if you want to talk about the Rockets. I know a few of the posters who know some good sources and maybe they could confirm it. Plus he doesn't work for the Rockets directly(wished he did, free stuff) but the arena so I don't think it would jeporadize his job too much... As for the draft, if they don't trade for someone before the deadline, that's probably the only other solution. [This message has been edited by rocketsfan34 (edited January 26, 2000).]
Miami, Philly and Toronto seem the most interested in doing trades. Seems that Houston could be involved in some multi-team deal with a combination of those teams. Since they are all Eastern Conference, they might want to cut a Western Conference team in to make a deal go through. Would you send KT and Walt to get Mashburn? Probably could make the numbers work with some massaging. If Riley traded PJ, he would want/need another young 4. BTW, I am not crazy about giving up KT to get Mash. MAngo
Outside of Francis, there's not much I wouldn't give up to get T. McGrady. No idea what the chances are there...
Drew has generated serious interest from the Clippers and Warriors...other teams might have become curious. I don't know about Kenny, but he is NOT a deal-breaker. I don't want to have another Roderick Rhodes situation. If Toronto says that we have to include Kenny in the deal then I definitely include him. He is a nice player, but can be replaced. Don't know about Walt either but my guess is that they are showcasing him. He has come on of late, and that contract is a killer. It would be nice to unload him in some sort of multiplayer deal. It is so incredible that Rudy always finds a way to get the most out of minimal players, is able to raise their trade value, and then trade them for stars. A Drew+Thomas+Walt package has some value, but I think the key to any deal is Mobley. He's got the value, and I think we could have any of these young guys that are being shopped around right now, for a package centered around Mobley and Kenny/Drew. You know how I feel about Mobley. I think we MUST trade him now. I would like to spread things out a bit. We have a serious surplus in the backcourt with Drew/Francis/Mobley/Anderson, and an extremely weak frontcourt.
Hey, I've got an idea! Since Rudy's so good at trading minimal players for stars, let's see if we can package Williams, Cato, and Rogers for an all-around stud like Scottie Pippen. Nah, they'd never go for it. Sorry, cabbage, I couldn't resist that one.
I think he was referring to Drexler/Francis/and to a lesser degree Barkley (we had to give up Sammy, though). After a season with Quitten, who knows, Portland may not be so happy with him. Wait until the going gets tough in the playoffs and the coach calls a last second play for Wallace.
thacabbage -- Well said, but I don't think you can compare Kenny Thomas to Rodrick Rhodes. I mean for starters Kenny as a power forward has a light years better shot than Rodrick.
I'm not too sure about Riley wanting young players. He's notorious for not liking rookies and second year players. I can't see Mobley, Drew or Thomas going to Miami.
L Hughes was almost in a Miami Heat uniform and he is younger than Drew, KT and Cat. The grapevine mentions Miami interest in McGrady and he is also young. Mango
i dont think i would do a drew/kt for mash. I think mash has peaked as a player, and im not sure he would do the rockets any good. KT could be a cornerstone of our future, i seriously think he can be an 19/10 type of player. ------------------ "Don't they get cable in Canada ?" Keith olbermann, after watching hakeem block terry catledge's shot 5 times.
Will: LOL. B-Ball Freak: Yes, I was referring to Drexler/Francis/Barkley. I don't know about Scottie right now. I was amazed at how well he played in that NBC Laker game. He ran that team from the forward position and ran some key pick and rolls in the final minutes of the game. However, over the course of a 7 game series, I think Kobe has the ability to break Pippen down into his whining mode, ala Iverson with Penny in last year's playoffs. Remember that play in the 4th when Kobe shot over Pippen, after Pippen tried to draw the charge, and Kobe abruptly told him, "stand up."? Imagine that kind of mental abuse over the course of 7 games. Clutch: Clutch, very true. I think with a good weight training program, Kenny Thomas can develop into a solid starting power forward in this league. I hope we can keep him, but if they are indeed showcasing him, I have no problem with that either. At this point in time, after so many years of proof, I have trust in Rudy T's player decisions. That is why I have no problem with trading away role players. It is because I know Rudy will always be able to replace the traded player with someone. Take low first round picks/second round picks, develop, and trade for a star. I still can't forget how I thought Rodrick Rhodes was the athlete we needed to win the championship. True, he had no shot, but I thought we had finally found that elusive, "Pippen-type player" (as so many analysts like to call it) in Rodrick Rhodes. This was a guy who had multiple rips on MJ! At this point, whatever it takes, I just want to get that second superstar in, and then worry about adding role players. You have to build the house before you can paint it. Lobo_Louie: I read on the net this AM that Riley wants young, established players who have already developed. (IE: Players like Joe Bender who havent developed yet are out of the question). From what I know, the Rockets are not looking at Mashburn. He is not of the age we need to be looking at. Mashburn is a 27 year old player, ready to contribute for a team ready to win NOW. We need to be looking at someone who can grow along with Steve Francis. Also, Mashburn, as you saw in the Miami game, is a solid half-court player, and I think Rudy wants to go more uptempo. Despite what Riley says, he is shopping the Monster Mash. gr8-1: I feel that way too, as I mentioned in the above paragraph. We need to focus on future cornerstones, not present players.
