Personally, I couldn't disagree with the Rockets organization more. If I was in charge, I'd be concentrating on getting a premiere center first and foremost if possible. The only possibility is Ming at the moment, but I'd offer the #5 and #14 and some filler for Ming before doing any other trade. When it comes to 3/4 players, I'd prefer the Rocket get a player who is pretty much just a 3. We have enough tweeners/undefined roles already and that hurts team chemistry. On the Rashard versus Odom debate, I think Odom has the higher potential to be the more complete player and would go for him first. Rashard is good, is becoming more adapt at creating his own shots, and is a better outside shooter, but has nowhere near the handles of Odom, nor the courtvision, rebounding or assist skills. Rashard may be the better scorer, but for the team as a whole to score more I don't know if that's what we need. He is still good though, and I wouldnt be dissapointed in getting him. I can't make any sense out of the Utah thing. Getting Malone would be a joke - he still plays at a very high level but we are not winning any championships any time soon. Who else on Utah could we be interested in? This quote 7. Scouts like Marcus. Bigtime. IMHO we won't get to him. We will have a different plan by that time of the D-day. But it is fun to spec ... makes me question whether or not our scouts know what they're doing, especially given the drafting of Collier and the Dickerson, Turcan, Drew mistake. Marcus may be serviceable in the league, but a two headed center combo of Cato-Marcus makes me cringe. Trade Francis? I can see it as a slim slim possibility but I think it is just another take two steps back to get one foward type of move. Francis may have some physical problems, but if you keep recycling through your "franchise" players, you just become another version of the Bulls. At least everyone should be very very concerned that the Rockets signed Cato to his present contract and still think he is our future starting 5, yet mgmt is having second thoughts about keeping Francis. At least I can agree with getting rid of Langhi and Collier.
The only way we can do a Rashard deal is after the draft, because he has an opt-out in his contract, which is treated like an expiring contract. The earliest we could talk to him is July 1st. I would assume his contract would require him to opt-out before July 1st. If he is signed to a max deal (first year $10.6 million?), the base year rules would apply, and he would only count $5.3 million against the cap. Given the salaries have to be 15% within each other, this means we could only ship at least $6 million in salaries to Seattle. As such, no Rice dump unless Seattle sends some cap filler in return. Who would be the other candidates to send a $4.5-$6 million package? Perhaps Moochie and Collier, plus our pick(s). Keep in mind that our picks would have already been made, and that Seattle would have to be happy with the picks. Also, neither Seattle nor Houston can talk to Rashard until after July 1st, so there would be a lot of unknowns. As backup for the base-year application, the Larry Coon salary cap FAQ says that you apply the base year salary even on the sign and trade: http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm 69. Can a free agent be signed and immediately traded? Under no circumstances can a team sign and then trade another team's free agent. But there is a special rule that allows teams to re-sign their own free agents for trading purposes, called the sign-and-trade rule. Under the sign-and-trade rule, the player is re-signed and immediately traded to another team. This is done by adding a clause to the contract which stipulates that the contract is invalid if the player's rights are not traded to the specific team within 48 hours. A sign-and-trade deal can be made even with players that have been renounced. However, a sign-and-trade deal cannot be made when the player was signed using the Mid-Level, $1 Million or Disabled Player exception. Sign-and-trade deals are only allowed if the contract is for three years or longer. One complication with sign-and-trade deals is that the signed player can immediately become a BYC player (see question number 66 for more information on BYC), so it's the player's BYC value that must be used when determining whether the trade is allowed.
No offense to Rashard, but if Woods is as good as advertised I'd rather see the Rockets take a chance on him rather than over-pay for Lewis. Woods would be a better fit and cheaper.
If it's true that Rudy is concerned about Stevie's health etc., would the Rockets package him in a sign and trade? Seattle would definitely look different with Payton/Francis. Then again, MJ would probably be beating the doors down to get in on the action.
The only problem is that China might not want Ming to go to Houston. It sounds like they want him to go to a team where he could get a lot of exposure. I'm sure one of the things they'll look at is home attendance, and we all know what that's going to look like. Sounds to me like China isn't even going to let him work out in Houston.
JayZ, <i>This quote 7. Scouts like Marcus. Bigtime. IMHO we won't get to him. We will have a different plan by that time of the D-day. But it is fun to spec </i> I don't consider this a #5 pick scenario. I consider it a #15 plus KT type thing.
I guess that would be okay, although from what I saw of Marcus in the tourney, losing KT and #15 for Marcus might still be too much. Especially given OP's line that people around the league are high on KT right now - as they should be. As far as the Ming/China thing, I think if the Rockets luck out and get the number 1 pick they have to take Ming. Houston does not get a lot of TV time, but neither does Chicago or GS. It will take a lot of luck and cries of serious fraud for a team like NY or Washington to win the lotto. Other than that, Ming will go to a crappy team with slim playoff hopes and not a lot of national tv time scheduled. Houston is, after all, the 4th largest city and has one of the larger asian populations (right behind Chicago according to the 2000 census).
I am a big Rashard supporter, but HE IS NOT WORTH 10million. I'm not sure he is worth 8!!! He still has alot of improving to do, to warrant such an extreme contract. Even rumors from Seattle, claim they may not bite that much. I think Caron Butler (or Woods) could step into the NBA at close (if not better) than Lewis, for a fraction of the cost. I do not know who will be better down the road, but Butler brings both offense & defense. While Lewis is more offensive? Odom might not be the outside shooter of Lewis, but he brings the most critical thing the Rockets need - COURT VISION!!!! He can play the point and hopefully stir up the Rockets Offense, and get rid of that BS ISO game. God, I hope we do not trade away our future (draft picks & ?) for a over-the-hill veteran that will provide nothing but a QUICK-FIX to the Rockets problems. Somebody in the Rockets camp needs to be thinking of a long term fix, rather then keeping their job after next season.
JoeBarelyCares, You are right about no draft day trades for free agents. We can leave our two picks unsigned and trade one of them for Lewis in a s-n-t, later. Although, I don't advocate it unless we drop to #6 in the draft and don't like our pick. We'd have to move something else, as well, in such a s-n-t. That is what the Grizzlies did with Francis. He came to us unsigned counting $0 in salary for trade matching purposes.
No team can afford to pay Rashard $8-10 million. That type of money is reserved for players like Francis. If Mobley only gets 5-6 million per year, there's no chance that Rashard gets that kind of money. Wait...this is the same team that signed Cato, Taylor, and Moochie to huge deals. They've proven that they like to waste money. Rashard is a good addition at $5-6 million/yr. He is not a franchise player, and he is not a "go-to" guy. Caron Butler or Qyntel Woods bring alot to the table, and may eventually be better than Lewis. Woods may even turn out to be an All-Star.
HeyP, would you do Griffin + Collier straight up for a resigned Rashard? Their salary next year combined will be about $4.5 million, so Rashard would have to take slightly less than the max to do the deal. If we threw in TMo, then the max deal would work. This would solve our PF glut. Griffin is a lot to give up, but you have to give value to get value. Especially if we keep the 5-6 pick.
Why do you guys care about paying Rashard the max? We're going to be over the cap anyway after we sign Steve, we might as well take advantage of the situation and sign the solid young talent in Rashard and not worry about the contract he's being signed to. Did anyone notice how clutch he was last night at the FT line? Dude hit like 4 straight free throws in the final minutes to ice the game. It's the NBA, no one is really "worth" their contract, it's all about spending your money wisely, and I think spending the max on a guy in his early 20's with icewater in his veins is a very smart idea...
I'm just theorizing but would this possibly mean that the Rockets Organization thinks Griffin could develop into their center a few years from now? Because if KT's traded, that leaves us 2 PF's and who ever we get, and also to a lesser degree Tmo who played both the 3 and the 4. If Griffin's able to make the move to Center a year or 2, it's probably the most elegant way to resolve the whole PF glut we have. Is that being talked about at all? Or am I just speculating wildly?
woah, griffin better not be going anywhere for rashard, unless it's to the airport to pick him up as he arrives in houston. if we draft, give us woods. if we don't give us rashard. someone who can actually play SF better be playing SF next year. getting rid of rice's contract would be sweet, although we only have it for two more years and are about to be over the cap for a while anyway. still, losing big contracts is fun.
I've woundered the same thing Jaybird. It seems like Eddie Griffen with 25 to 30 more pounds on him would be a nice looking center (a taller Ratliff with a shot). He could spred the court and pull big men out of the paint cause they have to respect his shot. He can also stay inside and hang around the paint inorder to block shot (which he likes) and rebound (which we need). I see a Cato/Griffen combo at the 5 in a year or two. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a glimpse of it next year. The beauty of it is that he can move back to the 4 if Mo has another injury. Maybe that's why we are thinking 3/4.
I don't care if he gets the max because its not my money but it would be hell to trade him if he doesn't work out.
My only concern about maxing the guy would be the ego-thing in the locker room. If the other players live with it, fine.
I don't want to give him the MAX because it would mean we don't have naymore needs. We do. Rashard is not a MAX player, and I don't know anyone who'd give him the MAX.
the move that makes the most sense to me (re: utah) would be: Kenny Thomas & #14 for Andrei Kirilenko (+ necessary parts). houston rids itself of the glut @ PF and acquires their permanent small forward (andrei is for real...damn i'd love to have him!). utah picks up karl's malone's replacement and they could draft another 3 (possibly butler or whoever) @ #14. pops...am i close???
