For the sake of argument, lets say Troy knows what he is talking about and Francis demands a trade so we have to get something for him. Would ya'll do this trade with Seattle. Houston trades: PG Steve Francis (21.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.3 apg in 41.1 minutes) PG Maurice Taylor (21.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.3 apg in 41.1 minutes) SF Glen Rice (8.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg in 30.3 minutes) Houston receives: SF Rashard Lewis (16.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg in 36.4 minutes) PG Gary Payton (22.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 9.0 apg in 40.3 minutes) Change in team outlook: +8.7 ppg, +2.4 rpg, and +2.8 apg. Seattle trades: SF Rashard Lewis (16.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg in 36.4 minutes) PG Gary Payton (22.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 9.0 apg in 40.3 minutes) Seattle receives: PG Steve Francis (21.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.3 apg in 57 games) PG Maurice Taylor (21.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.3 apg in 57 games) SF Glen Rice (8.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg in 20 games) Change in team outlook: -8.7 ppg, -2.4 rpg, and -2.8 apg. Our lineup would be Ming, Cato, Collier KT, Griffin Lewis, Griffin, Morris Mobley, MCE Payton, Moochie I think this lineup would be in the top 4 in the West.
If I were the Rockets, I'd demand that Steve not demand a trade. Enough...Franchise isn't going anywhere, or I'll pick up the family and move right along with him. The hot dogs are good in Chicago right?
Checked out in Real GM. I guess I didn't myself too clear. The decision is based on losing Francis for nothing via free agency, or getting crap from a recieving team like in the Pippen trade. Obviously, I want everyone to get along but this is a "what if" scenario.
NO WAY! Seattle would need to get rid of Baker inorder to accept such a trade! Steve Francis is my Point Guard and he will lead us to the Championship in 05.
Just because RealGm "accepted" it doesn't mean it works under the cap. Rashard is going to opt out of his contract this year and ask for close to the max, which skews the numbers up quite a bit no? Well what about sign and trade? No that doesn't work because Rash would be a full BYC player. So any deal tween the rocks and seattle for Rash would have to include a third team to take on a contract, and you would have to give that team some incentive for taking that contract(ie, a good player or a pick). Also take into account that Francis would have to want to be traded to Seattle, since he hasn't signed his extension and Seattle wouldn't give up so much just to see him walk. If he wants to be traded after he signs an extension, well, tough. So this trade does not even come close to working out in reality. IF it did, I still wouldn't do it because GP will be around only for a couple of years more(which shortens our window for a championship), and I'm not enamored with Lewis so much that I would pay him big $$$. bleh.
No, Rashard is good but wants way too much money. Gary is really good, but pretty old and retiring. Francis won't demand a trade if we make the playoffs so pray that we do...
I would definitely accept that deal (from a Rockets perspective) - even if it does substitute an aging veteran (who soon needs re-signing) for a franchise player, but you have to consider for a moment whether this fulfills the Sonics' team needs. The Sonics want size, without which they have no playoff hopes. They've adressed this by signing a shot-blocking presence in Calvin Booth, letting go of an enigmatic Jelani McCoy, but he's been injured. If they are to trade away their team leader or future franchise player, they'll be expecting an all-star caliber center - a safe player, given the team's recent troubles with Kemp, Baker and Patterson. They'll want much more than Taylor (overpaid, signed to a six-year deal), Rice (washed-up) and Francis; Payton is still one of the two best point guards in the league and has carried his team out of the lottery with the help of a developing Lewis. But Francis won't demand a trade. At least not until the team makes its fourth consecutive lottery appearance. Better start planning now... Since the Sonics want Baker's behemoth $13 million/year contract off the books and expect nothing in return, the Rockets could match it with Rice and Willis (who will be re-signed for a season). That definitely wouldn't satisfy any of the Rockets' team needs, leaving a four-man glut at power-forward by introducing an overweight has-been... Honestly, I don't see any way the Rockets could improve next season by just adding Ming and another first-rounder (even if the team stays entirely healthy). Preferably, the team exploits its draft positioning, (for example) sending the #1 pick to the Clippers for Olowakandi and one of their first rounders (so Don Sterling doesn't have to re-sign anyone but Jeff McGinnis and Eric Piatowski, who's claimed he wants to end his career with the Clippers), which would be traded (along with the Rockets' #15 pick and Kenny Thomas) for Rashard Lewis. I hate the prospect of making sweeping trades, but it's the only way the team could ameliorate in the short-term. There lineup would consist of five outstanding players (Olowakandi, Griffin, Lewis, Mobely and Francis) with at least a year's experience and plenty of upside. A guaranteed 50-55 wins, with plenty of room for improvement. No more lottery seasons, please!
If Francis would demand a trade on us and Vancouver still had a basketball team..muhahaha i dunnno i agree with tozai.
Payton's age would scare me off. He's still playing at a high level, but his skills should start erroding very quickly. The other concern is the salaries matching up. Other than that, it looks like a beneficial trade for both teams. However, if Francis forces our hand, I'd rather pursue a trade like this: Houston sends Francis to Chicago. Houston sends KT to Cleveland. Chicago sends Crawford/#2 pick to Cleveland. Chicago sends Fizer to Houston. Cleveland sends Miller to Houston. Cleveland sends Davis/#6 pick to Chicago. Houston swaps PF's with similar skills, but adds some size with Fizer & gets a pure PG in Miller. They also keep the #1 pick to draft Ming with. Chicago gets a superstar PG in Francis & a sweet shooting SF in Davis, while dropping down to the #6 pick. At #6, they should be able to pick up an impact player. Cleveland gets out from under the looming max contract of Miller & picks up a promising young 6'5" PG in Crawford, a hustling & very effective PF in KT, & with the #2 pick will be guaranteed of drafting JW.
Some of you are crack heads, hasn't this guy proved anything to you crack heads yet. Every other fan sees his talent, enough so that they voted him to start in the All-Star game. What's wrong with you? We will make this work and I think that we could still get Woods, I know that we can't let the Lakers get him though. It will work you'll see and he has yet to say anything derogatory that is documented so lay off. He will also be a better player than all of these guys if he isn't already.
