Well consider some of the details: - Battier is now the oldest player on the team - He'll be owed 7 million next year (his final year) - We already have a younger, defensive-minded wing making similar money in Ariza - We'll likely be looking to add another expensive wing to the team (whether its McGrady, Joe Johnson, or whomever) - We probably want to keep Scola and the two young PGs (Brooks, Lowry) Trading Battier for an expiring + maybe a draft pick doesn't seem out of the question, and it should give us more flexibility heading into next offseason.
The Houston Rockets will trade Tracy McGrady to Miami for Jermaine O'Neal and a 2010 or 2011 first round draft pick.
Excellent analysis, durvasa. Still, I think the Rockets heavily value Battier's leadership (from a competitive standpoint) and personality (from a PR standpoint), moreso than another team might value those qualities. If the Rockets cannot find a deal that nets the team an asset or two that are more valuable than what Battier will provide over at least the next two seasons, then I don't see him being traded. Let's look at some of the other factors to consider: --What chance do the Rockets have of making the playoffs? (Morey thinks they have a pretty decent chance as currently constructed.) --What impact does the Rockets' competitiveness next year have in attracting major free agents? (Morey thinks it has a fairly significant impact.) --If the Rockets are out of the playoff mix by February (extremely unlikely), would the Rockets be willing to trade Shane for $0.50 on the dollar? (Probably not.) --Will the Rockets re-sign their own free agents (Scola, Lowry, etc.) to the exclusion of massive cap space? (Who knows at this point?) --How would the Rockets actually end up using the extra cap space created by moving Battier for an expiring contract? (With Lebron, Wade and Bosh not looking like real probabilities to sign with Houston, is there another legit free agent who the Rockets could realistically expect to sign [other than a re-signed McGrady, who doesn't count] who adds significantly more to the team's success than Battier?) Unless another team is offering up a significant asset in exchange for Battier (Rudy Fernandez? Kevin Martin? Ricky Rubio?), I just don't see Morey dealing Shane DURING the season. Come next June, it is entirely possible that the Rockets might have a better idea of their cap situation and might be willing to move Battier (who by then will have the added allure of being an expiring contract) in exchange for a package including a 2010 first rounder and/or a partially guaranteed contract (who can be quickly waived to create additional cap room) or outright cap space.
Morey hasn't said he is trading for a big. I am saying that Morey is going to trade for a big. We are going into the season with a rookie center (Anderson) who is severely underweight and will have an adjustment period, and a bunch of power forwards, most of whom are undersized at the 4 spot. I am speculating that Battier, and some combination of expirings, and possibly Landry are going to be traded at some point in the season if McGrady comes back and we look playoff competitive. If McGrady comes back and we look terrible and McGrady gets his whine on, I look for him to be jettisoned somewhere and it wouldn't surprise me if we threw in parts with him to PHX for Amare if Amare is still wanting out by then. So I suppose I should have put Amare on the list. Or possibly even Bosh.......but I don't view Bosh as a 5. My gut tells me that McGrady is going to come back and light it up though and we are going to be fighting for a 5-8 seed and Morey is going to swing a deal to get us another big. As we stand right now, any team with a halfcourt game and a tall post up PF or Center is going to chew right through us. We do not have enough size up front with Yao and Deke gone. If Ariza performs up to expectations, and especially if he develops chemistry with McGrady, I would expect Battier is the odd man out, the most tradeable commodity. And as such, he would need to be traded to another contender as a "final piece" for them to go after a ring or to an upcoming young team that needs an mature, veteran anchor. That' why I'm thinking Cleveland, Portland, or possibly a younger team like the Clips. So, in short, yes, I believe we are going to trade for a big and that is the reason why I did not provide a "No one" option. There is no way that we are going through this season with David Anderson as our solo center unless MOREY and ADELMAN are intentionally throwing in the towel on the season. So we should be real about this. They aren't throwing in the towel on this season. They are fielding a team to compete and compete for a title if possible. We are not trying to get in the lottery. And as the team is currently comprised, we are a borderline, mediocre team with a decent shot at the playoffs. We are a 6-10 slot team in the West. Mark it down. Trade coming for a big man.
RedRedemption, I can understand misspelling his name in a post, but to care enough to name him in your sig, you should probably know how to spell "David Andersen".
So BimaThug , durvasa steals my words and wrap them in a pretty package and now its good analysis ? . I thought we were better than that. Camby for battier and cook or andersen makes too much sense in so many ways. Getting camby to replace yao is a better team than when deke replaced yao. Camby is one of the best passing bigs in the league. He's also one of the best weakside shot blockers/rebounders/ transition bigs also. He's a good leader,high character guy and he does play hard. Top that off, he's a expiring contract. He can make the mid range shot which keeps the baseline open. I think having a guy like camby with mcgrady back would make this a playoff team. Not only that, now u would have that transition game everyone wants to see. Camby is a rangy rebounder which gives scola,brooks,and ariza the chance to get out and run. Morey did say getting a all star that has more tread than people think. If they struggle as a whole with camby, he's a very tradeable guy cause he's expiring.
Well, there's a lot to be said for "pretty packaging". And the messenger. j/k As for a Camby/Battier trade, aside from the fact that Camby (while probably a decent fit with THIS Rockets team) is completely overrated as a defender, the Clippers (like the Rockets) are in a position to have a fair amount of cap room next summer. With the allure of playing in Los Angeles and some good players in Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin, the Clippers might actually be in a position to attract a second-tier free agent. However, if they trade for Battier, it would pretty much put an end to those hopes. Therefore, I just don't see that trade happening.
@BimaThug , listen to the message, not the greatness of the messenger I do think the clips are the sleeping dogs in free agency. They did flirt with kobe when he was free. If you're Lebron and u see griffin,kaman,baron, and thornton and being in La across from kobe, imagine the legend he would creat taking the clipps to the finals. if I was lbj or wade, I would look at the clipps,just sign a 3yr deal.
Good lord, they still have the same owner. I can't imagine a superstar that has other options looking at the Clip Joint at all.
How bout Shane, Landry, and Hayes for Joel P., Outlaw, and Rudy Fernandez? I'd like to sneak in Barry with $2 million cash and possibly a future 2nd or let Portland have their choice of Budinger or Jermaine Taylor and us keep Hayes.
great points here. i agree with the bosh statement as well...never have really seen him as a 5, could see him 2010-11 season on floor WITH YMing. Ilgasskus is a crazy suggestion for the poll. same surgeriy as Yao. BOTH feet are damaged. The cavs still keep his minutes down and every once in a while he has problems with the foot. Yao will be similar so why have 2 guys like that come next season? I don't think the Rockets will make a move. I think tmac will be healthy enough but will never get over the locker room problems and city of houston hate...he will be traded and hopefully we can free up money for a bosh the next year
