what the rox need is to get rid of Mo Taylor. It is way too early to give up on Griffin. He is 20 years old and on his 2nd year. Give him a break. I say give him until his rookie contract expires. I think Cato is coming to his own as a legitimate backup. He may not score a lot but his rebounding and hustle since Yao arrived has definitely improved. I know this may be a long long shot but if they can trade Mo Taylor and Jason Collier for Brian Grant or any Power Forward, that would be great. If Rice is on the last year of his contract then see what you can get out of him this season. Roster: Yao/Cato Grant/Griffin James/Rice/Nachbar Mobley/Hawkins Francis/Norris
the rox better make a good move. I see the Spurs making a ton of improvement next year if Jason Kidd signs with them as he is indirectly saying. Can you imagine...Kidd with Duncan???!!! That is one EXCELLENT tandem. And the way the Spurs surrounds their nucleus with great backups and role players....I smell championships for San Antonio. Not that I like San Antonio.I'm still a rocket fan.
If Les is willing to pay the luxury tax this would be a great deal for the Rockets. The Rockets would be giving up basically nothing because Grant can do the same job that Cato was doing and be the starting PF. Miami would get more money under the cap sooner so it works for both teams. Good idea RSL.
Cato can rebound. Period. When he tries to play man defense he fouls. He scores at the basket. He is no Grant. Grant is close to the perfect big man for this team. He can play 4 or 5 and can start at 4 until EG is ready. He is still young enough to be productive throughout his contract and if EG breaks out (or when it comes time to pay Yao and EG) then Grant is easily tradeable during this contract. Not true of MoT and Cato. This would make MoT (and his bloated contract) expendable or at least a matchup player off the bench instead of a major and inconsistent part of the rotation.
YES! MoT and Collier for a decent consistent pf. Grant fits well, so does Thomas (probly even a better fit). I think the Heat or the Knicks might seriously consider this trade. They both need to be adding some size and offense into their front courts. MoT and Collier can fit the bill. And yes, that will be scary as hell. I think the Spurs should get another good, big frontcourt player though. Duncan, Rose, and Bowen as their starting frontcourt? Rose would probly get abused by a lot of large strong pf's.
I think some of the trades people suggest are r****ded. Grant for cato and collier? Collier is a filler and cato has been a backup center his whole career. Wasnt grant an all star a year or two ago? I would laugh if someone offered me that
If that´s true what a s**t of trade They are two I can remember we traded k.thomas this year Do you want two more PF? We have taylor and cato is a great center from the bench It´s evident for they that´s a very good trade -------------- Rocks don´t will make the playoffs again but rudy you can continue other year and other, and other...
Time to Resurrect this Thread With the trade deadline looming, I thought it would be interesting to rehash potential trades the Rox could make. But instead of looking at this from the POV of some "fantasy basketball" league, I thought it'd be better to look at what the Rockets could give up in terms of marketable trade bait. i.e. who are our most marketable commodities? IMO, the answer is EG, Posey, and Cato Griffin EG is an interesting case b/c: 1) he's got the playing time thus far into the season to showcase his worth and potential 2) he's definitely got some offensive and defensive skills worth nuturing 3) he's got youth on his side 4) he's a relative bargain from a salary perspective Personally, I think EG is perfect trade bait who could, and should, be used to upgrade our current core of Yao/Francis, Mobley. Interestingly, given the contract situation and his recent rise in performance, I do see MoT re-earning his spot in the starting rotation. While I like EG a lot, I think his place in our roster is somewhat off-track. He's young, he's talented, but is he really a good fit? To me, this question is a moot point and that alone makes his expendable. Interestingly, KT got more starting time to perhaps "showcase his value" for interested parties. Similarly, I could see the same thing happenning to EG. I don't think its by coincidence that EG's also been sitting out 4th quarters of recent memory. Posey While we picked up Posey earlier this season, it's clear to me that he's NOT the player who will put us "over the top." My gut tells me Rox mgmt thought Posey might be a bigger force for us, but quite frankly, his shooting stinks. I don't know if it's b/c he's not in the offensive flow of things or that he's just really that bad of a shooter. Overall, I don't see Posey as the "complete" player. My guess is that Rudy has been trying to get his forwards - EG and Posey - to become consistent 3 pt shooters... but quite frankly, I don't see that happenning. Posey's a good player but my feeling is that he just isnt the right kind of player for our Rox core. And without a long-term contract, we'd have to reassess Posey in the off-season anyways. Cato Yet another player who I like, as a standalone player, but who I'm not sure is maximizing his value as a Rocket and FOR the Rocket team. Lots of teams would love to have Cato. Esp. in the big man deficient Eastern conference, Cato would be a HUGE ADDITION for any team. B/c of his exceptional market value, the Rox would be stupid to not consider moving him in exchange for some bigger impact players would could help us as starters and 4th quarter finishers. My Theory on What the Rox Need Having said all this, I'll also make a stab at what I think the Rox need. In prior posts, I made a case that the Rox needed a legitimate pass-first, tempo-setting, point guard. Yet my better judgment tells me that with SF as one cornerstone, Rox mgmt will NOT replace SF with another PG. And given SF's tight relationship with Mobley, I also don'st see Mobley leaving SF's wing. This beg's the question, "if we need some more PG smarts but can't get a PG, who do we get?" Answer: a POINT FORWARD Forwards are where we are most flexible right now. And given the unorthodox talent in the league, including those talents found on our own squad, perhaps the best solution is to run an offense off a point forward player. Case in point: Portland. While not that many people may respect them given the antics of Stoudamire and Wallace, their team's rise in the standings can't be overlooked. So what happenned in Portland? Nope, it wasn't a coaching change or a trade. Rather, it was Coach Cheeks using Scottie Pippen more as a point forward while sitting Stoudamire on the bench. Flashforward to the Rockets. Here's a case where we can maintain our two SG set with Mobley and SF. All we need to do is to bring a ball handling/tempo-setting/passing savvy/and play calling point forward to help settle down our offense. While may Rox fans may still have ill feelings toward Pippen, it's precisely that kind of forward that we desparately need on this roster. If we can't rely on consistent decision making on the part of either Mobley or SF, then we NEED to have a new ballast on this team one who help balance this ship...a Point Forward[/B] Again, I'm working under the assumption that SF is not movable to the SG position. Consequently, Mobely's place is our roster is also pretty fixed. With the Center slot also well filled, the only place we really have room to maneuver is at the forward positions. So who are they and how much will these point forwards cost? All comments are welcome. theSAGE
Who Can Put us Over the Top? Among those players who are "up for grabs" the two most intriguing prospects, IMO are Latrell Sprewell (New York) and Sheriff Abdul-Rahim (Atlanta). While both would be great additions, I personally like Spreewell's better. He'd be a great addition given his ballhandling skills, his consistent intensity, and his offensive prowess. The intensity factor is what I think would be the greatest add to the Rox. Spree not only has the playoff experience but also the "workman's" taking-care-of-business attitude that we so desparately need. The Knicks are not a playoff bound team right now and by my understanding, Spree is their most marketable and tradeable player. While on he Knicks, Spree was "moved" to the small forward position b/c of the presence of Allan Houston on the roster. Nevertheless, NY frequently ran the offense off Spree as he moved the ball downcourt as a point forward. Spree is a flexible and hybrid player who I think fits the bill of a point forward very well. I sincerely hope the Rox mgmt are paying attention to Spree's availablility these next few weeks. theSAGE
I agree with Sage's hypothesis. We need a point forward. It could be Lamar - he will be a fine fit. But I would still get Cat out - he simply cannot be effective as a thrid option on offense - he is a streak shooter, unless he tries going to the hole.
The proposed trade to me makes no sense. If were going to pay anybody that much money we need a diffrence maker, and the position would be a point guard (Gary Payton). Face it Francis is a 2 guard. He's to sloopy with ball and just dosen't involve the team. The rockets are fine at the foward position for now. The real issue is Mobley. He's a player with value, so lets get something for him and while we're at it get rid of Rice. The rockets need to go for KG or Duncan, that makes sense. p.s. I agree with codell. Here's another 50 for the tip jar.
I was just watching the Heat vs. Mavericks game and they had a short interview with Pat Riley about trade talks. Basically he said that they have been in talks with a team(s) trying to fortify their playoff spot, but the team the Heat are talking to didn't want to take on the extra money so they were still trying to work something out. He didn't name any specific teams, but the Rockets do match the description.
Yep, that's a dead on match for the Rockets. Can't be Minnesota, because all their money's tied up to KG. Also, money's not an issue for Colangelo and the Suns. I don't see Boston or Philly taking Brian Grant either. So someone on this BBS is right. There have been talks about Brian Grant. Only problem is that he's grotesquely overpaid at $80 million. He's still got alot of time left on that contract too. He's getting Elton Brand money, but isn't putting up Elton Brand numbers, plain and simple. I'm sure there's another cheaper alternative than Grant available. It seems like after that one series where he shut down Karl Malone, Grant has not really improved.
OP indicated that the Rox were talking with the Heat about "Rasta Man". When OP says something..........................shhhhhhhh.........remember E.F. Hutton.................... you should listen. He knows what's going on in the org. and I'm on pins waiting for his next post, same is true for "Doc Rocket". I'd like to hear about the Rockets next Swift move.
Swift is a talented player but he doesn't provide us the toughness and maturity that we need in the frontcourt.
Lots of talk but no movement With trading deadline near, it's unlikely big names will be dealt By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Gary Payton. Latrell Sprewell. Alonzo Mourning. The names are great. Brian Grant. Nick Van Exel. Keith Van Horn. Derrick Coleman. Austin Croshere. The entire Atlanta Hawks roster. The list is long and impressive. Bug a NBA general manager's phone line and the talk is as interesting. The names as big as ever. But a day later, the "transactions" fine print still features only injured list changes and players signing 10-day contracts. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and the usual suspects -- teams without financial concerns or convinced they are just one piece away (a group generally defined as any team owned by Mark Cuban) -- are working the phones as always. But there is more of a sense than ever that little will get done. Most predict a few deals by Thursday. But the chain reaction that usually follows appears to have been disconnected. "The luxury tax is a part of every conversation," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "That's why there's restricted trade talk. That's why there's not much buzz. I think there will be two or three trades, but nothing like it used to be." Though what the Rockets have done on the court is perhaps as unusual as any in the league this season, -- beating good teams like the Kings, Spurs, Lakers and Pacers, but losing to poor teams like the Hawks, Clippers, Cavaliers and Heat -- their approach and limitations heading toward the trade deadline are typical. The players drawing the most attention are the players who are still under rookie wage-scale deals. The Rockets could find offers for Eddie Griffin throughout the league. But the players most often offered are veterans with years left on expensive contracts. Even if the Rockets wanted to take on a Grant or Sprewell and could work a deal, they would have to package their high-dollar players with key rebuilding parts to make the money work. They also would have to destroy their plans and pin their hopes with veterans the wrong side of 30 who are not winning where they are. Like most teams, the Rockets also are viewing the coming luxury tax as a payroll line they will not cross. That is not much of a problem now. They are well over the cap but just below the predicted threshold to kick in the tax, about $50 to $54 million. Any trade made now would keep the money the same. But to keep a player heading to free agency, they would have to offer another large contract in the year Steve Francis' maximum extension begins. Even if the Rockets or another team could convince the Clippers to bother with all that nasty paperwork and part with one of their restricted free agents, they, like many teams, will not have the money necessary to keep their new addition. The teams that do have cap room coming are less inclined to make a deal because they want to save the spending money for next summer's deep free-agent class. The Rockets also could likely make a move for a player in the last year of his contract to create cap room. But while barely hanging on to a playoff spot, they likely will not want to tell their team or fans that they gave up a contributor for future cap room. "Usually when you trade, you have to give up something," Dawson said. "There's a lot of people that call for our young players. We're happy with our base. You never stop looking to improve your team, but we haven't had anything offered to us that we would do." Normally in trade talks, offers and numbers are exchanged, and the deal is molded around its principles for days, often weeks. The Rockets' trade of Kenny Thomas that brought James Posey had dozens of permutations before it was completed. When Dawson said nothing has been offered that he would take, he said that no deal is being shaped to fit. "There's been a lot of offers," he said, "but nothing we would do." There's a lot of that going around. "Nobody under the cap that wants to trade," Dawson said. "Most of the time, people that want to trade are wanting to trade a long-term contract for a short term to protect their cap. That's why not many trades are done. "There's a lot of people trying to make cap trades. It's getting to where cap room is almost as important as talent. Everybody is protecting it for summer. It's just hard. I think there will be people trying who think they are close and need a piece or two. It's just so hard to do." The Rockets also would like to keep a team together and let it finally mesh. Their entire starting frontcourt has changed this season, and they are forever in search of chemistry and continuity. "We're all young, but our players are very attractive to a lot of people in the league," Dawson said. "We still like our players. It's no secret we have a lot of players people covet. We love them, too. It mainly has to do with getting where we want to be and building the team we want." Many teams feel roughly the same way. That doesn't mean some deals won't get done. The most likely teams to make a move are the Knicks and Mavericks. Naturally, that has led many to believe that both teams will trade with each other. Both teams are hopelessly over the salary cap and luxury tax threshold. Neither really cares. The Knicks have been trying to deal Sprewell since he began preparing the season with a Gilligan imitation on his boat. That he has stuck around this long might indicate that he cannot be traded. The Mavericks could be moved to add a designated defender for Kobe Bryant; however, their first priority is rebounder/bruiser. They would offer Nick Van Exel to a team in need of a point guard. But the Knicks have been hesitant to talk to anyone about Kurt Thomas, their most productive frontcourt player. Othella Harrington is up for grabs. And the point guards can always be had. The Hawks not only are perhaps the league's biggest disappointment, they also have a trade-happy general manager and a variety of players and contracts to offer. Shareef Abdur-Rahim can do just about everything it seemed but win. His contract, however, is up after next season. Few teams that are a player away consider Glenn Robinson to be that player and Theo Ratliff's injury history makes him risky. Jason Terry is an attractive possibility. The Lakers showed interest, but their recent run has cooled them on the deal. The Lakers seem more inclined now to chase a frontcourt rebounder (and have even talked to Horace Grant about another comeback) and backcourt veteran (though not as veteran as Brian Shaw.) The 76ers, having consistently made trade deadline moves, will look for another. It has been weeks since the Kenny Thomas deal, and Larry Brown is becoming impatient again. Coleman can offer cap room next summer, but few teams have players that expensive to exchange that the Sixers would want. Van Horn is very available, and the Knicks might bring him back to the area, though his contract is also difficult to move. Payton could be the biggest name moved, if only because he is heading to free agency and still has not made his peace with Sonics' owner Howard Schultz. But the SuperSonics would be fried in Seattle if they trade the best player in franchise history for spare parts or mistake contracts. The Timberwolves and Pacers would love to get Payton. But it is hard to see how adding Marc Jackson or Austin Croshere to a nice nucleus with Desmond Mason and Rashard Lewis would bring back the glory days. Then there are the cap moves. For the right veteran, teams can have Mourning, Hakeem Olajuwon or Terrell Brandon to create cap space this summer or next after they retire. While trading for a guy so he can quit might not seem exciting, that might be the way things are headed. "There was a 99.9 percent chance that we were not going to do anything last year," said Cuban, who dealt Juwan Howard and Avery Johnson for Raef LaFrentz and Van Exel last season. "But when you get the last-minute phone call, that's the way things happen sometimes. If I say I'll buy that shirt from you and you say: `$50.' Then I'll offer you $6 And if you need the money bad enough, you'll take it." These days, a lot of teams need the money bad enough. Financial issues are not as fun leading to a trade deadline, but money motivates and could again. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/1781191
