Man, I thought I was the only one who believed that. I agree with that totally. I think the rockets need a change at head coach because the rockets are way too talented to be losing to some of the teams they lose to, like last night. I think the rockets need a difference maker like kg, duncan, or wallace, If its not one of these guys who are available then it's not going to be good enough. One of these guys would give us a stable established pf that would open up everyone's game. Who cares if after a trade we'll have to pay a little luxury tax!! Everyone does a some point in time, at lest the ones that want to win! I don't think we should trade with the heat, if anything wait till next year and unload some big contracts. Here's a list of who I think is expendable mobely cato griffen taylor rice think about it
Along with unloading some baggage, I'd have to agree with getting rid of Rudy T as well. The rockets are way to talented to not make the playoffs. They lose to some pretty weak teams and then come out and beat a Lakers team thats been playing well, and then lose two or three straight. Thats not going to cut it. I watch the rockets every chance I get and every time I see the same thing sloppy basketball by Mobely and Francis. They don't involve Yao through the whole game only in spurts. Why hasn't Rudy T done anything about that. I'm not saying get rid of Francis but Mobley they might want to consider. He's hasn't shown any signs of playing smarter or playing team basketball. He's very good, so lets trade him and get a draft pick and a good role player to free up some cap money for KG, or Duncan.
you have got to be kidding me. what has he done lately? he got three future hall of famers before and they did not win it. they have been on the rebuilding process in the last four years and yoou want to give him 2 more seasons. he has been using the same system (isolation) over and over again in the last 23 season. he has failed to motivate this team in the last 2 season. his time is up!!! have you been reading what people are saying in this bbs? give me a break!! 2 more season??!!! you have got to be kidding!!! the only thing I can say to you and les alexander is WAKE UP!!!
what the rox need is to get rid of Mo Taylor. he is too offensive minded for a power forward. we got too many scorer already. 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 make him as a backup PF and 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. Another long shot idea is move frncis to 2 guard. let us face it, he is not a 1 guard. too much of a scorer, horrible assist/turnover ration for a 1 guard. then trade mobley and morris for a TRUE point guard, maybe for Payton who is on the last year of his contract. i guess a ring is more important for him now than money. even if he is a little old, 34, his play has not gone down a bit. the rox can get 2 to 3 excellent years out of him. If Rice is on the last year of his contract then see what you can get out of him this season and do not resign him. Roster: Yao/Cato Grant/Griffin James/Rice/Nachbar francis/Hawkins payton/???
Oh, so there are two of you who think it is cool to call Rudy T an "alcoholic" in a public forum? What a classless statement!
Do you think rudy t is drinking plain coke in his cup at the games? It sure takes him a long time to drink it. Anyway, I wouldn't disagree with stevie playing the 2 guard, he is a good scorer and involves his teamates better than cat, however I disagree with trading moochie. He is very underrated and protects the ball better than stevie as far as turnovers are concern. He has a little chemistry with Yao when they play together and always cuts to the basket after a pass. Do you guys want to win another championship or just trying to make the playoffs? We need a differance maker not someone with potential, because everyone has potential.
what!!!! how are we supposed to listen to anything basketball related you have to say after saying that???
I guess thats why the mavericks and spurs tried to sign moochie as their point guard but he held out for houston. Do you think that was a mistake? How about all the clutch shots he made? Do you remember last year against the pacers? Oh, by the way, stevie leads the league in turnovers, those are facts,do you have any? I guess all you can do is speculate. Don't hate the player, hate the game!! speculator
I just figured out what the Rockets need to do. We should trade Cato to Memphis for Swift and Battier. Memphis might be interested in this package b/c West apparently doesn't like Swift and Hubie Brown has cut Battier's minutes significantly from last year. I don't know if Cato would get it done, but the contracts work out as is. For our part, Battier is a smart player who could step in at the 3. Move Posey to the 2 and Cat to the bench for his O. What do you guys think? Francis/Moochie Posey/Cat Battier/Rice/Nachbar EG/MoT/Swift Yao/Swift
Not a bad idea but Swift is a PF who is slighter better than Griffin and we would lose Cato's physical presence as a rebounder. I like having Battier as a SF because he is a cerebral team player who works hard but will Posey be successful as a starting 2 is a hard question to answer.He has a decent looking stroke at times but isn't a natural shooter.I agree that Mobley is best coming off the bench.
sydmill, Did you read my prior post on this thread? I agree that obtaining Swift would be a nice move for the Rockets, but Cato would not be enough to land both of them. There's no way we get Battier and Swift for Cato...talent wise, Cato is not as good as Swift, but if we take one of their bad contracts then perhaps they'd look at a deal. Battier and Swift (#5, i think, and #2 picks in their respective draft years) were very high draft picks . Oelpiere suggested that Swift is not too expensive, and indicated that they have had some talks, so hopefully they'll pry him away before the deadline. I'd just love to see Ming, Swift, Griffin, Posey/Cat and the Franchise on the floor at the same time. good idea, but not going to happen as you proposed. ls
Landshark- I dont see why this wouldn't work. You cant look at where a guy was drafted to determine his value. Battier and Swift were both high draft picks but neither of the m is getting love from the Grizz's management. Battier went from starter to 7th or 8th man and West apparently dislikes Swift quite a bit. Cato, while not great, is a physical big at a decent price for a starting center. On talent alone no the deal is not enough, but the Pippen thing should have taught us when there is a problem getting equal value is difficult.
I haven't seen Swift play much. I know he's freakishly athletic. Does anybody think he's athletic enough to guard opposing 3s? If so, maybe Swift and Griffin at the forward spots is worth a try. On defense, Swift would guard the opposing 3 because Eddie's too slow to do that. Offensively Swift would be the 4, banging inside and posting up. While Eddie would be more of a 3, spotting up and taking open jumpers like he loves to do.
espn.com insider on nba trade rumers... The East's five most-active teams Here's a look at the five teams in the East with the best shot of making a deal by the deadline ... 1. Philadelphia 76ers History tells us that Larry Brown will make a deal. In four of the last five seasons the 76ers have made a major trade before the deadline. This year should be no different. The Sixers have been working the phones for weeks trying to inject the club with players that can help it win now. What the Sixers need most is some low-post scoring and a sharp-shooter for the perimeter. On the block? The ususal suspects: Derrick Coleman, whose expiring $9.4 million contract has plenty of cap-conscious teams interested. The Sixers have dangled him to the Hawks for Theo Ratliff, to the Warriors for Adonal Foyle and Danny Fortson, to the Heat for Brian Grant and to the Raptors for Antonio Davis. Keith Van Horn, whose lack of toughness or defense has Brown pulling out his hair. Couldn't see that coming, could you? Brown, who has had mostly a hate relationship with every small forward that has come into town, apparently is after the Knicks' Latrell Sprewell. While few can fathom the Knicks pulling the trigger, GM Scott Layden's infatuation with all things Utah makes it a possibility. Allen Iverson, whose love-hate relationship knows no bounds. The Sixers would only make a deal for Iverson if they got a superstar back in return. It probably won't happen, but that isn't stopping the Sixers from trying. Can they make a deal? Probably. Owner Ed Snider has slowed down Brown's train a little. He wants to win now but isn't in love with the idea of paying a huge luxury tax bill. If the Sixers move Coleman and do nothing else, they'll be only marginally better and will be in a much more precarious cap situation. If Brown can find a way to ship Van Horn out first, Coleman likely will follow him out the door. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 3 to 1 2. Atlanta Hawks GM Pete Babcock is trying to save his job. The team he put together has a lot of talent, but clearly the pieces don't fit well together. After initially trying to find a quick-fix solution, they changed gears and started talking to teams about blowing up their roster and starting over. What are the Hawks looking for in return? A combination of players in the last year of their contracts and young talent to start rebuilding. Who's on the block? Theo Ratliff -- The Sixers and Raptors both have reportedly shown interest. However, only the Sixer have the goods -- Derrick Coleman -- to pull off a deal with the Hawks. If Atlanta can get the Sixers to pull the trigger, they'll start looking to trade off some of their more-talented assets. Shareef Abdur-Rahim -- His name has been mentioned everywhere from Seattle to San Antonio to Miami to New York to Orlando to the Lakers. Every team, with the exception of the Knicks, has a combination of expiring salaries it could offer the Hawks. The only question is whether Abdur-Rahim is worth the tax. The longer he sits on the block, the closer you are to your answer. Jason Terry -- A number of teams would like to test-drive for a few months before deciding whether to re-sign him this summer. The problem is that the Hawks are also trying to get teams to swallow Alan Henderson's contract in a package deal. Can they make a deal? A lot depends on Philly. If the Sixers will take Ratliff, the Hawks will go for the gold and try to get the rest of their bad contracts off the books. It makes zero sense to trade Abdur-Rahim unless the team is assured it can get far enough under the cap to make a run in the free-agent crop this summer. If the Hawks can get Ratliff and Abdur-Rahim off the books, they're looking at more than $10 million in cap space this summer. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 4 to 1 3. New York Knicks Scott Layden, as always, is working the phones trying to make a deal. Of course, up to now he's come up pretty empty. Layden's goal is to add one more young stud to this roster. Combine him with Milos Vujanic and a lottery pick next season, and the Knicks will have some semblance of a team on the rise. Who are the Knicks using for bait? Latrell Sprewell: As much as the fans love him, Cablevision owner James Dolan has had enough. Besides, how much longer can the 6-foot-5 Sprewell continue to play small forward? The problem is finding a team willing to eat the last two years of his contract. The Sixers are offering Keith Van Horn, but that's not much of an upgrade. The T-Wolves are supposedly dangling Terrell Brandon's contract, but the Knicks care less about salary cap space than about adding a young stud. Their attempts to land Abdur-Rahim or Pau Gasol with Spree have been laughable. Charlie Ward: No one gives a damn about Ward, but they do like the $2 million buyout in his contract. The Warriors would send Danny Fortson to New York in a heartbeat, but the Knicks aren't biting on another 6-foot-6 small forward. Kurt Thomas: Several teams, including the Mavs, would love to add his interior toughness to the team. However, the Knicks aren't doing anything with Thomas unless they can get some size in the middle and a young prospect as part of the deal. Can they make a deal? The most interesting rumor has the Knicks talking to the Sonics about a deal that would send Yugoslavian stud Vladimir Radmanovic, Calvin Booth and Vitaly Potapenko to the Knicks for Ward and Thomas. The move would give the Knicks a young, talented small forward with size and some tall post players. In return, the Sonics finally get a tough power forward and would get an extra $7 million in cap space next summer to pursue a top flight free agent like Jason Kidd. In addition, the team gets the long-term deals of Booth and Potapenko off the books. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 5 to 1 4. Miami Heat Pat Riley is a desperate man. If the status quo holds, the team will not have enough money next summer to make a major addition to the roster. That's why Riley has been among the most active GMs as the trade deadline approaches. Who should be packing their bags? Eddie Jones or Brian Grant: Riley has to move either Jones or Grant for an expiring contract to get far enough under the cap to make a real impact in the free agent market. Riley has had his eye on guys like Lamar Odom and Michael Olowokandi for some time. But he can't do squat without more room. The problem is that no one, other than the Sixers and T-Wolves, have shown much interest in either guy. That's led Riley to consider ... Alonzo Mourning: If the Heat can't clear cap room now, they'd be better off making a trade for a couple of players who could help the team in the long run. There are plenty of teams willing to help him out. The Raptors would give up Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Jerome Wiliams in a heartbeat to get $10 million under the cap. That would assure the Raptors of a high pick in the lottery and enough money to add a significant piece or two around Vince Carter. The Grizzlies are also fighting to get cap room and likely would give up a combination of Pau Gasol, Lorenzen Wright, Jason Williams and Wesley Person to get a deal done. That would hamstring the Heat a little bit from a cap perspective, but it would give them the combination of young talent and veteran toughness they've been looking for. While losing Gasol would hurt Memphis, in one fell swoop the team would have enough cap room to be a major player in the free-agent market next season. Can they make a deal? Probably not. Riley will have a real problem moving either Grant or Jones. Mourning is easier to move, but can Riley get enough talent back in return to justify the bloated payroll he'd have to take on? Our guess is the Heat keep trying but end up out of luck. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 10 to 1 5. Orlando Magic The Magic have been surprise players as of late. After years of doing everything to cut costs and clear cap space for Tim Duncan, they've finally realized they're out of luck. With Grant Hill's future in serious doubt, the team is exploring ways to land a top flight power forward now, while they still have a chance at the playoffs. Who are they dangling? Mike Miller: His name has come up in several scenarios, but until now the team has been reluctant to part with him. With Hill likely out for the remainder of the season again, the team has realized Miller is their only player with much trade value. If they're going to add a young low post player, he has to go. Darrell Armstrong and Andrew DeClercq: Combined, their expiring contracts total around $7.3 million. If Orlando can package them with Miller, it could be a player for someone like Shareef Abdur-Rahim or at least a combo of Lorenzen Wright and Stromile Swift. Can they make a deal? It isn't likely. The team really values Miller and is looking for someone with huge upside --think Kwame Brown -- to get him. It's probably not going to happen. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 15 to 1 Here's a look at the five teams in the West with the best shot of making a deal by the deadline ... 1. Memphis Grizzlies The Grizzlies like their team, at least most of the young players. It's their cap situation they're not wild about. This season the team is on the books for $61 million this year, and will still come in at a whopping $50 million nest year. The goal is to have enough cap space in the summer of 2004 to be able to go after a real superstar like Kobe Bryant. To do that, the Grizzlies are going to have to make a few moves now to get some bad contracts off the books. Who's on the block? Lorenzen Wright: He has played well for them, but the three years remaining on his deal are a killer. With so many teams looking for a big man, the Grizzlies hope they can pair him with a young player like Stromile Swift and get a player in the last year of his deal in return. Jason Williams: He's tough to move, because he's a base-year compensation player, but because his salary is pretty low, it isn't impossible. West is itching to turn the reigns of this team over to Earl Watson. Considering the team has a logjam at power forward, don't be shocked if the team finds a way to package Williams with on of their two big studs -- Pau Gasol or Drew Gooden -- in an attempt to give West the flexibility he needs to rebuild the club. If the Grizzlies could pull off those two trades, they'd be major players in the 2004 free agent market. Can they make a deal? Never under estimate Jerry West. They have some fine young building blocks to package in a trade, and West has a way of finding diamonds in the rough. Given the strong possibility they'll lose their first-round lottery pick to the Pistons (though they will get the Rockets' pick this year) look for West to make a move now. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 3 to 1 2. Seattle SuperSonics The Sonics are at a crossroads. Their team is sinking fast, and they have major decisions to make about the long-term future of the franchise. A quick fix could make them viable again, however the team continues to insist it's in rebuilding mode. Trading Gary Payton for prospects could really restock the franchise, but would Sonics fans ever forgive them? Here's who they're shopping: Gary Payton: They won't give him away, that's for sure. But if a team could give them two or three legit prospects in return, the Sonics would seriously have to consider making the deal. They're not winning with Payton now, and tensions are starting to mount. If they can get the right players in return, the Sonics could make a bright, bright future for themselves. Kenny Anderson: Lots of teams are after his expiring contract. The most-circulated rumor has Seattle talking with the Hawks about swapping Anderson and Vladimir Radmanovic for Shareef Abdur Rahim. While he's not the low post bruiser they crave, he's a major addition over anything they have there now. However, if they make that deal, the team's salary cap flexibility is gone this summer. They've got to be sure Rahim is the missing piece of the puzzle. Can they make a deal? Sure they can. As soon as Howard Schultz gives up his pipe dream of landing Jason Kidd this summer, they'll realize that the trade market may be the best way to improve this team both in the short term and the long run. However, it's no given that the philosophical battles that have been going on in the Sonics' front office for years will be settled in time. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 4 to 1 3. Golden State Warriors The Warriors are one of the biggest first-half success stories. They went from the doormat of the Western Conference to a dangerous team in just more than a few months. However, they're still a few players away from being a contender in the West. And with Gilbert Arenas set to hit the free-agent market this summer, they have a lot to worry about. Who's out there? Mike Dunleavy: He's not as bad as everyone makes him out to be, but as long as Eric Musselman is the coach, he's not playing. Musselman is convinced the team can't win with Antawn Jamison playing the four. And with Jamison at the three, there isn't much playing time left for Dunleavy. The Warriors desperately need to clear cap space so they can have a real shot at re-signing Arenas this summer. Packaging Dunleavy with a bad contract like Chris Mills makes a lot of sense. Musselman is already on the record that Arenas has the potential to be the best player on the team. Wouldn't you do anything it took to make sure he didn't leave this summer? Danny Fortson: They're trying, but no one is excited about the five years remaining on his contract. Their biggest hope is to package him and Adonal Foyle to the 76ers for Derrick Coleman. They hate to lose Foyle, but again, right now, having the cap space to sign Arenas is more important. Can they make a deal? They can, but Garry St. Jean will have to swallow his pride a bit. Considering they could've had Amare Stoudemire or even Drew Gooden in the draft, it's tough to ship out Dunleavy for cap space. But it must be done. If the Warriors lose Arenas this summer, it's going to be back to square one. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 5 to 1 4. Portland Trail Blazers History and a roster loaded with talent always throw the Blazers into the mix. They're playing well at the moment, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't like to move a player or two. Given owner Paul Allen's willingness to pay the luxury tax, they're one of the teams that can help facilitate a trade with teams trying to reign in their budget. Damon Stoudemire: They'd love to move him, but given his huge contract he's probably stuck in Portland. Dale Davis: He has two years left on his contract, but with so many teams looking for some low post toughness, he still has a lot of value. Scottie Pippen: He's been awesome of late for Portland, but that just gives them an even better opportunity. His $19.7 million a year contract could help them land a couple of valuable players in return. Can they make a deal? Of course. But the question of chemistry may keep Whitsitt from pulling the trigger. Despite all of the off-the-court missteps, the team seems to be on the same page on the floor. Do they really risk messing with a good thing? ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 10 to 1 5. Dallas Mavericks For the record, Mark Cuban says there is a 99.9 percent chance the Mavs will stand pat at the trade deadline. Of course, he's said that the last two seasons and then gone on to make a mega-deal. The Mavs are desperate for a tough, low-post defender. The Big Three are untouchable, and Raef LaFrentz is a base-year player, so the question everyone is asking is, do they have what it takes to make a deal? Shawn Bradley: The 7-foot-6 walking stick had a great first half. His shot-blocking helps the Mavs tremendously, but because the Mavs have no physical low-post defenders, he gets abused by the tougher post players in the league. Would the Knicks swap Kurt Thomas for Bradley straight up? Avery Johnson: Cuban has spent so much money over the last few years, he doesn't have much to offer a team looking for cap relief. Johnson's contract expires after next season. For someone looking to clear cap room in 2004, it could be attractive. Can they make a deal? It isn't likely. Cuban just doesn't have enough assets right now to make a deal for a dominant player. ODDS OF MAKING A DEAL: 15 to 1
Give the man what he wants: Houston Trades: Glen Rice Nachbar (or dreamcasters can put Collier here) (and dreamcasters can add the Drew Obligation) Memphis Trades: Stromile Swift Lorenzen Wright West is waiting for the Magic to offer up Miller. Not gonna happen, how do you say, "he's insurance for bum ankle" in Memphisonian? Rockets do the deal to bring in Swift and add even more athletecism to the front court. Swift will perform here, work hard, etc. because he loves the ROX. Wright is serviceable and his contract is not all that bad, and we won't be under the cap under any stretch of the imagination when our young guys are ready for extensions. BOKI goes, but EG can slide to the three (where he wants to play), be a Lewis-clone, and we move Swift into the 4 spot, where he has played very well when given the minutes. Swift is a double-double, very efficient, and has EG type blocking skills. BBS, a deal like this makes us champion contenders in 2004, IMO. Rockets: Ming Swift Griffin Mobes Francis Posey Wright CAto Hawk Memphis does the deal to get the coveted cap room out of Rice and Nachbar, who is a poor man's miller. How poor, no one knows, the guy never plays. You've converted BOKI to Swift and he's a good fit, again IMO. And don't give me the BOKI is going to be the next great thing, because WE DON'T KNOW THAT AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN VERY LITTLE INDICATION THAT IT IS TRUE. Just look at Swift's numbers, when he's been given the minutes, he's nails. Pay the Man....
