Given Battier's age, contract length, and trade value probably being at an all time high. If Rudy Fernandez is available and is packaged with Outlaw that's a move the Rockets have to make. I'd like to see the Rockets pick up another 2nd rounder and try their luck on Nathan Jawai.
I think that's my point? I just don't believe that rookie C's drafted after 20 make any contribution in the NBA. PARTICULARLY when they're slow of foot... Chris Mihm is a 10-6 type player who is passable as a shot blocker. Decent defender and surely and can stretch the defense to 16' with his face up jumper. Diop is a straight up replacement for Deke - plays hard D, blocks shots and goes after the boards. But I really think we should try and make a move for Pachulia first - they'll need to dump some salary to sign Josh Smith (and Childress?). If we say please we might be able to engineer a deal that sends Rafer and Bjax + some non-guaranteeds and brings back Bibby (allows them to dump 20mill in salary on us for 1 season and pay the Josh's). You might be right about Hibbert being ready to contribute. I seriously doubt it - but we'll know in 6-8 months.
You guys got to realize B-Diddy is a superstar at the top of his game... He wouldn't come to Houston as a third option - this is a perennial All-Star... We don't have anything that could net us a player of his caliber... they'd be looking for something we wouldn't give (i.e McGrady).
Pachulia is 6'11, I'd keep an eye on him when the Hawks try to sign all their young guys. And at least Diop is 7 feet, unlike Hayes.
I would say a big man and a sub SG-Sf is what we need most and a sub PG if possible, i am not dreaming on getting artest or mike miller i would say go after Pachulia and Delfino or Kapono (the one who Toronto chooses to trade -although Delfino is free agent and can play PG-SG-SF-). I think Toronto is a great source for us to sign replacements we might be also able to trade for TJ ford but his durability is questionable.
From what I've seen from him last year, no thanks (most notably his mediocre preformance when the Rocks played @ ATL, he pretty much was a pretty big factor in the Rockets winning) The guy is dumb...he angers easily and has a tendancy to do stupid things that his statline doesn't show. And he's the type of guy who doesn't play like his size. (kinda've like Bosh, except Bosh can get away with it since he's ultra quick and has mad skills).
The guy had one good game in the series and maybe none in the whole season. Hayes had good games against Boozer, would you depend on him to run for the title? We need an athletic big man we have plenty of the finess guys. I'll take Diop over him anyday.
If Elton Brand opts out I would throw the house at in him in a S&T. My criteria behind taking on a third max contract or third superstar, in general, is only if it sets you over the top and puts you in position to win a championship. Brand fits that criteria. Anybody outside of T-Mac, Yao and Battier I would consider expendable in this unique situation. That's no disrespect to our rookies at all either it's just if you add Brand to that Yao, T-Mac and Battier core we are IMMEDIATELY 60-win-good and championship material. I'd kill for a guy like Brand and Jamison or Marion, to a lesser degree. Everytime I watch the Celtics or Lakers you can't help but salivate when you see what adding these superstar PF's have done to these otherwise average basketball teams.
Scola and Landry are very good contracts, I think if we are able to move Hayes, Head, Harris, Woods, Bjax then we can still have Brand. We will see how much Landry will sign for. I personally think the 2 rookies did great at the PF position and they will be much better next year. Signing Brand will prety much clear all the mooney we have available to do anything this offseason.
here's a list of free agents and trades we could make this offseason: Allen iverson josh childress jason terry josh howard J.r. smith vince carter mike miller corey maggette Baron Davis monta ellis antawn jamison gilbert arenas kwame brown shawn marion ricky davis jermaine o'neal mo williams elton brnd cuttino mobley desegana diop francisco elson mickael pietrus and ETC. pretty sure we will at least get 2 of those guys
In a S&T deal we wouldn't touch the MLE. We just take on whatever contract Brand agrees to, give up whatever the Clippers want (picks, players) and that's it. I love Landry and Scola to death but if a decent offer for Brand is on the table involving any of those rookies I would still do it.
If Morey holds true to form, he's not gonna do anything until all the top tier free agents are gone to other teams for way too much money. Then he will look to see who's left who didn't get picked up for a reasonable bargain.
I think acquiring an athletic 2/3 with height would be a very feasible and helpful move. Pietrus and Childress should both be available for our MLE. Pietrus can shoot the 3 reasonably well (averaging a shade over 37% over the past 2 years) and is a very quick defender. He is also unhappy in Golden State and 6'6". Childress shoots 57% from the field and 81% from the line while also being an excellent cutter and finisher near the basket. Childress also comes from Stanford, so he would pick up Adelman's offense faster than the vast majority of NBA players. Both GS and ATL have a glut of 2/3's, so we would have a reasonable chance to pick up one of them with our MLE. Doing so would help reduce Luther Head's minutes and also allow Tmac to rest more during the regular season as the drop-off when he sits will not be nearly as drastic as when Luther starts taking his minutes. Battier would also benefit from more rest. He has not been playing well in the playoffs the past few years, and his minute load probably contributes to this phenomenon. At any rate, I actually trust Morey, and I'm sure he will make our team better this offseason.
