HP, Here is to retirement before 2003! Now the real question is...... Is Hakeem really 38 or is he older as some reports say. We could be hiring a 40 yr. old! ------------------ He must have an enormous schfashtuker! Well, of course. That goes without saying. [This message has been edited by ROCKET!!! (edited July 30, 2001).]
Actually, if he signs this contract I have to believe he will be here all 3 years unless he retires via injury on his own. He will get his farewell tour, if he doesn't retire whether he wants it or not...lol! As far as the cap goes, I don't see us ever getting under the cap again, if Dream signs this contract. (I base this on our reports of wanting to sign everyone else.) If we get two years from him, who cares. If we don't, we gambled with injuries and lost.
Maybe that third year is offered as a kind of pay-off, as someone mentioned here; pay him the 2 million and he retires...that way, he won't go through all that rocking-chair-gifts-halftime-celebration-KAreem-Abdul-Jabar-ish-retirement BS. Dream says he doesn't like that stuff, anyway. This way he can just say, "That's it," and leave. ------------------
That is exactly where this whole deal is going! Flat out Houston! ------------------ Rudy T. will find and fulfill Rockets destiny.
If Hakeem at 2 mil in his last season, or even 4 million for each of 3 seasons, get's us over the cap or near the cap than worrying about the cap is pointless. Unless you are at least 5 mil under the cap, you should make sure you are at or over it so you can get the mid level. Maybe all this thought about worry about Dream's contract isn't important. I know before it was my big hesitancy to offering Dream more than a modest two year deal and doing the best we can to front loaded it (singing bonus). But again, unless we are going to be seriously under the cap in 02 or 03 (at least 5, probably more like 10 under) it would be better to focus on taking care of our own guys (including Hakeem) and using the mid-level exempt to add new players int he future. I guess we are going to miss our window for a big FA coup no matter what we do, I am kind of bummed we could not pull an Orlando (McGrady, Hill), maybe Webber was the lone chance.
What is interesting about a third year is the implication by the Rockets that, "Well, Dream, if you really want respect, here it is. Now, it's up to you." They obviously are stretching to give him 3 years since no one else would have, but they can't budge on the money because they don't want to abandon their future plans either. IMO, this puts the Rockets in the driver seat because, as most of us have said, this is about as fair a deal for both sides as you can get. If he still wants more money after this offering, the Rockets can just say, "Thanks, but no thanks." without fans thinking they bailed on Dream. ------------------ Who's your buddy? Who's your pal? I am, aren't I?
