From my inside source...who stumbled upon this article from ESPN The INSIDER May. 20 - Rumors continue to swirl that the team is looking at trading troubled forward Lamar Odom this summer. GM Elgin Baylor didn't exactly close the door. "We don't want to trade Lamar," coach Alvin Gentry told the OC Register Sunday. "But you always have to listen to teams when they ask you about players." The Heat have shown the most interest in Odom over the past two years, but probably don't have the players it would take to get a deal done. The Clippers, who are said to covet Jay Williams, might be willing to part with Odom in return for the Rockets' No. 1 pick. the thing i hear now is Rockets number 1 and 15 and Kenny Thomas for Odom, Kandi andthe number 8 pick. May. 22 - The Rockets sent out strong signals Monday that they are leaning toward keeping their pick and drafting Yao Ming. GM Carroll Dawson acknowledged Tuesday that the team already had "five or six" serious calls about trading the No. 1 pick The Knicks and Warriors are the teams most interested in getting the No. 1 pick. Still, the team thinks they're better off keeping it and rolling the dice with Yao. "Trading the first pick is very hard to do because there is kind of a good feeling about having the first pick," Dawson said in a conference call This is the fifth one that this organization has had. It's hard to trade it because the unknown value of what you're getting is hard to rate. I'm sure we will get offers for this pick because it happens every year. Very few people trade it. We're a franchise that listens to every thing and tries to do what's best for winning, but I think that this would be a very hard pick to trade 1. Houston Rockets Insider's Pick: Yao Ming, C, China Number Two: Mike Dunleavy, F, Duke Sleeper Pick: Caron Butler, F, UConn The Skinny: The Rockets sent out strong signals Monday that they are leaning toward keeping their pick and drafting Yao. They'll spend the next few weeks researching the legal issues involved and working with Yao's U.S. representative, Erik Zhang. If they can get comfortable with Yao's availability, it seems like the team has already reached a preliminary consensus that it can't pass on the big man. Still, a trade isn't out of the question. Expect the Rockets to field some interesting offers for the pick But, in the end, no team will be able to offer what the Rockets desperately need -- a skilled big man to plug the gaping hole in the middle left by Kelvin Cato. If, for some reason, Yao balks at playing in Houston, the Rockets may try to make a deal to move down a few slots and grab either Dunleavy or Butler. 2. Chicago Bulls Insider's Pick: Jay Williams, G, Duke Number Two: Yao Ming, C, China Sleeper Pick: Mike Dunleavy, F, Duke 3. Golden State Warriors Insider's Pick: Drew Gooden, F, Kansas Number Two: Mike Dunleavy, F, Duke Sleeper Pick: Chris Wilcox, F, Maryland 4. Memphis Grizzlies Insider's Pick: Mike Dunleavy, F, Duke Number Two: Caron Butler, F, UConn Sleeper Pick: Nikoloz Tskitishvili, F, Georgia 5. Denver Nuggets Insider's Pick: Dajuan Wagner, G, Memphis Number Two: Caron Butler, F, UConn Sleeper Pick: Nikoloz Tskitishvili, F, Georgia 6. Cleveland Cavaliers Insider's Pick: Caron Butler, F, UConn Number Two: Chris Wilcox, F, Maryland Sleeper Pick: Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, F, Brazil 7. New York Knicks Insider's Pick: Chris Wilcox, F, Maryland Number Two: Curtis Borchardt, C, Stanford Sleeper Pick: Dajuan Wagner, G, Memphis 8. Los Angeles Clippers (from Atlanta) Insider's Pick: Curtis Borchardt, C, Stanford Number Two: Nikoloz Tskitishvili, F, Georgia Sleeper Pick: Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, F, Brazil 9. Phoenix Suns Insider's Pick: Nikoloz Tskitishvili, F, Georgia Number Two: Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, F, Brazil Sleeper Pick: Amare Stoudemire, F, HS Senior 10. Miami Heat Insider's Pick: Jared Jeffries, F, Indiana Brown2127: 11. Washington Wizards Insider's Pick: Qyntel Woods, F, Northeast Mississippi CC 12. Los Angeles Clippers Insider's Pick: Kareem Rush, G, Missouri 13. Milwaukee Bucks Insider's Pick: Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, F, Brazil 14. Indiana Pacers Insider's Pick: Chris Marcus, C, Western Kentucky 15. Houston Rockets (from Toronto) Insider's Pick: Bostjan Nachbar, F, Croatia Number Two: Marcus Haislip, F, Tennessee Sleeper Pick: Jiri Welsch, G, Czechoslovakia The Skinny: The team owes the Grizzlies a pick either this year or next. The Rockets tried to send this pick to the Grizzlies before they grabbed the No. 1 pick. However the Grizzlies wanted to wait until next year. Expect the Rockets to address their need at small forward with pick No. 15. The best small forward left on the board is Nachbar, a sharp shooting 6-foot-8 forward who also has the athleticism to take it the basket. Earlier this year, Nachbar was virtually unstoppable for his team, Benetton Treviso. He leveled off toward the end of the year and his stock slipped just a bit. Teams compare him to the Sonics' Vladimir Radmanovic. At 22, he will be able to contribute right away
the thing i hear now is Rockets number 1 and 15 and Kenny Thomas for Odom, Kandi andthe number 8 pick. Am I the only one that likes this trade??? The Chinese goverment wants too much from the Rockets, I say pull the trigger on this deal!!!
I like that deal too. It addresses both of the Rockets' needs. Cato and Kandi can't both suck every night, can they? But, a 7-5 giant that moves like a small forward is hella hard to pass on.
Depends on who we get with the #8. If we could get Wilcox, I'd be very intrigued. Problem though is the salaries don't match up. We'd have to give them Rice or something to help match it up, and I still don't know if that would do it. This sounds legit, though, given recent comments by Doc Rocket, Oeilpere, etc.
Im too scared Ming is a bust and with the 8th pick we could possibly land a Drew Gooden if he falls or a Wilcox. It wouldnt be a bad deal for us in the long run!
Read my other post about Finley and Lafrentz...that trade might be a better one. I thought it was a rumor but now ESPN is reporting it. I am thrilled to know that my source is coming through for me. He only reports to me after he has done his homework.
