Then if Yao comes back ready for 2010-2011 season: PF - Bosh SF - Ariza C - Yao SG - Fernandez PG - Lowry Bench: PG - Banks (or free agent) SG/SF - Wafer PF/C - Scola C - Przybilla There............PERFECT!!
I don't understand why Battier is the one that has to go. Why not Von Wafer, James White, Jermaine Taylor, or Budinger? They are all lower in the depth chart than Battier. Imagine a starting lineup with Battier and Ariza on the wings. IMO this combination can be just as dominant defensively as Battier/Artest was.
Battier has to go because he is the same type of player as Ariza. You can't have all that money tied up in two players that don't score on a team that already lacks scoring. The defense might be as good or better than Artest/Battier but the scoring would drop way too much.
Von Wafer has REJECTED Morey's 3.5 mil offer so he will just walk. And the rookies you have mentioned can only be trade FILLERS and nobody would actually WANT them unless any of them drop like 40 points in the summer league (aka Donte Greene). At this point anybody (less Yao) is tradeable, Morey is just waiting for the right deal to make it work. Since Ariza is coming to the Rockets, Shane is more likely to be moved for to fill the holes we are having in the SG and C spots.
The most important piece to get is a center. Morey should be setting his sights in solving this position before any other moves. Its scary going to battle with good shooters but no inside game/post player.
How can we sign Oberto? We spent ALL our money on Ariza. We can only acquire players from trades now.
Yes, with the imaginary money we have left after using the entire MLE... Oberto isn't that good, but he's not a minimum player either.
That would be good since Camby expires next year and we'd be way under the cap but since the Clips already traded Randolph they'll probably want to keep Camby.
I think those fumes from Texas City are getting to your head man. I think we should make small moves and wait til the trade deadline to unload McGrady's expiring contract(or hold onto him if we do not get a great trade offer for him). His contract will be more valuable at the trade deadline than it is now(a team would have to pay all money owed for next season, right now. Whereas, at the tradeline, most salary will already have been paid for this year....its a recession folks!) I am also interested in seeing what this young rockets team can do. I am actually looking a little forward to seeing the rockets new more athletic team pushing the ball up and down the court. I also feel that if Yao does not come back this year and we do not trade McGrady then we let them both walk and try to get 2 players from the coveted free agent class of 2010. Not many teams will have the financial flexibility to go get a 2010 free agent and tell that player they can afford to pursue another star to bring along with that player.
If we're not in "win now" mode, having Battier is redundant of having a younger, more explosive Ariza. Plus, Wafer is going for more money on another team, White is a non-guaranteed I think, and the rookies are cheaper and better offensively than Battier with good upsides.
Maybe it's just blind faith on my part, but i feel Morey wouldn't of dipped his wick into the money pit for Ariza if there wasn't a trade in line for a big guy/sg in line.
I think this is an interesting pickup for a variety of reasons. It sure does fit with what Morey has done the passed few years; Signing or trading for players that aren't really that much better (if at all better) than the guy you already have or had and didn't want. Think about it. You had Chuck Hayes, Morey goes out and gets Luis Scola to take his spot. Both are energy players. 1 doesn't score but plays lock-down defense. 1 scores, but stinks it up on defense. You had Keith Bogans but traded your lottery pick Rudy Gay for Shane Battier. You trade Mike James for Bobby Jackson. You draft Aaron Brooks when you have Rafer Alston. Then you trade Rafer Alston for Brian Cook, the same type of 3-Point Shooting PF you had in Steve Novak who you traded for 2nd round picks. You pick up Joey Dorsey. How many undersized Power Forwards do you need?
Step 1) Battier, Hayes to POR for Rudy, Outlaw 2) Landry, Lowry, future 1st rounder for M.Gasol, Jaric 3) Sign Oberto and Antonio McDyess Rubio sees all these Spaniards/Argentines/Hispanic sounding names like Antonio and Ariza, decides he'll only come to the NBA to play for the Rockets, and forces Minny to sell him relatively cheap. 4) Brooks, Barry, future 1st rounder for Rubio, Telfair M.Gasol/Oberto/Dorsey Scola/McDyess/Cook Ariza/Outlaw/Budinger Rudy/Wafer/Taylor Rubio/Jaric/Telfair Then just let McGrady's contract expire and hope for the best with Yao.
Wow. Look at that point guard situation. Awesome! Also, you dope, how would you suppose we sign Oberto, McDyess, AND Wafer when we have no cash?
We will not get Rubio for Brooks, Cook, and a future no. 1. we just dont match up well with Minnesota to make a trade. They are strong at pf and that is what we have to deal.
