Article: We can't buy out Dream's contract (****!)

Hey Heypartner,

No offense, but I don't find it pitiful or disgusting to ask someone to take somewhere between $5-7.5 million for not playing. Hmm... but then maybe it's just me.

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Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...

[This message has been edited by Dr of Dunk (edited December 27, 1999).]

 

Yeah, after re-reading that, I knew that what I "assumed" you meant couldn't be right. You've got far too many intelligent posts on this board from what I've seen to have meant what I thought you meant...

And yes, I agree with what you say... we've let Earl go, we've let Ryan go, I don't want the 3rd legend of the "Big 3" sports (with apologies to hockey fans) to leave our town. I'll be honest, I wanted Hakeem to step down under his own accord, but NEVER wanted him traded. That was before I learned about the salary cap and how much his stepping down probably wouldn't affect it. I wanted 2 things by Hakeem retiring:

1) Hakeem to go out on a good note. Even if he stayed another year, I don't know what kind of championship chances we have, so why burn his knees out? He's got at least 30-40 years of life left to walk on those knees. Also, there were times he just didn't look as if he really cared that much out there anymore. A recent interview with him somewhat has changed my opinion on that.

2) The Rockets need to move on and see what these newbies can do without Hakeem. I wanted them to see the first year of "life without Hakeem" and see who all stepped up. Up until this point it's been basically dump-it-to-the-post offense with Hakeem in there. I felt we were delaying the inevitable by 1 year for no reason. When Hakeem went down at least 2 people (Mobley was one, can't remember the other) made statements to the effect "we're running more". With the speed and quickness of this team, that's what they should be taking advantage. It remains to be seen how Hakeem will fit in when he gets back... hopefully we won't have a 95% post-centric plodding offense. We'll see...

Again, sorry for the misinterpretation.

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Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...

 

This was over at nbatalk.com

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/news/sports03_19991226.html

Olajuwon's renewed faith

Olajuwon, Houston's veteran center, was so enamored with the visual of he and Charles Barkley riding off into the sunset together after this season that he asked the team about buying out the final year of his contract, which expires after next season.
Apparently though, contract deals could not be worked out, and Olajuwon and his advisers did not want it to appear that he was trying to abandon the team -- especially after Barkley's premature retirement. So Olajuwon has re-committed himself to giving it his all this year and next.

"This is not the way I want to go out, not the way I want to end my career," said Olajuwon, who is recovering from hernia surgery and will not return to the struggling Rockets until mid-January. "It hurts too much to see us losing every night, and after all that I have been through in 16 years and helped to accomplish with this team, it is not the way I want people to remember the conclusion."

Olajuwon, who has been plagued with chronic knee pain over the past several seasons, said a new training regimen had him feeling more pain-free than he had in years before the hernia, and he can't wait to get back on the court.

He also took offense to rumors that his immersion into the Islam faith has distracted him from his basketball.

"To say the difference is my religion is ignorance. In fact, according to Islam, it would be a criminal act for me to take the full amount of my salary and not give a full effort," said Olajuwon, who does plan to retire after next season. "If I care so much about Islam, about God, then that is exactly the thing that would not let me give up."



Man when I thought I read we were going to buy out Dream's contract, I was thinking DUNCAN!!! Then I read the next sentence. ****!



[This message has been edited by rocketsfan34 (edited December 27, 1999).]

 

rocketsfan34, The way you wrote your post at the end put that (****!) does that you wanted the Rockets to buy out Hakeems contract and have Dream retire?

 

Yes. I thought we actually could buy out his contract this year so he could retire with Chuck. Then with our now 15 mil of cap room we can aquire quite a few gems. Dream hardly plays with anymore fire these days, its just sad.

But then heypartner brought to my attention that buying out a contract does nothing to cap space, so basically no point in doing it.

 

The Rockets should politely ask Hakeem to retire because of injuries and then apply to the league for an exemption to the salary cap for his salary and Barkley's. Use this money to bring in some big time players who may become available around the trading deadline.

If Hakeem really wants to help the Rockets, he should retire as a player. We can then hire Hakeem as a coach to work exclusively with Cato. Look almost every team in the league needs a center. In Cato, the Rockets have a center with lots of potential. A lot of people have suggested that we should keep Hakeem around so that he can teach the younger players. Well this would be the way to keep Hakeem around without him handcuffing the team for this season and the next with his astronomical salary.

 

I don't believe Hakeem will be one of the types to hang around the organization in a coaching capacity that much after retirement. He has (at least I think he still does) his own import/export business (no, it's not Vandolay Industries... haha... I think it's Bakkarat something or other). He may want to get away from basketball for a little while at least.

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Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...