absolutely love lewis, however the only question i have is can he really play the 4 spot for serious minutes????
Bat was one of our best role players... Lewis is one of the top 30 players in the league... id luv for this trade to go through... but that aint gonna happen No way in hell Sonics trade us Lewis...for Bat and the 26th pick... come on... in the article 26th pick??? give me a break... what risk would we be taking...
Why would the Sonics GM take Battier & a contract when all he'd need to do is simply pay Lewis and keep him? Sorry, but CD had his chance - actually two chances - to sign Lewis and passed. Why would Lewis leave real money on the table just to play here? Didn't he see what happened to Bouncy? If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas. And BTW, let's say that your scenario were to occur. The Rockets would then have 3 max contract players, absolutely no cap space, would be limited to looking for Moochie Norris type players and would still not be a match for the top teams in their conference.
First, while you were out?....The Sonics landed the 2nd pick in the Lottery which likely turns into Kevin Durant. Are you suggesting they pay Lewis $11+m/yr and let Durant be his backup on the bench? Sounds like it. Secondly, you appear to have speed-read through this thread so let me help you get caught up. All of the speculation has roots in a common fact...Lewis is an UNrestricted Free Agent. He can go where he wants for whatever he wants. If you are the Sonics...it's senseless to pay him big bucks and have Durant languish on the bench and it's equally senseless to let Lewis walk and receive nothing of value. The threat of Lewis walking for an MLE where they receive nothing is admittedly not great. But right now, your entire position is that of Feigen's...Lewis' value across the entire league is an excess of $12m for year 1. Like I've stated....who can guarantee that kind of $ when it has BYC complications that ONLY CHA and ORL can resolve. The "$12m scenario" that you and Feigen are banking on has three components which you want to easily ignore. Any BYC contract MUST have... 1) A player (and possibily picks) the Sonics want worth $6m or more. 2) A player and draft pics that that CHA or ORL wants worth at least $4m to overcome BYC. 3) A location that Lewis wants. This IMHO excludes a lot of teams. Does Lewis really want to make $12m/year and play for MIL, ATL, PHI, BOS, or NJN? Your point about what happened to Wells is ridiculous. If it were an organizational problem, Wells would be in the press already to the effect that he's NOT coming back. Wells' openess to meeting with the Rockets clearly indicates that he and his agent (not you, Feigen or other posters here) feel it was more a coaching issue than an organizational issue. Your point about no cap space is equally ridiculous. NEWS FLASH...the Rockets will never have cap space as long as Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are on their current contracts. They have been over the cap since Olajuwon came off of the books. They (like 27 other teams this summer) will continue on without cap space for many seasons to come. And, just to show you haven't been paying attention? Moochie Norris was signed with the CAP SPACE that was gained when Olajuwon's contract expired. Nowhere in this thread has anyone suggested getting Rashard is a slam dunk. But you are totally ignoring the dynamics of this summers' FA market and the complications associated with BYC.
My thought also. Battier for Lewis is an upgrade at the 3, not at the 4. We still have to solve the PF and PG problems.
Any bets he ends up a knick and francis a sonic? This is my bet this offseason......rockets will not get a chance to rape any team with the contracts and players we have to offer. I guarantee there will be a team that will have better young talent to offer. See what drafting well can do for you? Even guys sitting on the bench with a glimmer of potential have more value than established players who are great at one or two things. Would love to have either one.....but I realize so would every other team.
Gater, Are you forgetting that Orlando and Charlotte can sign him outright? If I were Seattle's owner, here's what I would be thinking. If Rashard wants to re-sign, I sign him. If Rashard wants out, then I let him go East, not to the Rox. I either let him walk for nothing or I do a S&T to a team in the East, not my own conference. Seattle is a team in limbo, no arena deal, possibility of moving, new owners, etc. If Rashard tells them he wants to leave, then it is time to plunge into rebuilding mode, trade for expirings and get under the cap, save money, tank a season for another high draft pick, and open up salary cap so you can sign a max guy next season that matches well with Durant and whoever else you draft next year. Why would I want to trade Rashard to the Rox and leave them in better position in the West when I am going to have to compete against them in the future? The way I see it, the only way Rashard comes to Houston is if he is willing to forego $$$$ and sign the MLE. Threatening that he is going to walk for nothing to Orlando if they do not S&T him to Houston is not going to get it done unless Seattle's new ownership is brain dead. Cap space, high draft picks are more valuable than a role player, a middle first round pick(because they stay mediocre with Battier), and less cap flexibility, because of Battier's salary.
Very nice reply that does not answer WHY he'd want to come here for LESS money when he can get more elsewhere. In fact, please explain just why he'd want to come here PERIOD. If I'm Lewis, I'm getting in line to try to play with LeBron. If you'd stop rocking on your crusading hobby-horse for a second, you'd UNDERSTAND that pie-in-the sky moves like this simply aren't going to happen. This is another in the continuing series "we can steal good players for next to nothing" threads that currently populate this board. You guys act like CD's been cloned and his clones are working in front offices all over the NBA. Apparently while you were out tilting at windmills, you missed the little fact that Bouncy pissed away big bucks in free agency only to end up with a fraction of what he would have made had he taken the Sacramento deal. That's $34 million G O N E. What is ridiculous is to hold out the belief that Lewis would be equally as stupid as Wells. If he gets a good offer elsewhere, he will take it. But the fact that guys like yourself continue to cling to the illusion that Bonzi will make this team more athletic and competitive is almost laughable in its naivety. It woulldn't surprise me in the least that the Rockets are out there in line ready to kiss Bonzi's ass once again. That's what you'd expect of a desperate organization. If they are stupid enough to bring him back, they deserve what they'll get. Here's another NEWS FLASH for you: The combination of their having 2 max contract players PLUS their sorry assed draft history PLUS the bad personnel moves means that they are now stuck in a place where their only realistic option to build a contending team is to breakup the Yao & Tmac core. THAT is not going to happen because it's much better to pretend that the reason it hasn't worked so far is the fault of the last head coach. Funny, you are a smart guy. Had YOU been paying attention, I'm sure you would have caught on to this by now.
Good post. And here's another thing to consider: to trade Battier after just one year would be to admit that they have made yet another drafting blunder because Battier cost them their lotto pick. I can't see Les & Morley doing that because to do so would leave them open to the argument that the organization shares the blame for the current state of the team. This would be in direct contradiction of the company line that this team's problems were the fault of the previous head coach.
so Orlando or Charlotte is willing to offer Rashard a max contract practically? seems like we can offer him a decent amount through the snt and Rashard can help his hometeam win a ring, which is priceless. also, acquiring Battier would help Seattle whereever they play. Battier is a glue guy and would be good for Seattle. Look at the Grizzlies....Memphis fell off without Battier. Seems like a good trade for them also. Its not like they are picking up some terrible contract....but do we have to throw in fillers for this to work?
Don't forget that Seattle could let him walk for nothing and he could still end up in their own conference. I think you have to keep in talks with him and if he decides he wants to stay in the West, then maybe they should at least get something for him (S&T). Either way, Rashard is gone IMO so you might as well get something for him. I agree that they should go into rebuilding mode so if that means trading Shard in the West, then so be it, it's not like they would be competing for Championships anyways.
That is ridiculous, Not a sole will call the manangment bad if they get Rashard. The point is Rashard wants to be here, the Rockets want him here, and Seattle does not really need him there. If they could get Battier maybe Head plus some contract relief that would be a move they would have to like considering they will be left with nothing if they do not sign him. The argument that they would not trade him to the west they would just let him walk is an obscure view of things. They know they will be in transition without Rashard and getting a very good player, a youngster, and some cap relief would be appealing. Lastly no one has really talked about the very plausible shot of a three way deal. Something like a Battier and Head to one team and that team sends better younger talent and more cap relief to Seattle. The reason we have a shot is because if Lewis can at all make it happpen he will be in Houston. I know I bashed on someone for bringing this up earlier but that was for saying we could sign him for the MLE.
Who gives a f*ck about the cap space!? If Les is willing to break his piggie bank, I wont cry for it. If Lewis somehow find his way to Houston, I welcome him with open arms. Who gives a f*ck of woulda, shoulda, coulda.... But Lewis is obviously looking for $$$, anything less than $12 mil starting wont make sense to him. Can Drexler compensate the difference with his breakfast services for a year?
I understand Smeg's concern about Lewis at the 4, but unlike Battier, Lewis can give most 4's a nightmare on the offensive end. Hayes can body up a lot of 4's on defense, but gives you nothing on offense. And if we can sign a long athletic young 4/3 (a guy like Barnes or someone similar, but longer, would be too cool) for the MLE, or draft a guy like that who could contribute (unlikely, as we'll probably trade the low 1st round pick we have, I admit, and it's always a risk, anyway), then you can switch on offense and defense, given matchups that work. McGrady can defend just about anyone if healthy, more than a big if, of course. Lewis for Battier just works too well for the Rockets to pass up, if it could happen. And if it were to happen, you figure out how to make it work. Team D can cover a lot of holes in your lineup on defense. Van Gundy proved that, regardless of what one might think of him as the coach of the Rocks. And we need depth on our bench. Everyone knows that. We have to make some moves. Lewis is unlikely, but you get him if you can, and then fill the other holes somehow. We really need to shakeup the roster.
Well well well. It looks like the Astros management isn't the only group of folks around here who reside in a place not called planet earth. Now let me see if I get this straight: The Sonics would leap, no that's too strong a word, er, be open to the idea of trading Lewis for Battier & Head. They'd do that just for us because they would be in such a true bind if they let him get away in free agency. As you tell by the tone of my post, I am just a wee bit skeptical that they would want to help us out so very much. I mean, it's not like they are our competition or something (although I do like the idea of two guys who couldn't help us win here going over to the competition). Rashard may prefer to play in his hometown but given the reality of what he'd command on the open market, I can't envision his agent giving us that big a hometown discount. If the money is there, you take it. No, my post referred to the justifcation that the Rockets gave when they got Battier specifially about what a terrific move that was blah blah blah. Now, just one season later, folks here can't wait to ship out what was the 8th pick in the NBA lotto. By my count, this was their 4th appearance in said lotto since 2000 and they only have one player (YM) to show for all these trips. For them to turn around and dump Battier after one year would be yet another example in a long line of examples, of the utter cluelessness of this entire organization. But hey, we can always keep blaming the head coach, can't we?
