After hearing what Cat had to say on BDSSP, here is what I think is the best trade we can make with the Clippers. Houston trades: #1 pick, Glen Rice, Kelvin Cato Clippers trade: Lamar Odom, Michael Olowakandi I am not sure if this would work out financially, but bare with me. After this trade we would send our 15th pich to the Grizz to complete the Francis trade (no need to pick and trade next years pick because we already have a young team). In Odom we are getting a player who will gel nicely with Mobley and Francis since they both already like Odom (and Cat played with Odom in college). In Olowakandi we get a TRUE center who is starting his rise to the elite center list in the NBA (the only thing he'll have to do is change his number). I belive that this deal will make the Rockets a playoff team next year. Here is how our lineup would look for the 2002-03 season. C: Olowakandi, Collier PF: Thomas, Boozer SF: Odom, Griffin, Langi SG: Mobley, Torres PG: Francis, Norris, Brown Foregot to mention this earlier but we would pick up Boozer in the second round. I belive he will slip draft day because he is a little undersized at the 4 spot. And if he falls to us in the 2nd we should not hesitate to pick him up. Damn! that is one good lookin team.
You forgot to add Taylor. The Clippers probably want Williams more than Ming,so that would leave them with C Cato PF Brand SF Miles/Rice SG Maggette/Q Rich PG Williams/Dooling/Jaric This would be a weaker team than they had last year despite the addition of Williams and Jaric. But you are right the trade is in favor of the Rockets.
Olowokandi is a free agent. Olowokandi can thus not be traded until after he re-signs in a sign and trade deal. Such a deal thus assumes the Rockets would take who the Clippers want and would deal him as part of a package. Such a deal also assumes that Olowokandi's salary does not go significantly up. With the latter not going to be met, the deal is null and void from the get go.
I did not know that. Anyway that's all the better. Then we could just sign Olowakandi as a free agent, and then trade away our first pick to a team that really wants Ming like the Knicks and get more in return like Camby, and future draft picks with us giving up Taylor to dump salary. Imagine starting the season with Kandi, Camby, Griffin, Mobley, and Francis as our starting lineup. And having guys like, Norris, Cato, and a healthy Rice coming off the bench. That team might sound better then the one i first thought up off.
