If this happens, then CD better be gone. Francis has been the Western Conference All Star starter for 2 years now, and will have been to the playoffs after this season. Unless he publicly demands a trade, his value won't fall that low. IMO, Francis can and should bring a damn good player in return, one that's a superb shooter. Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Micheal Redd and Paul Pierce come to mind. CD has messed up a whole lot in recent years, and if he's unable to parlay Steve into another similar calibre player, then it's time for him to go. I've said it time and time again. This summer, CD will have a great number of resources to turn this team into a contender. Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, Clarence Weatherspoon (expiring contract), and the 6.9M exception are superb trade bait. He should be able to turn those 4 into two very good players. Again, I'm not saying you're wrong Gater, but I'm saying that IF it happens, it's CD's mistake.
True that! Chicago would be MORE than willing to send us Jay Williams for SF however. There's your "true point guard". Only one problem I can see in this deal: HE CAN'T PLAY!
Seems easy enough to me. No one is going to trade a bigger player for a smaller player if both have near equal skills. IOW, I can't see a reason why BOS would trade us Pierce for Francis or TOR Carter for Franics. Playoffs or no playoffs, Francis is having a career worst season, the Super Bowl fiasco and 15 seconds of dribbling out the clock vs the Spurs. NBA GM's are less concernewd about All Star voting than they are about winning. And none of us now knows what kind of playoff series Francis will have. It could be horrendous. You are totlally neglecting the difference between stater type role players - the Jefferson's, Bosh's, Dunleavy's, Nene's and Bowen's of the world and non-starter role players. There's a huge difference. Kerry Kittles and Jason Collins are both role players. Big difference in their roles. I did not say that. Van Gundy did. He is on record as wanting to surround Yao with shooters. I guess I'm among the few who see the hand writting on the wall. The Rockets will not get a Top 10 player for Francis. We'd be counting our blessings to get a Rashard Lewis or Hinrich in trade. And that's the upper range of value IMHO.
Isn't Weatherspoon a free agent in 2006? Maybe there's a team option I don't know about, but I'm pretty sure Weatherspoon's deal is guaranteed for two more years.
I thought it was 2 more years including this one? I'm not really 100% sure, but if it's 2 MORE years, then that deal went worse than I thought .
I think the bottom line is that while Spoon's contract in $$$ is more than Moochie's, it is one year LESS in length. That is the key. Addtionally while Spoon IS limited, he at least provides the team MORE than what Mooch was giving us, so the deal makes sense in that regard. Talk about lesser of two evils trade there!
I think though that the Knicks hold a team option on Moochie's contract in the final year, so Moochie could (and probably will) be a FA the same year as Weatherspoon. But we probably get a better player for our needs and we dumped off Amaechi, who had another year after this one left.
I think you are right on with this assesment. I really don't see a star for star trade involving Francis. The two trades you mentioned I would be happy with and would improve our team IMO. Bosh looks like a future star and Hinrich is the type of PG that would fit our system. I don't like the Heat one as much.
"You can kiss your trade franchise goodbye." quick! --- who can place that embarrassing quote from one of the most dissapointing films of all time?
What is the difference? Spoon is contributing, Mooch wasn't. And isn't in NY (surprise!). If Clips get KoBe, then they'll relinquish Q, yes?, while teaming KoBe with Maggette and a 'quiet' PG? In any regard they would be flat out dumb to trade Brand for almost anyone. Right, these are the Clips. This Rox team will undergo a major renovation after the playoffs. The team will assemble a group of JVG's guys, and don't be surprised if Cat is one of them!
cat to yao...hmm, sounds alot like starks to ewing. statistically, cat/starks numbers are quite similar.
I think the deal would be more like, Steve and Cat and Mo to Philly, AI and KT to Clips, Brand, McKey, Jaric, Salmons to Houston. The Clips have wanted Iverson for awhile. And we could use the stud 4, that's true.
Ok, I'm about sick of this "Francis will be traded" crap. After the SuperBowl fiasco, some said Francis is gone by the trade deadline. When it looked like that wasn't going to happen many of you backed off and said after the season Francis is gone. Now many are saying he is positively gone after the season no matter what happens (playoffs, no playoffs). I say you don't know. Just like the rest of us, we can only guess. Are you a GM? Have you ever been a GM? Nope. Are you Carroll, JVG, Steve? Nope. So you can not say what will positively happen one way or the other. I have no problem with folks making predictions, hell that's part of what posting here is about, but all of this "when, not if" like you have some insight into the Rox organization is BS. What's more I call your BS. I predict that no matter what happens, Francis will not be traded. That he and Yao are the core to this team and the franchise will be built around them. I am also willing to put my money where my mouth is... I am taking all bets that Francis will not be traded. If I am wrong I will contribute that dollar amount to the tipjar, but if I am right you must do the same. There you have it... any takers?
O-dawg, talking about stepping up to the plate. I solute you. I'm on your side, although I won't go as far as not trading Fracis if we don't make the playoffs. I really would like to see Francis succeed (and I still think he can), IMHO, he won't be traded if we make it into the playoffs and doesn't get swept.
Well not really. BUT, suppose we already have 12 players under contract for a season. First round picks are guaranteed contracts, albiet affordable ones. You don't necessarily want too many players under contract. Sometimes not having a first round pick, particularly a late round one, isn't all that bad.
I too would like to see Francis succeed. When I see him on the court, I see a kid with a lot of heart who just appears to be trying too hard. His ability to get open or create enough separation for a good look is still there, he just has not been knocking down the shot. I think that will come around (soon hopefully). I for one just don't think that the Rockets organization (or JVG for that matter) has given up on him as much as some of the fans here would like to believe.
