Chad Ford: Suns moving in on T-Mac, Rockets seek #5 Pick

the Suns are not 1 player away from anything in the WEST. Its funny - because I think that Joe Johnson suffered from Steven Jackson syndrome (put up good stats on a bad team - becasue he was one of the only options)

I think that Cat and Francis gives O-town (at least on paper) a playoff backcourt (especially in the east), I just want something done

.... I also like what I am hearing about a possible draft pick at #5 though...

 

Can anyone confirm that McGrady SAID he would only re-sign with the Rockets?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/23/s...&partner=GOOGLE

In the end, several league executives believe the trade with Houston, which would also send Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and possibly Andrew DeClerq to the Rockets, will eventually be made because McGrady is saying Houston is the only team he will stay with long term.

 

thank you. this becomes clearer by the day. the suns have little to offer, IMO, regarding a TEAM to play for next season. $ for free agents??? who? shaq? i doubt it. this is driving me freaking CRAZY!!! stop the madness!!!...

 

The Rockets talking to the Wizards makes some sense. After all, we'd get something good, if not exciting. Arenas + Hughes + #5? Send Arenas and #5 for Kirilenko; that's the ticket.

 

(Above was written by Chad Ford).

Yeah right! The Suns are not going to risk giving up all that talent for 1 year of T-Mac. They should NOT call his bluff unless he shows a willingness to resign with the Suns.

 

I see four possibilities for the #5 pick from the Wiz:

1) Cato: I know he's involved in the Magic trade, but maybe ORL would prefer the #5 pick. Cato would be a perfect fit next to Kwame.

2) TE: This is a great way to utilize our Trade Exception. If we don't have to use it for the McGrady trade, then this is a perfect example of how to use it. We can take back 6.9 mil in bad contracts from WAS, so they can sign some FA's this off-season, that would be a better fit than anything they could draft at #5. I assume, that we'd take either Livingston or Gordon as our future PG.

3) Taylor: This is the least probable, but I'd love to see it. They really don't need another scorer, but Taylor does well against East opponents, and would give them a strong veteran presence at PF. They would move Kwame to Center. For us to do this, I think we'd have to take back some bad contracts again, and maybe use some of our TE to sweeten the deal, and maybe a future draft pick. But, I'd like this one the best, since adding Howard and possibly Griffin makes Taylor redundant.

4) Boki: I don't think this is very probable, but it would also have to include some of our TE to happen, and the TE would be the main attraction for WAS, so they could sign FAs. I hope this doesn't happen. Unfortunately, Stevie's messing around on the ORL deal may cost us Boki, anyway.

 

WTF? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this NOT work under the CBA?

Chad Ford's blatant bias is really starting to grate on me.

 

Well I'm sure if here is talk, then it's about moving the #5 and a crummy contract for a veteran. Or maybe Washington has a TE to cover the difference.

I know Chad Ford isn't very highly regarded on this board but all he does is repeat the "word on the street" from his league sources. Some of it is going to be smoke and some will be legitimate talks. You just got to try not to get so worked up with his info and take it with a pinch of salt.

 

Ford is unbelievable. Saying that the Suns should call T-Mac's bluff. He really is trying to influence this deal.

 

So he signs short term deals until the Rockets have the cap space a few years from now and then signs a long term contract with Houston?

It seems that he will be shortchanging himself in the wallet by using that philosophy.

I am not sure that his ego will allow that.

 

I'd use the trade exception to pick up a bad contract and the #5. From what I've read, Shaun Livingston is going to be a stud.

 

well, with the dallas deal, were down to plan c.

 

It was just reported up here that Dallas has made a trade with Washington for the No. 5 pick. They sent Antwoine Jameson to the Wizards for the pick and plan to offer the No. 5 pick plus Steve Nash (sign & trade) & Josh Howard to the Lakers for Shaq Daddy so the #5 pick is now gone.

 

The Fakers would have to be insane to make that deal. Nash, Howard, and the #5 pick ain't even close to enough for Shaq.

 

The Lakers could use the #5 pick to draft Pavel Podkolzine and pray that he turns out to be a 20/10 Center.

 

If they cant move #5 for Shaq I bet that is their backup plan!