[Chron] Lewis' Deal has Rockets Looking in Other Directions

They can't talk about trade targets though, since it's against league rules. I'm still hopeful.

 

Who gave him this alleged offer?

 

Bulls, but maybe I was wrong... one article I read said Bulls were after Smith and Mihm, and both were expected to cost them most or all of the MLE. Maybe it's not full...

However, the Sixers also like him a LOT and Billy King is working hard to keep him in Philly.

So, there's some competition for Joe Smith. He ain't gonna come cheap. It seems that the market for free agency is too hot now.

 

this article isn't surprising at all. i wouldn't look at it as the negative that some of you are. there simply isn't anyone worth throwing the full mle at unless some higher priced players come down, and that's exactly what morey's saying.

some kind of trade has always seemed like the best route to add a power forward or other talent.

 

I understand the risk, but after looking at the situation, it's a risk I would take. Like I said, Amir Johnson has shown that he could put up numbers given minutes. Unlike other players with 'potential' like Stromile Swift, Amir Johnsonn produced.

There's two different types of 'potential':
1) Untapped potential - this is where a player has all the tools but hasn't shown what he could do on the floor in meaningful minutes.

2) Developing potential - this is where a player starts to pan out and has a positive slope in his development.

Amir Johnson is more of a developing potential...he's on the rise. so you buy.

And I agree with you, the Rockets need a veteran PF, but out of the players you mentioned, only Nocioni and Webber are free agents. Nocioni is not a PF...although he's played the position, he's only 6'7. I think we can both agree we don't need anymore undersized players at any position. Besides, Paxson has said that he's going to match any offer made to Nocioni...if you want him, it'll be through sign and trade.

Webber can probably be convinced to take the LLE. Anything more, you're overpaying. But, he might be able to be convinced since his former coach from his glory years is our current head coach.

The other 2, Gooden and McDyess, can only be had in a trade. McDyess did not opt out and the Pistons intend to keep him I think. Gooden might be realistic, the Rockets will have to offer Rafer Alston and others though to get it done. The Cavs are in the market for PG, but I don't think they have Alston in mind.

My ideal offseason would be to get Amir Johnson with the MLE and trade for a veteran PF. You'd have to think that Morey has made numerous inquiries on just about every non superstar PF in the league. I'm also concerned about the quality depth at the SF position...we'll see if we can't use Sura's contract and/or left over PGs from a trade with a PF to get one.

 

Well he is still 20 so you could consider this as his draft class. If he were in this draft (deep as it is) I could see him going #3 right behind Oden and Durant. I'm not sure what that contract would be, but I bet its not much less than the MLE.

I bet that even if he gave a Stro-like performance in say 2-3 years of his contract, teams would trade more than garbage to get a 22-23 year old 6'11" PF with a MLE contract. As you can see from this free agent season (ahem Darko, 22 years old) young bigs with "untapped potential" can demand 10M per contracts.

 

Oh and also trade for Gooden, McDyess, etc. I would be just fine with being "forced" to send Landry to the D-League. Going from having Hayes as a starter to 3rd string would be a vast improvement.

Yao/Deke
Gooden/Johnson/Hayes

That is a good set of bigs.

 

IMO the undersized tage is just an euphemism not to offend Hayes fans and in recognition that he does play very well but just not good enough.

That said Nocioni is still taller, a genuine starter, and a definate upgrade.

 

BTW, Matt Bonner, who played about 11 mpg for the Spurs last season, just re-upped with them at $3 milliion a year for 3 years.

 

I hope you are not saying that management folks would lie to employees, fans, stockholders, etc. I used to work for ENRON and .............

 

I agree- I think PJ will fit better here- less chemistry issues than Webber.

"Lewis would sign a contract worth as much as $90 million over five years, depending on the salary cap figures to be released July 11, Dutt said. But he added that the Magic would work on a sign-and-trade deal with the SuperSonics that would allow Lewis to sign a six-year deal."

Separately- I cannot get over how much money Rashard Lewis got. Amazing! He and Ray Allen who will play for the Celtics will separately make an impact in the East. Jeff of the Clutch Fans BBS said he would command 15 mil per season- and he was right

 

Damn, the Grizzlies are making a play for both Varejao and Nocioni.

If they do add both:

Conley Stoudamire Lowry
Miller Kinsey
(Nocioni) Gay
Gasol Warrick Johnson
(Varejao) Swift Cardinal

They're supposedly looking at Varejao as a center. With both Nocioni and Gay able to handle minutes at Pf as well. I wonder if that would make Alexander Johnson more expendable?

Rockets could offer Snyder for Johnson to give them a more balance and depth at the 2/3 spots.

If the Rockets can't get anything to happen at least he's some height behind Hayes.

 

Weren't those championship teams 3-4-5 seeds? I don't want to call the championships flukes but something was aligned in the universe...

Another thing, Landry is 24 ( ). He is more experienced and more physically mature than Amir Johnson. It would be cool to sign Amir but to anoint him as the PF of the future is a bit hyped. He's had a few good minutes as a scrub in mop-up time.

 

I'm liking this Morey guy less and less each day. Other teams are out there making moves and he's playing games. He did it with the draft and now with free agency and trades. I don't want to hear about this April crap. By then it could be too late.

 

Just because someone hustles and plays hard does not make them a good NBA player. Chuck Hayes is not a good NBA player at least so far. If he's the Rockets starting power forward this season then the general manager hasn't done his job.

 

Chuck Hayes is a role player. Ideally you want your role players to be able to find a way to get baskets off your stars (by being open or cutting to the basket), play defense, hustle, and in general do the tangibles that any regular man in their position should be able to do (rebound, block shots, box out). Chuck Hayes' only weakness at this point is he can't create his own shot effectively. Every thing else other than shot blocking he is average or over the average in.

Chuck Hayes contributing with out the ball fits nice with Yao and Tmac demanding the ball so much. And its not like you can leave him to gaurd Yao or Tmac cause Chuck will find a way to get close to the basket and score when you aren't looking.

 

Respectful but true.

 

My case for Amir. Yeah he is young, we don't need a savior at power forward. Someone to run the floor in coach A offense. Some size 6'11 and athletic ability to help block shots and rebound and be able to hit a wide open 14 to 16 foot jumper. Screw a slow veteran that cannot jump over the phone book, with small forward height. We give him the best opportunity to start and play right now. Then I prefer Hayes as a feisty back up while Landry learns in the D-league. Remember this kid is straight out of high school so think at best the next Jermaine O' Neal. If we cannot get a player like Camby we have to gamble.

 

Carl Landry and Amir Johnson were both 4 star, 6'7" 4's coming out of high school. I believe Johnson couldn't qualify at Louisville, so he entered the 05 draft out of high school. He was so raw that he only went 26th in the 2nd round.

Landry at to go to Juco Vincennes University where granted he did make First Team All Juco. He tranferred to Purdue his Junior year and made 2nd Team all Big 10; had to sit out the 05/06 season with a medical redshirt for a torn ACL (hence his advanced age) and was First Team All-Big in 07.

Is playing in the Big 10 more or less experience than playing in the NBDL and garbage time in the NBA?

Here's a quote I like: http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=461

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 32, Sunday games)--Stock Up
March 19, 2007

After having faced three major tests over the past two weeks-- Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Arizona’s Ivan Radenovic and Florida’s duo of Al Horford and Joakim Noah—we can now say with some confidence that Carl Landry can match up with players who are bigger than him and still do what he does best. He’s played extremely well in all three of those matchups, and has helped himself tremendously in the process. And although he might not even be the 6-7 he’s listed at, Landry, that doesn’t seem to bother him in particular from being productive and helping his team out.

Not a highly touted player out of high school, Landry had to go through the junior college ranks first before landing at Purdue. He clearly has a chip on his shoulder because of that, as it’s clear that he is just as good of a basketball player as all the players he’s matched up with lately, even if he doesn’t have the size, athleticism and upside to be considered a top draft prospect.

I'd Like to have Chuck Hayes, Amir Johnson and Carl Landry. We wouldn't scare anybody at PF but we would sure as hell wear them out and our practices would be an all out war for playing time. They couldn't help but get better. Johnson might have to spend some time at the 5 to justify the MLE, can he do that? Hayes might have to spend some time at the 3 as a defensive stopper, can he do that, And Landry is going to have to prove that his improved shooting will holdup under NBA pressure.

So if we are going PF by committee any , having 3 highly motivated, young players with questions seems as good as adding someone like Smith or Brown to me. It gives you some insurance against injury and as stated above each would be a tradable asset where the older veterans with smallish expiring contracts would not.

 

Trade for LaFrentz and sign Amir with MLE.

Raef can start at 4 and backup 5 while Amir & Landry compete for future starter at PF in a season or 2.