In spite of what has been posted in here, Cook does NOT become BYC until after July 1st. From Coon: "...For extended rookie scale contracts, the player's BYC begins on the day after the July Moratorium which precedes the first season of the extension. For example, if an extension of a rookie scale contract is signed on 10/30/05, his BYC begins on 7/12/06, because the first season of the extension is 2006-07...." Cook's signed the extension on 11.04.2006....his first season of extension is 2007-08. Cook's BYC begins (as Coon quotes) on the first day after the moratorium preceeding the first year of the extension. For those who have trouble with calendars, that's July 1, 2007. The rule that actually applies is this from Coon.... "If a team trades an extended rookie between the date his extension is signed and the date it takes effect, his "trade value" for the receiving team is the average of the salaries in the last year of the scale contract and each year of the extension. This is called the "poison pill provision." The sending team uses the player's actual salary when calculating their outgoing salary. They use the current-year maximum salary in place of the (unknown) maximum salary for a future season, if necessary." The +/- 25% CBA contact matching means the range is approxiamtely from $2.216m to $3.694m. Luther Head's 2006-07 leaves about $1m short on the low end. Easily doable.
I have to agree with you, Utah undressed him in the playoffs. He's a spot up shooter that is neither a 1 or 2 and he is kind of limited to where you can trade him as far as going to a team that has an all star or two that can draw double teams to help get him open. I still think they can get a bit more for him than Cook or at least he could be the anchor to some sort of package deal.
I think losing Luther Head is a mistake. No matter for whom we trade him for. I have an unauthorized feeling, but it's a feeling none-the-less: Head will become as reliable as Derrick Fisher. Just his defense needs enormous improvement. His offense should improve with experience and floor time. Billy: He has so much potential. He has partial offensive skill. He is a great dribbler, court vision, and speed on offense. However, he does not have ball-hand-eye coordination to make reliable passes, thus the turnovers. He will improve on that. It's another unauthorized feeling. He did so well in the Olympics and in the European League, he should do well in the NBA after a couple of years of experience/floor time. Anyone is better than John Lucas III/Speedy Gonelucas. We need more Fowards with Power!
If Head doesn't develop a driving game and dribbling, hes basically worthless to us. But i still have a feeling that a trade like that will never end up in our favor. LA could at least give us a 2nd rounder for that also. Cook has Good inside presence, and is a great 3 point shooter IIRC. Don't really know much about Singleton, could be useful. Trade Vspan? ... No opinion
Didnt take the time to read through all the posts so if I'm repeating anything, I apologize. (1) Highly doubt were trading VSpan for a 2nd unless it puts us in range to pick up a value PF like Sean Williams. I feel like we'll leverage our first rounder with VSpan in a deal. I think Rockets management are waiting on Bonzi's status before creating any packages including VSpan and our 1st round pick. Bonzi's status could largely determine the availability of Kirk Snyder and Luther Head. (2) James Singleton is a phenomenal athelete. A bit on the thin side so he wont be a starter at PF but should serve nicely as a Gerald Wallace type energy player off the bench a la Kings. The only problem I see with this is that Singleton is a free agent. I don't understand why the Clips would re-sign him to trade for JLIII when they can probably get someone comparable just as easily (and cheaply) through free agency. (3) I don't see the need for Cook if we have Novak. Would you Cook for Head? (Sorry, couldnt resist....)
I see what you're saying that it's "doable", but to make the salaries work the rockets still need to include another minimal salary...which we are in short supply of. and even aside from that fact we are still providing the most talent in this exchange unless LA is planning on including picks. the trade just stinks to high hell for me. I can't imagine the rockets brass are high enough on cook to give up luther and another salary on the roster like novak or vspan. and theres no way l.a. could be stupid enough to include a pick to compensate, because in reality it would be have to be a 1st round swap and 2nd rounder for equal value. that's alot for luther there.
I'm certainly not enthusiastic about the idea of Head for Cook, because I feel we can get more... but on the other hand, Cook has TRULY uncommon touch for his size. Power forwards who can hit threes like he can (with CONSISTENCY) are very, very hard to come by. To put this in perspective: Robert Horry has only one season in all his 14 years shooting 40% from 3 (And that was on only 45 attempts). He's a career 34% 3pt guy. Cook has played 4 seasons, and in both of the last two he shot 40% from 3. He's a career 40% guy and that's on 100+ attempts per season. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the guy. 40% career from 3-point land is eye-popping for a power forward.
Granted he doesn't have the size or toughness (not that Cook is even that tough) of Cook... But if you are looking for 3's from the PF Padgett was here last year. Davis will be available to draft. D. Marshall probably has no value at this point. Van Horn is waiting for a contract. Its just 3pt touch man.
Then why did he average like 15-20 min/game on the Lakers squad which has a very weak PF rotation. He was a bench player with scrubs like Turiaf and Mo Evans playing over him. He is undersized for the PF at 6'9. He averages 3rb/game in his limited playing time. The guy has attitude problems and thats why the Lakers want him out of there. Granted, Head sucks as well. But other teams don't know that yet. Trade Head in a package with Battier for a real impact player!
yeah i'd rather see what we can get for him in a package but if nothing comes of that, i'd trade him for cook. i guess the rockets need to get moving on that artest deal before july 1st.
Well yeah, I hope that as well... it just seemed that people here were thinking that he was just a guy who could hit "some" threes, and weren't really looking at how remarkable of a shooter he is. Swapping picks in this deal, though, would make me relatively enthused... it is a deep draft, after all.
I know these are just rumors, but I still not quite understand the idea behind the Head for Cook trade. If they want a PF who can shoot 3-points, didn't we have a guy name Novak already? Cook is more proven, but still, we could simply wait several months to check out Novak first than giving up Head now, consider the fact that he is one of our few tradable assets.. Luca for Singleton is a 3rd string player for 3rd string player trade, if Vspan is coming back next season, whatever they do with Lucas is fine with me.. About the Vspan trade, I would never do it unless Billy demands a trade or say he will be staying at Greece next season..
Head + Sura should equal good value for a PF. Heck try to even package Lucas or Spanoulis with him too. (Head + V-Span = Shelden Williams) Millsap would be a great canidate too.
Does Jerry Buss really think giving Kobe Head will keep him in town? Sorry but I must get in all the Head jokes I can before we trade him.
No to Span for 2nd rounder!! wtf??? JL3 for Singleton....dont know nor it will matter. Head for Cook....il prolly do it but it wont matter much. Atleast Cook is somewhat consistent n got the height advantage n perimeter shooting advantage over other PFs. He is more of Adleman type of player than Head is. Head is just a shooter....he cant pass nor defend!!
