First off, it's free press, not sure how exactly they would block it. Second, I'd personally be upset if I didn't hear news that they were actively trying to do something. Morey knows his fans aren't stupid, and maybe knows that fans have been burned by big bad trades in the past (Pippen, etc). I'm happy with doing nothing, knowing that Morey didn't do something stupid just to be doing something.
Don't like Joe Johnson for our team, period. What makes us think Bosh would like to play with Johnson? Bosh has already made up his mind to play with his buddy Dwyane Wade in Miami. What we need to go after is a defensive center. I like our current team very much.
Instead of sending out all these messages that our team is not good enough, Morey and Co. should learn from Doc Rivers who kept telling the Celtics they're good even when they were struggling.
I've been a vocal supporter of going after Bosh, but after drafting Patterson, I actually think Joe Johnson would have a bigger impact on our team via a sign and trade. (I'm starting to warm up to the idea of Patterson and the physical presence he would add to the team.) Johnson is tall enough to play small forward (especially since there really isn't a difference between 2s and 3s in Adelman's system). He plays good defense, knows how to score the ball, and most importantly, he is a play maker, which is the biggest hole on the Rockets team right now when you stop to think about it. We need another guy besides Brooks who can put the ball on the floor and create and Johnson fits that description perfectly. I would be opposed to trading Martin for Johnson since I think we would be overpaying, and I really want to see how Martin performs next year. Atlanta is about to lose the guy for nothing. Sending them Ariza, Jeffries, and a future first would be plenty if Morey can convince the guy to wear the Rocket red. Brooks | Lowry Martin | Budinger | Taylor Johnson | Battier Scola | Patterson Yao | Hill | FA signing like Brad Miller Johnson would also give us some insurance in case Martin gets injured again.
I don't see the logic in going after a max player who consistently disappears in the clutch, at a position we have locked down with a younger, sudo-all star, who makes less money. All just to increase our chances of landing Chris Bosh? Makes no sense at all.
I think it's intentional in the mode of intentionally FALSE, a la smoke, which Morey has done before in free agency. Don't think Johnson is his kind of player at his kind of price point, especially signing him on the decline. Just rings of "stupid," not "Morey."
I sincerely doubt that the Rockets will have any interest in acquiring Bosh's services if they have to also sign someone like Joe Johnson and thus lose Kevin Martin. That's too hefty of a price tag if you ask me. After all, Bosh has proven as much as Mo Taylor - he can have a good game occassionally and especially if the team he's playing for sucks enough.
Chill Dudes This week the bull***t will be flying everywhere. Obfuscation of real intent, trial balloons, marketing, driving up the price of players you don't want; it will be like the CIA running psychological ops. We won't know what to believe and the only thing that counts are the private conversations between GMs and GMs and GMs and Agents. Try not to get any onya.
I think Johnson would do well in our offense, but with Martin here at a much better price I just don't see the point of it. And Johnson is older.
Well I have been sworn to secrecy (Mavs source) but I can verify that Joe Johnson is also on Mark Cuban's list. The Mavs plan to make their "presentation" to LeBron (just like everyone else) but should that fail (as expected), JJ would be an acceptable fallback position for the Mavs. Bosh is very unlikely to come here (Dallas) because he plays the same position as does Dirk while JJ would be a perfect compliment to Nowitski. If it comes down to the both the Rox & the Mavs going after JJ, I'd bet on the Mavs as I don't see what type of offer the Rockets could put together to match Mark Cuban's (they'd be using Eric Dampier's $13M expiring + a player). As for Bosh coming to Houston, I'll believe it when it happens. I still see him following LeBron. Houston can make their pitch but to me it's the longest of long shots.
I would seriously pissed off if we got JJ, as Martin's just better considering contract costs and such. Do not want. I've always wondered this, but I don't get the value of the DUST card in getting Lebron or Bosh in a sign and trade. If Cleveland or Toronto want cap space/ saving money that badly, then they could just let Lebron or Bosh walk. It's the prospects and draft picks that are just as important, and Dallas has virtually nothing in that avenue, aside from perhaps Beaubois. DUST makes a lot of sense if the Mavericks want Granger, or Iggy, or players signed to a long contract that the team might not want to have anymore. But I don't get it for getting the current FAs.
Depends on just which players get offered up, I guess. I don't really see Dallas as having more to offer. They don't have the same combination of players and picks that we do. Unless Dallas offers Caron Butler and Atlanta MUST have him.
Why is Damp's expiring so valuable in a S&T? Why wouldn't the Hawks rather just let JJ walk and get the $13M savings this year as oppoossed to next? Damp is worth something to the hawks, but that other player has to be cheap and good to make it worth it to the hawks, not to mention some draft picks maybe. So how is that better then what the Rox could offer? I don't think that really matters though. If JJ wants to go to Dallas or Houston, both teams have the assets to do a S&T that Atlanta would probably benefit from. So really, it's on JJ more then the Hawks.
I wouldn't believe anything you read this week. I've already heard that LeBron is a "done deal" to Chicago, then he's going to Miami and then he is "leaning" towards New Jersey but prefers New York. It's going to be all over the place this week. Don't believe anything you read until AFTER July 1st.
Martin is more efficient, but the way he takes what the defense leaves him also makes him quite ineffective when the defense keys in on him late in the game if they have to. JJ will be able to do better later in games, and is also great at making his teammate better. HOWEVER, I don't think the difference in $ is worth it at all between them 2. And there's no chance we can be assured of getting bosh by getting JJ. so.....no.
Feigen just on 610. Sloppy recap: H: Jonathan Feigen, how is it going? Thanks for joining us. Your story caught a lot of attention. JJ a target? Explain how this could work if it was to work. JF: More of a potential target. It could work. They could do 2 S&T. Potential plus is a little more ammunition to add/tell to Chris Bosh. JJ not Wade or James but is in the next level. Some potential there. He could be interested though NY has a lot of money to spend. H: What about the semantics involved? JF: As a team w/o cap room, these guys wont be the first team they sit down with. THey'll get an idea where each stands though. They'd get an idea before pulling the trigger. They've been working on a presentation for Bosh for some time. They have to hope these guys dont commit before Rockets get their turn H: Is it possible to have Bosh, Yao, Johnson. JF: Sure. You could do that. Depends on committment but yes you could do that. H: Let's say this does not happen, what are the Rockets going to do do? JF: If they cant do this, they'll do some tweaks. They'll check on Amare but not likely. If not this, Morey has said they'll take their time like the McGrady situation. H: Different reports on LeBron, nobody knows. From what you hear? JF: Reasons to think it's Chicago. Gut still says Cleveland. Whole lotta reason for Chicago. WWW has thrown out hints. LeBron will make his decision on his own. Anyone who says they know, they dont. H: Feigen joining us. Interest in Brad Miller? JF: Fallback position. Way fallback position. They can get him if they want him. Way down the list though. H: Dirk and Dallas? JF: He goes back. They're not letting him go. They'll try and pitch to get LeBron but unlikely. H: Thanks for the time. JF: My pleasure.
Johnson is a nut-up. This is CLUTCH CITY, or at least it used to be. I don't think adding the Mo. Williams of SGs is the way to get back there.
