If the cap remains the same ($50 mil) and the Rockets play it smart (only 1 year deals for Mutombo and Barry, not trading for bad contracts), they should have enough cap room next summer to give whoever they sign this summer a raise. I'm not sure if they are allowed to give a 1-year MLE deal, but perhaps we can sign them to a 2 year deal with a player opt out next summer. Then we can resign them to a bigger deal next summer.
I believe he was only talking about teams over the salary cap. Teams only have a player's bird rights after 3 seasons, then they can re-sign them to whatever they want regardless of their cap situation. What I'm talking about is re-signing a player at a higher salary next summer when we'll be under the salary cap. Say for instance, the Rockets are able to convince Swift to take a 1 year MLE deal (if possible). Next summer, Swift becomes a free agent again and the Rockets will have +7 mil in cap space. The Rockets can then re-sign Swift to a new contract at higher price like they would any free agent.
Yeah, and if I'm Swift and West told me that, I'd tell him I'm going to sign with Houston for the MLE and eat his lunch every time I play him. If Swift tells West that and West believes it will happen then the best thing for West to do is to throw us some bad contracts for our expirings. Otherwise we've got our expirings to go after some serious backcourt upgrades and he comes up empty. The whole key is how badly Swift wants to come here. Realistically, if his agent is smart, which I'm sure he is, it will play out this way if Stromile wants to come here. The only reason he wouldn't come here (if this is really where he wants to play) is if he can't get West to move on the S&T and Atlanta or New Orleans offers him $10 mill+. If that's the case, we don't really want him. We'll do a deal with Boston for Walker or get somebody else reasonable. CD is operating from a position of strength, not weakness.
9 pts 5 rebs ...I like Stro, but I just thought its worth mentioning again at this point of the thread
And, again, I'll tell you that Mutombo averaged 4 points, 5.3 rebounds & 1.3 blocks per game. What's your point?
His point is that Mutombo played 6 minutes less than Stromile Swift per game, yet managed to average more rebounds and almost as many blocks. Moreover, Mutombo at age 39+ played in 80 games last season. That's 20 more than Stromile Swift. I've said this many times before...his own teammates in Memphis make fun of how soft he is. He frequently sits out of games/practices when afflicted with minor ailments. Despite the fact that he has talent, I'm just not sold on Stromile Swift.
Very valid points but my point is that there is no reason to keep harping on strictly stats based on a guy who was the backup to a playoff team's best player. Yes, those numbers don't blow anyone away but there is much more to the issue, pros and cons, of Swift playing here than just the numbers 9 & 5.
I did the math myself. Stromile Swift in the 2004-2005 NBA season had 7 games of 30+ minutes in those games: the team record 4 wins 3 losses averaged 35 minutes per game shot 44 of 93 for a 47.3% shooting, bad for a PF, but he takes a lot of jumpers 18.7 points per game 7.3 rebounds per game 1.3 assists per game 1.0 steals per game 2.43 blocks per game 2.14 turnovers per game This is no science and should not be any guaruntee as to how Stro would perform as a 35 minute guy, but the numbers are decent and could be used as a loose indicator of his abilities. Stro isn't pure potential like a euro draft pick or a highschooler. He has played in the NBA and isn't a scrub who'll be lost in every game. He's a proven backup and with the info above has shown limited signs of being a productive starter. The potential part is that those numbers above will be even better with consistent time. I don't think Stro is perfect for the Rockets, but there aren't many KG's out there, and I don't want the summer to end with SPLASH, Mard Madsen.
This is yet another reason that Stro is a better option than SAR, Walker, and Marshall. His pressence will also help Yao stay out of foul trouble. Yao can get 22 and 10 a game. If Stro performs anywhere near those numbers (14 Pts 8.5 Reb 2 Blocks) in a pretty consistent basis, then you will have a very good Playoff team.
Mutombo played at an All star level last year. I don't expect Swift to even get to the All Star game once unless he rides a coattail to get there. The comparison isn't really fair. However, if he can give us a young version of Juwan Howard or Horace Grant that is all we can ask. That'll be enough.
I agree with you there. I believe Swift has the skills necessary to be a great fit with the Rockets. My primary concern is his toughness (both mental and physical). He's had "injury plagues" pretty much every season, but none of those injuries have been serious. In fact, I think the most serious injury he's ever had was this past season when he sprained his ankle. He sat out the allotted number of games and then the doctors cleared him to play. However, he waited another two weeks after the doctors had already cleared him before he put on his uniform again. Regardless of what caused him to delay his return, it definitely made alarm bells go off in my head as to how tough and committed he can be.
Well, Part of what has to be going on in his and his agent's minds is this: IF (and that's a big IF) Stro manages to really turn it on within, say, the next three years, the best max deal he could get would be for 6 years (at least in the current new CBA). He would be 28 at the beginning of that contract, which is probably just right for someone liek him. If he really becomes a hot commodity, he will wind up with one big payday contract. That's if he signs for the MLE here. But if he goes to some other team in a S&T, or even here, he could get, maybe a 4 or 5 year deal, and maybe still be thinking of getting one more big payday after that. He would only be around 30, and if he has 'realized his potential', then that might not be so unreasonable either. But I suspect it's less likely. I would imagine that in honest talks between him and his agent, they HAVE to be realizing that the most likely way Stro is ever going to get a high-dollar contract is if he goes somewhere on a GOOD TEAM, and really manages to become a valuable contributor, but hopefully an outright star. THEN he will get the big payday in that 4th year, for the next 6. If he manages a s&t deal to a crappy team, he is probably never going to get another big payday after that. All this makes me slightly more hopeful that he will be coming here, hopefully for the MLE, but even with a s&t. He's just the wrong age to be playing for two big contracts. As he himself said, it's the jack, dude. If he truly wants the big jack, he's going to have to prove he's worth it first. If he comes here, and helps us go deep, or even win it all, then the money will flow to him like a river.
yes... he was backing up a guy that the team drafted the year AFTER Stro was taken as the 2nd overall pick in the draft... I like Stro, but some people think he will solve all the ROckets problems and they should break the bank to get him - I for one, think that they should avoid a bidding war with other teams (since Stro will play much better with Yao and Tmac drawing double teams - over whatever scrubs new orleans runs out there) I also think that there is a reason that SAR is getting more interest from the Nets - its because they want someone who has established that they can play
Just to play Devil's Advocate, in those 7 games, the opposing team's power forward averaged 21.1ppg, 10.7rpg, on 55% shooting. The Grizzlies were outrebounded in 5 of those 7 games. I still haven't decided on whether or not I'm interested in Swift, but these numbers certainly suggest that there may have been a reason why Stro didn't play more than 30mpg very often.
If you don't mind me asking, who were they playing against in those 7 games? It makes a big difference whether the Grizz were playing Duncan and the Spurs or Nenad Kristic and the Nets.
