Agreed on the last part and thanks for clarifying the first part (can't remember why Utah owns that pick but whatever). This deal looks less and less appealing with the more info we find out. I'm all for playing the strategy game and flipping McGrady's contract for smaller deals IF IT BENEFITS US in doing so. This deal is garbage, though. Plus, what happens if we flip McGrady's contract in a Mobley/Hughes type deal and we're unable to get what we want? What if McGrady comes back earlier than expected on top of that?
Let the Knicks throw in David Lee and add Cook to Tmac then the trade could be a fair trade for both teams. Tmac + Cook for Curry+Mobley+Lee. Lee can play back up minutes at Center and split the time with Scola and Landry at the power forward spot.
I would want Gallinari thrown in to even start considering. He could turn out to be a bust be he is so young that he would be worth obtaining and seeing his development over the years. He may turn out being something! Mobley's contract is being covered by insurance right? Curry has the upcoming season and a player option for 2010-2011 (of course he is picking that up!) so that's a two year deal. Could Curry be bought out? Why hasn't NY done that? I would think this would be strictly a cost cutting move for the Rockets if Curry could be bought out or waived, otherwise I see no point in having this guy here for the next two seasons! How much could we save or how exactly would this help us?
The Knicks traded a future first round pick to Phoenix in the Stephon Marbury trade back during the 2003-04 season at the trade deadline. The pick had various levels of protection that lessened over time. The Knicks made the mistake of keeping those levels of protection unreasonably high for too long and then letting the protection die altogether (instead of having the first rounder become two second rounders, for instance); league rules prohibit pick protection beyond a certain number of years. The Jazz them obtained the pick from the Suns that following summer (2004) in a salary dump by the Suns (Tom Gugliotta's large contract) that enabled the Suns to sign Steve Nash in free agency. While I have advocated a trade by the Rockets in the "Realistic Trade Possibilities" thread that involved Houston getting this pick (hint: the Rockets would need to take on Kirilenko's monster contract to have any prayer of getting that pick in a trade), I would probably guess that that draft pick is the second most valuable asset held by the Utah Jazz, after only Deron Williams. Maybe Paul Millsap, too, if they re-sign him; but it may be more valuable than even a re-signed Millsap.
Thanks again for the clarification, Bima. I guess that whole 5-years-ago thing might explain why I don't remember it.
Mr. Waaaaanna-be NBA general manager! Only you could come up with such a line up, that features 5 players on the starting roster already committed to other teams. When others suggest you just watch the game, you're more content with playing fantasy basketball and complaining when players fail to live up to their stat box. You go as far to suggest trading the entire roster to acquire one or two "impact" players. To round it out, you leave one of the fan favorites as to not alienate to the city, or the two players that would be left when you're done making trades. So crack open a cold-one Mr. Wanna-be NBA general manager, you've earned it. Mr. Waaaaanna-be NBA general manager!
People keep saying throw in Lee. STOP SAYING IT BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT. NY is trying to get better and throwing in Lee for T-Mac makes them weaker. They will still need talent on the squad to lure Lebron in the off season. Cleveland with Shaq makes Lebron staying in Cle more possible if they were to win the title and what if NJ could get a Lebron/Wade combo deal to go with Devon Harris. NJ has dumped Carter's salary and will try for something to this effect. Fact is, NY thinks they are doing Rockets a favor in taking T-Mac off their hands. The only talent you can get back for T-Mac is a guy who has a long deal and is not wanted by his team for some reason(i.e Amare, Baron Davis, Tyson Chandler). David Lee is going NOWHERE. He made less than $1M and averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds. Yeah that figures out to value for crappy T-Mac.
^^ about that blog... at the end he says its a win-win situation but then he doesnt show how the rockets win... lol
It sounded to me like his win-win was like this: Win- we get rid of Curry's 2 years left salary. Win-Mcgrady only has 1 season on deal and maybe he gets healthy and contributes. Win-Win for Knicks. Rockets are not taking this deal without a quality player as well(something Knicks will not throw in). Curry has too big of a commitment for a guy who played 3 games last season and has injury issues in career. If Curry deal expired this season then I would say Rockets had interest so he would come off the books.
No freaking way Morey does this. He would stand to be much better off sucking this year and getting into the lottery with TMac's contract coming off the books. At any rate, he will hold on to Tmac until the trade deadline(and possibly past) if he has to. If the Rockets stumble out of the blocks without Yao/Tmac and it looks like they will be a lottery team, that's one more chip that Morey can either use himself or use to entice teams to give up something for T-Mac. A 20mil expiring contract AND a lottery pick in a deeper draft is something few teams could turn down. No way Morey goes out of his way to pursue Gortat and has serious discussions about Curry at the same time - they are on opposite ends of the spectrum as players. Houston would only do that if they were extremely desperate and this is a team that has and will start Chuck Hayes as a Center if they have to. I just don't think the Rockets are stupid like other teams(namely the Knicks, Griz, and Twolves). I can't imagine this is anything more than baseless speculation started by some New York fan boy internet troll who might have a column on some half baked sports network. Sorry people - this is NOT something Darryl would pull the trigger on unless there was some fantastic young talent throw in on the deal. I would bet my house on that.
