[Done Deal] Rockets dealing Juwan Howard for Mike James

Looks like Battier for Wilcox is gonna be our next move. We got to have a PF other than Hayes. After that, we still will have our MLE and Sura's contract to work with. I'm hoping we can get rid of Rafer and use MLE to land Steve Francis.

 

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The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets , who have been discussing a Mike James-for-Juwan Howard swap in one form or another since the February trade deadline, have agreed in principle to finally complete that deal this month, ESPN.com has learned.

An announcement of the trade's completion could be made as early as this week, according to NBA front-office sources.

The holdup stems from the possibility that another player or two could be added to the deal, sources say. The teams, though, have verbally agreed to a straight-up exchange of James for Howard at the very least.
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I wonder who?

 

How about if the other parts include an exchange of picks. That would seal the highway robbery deal.

 

If we end up trading Shane, I wouldn't mind moving Rafer for Hassell in this deal. He would give us that solid perimeter defender. McCants for Head would be something to consider as well, but I don't think they want anymore combo guards.

 

mike james .....again? *gag* Looks like I won't be going to any games next season. I absolutely can't stand mike james

 

I wouldn't mind Ricky Davis. Expiring contract and even though he's dumb, could still be a serviceable player.

But honestly, this is Kevin McHale we're dealing with. The odds of us getting screwed are virtually nil. I have confidence in the fact that if more players are added, we'll rob them again.

 

Adding in Davis and Rafer's salaries to the deal would work! (I wish)

Adding Battier for Davis would also work...

 

you could be right but i really really dislike the battier for wilcox idea. we need a pf but wilcox scares me in a swift kind of way. battier is more valuable then he is.

 

Artest comes cheap and would play the small forward position. Battier is the only real chip we have in obtaining a true NBA power forward.

 

Marko Jaric told me that he thinks the Rockets are a great team and that he would love to play for the Rockets. I think he is a pretty good player with good size. However, I think his contract is undesirable.

 

alston for davis (an expiring contract and superior player)? i hope mchale lives up to his reputation.

 

It's a fire sale. Let's demand their second round pick.

 

Different GMs and Coaches.

 

I hope the Rockets won't succumb to any kind of dumping move that I feel the T-Wolves are trying to pull behind the scenes.

 

It was in the Puedlfor's link (2nd post in the thread) - we don't need no stinkin' "Wiretap".

 

I call BS

seriously, I think this is good.

Time for J.Ho to leave Texas

 

yup, i was shockingly relieved when they didn't trade juwan back then.

 

Star Tribune article on the pending trade :

http://www.startribune.com/wolves/story/1244840.html

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Wolves deal James to Rockets for Howard

Minnesota isn't confirming that the trade is complete, but Mike James and his agent say the announcement will come soon.

By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune

Last update: June 14, 2007 – 12:32 AM

Wolves deal James to Rockets for Howard

Mike James paused. Whether it was for effect or because the emotions he was feeling were truly mixed isn't clear. But the soon-to-be-former point guard for the Timberwolves paused. And then:
"Yes," he said, "I'm happy. I mean, yes, yes. I'm not saddened by it."

Kevin McHale, Timberwolves vice president for basketball operations, wouldn't comment. But James and his agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed a report on ESPN.com that the Wolves and Houston Rockets had agreed on a deal that would send James to the Rockets and bring Juwan Howard to Minnesota.

The deal had been discussed, mulled and negotiated for some time, as far back as last season's trading deadline, according to Duffy.

According to the ESPN report, other players could be included before the deal is finally announced -- something Duffy said could happen as soon as today. For example, it is believed there was talk of including Wolves forward Justin Reed in the deal. But the core of the deal is James for Howard.

The exchange would be doable under NBA rules about matching salaries in trades. James has three years left on his four-year, $23.4 million deal. Howard has two more years at $14.3 million left on his three-year, $20.65 million contract. A 15 percent trade kicker built into James' deal would bring his salary for next season up to $6,166,530, within 10 percent of Howard's scheduled salary of $6,883,800, allowing the deal to be a straight-up swap.

Houston is where James lives during the offseason, where he had played during part of the 2004-05 season and a place he considered returning to before an aggressive sales pitch by the Timberwolves.

The Wolves get a player who can give them some of the rebounding and inside defensive presence they so badly need -- if Howard, 34, still can play at a relatively high level.

The 6-9 forward averaged 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 80 games last season while averaging 26.6 minutes, down from his career averages of 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.

James, 31, didn't have the breakthrough year he had hoped to have with the Wolves, either, averaging 10.1 points and 3.6 assists in 82 games. James went from starting on the point at the start of the season to a reserve.

One thing is clear: James' tenure with the Wolves never really seemed to be the right fit. James, for one, agrees wholeheartedly.

"If a person can't trust me on the court, there is no point in having me out there," he said. "I thrive on trust. I know trust is not something that's given but earned. I understand that. At the same time I never had a fair opportunity at earning my trust on the court."

The problem? James wouldn't get into specifics other than to say it was like trying to push an oval block through a round hole. "It looks like it will fit, but it doesn't," he said.

As for reports that James and Wolves star Kevin Garnett didn't click, Duffy said James never mentioned that. But the agent agreed that, on the court, the two weren't a good match. "Mike, in my opinion, has to be aggressive offensively, and I felt like he had to defer to Garnett," Duffy said.

James said he didn't have any fun, which for him was the bottom line.

"I'm coming in with a whole new attitude," James said. "I'm going to change my number, if I can. I'm going to change to No. 7 [from No. 13], because it's God's perfect number. I'm going to come in with a whole new approach to life, to everything, the way I approach the game of basketball itself. One thing I'm going to do is have fun. I'm going to smile."

Staff writer Judd Zulgad contributed to this story.

 

damn, i hate mike james.

 

I dont know if thats positive or not. Is he rededicating himself to basketball or is he gonna play with puppies and rainbows? F it. As long as Alston isn't relied on and Spanoullis is gone.