http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=8175 Bryan (Houston): Jason Kidd to houston? What are the chances and would we benefit? SportsNation Ric Bucher: It won't happen, though Jason would like it to. Houston's first priority is to get a agile PF who can shot block and rebound the offensive glass. Someone mentioned Stro Swift. He's a possibility here. So is Donyell Marshall. Jeff(NY): Hey Ric....Why dont you take it easy on the Kidd to Houston "rumors"? Unless TMAC or Yao Ming are traded for him, I dont see how Thorn would make a deal with Houston. Is he going to trade Kidd for Juwan Howard? Give me a break here. When are you going to accept the fact that Kidd isnt going anywhere? Im surprised a guy with your knowledge would even bring up a Kidd to Houston rumor. SportsNation Ric Bucher: All I've said is that is where Jason would like to go. That's a fact. I've also said it's not likely to happen. I find it interesting that he no longer wants to go to Minn or LA, and that Houston is the new hot spot for FAs. Jason is convinced it could happen for expiring contracts. The other point is, he wants out. Don't hate on the messenger. Will (Los Angeles): Please tell me that the Lakers can and will make a run at Stromile Swift this summer. He can blossom if given enough playing time and would be great fit with the Lakers. SportsNation Ric Bucher: If Phil is the coach -- and I think he will be -- Stro doesn't go to L.A. Think more along the lines of the guy in Utah known as CBooz. News out of Lakerland: Kobe and Phil have talked. Briefly. No meeting yet planned, but the lines are open.
Wow...if Bucher has spoken to Kidd about this and Kidd desperately wants to come to Houston then maybe he can make it happen. All he has to do is go to management and b**** and complain that he doesn't want to play there. I know that is not the right way to do it but hey that seems to be the nature of the NBA these days. Yao's scoring would jump 4-5 points per game with Kidd in the lineup and who knows how easily T-Mac would score, just look at Vince Carter. I know his age/recent knee surgeries and length/amount on the contract make this a questionable move but if by some miracle it is possible, you do it. Man, this would be so sweet!!!
If there is one National Media guy that knows his Rockets, it's Ric Bucher. I also love the sound of hearing that free agents feel Houston is the hot spot to go. I just hope those FAs remember that when they realize we can only offer them the MLE.
No stupider than Patrick Ewing being called P-Ew. Anyway, haven't we heard that Houston is the free agent capital of the world before? Like when we got Yao Ming? Nothing much ever became of that. Ultimately it's the money whether it be in the form of the salary cap/CBA or greed that talks.
Would Hakeem have been H-ola! To be fair, T-Mac did essentially force a trade to us. But usually money talks.
I want Boozer here in H-Town - but I guess LA would trade Odom or Butler for Boozer, we can't match that talent exchange. Only Howard.
I'm kinda surprised that Kidd would want out of NJ now that they got a star in Vince Carter and Jefferson is now back healthy. All they need is a big man up front. Isn't that why he was complaining in the first place, no help for him?
Of course I missed the obvious, but where was all the clamoring outside of TMac in free agency last year? And Yao was a major reason, maybe even the major reason to come here, but he has stated in interviews he's had others. Among them JVG's teaching and the fact he didn't want to go to a place where everything was already in place. When asked if he'd like to go to LA or San Antonio I remember he said no, he didn't want to go somewhere where all the pieces were there. At that point he was basically turning down 2 of the best big men in the game in Shaq and Tim Duncan. Who knows, maybe this year we'll see the clamoring to play with the Rockets. I still say for the majority of non-elite players, it's going to be about the money and the family.
I don't think we can make a very good deal with New Jersey. Jersey seems to make a lot of good trades: Kenyon Martin to Denver for 3 first round picks while trying to cut salary(remember Martin was a restricted free agent at the time). Vince Carter for next to nothing. And as it turns out the rights to Eddie Griffin for the Rockets 3 first round picks that year(draft is an inexact science though). To bad it isn't the lakers or raptors that Kidd plays for, we could get him for the Weatherspoon, Moochie, and Ward. Those two teams have gotten very little in return for their best players.
I think the major thing that has changed is that instead of just Yao(who wasnt a known dominating star that others could piggyback on)..we now have Tmac AND Yao...both of which have shown that given some more time and a little more help, could be the guys that can take a team to the Finals. Any good role players that desire a legitimate shot at a ring are gonna be looking our way...especially if they dont mind giving up a few bucks for that shot.
In order for us to be real contenders, I think our payroll will have to be somewhere near $70 mill, which Les can afford with all the revenue that is coming in. You invest money the smart way and you will get one heck of a team.
When Larry Bird went to the Celtics, he'd aim for his teammates heads in practice. It didn't take long before they got used to being ready for his passes. I've always wished somebody would do that with Yao, but the problem with that is you have to be one hell of a star to pull that off with Yao. Bird got away with it because he was the biggest star on the team. Jason Kidd is one of the few point guards who could pull that kind of stunt on Yao and get away with it. (by the way, to be clear, I think Yao would let anybody get away with it. It's the management I don't think would let anybody of lesser status get away with it.)
