Everyone knows what opinions are like. And if a 15 ppg shooter/scorer who's not good for much else, signed for 4 years, 46 million is their best asset...ouch. Check your own. Wesley is entering the final season of his contract. Isn't the 6-7 million you previously stated for Cuttino. Cat must have gotten some bad advice to opt out. Further, any reason why Cuttino particularly signs in Minnesota for MLE of all places? I'll go ahead and assume "veterans exception" means lower level exception. I'm glad you think 1.2 million is a great raise. That's why you're not Eddie's agent. People are talking Chris Andersen for half the MLE. Head to head, Eddie was a better rebounder and shot blocker in identical minutes and actually has range on his shot plus is 4 years younger. 23 year olds who can get 6.5 boards and better than 1.5 blocks will attract interest. Find me a comparable age/output who signed for 1.2 million in the last 5 years, and I'll believe you. I don't really see how a 52-53+ million dollar payroll can be construed as going cheap. [/QUOTE] Wally was sought from Cleveland and New York last year to start. I also stated the Cat will probabally have to go for the MLE. Read the NBA Notebook in the Chronicle to start. Look at the SG's that will be free agents. It is commonly referred to the Veteran's Exception. It is separate for the MLE. DO your homerwork. Robert is one guy that is off the top of my head. You can look at Brevin Knight. 2nd in NBA in Assists is pretty good. I don't really see how a 52-53+ million dollar payroll can be construed as going cheap. If Minnesota cannot get good players, then it doesn't sit well with season ticket holders Check your own. Wesley is entering the final season of his contract. Mr. Nike, you need go to *********** or hoopshype websites and look in the salaries tab. That can help you to get your facts straight. Always here to help!
Hey when can we start making trades and stuff? The Rockets are going to be good next season. Yao/Dikembe Power forward..we still have Howard..we're gonna draft someone or sign someone or trade for someone for sure. There are some quality solid power forwards out there..rebounding and defense and midrange shot..plus maybe shotblocking/dunking. Elton Brand okay SAR or STromile. A swingman with Tmac..a Bruce Bowen or Tayshaun Prince or Joe Johnson or Eddie Jones or Rasual Butler. We need an athletic skilled guy with Tmac. We can sign or trade or draft. And then point guard..draft or sign or trade for one too. I like Stromile and Antonio Daniels. Donyell Marshall or Shareef would be good too. I want Barry back. Sura's good but I wouldn't mind the ROckets trading him. I want to keep Mike James and Padgett and resign Mutombo. Ryan Bowen is a good guy to have too. And we ahve Badiane and Spanoulis developing.
Robert? Robert who? I'll assume Robert Traylor...who averaged less points, rebounds, and blocks and is 5 years older than Eddie. I didn't know you two were on a first name basis. Brevin Knight came off a sub 5-4 season and was making $5 million. Also about 5 years older. See below as far telling me to do my homework. I hate to sound egotistical, but I believe my reputation on this site for CBA and contract matters precedes me. I'm not sure if you're just incompetent, or what. Link His agent is paid to make these decisions. The Chronicle is stating the exact opposite of your opinion.
Reputations aside, you have my respect for mastering abstract thought. I wanted to respond to SR but was totally clueless as to which part of the pretzel to bite into first.
Spree is not the solution, nor is he worth what he'll be asking. His whole attitude sucks, and what makes it worse is that he's not half the player he was 2 seasons ago and he's only gonna get worse. Here's an idea, let's try adding players in their twenties. Thirty-five and a sorry attitude would only hurt this teams' chemistry and playoff potential. Yao and Tmac are both young and fairly sensitive to criticism so why even bother ruining the chemistry we have with an over the hill malcontent. I'd much rather take my chances in drafting a 2/3 and save money along the way. PASS.
I think it's funny that someone just told NIKE to do his homework regarding the CBA. Chuckle. While we're at it, Dikembe should work on his shotblocking.
to those against getting spree: I will admit that he isn't a long term answer at all. however we can't possibly hope to obtain only long term players this summer. we will get a couple "pieces" this summer (Draft, MLE, maybe trade), other than adding one or two of those you need to upgrade whenever possible. sprewell is an upgrade over wesley hands down. wesley in a S&T for spree would be good for us. let me ask you this...if we would have had spree instead of wesley against Dallas, would we have won the seires? stackhouse wouldn't have looked like kobe. thats enough to win us one of those 3 straight games. drafting an athletic wing and doing a S&T for spree would give us the athleticism to beat dallas, who lost to PHX in 6. make a trade like sura and baker for miles, sign a PG (AD, watson, jaric) and now we are not losing to PHX in 6 we are beating them.
I was actually going to say the same exact thing, except I was going to replace "Dikembe" with "Lindsay Lohan" and "shotblocking" with "hotness".
How is Spree an upgrade "hand down" over Wesley? He dribbles more, his 3pt shooting is worse, his defense is no better. I watched him on league pass this season, he can't guard 2 guards anymore, he just doesn't have the quickness or athleticism. We traded Jim Jackson because we wanted to improve team speed and move T-Mac to the 3. It used to be that Sprewell was out of position playing SF. At this point in his career, he's so slow that he'd be out of position playing SG! I agree, we need to get quicker and more athletic on the perimeter. But a 35-year-old Latrell Sprewell doesn't bring that to us.
Sacramento would seem the most likely team to offer that. The Kings might have fallen from their contender status, but Mobley has become one of their key offensive weapons. Did the Chronicle state the opposite of my opinion? I should have been more specific for a man of your knowledge and reputation: There could be better summers for former Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley to become a free agent. There are at most four teams with salary-cap room to fill. He is at best fourth — behind Ray Allen, Michael Redd and Joe Johnson — among available shooting guards, with Larry Hughes in the mix. I wasn't getting personal until you did. I don't think your reputation looks too good right now. WHy don't you quit while you are behind?
Well, if it ain't Spree, then we must pick up Allen Houston as our SG! He is a Knick, so he qualifies... Well, It will be either Spree or Houston damn it! So pick your poison
Slick Rick, you have me lost as what your points are. If you are saying Cat won't get paid more than the MLE unless it is through Sac (resign or S&T), I agree with you. In addition to Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Joe Johnson and Larry Hughes, you have to add it in Bobby Simmons as swingmen ahead of him on the FA pecking order. The teams under the cap are not going to offer more than an MLE for a near 30 swingman, unless that guy has Ray Allen talent. Mobley has talent, but not that kind of talent. Further, that is just out of the FA swingmen (Mobley is maybe 5th), there are lost of FA bigs that will be major targets and only like 5 teams in play with more than the MLE. As for EG, I assume you are saying you think a the 1.6/1.7 exemption (or whatever it is if it is still in place after the new CBA) will be in play for him. For example a 2 year 3.4 mil contract. Such a contract might be in play because of EG past (few teams want to committ big or long term money), but it might not too. As for Mobes to Minn for MLE, possible but doubtfull. He would help them short term but not get them in a better position long term. Minn needs to make some major decisions. Overall I don't think your points are that far off, further I am not sure if you are actually saying things different from what others are saying (e.g., Wesley's contract is up after the 05-06 season, i.e., next season), it is just at times hard to figure out what you were saying, the attitude didn't help your case. FYI Nike is rarely wrong on technical matters and will let you know if he has conflicting sources where he is not sure of something, more than likley if you diasgree on technical matters it because you didn't understand what he said or you had bad information.
Oh, if the veterans exemption is still inplace we can offer something like a 2 year 3.5 deal with a player option on year 2 I would offer that to Spree. I might offer him some more, but only if we got a vet 4 via S&T, otherwise we need to retain the whole MLE for that vet 4. So I like Spree for the Rockets--I think he would help in a lot of areas and take a lot of pressure off Tmac (particularly defenisvely), but not until more critical things are settled and at max with a 2 year committment.
Ah, I missed this, I'll take care of it now. You say this: I, and probably dozens of others on this site could have told you Redd, Allen, Joe Johnson, and Larry Hughes are free agents without reading it in the Chronicle. But, by specifically referencing the Chronicle in your post, you bring into play what it actually says in the article. Note what I italicized in your quote above. From the Chronicle, which I already bolded in my post... Your post states, directly: Cat will probabally have to go for the MLE. The Chronicle article, which you referenced states the opinion of the author, Jonathan Feigen, Mobley will NOT have to settle for MLE. It also clearly states the opinion of Mobley's agent, who states unequivocally Mobley is expecting more than the MLE. These would both be opposite of your opinion Cuttino is signing for the MLE. Have you figured out when David Wesley is a free agent, yet?
