[ESPN's Ric Bucher] Rockets & Stromile Swift

For all you Swift lovers, my solution to make everybody happy is using the MLE elsewhere and drafting Hakim Warrick.

Warrick and Swift have plenty of similarities and if it turns out they are essentially the same player, at least we could effectively use the MLE and only have to use a draft pick to obtain that player.

 

I think y'all are missing the point. Its good that we are all talking about the what if's but we wont know anything til the new labor agreement comes out. One of the biggest thing thats being discuss is salary cap and not to mention maxing out players. So til then we need to keep our fingers cross to see whats going to happen.

 

Ugh, Warrick is going to be gone by #24. What's plan B?

 

Its always more interesting to have the imput from the other side... though im not sure if a S&T with memphis is definitely a good thing or a bad thing for the rockets.

Of course a S&T is good for the rockets because it'll mean we can possibly aquire swift. But a S&T would also mean we would be paying swift atleast a mil or two over the MLE, so anywhere from 7-9 million a year to start for 4-6years.

The Best case scenario in a S&T, swift fullfils his potential and earns his large salary, Worst case scenario, he becomes kelvin cato part duex... no not the cato from the 03-04 season, but the pre-jeff vangundy barely played, often injured, lazy, lacksadaisacal, useless 7million per year year waste of space Cato.

If by some small miracle we can sign swift with just the MLE and not a sign and trade, the worst case scenario wouldnt be as crippling. SWIFT would be a good sign even if he doesnt pan out... solely because the risk (payn him the mle) would not be so hard to bear.

Again im not sure if a S&T for swift is good or not, mainly becasue im uncertain what kind of player he is and is going to be.

So MemphisX as a fan of the griz and as someone who has probably seen swift a million times more than us rockets fan, I was wondering what ur thoughts were of him. Do you think he will be a consistent player next year? Is he really soft? Does he have a jumper from 15ft? Is he lazy etc.

 

But - to add players to get Grizz better then players must go. SnT's bring people in without benefitting cap. So, why SnT except for someone you really want, or want to dump (J-Will, in this scenario). Stro is definitely not worth a 7mil starting salary + the albatross of Wms contract, or buy out.

 

LOL .

 

He gets more consistent with consistent minutes. He is not soft in the game but he does miss time to weird injuries (scratched cornea). His jumper is about average for ayoung PF. He is not lazy but he has that same T Mac demeanor, where it looks like he is coasting. IMO he is a better fit for your team then SAR but he would probably be leery of Juwan Howard stealing his minutes. My guess is he is going somewhere that he has a clear path to 35+ minutes.

 

That's interesting. I can see the Rockets trying to trade Howard anyway, they almost did it at the trade deadline. He has an expiring contract so as long as he shows he is healthy and clear of that viral infection I can see him moved. And I can see some playoff-caliber teams going after him as well. With this being the end of Howard's contract I believe I don't think Swift would have to worry about Howard taking his minutes.

 

You must have Juwan confused with some other Rocket. Wesley, Spoon, Baker, Moochie (TOpt 2006), and Padgett have expiring contracts. Juwan has 4 more years @ 26.5m. Not huge but somewhat lengthy. I guess he's not too expensive to backup Stro.

 

Ooops, you're exactly right. My mistake!

 

I'm warming to the idea of getting Stromile. The big issue to me is that he can be a good backup 5. I'd like to bring back Deke for a year or two but we could take that money and put it into a stromile deal. Long term, that makes more sense. In the short term, I'd hate to lose Deke.

 

Nice! Stro would be a good addition. We could trade James via a sign and trade for perhaps an antonio daniels. James has a 2.95 mill deal I think, and other teams would like that

 

Think about that frontline! Against more athletic teams such as the suns, stro and deke could get a lot of minutes together. Pretty good athletic combo. It would take a lot of pressure off of Yao and hopefully cut down on his foul trouble

 

Please no undermotivated players. This is the last thing any team needs. Every bust that we have payed big for was a bust because of lack of motivation. Eddie, MoT, Cato the early years.... I don't feel like researching our busts over the last 20 years but I don't think that paying an athletic underachiever is ever a good idea. Athletic overachievers are alway a better choice, they don't get big contracts for one thing and they provide energy and a good attitude for the team. Underachievers can suck the life out of a team.

I don't have any good ideas for PF trades this off-season but I would rather have a Chris Anderson type guy than a Stro Swift especially when you consider the cap effect on the team and the possible chemistry issues.

 

Remember this?

 

Swift lovers only please reply: How much money is he worth for a 5 year contract? $40 million? $60 million? $75 million? Put the Rox money where your mouth is. Keep in mind your answer shows what you really think of him. If you think he will come cheap as an UFA, forget it. If you think he's worth a mega contract after proving very little his first 5 years in the NBA, fine.

Bottom line: Supposedly he favors the Hornets and the Hawks have him on their list. I don't see how the Rockets have a chance and he isn't worth the huge contract it will take to get him. I still want to know what the Swift lovers think he is worth over 5 years.

 

I'd give Stro a 5yr $40M deal. What will Swift's value be in 5 years? No body knows

 

If Swift can come in and provide what Cato used to give us the last season he was here, plus a little bit extra on offense, I think Swift would be worth about the same sized contract as Cato got (about 7-8 million a year).