Taylor ready to sign deal with Rockets By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle The Rockets could record a come-from-behind victory and sign forward Maurice Taylor as soon as today, according to sources close to the decision. With the SuperSonics' deal with the Knicks close to irreparable, sources close to negotiations with Taylor and sources involved in Seattle's talks with New York said Taylor would sign immediately with the Rockets if the Sonics prove unable to move forward Vin Baker. According to several sources, Taylor has grown weary of waiting for the Sonics to salvage their trade for Knicks center Patrick Ewing and has said if the deal is not revived today, he would commit to sign with the Rockets today or Friday. Rockets vice president Carroll Dawson said he had spoken with Taylor's agent, David Falk, on Wednesday and was told Taylor remained interested in signing a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Rockets. Taylor still likely would choose the Sonics if they can rebuild the trade that would have sent Baker to the Knicks for Ewing. That would open a position for Taylor with Seattle this season and create salary-cap room for him the following year. But efforts Wednesday to rebuild all or part of that trade proved futile. The Knicks and Sonics reworked a package of players to bring the Pistons back into a semblance of the four-team, 13-player deal that collapsed Monday. But the Pistons turned down the sweetened deal and indicated they would not be willing to accept a package of players the Sonics needed to move to balance the value of Ewing's contract. The Knicks would seem bound to move Ewing now that he has so publicly been placed on the trade block. But the Knicks' interest in the deal was contingent on landing Glen Rice, and deals with the Lakers to bring Rice to New York have not been reworked. Taylor, a 6-9, 260-pound forward, averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds last season for the Clippers. The Rockets have offered to try to work a sign-and-trade deal with the Clippers to offer Taylor a more lucrative contract than the salary-cap exception. But Taylor, 23, prefers a one-year contract in order to become a free agent again after next season, especially with the Rockets expected to have salary-cap room after Hakeem Olajuwon's retirement. <HR> From the meat of the article, it seems like his title embellishes a little. Who cares though, right? If Mo Taylor signs w/ the Rockets... the summer is complete. ------------------ I've posted so much that what I say must be true. The latest on Maurice Taylor
Mark this on your calendars, folks, because it doesn't happen that often. This was my take after first hearing that Detroit had pulled out: Of course, it was only common sense, but it's nice to know somebody agrees with me. ------------------ "There's 1,000 different things we're looking at, but there's not a lot of things there," he said. "The thing we have to remember-if nothing happens, there's still a positive in that, and that's a big positive." -- Rudy T.
At least we'll know today or tomorrow. ------------------ "There's 1,000 different things we're looking at, but there's not a lot of things there," he said. "The thing we have to remember-if nothing happens, there's still a positive in that, and that's a big positive." -- Rudy T.
Yeah right... today or tomorrow in Falk/Mo language means sometime next month ------------------ Jackie Treehorn treats objects like women!
We'll know before November 1st . Falk certainly wouldn't want his client to lose any of his money . ------------------ David Falk is a MoFo. The lottery sucks. Playoffs 2001.
I wouldn't mind hearing the announcement while sitting by the pool, catchin' some rays with a beer in one hand and a fine honey in the other! ------------------ Don't you have anything better to do?
If we get Mo....fine. But the rockets need to stop riding his jock. I mean, we know he can't rebound or play d and he is more than likely gone next year or squeeze the Rox for as much $$$ as he and his devil for agent can. Who want more of the MO-lodrama? The Rox will be fine either way, they are the most exciting team in the NBA (IMO). Rebuild thru the draft and so good trades. ------------------
RocketsPimp, On Labor day will you have another honey thats about 17 that you wanna share with your Rocket Buddy?
I don't understand all the hoopla about Mo Taylor. The guy has been a decent player with the Clippers but he doesn't put this team on a championship level. Comparing him to Shandon's signing is weak because if Mo signs he's likely here only one year because Satan will want to max out his client's contract the next season while Shandon is likely here for quite a while. This deal serves no long term purpose in my opinion. The Rockets aren't winning any championships with Mo Taylor as a power forward, especially in a conference with Garnett, Wallace, Webber, Googs, Malone, and Duncan so what the heck's the point? Are we content to potentially sneak into the 8th seed in the playoffs only to get pounded in the first round? Are we simply striving to be a bad playoff team or are we trying to build a title contender? Let Mo Taylor peddle his game elsewhere, we should have bigger things planned than signing a foul mouthed weak rebounding power forward with a bad attitude. ------------------ "Somebody DO something out there." -Bill Walton
Do you think it will do an harm for him to sign a one year?? If he doesn't shut up and play he goes.....Even if he wants to go? who cares.....If his signing takes us into the playoffs this year, even first round, then it's great.....The young guys on the team need the playoff experience....They need as much of it as they can get, especially stevie....... ------------------
I don't know if Mo would do any harm. He could do harm. The guy has a reputation for not being a team player, for being a whiner and a cry baby. That junk could rub off on some of the Rockets. I'm not saying it will but it's certainly possible. What good does Mo do for our team though? At this point in Stevie's development is playoff experience a priority? I would say no. It would be nice for sure but I think more important to Stevie is learning to be consistent and asserting himself as the man on this team. That's a hard thing for a point guard to learn sometimes. I don't want to see Cat taking every single shot the last 5 minutes of a game like some of the games last year. ------------------ "Somebody DO something out there." -Bill Walton
Consider this. Let's say that Mo Taylor does sign for one year. He averages 17-18 pts per game and the Rockets get the 8th seed. Barely. Without him, the Rockets are a lottery team. He signs a fat contract with another team next season. The Rockets are eliminated in the 2nd round of the playoffs. The long-term effect of this scenario is that he helped get us a little ways into the playoffs, but we go from a lottery pick next year to a worse pick. More different than picking Dermarr Johnson or Jerome Moiso. This is a very plausible possibility. I absolutely don't believe in tanking, but I question signing the guy to a one year deal, unless there were assurances that we could sign him to a longer contract later. ------------------
Moe, Are you saying that with MoTay that we will beat the Lakers and then get beat by the 4/5 seed winner? That seems strange! ------------------
Good point B-Ball Freak. Nope, lets just leave it at we get the 8 spot in the playoffs. Everything else remains the same. ------------------
Maybe, if one of my neighbors brings a younger sister. As for the risk we'd be taking by signing Mo to the 1 year deal, its a risk we have to take. Odds are with him on our team that we would make the playoffs rather than the lottery. If we fall back into the lottery next season would remain to be seen. Basically it's much better than where we stand now, facing the lottery for the second consecutive season. ------------------ Don't you have anything better to do?
Stop all this lottery crap! The Rockets will be in the playoffs next year WITHOUT Taylor. Getting Taylor only hastens our rebuilding process. He is a 23 year old PF with good NBA experience. If Mo had put up the numbers in his senior year of college that he did last year for the Clippers, most of you would be drooling over him. He wa sable to put up those numbers against NBA competition. From now on, just act as though he is a rookie waiting to be molded into a champion by Rudy T's magical hands. ------------------ Kenny Thomas had a foul called on him in the Western Conference Finals.
OK, since I referred to the lottery in my post, I feel I must make my position perfectly clear. Lottery or no lottery, I DON'T WANT THE GUY FOR ONE DAMN YEAR. If we can get him for longer, then great. If MoFo wants to come here for one year just to get a fat contract from someone else next year, Just Say No. ------------------
Hey ya'll, I have just been informed that MoTay is supposed to be flying into town this evening. This sounds like good news! ------------------
