Fort Worth Star-Telegram: James to meet with Avery; decision could come tonight

i like many others, are resting our hopes for the 2006-2007 season on the signing of Mike James. I dont know why, but it was really painful last year to see James light the Rox up and it'll be a much more pleasant summer if he comes to us...might reverse the bad karma he left us after being traded

 

I don't care where he goes. He is overrated on this forum.

 

And that's different from every other sports board on the internet, how?

 

What scares me is if MJ starts comparing the franchises.

Owner:
Rockets have Les who does not want to go over the luxery tax to win.
The Mavs have Cuban. I guy that will stop at nothing to put the best team he can on the floor...luxery tax be damned!

Coach:
JVG a grumpy little troll that coaches defense really well but has a history of sucking offense.
Avery Johnson...like James was not so highly thought early in his career, played point guard, ended up winning a ring and turning himself into one hell of a basketball player. Like James he did a short stint in Houston. Unlike JVG, Avery is the current coach of the year and has a team that plays outstanding offense as well as outstanding defense.

Team:
Dallas has a young team that is surrounded by youth and talent. Dallas is an annual title contender and will continue to be for years.
Houston is...well...Houston...won 2 championships last decade. Houston has Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and.....well....no one else really. Houston challanges for the lottery annually with only one 50 win several seasons and most of those players are traded, retired or in an old folks home.

Arena:
AAC - Large oversized seats just the right size for basketball players...but only for the home team players. Lockers are more like cubicals with each having an individual soundsystem, state of the art gaming system and plasma TV.
Toyota Center - Standerd folding chairs on sidelines that are not nearly big enough for oversized players. Lockers are standerd size no frills lockers.

Amenities:
Cuban puts his players up in the absalute finest hotels when they travel. The Mavs have their own Boing 757 jet. The Players have a masseuse that travels with the team on the road so the players get a massage after or before every game.
The Rockets? I don't know, maybe some one else does.

Intangables:
Cuban is going to tell MJ that the Rockets traded him last year so what is to keep thim from doing it again. Dallas is only a short drive up I-45 from Houston. The Mavs love him.

 

Omax is right...

Dallas' lineup next season IF James signs with them:

Diop/Dampier
Dirk/Croshere
Howard/Griffin
Terry/Stackhouse
MJ/Harris

 

And maybe Cuban will throw a 5 year full MLE on James to make sure Mavs will get MJ but not Rox. Just a few more millions to screw up your rivalry team for MCuban I think he will do it

 

Yeah, but Dallas can offer being a more fun place to play. When you're winning 60 games a season, your owner loves to spend money on you, and the home crowd is rocking every night, you're going to feel pretty good.

 

If the Rockets would offer it they have one advantage...with the trade exception they can offer an extra year. I would do it in a heart beat. The trade exception and a 6 year contract. James will still be playing at 36 IMO. Just look at Gary Payton and Sam Cassell. David Wesley is what 35?

A trade exception that starts out at 4.2 million and goes on for 6 years with max raises has got to look pretty damn good.

 

Toronto doesn't have James' full Bird rights, so they can only do a sign and trade for 5 years. So basically nobody can give James 6 years.

 

Nothing has changed. Houston is still the most likely destination for Mike James.

 

Yeah, the Rox fly Southwest out of Hobby. And they stay at Motel 6. And their coach is a loser who stalks neighborhoods at night, ringing people's doorbells at 11 p.m. And the owner is too laid back and doesn't jump on the floor and curse the referees out every game and then write an Internet blog about how the referres are consorting against him. Yeah, and those lockers at TC. They are those old metal ones we used to hit and dent up after we lost a game in high school. And Cuban NEVER trades players. They sign with Dallas and when they are done playing, they join the city council. And Diop/Dampier are a lot less selfish than Yao. They will pass the ball to James more so he will get more shots.

yadayadayada


Dead presidents don't lie. Go Dallas.

 

Wow. Some people don't understand a "hometown" slant in article writing/reporting...

Steady everyone... steady.

 

I got a feeling he can easily be persuaded into playing for Dallas...I can't imagine him being the missing link for either franchise, but if he really likes Houston, he'll come...

 

are you sure they don't own his full bird rights? how long was his last contract?

 

I don't want a 37 year old player making $7.5-8M per year on the Rockets anytime soon... or ever!

No thanks!

 

Didn't this news come out days ago? He was always scheduled to meet with Avery Johnson today. Why is anyone suprised?

 

I have lived in Dallas for the last few years, and Avery is more like JVG then you think. In fact he is more intense then JVG, and will rip the head off his players when they make mistakes. Once your in his dog house, your life is over (see Marquis Daniels - Stromile Swift).

Only reason we have a chance in signing him, is that he seems comfortable with Houston. Building his new home here, and married a Houstonian.

 

Please, please, MJ, agree to play somewhere tonite. Do NOT delay further. You are good, but not good enough to be worth all this.

Say 'yes' to Mavs or Heat and Butler or Jones + someone else big comes instead and that's not all that bad for the good guys, is it?

 

Would you do it if you knew you would compete for a championship during the next few years?

CD said win now and if he means it then he needs to put up or shut up.

Besides I bet James contributes as well at 36 or 37 as Cassell or Payton does.

 

The last contract he signed was with the Bucks, two years ago. He left the Pistons as a free agent, so his bird rights "clock" reset. He stayed with the Bucks for half a season, and then was traded to Houston. Then last year he was traded to Toronto. That's a total of two years continuous service, and since it takes three years to get full bird rights, Toronto only has James' early bird rights at the moment.