[Fox' Berman] Swift deciding between Rockets, Nets and Sonics

The only thing that concerns me is that Jerry West seems to go out of his way to screw over the Rockets sometimes, or seemingly goes out of his way to do so. That being said, I don't think that will probably be the case here since Swift wants to come here!

 

I'm guessing that Swift feels that playing with McGrady, Yao and the Rockets talking about getting a pure PG is something that will also enhance his game greatly.

 

The Nets I'm not too worried about. When push comes to shove, I think they'll end up giving Portland whatever they want to agree to a Sign and trade for SAR. Plus, I don't think the difference in salary between what the Rockets have offered and what the Nets would offer is great enough for him to pick them over us.

Seattle still really worries me. Swift would really help fill their needs. He fits them better than both Evans and Radmanovic.

Radman is very one dimensional. He can shoot and that's about it. He's a little redundant to Allen and Lewis. Evans is also very one dimensional. He can do to dirty work, but he gives you nothing on offense. The Sonics already have very similar players in Collison and Fortson.

Swift would give the Sonics everything they need. They're a mediocre defensive team and a horrible shotblocking team. Swift helps them in that respect. They don't really have any big man with any type of offensive game. Swift would make a great 3rd option. His offensive game would really blend in well and he wouldn't slow down the tempo Seattle likes to play at.

If the Sonics make a nice offer to Swift (+8 mil per), that could be it for the Rockets and Swift.

 

I handicap it as Sonics 55%, Rockets 25%, NJ 20.

If sonics offer big money, forget about it. He's going there. On the bright side, that likely means that Reggie Evans will be available. While he doesn't have the athleticism, he is a glass eater.

If NJ knows that Swift will decide mid next week, they will want to resolve the SAR situation in advance, while the bluff/possibility of signing Swift is still there to help their nego position. Indeed, if Swift were to call NJ and say I'll take the deal, I could see NJ on the other line, telling SAR - you have 30 seconds . . .That would be so wrong but could happen.

Are there any reports of what our SNT offer to memphis would be?

 

I came across the following post in a Chinese Yaoming forum and wasn't able to find it through google, so maybe it is just pure rumor:link

HUGE GRIZZ/ROCKETS TRADE BEING DISCUSSED
BasketBall_G... Posted: Jul 15, 2005 09:53 PM Quote
Posts: 742
in the last 60 days
According to my inside source within the Houston Rocket organization, good friends Mike Fratello and Jeff Van Gundy have been hard at work along with The Logo of course and Carroll Dawson on a HUGE trade.

The deal is most likely going down sometime around the very end of July/very beginning of August, possibly as early as right around July 29th.

The trade is as such:

Memphis re-signs Stromile Swift for around 6 years and $37 million.

Memphis picks up their $8 million team option on Bonzi Wells.

Memphis then trades Stromile Swift, Bonzi Wells, Andre Emmett, and Jason Williams to Houston.

Houston trades Vin Baker (expiring contract), Clarence Weatherspoon (expiring contract), Mike James, David Wesley (expiring contract), Bob Sura, a future first round draft pick (top 20 protected) and the draft rights to Greek Euroleague superstar point guard Vassilis Spanoulis.

My source is very high up in the Houston organization and has told me that the deal has already been written up and sent to both front offices.

 

That looks like a load of bull to me. Swift, Williams and Bonzi? That's a TON of salary there!

 

That's a crap load of players.

 

wow, bonzi and williams?

is van gundy gonna have to choke a b*tch?@!

 

I wouldn't mind taking on either Bonzi OR Jwill. But adding three new starters, I don't know. Last season was one of my favorite Rocket seasons of all time because of how well this team got a long. That chemistry is something you can't teach.

 

I don't know why but my gut tells me he isn't coming here. I just dont see memphis working a SnT with a division rival.

Plus someone is already wearing Stro's number 4 jersey (Luther Head)

 

i don't think we'd do that but the rockets have been known to move masses of bodies. Talk about extreme makeover. if given the choice between that and just going after SAR, Walker, or DM, I'd do the latter.

Taking away sura, wesley and james would be tough. They were a big part of the winning chemistry. I think we're about home improvement, redoing the kitchen and adding a home office above the garage. We're not taking apart everything but the frame and foundation and starting over.

Wells and JW just don't play enough defense to win.

 

I don't see Sura, James, and Wesley all being traded...especially Sura. While Sura isn't the perfect guard for our offense, how soon we forget how important he was to this team last year.

 

Not to mention 6 years and 37m is an MLE deal with 1 extra year.

Swift = 5m
Wells = 8m
JWill = 7.6m
Emmett = 0.62m
Tot = 21.2m

Baker = 3.9m
Spoon = 6.4m
James = 3.4m
Wesley = 5.0m
Sura = 3.5m
Tot = 22.2m

3 players who will likely start for Houston vs backups, IR players and a possibly LTax waiver (Spoon) for MEM. Not very realistic IMHO.

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2002384608_soni16.html

Seems like the Sonics aren't confident in giving Radmonivic the starting job, (can't blame them) so they're going after SS. Doesn't look good for us.

 

GATER, clearly we win in terms of talent, but Memphis is into cost-cutting mode. I think they would pay attention to a deal that allows them to dump Jason Williams for expiring contracts.

I hate giving up Spanoulis, but since the guy hasn't played a minute in the NBA, I guess he shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

EDIT: Deuce, Bonzi, if resigned, has only one year left, so he's an expiring contract. In terms of longterm salary impact, we're "only" talking about Swift and Williams.

I actually think this is somewhat plausible. Especially since (counterintuitively) I don't see either Houston or Memphis fans being thrilled about this.

 

PG-J. Williams/Luther Head
SG-Bonzi Wells/Jon Barry/ Luther Head
SF-Tracy McGrady/Bonzi
PF-Stromile Swift/Juwon Howard
C-Yao/Deke

looks good to me, what yall think?

honestly I think this "inside source" is full of it but we can always hope.

 

If the Grizzlies are in cost-cutting mode, why not just dump Bonzi's contract? Isn't that a last-year team-option contract? Unless they want to pay a year's worth of expiring contracts they'd get for him, hoping to land a first rounder in the process.

Jason Williams is the salary they really want to dump. I could see JWill and Swift on our team. But landing the 2/3 that this team really needs (Bonzi or even better Posey) would require losing Mike James, which would happen if necessary, but would be tough medicine for the team and MJ to swallow, given how MJ loves being here (his wife's family is here, I think) and he has apparently been involved in the recruiting process for Swift.

Certainly Bob Sura would go, too, but I can live with that.

 

Barryxzz, you have to explain why you conveniently dropped the 'from espn houston forums) that was part of the title of that post when you copy it?

Original Headline:

HUGE GRIZZ/ROCKETS TRADE BEING DISCUSSED (from expn houston forums)

 

Memphis has got to be Tanking the up coming season & starting Fresh. Thats a pretty big deal.

 

Sorry, I thought I copied the whole thing. But I did provide the link which shows the above words. I guess espn boards really have a bad reputation here.