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

Relativist -
If you are talking strictly financial...the deal stops making sense at Swift and JWill. The Grizz get cap relief by letting Bonzi walk...what sense is there in paying $8m for 1 year for players who'll likely never see the floor?

 

Well I find that trade scenerio hard to believe.,, but hey its at least something else to think about while swift will choose us or end up doing a beltran stunt..

 

If we want to roll the dice and go for a championship next season, this is the deal to make. I don't like paying Swift this much money, but if Jason Williams plays under control, he is a huge upgrade at PG because he brings skills we sorely lacked last year. A one year Bonzi experiment could work since he will be playing for a big contract next season. In terms of talent, this is totally lopsided and basically means Memphis is tanking the upcoming season.

If Williams and Bonzi play to their capabilities and stay under control, this trade makes us a championship contender. This is the kind of huge upgrade in our starting backcourt I was hoping for. Swift would give us the depth at the PF position that we also need.

I also shudder to think what if either one (or both) of Williams and Bonzi doesn't connect with JVG. Maybe Luther Head would ride to the rescue.

 

Completely agree. I don't think there's anyway the rockest take on an extra $15 million in salary just to aquire Swift. I think if there is a sign and trade between the rockets and Grizzlies, it will be more simplistic:

Grizzlies trade:
Swift (6 years, 46 million)
Tsakalidis

Rockets trade:
Wesley
Baker
1st round draft choice

Memphis gets a 1st round pick, a backup shooting guard, and Tsakalidis' contract off the books a year early.

The Rockets can then use their MLE and LLE to get Damon Stoudamire and DerMarr Johnson.

Yao/Deke/Tskalidis
Swift/Howard
McGrady/Johnson
Sura/Barry
Stoudamire/James/Head

IR: Norris, Ward, Weatherspoon (use these expiring contracts near the trade deadline)

 

They may indeed dump Bonzi's contract but if they don't I think it is because they don't want to hand us our starting 2 guard for 2005-2006 on a silver platter. Nobody seems to want to come forward with Bonzi's value or they want to say he is horrible, etc. etc., but why else hasn't West released him or at least announced his intentions. It is because Bonzi has value and West is trying to get something for him and because West knows he's more likely than not to wind up on a team in his own division playing against him and helping said team to the playoffs/finals. If they are going to dump a contract, they really want to dump Cardinal and JWill. Cardinal has no value for the contract he has and very little value if he was a free agent, maybe worth half the MLE. They know they can unload Bonzi before trading deadline and get expiring/picks back. Worst case, they are out $8 mill and they go into next season with plenty of cap space if they can dump Cardinal, JWill, etc. for expirings.

 

I don't mind either Wells or Williams individually, but I think the two of them together in the starting lineup makes for a bad combination. They both have similar weaknesses (not very smart, streaky shooting, not great defensively). What really made us successful last season was that our backcourt had smart, efficient guards that could shoot, and play hard nosed defense. I don't want to go back to the days of Francis and Mobley in the backcourt, where it's all flash and little substance.

If we were to trade for both of them, I would move one of them to the bench and use the MLE on a guard that has more of a role player's mentality, like Chris Duhon.

Backcourt:
Wells/Head/Barry
Duhon/Williams

 

Is Beltran a guard or a forward?

Sadly, I am coming to the conclusion that we we won't have the assets or the allure to attract Swift, Walker or SAR. I surely hope that Vin Baker is next year's Jim Jackson-type surprise player for us.

 

The wild card is Seattle. I personally believe Swift wants to come here and he is just using Seattle as leverage to get West to S&T and get a little more chaching to go with the deal to Houston. If Swift really wants to come here, and the money is comparable, then West will be forced to S&T with us or let him walk to us for nothing and we still have all our expirings. It's all up to Swift. We are going to get our complementary players. Nobody including West can prevent it from happening. It's just a matter of time and which players.

 

This was origionally posted on the ESPN Rocket forum. That alone tells you this is false.

 

I agree as well. J Will or Wells but not both. I seriously doubt they would trade us swift AND Wells for garbage when they can let Wells go for nothing. So Swift & Williams - maybe Tsakalidis as well.

If we did this deal and got J Will we would need a backup PG (Damon Stoudamire) & SG (DerMarr Johnson) - they could split the MLE.

 

I do hope you are correct. However, I fear the money won't be comparable, and we will be left standing in the evening doorway like a trick-or-treater returning home with an empty bag and a frown.

 

I agree somewhat with this thinking. I think Swift/Swift's agent have identified one team, Seattle, that has cap room and has interest in Swift. They might be using Seattle's cap room as a way of trying to get Houston to try to acquire Swift via a S&T instead of the MLE. Swift wants to play in Houston. But he wants to get market value as well. With Seattle as a "threat" to Houston as a Swift desitnation spot, Swift's agent makes Houston have to consider S&T offers for Swift. Perhaps the JWill/Swift for Houston Expiring Contracts + 2006 1st rounder is something that Memphis would consider.

 

I hope the rockets learned something from mo Taylor deal and not pay swift 8 mil for 10-5

 

I think you got it backwards. Seattle is using Swift in their negotiations with Radman. Seattle contacted Swift.

 

I say screw Swift and let's go after Steven Hunter. The Suns won't be able to keep him once they match Atlanta. He played well for Phoenix last year, and JVG will make him into a good PF.

What T-Mac wants is an active, mobile body around the boards to give us second chance opportunities. Someone who can catch an alley-oop dunk (ignore missed dunk during playoff). Yao dropped tons of those types of passes last year in the playoffs.

I think the asking price for Hunter is 2.0 million/yr.

Juwon Howard did a great job for us last year, and I would like to keep him whether as a starter or someone coming off the bench.

Let's stop wasting our time on Swift, who's been a bust so far in his career.

 

I think it is a pressure move on Radm (kinda like NJ on SAR/Port), I don't see it as likely. Radm is younger, has more upside, and is more of an established starting quality player than Swift. And Evans is a better rebounder and will be much cheaper.

Lets look at Seattle bigs:

Quality returnees:
Collison (5/4)
Fortson (4)
Lewis (3/4/2)

Prospects:
R. Swift (5): 1st round pick last year
Petro (5): 1st round pick this year

Restricted free agents
Evans (4)
VladRad (4/3)

Other free agents of interest:
S. Swift (4/5)

And remember Seattle only has two guards under contract: Allen and Ridnour.


So getting Swift and letting Radm and Evans goes just doesn't make a lot of sense to me, particular because the latter two are RFA where Seattle has control, Swift there is no doubt they have to outbid other suiters.

Signing Swift costs them at least two of their free agents. Swift just doesn't make sense to me unless VladRad is part of a s&t for a guard and they don't plan on bringing Evans back.

 

You can call Swift a bust than say Hunter is not. Swift is a lot more proven player than Hunter, Hunter has never averaged even 14MPG a season. He is a back-up defensive oriented 5 exclusively (no offensive game at all, probably not even as much as Cato if that is possible). Since we can pretty much lock up the best back-up 5 in the league at the same price and not using part of the MLE (Deke), no need to even think about Hunter.

We need 4 help, not another 5.

 

Great points DS. Why go after Swift which would be more expensive to the Sonics than try to resign their own RFA's (Evans/Radman)? Not to mention they drafted 5's in successive years, one of which (Petro) supposedly plays like Swift.

Plus, remember, the Sonics ownership is somewhat frugal. So why would they take the more expensive option in signing Swift? Things to consider.

 

WTF?
Much disappointment will come to Houston in 05/06. Why the hell everybody wants Sura and Wesley out of here by all means???

 

I think the upside of both players is about the same. Both around the same age, both are 10-5 players for their careers, both have been stuck on the bench their entire careers. I think the difference is Swift is more capable of being the starting power forward the Sonics need than Radman. He gives them something they don't have, a shotblocker and a big man that can score inside (especially now with Jerome James gone). Radman is a nice player but his game is redundant to Rashard Lewis. There's a reason why he did not start a single game last season.