1999, Steve Francis didnt want to play in Vancouver for the Grizzlies so he was traded to the Rockets. 2004, Tracy McGrady didnt like John Weisbrod and he wanted to win, then he got traded to the Rockets. 2008, Ron Artest wanted out of Sacramento, could have opted out, but instead was traded to the Houston Rockets. Who is the next star to follow the path?
you missed one point from the other side ... Houston is not only a "Backyard", but also a franchiseplayer-dump-yard, that is - Rox trade them as they still have value, so our longtime franchise guy didn't have a happy ending career. Reread the history, despite people @ cc.net proposed "Please don't trade Hakeem", "The Dream" was sent to Toronto Raptors for first and second-round draft picks in 2002. It would happen again on Yao in forseeable year, bookmark my words!
screw that...if yao aint productive anymore and we can still get a couple of picks for him than the rockets better trade him
I'm pretty sure you could find three similar deals with any other team in the league and make the same claim.
Afaik, Olajuwon also thought he still had enough left and wanted to push for a championship elsewhere.
they dont count on rockets message boards tho. but ya, imo houston seems like a backyardish organization the way we keep gettin superstars via trade not via draft.
Uh... NO. Houston is not a place to "throw away" stars; they come here with expectations. Plenty blockbuster trades occurred since 1999, and only three pertain to the Rockets... that's a poor exaggeration to make, to suggest that the NBA's "backyard" is Houston. Correlation =/= Causation
uh, LOS ANGELES LAKERS anyone? Kobe- traded for Pau- traded for Lamar- traded for OMG THE LAKERS ARE THE NBA BACKYARD
None of them threw a fit to get to their current team though. Kobe wanted out of LA saying he would rather play on Pluto.
oh, the irony... I'm talking about the original trade from Charlotte that brought Kobe to the Lakers in 1996. you know, the one one where he said playing for anyone else besides the Lakers was an "impossibility" http://select.nytimes.com/2007/06/2...ef=sports&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
I wouldn't say it's a backyard...but I will Houston either doesn't necessarily draft well, while either trading rookies or trading rookies they develop after a few seasons. But, it is usually understandable, because in most cases it is for more seasoned players or superstars. In this decade alone, I think the Rockets have only drafted 3 decent players...Yao (sure thing), Rudy Gay, Nachbar, and Richard Jefferson (why did they trade him again). Greene is not included, since he wasn't drafted by us. We traded 3 out of 4, but it's 4 if you include Greene. The Rockets have alot in common with Lakers, more so, because most of their best players weren't drafted the team or came via Free Agency. Where the team mostly looks to try get a good pounce on a superstar or all-star for whatever reason....mainly because both teams are usually [I]win now [/I] or as quick as possible with already established superstars. Since with most young teams and players are going to have to wait a few years, before they really start to win or be premier team in league, simply because of the learning curve involved. Houston: Drexler, Barkley, Pippen, Francis (draft), T-Mac, Bonzi, and Artest LA: McAdoo, Abdul-Jabbar (trade), Wilt (trade), Magic (via trade pick), Shaq (FA), Kobe (via trade pick for Divac), Rice (trade), Fox (trade or FA), Horry (FA), Rodman (FA), Isiah Rider (not sure), GP and Karl Malone (FA), and Gasol (sham). Dallas: Nowitzki (trade pick), Nash (trade), Finley (trade), Dampier (FA), Terry (FA), Van Exel (trade), Also, I don't think these two teams draft particularly well, anyway. I guess it makes sense to collect superstars and veterans for a rental, but usually they are either on the downside of their career (and aging), will be looking for a big pay day, chemistry problems (superstar or great player now has to be a 3rd or even 5th option), and that player may not necessarily fill your biggest needs. Look at 1999 Houston Rockets, 2004 Los Angeles Lakers, 2004 Dallas Mavericks (they ended up with Jamison and Antoine Walker), and probably 2007 version Mavs and Suns. Alright, all of those teams got older in a hurry, but being slightly better team. Still, compared to previous seasons did they really acquire players that they needed. Yes and no. For one argument in case of the Houston and LA, most people consider them to be "super" teams, but as the season went along. They weren't looking so super, injuries, players being disgruntled with their "new" roles (Payton and Pippen), and being weak on the other end of roster. No depth on the bench, which is necessity later in playoffs. The Lakers looked finished after first two against SA, but rebounding back. Being able to hold off T-Wolves without Cassell for 6 games. Then, got dismantled by the younger and deeper Piston team (even though everyone had LA going for a sweep). Strange ain't it. This year, it worked in Boston, since Allen, Pierce, and Garnett...where all unselfish enough to not be main star, while having a great supporting cast of vets and youngsters left over from 15 win teams. And they won the championship. It was a perfect match. Rockets might fall into this group right here, everything goes right. I think teams, like Spurs, Portland, Sacramento, Denver, Miami, Chicago, and etc....know how to find talent deeper into draft. GMs have a better eye for talent or even can make effective low-level trades. More of NFL-mentality, building a roster through the draft and not making insane FA acqusitions, and waiting for good deals, like Moss trade or the Favre deal. Getting a superstar for almost nothing and even no controversy in principle. Moss was disgruntled, under utilized, seemingly in decline, and over 30, while the Packer just wanted to get rid of Favre (and him wanting to still play at all cost).
John, bad thing about that, this team won't look anything, like it does now. T-Mac could be gone. Yao will be in his 30s and could be gone as well. Artest will be long gone, so will Francis, Landry, Barry, and possibly Scola. Rafer will still be here. Good thing is we may have quality younger players, and then T-Mac and/or Yao could still be around and in comes a younger superstar under 27. The team is back in championship mode again.
no way lebron james will come here. it's already set that it's either staying with cleveand, go to NY or brooklyn. miami has a great future with beasley and marion so i doubt wade will leave. we could get a joe johnson or melo or stars of that nature.
