No way Minnasota will trade KG, arguably the best player in the league. And if they did...do you know how many #1 picks they'd want, especially w/ their punishment they recieved earlier this season? ------------------ "Steve is good. Steve is real good." -- Cleveland's rookie point guard Andre Miller on Rocket rookie point Steve Francis
"young defensive forward", "one talented starter". So who fits that description? In my mind, I don't see the Rockets getting anyone that would threaten Mo as others have pointed out. To me, that rules out a 4. In my mind, that means a 5 or a 3, likely a 3 since centers are hard to get. I'm more inclined to think the "talented starter" would be a good defensive three that can complement the team. Any thoughts? ------------------
If we get a big name three, then we can kiss Shandon goodbye. He is not going to sit on the bench. Maybe he is part of the deal...actually I hope he is not b/c he has been playing so well lately. All that I can see is getting a guy that can either play the 5, or a guy that can play both SF and PF, which their are not many of ------------------ "Steve is good. Steve is real good." -- Cleveland's rookie point guard Andre Miller on Rocket rookie point Steve Francis
I think Mason is probably out of the picture considering Miami runs their offense through him. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
Mason would be expendable, for the right deal. Bear with me, this is gonna be long. I'm verbose, what can I say? The other day, Sacramento lost to San Antonio (national TV). Webber was asked (off camera) what will he consider most in free agency? In descending order of importance, his response: 1. Teammates. 2. A city larger than Sacramento. 3. Wants to stay in the West. 4. The fans. 5. Compensation and what-not. (I'm kinda vague on this point.) So, how does this look to us? How do we fit in? 1. He loves Cat and Steve. 2. Duh. Dallas would also fit here, but he has professed no love for the players or team, just for the organization (i.e., Cuban has money and isn't afraid to throw it around, so I'll keep my options open). 4. Er, uh, oops. But people will show up for Webber-Francis, don't'cha think? 5. He'll get paid no matter where he goes. If a team won't pay him, he won't go. Too gauche to talk about directly. Doc Rocket has said we are targeting Webber. He has mentioned drafting high, getting great players in the draft. All in the same post. In a newer, different post, he mentioned "sunshine" and a "cold" place. Oeilpere has stated directly and indirectly that we are targeting complimentary pieces to strengthen the team but keep our cap space available next year. And would we mind an extra player with a year or two left on his contract? Jeff has also said we should target our cap space next year. Miami has been mentioned as a destination for Olajuwon. But he makes a lot of money; how to arrange it? And Pat Riley was quoted as wanting a young player, not a guy in his thirties. (But he could be blowing smoke.) Many people, like myself, have assumed Clutch's "dancing-in-the-streets" comment meant Vancouver. But the problem here is, Will we trade Dream to Vancouver? And will we push Reeves onto someone else? Because we don't want him. Well, who does? Chicago has been mentioned on bskball and nbatalk as having interest. Miami could accommodate him. TRY THIS: CHICAGO (cold place, of course) receives: Kelvin Cato and Walt Williams. MIAMI (hot place, of course) receives: Hakeem Olajuwon and Los. HOUSTON (awesome place!!) receives: Chicago's #1 pick (Cato + Drew + Walt). Anthony Mason. Brad Miller. Majerle/Ceballos/Green/Davis. Maybe a player in his last year like Fred Hoiberg, so that Chicago can take on the salary we dump...er, I mean Walt. Chicago improves with some semi-veterans. Tim Floyd gets Iowa State alumni Cato to protect Brand's flank. The team still reeks at the point guard, but they can make a separate deal for that. Miami gets Dream and Collier for center and power forward spots. WHEN WE WAIVE MAJERLE and GREEN, the team will still have depth. Dream can re-sign for a year or two at, say, 6 million a year as Zo's backup. Or as the main option at 24 minutes per game. He will have a real run in this year's play-offs, so he'll be happy. Houston's starting lineup: 5. Mo/Brad Miller/Los 4. Mason/KT/Bull 3. Shandon/Ceballos/Lanky 2. Cuttino/Davis? Hoiberg? 1. Steve/Mooch. This gives the team a lot of room next year. We waive who we don't need in this deal right away. Mason gives us hellacious defense and rebounding. Mo gives us outside shooting at the center spot. We don't disrupt team unity too much (unless Mason gets busted at a Houston titty-bar on the SW Freeway). We can possibly make the playoffs. Mason, Miller, Mo, Shandon all come off the books in the summer. 1. We can keep or trade Mason. 2. WE CAN GO AFTER WEBBER, no problem. 3. WE CAN TRADE OUR PICKS FOR REEF, if we want. 4. We can re-sign Shandon. 5. We can sign a center with our Chicago pick. 6. Sign Terrence Morris with our own pick (if Shandon leaves). 7. We can combine the Chicago/Houston picks and trade up to grab THE center with a really high pick (dammit, i can never remember the Chinese center's name). 8. Any combination of the above. We have all sorts of options, almost none of them negative. You can, of course, re-arrange the Miami/Chicago/Houston trade to send Brad Miller to Miami, as the Miami newspaper speculated. (This gets even more complicated.) You can re-arrange it however way you want; I'm not saying what I've posted will happen to the letter, or at all. The principals would be OLAJUWON, CATO, MASON, Chicago's #1 pick. If Pat Riley's reference to a "young player" meant Big Country, then all this is moot, of course, and we're getting SAR. ------------------
Or we can keep Walt and send Ceballos for Brad Miller. We still keep lots of cap space and flexibility, is the idea. I know I wrote a lot, but if you tweak the above details so that everyone benefits (Dream can still play, as he proved) then the 3-way trade really isn't so complicated. Not counting out Reef. But Doc Rocket tends to imply a cold place and a hot place, so, who knows? I have simplified this to Cato and Los/Walt etc. for Mason, but this cuts out a cold place, unless you send Mason to Chicago, but he won't re-sign with a bad team, so we wouldn't get anything except, maybe, Fizer or Miller. Cato (+ Drew) for Fizer? I don't know if Fizer is the answer. 37% shooter (although he's played well lately as Chicago has attempted to showcase him for a trade; maybe his low shooting and low rebounding is due to playing out of position. But who would dance in the streets for Fizer? ------------------
You all seem to be forgetting that Clutch said ALL Rocket fans would be partying. I know that a lot of Rocket fans like myself would not be partying if Hakeem was involved in a trade. I know, judging by the fans at Compaq Center, that a lot of "standard" fans (who don't go on the web for Rocket info) would not be happy with a Hakeem trade, unless someone like Webber, Duncan or Shaq was involved. So maybe someone should come up with some non-Hakeem trade ideas... ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
I'll take just about any of the above...but if we did trade for Mason we'd go after Webber first, and if we couldn't get him we re-sign Mason. The problem is, w/ Mason, we have 3 guys we might have to re-sign with the $16 mill cap room(Mo,Shandon, Mason). We'd probably only be able to re-sign 2, and since Mo and Mason play the same position, one will be gone. O yea, the chinese center is Yao Ming I believe. If we get Webber, we'd be lucky if we get one of the 3...probably Shandon. Nevertheless I'd love to have Mason, even if it was only for the rest of the season. **Perfect scenario for this year and offseason: We get Mason(or another big man w/ one year left), and make the playoffs, hopefully get by at least the 1st round. Then we sign CWebb, re-sign Shandon, say bye to Mo and Mace. We also get a 5 in the draft likely by trading up. Lineup for next year: Rookie C(Ming?), Webber, Shandon, Cat, Steve. Lineup for rest of season: Dream?/Collier, Mo/Mason, Shandon/Mason, Cat, Steve. Mason would get starters minutes even coming off the bench at the 3 and 4. ** OK, back to reality. It'd be nice for that all to happen, but it probably won't. I'll take just one of those things happening. Lets just win tonight and be happy with what we've got now. ** = Dreamcasting ------------------ "Steve is good. Steve is real good." -- Cleveland's rookie point guard Andre Miller on Rocket rookie point Steve Francis
There's no way the Rockets could get Yao Ming, he will most likely be the number 1 pick, and I don't think Chi-town is willing to trade it. I think the Rockets should target Loren Woods or Brenden Haywood in the draft(I know will stiil have to move up but with multiple picks it shouldn't be that hard). These two centers, mainly Woods, bring defense, rebounding, and shot blocking to the Rockets, exactly what they are looking for. ------------------
Roxtia, where'd you hear about the Webber interview? Those are some interesting requirements. If I were confident Webber really meant them, I'd say the Rockets have a better chance than I thought (i.e. - practically none) I don't want to burst your bubble, but I don't see why Chicago would give us their top-5 pick in an extremely deep draft for Walt and Cato. They're not even quality starters (or we wouldn't be so willing to let them go). ------------------
There is no realistic way Miami trades Mason. He is currenty the beest player on that team and I doubt Riley would trade him for one big man on his last legs and another who has talent, but is injury-prone. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
Well, I'm just throwing stuff out there. Webber's responses were mentioned during the TNT (or TBS) game between Sac-SAntonio. They peaked my interest. I don't really think Mason would go so easily. Unless we sent Anderson and Olajuwon. But I don't want to give up Shandon like that. I will stand by the possibility of getting Webber. We'll see who we can land who can "get us to the playoffs." "Pieces fall out of place." I wish Doc Rocket would post soon. Or Clutch. Some kind of hint. ------------------
I also heard the Webber comments on section 610 Friday afternoon. they said that in their opinion the Rox seemed to have moved up a few spots on the list of teams seeking CWebb. CK ------------------ Funniest comparison I have heard lately... Charles Barkley refering to John Lucas as George Jefferson
My take on the IR/___1x send Cato to Vancouver get Fizer from Chicago give Chicago back their pick (Drew) give up cap space to make it work Vancouver gives SARS and Reeves to Chicago Vancouver eats part of Reeves Salary Chicago give Artest and #1pick I would dance in the streets over this ------------------
one addition, I think I had Chicago sending Miller going over to Vancouver as well, but this might only complicate things ------------------
And Cliff Robinson fits that description, for what it's worth... ------------------ "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..." - Mark Twain -
Chicago Pizza. Whistler/Blackcomb. Maelstrom. Grilled Grouper. Pick. The Rockets end up w/ Chicago's #1? Amazing... and the Rockets unload Cato?. Now that.... is special. ------------------ I've been reading movies since 3 o'clock..
