How much is a championship worth vs. how much Yao is worth to Les

I thought we should trade him because he couldn't be ON THE COURT? Again, why would someone want a guy who can't be on the court? Yao is different from normal "I give you something I have too much and you give me something you have too much" kind of trade. What you guys think is that Yao is pretty much garbage. You want us to dump our garbage to someone else's backyard. Fine, if Morey could use his Jedi mind trick to repeat something like the McGrady deal. But I doubt it. And like I said, do the Rockets want to treat Yao like garbage?

Yao is a big expiring contract, just like TMac was. However, the only reason why NY would do the trade was because they wanted to clear room for the LeBron sweepstake. There is no LeBron sweepstake this coming offseason. Setting aside Yao's money worth and respect, the only way I see a team would want a max guy who can't play is when that team wants to dump some dead weight contract. But how does taking on dead weight contracts help us rebuild?

 

A couple of weeks ago, the Rockets were third on this draft board. They have now fallen to 8th.

http://www.nbadraft.net/

Unless the Rockets think they have a chance to go all the way, every meaningless victory only hurts our draft position.

And if the Rockets aren't winning a championship or trading for Carmelo, what could possibly be more important than tanking for a top three pick?

I sincerely hope that Les and Morey decide to clean house and start over. Any other course of action only delays the inevitable.

But the absolute worst case scenario is barely missing the playoffs and drafting in the middle of the first round. The Rockets aren't going to find an impact player that low in the draft unless they are extremely lucky.

To me, it's all about championships or top three picks. If the Rockets can't win it all, they should be trying to collect as many ping pong balls as they can.

 

This is what is so misunderstood by some of the newer fans. For them, Les brought Houston two championships, so he gets a pass on fifteen years of mediocrity. But he never brought two championships, he inherited them, and after that, nada. The winners in the NBA amass the best talent, make the best deals, have the best drafts, make the timely moves. It's a chess game. In this perspective, Les is a dufus. He is a rich dufus, obviously very smart in his other endeavors, but, in basketball, he has come to the realization that he doesn't know what he is doing and is spending too much money doing it. That is why Morey is here, to get more bang for the buck. BUT, Morey is not a basketball guy (Les tried that), so at least uncle Les won't get took like he did with S.F., and the fantasy (but no cigar) combo of TMac/Yao. I think if the money is rolling in, the fans don't rebel because of endless "next years," Les is O.K. Is Les an all out, championship or bust kind of owner, I don't think so.

 

How much of a **** are you going to feel like when yao rattles off 4 championships in a row ON THE COURT with the heat or lakers ?

What are we going to get for yao now at 17 mill a year? Who would trade for that anyway?

The deal breaker is going to be whether he will take a discount or play for low amount to help the rockets seek other free agents and signings.

I think he will and I think we can sign him for less due to loyal and his desire to earn what he plays. I think he is stand up and I think he will do that.

Knowing that we can't trade him,knowing it will suck to see him on the lakers/celts/heat etc, knowing he is loyal and pretty much owes us now,knowing he is 7 foot 6, knowing he was made in a lab by chinese technicians creating the perfect BB player , knowing he could still have a few years, knowing we already have spent the last few years waiting it out anyway. To what then give him away?

People act like yao is dead. Last time I checked he is still trying and attempting to give it a go. Until he retires he is rocket for life. We've already come this far and are on the edge of his great and epic return. maybe not willis reed stuff but I am excited.

What are we going to get for him? hilton armstrong + Fesenko + a bag of weed and a billy goat? Why not just keep and make him a piece for down the line?

he is only signed through 2010/11. I am optimistic we can sign him at a good rate going forward.

 

Aside from holding on to Yao too long, I think it's been years since the Rockets made a major blunder. The stuff we loudly complain about would be considered minor mistakes by other NBA fans. Look at Philly with Brand or the Clippers with Baron Davis or the Magic with Rashard Lewis. Yet, we rage because Luis or Kyle got nice contracts, contracts that look perfectly acceptable to most general managers.

 

melo would be for a rental anyway as he is gone to NY/NJ after this season. So there is no reason to blow future cheap signing with ming on a half season with melo. I just don't agree with that course. I don't think a melo /martin /lowry team is enough this year to win it all. Also a melo martin lowry team would not be any better than a 2011/2012/2013 off and on again possibly great again yao .. that we got for a low rate. You think we can trade ming for melo then sign back ming after this year?

of course that won't happen and once the prom dress is off you know kobe and lebron will be there. We will be on the outside ... no ming .. no melo and no hope.

 

I just scanned this thread so someone probably -- or should have -- reduced the OP question to this conundrum. Yao has very limited trade value if he can no longer play, but, if he can play, the Rockets couldn't find a better center or teammate. Ergo, Yao Ming is a Rocket until retirement.

 

id say les has no real goals to win a championship this is only a business venture for him. sometimes i wish i had mark cuban as owner least i get the feeling that with him he'll do anything possible to win. alexander whats to save cash and make money!

 

Nah, he's a expiring contract. Depending on how much he's valued, offer him that amount.

Also we still can just play him until trade deadline and if it doesn't look like we'll make the playoffs then try to trade him for as much value as the Rockets can get.

 

Except that's not the OP's question, nor of the people who agreed with him.

The OP's point is that the Rockets would've had a championship team if Les wasn't so enamored with the money he's making from China. See, Les wanted to win until he got Yao. Then he decided that the Rockets shouldn't win. That Yao prevented Les from making shrewd basketball decisions like trading Juwan Howard for Tim Duncan, or Jim Jackson for Kobe Bryant.

You know, "championship decisions". Obviously, every team can make them if they just willed it. But Les thought championship decisions were above him. Because he had Yao.

 

Rockets could really use some post-season experience.

There is no need to tank, we are already in a good position financially and have some good young pieces. Playoff experience is way more valuable than hoping we can get a top three pick that will actually turn into a superstar.

 

umm alexander brought drexler,barkley,pippen,glen rice. You can't say he hasn't tried to bring in players. He may have had a knack for getting old players but he has stepped up. He also matched lowry,paid scola,paid landry and those are other signs that he is willing to take the next step.

Cuban didnt re sign nash when he could have.

 

the Rockets are much better without the Pattersons.

 

Your definition of 'farm' is different as you think the kings or melo is the farm?

Melo is not going to re sign here after this year.

Your logic is flawed if you think the road to championship can't include yao

 

The flaw in this whole thinking is that Yao has a lot of value to any team at this point of time. No one will touch him with his injury history.

Next year his salary is going to be much cheaper. The insurance on any contract for him will probably be half his salary anyway so no one is going to sign him to a big multiyear deal.

The decision on what to do with Yao will rest with Yao first - namely does he even want to continue playing in the NBA. His latest injury just goes to show how fragile he really has become.

I think what the most likely scenario is that he stays with the Rockets but makes substantially less. At the end of the day, he wants to win and knows he will have to probably drop down to a few mil a year at best so the Rockets can try to trade or attract a superstar it badly needs.

 

The decision to start tanking or not, won't happen until trade deadline probably. It's not even half way into the season.

If they absolutely can't make it, then yeah goto tank mode but to go into
tank mode so earlier is really a disservice to fans and season ticket holders.

 

By then, it's too late. Just a few victories can mean the difference between drafting third and drafting ninth.