This is not just a knee-jerk reaction to the last 2 games. I've been thinking more and more about the availabiltiy of Brand, and the Rockets ability to get him. If the Clippers really are crazy enough to trade Elton Brand, I am praying that the Rockets take advantage and make an offer. I like the team we have now, but it is just too inconsistent, especially on the road. Brand will bring us a consistent player, something the Rockets only have in Steve (Even though he's not a consistent POINT guard) and Cuttino. Brand brings the hustle that Kenny Thomas had on defense and on the boards, and a better offensive game than Mo Taylor. And he's probably as good of a shotblocker as Eddie Griffin (he averages nearly a block more per game) <b>Brand and Piatowski for Mobley and Griffin.</b> I like Mobley, and I like Griffin. But I think Brand is a more special player than either of them, especially when looking at what our team needs now. This would mean an inside-out game <b>every</b> night, rather than just a couple of games at a time. It would mean less double teams on Yao...and if they did, he'd probably find a way to dish it under the basket to an open Brand for the easy two. <b>And the most important factor: Steve.</b> I'm positive that Steve would trade winning over playing with his friend anyday. With a lineup of: [Yao, Brand, Rice/Morris, Posey, Francis], he will have to get the ball down low, then he can stand around and be a spot-up 3 point shooter for the rest of his career for all I care. He can take the ball at the end of the game when we need someone to make a big play. <b>What about having 3 max contracts? </b> Who cares? We sign veterans for minimal or mid-level exceptions to play. I don't remember who said it in another thread, but players will want to play for this team. If Boki pans out, then we've got a starting five to win a championship with: [Yao, Brand, Boki, Posey, Francis]. If Brand is out there, it's time for the Rockets to go get him.
I think the Clippers would be more interested in Cato than Mobley. Cato and Griffin for Brand and Piatowski Ely, Wilcox or Griffin will pan out. Most probably 2 of them will, and the 3rd is trade bait. Clutch said it brilliantly: Hand the Clippers a sheet with Rockets' names. Scratch out Francis and Yao Ming, and tell them to choose what they want to do, and to unload whatever they want onto us (they don't have contracts anyway). Oh, and he also said to pre-circle Mobley's name LOL ....
Sane, the problem is that the deal with Cato doesn't work salary wise. But I would pull the trigger on this deal: LA Sends PG Andre Miller PF Elton Brand C Sean Rooks SG Eric Piakowski Houston Sends SG Cuttino Mobley PF Eddie Griffin C Kelvin Cato We get the true PG many of us want to run the team and move Francis to his better suited SG. Brand comes in and is the prefect PF compliment to Yao. Rooks and Piakowski are bodies off the bench whose salaries come off the vooks at the end of the year. Allowing us to resign Brand, and if we can send Mo packing in the offseason, we have a shot of resigning Miller as well. The Clips consider the trade because they are getting something for players that will simply leave in the offseason. Cato can be the C when Kandiman leaves. Cuttino is probably one of the best bargians in the league, but no longer fits in in Houston. And Griffin gives them a young, cheap PF with a ton of potential. Any thoughts?
Hasn't this been covered in many other threads? and I have yet to find one solid source that says anything close to Brand being available. In Fact, most of what I have read says the Clips will want to build around Brand.
I'd like to get Brand if it were at all possible. Powerforward is probably our weakest position right now, minus Small Forward where we still don't have a true consistent perimeter shooter. Again I love Poseys game, but he's just not a pure shooter. I mean even getting a pure shooter off the bench when our offense is dry would be nice.
The Clippers would be really stupid to trade the only player that gives a crap right now. Of course given their past history, it would make sense for them to trade him.
Brand can't win alone. No one can win alone. Clippers wold be stupid to dismantle the whole team. But they SHOULD unload Andre Miller for someone else. Besides, the Clippers are known to make these deals. BTW, I'm sure the numbers dont work for my trade. But there will obviously be throw ins like Rooks and Dooling for Maddox for example.
I am with you, I think both teams would improve in the long term and maybe in the short term to boot.
\ I really don't think Andre Miller solves all of our problems. He's not near as good of a shooter as Steve. We'd still have Cuttino to make boneheaded turnovers. Personally, I'd rather have Steve's game with the turnovers than Cat's game with the turnovers. Mr. Waders, I think it's pretty much impossible to build around a player that doesn't want to play for the team anymore, and is just waiting for free agency to jet outta town. I don't remember where it was written, but it's been said that Kandi and Brand are just playing for stats and waiting to get out.
Brand was offered a decent-sized contract in the offseason but it was decidedly less than the max; and Brand, with Beezelbub as his agent, knows he can get more. And why stay on a team that has no hope? The Clips didn't manage to keep Kandi. They'll lose Miller. Odom? WHo knows.
I'm sure the Clippers were thinking "The only player landing us Brand is our franchise, Lamar Odom" Heypee, No one argues that Brand is worth more than everyone in our squad, excluding Ming, possibly including Francis. But the Clipper do these things. It's like they have a fear for contract negotiations. They'd do anything to put it off. While we're on the subject, who was the last player to have his contract extended by the Clippers? Piatowski for 3M a year right?
Seriously... I am all for it.. but someone come up with one article that says..."Brand Unhappy".."Brand looking to get out".. "Clippers unloading Brand"..please because I want to believe..but then again I already believed "Something Big" was going to happen this year in H-Town!
Planning on tearing up Stevie's contract? He is untradable. Wally Zerby is untradable. Candyman is untradable. Some guys cannot be traded . regardless --- period, at this time.
Francis is VERY tradeable.. Kandi (not worth the money)..Wally (not worth the money)..Francis (worth every penny)
By not tradeable, he means it's against the CBA. It's not allowed because he signed an extension. At least that's the case with Kandiman.
Getting Brand on this team would be huge. Brand, Yao and Francis would be a more than solid core to build a championship team around. The Clippers are on the ropes, they are losing games right and left and management's perception of the players is at an all time low. Recently Gentry benched the entire starting lineup because they werent giving the effort and have made mention that the younger players are going to start to get a lot more playing time because they arent trying to play for FA contracts as the starters are doing. Add in the fact that the players don't want to play there, they KNOW they won't get paid the big bucks makes this team RIPE for the picking for other teams. If you can offer them decent players with good contracts (read Mobley/Griffin) then they may listen. Kandi is gone after this year. Then the Clippers have to make a decision on Brand. Do they pay him or offer him the one year tender. If they offer him the one year tender then that is probably the death sentence for him there as well. Odom is in the same boat I believe. I am not sure if the Rockets can pull off this trade before the deadline but perhaps they can do it over the summer. The Rockets desparetely need something "consistant" from the PF position. What makes teams in the NBA good is having players that "consistantly" score points. The Rockets don't have that consistancy yet and getting a third option that can score, be a bull rebounder and good man on man defender and shot blocker as Brand would be, would make this team solid for years to come! I haven't personally heard ANY rumors of Brand being offered for trade, but with the situation that the Clippers are in, it would seem they would be willing to listen to offers for their players. Chris
