If Steve Is Not A Part of Our Future, Which Way Do We Go?

I think the Rockets should trade Yao too since I think they can get a lot back for him. I think they need to trade Steve, Cat, Cato, and possibly Mo. I think the entire team really doesn't fit Van Gundy's style. I think Yao should be traded to a team on the verge of winning a championship but needs a defensive stopper in the paint along with occassional post ups. I like San Antonio as a destination, but I can see the Mavericks coming into the picture too. The Rockets are so far from winning a championship that Yao being a complementary player is just not a good fit for the team. Yao is best off putting in 30 minutes on a very good team filled with talented players. Look at Shawn Bradley. The guy went down with an injury, and the entire Mavericks team started playing matador defense. Yao is better than Bradley. Would Steve Francis help out the Mavericks? No, he is best off on a team that is lacking in talent like the Magic. I think the Rockets should consider those scenarios. Trade Yao to a very good team. Trade Steve to a very bad team. Both will be happier.

 

I cannot believe you just mentioned Yao and Bradley in the same breath.

You recieve no points...

And may God have mercy on your soul...

 

Francis for Pierce? In your dreams. We can offer the entire rockets roster(with the exception of Yao) and they still wont bite.

 

MB,

Kobe will fit perfectly with this team b/c he is the most fearless player in the league. He is never afraid to take a big shot, knows how to create his own, and plays consistently well every single night.

Oh, and he raises his game at crunch time.

In short, he is everything Yao needs at this point so that he can develop without the burden of carrying the team. He is also everything this team, as a whole, is not when games become tense, and every possesion counts.

Contrast that to the Shaq situation. Everyone knows Shaq is a loudmouthed goofball who takes his basketball career as seriously as Eddie Griffin. In short, Shaq is the Anti-Yao; his ability far exceeds his dedication. This is also the complete antithesis of what Kobe is: a deeply committed, intensely private professional who is not afraid to challenge anyone.

Yao needs Kobe in the same way Duncan needed DRob. An established professional like Kobe would be the perfect influence for Yao right now. Kobe's killer instinct and will to win are second to none, while the same qualities are what Yao, and the entire team, lack most.

 

The big difference with Kobe is that he truly is the best guard in the league. Steve is not even the best point guard in the league. I'd take Bibby and Nash over Steve in a second, but I'd take Kobe over any other guard in the league.

 

the current team we have is a team of potential that needs to grow, and if we give up on that i don't think its worth starting over again and having faith that another team of potentials will turn out.

We have waited four fricking years for Francis to get there and take us to the finals. I think if we can't make it work with who we have now then we have to get as many top level players that we can in a trade

 

TRade Steve for Kobe Bryant

 

Kobe has been changed after the incident, he is on another level right now, he wants to win another championship without Shaq, and he's smart enough to to realize that can't be done by himself alone. You can tell by his numbers this year, there are down, but he is helping the team wining games.

We got $7 million trade exceptions puls SF's contract, if Kobe willing to take a little pay cut, I really can see it happens.

 

I would trade him and Cato or Mobley to Orlando for McGrady.

It would help both teams.

By the way, we already were discussing it in This thread.



DD

 

I'll tell you which way to go:

1. Rudy replace Gundy
2. Moses replace Patrick
3. Rashard replace Cuttino
4. Okafor replace Ming

george-

 

I think someone already mentioned it. History tells us that the team that receives the best player in a trade always comes out best. It doesn't matter how many players are involved. It all comes down to who gets the best of the bunch.

So trading Francis for any number of lesser players is not going to benefit us, other than maybe financially. And I don't want the management to panick and get ripped off by a lopsided trade like what we did to Vancouver--irony, irony!

Draft choices can only be done with some package. Even if it does work out moneywise, the upcoming draft don't seem to have some can't miss prospects like the last two years. And if we rebuild through the draft, we probably will get a potential star PF. PGs are just too risky. It's the position hardest to project. See Jay Williams.

The only good trade for us is to get a player who is at least nearly comparable to Francis talentwise. Realistically, I don't think we can get a star in his prime. So T-Mac, Kobe, or even Carter is out of the question.

What we may be able to get for Francis is either a potential but not yet actualized star (Hinrich, Bosh, or even Amare), or a star who has passed his prime (Kidd, Cassell, or even Payton).

Someone mentioned about trading Yao to Dallas. How many of you would trade Francis, Yao, and luggage for Nowitzki and Finley?

 

Easy,
I may be mistaken here,* but I disagree. Historical trades don't always show that the best player is the best reward. Hershel (sp) Walker to the Vikings? Charles Barkley to the Rockets (for Horry and Sam)?

* speaking of being wrong, I've been on a great streak here. I compared Yao to Smits (again) right before Yao went off on a non-Smitsian dominance spurt, and then I predicted that the Panthers would score 3 points in the Super Bowl.

 

Wait until after August, then start fielding offers for Steve. Be sure and pit 1 GM's offer against another. Take the best one. Most likely take a PF for Steve and trade Cato or Mo for a good PG.

 

Absolutely Correct!

BTW: KB is a possible rapist. I don't care how you spin it, even if found not guilty, I don't want him in a Houston uniform.

SF = Elton Brand would be perfect, but I don't see the Clippers making this trade, unless EB is gimped.

Raven

 

i think he meant for a package of real players. didn't the cowboys get a ton of picks that they eventually used to draft like 2 of the big 3? i don't actually know what they got, but i don't remember it being the players as much as the draft picks being the winner.

as far as barkley, we won that trade.

 

Trade other playes except Yao and steve.
Steve has changed a lot this season in passing the ball,so give some time to him to solve his mental problem that he should admit yao is his relyable teamate to earn NBA title,just like Kobe.

 

I like the combination of options 2, 3, and 4. Not blow up the entire team, but look to get some draft picks or some young talented players that haven’t come close to reaching their peak yet (Al Harrington, Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, etc.). I’m ready for a high risk, high reward type of move.

If the team is looking to move Francis I’d prefer a package type deal, not a star for star type of deal. Take a couple steps back now, move a lot of steps forward in the future. There are a couple of teams that I can think of that have lost their franchise player, not received a star player in return, and still ended up better.

The Milwaukee Bucks traded away their 2 franchise players Ray Allen and Sam Cassell for basically nothing so they could give Michael Redd and TJ Ford a chance. It has worked out brilliantly.

The Phoenix Suns traded away Marbury for cap room, draft picks, and youth. Now in the Suns case, their record may not be so pretty, but it’s no worse than when Marbury was still with the team. I think their team has a much brighter future now than it did before. Joe Johnson has been a stud since Marbury has left. Putting up 20 to 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on a consistent basis (his gamelogs). Plus they have 2 lottery picks for this year’s draft, a lot of untapped potential, and enough cap room to go after a max player or 2 second tier stars. I could see them becoming the Indiana Pacers of the West soon.

Utah Jazz losing Stockton and Malone to make room for AK47

Denver Nuggets trade Van Exel and Mcdyess for cap room and draft picks. They’re now ahead of the Rockets in the standings.

However, I can’t think of many recent scenarios where a team trades away an established star for another established star and ended up much better than before. The Kidd-Marbury deal is the only recent one I can think of.

 

It seems to me that many here have not conveyed the title of the thread in their post.

I will go out on a limb and make a correction to the title of the thread. "Steve Will Not Be A Part of Our Future, Which Way Do We Go?" It seems to me that Steve has pulled one of the cardinal sins in teams sports. Not only did he openly defy the coach and undmine his authority sending shockwaves throughout the team, but more importantly, he turned his back on that very team. This incident is truely a sad day for this organization from the management and scouting staff to the coaches and team members. Francis has shown his true character and lack of commitment and integrity.

As a fan, I believe the Rockets have no subsequent option but to trade Steve. But they should not stop there, as there are many needs for this team to be complete. Not only does this current roster lack overall size, athleticism, shooting ability, and talent from top to bottom, but they also are lacking court awarness, mental and physical toughness, heart and most importantly a winning attitude. I suspect this team will get a major roster overhaul this offseason including trades of Steve and Cuttino as well as Taylor and Cato.

That being said, as a scout, I feel a kid like Hinrich would be a great addition to this team, let alone any team. He has the ability to run the full court and the half court offfense with efficiency and precision. He can make just about any pass including the post entry pass. He has good size, great vision and has a nice release on his shot. His shot still needs work but it will come. He is unselfish, he moves well without the ball and he is flat out gutsy and tough as nails. This kid is a natural leader with four successful years of top collegiate ball under his belt. His defense coincides with the rest of his game: solid. He moves his feet well and has good lateral quickness. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time and is drawing charging calls no matter who the offensive opponent. He has a great all around feel for the game and in my opionion he will become one of the leagues top point guards for years to come.

There are so many needs for this team, but at the same time, there are so many ways in which to address these needs this summer. We have a number of tradable assets on the roster, the trade exception from Utah, and the mid-level exception to get this team on the right track. There are many players that I like in college and around the league that I feel would be a nice fit for this system. I apologize that I do not have the time to put out my report of all the players that I feel would be a nice addition to this team. Maybe at a later date.

 

Cut and paste from that other thread... more input here. Go ahead and knock this down. I'll listen to reason.

p

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You are right.

This is why they need to trade for young stars not established max guys.

I know that disappoints MB, Raven and a lot of others, but if you bring in TMac, or Kobe or whoever else needs to be a selfish, iso ballhog, you're doomed. Screw tradeable max malcontents. We need guys that can be coached. We need workers. AK47, Hinrich, Troy Murphy - these are guys coaches love, 'cause they listen, play a team game, and work their asses off to improve. We're not going to develop a team if they just make one move and just bring in one new star. That guy will demand his sets and the rest will just stand around watching again. They need to blow it up and build a team that operates with respect. One thing you get from the teammates of the champions you mentioned was respect. Who respects a moron? Nobody. If your "star" has to freeze everyone else out to do his little dance and jack a stupid shot that miraculously goes in more than it should, his teammates won't respect him. They hate him. The Champions earned the respect of their teammates by being the money option, delivering under pressure, and by making them look good. A champion has to lift his teammates hearts, not crush their spirit. A champion makes his team bold and deadly, not erratic and mistrustful.

I can't really think of a "get" that will make the team a team. I see more division and unrest going that direction. I don't want someone who's got his max. I want someone hungry. Someone smart. Someone coachable. No guts, no glory. Bringing in a malcontent hoping he will transform into the leagues best player and carry the new team to the cup is foolhardy. It's trying to pad your bets. Be bold. Make the bigger bet. Make the bigger committment. Win the right way, with real champions