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

I like that part. I'm throwing out another trade idea

Wizards trade Gilbert Arenas to the Warriors
trade Steve Blake to the Rockets

Warriors trade Nick Van Exel to the Rockets
trade Mike Dunleavy to the Rockets

Rockets trade Steve Francis to the Wizards
trade Boki to the Warriors

Steve Blake is 4th among rookie point guards in assists/48minutes. I think he has high basketball I.Q. that Van Gundy that work with. Mike Dunleavy fills the SF spot. Blake ultimately fills the point guard spot fulltime after Nick Van Exel's contract is over.

 

*sigh* all i gotta say is Steve got his millions, and buys things most people like to have right now,but can't seem to get his act together, All i wanna know is does he love the game like Kobe? Homeboy would eat,sleep,and wake up with Basketball on his mind.I say fire or trade his behind(steve's) . I can't stand his I am flashy and you an't behavior.Where the love of the game gone to? oh yeah the money rules NbA

 

I think that it will definitely be possible to get a McGrady or Kobe in the offseason (or trade this season). I'm still not sold on Yao being the centerpiece of our team. If we got a true superstar, then Yao would be the second scoring option. And that is fine with me.

I picture a Reggie Miller and Rik Smits dynamic here in Houston with McGrady or Kobe along with Yao. Yao doesn't have to be our first option for this team to be successful. And the way he is playing these days, he is a long way from reaching his full potential. We need a true superstar to carry the load and lead the team while Yao develops his skills.

 

I have previously preached patience and "wait until this summer" to do any big move, but if Kobe is on the table, you have to think long and hard about it. That is, if Kobe is on the table now.

Think about it - Kobe's trade value is at an all time low right now. Any team that trades for him faces losing him for nothing if: 1) he is convicted, or 2) he walks as a free agent this summer. Given that, the Lakers might just part with him this month, especially since they are betting heavily to win this year with oldtimers Malone and Payton. If they figure that Francis might be the better option for them this year, given the distractions facing Kobe, and in the future, if they can lose Kobe for nothing, then maybe they do the deal now.

This summer, after they know the outcome of Kobe's trial, or after they win another title and everybody's happy, or with Kobe knowing that any team realistically has to go through the Lakers to do a sign and trade (unless Kobe wants to take a lot less money to go to Phoenix, Utah, etc.), the Lakers actually hold more cards. Realistically, history shows that most max type players re-sign with their own teams, despite all the saber-rattling prior to inking the deal. So the odds of us pulling off a Kobe deal this summer are long. And we don't have a player's coach like Rudy around anymore to attract free agents.

Even though Francis is a BYC player, the trade exception could mitigate the difference, especially if we throw in a cap fodder player. Or we could throw in an extra player, and get Derek Fisher in return to split time at the PG.

This is a huge gamble for the Rockets to take, given the two ways they could end up with nothing. But if you believe that Kobe will be looked back as the equal of Jordan when his career is over, and you have the chance to pair him with a franchise center like Yao, you pull the trigger. Now.

 

So the thought is that we trade an accused-Super Bowl attendee for an accused-rapist.

Brilliant PR move...don't you think?

This idea to me does not seem logical, much too simplistic. Yes it follows the cliche "Buy Low, Sell High", but it's not going to happen, not in a million years. The reason Kobe may be at an all-time low, is because not a team in the league would trade for him for fear of ostracizing their fan base. I'm no rocket surgeon, but the fan base pays the bills, right?

Just my $.02 and now I'm broke...

 

Pariah, you bring up a good point, but do you think that Kobe will really adversely impact Houston's fan base? He is still one of the most popular players in the league (as evidenced by his all star votes). I can't imagine anything but excitement in Houston if the Rox make a trade for Kobe. It would be huge.

Another question: am I right to assume that if we have a player like Kobe under contract and he does get convicted of a crime, then the contract is void. If this is true, then their is minimal downside for a Kobe deal. If he is not convicted, then the Rox have just landed one of the best players in the league. If he is convicted, then we have money to go out and pursue another free agent. The only thing we lose is SF, and at this point, I'm willing to take that risk...

 

that had to be the worst game i saw this year from the rockets.steve just need to get his act togeather because even though we lose sometimes............... he brings alot of energy and draws alot of double team that opens up the offense..............there is no way if steve was there that we would have got crushed like that agiasnt a marburyless phoniex suns team.....................I think sf is a great helper on defense ,but that usually leave his man open you guys saw how he helped in the last pacers game at the end when j o threw the ball away.

 

but if we do have to trade francis I expect a all star in return

 

Please....anything involving Tmac or Kobe for Francis + anyone but Yao and the Rockets organization won't even waste a single heart beat before that trade is done.
Same goes for Garnett and Duncan.

We all know it's true, so there's really no point in debating it.

 

DALLAS -- Nick Van Exel, who turned 32 in November, announced Tuesday night that he plans to retire after next season unless he can land a new contract with San Antonio, Houston or Dallas.


"If I'm not playing in Texas," Van Exel said, "I'm done."


"All the teams in Texas are [title] contenders. Going for a championship and being in Texas, that's what it boils down to."


Van Exel made the disclosure before his Golden State Warriors lost to the Mavericks 107-93 at American Airlines Center.

_____________________________________________-

With all the reasons stated in the report, get Van Exel right now. He might help the team win more games and reach the playoff and maybe more.

 

I'd take Brand for SF. But your right, I'm not sure that Sterling is up for a contract like that on a person like that but maybe. I do think Steve would excel on the Clippers and make them better but would they? Brand would be a hugh upgrade at PF for us. It's worth a call...

 

Houston is a title contender? BWAHAHAHA!! All that MSG in the Chinese food in the Bay Area has gone to Van Exel's head...

 

This is still America, he is innocent until proven guilty.

 

JBC,

Ditto.

Anything involving KBryant immediately comes to the forefront when discussing a trade involving Steve.

Kobe was considered, along with Garnett and Duncan, as the best all-around players in the league. And unlike the other two, he inevitably will be available in the prime of his career.

Excluding Yao, I let the Lakers have their pick of the roster if it means bringing in Kobe. The Suns have already made similar moves in hopes of attracting him.

The absolute best part of this scenario is that if there is one player in the entire league who I think could come back from an ordeal like this as a better player, it is Kobe. Just like Jordan, nothing inspires greater play from Kobe than the opportunity to stick it to people doubting him.

If he is acquitted, he will be able to focus entirely on basketball again with something to prove to everyone. That is a scary thought for anyone going against him in the West.

 

B-Bob, I hope I can extend your great streak.

The two examples you give, one is football, one is a debatable trade.

Football is different. They still trade a very high pick for multiple low picks. It's because in football, one single player does not dominate the game. You need solid players in all positions. The team is as strong as the weakest player on the field, so to speak. Jimmy Johnson saw that they had multiple weaknesses. So he traded their most tradeable player for multiple helps. And they came out a winner.

As for the Barkley trade, I've always said that I didn't like the trade. I never liked Barkley's game. So I was biased. I didn't think Barkley was that good. Horry and Cassell, on the other hand, were very promising young players. Was a declining Barkley worth two rising young stars? I didn't think so.

But I also understand those who defended the trade. We did win a lot of games that season with Barkley. We could very well have won it all if not for Malone's bear hug pick on Drexler, or if Barkley reacted quickly enough to switch on Stockton.

 

And keep in mind that there has to be an 80% + chance he will be acquited, given how weak the case looked at the examining hearing (including the officer's testimony that the girl said she never told Kobe to stop, given the alleged consential sex with two other individuals in the days leading up to the event that could have resulted in the vaginal tearing, etc.). Plus the dream team defense Kobe has. My money's on Kobe to walk, in a rout.

 

Steve Francis for Elton Brand and whatever filler it takes to make it work.

Mo Taylor for Raul Lopez and whatever filler it takes to make it work.

 

Easy A-Train, easy. Remember too much laughing out loud and you'll go back into cardiac arrest...