BBS is basically free. I don't see anyone convinced anyone before on a bbs, including this one. All I can see is that you will get supports from the ones agree with you. But still, we need to have some common sense before we put down something. I just don't get it how some of the weird ideas getting tossed around, such as getting 35million+ in return for Yao's 4 mill, how would that work? Or basically exchanging the whole two teams, how can that happen? If we can not succeed with those bunch, why would others want them in another city? If we can succeed, why would we want others from another city? Speaking of fans on Yao's fansite talking about his leaving town, what do they know? And what do we know? All I know is just he's under contract, and he's here to stay at least 4 years. If can't not convince people in 4 years, why would we have to keep him, why would others have to get him? Please ignore the childish more Asian in Bay area, NY crap. What do you know? Why would Yao want to play in front of 10,000 Chinese instead of 5,000 Chinese? What's the difference? He's there playing basketball, loved in the city, making good money, liked by teammates. I don't see him as a greedy and ungrateful person, unlike some of us. Yeah, playing with Shaq and Kobe maybe get him a ring. Do you think any ambicious young player who has great potential would be proud that kind of ring? Unless he's shortly before retirement, like Malone or GP, although they won't get it. Yao is not cocky apparently, but please remember, to handle his enormous pressure, improve steadily and play at a high level in NBA, he shows tremendous pride and confidence. To me, only confident and capable person can be humble and not afraid to admit own mistakes. Besides, as an icon as he is now, image is very important to him. Loyalty is part of the image. Offseason is always bad for fans, coz we just have too much to have all these wild imaginations.
Teams typically try to lockup their franchise player after their third year. That's what we did with Francis. If the player's unwilling to be locked after his third year, then you have to start questioning whether or not he wants to be part of your team. I say whether or not Yao signs a max deal next summer will give us a pretty good idea if he wants to resign with us. That's why I say wait on trading Francis till we got Yao under contract for the next 6 - 8 years.
This topic is very irritating to say the least. The new CBA has made it such that once a team drafts a player, it is 99% in their control whether or not to keep that player. Since the new rookie contract rule began, EVERY player that has been offered a max deal after his third season has taken it. 100%. It would be fiscally irresponsible for someone to turn this down esp when the following summer the player becomes a RESTRICTED free agent. The odds are basically slim to none that Yao will leave the Rockets; he will essentially be able to guarantee himself a 95 mil dollar contract after this season. Folks need to realize (esp LA and GSW fans) that there is a difference between restricted and unrestricted free agency. When Shaq left the Magic, there was no restricted free agency; there is now. Therefore, the whole point of this thread is ridiculous, and the Rockets should go forward with building this team around Yao. Steve Francis is an overrated, overhyped player who is the wrong fit for this team. If Steve is on the roster next season, this team will struggle to better this past season's win total.
if SF is gone, I'm gonna be majorly pissed at the Rox. SF sacrificed his game this year for the good of the team (just ask JVG). You're not gonna find another guy who's got his head and heart straight on whats important like SF with the talent he has. The Rox bettah keep this guy
Never say never. I think that Yao can get a max wherever he goes as long as he is healthy. If he really wants to win a title and notice that he can never win one with the Rockets, he still might choose to leave.
More than a few are trying to argue Shaq left Orlando over money. The money LA offered was a fraction of a percent more than Orlando. Shaq left because he was being treated like Fans and commentators were arguing that they would never win a championship as long as they had a center that couldn't hit free throws. It sounds a little like some fans are treating SF and Yao.
Actually LA was able to Give Shaq his money in LUMPS that was the only difference . . .Orlando could pay THE sam but not more. . . . Shaq used orlando to drive up the price Rocket River
Exactly right. If the Rockets want, Yao can't go anywhere until he plays 3 more seasons with the Rockets. Even then, Yao would have to turn down a max deal and play his 5th season for the Rocket's tender offer which I believe is around the MLE amount. Additionally, the contract he'd sign with another team could only be for 6 years (instead of the 7 Houston could offer) and the yearly raises could only be 10% instead of the 12.5% that the Rockets could offer. We did the calculation back when people were saying the same thing about Francis and if I remember correctly, the difference in the total value of the deals was around $25M. Like, MManal said, nobody has ever passed on that much guarenteed money yet.
interestingly, yao said that the problem with the LA lakers now is that they have two focuses, and things are much simpler when he was in the ShangHai Sharks, where he is the only focus and all the plays were drawn accordingly. So I think YM wouldn't mind being the focus of his team
