Got this fom http://www.bskball.com/Rumors.shtml At one point CD says the Houston Rockets say they are no inclined to trading the #1 overall selection they won on Sunday, Rockets exec Carroll Dawson told media his club would listen, but a deal was unlikely " Then according to bskball.com he says that for anyone to be taken #1 it has to be 'uncomplicated' saying of Yao "To go for the first pick in the draft, it has to be uncomplicated, and in my opinion right now, it's complicated." This is so confusing. 05/23- SOME SHOTS- Here are the notables over the past few days... KEEPING THE PICK: The Houston Rockets say they are no inclined to trading the #1 overall selection they won on Sunday, Rockets exec Carroll Dawson told media his club would listen, but a deal was unlikely "Trading the first pick is very hard to do because there is kind of a good feeling about having the first pick. This is the fifth one that this organization has had. It's hard to trade it, because the unknown value of what you're getting is hard to rate. I'm sure we will get offers for this pick, because it happens every year. Very few people trade it. We're a franchise that listens to everything and tries to do what's best for winning, but I think that this would be a very hard pick to trade." Rumors have continued, and Dawson says he's had a number of firm offers for the top pick already. The Rockets have started working out the top tier players, and have scheduled workouts with High school stud Amare Stoudamire, JUCO star Qyntel Woods, and have had extensive talks with Chinese representatives regarding Yao Ming, a player Dawson is said to be enamored with. It seems as of this week, the Rockets will draft #1 overall, but its still unclear who they will select and they are having fun with the process...BIRD IN CHARLOTTE: For the better part of the week, talk in Charlotte has centered around interest from a group of investors looking into expansion in Charlotte, the group is led by NBA legend Larry Bird, and former NBA great and executive ML Carr, the big backer in this idea is Boston area millionaire Steve Belkin (not listed in Forbe's top 400). NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik told media that the NBA would consider the request for expansion, and see not only if its something NBA owners would like to see, but if its reasonable to do in Charlotte. One thing Granik made clear was any bid for expansion would require a guarantee of a new arena, something Charlotte area politicians have said they would likely agree to. There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but it seems that the NBA is again warming to expansion, and 30 NBA teams seems like an increasing probability, the real questions remains what will a new expansion team cost? In 1995 the expansion fee was $250 million...WHO BUYS THAT?: For the better part of the year scouts, and insiders have talked about the promise of 7'5 Yao Ming, some say he'll 'change' the game (yeah right, just like Bradley-sure), but Yao's handlers, notably a cousin based in Chicago said despite constant speculation that Yao would only play in a major market with a substantial Chinese population, that Yao would not pull a Steve Francis and refuse to play in a certain city saying to media "We'll look at what is best for Yao. But we will work within the rules of the game, and Houston is a place we have looked at very carefully.''. I am not going to dispute the matchup problems a 7'5 player who can score from anywhere on the floor brings, but this guy is ALL hype, and if all teams look at is his size, I would remind everyone playing the draft Yao song, that Portland took a gamble on a nice 7 footer with amazing skill and promise, and his country basically held him out of the NBA until he was basically all used up. Has China said anything about allowing Yao to become the best pro athlete in the world? No, they have made it very clear that Yao is the property of China, and he will be expected to honor all Chinese request before NBA request, the NBA team that drafts Yao may hold the rights to a very promising and amazingly gifted player, but will they ever be able to get 100% out of him every year of his career, not when he's going to be expected to fly back and fourth to China in the offseason, and not when he's going to be handled everyday by 'mentors'-'observers'-'managers', for Houston who is looking at every option Rockets GM Carroll Dawson adds that for anyone to be taken #1 it has to be 'uncomplicated' saying of Yao "To go for the first pick in the draft, it has to be uncomplicated, and in my opinion right now, it's complicated." So if Houston passes-Chicago doesn't need him, does he end up at #3 to GS?...BEST OFFERS
