Anyways.......with Steve, TJ, and Eddie, and Brian or the other Eddie, and Yao...it will be great! Larry Brown is great at using undersized people!
why discuss trades that will never happen. Keep it realistic. The roster will pretty much be the same next year minus 1 or 2 players.
I sincerely doubt that the organization is looking to try and make the playoffs with a rookie PG, and new starters at ALL positions except C. Maybe we acquire the #5 pick, then immediately package it with a bad contract to New York who would die to have TJ Ford at this point.
Mango, No, I'm not locked in on TJ. The original intent of this thread was to acquire 2 veteran players in Grant/Jones & get the #5 pick to boot. If I had my choice, I'd rather get Andre Miller at PG, but that's another trade. Barring that happening, I'd take TJ if he were there at the #5 pick. If the Rockets get JVG as their new coach, I'd have to think he'd be very happy with a front line of Yao/Grant/Jones & Francis at the SG position. As for the Milwaukee scenario, I'd definitely want to get Cassell. Here's a 3 team trade with Miami & Milwaukee. Tell me what you think. Houston sends Rice/Taylor/Mobley/Chicago's Drew obligation (2 high second round picks) to Miami. Miami sends Grant to Houston. Miami sends Jones/#5 pick to Milwaukee. Milwaukee sends Cassell/Kukoc to Houston. Milwaukee sends future #1 pick to Miami. Miami gets all the benefits that I mentioned in my first post, a future #1 pick, & 2 high second round picks. The biggest benefit to Miami is cap relief. Milwaukee gets a very good veteran SG to pair with a resigned Payton & acquire the #5 pick to pair with their #8 pick in this year's draft. They could then take Kaman with the #5 & trade down with the #8 pick to pick up Ridnour & future considerations. Or, they could package both #1's & trade up into the top 3. Houston gets a starting PF with a strong low post game, a starting PG, & a bigger veteran SF to start or back up Posey. The added benefit of acquiring Kukoc, is that his contract expires the same time as Rice's. So, we don't lose much of the salary cap benefit of Rice's expiring contract. If Miami would prefer Kukoc over Rice, then we'd have to tweak the trade like this: Houston sends Taylor/Mobley/Chicago's Drew obligation (2 second round picks) to Miami. Houston sends Moochie to Milwaukee. Miami sends Grant to Houston. Miami sends Jones/#5 pick to Milwaukee. Milwaukee sends Cassell to Houston. Milwaukee sends Kukoc/future #1 pick to Miami. It just depends on who Riley wants.
DARN GOOD TRADE! And what if Riley becomes our coach. Anyways. Milwaukee.....why would they wat the #5 pick? Maybe to pick Chris Bosh? Or some other power forward? Cuz.......they already would have Gary Payton....if they are willing to give up Cassell...or maybe they want Ford... Well Cassell...he can shoot...but he's kind of a ball hog...but it won't matter if we get the right coach. And he was charged with assault...that's not cool. Kukoc.....I like very much. He is very versatile...would be great. Grant...he's a good banger...could start or backup....either one with Griffin. But it depends....maybe the new coach likes Mo Taylor better or something. Miami gets Mobley, Taylor, Rice, and 2 2nd round picks for Grant, Jones, and the #5 pick...I'd say that is pretty fair. We might be giving up too much...or maybe not. Equal! Milwaukee...give up Cassell...but get Jones! That would be great for them to get Jones with Payton...and have Desmond Mason and Michael Redd and Tim Thomas...good team. They would also get the #5 pick to get whatever...or trade it away. Nice...
Here's another article that reinforces the speculation of Miami trading the #5 pick. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/5941355.htm Posted on Sun, May. 25, 2003 Draft expert cites drop-off at No. 5 'Not a lot of great players,' he says BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ igutierrez@herald.com It's difficult to fathom that with the fifth pick the Miami Heat would select a fourth-tier quality player. But that's the way draft expert Chris Monter sees this draft shaping up. ''To me there is a drop-off after the first pick, another drop-off after the third pick and another drop-off after the fourth pick,'' Monter said. ``That's why I think there would be a good propensity for [the Heat] making a trade because there is such a drop-off.'' On his website, collegebasketballnews.com, Monter's mock draft has LeBron James going No. 1 to the Cavaliers, Darko Milicic second to Detroit, Carmelo Anthony third to the Nuggets and Chris Bosh fourth to the Raptors. If the Heat does make a selection at No. 5, Monter's prediction is 7-0 center Chris Kaman from Central Michigan. But Monter is not especially excited about any of the players available at No. 5. ''That's the problem with this draft, that you have a lot of good players but not a lot of great players,'' Monter said. ``Part of that is because there are so many kids coming out early when they're not ready.'' Among those good-but-not-great players, Kaman is one of the few true centers at 7-0, 255, and he averaged an impressive 22.4 points and 12.0 rebounds last season. But no one seems quite sure if Kaman is as good as Dallas' Raef LaFrentz or as bad as Dallas' Evan Eshmeyer. ''Unfortunately, the stereotype of the white center isn't very good when you look at Big Country [Bryant Reeves], Eric Montross, Joel Przybilla,'' Monter said. ``But I think Kaman is a little bit different. He runs the floor very well; he's a very good athlete. He needs to get stronger, but he's been working out with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's trainer. ``The [Mid-American] is an underrated conference, I think, because they've had some good players come out of there when you look at Gary Trent, Ron Harper, Wally Szczerbiak and Bonzi Wells. But not really any true centers, and Kaman didn't face true centers on a night-in, night-out basis.'' Kaman's size isn't a question, but it certainly is for another possible No. 5 pick, Texas point guard T.J. Ford. Besides the fact Ford shot just 40 percent from the field at Texas (most players' shooting percentages drop once they enter the NBA), Ford is listed at 5-10 and some believe he is actually 5-9. Monter, though, says a team in the lottery will be convinced to overlook his size and concentrate on Ford's strengths. ''He was the quickest player in college basketball this year, and he'll be one of the quickest players in the NBA,'' Monter said. ``I thought he improved quite a bit offensively, but the outside shooting is the big question mark. He does a good job of getting to the free-throw line, but if I'm an NBA team I'm going to have to be convinced he's going to make the outside shots so I'm going to lay off him and not let him penetrate. ``But I think the NBA is also a little bit of a copycat, trend-following-type league. So the fact that a player like (5-5 guard) Earl Boykins has found the right situation in Golden State, his success level and quickness has maybe made teams a little more receptive to a player who is under 6-foot.'' Outside of Kaman and Ford, it's difficult for even Monter to picture another player worthy of the No. 5 pick. Players such as 7-0 Polish forward Maciej Lampe, 6-4 Marquette guard Dwayne Wade, 6-7 Georgia forward Jarvis Hayes, 6-6 French guard Mickael Pietrus, 6-8 Georgetown forward Mike Sweetney and 6-9 Greek center Sofoklis Schortsanitis are all in that next group of players, but all have obvious flaws. Lampe might need to remain in Europe another year or two to mature; Hayes is not a standout shooting guard; Pietrus is drawing severely mixed reviews. Wade, Sweetney and Schortsanitis, meanwhile, are all undersized. Monter said there could be a couple gems in the mid-to-late lottery, but those players might not truly shine for some time. ''I think this is going to be a kind of wait-and-see draft where you might not even know for the next three years who the best players are out of this draft,'' he said. In fact, Monter believes the Heat just as easily could nab an impact player at No. 33 as it can at No. 5. ''You're going to get a pretty good player at 33. Maybe [St. Joseph's point guard] Jameer Nelson if he's still in or [Mississippi State forward] Mario Austin, who's probably going to slip a little bit because he's undersized [6-8],'' Monter said. ``I think a couple Big Ten kids could still be there like a Rick Rickert [of Minnesota] or maybe a Brian Cook [of Illinois]. ``Because of everybody's excitement about taking a young player and drafting on potential, you might have a player like a Carlos Boozer or a Michael Redd who might be better than a lot of the players that go in the first round.''
If Les is faced with the possibility of spending more money to get the new 'Downtown Houston Arena' off to a very successful opening then why dont we try to get the best Power Forward that would be with us for years, one that plays all aspects of the game and is still effective without the ball, this player is Elton Brand of the Clippers. I am not saying not to go after the Point Guard with Miami but that we need to deal with two teams.
Everyone, get it in your head, the rockets will not make major roster changes next year. They will not land a marquee name. They will pretty much have the same roster whether you like it or not.
JPM, People prefer reasoning over just being told what to think. Just a hunch. Oh, and I don't need to tell yuo that EVERYTHING we know goes against what you're saying. Why? Because: 1) The Rockets have a history of making big trades. 2) We will get a new coach, and obviously, he won't like some players. 3) Our insider told us that there will definitely be major player movement for us. 4) Our insider has specified that, at the very least, we will move Steve to the 2 and will trade Rice before the end of the summer.
the reason i say that is because they don't have the cap space. I'm not saying we could go out and get a solid guy. But you aren't going to see a charles barkley or clyde drexler team. For the most part the roster will remain the same with some exceptions
wait i take back the insider comment. I thought you said Steve was going to be moved. I didn't see the 2 comment. I apologize. As i just stated, we might make small moves but nothing compared to Barkley or Drexler
look, i want to see us win. I want a good head coach. Some of these different posts just baffle me. People are talking about tearing up the entire roster which isn't neccessarily the best option. What we need is a better system and a coach willing to crack the whip. Didn't Les say this was one of the best teams ever assembled? im sure he plans on sticking by that which means he won't due too much other than a coach, and a solid veteran
we don't have the cap room. When i say Drexler and Barkley you can compare them to a player like Iverson or Duncan. We can't afford a top player. That doesn't mean we can't get a solid guy. Brian Grant would qualify as a solid player. Too many of our players are signed to bad contracts. Moochie, Mo, Cato to name a few. I would love to see the rockets get rid of moochie, mo, and mobley. It will just be very hard.
Actually I kinda like the way Mango thinks. Washington will have cap space, so the Wiz can eat some salary in 2 or 3 way trades. To tell the truth, although I would love to get TJ Ford to the Rockets, I am more intrigued by the 6'4" Brazilian point guard Leandrinho (leh-ahn-DREEN-yoo) Barbosa. Apparently he plays defense and has a 6'10" wingspan. Maybe a better fit for the Rox, who will still have Allen Iver---er, Steve Franchise at SG(?)
In case you are unfamiliar with the rules surrounding the salary cap you can find them by doing a search for Larry Coons faq's. If you read the faq you will find that we do not need to be under the cap in order to make a trade. And since you are new to the board our insiders told us such things well in advance that we would: - Trade all three first round picks to NJ for their high lottery pick two years ago. And yes he was that specific. - Trade Kenny Thomas by December. He told us that last summer. - In case you missed it the thread that was deleted he also told us that Rudy was out about a day and a half before it happened. These are just a few of the items the people on this board were privileged to well before the events actually happened. So when Doc Rocket, Pops or Clutch speak, people listen for good reason. They have given the people, like myself, that have been visiting this board for a number of year’s reason to believe what they say.
i believe u. I will say the 1st two you mentioned about Kenny Thomas and trading for Griffin i had a feeling those would happen. I remember talking to a friend and we were just hoping the rockets would trade their picks for Griffin. if i post something that hasn't sounded right today i apologize. Reading some of these threads those is kinda frustrating. I see a lot of bashing that just gets on my nerves.
