If we get Swift. You guys are going to be amazed at how well he improves our team. The intangibles that occur on the floor when you have a long/lean athletic player like that is exponentially beneficial when you ALREADY have two super stars. Even if Swift can't hit the 18ft jump shot (like Howard), wont matter much. Because he can always improve and he gives you so much more on rebounds, blocks, and just plain causing havoc. Offensive rebounds is something he can bring OUR team. His limited minutes on the Grizz were due to their depth -- so of course his stats aren't as high if he had more minutes. Think about how he'll flourish on OUR team becaues of the double teams on Yao. Swift should get a lot more offensive rebounds because of Yao presence. Swift can also play more than 20 minutes. The only reason a particular player gets 36 minutes or more is because that player is a star (TMac) or a team lacks depth. Swift doesn't have to play that many minutes on the Grizz. Nor will he have to play that many with the Rox. His role isn't going to be the same as Tmac (36-40 minutes). But, I'd be happy if he'd increase his minutes to around 30-32 for the regular season. Swift is capable of playing 35-40 minutes in the play-offs.
What in hell are you babbling about? Please point out where I said we were going to SnT Spoon and/or Baker for Swift? I specifically countered your "they can't be moved until trade deadline unless it's for garbage". Clearly, you are wrong as the examples I provided demonstrate. If you consider Fox retiring and Payton expiring as equal to Mihm, Atkins and J Jones or Kerry Kittles equal to a second reounder, I'm glad you're not evaluating talent for the Rockets. In all cases I provided, expiring borderline rotational players were exchanged for upgraded rotational players or in the case of Mihm and Dampier...starters. And what on earth does Mo Taylor have to do with anything? We should have kept him because we had a crystal ball and knew Howard would get injured? Brilliant. The last chapter on the Taylor trade has yet to be written. But it will surely (and must) include whatever we get for Mooch or Vin between now and when they are traded. Or are you trying to suggest we'd be better off having kept Taylor so that we'd have even more $ tied up in PF's if we wanted to add Swift or Marshall. You're all over the place on this one. Hopefully, you'll take that bath at a Holiday Inn Express. Today you're the one needing an upgrade.
OK, maybe I haven't been clear but I'll give it one last stab. 1 PF isn't our biggest need. PG is. Lack of depth at the PF killed us, not Juwan Howard's poor play. I would be satisfied with bringing him back next year and drafting a backup who could hopefully be the starter in 2006. 2 Over several threads, some have suggested we could do a SnT with Portland or Memphis to get SAR or Swift. Maybe not you, but others have. Sorry for lumping you in. IMO, we don't have enough to offer either team for them to do it. This is a pipe dream. 3 Spoon & Vin Baker are not attractive trade bait just because they have expiring contracts. Neither belongs in the NBA. If they were productive players, they would be very good trade material. Because they aren't productive, teams giving up on 2005 and gearing up for 2006 won't want them until the trade deadline. If we trade them during the offseason, we will likely get similar players in return. Howard is not attractive to other teams because of the expense & length of his contract. I used the Motay trade as an example of what happens when trading a player other teams do not want. You must take undesired players back from them in return. IMO, this is the trade situation with Spoon, Baker & Howard. 4 I didn't disagree with the Motay trade. I just stated the fact that having a productive Motay would have helped us this year after Howard went down. The trade was good because both Spoon and Moochie come off the books after next season, a year earlier than Motay's contract.
I can see both of your points, but, one thing to keep in mind with sign and trades is teams like Memphis will be losing Swift for nothing if they don't do a sign and trade. Memphis won't expect market value in return unless the few teams under the cap have blown their wads and there is no wiggle room. Swift could just sign someplace like New Orleans with Memphis getting nothing in return. The only negotiating power Memphis has is if the teams under the cap sign other free agents and leave Swift out there to dry and then Memphis would be back in the game and could ask for more. Swifts only option at that point would be threatining to sign a short MLE deal however unlikely that would be.
Agreed. No team wants zero in return for letting a good player go. Even if it is only an expiring contract, it still helps them out for next season, cap wise, instead of getting nothing in return.
i really don't have strong opinion of free agents, trades. etc. I presonally hope juwan recovers completely and keps his job, then we add some back up at his level r even a little better offensively and rb. Actually, Cato would do nicely but less points. He sure would like to block down low..so let's see what happens.. Stromile seems to be the consensis pick around here..hey Stro you wanna play with T mac and Big fella ?
I disagree and a couple of points. In Sura and James were have two serviceable (defined as marginal to OK starter, or quality heavy minute back-up) 1s, in JH we have only 1 serviceable PF. So we are better off in the 1 spot than the 4 spot whether you want to term it a depth problem, starter problem, etc. We need to bring in a PF roughly the same quality of JH or better--someone worthy of 24 or more MPG. It is way risky to count on a draft pick to do this, much more viable to bring in another vet proven PF and draft a future PG or SG in the late 20s even if they mostly learn the 1st year from Sura, James, Wesley and Barry. Portland will have to decide to lose SAR for nothing or facilitate the trade he wants as he is unrestricted. If you are Portland do you take an expiring contract (say 1 year at 6mil for Spoon) for like two middle draft picks--say a future #1 from us and our NY #2? Portland is clearly in rebuilding mode, so I think they would take the draft picks. Portland cannot shop SAR because he can just leave for a full MLE and they get nothing. SAR can tell them to facillitate a trade to Houston, Miami, Lakers, etc., or you get nothing. Swift is a little more complicated. Though he is also unrestricted he is seeking his 1st big time contract and is probably much less convincing as a threat to sign for the MLE and leave Memphis with nothing. If I am Memphis I would allow Swift to shop around the league with the exception of the Texas teams, and I think a situation where all parties (Swift, Memphis, new team) would strike a balanced deal. Our only chance for Swift IMO is if a lot of other bigger time FA moves teams and the MLE turns into his market value left for him. Gater, IMO you added a lot of unnecc verbiage in this thread, I don't think it contributes to making your points.
