Who else wants Kandi? Hmm. Who needs a pretty good true center, and has another affordable vet at the same position or cheap contracts or picks to send back? Clippers know : Kandi wants out. Brand wants a center to play with. Preferably a vet. They have lots of picks already. What can they get in return ? The Clippers can draft a center. This is cheapest. An ok center on a vet contract would cost Cato money. This does not help Brand very much, but help Sterling alot. Brand's new max should help him feel better. The Clippers need a point guard. Point guards are not expensive. They can let McInnis walk and sign a vet to help Brand, Q, Maggette and Miles there. Max payoff for min. dollars. Better to wait until next year's crop to buy the pg. They may keep McInnis, if there's no play for his services. The Clippers can shop final contract year Odom and final contract year Kandi for another C or PG offer. It's possible they could get both from say, Cleveland. I could see John Lucas with Odom. The Clipps can also use a back up pf, but they should be able to fill this need with a draft pick. I don't see the other players in the market, but as Rockets, I would try to take these guys cheaper than a # 1. It depends on what the other offers are. If the other offers are a pg or center, then that team wins the bidding - BUT I don't see a whole lot out there than they can get.
Didn't have anything to do with you talking about the Mav's. It was in response to this comment. quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yeah, Cuttino talks pretty tough for a team that won only 28 games last year. That is taking it in the butt. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd rather take my chance with Ming than Kandi. The Clips had better sweeten the pot or look for a #8 & #12 player. No way is Kandi worth the max and/or a #1. Let's not make up for the Clips #1 mistake.
From Sports Illustrated (article link below quote) about the Clippers: -QUOTE- Will the 6'8" Brand, who didn't like guarding centers during his two seasons with the Bulls, want to re-sign with Los Angeles if he doesn't have the 7-foot, 270-pound Olowokandi alongside him? "I'm definitely going to watch how they treat him, because I want to play with him," says Brand. ... Adds coach Alvin Gentry, "We've got some tough decisions that have to be made. Losing our center can't be one of those decisions." ... Last June, Sterling told the Los Angeles Times of his desire to keep his club intact. "I'm not going to screw this up," he said. -QUOTE- http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/basketball/nba/news/2002/03/19/nba/
Whatever the Rockets do, they should not acquire both Odom and Olokwandi. They are going to demand high amounts of money, and we will not be able to sign both of them. Why Olokwandi anyway? I would rather have Ming because of his potential. I don't see any potential for Olokwandi.
You know, if you're going to make fun of somebody's signature at least know what you're making fun of. You don't remember talking about the Mavs because you didn't even know what my signature was all about, and if you had read it you would have KNOWN that the signature was about the Mavs, instead resorting to being petty and taking potshots at a member of the Rockets. You saw somebody that disagreed with you and the first thing that popped in your head was "I'll make fun of the Rockets record and this guy's signature, REAL respectful of the people on this board! Oh, and that isn't made up information. If you want to be respected here, try not to make snide, smart@ss comments, especially when you don't know what you're making fun of!
I'm pretty sure there are several teams that hope you are right. I also agree with your comment. Until Stearling proves he has changed I would think that every player on their squad could be subject to trade.
The Mavs have expressed interest, especially Cuban. However there are rumors that Zo is about to be traded to the Mavs. I think getting Brand can pretty much be ruled out. I don't see them ever letting go of him. As for Kandi, I think they can get more than just Cato as some of you have suggested. With the lack of quality big men in the NBA someone with throw big money at him. He may not be a franchise type big man but he is 270+ lbs and over 7 feet tall. That alone will get him a fairly large contract from someone. Odom has had his troubles but he's still very talented, and only 23 or 24. I'd keep an eye on that whole Andre Miller scenario. I have a feeling that Miller will be moving to LA before it's all said and done. I can see that.
What so I am a troll now? If I was a troll, I would basicly come here and say "F**K the Rockets" and leave. I am not doing that even though you are trying hard to spin it into that. And what is with all the picking little things out of a sentence and trying to make a point that I am trying to piss everybody off over here? You are taking things way out of context. On the "butt" thing, You are trying to make it something it is not. I responded to a quote that was directed at the Mavs. What you can talk trash and I am labled "disrespectful" and a "troll" if I talk trash back? Is that the rules here? I don't realy care if you don't respect me. Whatever. But at least give a better reason than talking trash in response and myself actualy questioning an Odom/Kandi trade. I understand that I am a fan of a rival team and with that is going to come some schtick. Fine. But if your gonna be hatin on me because you are taking it personaly that I am asking motivational questions about a trade you made up, maybe this ain't the site for me then. I just want to talk basketball like all of you and this should be an interesting place to do so cause you guys have the #1. But it seems that trades only want to be talked about conditionaly cause some have balked at me bringing up a possibility that Sterling would actualy say no to something. That's all I got on this. Hopefuly I won't have to defend myself everyday.
A couple notes on a hypothetical Kandi to the Rockets scenario- Everyone agrees that Brand is the man on the Clippers, right? Well, Brand's agent is David Falk. Falk knows there's only so much money to go around-he knows Brand will get his, somewhere but he also has clients like Darius Miles to look out for (aren't Richardson and Maggette his clients as well). Sterling only has limited money. It's in FALK's best interest to get PT for Miles and Maggette, and keep the team competitive. Getting Odom off their team helps that a lot. Getting Olowokandi off the team keeps the money situation clearer. Meanwhile, he controls what happens with Brand...and Miles (and Maggette/Q?). FALK and the Rockets are chums now. Rockets gave Mo a big deal, Mo gets hurt, gets a mar1juana suspension, ouch. Rockets deal for Rice, get him out of a bad situation, ok his health...there goes his legs and he can't shoot. Double whammy. The Clippers want a PG. They need to either keep Kandi or get a center. Enter Houston. Suppose the Rockets get into negotiations- knowing they want a center, knowing the Clips want a PG, knowing the top 2 picks will nearly 100% be a center and a PG. Getting Rice back in LA isn't bad for Falk. Removing a guy who plays Miles' position and may get the max is great for Falk. Keeping Brand's agent, and therefore Brand happy is great for the Clippers. Getting Jay Williams is also great. You get to negotiations, and end up with- #1/#15/Rice/Collier for Odom/#8/#12/Maggette/Rooks with a promise to keep negotiations up in July, and make it agreeable to swap Cato/KT for Kandi resigned to ~7-8 mill. Kandi/Rooks Griffin/Taylor Odom/Morris Mobley/Maggette Francis/Norris use picks 8 and 12 however you like, as well as your 2nd rounder. The Clippers get- Cato/#15/Collier (#15=Ely?) Brand/Thomas Rice/Miles Richardson/Pike Williams/Jaric/Dooling
Until the name Brand comes up with LA, then the answer is no deal. I would rather " dare to be bold" and pick Ming before I would take Kandi. Now if we can somehow get Odom and still keep Ming.......
The agent angle is an interesting scenario NIKEstrad however that same scenario can be looked at from a different angle. Mark Cuban has said that he would like to aquire Kandi for the Mavs. Kandi has the same agent as Nash. Nash was given a huge contract, and tons of PT without ever really earning it. Basically what I'm saying is that Cuban has proven that he takes care of his players so why wouldn't he convince Kandi to just sign with the Mavs? Not only will he be taken care of finacially but he would be going to a better team than the Clipps or Rockets.
