I think Sacremento's problem is the lack or a true superstar in the clutch. Webber, though a very good player, has not put the team on his back during the critical stretches of playoff games. He did not do it in college, he did not do it in the grand jurry, and he has not done it in the NBA. When Sac was at its very best, Bibby carried them, not their Max Superstar. If I am Geoff Pertie and I can get a legit top five player for a not quite there star and one of my two terriffic point guards(Bibby or Jackson) I do it in a heartbeat. Now Dallas is a bit diferent. Dirk is in that top five category (which is really about 8 players - but Webber is not one of them) so they are not anxious to consider a trade as Sac is. My thought line is if Dallas again has a good season, but falls in the playoffs due to poor defense again, they may be willing to look at shaking things up. I think KG brings better all around game to the team. They have enough depth to make a decent trade package. For a player of KG's quality, they can give up one of their big three (yes even Dirk) easier than we can one of our big two. And that was really my point. If there is any type of even up trade, there are many teams that can offer better talent than Houston can. On the other hand, if KG says "trade me to Houston, or I'll stick my lip out" Minnesota has no choice except to give him to us for whatever trash we put out there. After all this is a players league. But my guess is that KG does not want to abandon the old team, and gives them a list of a half a dozen contenders and friends he would like to play for. If that is the case, we ar going to have a hard time putting out the most attractive package. Though wouldn't it be great if he did play for us. Oh Baby!
Just for fun..let's see KG in a Rockets uni! That would be great! Cassell and Mobley would shoot LIGHTS OUT! But...I think they would give us Hudson instead of Cassell for Griffin. And wouldn't Garnett want to come to play with Steve and Yao?!? I think Garnett will remain loyal and stay with Minnesota...we shall see! Can't wait for the season to begin!
Garnett has had interest in the Rockets for several years, I remember Garnett talking about loving to play with Francis and Mobley (Webber said the same thing), and he tried to get traded to the Rockets last summer, at least he was considering trying to do that. I don't know how the Rockets would get Garnett, but I wouldn't give up Francis. I like our team now, we're consisten PF away from being a major player. Also Garnett has a Minnesota team that includes Cassell, Kandi and Spree (who I think they'll re-sign after the season), so it's not like Minnesota doesn't offer anything for him. I remember Kevin McHale considering offering Garnett for the #1 pick and essentially Yao Ming last year. Boy would that be a major blunder if Garnett bolts. Bottomline, it's nice to have all these superstars, but I would rather add more solid role players to this team then dismantly a chunk of it to get Garnett.
Having the strongest starting five is more important that having a bunch of 4, 6 and 8 ppg scorers. It's easy to replace a "MoT." It's not easy to replace a "KG!"
_ By Marc Stein ESPN.com _ Kevin Garnett will finally be surrounded by talent in Minnesota. But will he stay? The season hasn't even started and Prediction No. 1 of 2003-04 is already in some jeopardy. Kevin Garnett is indeed considering a contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves, after I fearlessly predicted on Aug. 4 that he wouldn't sign before the season. It was a prediction based on the belief that Garnett at least wants to see what it's like to visit other teams next summer and hear how they operate. What changed? A recent visit by Wolves management to Los Angeles, where Garnett now spends his offseasons, apparently has convinced KG to rethink that plan. Until August, the expectation even in some Wolves circles had Garnett intent on exercising his right to test the market next July. That's even though Minnesota can pay him far more than any other team, and even though the teams Garnett would figure to have serious interest in, like Houston, won't have anywhere near the cap room to make him a representative offer. One team insider, after the fearless prediction, went so far as to say: "I don't think KG has ever seen another home locker room. He just wants to check things out." Wolves owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale must have sensed that because they soon were in L.A. to discuss the parameters of an extension package. Taylor told ESPN.com on Friday that he made a detailed presentation to Garnett's financial adviser and has maintained phone contact with Garnett this offseason to discuss the club's many roster moves. What's unclear is how Garnett will respond. Besides the riches it can offer, Minnesota also has presented Garnett with a slew of new teammates: Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Michael Olowokandi, most notably. That combination could convince Garnett to sign a five-year extension before Halloween, which naturally is the Wolves' preference. Then again, even if Garnett gets the feeling during Minnesota's first few practices that the 0-for-7 playoff hex is about to be exorcised, he might still elect to hold off until the offseason so he can visit the Rockets or the Pistons or perhaps another title contender. Taylor said he's "optimistic" Garnett will sign the extension before the season because "it would just seem to me that there are more reasons to do it than not do it." When the subject was broached earlier in the summer, Taylor added, Garnett's reaction was, "Let's see the team you put together first, and I just said to him, 'That's fair enough.' "(Signing Garnett) is the only thing that's left to do," Taylor said. "We've done everything else we could possibly do. "My sense is we would want to get this done before we start playing (real games). Knowing Kevin, his head is into playing ball (when the regular season starts) and that's the way it should be. If we're going to do it, let's get it done before November or let's not talk about it until (July). I'd be surprised if he didn't agree with that." Either way, there remains little chance he'll actually leave 'Sota. As much as he's a fan of Steve Francis and Yao Ming, Garnett knows that Houston and virtually every other good team is well over the cap. Even the Spurs, who manage the salary cap as well as anyone in the league, wouldn't be able to create enough space next summer to make a maximum bid for Garnett. That means KG would either have to try to force a sign-and-trade out of Minny or take a pay cut of more than 50 percent to sign elsewhere. Garnett certainly can afford it, after collecting all of his famed $126 million contract, but there likewise is plenty of value in the familiarity that comes with staying in a comfort zone, along with very handsome compensation from bosses who are spending far more than most teams to try to secure first-rate help. Should Garnett decide to hold off for now on the extension, that'll mean a skittish season for the franchise and its fans, but nothing Minnesota can't survive. New Jersey is freshly removed from the same situation with Jason Kidd and managed just fine.
All right, who was the insider that went out on the limb about a year ago, and said that there had been talks involving the Rockets and Minnesota pertaining to KG? (and then got somewhat flamed for it). Was it OP? . . . where there's smoke, there's fire? Can someone with the search capability go back and find that thread (or threads)?
