Artest can play SG. With playing players out of position you worry about crowding on offense (you don't play Luis Scola at SF because he'd crowd the guys playing PF and C in the post), and whether or not they can defend SGs. With Artest, he's not crowding anyone on the perimeter. On defense he can guard SGs. There is no issue. We don't NEED an SG per se. We need someone to fill Battiers spot (or Brooks' spot even). It could be an SF or SG, as long as he's a wing threat it doesn't matter.
**** Players with Trade Restrictions **** Al Harrington from New York Harrington is in the last non-exercisable year of his contract and cannot be traded. However, next season is currently a player option and if is exercised, then the player can be traded. Eddy Curry from New York Curry is in the last non-exercisable year of his contract and cannot be traded. However, next season is currently an early termination option and if is not exercised, then the player can be traded.
The only people/things I want from New York: David Lee Danilo Gallinari (his name is so cool!) #8 pick. The only pieces I would trade: TMac Landry (because Lee is the White Carl Landry. LOL) Artest (if he doesn't want to sign with us)
The Al Harrington and Eddy Curry deal kinda makes sense to me. Although I would want to include maybe a 2010 1st round draft pick or something like that in the deal going to our end. The Lakers and to a minor extent the Trailblazers exposed our weakness being overall length. When they would go to their bench and pull out tall players, we would pull out 3 undersized players in lowry, wafer, and landry. This usually is fine when we are playing regular teams but in the playoffs, it seemed like we were facing no size mismatches. Sure we combated them with our speed (not enough times in my opinion), but our second unit was just not enough firepower on both the speed and length aspects. If this sort of trade came into play though, I would see a definite benefit coming on our end. Now I know both of those players do have their shortcomings (Eddie Curry line, Weight and Emotional Problems, Al Harrington's per minute stats, Questionable Shot Selection). But they both have benefits which could potentially give our team crazy depth and versitility. Al Harrington is an above average player, who's body is in the mold of a taller Artest. His body is thick enough to give small forwards mismatch problems and be able to hold his own against the NBA's non-girthy centers (which we know is most of them). He's also quick enough to give power forwards and centers problems guarding him. He also shoots decent percentages from the 2 and 3 point line and gets a ton of steals. So essentially with him we are fortifying 3 backup positions (I understand he isnt a center but he's shown he's more than capable of playing a small ball center in NY and GS). If it doesnt work out, its a one year rental, just like the Artest deal last year. Eddy Curry hasn't played in a year (neither has T-mac in my opinion). And is at least an above average center (offensively, defensively he's slightly below average). He has a 2 year deal that would add up and equal how much we are paying tmac to sit out for the year. He has a crazy high fg% for the last couple of years which means he doesnt too many take bad shots. If he can give us anything near what he did before last year, he would provide us with something that we didnt have during the playoffs. Yao insurance. The future pick would be the carrot that puts this deal over the top. This year's draft sucks and I'm sure the knicks are going to be terrible this year. If both Harrington and Curry don't work out at least we have something to show for dealing tmac in that. (Hey we traded olajuwon for two first rounders Nachbar and i dont know who else). So I see it as a low risk, high reward type deal for Morey because anything would be better than wasting that 20 mil in cap space and a roster spot for half a year of a washed up mcgrady. Oh yeah and I believe we were never going to be players in the 2010 frenzy anyways (its not morey's style to overpay) so it wont matter if we lose that potential future cap space. -CH-
The Knicks are trying to move up to the #2 pick (rubio). We have had interest in the #2 pick. Maybe a big draft day deal is in the works involving the Rockets and Knicks. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblog...009/06/post-22.html?mi_rss=Kings Blog and Q&A
Since the knicks are also interested in Tmac, I think knicks, rockets, and grizzles can do a 3-way trade.
If anyone could maximize Harrington's skills, in terms of efficiency and impact, I would say it would be Adelman.
The question then becomes: since new york doesn't really have anything enticing other than Al Harrington. What can we get from Memphis?
Keep in mind that artest has always wanted to play for the knicks and the possibility of tmac and artest to the knicks is a possibility, since memphis could be in the picture now.
Memphis gets: David Lee, Aaron Brooks NYK get T-mac, Memphis #27 pick, future 1st from houston Houston gets #2 pick...
Personally, I would rather keep Tracy instead of making a trade for Harrington and Curry. The thought of having Curry on this hardworking rockets team just makes me ill.
Do you guys think Tmac AND brooks is too much to give up for the #2 pick? I think so. I think there should be more coming back to us.
Maybe Darko Milicic... In fact, if the rockets were able not to take back any other players, that would be great!
So we give up Tmac and Aaron brooks and a future first rounder for a draft pick.... lol we must be getting a 24 million dollar trade exception then. I'm not a Tmac fan at all...BUT i honestly feel the Rockets are doing the following: Actively shopping TMAC to see what the offer is, but plan to keep him unless a trade comes up that cannot be passed up. Why? If we trade Tmac, more than likely we will receive at least 10 million dollars of expiring contract plus a player who is signed for multiple years (around 9 -10 million). Whoever we get will never be as good as a healthy Tmac and that 9-10 million will be on our CAP for the summer of 2010. With TMAC gone, signing Ron Ron becomes more of a must than it already is. Smartest thing to do is wait it out. No one will trade valuable assets for TMAC now. So... Tmac can come back and do the following two paths: 1. Come back healthy and better than last year and reach 20 ppg. If he does than why not shop him at the deadline to see what we can get once his value is high. If not, then we ride him to the playoffs. 2. Comes back just as bad...if so, we let him go to free agency and have 20 million to spend. Most of you want to trade him for a bag of beans anyways so why not just let him walk and see what happens
I'll never understand folks' tendencies to gamble so much on potential. Without looking does anyone even remember who was the #2 pick last year? Did any rookies have a major impact on a contender? Anyone else other than Derrick Rose have a playoff impact? This is considered one of the weakest drafts in years and so many of you want in. I'm glad that Morey isn't going to be $23 million in lottery tickets...
