I would love to see any evidence of that.......lol. Tanking has gone on for years, players know it, they don't care.....they chase the $$$$ anyway. The Rockets playing young players right now, and essentially tanking would have ZERO bearing on them getting free agents...etc. None. DD
Wrong. Players go after the team that they see that best chance of winning a championship as much as the money they make. I say, go after Marcus Camby and Al Jefferson.
Exactly, If FA are to dumb to figure out that the only reason we suck now is because our best player has been out all season then we don't need them anyways.
I think the idea is that what if a player like Marcus Camby wants to play 3 more years before retiring. Lets say he gets 3 year offers for full MLE from NY, NJ and Hou. Don't you think that Houston might be more attractive to him than either NY or NJ just based on the fact that he make the same money and still have a chance to compete for a title? I do. Now replace NY and NJ with Memphis and NOH. If we finish the season 4 or 5 games ahead of either of those teams along with getting Yao back and a lottery pick it might be enough to make him think his best chance to compete for a title in his last 3 years is Houston.
I would love to see evidence of players going after that championship versus players taking the money. Corey Maggette bailed on San Antonio and took the money. Baron Davis took the money More often than not players take the money......maybe a couple take a shot at a championship and take less, but the players know that the Rockets are an up and coming team and get Yao back. They know what's what, even if this board doesn't. DD
In theory, Camby and Al Jefferson would sign with the Lakers and split the MLE to go for a championship, instead of Houston.
I would bet MASSIVE money against that happening, in the final contract they get, and the last one before the new CBA, they will be after as much of a guarantee as they can get. TRUST ME ! DD
Danny Manning (Suns) Charles Barkley (Rockets) Karl Malone (Lakers) Gary Payton (Lakers) PJ Brown (Celtics) Antonio McDyess (Pistons) Grant Hill (Suns) Ron Artest (Lakers) You are actually moving the argument away from my original point, which is that ALL ELSE EQUAL (including the money, since the Rockets, like many others, will be working with just the MLE and/or LLE), good free agents (as Morey likes to call them, "winning players") won't want to come play with a group that has a losing mentality. Of course, the Rockets are going to lose some games down the stretch due to injuries. But if the Rockets don't continue to put forth maximum effort and to execute like they did earlier this year, it will hurt them more in free agency then it will help them by moving them up 1 or 2 spots in the draft (in a range where the talent is pretty much equal, anyway).
It depends at what stage of their careers the players are at. Younger players will usually go for the money, veterans at the last stages of their careers already made money, so they usually go with a team that has a chance of winning a chip.
Well, he actually wanted to play with Elton Brand also, they would probably be a better team had he stayed.
It's a list of over the hill players that should have retired due to age(Payton/Malone) or injuries(McDyess/Hill), because their original teams wouldn't give them extensions. Artest is the only player that could have resigned with the Rockets for the same money, but decided to go to the Lakers for the championship.
First, I don't think they will stop trying, so it is probably moot. and Second, IMO, it would not matter one bit....players will look at the entire roster and what is coming up along with the $$$ to make their decision, Yao coming back will help, as will draft picks, opportunity and players that play together well. There have been loads of teams that tanked and got better because of it..... Unfortunatly, this year, the Rockets are not really in a position to do it all that much because their position is fairly locked in....so...que cera cera. DD
You're right only about some of them. Manning, Barkley and Malone all were still well above average players at their positions (plus, being able to still get "superstar calls" didn't hurt, either). True, Payton was way past his prime. McDyess was well past his injury issues when he turned down multiple teams that would have gladly given him the full MLE to re-sign with the Pistons for the veteran's minimum (post-Billups/Iverson trade). And, sure, Hill signed for cheap with Phoenix coming off major injury issues; but after playing almost every game (and at a very high level), he turned down other offers to back to the Suns, for less money.
You really think a player takes into account the teams record over looking at the actual roster of a team he is interested in signing with? So by your reasoning a 42-40 team is automatically better than a 40-42 team because they are over 500, injuries or other factors be dammed
Yeah, getting under the Hornets is gonna be kind of tough, since they have a hard schedule to close out the season. But like I said before, the last game of the season vs. the Hornets might mean something.
I can't think of one player in his prime that took considerable less money, or less in general, for a chance to win. I'm sure it has happened in limited sitautions, but I can't think of any. All of the guys on your list had already made tons of money before they went ring chasing.
