[Marc Stein] Houston Rockets could join Chris Bosh chase

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

BOISE, Idaho -- Here are the best (and last) dribbles of chatter from the NBA grapevine as collected from various executives, scouts and insiders who gathered to watch 16 teams play two games each in a four-day span at the annual D-League Showcase:

Some 40 days from the league's annual trading deadline, no one in Boise could say with any certainty that the Toronto Raptors are going to be willing to move Chris Bosh ahead of the Feb. 18 trade buzzer.

No one has a firm read on Toronto's intentions yet.

What we did hear, though, is that the Houston Rockets have made it known that they would be willing to trade for Bosh immediately … even if they don't get a guarantee they can re-sign him this summer.

That's the problem with any sort of Bosh deal at midseason. Even if the Raps do decide they want to make Bosh available now and avoid the threat of losing him without compensation in free agency after July 1, there's an overwhelming majority of teams that wouldn't dare consider trading for Bosh in February without some sort of assurance they could keep him.

But Houston is different.

Sources say the ever-aggressive Rockets are sure a half-season in Houston could convince the native Texan to pledge his long-term future to a city players love as well as a team that sits four games over .500 without the injured Yao Ming and the exiled Tracy McGrady. The Rockets also have the requisite stash of young assets, as evidenced by their success this season without marquee names, to assemble a legit deal for Toronto to consider … and without insisting that McGrady's mammoth $22.5 million salary has to be part of it.

You figure Chicago, Miami and New York also are on the short list of teams that would be willing to risk trading for Bosh before we get to the summer. Those are the teams thought to have the best shot at signing him in free agency and could inherit Bosh's Larry Bird rights with a deal before the deadline. None of them, though, can offer a better talent deal than Houston. The Heat and Knicks -- with their heavily stripped-down rosters as the countdown continues to July 1 -- can't come close.

The Raps recently have inched back to .500, just got point guard Jose Calderon back from a hip injury and still expect bruising forward Reggie Evans to start playing in the second half of the season after recovering from a foot problem to provide some needed toughness. So there's a good case for Toronto to put off any major decisions until the offseason.

The Raptors have long believed, furthermore, that Bosh will participate in a sign-and-trade this summer -- if he decides to leave Canada after saying repeatedly that he loves the place -- before walking away outright from the franchise that drafted him.

I nonetheless was advised this week to expect Houston to make a hard Bosh push during these next 40 days if the Raptors invite it. Or perhaps even if they don't invite it.

That tale alone made it a worthy trip.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100108-09/weekend-dime-rockets-woo-bosh

 

ESPN Link to Bosh Story

 

Quoted from Page Linked Above:

BOISE, Idaho -- Here are the best (and last) dribbles of chatter from the NBA grapevine as collected from various executives, scouts and insiders who gathered to watch 16 teams play two games each in a four-day span at the annual D-League Showcase:

Some 40 days from the league's annual trading deadline, no one in Boise could say with any certainty that the Toronto Raptors are going to be willing to move Chris Bosh ahead of the Feb. 18 trade buzzer.

No one has a firm read on Toronto's intentions yet.

What we did hear, though, is that the Houston Rockets have made it known that they would be willing to trade for Bosh immediately … even if they don't get a guarantee they can re-sign him this summer.

That's the problem with any sort of Bosh deal at midseason. Even if the Raps do decide they want to make Bosh available now and avoid the threat of losing him without compensation in free agency after July 1, there's an overwhelming majority of teams that wouldn't dare consider trading for Bosh in February without some sort of assurance they could keep him.

But Houston is different.

Sources say the ever-aggressive Rockets are sure a half-season in Houston could convince the native Texan to pledge his long-term future to a city players love as well as a team that sits four games over .500 without the injured Yao Ming and the exiled Tracy McGrady. The Rockets also have the requisite stash of young assets, as evidenced by their success this season without marquee names, to assemble a legit deal for Toronto to consider … and without insisting that McGrady's mammoth $22.5 million salary has to be part of it.

You figure Chicago, Miami and New York also are on the short list of teams that would be willing to risk trading for Bosh before we get to the summer. Those are the teams thought to have the best shot at signing him in free agency and could inherit Bosh's Larry Bird rights with a deal before the deadline. None of them, though, can offer a better talent deal than Houston. The Heat and Knicks -- with their heavily stripped-down rosters as the countdown continues to July 1 -- can't come close.

The Raps recently have inched back to .500, just got point guard Jose Calderon back from a hip injury and still expect bruising forward Reggie Evans to start playing in the second half of the season after recovering from a foot problem to provide some needed toughness. So there's a good case for Toronto to put off any major decisions until the offseason.

The Raptors have long believed, furthermore, that Bosh will participate in a sign-and-trade this summer -- if he decides to leave Canada after saying repeatedly that he loves the place -- before walking away outright from the franchise that drafted him.

I nonetheless was advised this week to expect Houston to make a hard Bosh push during these next 40 days if the Raptors invite it. Or perhaps even if they don't invite it.

That tale alone made it a worthy trip.

 

Exactly.

Scola's minutes have gone down recently. Can't be a coincidence.

 

If we could somehow do it without having to give up Landry or Brooks then I'm all for it.

 

What crap contracts do the raptors have again? Banks?

Bosh/Banks

Tmac/Scola/Brooks

Keep Landry!

 

give your best shot Morey! Godbless.

 

We we got Bosch, we wouldn't need both of them.

 

I can't think of a more perfect frontline than Bosh and Yao.

Bosh is the type of player worth giving up nearly anything the Rockets have to offer to get.

 

This got my attention right away...

Toronto will want Landry thats for sure and will probably try to unload Calderon's contract at the same time. Brooks and Landry would almost certainly be part of a package.

 

It would most def. have to be Scola.

So this is what Morey has up his sleeve.

Bosh would work perfect in RA's offense, great for Ariza too he can stop shooting so damn much and just pass it to Chris! :grin:

 

Yeah I would hate to see Scolandry broken up. I think that's one of the team's strengths.

I am all for Bosh. I like his game, but not sure he is that "lead" player we are looking for. Yao and Bosh would be your 2 Max players. Neither one is a bulldog.
Ideally getting a guard/swingman would be best to pair with Yao. That said, maybe Bosh is the best "chance" we have at getting a top talent and if we can do it, then we do it and figure out the rest later.

 

Scola + Brooks + whatever for Bosh + whatever sounds like it would be very acceptable.

 

Honestly, I want Bosh but we also need to acquire a pure SG..gettin Bosh by the way would entice him to sign a contract extension immediately.

 

If I was Toronto I would demand landry not scola. What they got do is not pick up his option and then they can trap him in Toronto.

 

I was hoping we kept Landry and entered the Wade sweepstakes in the offseason.

 

This is not going to happen. Toronto won't trade Bosh.