Personally, I think Hill will play next season. He will never be betetr than 75% of the original Grant Hill, but he will be able to play. I think that it's good enough. We need a taller small forward, he can handle the ball, he has experience, decent rebounder, and good scorer. Even if he brings 25 minutes a game, it's a plus. The question is, will he opt out of his contract if he sees that he's healthy enough to play, even though he's not worth half his contract?
Sane - We've discussed this before and I think we have an understanding that if Grant Hill can't play, he'll retire. Here's an entirely different spin on Hill. Let's assume McGrady + Hill costs the Rox SF3 + Mobley + Taylor. And let's further assume Grant Hill can play at 75% of what he was for 20-25 mpg. That's a very serviceable but very expensive backup. Now here's the cap situation. You may find this hard to believe, but as long as McGrady and Cato and Spoon and Yao are on the payroll, the Rockets do not have significant cap space even if Hill retires and is completely removed from the payroll. TMac + Yao + Cato + Spoon = ~$36.2m. That doesn't count Boki, JJ or Pike who have 2005-06 contracts and would add an additional $7.9m. So IMHO, you don't take on Grant Hill to become a player in the FA market. You obtain Grant Hill to get McGrady to compete for the WC Finals. And if Hill can play, it's just a bonus whether you're paying him TMac $ or get him to agree to not taking the option and paying him MLE level $ to lower your payroll. I do the trade 8 days a week.
I agree with everything you're saying. I realize we're far from having capspace anytime soon, and I didn't mean to imply it if I did. What I'm wondering is, when in history has a player who hasn't lived up to his contract opted out? If he is willing to do so, then why would Orlando trade him? Wouldn't they rather have him opt out of THEIR cap in a season? In this case, wouldn't Grant Hill be considered a benefit rather than "taking something on" in a trade? The way I see it, Orlando can trade Juwan Howard to the Celtics for Yogi Stewart and a first rounder. After next season, their payroll will be around 20M, they pick up a player this year, a player next year (with Celtics pick), and another high pick of their own for being so crappy. They also have all that capspace to supplement their 3 rookies. I believe they have stockpiled picks from other teams as well, am I correct? I'm thinking we HOPE that Hill is not willing to opt out, i.e., he's able to play decent basketball for 25 minutes. Orlando decides they dont want to stick with him, and want to build a new core with Francis/Mobley/Gooden/Okafor. Do you, personally, think CD would be willing to take on Hill and T-Mac, knowing he would have to re-up Yao, and we'd still have either Mo or Cato on the books? Also, what wouldthe cap figure be like if we had T-Mac, Hill, MoT, JJ, Pike, Weatehrspoon, and Boki? I'm thinking it's around 48M (estimate)? How does that compare to other contenders (Minny, SAC, DAL, LA, SAS)? I'm thinkign it's pretty decent. Right now the TE is counting against our cap I believe, and we could just renounce that after this trade I believe.
Sane - Trading Howard for expiring role players deletes an already thin pool of ORL talent and guarantees TMac won't take his 2005-06 POpt. Assuming Hill wasn't spiteful and did not take his option, they have a boatlaod of cap space without Hill, Howard and McGrady. But they also have the same winning prospects as the CHA Bobcats. Not a good way to treat a proud and winning traditioned franchise that IIRC wants to build a new arena. So the answer to your "Why would they trade Hill? is embedded in the fact that getting something for McGrady and Hill is better than a total rebuild via the draft and free agency IMO. For 2005-06, TMac + Hill (w/opt) + Taylor + Yao + Boki + Spoon + JJ + Pike = $60.3m. Not chump change, but that's a formidable foundation. Add Barry @ $5m and it's still good. Now here's the important part. Keeping the current team together has a 2005-06 payroll of $56.6m.
Unless u mean that gigantic blow up doll in your closet then we might believe u. How about trading that sorry a** bum who gets shut down by the likes of Eddie Najera and Nesterovich a.k.a Yao Ming
I think the Rockets have no other option this offseason but to go after Tracy. You're talking about a player, that it is said, has Houston high on his list of possible destinations. If the Rockets are not able to land McGrady now, I would consider this offseason much of a failure regardless of what may transpire. The deal that seems to make the most sense to me is a combination of Steve, Cuttino, and Kelvin for Howard and Tracy. I do not know if that is a better deal than what Phoenix can offer but Dawson deperately needs to bring in McGrady.
Would you trade?: Yao, Spoon and Taylor (and Cat) for T-MAC and Okafer (and Gooden) No one (except SOF) would want to trade Yao because he will ultimately be top-5, but we actually have a realistic chance to get a NOW 25 year old Top 5 and a #1 pick landing two big pieces for one really, really, really big one. Francis/ Jackson/Cat T-Mac/Boki Okafer/Badiane Cato/TE/Badiane Could you imagine Yao in the EC? edit: sorry I violated the cardinal rule - we will not trade Yao.
Orlando would be eastern conference contenders in the east with a core of Francis, Mobley, and Taylor or Cato and a solid first round draft pick this year. The east is that weak. All they have to do is look at the Rockets dominance over the east conference the past couple years. No team has such a lopsided success over one conference. That right there should be a reason for them to shoot for a trade with Houston. I don't see a better a trade out there than the one Houston can give them. One that allows them to win now with a nucleus that is just entering its prime. If they pick up Okafor with that crew, shiat, they're the new beasts of the east.
Good point, the East is weak. Those 5 years we didn't make the playoffs, the rockets teams were probably just as strong as your proposed lineup, though...
This is starting to remind me of when Chris Webber was going to be a free agent and he mentioned Houston as a possible destination. Everybody went crazy, just like now. In retrospect, he was never coming here. I think this is a similar situation. I doubt it will happen. But I also think the Rockets ended up better off than they would have if Webber had joined the team. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing in 2 years from now. TMac has back problems, not a good sign for a young dude like him- this could spell a lot of time on the DL in his future. That being said, I'd be excited if the Rockets can get him without getting totally hosed. I just don't think it will happen.
I heard his back problems were directly due to the fact that he had to carry the whole city of Orlando on its back.
4 pages about a trade for McGrady all based on Peter Vescey's appearance on the Best Damn Sports Show Period. You guys no better than that
Yeah, but everybody is desperate from new grist for the threadmill. Tonight we find out the order of the draft. Watch the trade parade march into the night.
TMac wants out and will have to be convinced to stay. This is not only coming from PV; many sports outlits including the Orlando Sentenal and many of their fan sites are saing the same things. It seems TMac has his choices to play already decided and Yao I mean Hou. is one. I woukd love to see this happen as a Francis fan. It would also help the rox. Francis and Cat would excel in the east with a team revoled around them. With Howard and the high draft choice they would finish with a high seed next year. Francis will continue to be an allstar and prove his worth, but not undr Van. If Tmac wants to win he is doing this the right way beacause good teams will not have the cap space to sign him if was a free agent. He still has control because the team trading for him needs him to resign to pull the trigger. If Hou wants him they are in the best position to make a big change and still be good with Francis and the trade exemp.
That's interesting. But that first Rockets team would be super thin in the backcourt. However, I believe Spoon would be in his final year, we'd be adding some first/second round picks, as well as cheap FA pickups by then. Basically, if Hill opts out, we're in heaven. All our money would be tied up in T-Mac and Yao, while Weatherspoon and Cato would be on short-term contracts, very tradeable. I really hope CD honestly goes after this. The team needs this, Yao needs this, the fans need this... I NEED THIS. How incredible would it be to have a Yao/McGrady tandem? If Yao doesn't improve beyond this season, that would STILL make us contenders for years to come.
