Assuming it's true. The 1st round pick is huge because at some point, we have to get younger which is very tough to do via trades and free agency alone. If we didn't have to give up the 1st, it's a great deal because we get rid of Mo's salary 1 year earlier.
The Knicks did not rob us. Mo Taylor was done(yes, finished) here, and with his nasty contract his value was not good around the league. So the rockets get out of bad contracts a year early and in smaller parts(easier to trade) for him, allowing them more financial leeway around the time to give Yao the max. And now reports are the Rockets might not have given a pick at all. This was a nothing for nothing deal, plain and simple. Plus, it allows the Rockets to have many expiring contracts next year to use in trades. All for a guy who was done as a Rocket. This is not a bad deal at all.
If we don't give up a first rounder then it looks better. Before I was wondering how in the hell the Spurs were able to get a talent like Muhammad for roughly what we gave up, Rose and 1 first rounder, while all we got was Baker and Norris. I was sure wondering why we couldn't have gotten Muhammad. If they gave up two first rounders and we gave up none than it is understandable.
CNNSI is also reporting that the Knicks-Rockets trade did not involve a draft pick. Good trade without using the pick.
according to the article the 2006 pick is the spurs and the 2005 pick is the suns... You can not trade your own pick away consecutive years but you can trade away another team's pick. I hope this is true because that makes this deal a lot easier to swallow as we didn't give up any real talent for this garbage.
One decent thing about Baker, he can at least play some miunutes at Center if needed. Certainly a better option than Juwon
i like this trade....if vin baker can stay off the hooch, he can be a serviceable player...mooch is a vet, and as long as he doesnt focus on crossing dudes over (maybe steve and cat were an influence) he'll be allright....I'm sure that if anyone screws with the chemistry of this team, they'll get a sudden case of plantar whatchamacalit...lol...great move by CD salary wise....GM of the year, I tell ya!!!
And about this draft pick thing, would anyone be shocked if Chad Ford was wrong about the Rox AGAIN??? Between Chad and Steven A, ESPN coverage just sucks.....
Teams do it all the time. I think the rule is 3 consecutive years. Normally when the 3rd year is up, the team drafting selects a player for the other team. Then trade him after draft. Happens all the time.
I just checked the article again, and the mention about giving up the 1st round pick is gone.... The Rockets today sent forward Maurice Taylor to the Knicks in exchange for forward Vin Baker and guard Moochie Norris Houston saves $10 million in long-term payouts by offloading Taylor's contract. Neither Norris nor Baker is expected to get major playing time with the Rocket Check it again.... This deal looks better now that we didn't give up the 1st round pick...
