Isn't Tmac's deal up after next season? I don't see him sticking around even if he doesn't retire. Someone will pay him more than Houston will as he will still be a very formidable player if not an All Star anymore. The Rockets have to stay in "Win Now" mode IMO. That doesn't mean they can't be players in 2010 once McGrady's contract is up but to play it safe now in order to have more money two summers from now sorta makes the last 4 years a waste and would make me, as a fan, not take much interest in following the team anymore. I think it's time to go all in or blow this thing up. Wasting Yao's prime and Tmac's last productive years to see what can happen in two years is not the way to go.
Psh, who wants Yao/McGrady/Wade if you could do this. Let Yao opt out renounce; renounce Tracy, Scola, Rafer, etc.; sign LeBron to 4/100 million deal starting at 20 million; Kobe to 4/80 starting at 18 million; sign back Tracy to a 4/40 million starting at 8 million; and Yao to a 4/70 million starting at 14 million; then sign a few scrubs. (Yes, I don't feel like going through this to see if this is legal) That's how you do it Morey-style. McGrady/Kobe/Battier/Lebron/Yao
Great article Bimathing. Very well written. I think you've hit the nail on the head as far as Morey's thinking especially when you combine that with the fact that we are setting up to be able to acquire a 3rd star this year with our expiring deals. I think a lot of team are going to be jacked come 2010. Only one team is going to get Lebron, only one team is going to get Wade. I really don't think either one of them is realistic. However, I do see a tremendous opportunity this year to be able to steal some underperforming team's superstar that wants to create capspace for 2010 by sending them expirings and picks.
Thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, in the wake of the Pau Gasol disaster for Memphis (with Greg Popovich going so far as to call for a league investigation or the formation of a trade review committee), I just don't see any team offering up a legit star SOLELY in exchange for expiring contracts and picks. At a minimum, either Battier or Scola (or perhaps both) would need to be included in any package to get a player approaching that caliber. That being said, if a star becomes available, that would likely be Morey's preference. A bird in the hand . . . However, once the reality sets in that no team is going to repeat the mistakes made by Memphis last season, or if no star-caliber player is even available (or worth the risk), then Morey will likely make The 2010 Plan his fallback strategy.
Friends of mine have been laughing at me for suggesting this for a while. Yao+Lebron+McGrady > Garnett+Pierce+Allen Skip/Brooks > Rondo/Cassell Scola > Perkins Yup. I'm hoping so. And ANYONE who says Wade/Bosh over Lebron should be dragged into the Kremlin and shot.
This is where I see us being able to take advantage of many teams trying to play for the 2010. I think more teams will be willing to give up better players easier to make room for that free agent class.
I know what you're saying and I've been saying it for awhile, but I have issues with some of what you're saying. Yao- I would offer him a deal until he has shown he can stay healthy. If yao keeps breaking down, what good is he to ur team? No significant moves? The rox can upgrade their roster now and still be a player. Guys like Harrington and thomas both have deals that expire that summer. Lets even look at a guy like Mo Williams and Hinrich. Both guys have 4 yrs and about 8m per. In the summee of LBJ, even with those guys the Rox would have about 36m comitted to salary. That's including landry at 3m per. Thy rox could pawn off Battier for a 2nd rd pick that would clear up and drop the rox to 28m of a 65m cap. The rox can offer Lebron 20m per 1st which would jump it up to 48m. Offer tracy 10m per, that's 58m, and offer scola 5m and that's 63m of a 65m cap. Hopefully Green would be good enough to back up tracy and lebron by then. Brooks would be backing up Williams or Hinrich. The Scolandry combo is still there and hopefully Yao is still at least effective. Then they could offer Yao a extension if he's worth it. So saying they can't make a move because of 2010, is false. If nothing else, you want the best team possible to lure james. If he looks up and see no state income tax, hinrich or mo willias, t-mac and Yao. The 20m houston can offer will look better than playing with Yi, whomever the knicks have.
Amare Studemire should be our goal! The others are pipe dreams! A big move in 2009 should be our aim with 2010 as a back up just in case. Morey should work well ahead of the deadline with Tracy McGrady to see if he will resign for less money. If he won't than we trade and try to get two decent players out of it. Then in 2010 we get another sharp player and or our Playmaking Point Guard. We would become the first NBA Team with a big four.
Excellent thread and well thought out. This is exactly what I've been thinking and looking at. Thanks for writing it!
This will be the epic summer....i will have graduated from HS and we will have LBJ..... Yes, i can dream can't I? And no, im NOT talking about LeBron. jk
Biggest unrestricted free agents of 2009 and 2010 posted today in ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-09-10 2010 Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd 2009 Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Richard Hamilton, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace Having two guys on the 2010 list can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage. I personally think it is a serious disadvantage. We will probably spend a lot of money to resign Yao Ming and lose TMac. Or worse, we could lose both.
Yao extension is a must! No T-Mac extension, he'll be pretty much done in 2 years, MLE maybe? And that's if he's not goin to just retire... which btw, I'm sure he wants to with the amount of money he's already made, the injuries he's been fighting through, and family he's trying to raise...
No one else thinks Bosh would look really good next to Yao? And he's younger than Amare, and he's a Texan, so that has to help. We can sign Bosh, Nash for a small amount so he can have one last chance at a championship. Oh and T-Mac will sign for a reduced amount, and if he doesn't maybe Joe Johnson is tired of losing and will come chill with us. Alston/Nash (by this point he'll be instant offense off the bench) T-Mac/Veteran min. player Battier/Greene Bosh/Scola/Landra Yao/Bosh
