More Money, Bad Team < Less Money, Good Team (IMO) I think he turned down the Seattle contract because he was just tired of Seattle and didn't want to be forgotten after Ray left and Durant came in.
ray allen said he didn't think rashard would re-sign because seattle was in a rebuilding phase. i think this is also a factor.
Well at least that's something. I don't know but I believe as a near-superstar (not like Battier or Hayes) Rashard must already has a shoe deal with either Nike or Adidas or Reebok... He might be able to re-negotiate a new fatter shoe deal if he plays next to Yao Ming. He'll sell more shoes and jerseys that for sure.
When players like mobley, murphy, and nene can get in the 9-11 million range I think Rashard has a good chance of getting his 12M/+ contract. Rashard+Wilcox would require at least 15M worth of salary on Houston's part and in doing so completely disregard Seattle's roster needs.
New Hollinger Rashard Lewis Analysis: 2005-06 season: After a breakout year in 2004-05, Lewis proved it wasn't a fluke by putting up similar numbers in 2005-06. And he did it by adding more variety to his offensive game, especially in the low post. Lewis' numbers across the board showed an increased reliance on his ability to score from the left block. He shaved his 3-point attempts by nearly a quarter, but upped his free-throw tries by a similar proportion. He also was able to greatly boost his assist ratio by passing out of double teams to shooters, an option that didn't exist a year earlier when he was mainly firing 3-pointers from the left corner. Better yet, he did it without an increase in turnover ratio. On the downside, it's hard to know how a 6-10 small forward can manage to be so invisible on the boards. Lewis's 8.2 rebound rate was pathetic for a player of his size and ability -- he finished just behind Hornets guard Chris Paul, who is 10 inches shorter. And his defense, as we'll discuss in minute, was awful. Scouting report: The Sonics were the worst defensive team of all time, and Lewis was a big reason why. He has never been the most interested defender, but like a lot of teammates he suffered a noticeable drop in intensity last season. While Seattle had myriad problems and Lewis was only a part of them, it's simply shocking to look at his defensive numbers from a year ago. As bad as the Sonics were defensively, they were worse with Lewis on the floor. A LOT worse. Seattle gave up 6.6 points per 100 possessions more when Lewis played -- and keep in mind, his replacement most times was Vladimir Radmanovic, who won't be appearing on an All-Defense team any time soon. Additionally, Lewis' man was doing most of the damage -- he surrendered an 18.6 opponent PER from the small forward spot, and a staggering 23.5 at power forward. At either forward spot, obvious weaknesses come to the fore. Lewis is 6-10 and not overly nimble, so perimeter defense is something he struggles with. At the same time, he's only 215 pounds, so asking him to bang underneath isn't much of a solution either. His length makes him more effective in zones, but unless he seriously picks up the effort level he's going to be a liability in any scheme. Offensively, he's a great shooter from the corners, especially the left one, and has a nice turnaround from the blocks. As soon as he puts the ball on the floor, though, it's a different story. Lewis is a poor dribbler and needs to get better at faking his shot and going to the rim. 2006-07 outlook: Tall, slender shooters like Lewis tend to have long, predictable careers -- think Clifford Robinson -- so barring injury the Sonics can expect several more seasons like this past one. He should again perform at an All-Star level offensively, but the question is whether he'll ever provide much in other areas. It would be great if Lewis could help the undersized Sonics more on the boards, and it goes without saying that his defense needs massive improvement. The more interesting question is where Lewis will be drawing his paychecks. Lewis has the option of becoming a free agent next summer and figures to be one of the most coveted names on the market. Because of that, the Sonics will have to consider trading him at midseason if they're not in contention rather than risk losing him for nothing after the season. If defense really does win championships it might be that RL is not the guy for the Rocks. A S&T for G Wallace would give us a better balance and cost less than RL. Just my 2c.
Durant and shard for yao is a fair trade. but seattle would never do it. durant is gonna be a superstar.
I have a few thoughts on the matter. 1. I hope we don't have to give up Battier. Championship teams need guys like Battier on the roster. 2. I'm not a big fan of the load the roster up with superstars approach. I would prefer solid and dependable contributers over guys who need to get a bunch of shots off in order to get their 20 points. 3. The chronicle makes it seem as if this is just a "might as well give it a shot" tactic. If that's the case I admire the aggressiveness and their willingness not too put all their hopes in landing a big star.
Yao = cornerstone of Rockets. 'Nuff said there. As for Rashard Lewis? I would like to see him here in Houston, but not for a max contract or at the cost of Battier. Here's why I'm opposed to acquiring Lewis under either of those conditions. 1) A max contract for Rashard Lewis (assuming Seattle grants it as part of a sign and trade) runs six years. As per the CBA, a max contract for Lewis' time in service is either 14 million dollars or 35% of the cap, depending on what is higher. The max last year was appx. 17.4 million dollars, and other factors (Bird rule, etc.) can push that number even higher. T-Mac and Yao are already max players - adding a third max player locks up 95 percent of the cap for three players! (Yao gets 25% of the cap, T-Mac gets 35%, and Lewis would get 35% at max for his tenure as well.) The Rockets are already limited to the MLE and LLE now. To get Lewis for a max/near-max deal puts the Rockets in severe cap constraints. 2) I like Battier's game. He takes the toughest defensive assignment 9/10ths of the time, hustles, scraps and does dirty work. He can shoot a good 3, and shows signs of a decent interior game. He has a workman like mindset and approach to the game. Coach Adleman may be able to boost Shane's production slightly on the offensive front as well, if he asks Battier to do more than shoot 3's. Also, (IMO) Battier didn't choke in the postseason or disappear as many on the board would have one believe. What Battier brings to the table isn't sexy, but good NBA GMs and basketball people know the value of a Battier. Losing him would be a serious blow. To conclude, if the Rockets actually managed to get Rashard Lewis, I would be happy. But I would also be wary - "be careful what you wish for" keeps popping in my head. I would also be disappointed if Battier was traded, both personally and from a basketball standpoint. I'm intrigued to see how this plays out. I like Morey's moxie...leaving a Rockets jersey at Lewis' house? Priceless! Let's sit back and enjoy the next couple of weeks. It'll be fun. (All maximum salary info cited from Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ. http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#11)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4935342.html With the names being thrown about that last past is encouraging especially since it's against league rules to talk about players under contract with other teams.
Another Article. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2922299 HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets want Rashard Lewis to come back home. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said Saturday night that the club is "going after Rashard," the SuperSonics forward who attended high school in suburban Houston and is considered one of the NBA's most attractive free agents this summer. "We really want him," Morey told Houston television station KRIV-TV. "We think he would be a significant player for us. Rashard would have to be motivated to come." Lewis, who turns 28 in August, left $21 million behind by opting out of the final two years of his Seattle contract. The Sonics are the only team that can offer Lewis a six-year contract and the maximum salary allowed under the league's salary cap. Morey told KRIV that in order for Lewis to land in Houston, "it has to be through a sign and trade." Lewis, who has spent all nine of his NBA seasons in Seattle, averaged 22.4 points and 6.6 rebounds last season.
Seems we are offering up a player who is among the best defensively in the NBA for one who is among the worst defensively in the NBA. At PF he was -in fact- the worst defensive player in the NBA with a opposing PER of 23.5. That said I hope we have NO intentions of him being our 4 - even in spot minutes. If we give up Battier in this whole process we will be a lot worse off.
Its true... Morey talks A LOT though! I am sure we can agree on that. Maybe he is blowing smoke, maybe he is trying to appease us, maybe he is being genuine. Who knows at this point. Its not bad. Its not good. But he does talk. I think its apparent he knows about clutchfans.net, I am certain he throws out this info for our sake. I guarantee you he reads this forum.
First, That comment deserves a life time ban!!! Yao is the best center in the league, period! Yao was putting up MVP numbers before he got injured in the Clipper game. Yao said it himself that he was not happy with his play in the playoffs (Turnovers/Rebounds vs. Points) After the playoffs, Yao worked with Dream, CD and now or very soon with Sikma. I know Yao will be more productive in 07-08. Second, We need a third scoring option. Sacramento had it with Peja, Bibby and Webber. The big teams have at least 3 scoring options regardless of style. Look at San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver(AI, Melo, Nene), Golden State (BD, Jackson, Richardson-Ellis) and Utah (Boozer, Williams, AK47, Okur). Before all of you come after me with the torches, let me explain. Nene, AK, and Okur are scoring options. They make a lot of money. So they are not just role players. In some cases, the scoring options may fade. (Now off the tangent) We cannot resort to the inside out offense with virtually no shooters. Now we are installing a motion offense with scorers. I love Battier. He brings leadership, positive attitude, and a remarkable skill set that does not show in the box score. I want Battier on this team for this season and for future seasons ahead. HOWEVER, we need to advance to the forth round to win a championship, obviously. we are a 50-54 win team with Yao and Tracy. We need to be a 57-62 Win team to win a Championship. How are we going to get to the next stage even with a motion offense with this lineup: Battier/Wells/Novak (really sf) Scrub PF/Hayes Yao/Deke James/ 2 other PG out of the 20 on the roster T-Mac/Snyder Rookies will have some minutes, but I am looking at playoffs. We need at least 5 more wins to get to advance to the Conference Finals and maybe the Finals.
Absolutely. However, I think we are far better offensively with Lewis and far worse defensively. Hopefully Morey will do some math and compare the net effect of replacing SF battier with Lewis. Since lewis nearly doubles the offensive of his opposing player and battier cuts it down by 30% - his extra offense doesn't see to be much of a net positive.
I'm guessing that translates to less money? Seattle were only willing to commit to him for an extra two years at 25M at about 12M per year. If the Rockets offered a 6 year contract starting at 9M, that'd be around 65M, he's getting that extra 40M guaranteed.
Rashard is talented, no doubt. But he is Soft. This guy disappears more often than not in big games. He also has no problem sitting out in playoffs due to minor injuries. So the question is... Do we really want to add another soft player to our already soft core of Yao/Tmac?? Especially at the price Lewis will command? Good move for regular season. Bad move for playoffs.
