[Rumor] Rockets considering trade of #26 to Indiana?

James is a .384 career 3 shooter and had a best year of 44%, Head is a .404 career 3 shooter (on half the attempts) with a best year of 44%. Head might have him slightly on pure 3 shooting, but James is close, and is much better in lots of other phases (dribbling, midrange, finishing, FTs, assitsts, A/TO, individual defense). Now it is possible James has peaked out and heading downward (he only shot 37% last year from 3s), but it is also possible Head is the same 1 dimensional player he was last year that was totally ineffective in a 7 game series versus a decent but not elite opponent.

I agree Snyder it out though. I would have no plans to count on him being a rotation player. Anything we get from him is a pleasant surprise.

 

granted this is just personal opinion which might not be met with much agreement on this board...(esp. after his playoff performance)

but I think alot of people are sleeping on head. compared to his rookie season, you can see he had put some work on his dribbling and mid range game. noone can argue that every aspect of his game improved, even if the results are not immediately apparent.

he is also probably the 2nd hardest worker on the team behind yao...I remember a quote not too long ago where the team called the early bus to the arena the "Luther Bus" because he would always be the first one at the arena to shoot around. those are the kind've players you want on your team if you plan on winning. that's the kind've mentality you want to instill in other young players who might be joining the team as well.

he is young, has a very favorable contract and is committed to improving his game.

personally I think JVG put a leash on luther at some point in the season, as he was taken out of any pg minutes and used exclusively as a sg near the end of the season.

sure if a trade comes along that blows you away for a starting pf you have to make the move. I think the diogu trade is on that borderline. but luther head is not someone to simply look past in the rotation, he is going to earn minutes no matter what team in the league he is on.

 

100% agree. Nellie once tried to make Manute Bol into a three-point shooter, go to youtube and look up manute bol, and you'll see that his jump shot looks like he's just flinging the ball at the basket. I wouldn't trust Nellie to develop a big, ever.

 

Luther Head is a 6-3 Eddie House, with more hops and less range and handles. He's a 3rd string SG on a team that wants to win a title. He's very useful in a Damon Jones type role as designated outside shooting for just that occasion.

The fact that he played 29 minutes a game the last two years really showed IMO that Jeff Van Gundy valued outside shooting at the expense of just about everything else. Really, Luther Head cannot and should not ever play point guard. He's as bad as it can get at point guard. Then by playing him at shooting guard, he's basically a 6-3 185 pound one-dimensional shooting guard that plays absolutely horrid defense.

What he can do is hit 3's and he is very clutch and will take the big shot (veins of ice water), but then again in the playoffs, against a team that is caliber of Utah, the defense will rotate out on him, and since he basically is strictly a catch and shoot player this exposes him.

The way this board generally rants about Alston, Spanoulis, and even Lucas is actually not in line with the way Head is generally perceived, because Head has complete deficiency in every aspect of his game other than the outside shot. Actually the other 3 can all do more than one thing well.

 

draftexpress update

#26 for Ike Diogu + filler

I really don't know how that can happen unless its #26+Luther+Sura for Ike+filler

Luther and Sura are roughly $5 million

Diogu makes $2.3 million...who is the mystery player?

 

I’m with you.

Before the offseason, I was onboard the trade Luther Head train, but now that I see what little value he has on the trade market (Head for Cook?, Head+#26 for Diogu?), there’s no way I give him up for so little.

I’ve never seen a board overvalue one player so much (Battier), while undervaluing another player so much (Head), even though both players have similar strengths (very accurate shooters) and weaknesses (hardly any playmaking ability). You have people scoffing the idea of trading Battier for an all-star caliber player like Rashard Lewis. Yet they’re so willing to give up Head for a scrub like Brian Cook. Granted, Shane Battier is a superior player, especially defensively, but the difference is not as vast as the difference is between Rashard Lewis and Brian Cook.

As for Ike Diogu, I would consider a Head for Diogu swap or a #26 for Diogu swap, but Head+#26 is definitely too much.

 

As alluded to elsewhere, the filler has got to be Tinsley. If this goes down and we do happen to get Tinsley, it will be interesting to see what happens with the glut at point.

-Turbo

 

#26, Rafer Alston, and Luther Head for

Ike Diogu and Jamaal Tinsley works under the cap.

If we drafted a point guard for Indiana, that would give them Daniels/Alston/#26 pick at point guard. This trade would also clear playing room for Diogu and also get them out of Tinsley's deal, while also giving them Daniels/Head at shooting guard.

In reality, it makes sense for Indy.

 

I would welcome this trade. Morey should try to move VSpan for a high 2nd rounder and get McGuire IMO.This won't solve the glut of PG's but it will add to the depth chart.Another possible high 2nd rounder that I would think about is Marcus Williams.

 

If we are to believe that Spanoulis isn't coming back, which 90 percent of fans here suggest, then there is zero chance of being able to trade him for a 2nd round pick. He could only be traded for another player with a big contract as part of a package deal in a salary dump.

No team is just going to essentially give up a 2nd round pick for free, then have to turnaround and pay Spanoulis a buyout, while still seeing it count against their cap.

It doesn't work both ways. He's only getting traded for a 2nd rounder if he's coming back, and if he's coming back then why is all of this hoopla going on about him being a prima donna?

 

there are a lot more people against a straight up luther head for brian cook trade then against getting rashard for shane so i think you're wrong on that account. people may overvalue shane or undervalue luther in general but i don't think it's that far off, particularly in luther'case.

i know you're not arguing who the better player is but they don't have similar strengths at all. battier's basketball iq is levels above luther head's. he limits mistakes and positions himself in the right spot both offensively and defensively. luther is steve francis part 2 with none of steve's positives.

luther head has ONE ability. shooting. i saw little to no improvement in any other area of his game from his rookie season. maybe it was there but i think he was just more consistent from the outside making him appear better. i stick by my short matt bullard comment.

i'll gladly keep luther as shooting is an important value to have but he's a cheap player with value so his name is going to be brought up a lot in potential moves to improve this team. he's no deal breaker i'd say.

 

Well, it can't be Luther so all is well as far as I'm concerned.

Great deal!

 

Battier is leaps superior to Luther Head.

 

I agree with you. I'm only saying this if Tinsley comes with Ike there will be no room for him on the roster.If VSpan wants to play in the NBA he might be better off on another team where he can get minutes eg the possible Dallas deal for the #34.

 

Well Dallas is trying to trade Harris for the #6 pick so they could use him, but it just makes no sense for any team to trade a 2nd rounder if he won't even report to the Rockets because he is dreaming of playing in Greece.

And if he isn't, then why have there been dozens of topics saying he has been?
It just doesn't make sense why any other GM would trade for a guy, then take on his salary, when he's not even going to come back to the country. So either all these reports about him and fans' complaints about his "whining" are wrong or the Dallas GM is a fool.

 

Like I said I agree with you. No one can force him to play in the NBA.The Rockets should release him if he doesn't want to come to the US. He would be better off in Greece.

 

Update on Draftexpress Blog:

-Ike Diogu for the #26 pick is for real from what we are hearing. Or at least NBA people say it has legs. Houston already acquired a late 2nd round pick, but they are apparently trying to find a player who is willing to be stashed overseas because of roster spot concerns--either American or International.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats the article!

 

If Vspan doesn't come back to the Rox, does that mean he comes off the books?

Just a thought, I hope against hope that we don't take Josh McRoberts, he's absolutely useless, especially for the rockets!

 

i agree ...he is useless. Why did he even come out?