Before trading one of our young star players, I would get a new coach. Coaches are easier to find than signed star players.
This doesn't mean anything. If you are just looking for any coach, then of course they are easier to find than stay players. But what we need is a GOOD coach, one that is better than Rudy. You can't trade coaches, so it is not as if we have anything to bait any of the good coaches already in the league. If we traded a young star, it would be much easier to get a star player in return than to just find a good coach out of the blue. There are crappy teams that fire coaches nearly every year because they can't seem to find a coach that they like. I don't want the Rockets to start going through crap like that. It will get us nowhere.
I know I won't be adding much to this thread because I am not very informed o cap issues, but I have recently (after the last three games) come to the realization that we need A) a point guard to run the offense and give Stevie more freedom, 2) a stong, rebounding power forward who will complement, protect YAO. Obviously, only Stevie and Yao are non-trade bait for these two need positions. Am I wrong, any thoughts?
uhhh..yes you are right. That has been the main subject. Trying to find a new point guard...not a superstar...just a good role player...and a good power forward that can actually rebound. We are in dire need of one...
Ultimately, nothing's gonna happen, but it never hurts to dream, eh? NOW: 1) Rest Yao until the trade deadline (okay, give him 15 minutes a game MAX). Start (ahem... showcase) Cato. Use Collier off the bench to spell Cato. 2) Trade Cato + Griffin + Chicago draft pick obligation to Clippers for Elton Brand and Eric Piatkowski. 3) Try to unload Rice, MoT, and Moochie for a cheap backup power forward/expensive expiring contract. 4) Sign Pig Miller as a backup to Yao/Collier. 5) Make a run at playoffs. 6) Win championship. OFF-SEASON 1) Bump Rudy to the front office. 2) Hire Jeff Van Gundy. 3) Re-sign Posey and Brand. 4) Tell Steve and Cat that if they don't play nice with the big men, one (or both) of them will be gone. (Secretly field offers for Cat, anyway.)
I'd have to go with #3. How about this trade? Houston sends Mobley/Moochie to Memphis. Memphis sends Battier/Knight/our #1 pick this year to Houston. It's not a major trade, but it might be enough to wake Francis up from his ISOlated world of guard play. We could plug Knight into the starting PG spot & shift Francis over to SG. Francis could play the backup PG minutes, which would allow him to keep his foot in the PG door, or we could pick up an experienced PG like Mookie Blaylock for the veteran's minimum. By keeping Francis, we'll be able to have him around, if he ever "Gets it" as Doc Rocket stated in his thread. Battier could play backup minutes at both the SG & SF positions. I really like Posey's game at the SF position, but I'd give Battier every opportunity to beat Posey out of the starter's role. We'd also regain our #1 pick this year, unless they balk at the pick. However, I might make the trade anyway, if Memphis balks at returning what appears to be a mid to late #1 pick. Memphis would get a much needed offensive infusion at the SG position & Moochie would replace Knight as their backup PG to JW.
Memphis would become a VERY good team... But I like Shane Battier. He is a hustler like James Posey. He has good fundamentals and is pretty solid. Brevin Knight is OKAY. I wouldn't start him though...
I know it may sound like dreaming, and certainly it's a long shot, but the Rockets have a history of surprising, blockbuster deals. Nothing else may happen this season, and we probably are going to finish it with who we have, but one of the deals being bandied about may occur. Who would have thought we would get Drexler? Or Barkley? Or Quitten? Or, for that matter, Steve Francis??
I thought we actually wanted the team to win? Crash - I like both of your trade scenarios, the 2nd one a little more than the first. I would love to have Brand, he is 20/10 every night. Houston would own the glass. He is still on his 4th year of his rookie contract right? So if we got him we would have 2 max deals next season (Brand, Francis) and a third max deal not to far away (Ming). But that would be three all-star caliber guys with Mobley and Posey, killer squad. Off the bench we would have Moochie, Eric Piatkowski, and Mo Taylor. Not too shabby. EP has a great shot and would be an excellent pick me up from the bench. It doesn't bother you to have so many max deals? If they avg 12million per player (max deal) then that's 36million already with three max deals and the luxury tax kicks in around 50 million. Add Mo Taylor and Cato and we are there with just 5 players. If they are winning championships, who cares though.
Yao's max is 4 yrs away. We can get another max guy if we shed our bloat contracts and pick up cheap role players to complement Ming, Brand (or Odom - better money deal and better passing), Francis. The cap we'll have to worry about is the lux tax. Prepare for champ year (2yrs away) NOW with contract moves. Don't be stupid and shoot for meaningless playoff exit now. Dump Mobely (tr value, bonehead) Dump Cato (tr value - or maybe keep him? eh.) Dump Moochie (TLD) Dump Taylor (contract choke) Dump Rice (") Keep guys like Hawkins (min. contract) Tmo (cheap) Posey (value). Griffin is cheap but I'd move him for brains or power. Fill out roster with quality MCE oldsters who WANT to play with Ming and Brand (or Odom). SAD BUT TRUE : No one will really WANT to play with um... that Guard That Scores A Lot, unless they're a quality distributor, or a hard-hat worker bee (or a goof-off doofus). You don't build a champion if you tie all your money up in guys like Rice and Taylor and Moochie. Please. It's not Rocket science. Stars make money and everyone else gets squat. Merit for $$$. Any more "equal" distribution is stupid; it just guarantees mediocrity. Not to the KG v. Tpups extreme, of course, but that's eliminated with the new contract, anyway. Rockets have got to balance out their contracts - they are all $%#@ed up.
Dump Rice!!! Really! He is too old now and makes too much. We need to get rid of him. Sorry Maurice Taylor, but if we got Elton Brand, then we wouldn't need you anymore. Mo Taylor still has trouble with his feet...Elton Brand could be the Answer. I would trade Eddie Griffin for Elton Brand any day. Kelvin Cato...I love Kelvin Cato and how he's been doing this year...but being paid THAT much...sorry. We have to dump him or trade him. Unless he had a pay cut. We could get a Shane Battier. We need to get rid of those 3 players! They are making more than our top 3...Francis, Yao, and Mobley. That doesn't make sense. We really need to get Elton Brand! The problem is...none of us know Carroll Dawson.
No. The problem is that these brilliant trade ideas that everyone here comes up with require BOTH teams to agree to them. Easier said than done.
I think the team is in dire need of some quality role players. We need more players like Cato and Posey, who know their role on the team and come to play every game, to bring some stability. Here's my proposed trade idea. Eddie Griffin & Moochie Norris to New Orleans Jamaal Magloire & David Wesley to Houston I love Magloire's game. He's a GREAT defensive player that we really need against the Webbers, Duncans, and Malones. He reminds me of a younger, much less expensive Brian Grant and I think he would be perfect at the 4 for this team. Wesley brings some experience and veteran leadership to the backcourt. He's a smart player, great shooter and good ballhandler that doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Start Wesley and Francis in the backcourt and send Cuttino to the bench.
You may have forgot that Magloire and Mo Taylor got in a fight last game...but sure. I'd love to have him! He could be on Yao's side! He and Mo Taylor...the Enforcers. David Wesley?!?!? HE IS A GREAT SHOOTER WITH A BIG ROUND HEAD! I love him too! Man...he can shoot like crazy. I really like him. Much better than Moochie...
THEGUENT... You say... Both teams have to agree.... But THEY CANNOT AGREE IF THEY DO NOT KNOW THE TRADE IDEA... That doesn't make sense...they don't know the proposed trade, so how can they agree? We have to tell CD! I would do the Kelvin Cato and Eddie Griffin for Elton Brand and Eric Piatkowski. Many other teams are seeking Brand too. But I don't think their owner would do anything. He will just let their contracts expire... Anything is possible!
