We need to trade Wesley and especially Deke. They can both help a contender who is trying to win NOW. These guys may have no trade value by next year. Throw in Moochie if needed. Wesley will never have better trade value and can help a contender off the bench. The ideal trading partner is a contender with a weakness at center as Deke can still rebound like crazy and block shots for approximately 15-20 minutes. Yao is showing that he can play more minutes. Stromile is starting to show some "promise" as a somewhat undersized backup center who plays limited minutes. In addition, Deke deserves to play for a contender in his last year or two. We should be able to get one or two young players or maybe even a first rounder to help with the rebuilding around Tracy and Yao. Cheap older players on the downward slide are not the way to build around Tracy and Yao. I
There's just one massive problem with this argument: both Deke and Wesley (and Moochie too, in fact) will be free agents next year. So unless you're trying to trade them now in the middle of the season (and I don't think Deke would be pleased with that at all), your point is moot.
Sorry ... just checked myself, Deke has one more year on his contract. But if you're looking to trade Deke it's a waste of time, he has already expressed that he wants to retire here in Houston, and attempting to trade him will just force him to retire (and piss him off). It's interesting to see how much salary cap room Houston has next year based on expiring contracts. Despite the fact that Yao Ming's salary is going to double, we're still going to be shedding over $15 million worth of salary cap space. Room for all sorts of possibilities.
Can we start cutting dead weight with JVG. I know he is not responsible for the injuries and that maybe without them we would be a contender, but I doubt it. His scheme to put a team together did not work and has shoved us 2 years down the TMac line with no improvement and no future (except Luther). No up-and-coming younger players when we could have gotten some instead of the worn-out retreads we ended up with. Quick fix band-aids instead of building a team. Bad long-term business is you ask me, and you didn't.
Although it took a bit longer than I liked, looks like the Rockets have cut the dead weight... 1)Moochie Traded 2)Barry Waived next up..... 3)Sura ???? 4)Wesley (off season)???? JBs attitude and personality will be sorely missed on this team. If he goes to Denver I will be rooting for him in the playoffs. p.s. I dont think Deke is an FA. I think he has one more season. Only FA now is Wesley.
How is it that Orlando could cut dead weight and get Darko but we do it and get a guy who could probably never be a double double guy in a YMCA league (the dude we got from the Hornets for Moochie)?
not really dead weight by any means, but hayes, lampe, and bogans are FA as well i think. 5) well lampe atleast
Management need to get the head out their asses. Why did sign Ryan Bowen who was a weak link in last year's playoff, that again haunted them this year. For 5 years in a row Swift has been underchieving, that's all the information you needed, next free agent please. I knew this before they sign him and you can go back and research it.