Houston trades: PF Clarence Weatherspoon (5.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.6 apg in 16.7 minutes) Houston receives: PG Howard Eisley (6.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 4.1 apg in 21.8 minutes) Change in team outlook: +1.9 ppg, -2.0 rpg, and +3.5 apg. Phoenix trades: PG Howard Eisley (6.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 4.1 apg in 21.8 minutes) Phoenix receives: SF Clarence Weatherspoon (5.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.6 apg in 52 games) Change in team outlook: -1.9 ppg, +2.0 rpg, and -3.5 apg. TRADE ACCEPTED Overpaid like Spoon, Eisley is still servicable PG. He has got an extra year left on his contract as compared to Spoon and that is the reason Phoneix would probably go for it.
The contract length is the same as Spoon's since the extra year is a team option. The TOpt is for $7.4m and won't get excercised. I'd rather keep Spoon and sign two MLE players for less than Eisley.
I get the feeling that some of you guys spend all day on RealGM and have the urge to start a thread every time you see "Trace Accepted"
Howard Eisley can hit the three and has a very good turnover to assist ratio. He's a good role player, but not a good starting option, and definately overpaid. He made Charlie Ward look good in NY. We might as well bring back Shandon Anderson if we trade for Eisley.
I'd do this trade, then use the TE or the MLE to add someone good to the frontcourt, someone who can backup the 5 and be the 3rd PF. Much better idea IMO. Eisley has a very good career asst:to ratio and has always been good from 3-pt territory. I'm pretty sure Eisley and Lue would be enough for our PG position. If we get this deal done then sign Keon Clark, that would really help. Maybe even Chris Mihm. I've seen this idea before, and I really like it if we can't get Daniels.
The simple and cheap PG solution would be to sign Charlie Ward, which the Rockets may very well end up doing.
I wouldn't call him a bust. He is what he is, a career backup. Only the Knicks thought he could be a starter. He couldn't then and now he is old and worth no more than 10 mpg behind a real starting point guard. j
But see, that's the problem with Eisley; he doesn't have a lot of confidence and is at his best as a starter. The problem is, he's a crappy starting option.
If we have a "true" PG like Eisley, that means the ball is in TMac's hands less on the perimeter, for playmaking, right? I don't think that's good. Make TMac the PG and just get a guy to shoot threes and play defense for the other guard slot.
I agree that Ward is the better choice in this situation. I have no interest at all in trading for Eisley, plus lets not forget: its no secret the Rockets and Suns don't like each other so even though we would be swapping garbage, it still isn't likely IMO. If we get desperate (i.e. Daniels trade doesn't happen, Jones/Ward/James sign elsewhere, etc) I would like to see us try to acquire Steve Blake from the Wizards. We could probably get him real cheap. Either way, makes more sense than an Eisley trade.
Blake wouldn't be a bad choice in a pinch, I think he's a lot better than people think and will show that in the comming season. But if you're really looking for a starting PG, the Rockets may consider another Maryland PG who has had success overseas: Sarunas Jasikevicius. He's got better size than Lue, and is a great shooter. He's played against top level competition in the Olympics and other European Pros. He's thought to be the best PG in Europe right now. He's also played College ball, so he at least knows the language and there would be no adjustment to living in the states.
