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Some News (and Hey Pee may be right afterall .....)

Discussion in 'NBA Draft' started by oeilpere, Jun 22, 2001.

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  1. oeilpere

    oeilpere Member

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    I had a steak and beer night out last night. Great discussion with someone of solid reputation and tied to Greenway Plaza. We rarely get to talk face to face, so it was “fun and fruitful”.

    The following two tidbits came out in the long conversation, and one other item (call it number three) that I was asked NOT to mention anywhere, on penalty of death.(Well, sounded like .... "will choke you to almost death" .... anyway.) I will say that the undisclosed item #3 involved a trade of a player (Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and it made me ecstatic. There is a GOD!

    Anyway .... here’s the things I can tell you ….

    1. Very intense bargaining in the last couple of days, with concentrated moves between the Rockets and three of the top five drafting teams! It was described to me as “pretty darn good progress”. Apparently we ARE still in the hunt for one of the Washington , the Clips, Hawks, Bulls or Warriors picks. Some offers that are on the table waiting for the trigger to be pulled by the Rockets involve the Rockets ending up with one of the top five spots but it was going to be “very costly” for us. It was also mentioned that there were two different scenarios being discussed with one team. I kinda got the feeling we were talking about either Chicago or Washington. Would not confirm the team.

    2. The second thing was (and what prompted the heading) … it is almost assured that if we move up to the 1,2,3 or 4 position CD will take a center.

    Dang I hate being wrong. Not as much as I hate HeyPee being right!

    If we are calling both Curry and Kwame Brown centers, then that’s those two along with Diop and maybe Woods as the top four centers. You got to figure Brown and Curry will go top three. I can’t see CD trading a bunch ("costly") to get to #4 and passing on some pretty credible non-centers. But that’s the word.

    Any top four spot and we take a center.

    Cheers.




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    #1 oeilpere, Jun 22, 2001
  2. Stevierebel

    Stevierebel Member

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    Thank you Oli. I think number THREE includes trading CATO. Yeah, what a great summer if this happens. I would take Brown over Curry if the Rockets are able to move up but Griffin is the one the Rockets should get. He is going to be a stud.

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    Stevierebel
     
    #2 Stevierebel, Jun 22, 2001
  3. rhester

    rhester Member

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    This sound very good to me-

    CD knows without Hakeem (he's injured alot also) we don't have a center and Hakeem probably is moving on.

    CD- is not planning another trip to the lottery or top 5 in the next several drafts.

    Usually in a draft you get 1 maybe 2 centers with top 5 pick potential, this fraft may have 4 so we need to be in the hunt.

    Rudy likes inside outside, we've got the outside covered. Give me a center who can play defence, rebound and jump

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    #3 rhester, Jun 22, 2001
  4. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    Costly...I am guessing this means players...Mobley, Collier, KT, and/or Cato are the best players that have contracts besides Francis.

    Can't trade next year's 1st rounder.

    For a top 5 pick, Methinks all three picks plus Det conditional pick and/or Chi conditional pick(s).

    Could also mean cap space....Webber.

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    #4 Joe Joe, Jun 22, 2001
  5. The Cat

    The Cat Member

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    Thank you very much for the information. I have one question regarding a trade into the top 5. If the Rockets decide to make the move, would you expect something to happen before draft day, during the draft, or after the draft? Are the Rockets set on getting one or two players in that top 5, to the point that the deal is contingent on so and so being available at 4, or are they primarily just looking to move up, and take whomever happens to be available at 4?



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    "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier

    Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more!

    Cat's Mock Draft
     
    #5 The Cat, Jun 22, 2001
  6. Moe

    Moe Member

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    OP, it is nice to have "fruit" after steak and beer. Makes for a balanced meal. If you're ecstatic, then I'm estatic. Thanks for the info.

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    #6 Moe, Jun 22, 2001
  7. 4chuckie

    4chuckie Member

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    "Very Costly" scares me. My first though was also Mobley.
    My second thought is very costly could mean taking on a very overpaid player(s) to make the deal happen. Something that would throw us over the salary cap and give us no chance to get C-webb.
    I would love to get into the top 5, even if I lose my screen name. What does worry me is moving into the top 5 and not taking Battier means we will have a very young player who will need time to develop. That could mean more years of rebuilding which would suck! But if it's for the good of the team we got to go for it!
     
    #7 4chuckie, Jun 22, 2001
  8. ROXTXIA

    ROXTXIA Member

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    1. OEILPERE, I love you, man.

    2. Costly? I would imagine Cato, Walt, #13, #18, maybe KT. Gotta keep the #23 for T-Mo.

    3. High draft pick? I would take Diop at #4, even though he could slip a bit (doubt it). With the extra cap space, sign Marc Jackson.

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    #8 ROXTXIA, Jun 22, 2001
  9. oeilpere

    oeilpere Member

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    Catman Smuthers:

    That's not one question.

    heh,heh

    Anyway I think what you asked is how would it work if it came off? .... don't know. You all heard as much as I got with the exception I noted. My guess is that it would be a last minute or draft swap announcement by david stern at the podium. I have no way of knwing,just a guess.

    Next question,I think, was how many? ..... one

    If that question was are they focused on one or two specific players in that top five? ... my impression was they want a premiere center out of this draft if they are picking top five, and that means one of the following Brown or Curry, or Diop or Woods.

    Next question was best available or best center? .... best center if we get to the top four-five spots. Best available after that.




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    #9 oeilpere, Jun 22, 2001
  10. haven

    haven Member

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    Was there some inside info about T-Mo at #23? It seems that quite a few people think it's set in stone.

    I hope not. Morris seems like a good top of the 2nd round guy, but I wouldn't want to hand him a guaranteed contract.

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    Lacking inspiration at the moment...
     
    #10 haven, Jun 22, 2001
  11. GATER

    GATER Member

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    THX OP!

    IMO, we can eliminate the Clips. They don't want any long-term contracts like Cato's. The draft is a cheap source of talent for (owner) Donald Sterling.

    I can't see GS doing it unless we take Dampier. Wizards and Bulls seem the most likely to me as the Hawks like Nazr Mohammed and Theo. They're also high (or so they say) on Battier, too.



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    GATER
     
    #11 GATER, Jun 22, 2001
  12. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    I just pee'd in my pants. excuse me.
     
    #12 heypartner, Jun 22, 2001
  13. The Cat

    The Cat Member

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    2. Costly? I would imagine Cato, Walt, #13, #18, maybe KT. Gotta keep the #23 for T-Mo.

    Dumping Cato and Walt with the picks would be almost helpful to us, definitely not costly. The Rockets organization is all about loyalty and chemistry, so don't think Cuttino is going anywhere. My guess is it's a high priced player. Perhaps the Wizards want to go after Webber this summer, and to do so they need to cut a lot of salary. They can buy out Richmond's 10 million dollar contract, but 5 million of it would still count on the cap I believe. Perhaps they are requiring that we take on Richmond and White to give us the #1 pick, and while we could buy out Mitch's contract as well, it would still count 5 million against the cap and as a result would probably not give us a chance at Webber.

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    "Basketball players win basketball games. Athletes win track meets."-- Shane Battier

    Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more!

    Cat's Mock Draft
     
    #13 The Cat, Jun 22, 2001
  14. Achebe

    Achebe Member

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    baqui still wins.
     
    #14 Achebe, Jun 22, 2001
  15. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    Mob mentality jumping on the Morris bandwagon I think. That combined with the connection between he and Francis.

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    "I had mine chewed off by a boss one time." -- Behad leaves us wondering if he gets hazard pay...
     
    #15 Dr of Dunk, Jun 22, 2001
  16. Tmo

    Tmo Member

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    Dr. Dunk:
    Look at the quote from Carroll Dawson. I've been following tmo since before you were born, so I wouldn't call that bandwagon mentality. Though I wouldn't say tmo is anywhere close to a lock at 23. Just a strong possibility.

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    #16 Tmo, Jun 22, 2001
  17. oeilpere

    oeilpere Member

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    Roxy: We had a T&L storm last night where I live. I guess if anyone lives in the Houston area ya'll got it too. Anyway it kept me awake so I thought a lot about that "costly" business. You are pretty close to what I thought.

    " .... Cato, Walt, #13, #18, maybe KT. .... "

    I would definitely call that costly. Not only because it takes away KT who I think is an integral part of our gameplan, and who will be even more effective this coming season. But we lose the #18 also. I like that #18 better than the #13 or #23 because CD and the "project boys" are spooky when it comes to those type of spots.

    Haven: I have to agree with you. TM's game is tight. He is a welcome cog. But a guarantee? Mmmmmmmmm.

    For what it is worth:

    I could live with a top three spot that cost us Walt, Cato, #13, #23 in some combination of teams (Most likely something like Boston trading off #10 and #11 and getting the #13,#23 and a player, the top pick team getting the #10 and #11 and a player and us skating with the higher pick). But realistically I can see only Washington and Chicago doing that. That is pretty expensive for us if it's a fourth pick, and especially if it involves losing #13 and #18 (and not the #23). But if it is numero uno .... go baby. And parlay something in there to nab a second rounder this year also.

    Scenario B
    Give: Rockets = Cato+Walt+#13,#18+23
    Get: #1+#30

    Give: Washington = Numero Uno
    Get: Walt+ Number #4+#23

    Give: Chicago = #4+#30
    Get: Cato+#13+#18

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    #17 oeilpere, Jun 22, 2001
  18. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    4chuckie and Joe Joe,

    Since we are currently not under the cap, you can rest assured (take to the bank) that our salary will not go up by more than 15% of ((Cato/Walt's salary) + (the salary difference of the picks)).

    That is the rules of the game.

    We will NOT go up much in salary via a draft day trade. At worst, we swap cato and walt's salaries for equally bad salaries back.

    We will still have cap room later IF, and WHEN we renounce Hakeem.
     
    #18 heypartner, Jun 22, 2001
  19. oeilpere

    oeilpere Member

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    Probably as close to the truth as any other. I do agree ... well, check that ... let's say I have a funny feeling ..... if this came off that the "costly" part would entail us either unloading something of value (I do not think that would mean Mobley) ... more like mathematically eliminating the possibility of resigning Hakeem, or eliminating us from the Webber sweepstakes (which we may not be in anymore anyway, ahem) OR taking on someone's heavy contract. Richmond would be a an albatross around our neck, more so than even Big Country, because Mitch will not be playing much whereas I though Reeves played a pretty decent game last year. And can still help us in the West. White I would take. Yep. Sure would.

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    #19 oeilpere, Jun 22, 2001
  20. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    Considering I'm older than Morris, that would mean you stalk sperm or something. [​IMG]

    Anyway... I was saying many people on THIS board are simply jumping on the Morris bandwagon because Francis endorsed him and there's a connection between the two. Nowhere did I state how good or bad he is. I'm willing to bet that 75% of the people saying we'll get Morris haven't watched him play in more than 1 or 2 games, if even that many.

    Quotes from CD don't mean squat to me. There hasn't been anybody CD has brought in that he hasn't liked.

    Lastly, Morris may be a very good player in the league. I have no idea nor do I claim to know how well he'll fit in here.

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    "I had mine chewed off by a boss one time." -- Behad leaves us wondering if he gets hazard pay...
     
    #20 Dr of Dunk, Jun 22, 2001
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