LOL. I was just having a dream. oeilpere said we like Cato as our 5, and we're packaging a pick(S) with Rice. Some things are just too good to be true... oeilpere, Do you think the Rocks would pony up the dough for Rashard? We all know he wants Kobe-money, which is the MAX. I don't think he's worth it. Do the Rockets? For a MAXIMUM of $7.5M, I'd be ok with it. But I'd rather give $9M to Odom.
Thanks opie. Why 4? It's going to be Eddie's position, and we have 2 servicaeable 14-7, 15-6 guys under contract next year. Certainly don't need the depth there. Any 4s in particular mentioned? I'm surprised on the Collier news. I think he was decent, fairly cheap, only one year left (team option), and at worst a serviceable 3rd string center, at best a decent backup. I'm also surprised at how active they seem to be shopping Rice-we'd have to manage to find some sort of decent player at 9 mill that is going to be shopped-not easy to do. Rice only has 2 years left, and at a bare minimum was a great leader, a key to the change in Cato, and also helped the team defense from his time with the Knicks. KT's attractiveness doesn't surprise me. He's a solid carrot in trying to find a decent 3. Why are we going after a 4? There won't be a 4 with higher value than KT on the market, IMO. If Collier is gone, and based on the way he was used late season, so is Willis, who is our other center? Will we draft a center even if Ming is out of reach? Can you believe it? 3 years later, and Wizbang may finally be gone. Any possibility of a change in our backup PG.
This board would be riotously funny if the Mormons and Rockets are talking about exchanging a certain beloved power forward for an overpriced and injured 3-point shooter.
I don't know if I could ever forgive the Rockets organization if they EVER even THOUGHT about making a trade for Malone...
grummett: I dare you to start the "What if" thread. btw: anyone else think that oeilpere is "the man" for some sources in the Rockets. It's a tough job.
I posted an answer to most of the questions anfd it got ate up along the way somehow .... Clutch did you pay your power bill, or am I experiencing yet another burned harddrive? I swear to God I will turf this mother son at the first opportunity if it is on my end! Anyway to rehash(again): 1. Collier ( as Nike stated) is serviceable but they think they can do better at the table. I like him a bit too. They are probably right,though. They can do better,with less. 2. The Mormans are knocking. We don't need Karl but he hasn't been offered earnestly either so that is not in the picture. Yet. Do not say never until you have experienced Karl taking a pass from Steve and driving to the FACE of Shaq before he passes back to Mobes for the trey. Just don't burn any bridges yet. Okay? 3. They want a five to backup Cato. A young one would be suitable. But that is after ... repeat after ... a three-four. They don't appear worried. 4. They are looking at the three four. Not me. THEY. It is logical if you think about it. 5. Rashard can be had. End of story. Stop the bickering. He can be had. Live with it. Question is what would it cost us. Rashard will come. Build it and he will come. It is his dream. It could become ours. Just stop all the negative **** about we can't afford it ... we don't need him ... etc ... All this idle talk is nothing to what will come in a couple of months. 6. Expect MoTay to get a good try at the four right up until the late summer and very likely beyond. Expect him to turn it on over the next thirteen to fourteen months. Notice I said thirteen and not eleven or twelve months. He is primed. RT will give him the chance. Unless a drop dead offer falls from the heavens ... did I say Rashard again ... expect MoTay to be trying oon the new dark unis into October - November.... 7. Scouts like Marcus. Bigtime. IMHO we won't get to him. We will have a different plan by that time of the D-day. But it is fun to spec ... 8. They will not have a chance at Ming,either. According to specs at Greenway they like him. But as I posted ... they will not get a sniff of Ming. Not even close. 9. Watch for some manuevering late. Real late. They don't want to "upset the gel" of the team. RT's words, not mine. But he knows they have to do "more than bring back Rice and MoTay" to make this team successful next season. 10. Francis has worried his (RT's) confidence more than anything this past year. Real worried that Francis cannot take it up another notch by next year or two years. REAL worried. Real, real worried that Francis will not be physically capable. Physically meaning being on the floor. 11. Wallace is nice fit for Rockets. But we are not close to that either. They (Greenway) talk about him but have no real plan to get him. Personally it would be a waste of energy to go after him ... he will be sought and satisfied without even a whimper from us ... IMHO anyway. To the sack. Love being back. Long week ahead. Cheers.
<b>oeilpere:</b> Thanks, as always, for your inside perspectives... a few questions... What are the Rockets discussing as to how we could get Rashard Lewis? Picks, players (which ones), s&t, cap room, etc? Do you know anything about the Kwame Brown info that Clutch posted a few weeks back, when he heard Rockets managment saying not to be surprised to see Brown in a Rockets uni. Do you know what we were thinking of providing in trade? Have you heard any trade ideas so far regarding Rice and our picks? Which players do they want, and who do they think they could get? Is there anything to the Odom inquiries from back in February, and if so, do you know who we would trade to get him? Do you know anything about why Torres dissappeared as the season progressed, and how important he is in the Rocket's future plans? What kinds of offers came in earlier in the season for KT? What players/picks were other teams offering, and are any of these still on the table. Are the Rockets thinking of moving Taylor to the 3, if Griffin kicks into gear this year? [/list=1] Just wanting to understand how the Rockets are thinking in this offseason... Well, thanks as always for your cogent insights...
Is it just me or is Pops not mentioning Griffin in the Rockets future plans? I thought he was the future 3-4-5? Bringing in Wallace or Malone? Wow, that would be alot of PF's. Does not sound if the Rockets have interest in any of the draft prospects (outside of Ming). Woods & Butler cannot play the 3-4.
One 3-4 who might be possible to get is Austin Croshere,but I wouldn't want to go after him unless we could move Rice.
So the Knicks will be getting the #1 pick as a result of the NBA/NBC/ATF/DEA/Cigarette-Smoking Man conspiracy! Ha! I knew it!
If we're going to trade KT and/or all of our draft picks and/or?, then I would not want Malone PERIOD!!! He is more of an outside shooter anyway. Trading part of the above package for Rasheed Wallace, McDyess or Kenyon Martin would be worth discussing. I am more afraid if Pop's right, that RUDY WANTS TO CONTINUE his stupid 3 guard lineup next year. If he gets a 3-4, then he can move them into the 4 spot during the 4th quarters. URGHHHHH!!! Why else would he want a 3-4? We have Taylor, Thomas, Griffin & Morris who are all capable of those duties. You cannot bring in a big time PF, without trading 2-3 of those players. Would Lewis fit into that 3-4 prospect? I have never seen very many post up moves by Lewis, I would think that Caron Butler or Odom would be better (and cheaper!!!). God I wish it was May 19, 2002!
This talk about using our pick(s) as bait to unload rice's contract troubles me. It tells me the front office is more concerned with reducing any potential luxury tax going forward rather than simply getting the best talent on the roster. Also, Pops alludes to our chances with Ming being absolute zero - I will take this to mean he will not even be working out for us in Chicago next month. Maybe someone here can organize a change your moniker bet on whether Ming will end up as a Knick or not....
I'm not following you. For 2002-2003, the Rockets are $12m under the LT level which was predicted to be around $54M. There is a still some uncertainty as to whether the LT will even be asssessed. Difference of opinion - I wanted to jump out of my chair with joy at the prospect of losing Rice's contract.
OP, Wow, that's a lot of info to take in. It's my humble opinion that Rashard would be the better SF for our current offensive system over Odom. You mentioned new dark unis. Are you referring to Seattle's new dark unis, when you say that Taylor will be trying them on come October-November? While everyone hates Malone, the fact is that he's a d*mn good PF. If he's being thought of seriously by the Rockets, what position does the front office envision Griffin playing eventually, PF or Center? Also, since you mentioned the uncertainty with Francis several times. Are they thinking of trading him? I know you can't answer this outright, so just consider this the ramblings of an idiot that thinks he can read between the lines. Are the Rockets looking into (or planning to) the possibility of trading Taylor/#14 pick/whatever to Seattle for a resigned Rashard & then pursuing Malone in exchange for Rice/#5 pick/fillers? Sorry, but I had to ask. This off season stuff always drives me crazy.
Is Cato going to be in a developmental progam this summer? Perhaps a big man camp so he could expand his skill set beyond dunks? In regards to looking for another 4, the need is for a physical body to board and show some spunk. A 6'10" Magloire type would do fine. Calll him a 4 or a 4-5, just have him in the rotation. Mango
As much as I hate Karl Malone I think if we could somehow bring him and accept him (which we never will) we would definitley make the playoffs. Rasheed Wallace would also get us there. There are very few people who I think can actually take us to the playoffs and Steve and Cat alone will not cut it in the Western Conference. We need a proven big man. No more of these AUstin Crosheres, Rashard Lewis's or even Lamar Odom's. IMHO they are NOT the ANSWER.
Interesting that OP didn't even mention Odom... or did I miss it? It would be tragic to give up the #5 pick for Malone. I would be happy to have Malone over for a sleepover but not at the expense of a mid-range lottery pick. Too much of his career is gone. I'm confused about the MoT stuff: the insistence on 13-14 months indicates that he will be a Rocket <b>through</b> next season (02-03 Season) but then the latter reference is to trying on the new dark unis (travel uniforms?) through Oct-Nov. If that references the 03-04 Season, then MoT has one season plus to make a difference. I just don't get it. The concensus is that this is a farily deep and talented draft and we're about to quit on it in favor of dwindling veterans.
No more rookies to start, unless it's Ming. I think that's what we're looking at. I'm a little dissapointed if the Rockets will pay ANYTHING to get Rashard. I'd have to see something in the playoffs to slightly convince me. I think teh deal with the Jazz DOESN'T include Malone. But then, who? Maybe we can get Malone. What if we sent KT, Mo T, #15 for Malone and Amaechi? It seems Rudy want to give Mo T his chance, and doesn't want Griff playing as starter. But guys, by the sounds of it, we will have another big piece this summer, and all we'll lose is probably something from the following: #5 #14 MoT KT Rice Something out of that stuff. If we coud, in a single deal, bring in a spark-plug backup C and a SF, while getting rid of KT and RIce and any combination of picks, that would be incredible.
