X, while you are here.... Whats the story on Memphis in the offseason. Who stays, who goes. Will they match a max Gasol offer?
Remember, this was not your typical trade. Lebron was GONE. He had already agreed to take a reduced starting salary in order to accommodate new deals for Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. This was not a situation where Cleveland had much leverage at all. As a salvage attempt, that was a pretty damn good haul. And if the Rockets can get all that as the CONSOLATION PRIZE if Melo bolts, I'd be willing to risk Jordan, Chase and a pick for a Melo rental WITH a shot at re-signing him long-term.
Yep. Good example. Also, Toronto got two 2011 first round picks from Miami for Bosh. Miami's and Toronto's own pick back. And a $14.5M trade exception, to boot, a small portion of which the Raptors have already used to acquire Jerryd Bayless.
I think Melo isn't worried about the money but rather the lifestyle. He wants to be part of the scene in NY and won't let it go. He's going to go there no matter what.
I'd stay away. We can do better than a half season rental with no assurance that we would win in the playoffs, if we indeed get there and also no assurance that he would resign. Too many variables that potentially wouldn't go our way. Don't get me wrong, getting Melo would be nice, but I would prefer that we go out and get a decent rebounder because come playoff time as of right now, we will still get absolutely killed by the better teams on the boards in a 7 game series.
Not to mention WINNING THIS YEAR. I actually see the West as being very winnable this year if you can get in the playoffs, all the teams could be winnable. Even San Antonio who is playing the best basketball of any team, could be beaten with a little more length and a player like Melo. Not to mention the Lakers' worst matchup has arguably been the Rockets in the past three seasons. Not saying that Melo is the answer to winning the title this year, but he sure does help.
I thought you said we couldn't S&T Melo after a certain point, or is is that we can't S&T him under the current CBA but can under the new and probably lower CBA?
This is what I said, basically. That is, if we acquire him at the deadline. I suppose, if we got him TODAY, we could conceivably "extend-and-trade" him at the deadline to a third team. But that scenario ain't happening.
How is Melo a diva? He's leaving his team in the proper way. He isn't demanding a trade or leaving them hanging like LeDouche.
Three more words: World Series appearance. I think the Rockets would gladly give up Hill, Chase, Yao's contract and a pick if it meant they'd make it to the NBA Finals this season.
If we had done the trade for Amare last year and managed to re-sign him we'd be a much more attractive destination for Melo right now.
Something like that makes Houston a heck of an attractive free agent destination. If somehow Houston goes deep in the playoffs despite losing their number one player, only an idiot would not see how we will do almost anything to win...
IIRC, Melo can sign an extension any time before July 1st. Also, after the February deadline, players can be traded again once the season ends. For example, this is how draft day trades happen. The draft will happen in late June, before the expiration of the current CBA. So, can't the Rockets trade for him on a "rental" basis, extend him during the season, then trade him after the end of the season but before July 1st (for example, on draft day)? Melo didn't want to extend with Denver because Denver wouldn't trade him after an extension is signed. I wonder if Morey can convince him to sign an extension after the trade on the basis that (a) an in-season extension would net him more money, (b) unlike Denver, the Rockets think of him as just another piece of meat and would be willing to trade him (to NYK even), as long as it's for a good price, and (c) the Rockets will promise to work in good faith with NY and won't send him to one of the "Siberia" teams. I can think of some attractive Knicks pieces (Gallinari, Randolph, Fields, etc.) that the Rockets might want to extract out of an "extend and trade." It seems like a win-win situation assuming Melo trusts Morey not to screw him and trade him to, say, Minnesota.
Carlos Beltran didnt take us to a World Series. We lost in the NLCS to the Cards that year. Next season (2005) was the year....
Signing him without an extention is a gamble. There is a true saying when it comes to gambling: Don't bet more than you can afford to lose.
