The trade that wasnt...

I've noted that on the forums its not uncommon to find fans lamenting the Battier-Gay trade from years back. Though the merits of the trade are subject to debate, I wanted to ask everyone their thoughts on another trade that didnt go through....

Last February, many of you may remember the Stoudemire-Scola deal that was approved. Houston was prepared to send Scola, Battier, and picks for Stoudemire, and Phoenix had approved the deal. It was an 11th hour deal on the night of the trade deadline, and due to the restricted time in which the trade had to get approved, Phoenix refused to agree to getting Stoudemire a physical prior to the deadline. Houston balked at the condition, and under the circumstances it was reasonable to walk away since Stoudemire had a fairly recent bout with injuries that had kept him out for some time.

Since, he's gone on an absolute tear. Though he was always good, toward the end of the last season he was unstoppable on offense. This season, the Knicks started the season 3-8 and are currently 16-9 (largely as a result of a favorable schedule facing a series of bad teams, but also improved play). They have a number of solid pieces on their team including Landry Fields who's proving himself as a legit rookie of the year candidate.

This has also been Scola's best season statistically. Offensively, his per game scoring average is over 20 for the first time in his career.

So the question is: If you had the chance to go back and accept the trade, would you do so?

 

I dont know. You may be right, but dont you think that was an issue that was discussed prior to the trade? If the reports are true, the reason that the Rockets didnt take the trade wasnt the possibility of him leaving after the season. It was the physical.

If we signed Amare to a long term deal last season, I think the dynamic of this team and expectations coming into the season would have been dramatically higher. Yao returning from injury playing beside a superstar big man, Jordan Hill coming of age and Stoudemire mentoring him offensively. I think there's a lot that could have happened with this.

Overall, I think it was smart of Morey and Co. not to take the deal at the time, but knowing what I know right now, on balance, I would have taken the deal sans physical and hoped that once Yao's contract was up we could try and land a superstar gaurd to complement Amare. Our Knicks pick would have been higher as well and we would have definitely swapped.

 

There are multiple people who've made that claim but I just dont see it. You dont think he would have re-signed if we offered him a large contract? NY was offering the most money, and thats why he signed.

Like I said, all reports indicate that the reason the trade didnt happen was the physical and not anything else.

Another factor that hasnt really been discussed is that Morey and Co. genuinely felt they were in the running for Chris Bosh. It was only after 'the decision' that we all came to realize that the Rockets really had no chance at landing Bosh. I wonder, had they known that Bosh already has his heart set on teaming up with LBJ and D-Wade, whether they would have been willing to roll the dice and take a chance on Stoudemire without the physical.