I wouldnt do this trade, i would save the money for the talents we have on this team. And it seems to me like, IMO, that if Grant has the starting spot at the PF, I have a feeling Eddie wouldn't want to play in Houston with Mo-Tay and Grant filling it up. I like Cato though, so still I wouldn't make this trade. We can probrably get better players.
Getting Grant would be sweet.. a true 4 that can rebound like crazy.. Moochie might get jealous of his hair though. I'd rather not give up Cato though.. he's damn good coming off the bench for Yao.. dump Griff or Mo..
I like Grant's game but not this trade. If you make this trade you're essentially giving up on Griffin right now because MoT is untradeable and Griffin needs PT to improve. I don't think the Rockets are ready to do that.
One trade possibility that would work on the cap using these similar trade ideas is as follows: Heat Get: Mobley/Taylor/Norris Rockets Get: Grant/Best/Ellis This type of deal would enable the Rockets to have a very talented frontcourt with Ming and Grant starting and Griffin and Cato off the bench. The Rockets would dump two of their bad contracts in Taylor and Mooch and gain Brian Grant and a player in LaPhonso Ellis who would get wiped off the cap with Rice after next season. Travis Best is a steady veteran PG who has always had a solid Ast to TO ratio (2.8 for this yr and 2.7 for his career). The Rockets could basically rotate a guard trio of Best, Francis and Posey with Posey being able to play the 3 as well.
Correction on the last post.... Apparently LaPhonso Ellis can be wiped off the cap THIS summer. The final yr of his contract is a team option it seems. This would enable the Rockets to trim 3.3 mil off the payroll which could help them re-sign James Posey AND possibly keep the payroll under the luxury tax threshold.
I'd love for that trade to happen, MMnal. But I doubt Rudy would trade Mobley. He loves the guy like a son, it seems. Thats too bad too cause that trade would make us a much better "team". But Im all for getting Grant and Ellis. These guys play enough minutes and command enough respect on and off the court so maybe they can stay in the "trio of dribblers" faces, like Rice, and force them to "get it". I do hope the next trade is a trade that breaks up the "dribbling clique".. oh well.
Yup agreed Texas Stoke. This deal would move 2 of the 3 in the clique and add a steady veteran in the backcourt, and the ideal PF next to Ming. The reason I have always been in support of getting Grant is b/c he is one of the toughest one on one defenders and rebounders at his position. The big bonus of adding Grant as opposed to these other "bangers" is that Grant can consistently hit the 15-17 foot shot as well as go inside which is something Rudy likes from his PFs. This would enable the Rockets to bring Eddie along slowly and let his game develop w/o rushing things.
Why the obsession with former greats at (or near) the ends of their careers at overpriced contracts? We didn't learn our lesson from Pippen and Rice? We should trade away real commodities (Cato is real this year and earning every penny) for perennially injured former all-stars? Let's go get Juwan Howard while we're at it. Pretty sure Vin Baker's available too. Better idea: let's let Dallas clean up other teams' contract mistakes and stick to the plan. I'd love to upgrade the four and if Brand's there, I'd do what's necessary to get him (without giving up Steve or Yao), but Grant? At near max for three years? Sounds like Glen Rice all over again.
Brian Grant is not at the end of his career. The guy is only 30yrs of age. He's in his prime. Look at the big strong power forwards of the past like Oakley, Barkley, Malone, Thorpe, etc.. These guys had some of their best yrs during that 30-35 age range. All Im saying is Grant is not out on the perimeter chasing guys around, he's a banger, a rebounder, a great position defender, and a high percentage scorer, so I just dont see the big risk here you guys see.
---its going to be glen rice and kelvin cato for brian grant and laphonso ellis. I would do that trade in a heart beat, though I doubt Miami would. We need a solid balanced but defensive-oriented PF a lot more than one of the best back-up centers in the league. Besides, Grant and Collier would make an adequate back-up C combination--especially as Yao starts increasing his PT towards 35 or so MPG--which he will by next year for sure if not more. Grant is only 30, and is still in his prime. He should be an effective player the remaining length of his contract. We would return to somewhat as a problem with PF time--but that is less of a problem than we have now in the inconsistency we are getting from the PF position. Grant would give us 30 solid MPG, a few of it at the C position--it would be up to EG or MoT to earn what they can. That is slightly different than when we had KT--where really none of the 3 PFs clearly distinguished himself as an overall contributer. Grant would be our #1 guy right now.
so...uh....if this happens, we are going to use JC as our back up Center?! You have got to be joking. Do we expect Grant to beable to play the two positions simultaneously? I dont get how it will help us, we will get a strong PF but then Our Center position turns to Crap!
I don't think Grant is over-the-hill. He has at least 3-4 good years in him. He would offer some veteran leadership and a bruising body. The difference between Grant and Cato is that Grant is a legitimate PF that can hit a 10 foot jump shot and make people respect him. A veteran PF may be exactly what we need to help our young team gel. The 4 is very inconsistent right now with neither Mo Taylor or Griffin locking down the position day in and day out. The issue is what do we do with Eddie. If we make the deal, Id be happy to trade Eddie for a draft choice. Eddie has a lot of potential but he won't find it here unless we're willing to wait to see if he's the real deal. Frankly, shipping him off with a chance to win immediately and take another crack in the draft later wouldnt be a bad option - especially if we don't have to rely on the draft choice to be a major contributor the way we depend on Griffin now. Since Eddie is only 20, he has just enough potential for someone to take a chance.
Grant can primarily play the 4 and also play back-up C--just as OT used to do for the Rockets. Grant has played practically full-time C quite a lot for Miami the last 2 years even if PF is his more natural position--he can handle that role for a few minutes. When Grant plays back-up C, then EG or MoT (or even Tmo) plays the 4. JC is the third/situational back-up C until his contract runs out. Also, how can our center position be crap? I thought we had Yao Ming. Yao Ming and Grant (and then JC or even Mo Taylor in the emergency/sitational roles) as our center group is better than 28 or so teams in the league. Remember Yao's PT also will only increase after he gets more acclimated to the NBA game and gets stronger in the off-season--there will not be 15-20 minutes available for Cato for very long. Sure, this move weakens our C combination relative to Yao/Cato--especially in the short term, but it more than makes-up for it in our immediate improvement in our starting PF.
Why would the Heat be willing to take Rice now even if they get Cato? Cato is a reserve center who could be useful to them but Rice won't get off their books until the end of next year and right he isn't even playing because of his injury.
I would do it in a heartbeat. My main reason being that EG is possibly the worst starting PF in the NBA. We won't be anyhwere near under the cap anytime soon... The ONE drawback is that Grant will be very overpaid in the last couple years of his contract. If Les is willing to swallow the contract, then there is no reason to not do it. Moreover, Grant is a no-nonsense player, something the Rockets DESPERATELY NEED. Someone who isn't trying to showboat, but is out there to bust his ass and win. Grant also plays good interior defense, something that Yao and EG have yet to display. I think the Heat could get something more than Rice and Cato out of it though.
