It’s time in my opinion to finally concede that the Yao / TMac tandem will not win a championship on the Rockets. Nothing against Yao or TMac because I think that they are both great players but regardless if the problem is health or what ever the duo just does not have enough to be regarded as serious contenders in the Western conference. In a conference with the Hornets, Spurs, Lakers and Jazz…even a 50 win team can be considered mediocre when they have proven year after year that they are incapable of getting out of the 1st round. So do we want a team that will be mediocre for the next few years until TMac finally wares out and the Rockets are not even mediocre or do the Rockets take steps now to build a team capable of challenging for a championship for the next decade? Players like Deron Williams and Chris Paul have not even hit their prime while Tony Parker at 25 is only now in the prime of his career. It seems to me that this team needs a serious infusion of athleticism and players willing to relentlessly attack the basket. I loved the way Landry did that before he injured his knee. I think Brooks has an outstanding chance to do that as player off of the bench. TMac can do it better than most when he wants but that just is not often enough. TMac will be 29 next season and still considered to be in the prime of his career but are we going to be able to surround him with the right supporting cast before turns into just another old player? I say the answer is probably no. I loved the way Rafer Alston played this year…especially in the middle of the season when he was running the offense while TMac was down. However we all know that Rafer has a career of inconsistency and he will be 32 next season, no spring chicken. So in my opinion we definitely need a point guard that can guide this team for the next decade and I don’t think Brooks will be any more than a good change of pace player off of the bench. I think we need to definitely keep Yao because there is just no way we can replace the big fellow in the draft or free agency. When healthy, he is a dominate center at both ends of the floor. I think we have no choice but to keep Rafer until a better option comes along and I don’t see one in free agency or one in the draft that can step in and start from day one. I am a TMac fan but I think it is time for him to go. Same for Battier, I love the guy but it is time for him to go. So what teams would want TMac? - Does Chicago still want him? Could we get Luol Dang and Ben Gorden for him? Gorden could come off of the bench in a Vinny Johnson type of role and Dang has the athleticism, youth and talent to man the small forward spot for most of the next decade. - How about Miami? Would a trio of DWade, TMac and Shawn Marion be enough for Miami to consider swapping 1st round picks for us? Derrick Rose could be the point guard the Rockets need to move into the future and challenge Deron Williams and Chris Paul. - How about Atlanta? There have been rumors that they are willing to part with Josh Smith for various reasons. Would they be willing to part with him and Josh Childress in order to team McGrady up with Bibby, Joe Johnson and Al Horford? Josh Smith is only 22 and the single most athletic Power Forward in the league…even more than Amare in my opinion and Josh Childress is a player that consistently averages over 50% shooting and would thrive in Adelman’s offense. Also getting Josh Smith would give us the flexibility to trade Scola or Landry for more assets. I think the time to move McGrady and plan for the future is now. I love McGrady but he is not getting younger and his trade value will only get worse as he gets older. I say we move him now or be prepared to exist in mediocrity for the next several years and never get anything of any significant value for him.
Trading T-Mac would almost assuredly be a step backwards for the Rockets. And n particular, trading him for a high draft pick -- even a number #1 -- is not a "win now" move. Are you willing to accept us being a worse team next season, in hopes that it works out better in the long run?
Another "should we trade McGrady" thread? Seriously, did you miss the last two thousand threads discussing the same exact topic? How unoriginal.
You guys are weird because when we don't win...we have to trade mcgrady but don't realize what that will do to the team. The team will be worse without mcgrady. There is a reason Deng and Gordon didn't make the playoffs. You want us to trade him to Miami and get what in return. Basically garbage if we aren't getting wade in return. Atlanta is going to keep that core no matter what...
I don't like any Chicago trade scenarios cause I think most of their players are overrated. Your Miami suggestion doesn't make sense cause we have to trade for a player that matches Tmac's salary. Essentially we would have to ask for either Wade or Marion, and then swapping their lottery pick for our low pick is asking too much. I like the Josh's also but we've got the PF spot covered.
You need to do some research before you start a thread like this. You're suggesting we trade him to Chicago for Deng and Gordon (both free agents) and Josh Smith and Josh Childress (both free agents also). None of your suggestions make any sense from a practical standpoint. How would these teams match T-Mac's salary? You can't just trade him for a draft pick. Also, could you provide some evidence supporting your claim that Atlanta wants to move Josh Smith?
Obviously it would be a sign and trade and obviously there would be other peices to the trade to make saleries work. It just seemed so obvious that I did not think it needed to be mentioned. Sorry.
Obvioulsy there would be other parts to the trade to make the saleries match. Trading for Josh would give us enough flexibility at Power Forward that we could trade for other assets but Josh is better than Scola or Landry in my oppinion.
Two S&T's for one player? Is this even possible? Something can't be obvious if it doesn't make sense in the first place.
Trade T-Mac? Who would you get for him instead? I don't think it is a good idea. McGrady is 3rd best guard in the NBA and you just wouldn't get any better... They just need to play season (full) together and I'm sure Rockets will advance at least to WCF Even if we got Gordon+Deng for him it would be still bad for Rockets
There is no way teams will trade cheaper, younger, healthier players whose best years are ahead of them for TMac. TMac is still very good, but his contract is huge, I doubt we will get equal talent for him.
Sometimes you have to take a step backwords in order to move forward. Knowing what you know now, would you have traded TMac for Chris Paul when he was a rookie? I think with out a doubt most people on the planet would but at the time it would have been a step back because Chris Paul was not as good as TMac in his rookie year...but he is better now and Derrick Rose might be better in a couple of years as well.
It depends on what the teams get in return. If you put TMac on Atlanta does that push them into contention for an Eastern conference championship? Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Al Horford (2nd Year) and TMac probably makes them one of the favorites to win the East next year. Certainly not 4 years from now but for the next 4 years they would be serious contenders. Who would have thought that Phoenix would trade Shawn Marion for Shaq? How about Dallas trading Devon Harris and Dsagana Diop for Jason Kidd? Don't tell me teams will not trade older players for younger talent because it happens all the time.
I wouldn't do any of those trades, in fact I wouldn't trade T-Mac at all. When healthy T-Mac is easily top 5 talent in the NBA, and always steps up above and beyond in the playoffs. You have to consider, if Yao goes down again (which is a distinct posibility), will the other guys be able to take the Rockets to the playoffs by themselves. Derrick Rose is a rookie, Deng and Gordon couldn't take the Bulls to the playoffs in the weak east and Josh Smith and Josh Childress, were the number 8 seed with Joe Johnson and Bibby as their leaders.
uhh none of those scenarios would happen. If for some stupid reason we did trade him to miami for that pick I would want Beasely anyways. No guarantee they get the first pick either.
purely from a observer's perspective it seemed to me that it took a good half of the season for our offense to click. after we lost to the celtics on home court we were pretty much unable to regain that poise and offensive savvy that we had during the streak, which in my opinion was due to injuries to our key players ; first landry went out with his knee issue and lost his explosiveness and insane aggression, secondly we lost rafer alston to a groin injury (as i hope you realized that rafer is the best point guard on this team out of brooks, and bobby j), and lastly im pretty positive that battier was not 100% after his (ankle?) injury. to be honest with everyone, i was still pretty skeptical with the games both yao and tracy played in during the course of the first half of the season because i was still getting that feeling like we were still missing something/someone to be a catalyst in our offense and once the allstar break was finished we were able to get rafer and landy/scola to contribute and whatdoya know? we started to win at a very efficient rate. give this houston core another full season and then you can reevaluate your perspective, next year i hope we play a full healthy season with everyone, then we'll get to truly see if this core works or not. /rant over
Unless marion or wade's involve who would they sign and trade for a 20 million dollar contract? The rockets aren't looking to add 3-5 bad contracts for a rookie.
I am just wondering how he came to the conclusion that T-Mac and Yao cant win a chip because the team just lost a tough 1st round series to the most physical team in the league without one of the above mentioned players AND their starting point guard and floor general. This realization should have come nowhere near on the heels of this series. If you wanted to say this after Yao went down and we KNEW he would not be there for the postseason, at least then you can point to the injury bug.
