Doc, thanks for the update! I think it comes down to Francis needing to get to Orlando and visit the team. The deal isn't going to get done until the team and Francis meet face to face. Once they get to talk face to face I think they will announce it as officially done. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow and Orlando wont jerk around wasting time. But I could easily see them visit with Francis tomorrow but not announce until the NEXT day on Wednesday. If they dont do it past Wednesday I will be beyond pissed. Anyway, Doc, thanks for coming back into the thread with the info. We look forward to your next update!
Just readed from ESPN, SF3 is going to Orlando Tuesday??????????? http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1831006
OMG, I can't believe this is true! It sure looks like SF has more say then TMac and is the focus in this trade. I wonder if Rocket invites TMac here to inspect our practice facility and promise to build a team around him. This is getting ridiculous.
It's my understanding that SF3 will be in Orlando on June 28th, 2005 for a two day visit that will last until Wednesday evening. Am I getting the facts RIGHT?
I am not sure whether the deal can get done by then. Of course TMac will be a FA then and he can screw Orlando GM as much as he wants.
I think this just goes to prove that there's only one person who really knows when this trade is going down: John Weisbrod.
It doesn't say it will, it just says IF it goes down Wednesday... If the trade can be completed by Wednesday, the Rockets would receive McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines in exchange for Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2650619
Young grasshoppers, do not fret over things you cannot control. Anticipation is the best part of gratification. Weisbord is a rookie that let cat out of the bag before he was committed. He second guessed himself thinking the Orlando fans would be unhappy when Stevie dissed them and then decided to go look for a better deal. But he's stuck since T-Mac holds the cards so he's just trying to save face by denying the deal and looking tough. He probably is looking for a secondary trade invloving Cat he can announce at the same time, so this deal goes down easier in Orlando. (that was my 'cheap detective novel' tone, like it?) Let's say this deal doesn't go down and T-Mac doesn't get what he wants. If T-Mac sulks out his contract and leaves Orlando with nothing but cap space, How popular will Weisbord be then? After losing Shaq, not getting anything out of Penny and Grant Hill, they could just fold the franchise.
OK, what is going on here? Is there a deal or not? Since hockey guy is so much smarter and wilier than all then I assume no one really knows who is what and which end is up on this 'deal'. So, does that mean different players than 'presumed' will comprise final package from each side if and when there is ever consummation? What is the back up plan? I assume Seattle and/or Chicago would make grand offers for Steve, Cat, and others? Who else might be coming large to the Rox with their stars for our excess? Will hockey guy ever be able to complete any deal at any time with any team -- or FA?
I think the point they're getting at is that if Lue opts out on Wednesday, something has to change since Lue will no longer be the property of the Magic. DH
It seems clear to me that the Orlando GM wants to keep jacking around with the Rockets until they drop out and he can take the preferred deal with Indiana. He could say to McGrady that he had no alternative and deal him to his #2 choice. Presumably McGrady would be so worn down by the experience (and the prospect of returning to such a jerk) that he would agree to sign an extension with the Pacers. I think this whole delay is very calculated for the Rockets to opt out. I would wait it out if I were the Rockets.
Sickening, I just watched Weisbrod on ESPN news, I can't stomach what he said. It's time for Les Alexander to make a personal call to the owner of the Magic. Owner to Owner This isn't right, there is not a GM that would do this to a team. 1. First of all you don't talk to another team's player under contract unless the deal is done and you have permission to explain or sell the trade to your new player. To talk with Steve without making the deal is tampering. That's first class tampering. No way you can tamper with another team's player under contract, teams could just start recruiting players if you don't have tampering protection. 2. If the deal is done, fine meet with Steve and try to sell him on it, but don't lie and say nothing is done, we are exploring options. 3. The Rockets thought the deal was done, both Les and JVG said they were making the trade to try to improve the team. So why did Les think the deal was done? 4. This is a bad game Weisbrod is playing because he obviously is exploring options. It's not about fan support or #1 draft picks. He is shrewd enough to know that fan reaction changes over time especially by the start of the season. And the timing of the drafting of Howard was the perfect time to anounce the trade and deflect criticism. This is about Weisbrod trying to get more. But he is doing it in a deceptive, manipulative, under handed way. 5. Underhanded, because he obviously has made a fool of the Rockets and anyone else that he has given info to privately. Les, please call their owner and try to go over this guys head.
