I can understand Dallas wouldnt throw a more than 3 year deal to James. They've got young guns and James is not a must have for them. But us? We traded Gay and Stro saying WIN IT NOW as the logic. Now we wouldnt throw one more year. Forget the 4th year, we need him for the first 3 years. We are in a dire state needing a Guard. Dont tell me Banks is of James caliber, becuase he is not. Banks and Bogans are same kind of players in my book. We can all F the WIN IT NOW. We absolutely need James to have a slim chance to win it now. Do you really think we can win with Alston, Head, Howard, Battier. Dont kid yourself. I am really pissed.
I can't agree with that at all. What, McGrady and Yao would hold out? Besides, I don't think it's possible to put in a kicker on a max contract, Gater or others more familiar with the CBA than I please correct me if wrong. If we're talking about a simple 3-year deal, I can't see why a trade clause would be a deal breaker. 3 freaking years. Saying no to a 5-yr deal trade clause, I can get that. But you lose your target addition over a trade clause in a 3-year deal? Wtf...
That old cliche "The NBA is a business" cuts both ways. We traded him based on that and he took the Wolves deal because of that. We never should have let him go in the first place and he was one of the outstanding FAs available. We better get Marcus Banks now but no will he make the team as good as MJ. CD you cheap SOB.
I am in dallas, and everybody seems pissed on the local ESPN radio. They are in shock that cuban would not go 4 years. Avery wanted James pretty bad... I am glad he is going to Minny, instead of Dallas.
well too bad we wont have gay and james, oh lets give up on the season now. I am as disappointed as anyone else that we didnt keep gay and wasnt able to sign James but I am still optimistic that this team can and WILL compete for the title this season.
Wow. Totally disagree. NOW THAT is some classic moments stuff right there. The offseason didn't go anywhere near perfect, but the Rockets will be fine. They will prove you wrong. The Texans, too.
Banks and Ariza would be a good addition but I am amazed that he has managed to stay under the radar. He is a very talented young PG and it seems like he may come cheap now. Minnesota has now use for him but I would be pissed if he signs with them. I will be ok with James leaving if we can get Banks and a quality long SG similar to Ariza. Banks had some solid stats on Minny last year when he got some good PT. Don't freak out until we waste every available option, which might happen unfortunately.
bah! I would've liked to have James, but glad we didn't meet his demands. I want to see us grab some depth guys... Banks would be great.
So true! The funny thing is the similarity between James, Stoudamire, and Van Exel. Do we only target over the hill scorers anymore? ...also makes me think of Derrick Anderson too. Man - and people call Larry Brown fickle - sheesh...
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4040066.html Guard Mike James, who went from traded before the season began to the Rockets' top free agent priority when it ended, spurned them back on Tuesday. James agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He said he would not sign with the Rockets because they would not give him a player option to opt-out of his contract after three seasons and would not allow a "trade kicker" in the contract. In a "trade kicker," a player receives a bonus of 15 percent of his contract if traded. Each team pursuing James was willing to offer their full mid-level exception, expected to begin at about $5 million and to be worth about $24 million over four years. "I had to have two things; only one team gave them to me," James said, without identifying the team. "Everyone gave me the same amount of money. I specifically asked for a player option on my third year and a trade kicker and they said 'no.' I had to have those two things. "After what they put me through, I couldn't sign with them without those things." James, who said last week that getting traded by the Rockets would in no way influence his decision, turned down the Rockets' offer to return to his adopted hometown. Players can begin signing with teams on Wednesday, but James said his decision was final. "End of game. I'm done," James said. "I want to get back to just me, get all the nonsense out of the way. This ain't fun. I'm not for sale. I've been telling people that from beginning all I want to be is a basketball player. I'm still not appreciated. I'm still young at this game. I still have a lot to prove. The thing I have to prove is you can win a champion with Mike James. "Carroll Dawson (the Rockets general manager) said to me a story about how bad he wanted to get me. When I left Detroit, he really wanted me, really wanted me This trade fell through, that trade fell through then he finally got me (from the Bucks in exchange for Reece Gaines and a second-round pick.) The only question I had was, 'then why did you trade me?' "I wasn't a bad kid. I'm family man, first one in gym, last to leave. That was the question I had. They can trade me. Whenever they're ready to get rid of me, they can get rid of me. You're in a rhythm, the kids are in school, and they say 'go somewhere else, pack up and go' with no repercussions to it. Another school, another place to live, another way to live. You have to go shopping because you were in a hot place and traded to Antarctica." James has played for six teams and won a championship as a back up with Detroit. But he was traded twice in less than a year, with the Rockets sending him to Toronto, making the trade kicker "a necessity" he said. "That was very important to me," James said. "The player option was very important to me. I'm not a full mid-level player now. I understand that game. But can I at least get an option after the third year. You want me to lock into a bad deal. A mid-level is a bad deal. Those were the only two things I asked for." James' career-best scoring last season was also the most for an undrafted player since Moses Malone, a third-round pick in the ABA Draft, averaged 20.3 points in the 1987-88 season. James scored 20.3 points last season on 46.9 percent shooting and 44.2 percent 3-point shooting. He had career best in scoring, assists (5.8) and rebounding (3.3) last season. In 27 games with the Rockets in the 2004-05 season, all but five coming off the bench, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds, but he was traded to the Raptors before the start of training camp for Rafer Alston.
Agree. Can not understand our front office. Trade out: MoT, JJ, Pagget, MJ, .... all is not good In: DW, Sura, Wspoon, JB, Baker, .(Tmac ok), .... cWood(joke) Look at our trade history. I have to say our front office is stu p d.
This is inexcusable by Rockets management. I was fine with the Battier trade but not this. The Rockets gambled in a situation where they had no leeway to gamble, and the alternatives are drastically worse. They better be on the phone to Indiana ASAP, and acquire Jackson or Fred Jones, because Marcus Banks will not cut it.
Rules to live by: 1. Never ever look desperate, pathetic, or irrational Nothing is worth more than it's worth. If you get outbid by someone who is irrational (how else can they get anyone to play in Minnesota but overpay?) let it go. (I still think we got ripped off by Memphis though)
wow.. these are prolly one of the worst beginnings of an offseason.. hopefully we can turn it around.
no offense but I hate the mavs so Im glad their fans are angry lol But so are we I guess texas just didnt luck out this year.
