Vecsey: Hakeem seeking $10 million per season from Houston

Clutch,

If we go below the cap by more than the amount of our combined exceptions (just under $7M), then we lose our exceptions for next year and we do not get them back even if we eventually go back over the cap.

So, if we renounce Dream to free up cap space, then sign Webber, we could only sign Hakeem with whatever cap space we had left or for the $1M minimum salary for a 10 year vet.

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[This message has been edited by aelliott (edited May 13, 2001).]

 

1) I love and respect Dreams game.

2) To persue Webber, the Rockets have to renounce Dream and remove his contract liability from the cap. (Something they will probably due from a business standpoint even if they get cold on Webber).

3) If the Rockets renounce Dream, he is then an unrestricted free agent. Therefore, S&T's must be agreed to by both the Rocks and Dream.

4) Other than Houston, these teams have '01 cap rooom:

Bulls, Clips, Pistons, Kings, Spurs, Sonics, Wizards.


Other than the goofy MJ-Barkley thing going on, can someone please tell me who is going to pay Dream $10M next season?

I am genuinely stumped.

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Raef to Rocks in '01-'02!

[This message has been edited by GATER (edited May 13, 2001).]

 

For just two years, the Spurs might jump somewhere lower, around 5-7 million. COuld you imagine that. Duncan, Robinson, and Olajuwon....WOW!

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I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.

 

10 million? lol.

bye Hakeem. bye Shandon. Bye Fegan.

Have a good time in Washington Dream.

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snap crackle pop

 

$10,000,000?

Fegan, I knew you sucked royally and had my misgivings about Dream taking you on as an agent. But that's beyond the pale. The Rockets got raped 16 million ways last year; if Hakeem wants that much money (thanks for sticking the idea in his head, Fegan), then how much will he ask for Shandon?

Yep. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Sometimes these demands make me wonder. Does Fegan actually believe this crap? He got Croshere too much money, it's true. But two years ago, when reports surfaced about how much he "believed Shandon was worth," it all seemed like a giant ploy to either see if the team (Utah) was actually that stupid to pay that kind of money or simply inventing a reason for the player to bolt (the player having already reached that conclusion, even before "negotiations").

My brother-in-law says that he gleaned from his recent meeting with a Western Conference player that the buzz among the Rockets players is the rumor about Hakeem playing for the Wizards. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Would the Kings be interested in Laettner?

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So much for a hometown discount. Still, my guess is that is just the initial request. No way any team pays Dream $10 mil. He'd command the mil-level exception from any team, tho. So if the Rox miss out on CWebb, they might up their offer to $5 mil or so.

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I'm about to boldly go where many men have gone before.

 

My hope would be that if Webber wanted to be a Rocket, Sacramento would be open to a sign and trade of Walt (1 year trial offer that won't effect any cap aspirations) and KT (cheap replacement) and maybe a future pick.

That would free up an additional ~6 mill for post Webber things....Mo? Hakeem?

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"That's been a lifelong dream of mine." -Vince Carter, after laying it in on a breakaway, much to the Vancouver crowd's displeasure.

 

Oh great, here comes the Hakeem-bashfest all over again...

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You forgot to mention that Dream would get the same wink that Barkley got when he signed for the minimum.


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actually, he wouldn't. We were able to do that with CB, because he was going for Big Bird Rights, which means we could go over the cap. We never renounced With Hakeem, once you renounce him, you lose the ability to go over the cap to resign him. So, if there was a wink, it'd have to involve next year's mid level exception.

If you were going to be able to give a mill or so, you could do a one year contract before signing Webber for that.

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"That's been a lifelong dream of mine." -Vince Carter, after laying it in on a breakaway, much to the Vancouver crowd's displeasure.

 

I would'nt give Hakeem 10 dollas and a Hamd sandwich. Give him a One Way Ticket to Washington, He can Buy all the Denny's up around the Capital.

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When I was Little I call in a local sports show and told them the Rockets should Trade Otis Thorpe for a Lottery Pick. They found me to be stupid.

 

If Hakeem wants 10 million.. then BYE BYE BYE BYE.. hakeem and 10 million that is just too funny,... he already was GIVEN 16 mil a year for the last two years of doing nothing.. i said this earlier but everyone said I was wrong on this board..people on here were posting that dream would take the minimum.. i knew there was no way he'd take the minimum but even i thought he'd take less than 10..

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Shane
"Save Our Rockets"
"Life without basketball in Houston........without an arena that is what it will be"

[This message has been edited by Rocket Fan (edited May 13, 2001).]

 

If Hakeem fans consider this bashing then sorry, but the guy isn't worth 10 million dollars. The Rockets already paid him for the years he put into the franchise, he made over 16 million dollars last season. So if the guy wants out, then bye. His decision. But if he really thinks he is worth 10 million dollars at this stage in his career then he is sadly mistaken. My gut feeling is that Dream is gone, and this is a way for him to soften the blow. It also leaves the door open for a sign-and-trade. I'm guessing Dream's choices will be LA Lakers, Washington, Orlando, and Miami.

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See the three, be the three.

 

I just think its too early to jump on the "bye-bye-Hakeem" bandwagon. I don't think he's an idiot. No team will pay him 10 million a year. This is just some more Vescey Bull****. Wait until a real report is published before you assume that this Vescey rumor is true.

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I thought I heard somewhere that if Hakeem signed a low contract, somewhere in the 4 million or less range, it would reduce his salary hit against the cap, without the having to renounce him. If this is true, we could sign him to such a deal prior to signing Webber, and Hakeem would have Bird rights next year, when we could do a Barkley-type make-up deal.

Also, I could imagine several teams that are capped-out offering Hakeem the full $4.5 million exception, but I cannot see any team with cap space offering him more. As such, I think his true market value is $4.5 million.

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First off, I don't agree with everything Vecsey says, but from a negotiation perspective, the numbers make sense for a first/counter offer. We know that Dream will get a minimum of $4.5 mill on the open market, because of the exception. The first teams that I can think of that would love to get him for the exception, would be Minnesota, Orlando, Atlanta, New York, Seattle, Phoenix, New Jersey, & Dallas, because he could start & would be the final piece to get them over the top. However, if he goes on the open market, I believe that he'll get more than the $4.5 mill. I don't think that he'll get $10 mill, but $7-8 mill is not out of the question. Dream proved last year that he's still got game & with the lack of dominant(or even adequate) centers in the NBA, he becomes a very hot FA. Chicago could be an interesting option, because they should end up with a top 3 pick & have plenty of cap space. If they could pull off a trade of Fizer/Artest/whatever else for Bibby & draft Battier, then sign Dream for $8-10 mill, they could become an instant contender with a starting lineup of:

C: Dream
PF: Brand
SF: Battier
SG: Mercer
PG: Bibby

Kind of scary to think about, but it could happen. Hopefully, Krause is too stupid to pull it off. If Dream truely demands more than the $3 mill that Vescey mentioned, then the Rockets will have no choice but to let him go, if they're to continue with the rebuilding program. Everyone, pray, cross your fingers, rub your lucky rabbits foot, or whatever makes your dreams come true, that Dream will be back here next year. We will truely need him for the next couple of years.

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I agree with Scarface, ricky, and ZRB. Let's not get emotional until this is substantiated, because it did come from Vescey. Did you read the NYPost article? God, he's so annoying. We rightfully bashed Phil Jackson for inquiring about Van Gundy's job. I think Vescey should at least have the consideration to present his views in a speculative tone, like "Silas is doing a great job coaching the Hornets, but he would be a terrific guy to replace Dunleavy with the Blazers if he were available...", instead of "Portland and Silas really ought to screw around...but how should I know what, where, when, and how they should do it? I'm pulling this out of my ass along with all this other s***." But anyway, what I really wanted to say is...

Dream is a businessman. He hired Fegan so he can get as much for his last few years in the NBA as he can. This may not be admirable, but it's not unreasonable. Still, I believe him when he says he would like to stay with the Rockets. We could be wrong; maybe there is something to those Washington rumors, although I hope not. But I'm going to believe in him and hope that the Rockets will be able to give him and he'll be satisfied with around $4.5 million until there's significant reason to think otherwise. The Rockets have their priorities too. We're not bashing them for being pragmatic and not selling the farm so that the franchise icon will retire a Rocket. We should respect Hakeem for trying to do what he feels is best for himself and not how we would like it.

Here's hoping for a 2001-2002 lineup with Dream that everyone involved (including us) is happy with.

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[This message has been edited by Relativist (edited May 13, 2001).]

 

Call me crazy but I think Rockets are gonna lose out on Hakeem and Webber.

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Hakeem: "Exit Suugar Lan"




[This message has been edited by WizzyWig (edited May 13, 2001).]

 

Its Peter Vescey(as has been said earlier in the thread), there's a good chance that its completely false.

But if its true, I hope that Hakeem and Fegan are very flexible with their offer, or we may have seen Hakeem's last game as a Rocket.

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Charles Barkely on the Raptors defeating the Knicks in Round 1 :"I think it was the Lord. The Lord was with the Raptors. You know the Knicks like to talk so much about religion, but I think the Lord was a Raptor fan."