While CD, Les, JVG and Morey were asleep at the wheel with Mike James the rest of the league has been gobbling up the good free agents. There is not much quality left out there so who can the Rockets go after? Bonzi Wells? He made 8 million last year and Sac wants him back plus they have his bird rights. He is untouchable to the Rockets. Drew Gooden is a restricted free agent that put up good numbers as a power forward. Cle would love for him to sign an MLE offer sheet from the Rockets. Then they would match and have a very under priced player. Al Harrington? Like Gooden and Wells we cant touch him with MLE money. So who is or might be available to us? First the free agents: Marcus Banks 6’2” point guard. Restricted free agent. 24 years old Last season averages: 12pts 4.7assits 2.9rebs 1.18st 2.4 to .479f/g% .364 3pt% .778f/t% DeShawn Stevenson 6’5” shooting guard / small forward. Unrestricted free agent. 25 years old. Last season averages: 11ppg 2apg 2.9rpg .71spg 1.5to .460 f/g% .133 3pt% .744 f/t% Jarred Jeffries 6’11” 240lbs forward / center. Restricted free agent. 25 years old. Last seasons averages: 6.4ppg 4.8rpg 1.6apg .65bpg .451f/g% .320 3pt% .589f/t% 25.3mpg Ronald Murrey 6’3” guard. Unrestricted free agent 27 years old. Last Seasons averages: 11.2ppg 2.6apg 2.0rpg 1.7to .418 f/g% .262 3pt% .711 ft% 27.8mpg Other free agents Trevor Ariza 6’8” forward. Restricted free agent. 21years old Keith Van Horn 6’10” forward. Unrestricted free agent. 31 years old Scott Padgett 6’9” forward. Unrestricted free agent. 30 years old John Salmons 6’6” guard / forward. Restricted free agent. 26 years old Other options? JR Smith 6’6” guard. 20 years old. - He will be the property of Chicago on July 12th. After that I don’t think Chicago can move him for 2 months since he was traded so CD should be on the phone with them right now to see if they are interested in moving him and if the Rockets have anything they want. If so CD needs to make the Rockets a 3rd party in the trade so Smith can come straight to Houston. Vassilis Spanoulis 6’4” guard He has been great over seas. Is he ready? From the sound of the Richard Justice blog CD is going to give him a call. I would be excited to have V-Span in a Rockets uniform but he is still just a rookie with potential and that does not do anything for the Rockets Win now approach. Louis Scola 6’9” power forward Rumors say that S.A. is willing to part with his rights for a 1st round pick. Once again he does not fit our win now approach but you can bet I would be on the phone with the Spurs trying to pry him out of their hands. I’m sure there are several others that I am missing. Marcus Banks, DeShawn Stevenson and Jarred Jeffries are the ones that I would lean very heavily towards getting with our MLE and trade exceptions. KVH and Scott Padgett are others I would be willing to sign with the Vets Minimum. Overall it does not look like we are going to have a very good scoring back court. Maybe CD can pull a rabbit out of his hat.
IMO if we can split the MLE with marcus banks and ronald murray(or fred jones) then use small exception on J.R. Smith and throw in a 2nd rounder. then use the big exception on jared jeffries or those orlando scrubs or melvin ely. Sign Lorenzen Wright to whatever money we have left. I just want 3 or 4 of these players out of this list and i think we are definitely good. Jared Jeffries Marcus Banks Either Orlando Scrub Ronald Murray Fred Jones Lorenzen Wright Melvin Ely Or we can use full MLE on one of these guys(but im going way out on these guys) Bonzi,Gooden, or Wilcox But we MUST have marcus banks i will go crazy if we dont. Hell Stephen Jackson might not be bad either.
I think the Rockets 4.2 trade exception would work with Fred Jones. Indiana is over the cap but do they want to let him go?
I think they should just get Spanoulis and Padgett. then CUT Ryan Bowen and and let Padgett have his spot. Then I would just sign Lucas III and a backup C to minimum deals. That assumes Sura can play. If Sura can't play then they need to get a SG like Jones.
Let's forfeit the MLE and let the TE's expire. Then we can sign Moochie, and re-sign Wesley and Bogans. I would say go after Frahm but I don't think we have a shot. Let's not make it too difficult on management.
I heard recently that Miami was interested in Eddie House. I don't think that he's made a promise to sign with anyone yet. If I was compiling a list of available free agent guards that can shoot, and I know he's not a rock solid, I'd add him to the list.
Crash, you grouped them well. Trevor Ariza 6’8” forward. Restricted free agent. 21years old Keith Van Horn 6’10” forward. Unrestricted free agent. 31 years old Scott Padgett 6’9” forward. Unrestricted free agent. 30 years old John Salmons 6’6” guard / forward. Restricted free agent. 26 years old First, Padgett already knows JVG's system and he would be inexpensive. Second, John Salmons because we need a big SG. Third, Trevor Ariza because T-Mac will need an occasional breather. However, Ariza is too young for JVG. OMG, He might make a mistake on court, which no Rocket would ever do. Fourth, Keith Van Horn because JVG is ensnared by the "win today without regard for tomorrow" philosophy. He knows we need a big PF with certifiable range who can literally "free Yao" in the paint. KVH may not be as expensive as some may think because he already has had his "big payday." But then again, he may be greedy.
Out of Minnesota so Marcus Banks has no shot at coming back to minnesota since they used their MLE on Mike James. Which means now we can easily grab him for 3 Mil.(hes asking for that much also). Here are his stats with minny last year. He shoots at 36% from 3 and 48% overall. Has a sweet midrange. 05-06 MIN 40 28 30.7 .479 .364 .778 .5 2.4 2.9 4.7 1.18 .28 2.40 3.10 12.0
You might as well give up on that dream then. If any other team is interested in a prospective FA, there is no way they will come to Houston.
I think that the liking on Marcus Banks is his quickness and ability to penetrate...he's strong for a PG..I think JVG wants is backup PG to be a different one from Alston but can be solid in any given night...I don't see any other PG's available that we can pry from other teams...duhon? brevin knight? as for the PF available..i think we should try lorenzen wright or Ely....how about sweetney if packaged with JR Smith? .....damn this off season...
I wouldn't be surprised at all if Spanoulis spurned the Rockets that they pull a panic move and gave Van Horn the MLE at more years than James wanted. Then they will explain that Van Horn (almost always hurt KVH mind you) is more durable than James, which is why he was given the years and James was not.
