I don't know why people automatically point to business as the reason why Yao will never leave Houston. It's like people assume the Rockets are somehow magically going to improve if Yao and his injury-riddled self somehow mysteriously disappears. Let's face it. Yao would never fetch an elite(Lebron/Wade type) player in any trade. But who else would the Rockets trade for that would make us better? Which obtainable player out there can anchor our dominant defense while providing a post presence? Dwight Howard's not available. KG and Duncan are on their last legs. Would you take either one of them? As for letting Yao go, it's the same thing that the Rockets face with letting T-Mac expire. It's not like Houston is Mecca for NBA FA. So yes, even without all the China connection and hoopla, I can't see someone as smart as Morey trade Yao. Yao will stay for as long as he want because he won't b!tch like T-Mac. If his production goes down, he'll sit more and he'll take less money. He'll be less demanding and be a team player. In essence, Yao will likely always provide more value for the Rockets than he does by leaving.
Im pretty sure he profits through gear as well Im pretty sure tmac has become so popular in china because of Yao not to mention other rocket players im pretty sure players gets shoe contracts that otherwise wouldnt or whatever else incentive to make more cash
I honestly don't think Yao will play much longer. He'll probably sign an extension with the Rockets for few more years. I can't see him playing much longer for both physical and personal reasons.
Morey is about the numbers. If you can find someone who brings the things that Yao brings: superefficient scoring, elite-level interior defense for the entire team, superior defensive rebounding for the entire team, automatic double teams on offense, +% outside shooting from open jumpers for the entire team, automatic 4th quarter points through clutch free throw shooting, 20 points, 10 rebounds and TEN WINS PER SEASON (which Morey specifically attributed to Yao earlier this year) plus the intangibles like locker room leadership/work ethic that's conducive to developing young talent a la landry and brooks and an increased visibility for the entire franchise that helps attract media, trades and free agents PLUS additional outside revenue/deals for the owner from Chinese contacts. If you can find another player in the NBA that brings all those quantitative and qualitative qualities to Houston, then yes Morey would consider trading him if a deal that favored Houston. *looks around* nope dont see anyone like that in the NBA. you'd need about 3 high quality players plus someone like Yi from NJ that's 4 players to bring to the table what Yao does solo
Mac wanted to retire but the business of ball meant it didn't work out that way. I see Yao slightly differently, but still, it could happen
You never know, Yao MIGHT be traded sometime in the future (especially looking back at Dream), but it's very unlikely and I'm pretty sure he'll stay here until his career dies. Comparing him possibly being traded to MerGady's situation is unfair. MG has played for 2 teams before us and the last divorce he had with his previous team ended bitterly. He says all the wrong things to the media and made himself to be a bona fide cancer. The only thing he and Yao have in common is their bones being made of glass.
You preferably want to trade a player like Yao right before he loses all of his skills, while he still has value. Things are different because of his Chinese value, though. We'll see what happens. He'll probably stay here his whole career.
IF Yao is healthy next year chances are the Rockets will resign him though it will certainly be risky giving his history. If Yao misses significant time due to injury for the 6th year in a row it would be foolish to resign him unless he is willing to take a major pay cut. As good as Yao can be when he is on the court, there are too many times when injuries have kept him off the court to make the resigning a slam dunk move. Yao's lack of mobility also makes him one of the only "franchise" players in the league that can be shut out of the offense for quarters at a time just by fronting him with a role player. A healthy Yao no doubt makes the Rockets better, but it will be a gamble on whether a healthy Yao is some thing we will ever be able to count on.
I see Yao retiring here, his been great, he'll probably have a David Robinson type of career, where he wins it when they bring in another big man (cough*Bosh*cough) to play along side him and take over the rains of franchise player... --RB
I did not say Yao will be traded or disputed what the poster said. All I am saying is anything is possible and do not discount it outright. I hope the poster is right. I do wish Yao retires as a Rocket.
I know people will disagree, but i don't think a team led by yao will ever win a ring or even make it to the finals. Unless martin,brooks, or one of those lotto picks can consistently perform at a all star level, the rockets won't win a title. Not saying that he is or should,, but morrey should take calls or field offers for yao. His salary vs on court doesnt match. He's a good player when he plays. I've mentioned this before, if the nets strike out in free agency, the rockets should offer yao for lopez. The nets can have yao-yi frontline along with cdr,lee,harris, and the top pick probably. With a good coach, that will be a team good enough to make the playoffs and put bodies in seats. For the rockets, we get to have players around the same age, peaking in 2-3 yrs right when some of the older teams are going down a bit. Basically it would put the rockets in the mix like ok,port,memphis,and utah.
I'd be surprised if Yao doesn't retire as a Rocket, he has his business here and most likely, he'll retire in the NBA and play in China for his Shanghai team. Yao will never get traded unless his work ethic changed, or like some have said, starts to pout. One main reason TMac was not given a chance to play, I believe because he was being selfish, tried to play at his time and tried the media game. I believe the Rockets will ask Yao if he wants to be traded to a team before the trade happens. I'd be surprised if Yao is treated like TMac.
That's naive. It can be said to every player in the west conference Kobe couldn't win a championship before Pau was there, TC couldn't do it without TP/Manu,KG couldn't do it until he was traded to playwith Pierce and Allen. Heck, even Nash/Amare/JJ/Marion couldn't get to the finals playing together.
I'd forgotten about Yao's comment, made more than a few years ago, that he thought injuries would probably force his retirement by age 30. Still, that was before this Sixty-Million-Dollar-Man bionic-foot surgery, so we'll have to see what happens there. The main thing I have wondered is, Not will Yao be ABLE to keep playing on his new bionic foot, but will he WANT to keep playing? I mean, really, truly, maybe he likes the life of owning a team (Shanghai Sharks, is it?) He has a wife, he has a baby on the way. Not that these things kill your will to compete. And I know Yao is very competitive. If Yao WANTS to walk away from the game in a year (I'm not saying he necessarily does), no shame in that. And so Morey goes to fill that 7'6" donut hole in the roster. If he wants to stick around a few more years, and God knows he wouldn't hate the extra $$$ that the contract would bring, then Morey has this next year to evaluate just how much Yao has left, or how much the "new foot" has extended the career....i.e., how much money per year and how many years, and the potential for a team opt-out in the contract, in case something else on Frankenstein's monster falls off... EDIT: The Rockets have a history of passively-aggressively saying good-bye to someone. They won't trade Yao unless it's clear on both sides he just doesn't have it anymore. Yao is too loyal to say "trade me, it's for the best", if he determines the Rockets don't want to meet his contract demands. The Rockets would try to be as fair as possible in dealing with him. One might say, Well, look what they did with Tracy. No; look what Tracy did to the team. Bent them over with no K-Y. Granted, I don't think Tracy should have felt high loyalty, knowing he was about to go to Joisey. But still. And Yao was apparently more than a little tired of the Tracy saga too. Which is to say, Yao seems to be more on the same page as Morey and Rick than was Tmac.
Yao Ming will retire a Rocket! Why? Because if Morey should be foolish enough to try and trade Yao Ming he will just retire.
Leeb... if you were GM and making moves for this team, the Rockets future wouldn't be so bright. You pretty much guaranteed Tracy would sign here for like 10-15 a year. You were wrong. You wanted Iggy and thought he would be a better fit for this team. You were wrong. I always thought Martin was a better fit for this team, I'm glad the organization thinks so too. Now, you want to offer Yao for Lopez. I just don't think that's smart right now. I personally don't care how good the Nets frontline will be. Having youth is not a bad thing. But, going with the older, more efficient, and experienced player, gives us a better chance to be contenders.(ex.Scola) The organization is moving in this direction. The Rockets know best. I'm sure glad you're not the one running the show.
A little off topic, but does anyone have a pick of Yao when he wore a headband? It just cracks me up.
