Could Karl Malone be the Rocket's Big Splash?

I know he's been talking about going to the Lakers, but I was reading the article below & just started wondering out loud. The article hints that there might be an additional team talking to Malone. Could that team be the Rockets, or just Malone's agent stirring the pot (or me just reading too much into it)? He can't get any more money from the Lakers, because they only have the MLE to offer him. Will Payton really sign for the MLE? He could get more than that by resigning with Milwaukee or going to one of the few teams with serious cap room. The Rockets have been silent so far & that's got me wondering what's going on.

I read somewhere that the Rockets wanted to make a big splash going into the new arena. Malone would be a big splash. Could they be working on a S&T with Utah? Something like Cato for Malone straight up? If the Rockets feel that Badiane could make the transition to the NBA quicker, would they consider a Cato/Griffin for Malone/future considerations trade?

As for Malone wanting to go to a team that can win a Championship, Houston could be very intriguing. I'm not saying we are there yet, but we missed the playoffs by just one game last year with a rookie center that showed a lot of promise & will be going into his second year. A player like Malone could be the needed ingredient to push us over the top. He's a tough veteran player that comes to play every night & has played in the Championship game. I know he's been a member of the hated Jazz, but he's still a quality PF that would give the Rockets the toughness they so desperately need. Oh well, maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,510037926,00.html

Malone narrows options

Mailman wants to stay in West, his agent says
By Tim Buckley
Deseret Morning News

After considering contract proposals from several suitors, free-agent Karl Malone has narrowed the list of NBA franchises with which he will consider signing, his agent said Saturday night.
Evidently, all are teams from the league's Western Conference.
Agent Dwight Manley, however, would neither identify those clubs nor reveal the exact number of possible destinations that remain for The Mailman.
"Whether it's three or five or four," Manley said, "it's down to a few teams."
The Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz, San Antonio and Dallas apparently are still in the running, though it seems the likelihood of Malone leaving Utah after 18 seasons here is growing stronger and stronger by the day.
Manley would not directly address where the Jazz standbut did say this: "Over the weekend, there haven't been any additions or subtractions — as of yet."
Jazz basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor met with Manley in California last Wednesday, but since then it is believed there has been no face-to-face contact between the Jazz and Malone camps — including a sitdown involving Malone and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller.
Meanwhile, the possibility of Malone joining Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal with the Lakers still seems to hinge on veteran free-agent point guard Gary Payton's plans.
Malone apparently is willing to play in L.A. for as little as $1.5 million so long as the Lakers also are able to lure Payton, who planned to spend the Fourth of July holiday weekend communicating with the Lakers and contemplating his options — including the possibility of accepting a multiyear contract that next season pays roughly $4.7 million in so-called "midlevel exception" salary.
Also still intrigued by the possibility of signing Malone: the Dallas Mavericks.
"We are certainly still interested in Karl," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said via email Saturday night, "and are still in touch with his agent."
Eliminated from consideration, Manley confirmed Saturday, is the Boston Celtics, who made their pitch with basketball operations executive director Danny Ainge's visit to Malone early last week in Salt Lake and a subsequent visit with Manley in the Los Angeles area.
"If Karl was 30 or 35 years old," Manley said with reference to Malone, who turns 40 later this month, "Boston might be a great fit."
In explaining why the Celtics are not now, Manley essentially eliminated the possibility of Malone going to any of the NBA's Eastern Conference clubs.
"Because the No. 1 priority is the championship," Manley said, "then you have to look at the West."
Malone said heading into the NBA's summer free-agency market that there were four teams with which he might like to sign should he decide to leave Utah: the Lakers, San Antonio, Dallas and Sacramento.
All four are from the Western Conference, which has won the NBA Finals each of the past last five seasons. A team from the East has not won a championship since Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls beat the Jazz in 1998.
A decision from Malone could come sometime this week.

 

I'm so sorry that I've put you through such stress, but who ever said you had to read them?

 

Thumbs,

I'm a little disappointed in your response. I realize that there is a lot of animosity towards Malone, but he's still a very productive PF & would help the Rockets tremendously. If I remember correctly, Barkley was not very well liked around here either. That is, until he became a Rocket.

Malone's production has dropped slightly over the years, but he still averaged 20.6 ppg & 7.8 rpg last year. He's only missed 10 games in his entire 18 year career. The man is tough, durable, & still very productive. Anyone that thinks Malone wouldn't help us is either thinking with their emotions, or hasn't got a clue. Here's a link to Malone's career stats & the 2nd one is for his game to game stats from last year. If that's not a productive PF, then I'd sure like to see what everyone believes is.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/karl_malone/index.html?nav=page

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/karl_malone/game_by_game_stats.html