ESPN Insider...Houston, you're on the clock...

I was struck by Steve's comments at the lottery yesterday as well, and logged in the BBS wanting to say something about it. I don't know how reliable Insider is, but I believe what they said about Steve not wanting to switch and not being cool with moving Cuttino. The way he said "well, we don't need a point guard..." yesterday may have been something of a joke, but to me, it sounded like it had been on his mind. Those with pipe dreams of Andre Miller (pipe dreams until now) can kiss them goodbye IMO, because Steve is not willing to change the starting backcourt. That's fine with me, but it means that the Rocks have to find a ball-handling small forward if they feel the team's not best with Steve running the show by himself.

The talk about how high the Rocks are on Dunleavy kind of scare me, as a result. Because he's probably the best prospect at point forward that we have right now. I wouldn't mind having Dunleavy on the team, but I keep thinking about something Dream's said, which is that you can't underestimate the value of a true center in this league. Unless Dunleavy's the next Larry Bird, I don't see how we can pass up on Yao Ming, forgetting about the complications with China for a moment and possible size issues.

 

Well I wasnt really serious about the luxary taxes ... ... if Ming works out for the Rockets you guys will be in heaven ... as for swift sure he is expendable talent, since Gasol is our 4, but I wouldnt give up him just to move up 3 spots in a draft without any clearcut no 1 pick ... In my opinion there are several very nice guys that should be available at no4 probably including Caron Butler ...

 

I think getting the #1 pick just saved Mobely's job. Cool. I didn't want to lose him anyway, but the whole concept of having to give talent to get talent was in play.

Remember, we need to try to get an immediate impact SF this summer, hopefully upgrade the C, hopefully add another future star player to build around, and add depth. In the process, if we can unload Rice and Taylor's contracts, that would be optimum.

So, its trading time this summer. The draft needs to give us trading chits. If I were the Rockets, I would give everyone the impression that we COULD take anyone they want, but leaning toward Ming, since he's the one everyone wants the most, and then sit back and see what trades are offered, and pick the best ones which fill our needs, and give us trading chits to make other trades later in the summer, once contacts allow us to make trades.

Ming is a safe bet for us, and fills a need, and if he turns out to be what he's capable of, would be dynamite next to Griffin, probably leading us to the championships. And the #15 could net us someone like Stoudamire, Hilario, Marcus, Nachbar, Jeffries, possibly a future starter, although probably a project. This is the safest pick

But, you HAVE to listen to the offers that come. And some people might believe that Ming can lead them to the promised land, be good for PR for their franchise, and might unload players we not believe we could get. And then we could trade our way down the list, and get the most trading chits possible, then, make trades for the real players we want later in the summer.

So, for instance, if we really want Lewis, but don't have what Seattle wants, now we can try to obtain those type players.

So, if we had trading chits, who would we REALLY want? That's the real paradigm shift for us now.

Lewis, Odom, Olowakandi, McDeyss, etc...

For instance:

1. lets say Golden State REALLY believes that Ming is their big missing piece. They offer us Jamison and the #3. I'd counter with Jason Richardson, their #3, and their #1 next year. They may or may not do that. But IF they did, Richardson is more tradeable than Jamison, and the pick can be used in a trade too.
2. Then we'd have the #3, and we'd offer it to LAC, who wants to be sure they get Wagner, before Memphis takes him, and gives us their 8/12 pick and Odom for Norris/Collier. The draft gets crazy in its frothy excitement and hopes and dreams. They get rid of a salary potential problem and headache, and gain who they think is the prize player of this draft. That seems steep, but they don't need Odom, and I don't think the 8/12 is quite worth the #3, and potentially the best player in this draft (from their perspective).
3. Then, at #8, we pick Butler, Tskitshivilli, Woods, Hilario, or whomever somehow drops from the top 5, we expected others might covet the most. (for hypothetical purposes, say Woods falls.)
4. At #12, we pick the next player that drops unexpectedly, and that everyone wants the most (forget our needs at the moment), such as Tskitshivilli, Hilario, Stoudamire, Jeffries, Marcus, etc. (for Hypothetical purposes, lets say Tskitshivilli falls.)
5. At #15, we pick the next player that somehow falls out of the top group. Someone HAS to... probably Stoudamire, Hilario, Marcus, Jeffries... (for hypothetical purposes, lets say Stoudamire)
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   So, that means we would have the following trading chits: Odom, Richardson, Olowakandi, KT, Cato, Taylor, Rice, Woods, Tskitshivilli, Stoudamire, and GS #1 pick next year. Who do we want to keep, who do we want to trade?
   
   If we want Lewis more than Odom, I bet that Seattle would be interested in a combo of Odom and Stoudamire for Lewis and the Radman, or Richardson and Cato for Lewis and the Radman. Someone would probably be willing to trade us a good center for Richardson or Odom. We keep who want (perhaps the Kandiman), develop the talent, and then use them to trade in the future too. Would we want to trade one or two, combined with one of our bad contracts? We could now, with a lottery pick someone wants.
   
   It could be a very interesting summer. Our options just vastly increased.

 

1. 
   
   Man, this is not NBA2k2. Actually, that wouldn't be allowed to happen even in a video game.

 

Here's my rediculous KG trade idea. All based upon the assumption the Twolves are convinced they need a change.

Houston trades: A resigned Walt Williams, Rice, Cato, KT and the #1

Houston Recieves: Kevin Garnett and Loren Woods



It's not that great a trade for the Twolves, they get the #1 and KT, but have to take Walt, Rice and Cato. The saving grace is that Walt's off the books in a year, and Rice is in 2.

I just can't see why they'd take Taylor, he's got too many question marks and way too bad a contract.


This won't ever happen but it's fun to come up with trades.

 

How bout flip flpping 1's with the Grizz, and Lorenzo Wright for Collier and getting rid of our obligation for next year.

Now that sounds good....

 

You guys are so lucky in the lottery so we'll take the chance next year that your luck continue and the Francis trade gives us Lebron too ... ... anyway I guess your chances of escaping the lottery have improved assuming you dont pick Ming who probably wont contribute much for a few years ...