Free Agency is upon us!

Post #1 » by **Mr. E** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:28 pm

Midnight grows near. Soon free agency will give us much-needed basketball news to discuss/analyze/criticize/rip apart.

What are your predictions for this off season? Not just for the Rockets, but around the league.

I'm thinking that the decreasing salary cap and the number of teams in financial trouble will make this one of the most active offseasons in a long time. Big names will be moved and it will become clear early on which teams have already given up for 2009/2010.

I'm thinking that players who are expecting big paychecks they may have gotten in years past will be unpleasantly surprised by the lack of offers for what they want. This may come as a shock to them, but come on - the writing has been on the wall for the past year! I don't think that guys like Artest, David Lee and Hedo will get what they are expecting; but I do think that guys like Gortat and Brandon Bass will be satisfied with the offers they receive.

Thoughts or predictions?

HTown_TMac · Post #2 » by **HTown_TMac** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:37 pm

Gortat and Bass gets overpaid.
Sheed goes to Spurs or Magic.
Artest resigns.
Thunder will sign a decent big.
I have no clue where Hedo goes. I doubt POR, because they have too many weapons, and not sure if he wants to be just a player.

Post #3 » by **Mr. E** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:41 pm

I agree that Gortat will be overpaid, but that's what happens when the big guys show a flash of talent. I think that he'll actually have more teams bidding for his services than guys like Lee or Hedo.

jove9 · Post #4 » by **jove9** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:29 pm

Mr. E wrote:I agree that Gortat will be overpaid, but that's what happens when the big guys show a flash of talent. I think that he'll actually have more teams bidding for his services than guys like Lee or Hedo.

Too bad Isaiah isn't in the league anymore. I'd like to see Gortat get a max contract from him.

Post #5 » by **TMU** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:39 pm

Imo Rasheed will sign with Boston Celtics.

Post #6 » by **Mr. E** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:42 pm

jove9 wrote:Too bad Isaiah isn't in the league anymore. I'd like to see Gortat get a max contract from him.

Yeah, I miss Zeke, too. Of course he may not be the guy to offer that max deal if there are unnecessary guards he can sign for big bucks!

TMU - Sheed to the celtics, eh? I could see that one. I imagine that they'll be making some moves this offseason. I'm thinking that they'd really like to move Ray Allen.

Post #7 » by **TMU** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:01 pm

List of key FAs (from the general board):

Mike Bibby
Marvin Williams
Raymond Felton
Ben Gordon
Jason Kidd
Chris Andersen
Allen Iverson
Antonio McDyess
Rasheed Wallace
Ron Artest
Jarrett Jack
Trevor Ariza
Lamar Odom
Ramon Sessions
Charlie Villanueva
David Lee
Nate Robinson
Chris Wilcox
Marcin Gortat
Hedo Turkoglu
Andre Miller
Matt Barnes
Grant Hill
Drew Gooden
Shawn Marion
Anthony Parker
Carlos Boozer
Paul Milsap

Post #8 » by **Mr. E** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:23 pm

I know that the Jazz want to sign either Boozer or Milsap (the favorite), but there is a very good chance that they could lose both. This could be a brutal offseason for our lovable friends in Salt Lake City!

jove9 · Post #9 » by **jove9** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:57 pm

This free agent crop is heavy with guards. Too bad we need quality bigs.

How about getting Marion for the 4 and playing Scola at 5?

Or better yet, how about making that Amare trade and still signing Marion?

Wishful thinking?
5 - Amare / Scola / Dorsey
4 - Marion / Landry / Hayes
3 - Battier / Barry / White
2 - Artest / Wafer / Taylor
1 - Brooks / Lowry

KiDdFrESh · Post #10 » by **KiDdFrESh** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:32 pm

Lets make a hard pitch for Chris Anderson. I'm sure we could lure him away from Denver by offering him a 4 yr 24 million contract and a starting position! Then again we wouldnt be able to sign Von Wafer without the MLE. Oh well, Bird Man would be much more valuable to this team than Wafer and James White could take Wafer's spot.

PG: Brooks, Lowry
SG: Artest, Barry, Taylor
C: Anderson, Hayes
SF: Battier, White
PF: Scola, Landry

IR: McGrady, Yao (F*CK!)

Eralp · Post #11 » by **Eralp** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:02 pm

boozer is staying with jazz...

Post #12 » by **Mr. E** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:44 pm

Eralp wrote:boozer is staying with jazz...

I'm still shocked about that one.

Will the Jazz be able to afford Milsap now? What about Okur?

texasholdem · Post #13 » by **texasholdem** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:24 pm

Or better yet, how about making that Amare trade and still signing Marion?

I was under the impression that they didn't like playing with each other in Phoenix?

Post #14 » by **TMU** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:26 pm

Mr. E wrote:
Eralp wrote:boozer is staying with jazz...

I'm still shocked about that one.

Will the Jazz be able to afford Milsap now? What about Okur?

I think Okur is going to opt out of his player's option.

jove9 · Post #15 » by **jove9** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:37 pm

Here's a list of available big men:

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Breakin ... 09-34.html

No one on that list really jumps out to me as a replacement for Yao, but we may be able to land Pachulia cheap.

Others have already mentioned Birdman and Gortat in this and other threads.

(BTW, does anyone else think that Charlie V would be a perfect fit in San Antonio?)

Nachbar_is_God · Post #16 » by **Nachbar_is_God** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 1:39 am

I wouldn't mind Gortat or Birdman. Birdman is from Texas...maybe he wants to play here. He was actually committed to play at UH, but didn't have the grades to qualify. It would be nice to see him play in Houston.

Post #17 » by **Mr. E** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 1:50 am

T-Mac United wrote:I think Okur is going to opt out of his player's option.

That's what I thought, too. Looks like we were both wrong. He's not opting out.

Neither is Kobe.

Rocketz973 · Post #18 » by **Rocketz973** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 2:04 am

Chris Bosh is a Texan...not sure who we would have to give up to get him though...

Teckon · Post #19 » by **Teckon** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 3:47 am

According to houston chronicles, Rockets are targeting Gortat for the backup center spot. Gortat is also interested too as he fit into the hardworking, team oriented type. With Yao's uncertainty, Gortat will have good playing minutes should he signed with Rockets. Even if Yao recovered, it is logical to expect Rockets to limit Yao's minutes and play the backup center more.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 05049.html

In the same article, Artest is expecting more than $37mllion over 4 years as that is the max extension he would get if Rockets could offer. But in the current economy, I would say Artest would be lucky to get $40 million over 4 years.

It is reported that Boozer and Okur stayed in Jazz. They are smart as they probably would not get much better in FA this year.

In the wiretap, David Lee is also rumour to go to Griz or Thunder and expecting to get an offer that Knicks could not match.

Finley stayed another year in Spurs. Adding another $2.5 million salary, Spurs will he hard to offer good money to FA as they are already over the Luxury Threshold with just 8 players.

Post #20 » by **Mr. E** » Wed Jul 1, 2009 3:59 am

Daryl Morey just tweeted this:

dmoreyMeeting in a few w/ Gortat.Send a note to him NOW at rocketsfanslovegortat@gmail.com .He will receive.Show him how much we want him in Red!

According to several at clutchfans, this is a legit twitter account for morey. So we're first up with Gortat, eh?