McGrady News?

[shrink]

HOU just cut Mike Harris, lowering their roster size to 14.

I mention it here because it might be a precursor to a McGrady deal, and there's been some supposition that the wolves are a good place for him to land. Teams can't do a trade where they will ever have more than 15 players on their roster.

Cutting Harris means HOU is only $2.88 mil from getting under the lux. If they can lose that last bit of money, they'll save close to $10 million dollars.

Editted

[Narf]

HOU just cut Mike Taylor, lowering their roster size to 14.

I mention it here because it might be a precursor to a McGrady deal, and there's been some supposition that the wolves are a good place for him to land. Teams can't do a trade where they will ever have more than 15 players on their roster.

Cutting Taylor means HOU is only $2.88 mil from getting under the lux. If they can lose that last bit of money, they'll save close to $10 million dollars.

What's your guess there Shrink? Houston is not known for being cheap and likes to build through the draft, so I don't think they want to give up their first round pick. But if we add an asset, I think that becomes far more doable.

6'6 Chuck Hayes is their starting center. While Hollins isn't exactly the guy you want starting on a playoff team, he's probably got value to Houston, is signed for a couple years, and is young enough to be the equivilant of a late 1st round pick "project" center. My random guess is we trade Hollins + cap space for T-Mac + 1st round pick.

[skorff26]

That's interesting... I don't think we'd get him still, but it could happen.

I'm going to say that he's traded to New Jersey
Budinger/McGrady/1 million cash for Simmons/Battie/Hayes

Houston saves money
3,296,057 + 2.88 luxury + 3.00 million from luxury share (could be more) - 1.00 cash = 8 million in savings, Budinger isn't worth it.

New Jersey spends 2.3 million to get Budinger (he's likely worth that), and they get TMac who could maybe sell some tickets down the stretch.

But if Houston is willing to part with Budinger, I hope Kahn at least talks with Houston.

[Slum_Dillinger]

Houston board is saying that Taylor was cut because his contract was about to become guaranteed as well as Budinger coming back from an injury, not related to a potential deal.

Now of course, its all speculation on everyone's part.

I personally dont see Houston attaching a 1st or Budinger to any TMac deal that has primarily expirings coming back to them.

[Narf]

Houston board is saying that Taylor was cut because his contract was about to become guaranteed as well as Budinger coming back from an injury, not related to a potential deal.

Now of course, its all speculation on everyone's part.

I personally dont see Houston attaching a 1st or Budinger to any TMac deal that has primarily expirings coming back to them.

I agree. But what about attaching a first and getting a useful bench center that can block shots while saving them millions of dollars?

The point is we don't have to give an asset that is worth a 1st round pick to get a first round pick back. We can give up a lesser asset. Hollins seems a good fit for that role, he's not worth a late 1st rounder himself (unlike Gomes or Sessions) but he would help Houston this year and save us a bit more cap space next year.

[shrink]

HOU just cut Mike Taylor, lowering their roster size to 14.

I mention it here because it might be a precursor to a McGrady deal, and there's been some supposition that the wolves are a good place for him to land. Teams can't do a trade where they will ever have more than 15 players on their roster.

Cutting Taylor means HOU is only $2.88 mil from getting under the lux. If they can lose that last bit of money, they'll save close to $10 million dollars.

What's your guess there Shrink? Houston is not known for being cheap and likes to build through the draft, so I don't think they want to give up their first round pick. But if we add an asset, I think that becomes far more doable.

6'6 Chuck Hayes is their starting center. While Hollins isn't exactly the guy you want starting on a playoff team, he's probably got value to Houston, is signed for a couple years, and is young enough to be the equivilant of a late 1st round pick "project" center. My random guess is we trade Hollins + cap space for T-Mac + 1st round pick.

Nice. I like that a lot.

I roll my eyes when I hear them say they won't trade their pick. Trade the pick for $10 mil, then go buy more picks! Its only the freakin #20 pick right now. If you can get $10 mil for it, its stupid to not sell it for that, when you can buy picks in the 20's for $3 mil each. They paid for 2nd rounders last season.

[Slum_Dillinger]

Wait, Mike Taylor or Mike Harris?

[shrink]

Wait, Mike Taylor or Mike Harris?

D' OH! Harris. I keep telling my brain to do the thinking , but ...

Nice catch.

[Slum_Dillinger]

Haha, just checking.

A few questions shrink, I remember talks of the Rockets being granted an injury exception for Yao, I am assuming that he still counts as a body on their roster meaning after they cut Harris, they are carrying 14 players on their roster. Is this correct or does Yao not count?

Doesnt this also mean that a trade would be difficult as making a move for McGrady would involve us moving at least 3 players and Houston is already at 14? So McGrady + pick wont work, but a player (Budinger) attached to McGrady might, leaving Houston at the max of 15.

[shangrila]

I doubt a deal gets done. Houston has been frustratingly adamant that they want "young talent" back in any McGrady deal, despite the fact that they don't want to take on any long contracts (so they're not offering cap space) nor are they giving up a player actually worth anything at this point. Honestly I don't see McGrady getting moved until they change their stance, because no one in their right mind would give up young talent on top of expirings just for McGrady.

[shrink]

I just read a post from a HOU fan identifying the "filler" pieces HOU could add. I'll let him take it away - its a short an effective post.

... Taylor, Dorsey and Cook are all filler pieces which dont have very much value to us, Andersen has some value, but willing to give him up, especially if we get a real defensive minded 5. I am not nesecarily attached to our draft picks, others might disagree. Heres the TRUE depth chart:

PG: Brooks/Lowry
SG: (vacant)
SF: Battier/Ariza/Budinger
PF: Scola/Landry/Hayes
C: Yao/Andersen

For the numbers jockeys:

Jermaine Taylor $725,000
Joey Dorsey $881,000
Brian Cook $3,500,000
Tracy McGrady $22,843,124

[shangrila]

I know this is a little off topic, but did Pavlovic get a guaranteed contract? I can't remember whether he got one here too or if it was just his last contract.

[skorff26]

I know this is a little off topic, but did Pavlovic get a guaranteed contract? I can't remember whether he got one here too or if it was just his last contract.

I'm 98% certain he got a guaranteed deal

[jade_hippo]

I know this is a little off topic, but did Pavlovic get a guaranteed contract? I can't remember whether he got one here too or if it was just his last contract.

I'm 98% certain he got a guaranteed deal

motion seconded, i'm willing to guarantee 99%

[shrink]

100%? The only unguaranteed contract we had was Jason Hart.

BTW, to wander even a little more off-topic, teams can sign players to (2) 10-day contracts as of January 5th, so if we needed an emergency third PG, we could get one without a longterm financial commitment.

[jade_hippo]

and there are a couple of decent PG's that would fit well as a third option. *crosses fingers for Woodside* Livingston, Knight, Marbury *sigh*, Mike Wilks, Derick Martin, Hart, Salim Staudamire, Ty Lue, Juan Dixon, and myself.

[shangrila]

Lester Hudson's an option too if you're looking for 3rd string point guards.

[mnWI]

HOU just cut Mike Harris, lowering their roster size to 14.

I mention it here because it might be a precursor to a McGrady deal, and there's been some supposition that the wolves are a good place for him to land. Teams can't do a trade where they will ever have more than 15 players on their roster.

Cutting Harris means HOU is only $2.88 mil from getting under the lux. If they can lose that last bit of money, they'll save close to $10 million dollars.

Editted

Either that or they don't want to guarantee him for the rest of the season and would rather sign him to a couple ten days after he clears waivers in 48 hours, and then reassess the roster situation. Unless you think Portland waiving Shav (doing the same as the Rockets with brining him back) or Cleveland waiving Coby Karl (same thing) are precursors to something too.

[mnWI]

and there are a couple of decent PG's that would fit well as a third option. *crosses fingers for Woodside* Livingston, Knight, Marbury *sigh*, Mike Wilks, Derick Martin, Hart, Salim Staudamire, Ty Lue, Juan Dixon, and myself.

What's your buyout offer for Gravelines to let their rookie pg on a bargain contract go? You can offer up to 500k, but chances are they want to hang onto the 5th leading scorer in ProA France. Who was the last player bought out from Europe mid-season by an NBA team.

[Breakdown777]

and there are a couple of decent PG's that would fit well as a third option. *crosses fingers for Woodside* Livingston, Knight, Marbury *sigh*, Mike Wilks, Derick Martin, Hart, Salim Staudamire, Ty Lue, Juan Dixon, and myself.

What's your buyout offer for Gravelines to let their rookie pg on a bargain contract go? You can offer up to 500k, but chances are they want to hang onto the 5th leading scorer in ProA France. Who was the last player bought out from Europe mid-season by an NBA team.

Wasn't Nenad Krstic bought out of his Russian team by OKC last season?