<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="660"><tbody><tr><td width="100" valign="top"> </td><td valign="top"><h2>Houston Works Out in New Jersey, But His Heart Is in New York</h2><font size="2">September 20, 2007, 6:50 am</font> Ed Stefanski and Lawrence Frank watched Wednesday as Allan Houston went though drills and pick-up games at the Nets’ practice facility. What they saw impressed them: Houston was in great shape and was shooting the way he used to. But what they heard was something different: his agent said the former All-Star would prefer to play for the Knicks. Houston, as it turns out, has already worked out with New York.</p> Houston giving Knicks, not Nets, best shot - Julian Garcia - New York Daily News Nets look at Houston - Fred Kerber - New York Post </td></tr></tbody></table>
oh, that's right--we forgot about that rule that allows the Knicks to carry 18 players. By my count they have seven guards on the roster as is--Marbury, Mardy Collins, Nate Robinson, Dan Dickau, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Fred Jones. I guess Q could play SF, but Demetris Nichols--who is unsigned I think--can play SG as well as SF, right? They also have Malik Rose, Balkman, and Wilson Chandler who will probably mostly play SF. How can they possibly sign Houston? Only the kids on the roster--the guys presumably they'd want to keep--make less than $2.8 million. Fred Jones makes over $3 million.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'>oh, that's right--we forgot about that rule that allows the Knicks to carry 18 players. By my count they have seven guards on the roster as is--Marbury, Mardy Collins, Nate Robinson, Dan Dickau, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Fred Jones. I guess Q could play SF, but Demetris Nichols--who is unsigned I think--can play SG as well as SF, right? They also have Malik Rose, Balkman, and Wilson Chandler who will probably mostly play SF. How can they possibly sign Houston? Only the kids on the roster--the guys presumably they'd want to keep--make less than $2.8 million. Fred Jones makes over $3 million.</div></p> Money and cap management means nothing to the Knicks and several of those players suck. Waiving Dickau (expiring deal) is no loss, nor is buying out the last two years of Rose's contract as examples. </p> </p>
The Nets don't want to guarantee him any money, so he can go wherever he wants.</p> Smart move by the Nets.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'>oh, that's right--we forgot about that rule that allows the Knicks to carry 18 players. By my count they have seven guards on the roster as is--Marbury, Mardy Collins, Nate Robinson, Dan Dickau, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Fred Jones. I guess Q could play SF, but Demetris Nichols--who is unsigned I think--can play SG as well as SF, right? They also have Malik Rose, Balkman, and Wilson Chandler who will probably mostly play SF. How can they possibly sign Houston? Only the kids on the roster--the guys presumably they'd want to keep--make less than $2.8 million. Fred Jones makes over $3 million.</div></p> Money and cap management means nothing to the Knicks and several of those players suck. Waiving Dickau (expiring deal) is no loss, nor is buying out the last two years of Rose's contract as examples. </p> </p> </div> </p> Rose has $15M left on his contract. You think the Knicks would give him around $13M to go away, just so they could sign a guy who hasn't played in two years and may not last two months? How ridiculous would that be?</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'> Rose has $15M left on his contract. You think the Knicks would give him around $13M to go away, just so they could sign a guy who hasn't played in two years and may not last two months? How ridiculous would that be?</p> </p></div> They were going to give more money than that to Francis to just go away before they suffered massive injuries in the backcourt. With Randolph, Curry and Lee, Rose will be moaning about playing time by December anyways.</p> There is nothing financially prudent about the Knicks</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti)</div><div class='quotemain'> The Nets don't want to guarantee him any money, so he can go wherever he wants.</p> Smart move by the Nets. </p></div> I think any team that can get 10+ mpg out of him would be lucky... then again, any team playing him over 10+ mpg would suck.</p> -Petey</p>
It's just talk, I bet. Just publicity so that the New York faithful won't get angry at him for joining cross town rivals.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'>oh, that's right--we forgot about that rule that allows the Knicks to carry 18 players. By my count they have seven guards on the roster as is--Marbury, Mardy Collins, Nate Robinson, Dan Dickau, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Fred Jones. I guess Q could play SF, but Demetris Nichols--who is unsigned I think--can play SG as well as SF, right? They also have Malik Rose, Balkman, and Wilson Chandler who will probably mostly play SF. How can they possibly sign Houston? Only the kids on the roster--the guys presumably they'd want to keep--make less than $2.8 million. Fred Jones makes over $3 million.</div></p> Money and cap management means nothing to the Knicks and several of those players suck. Waiving Dickau (expiring deal) is no loss, nor is buying out the last two years of Rose's contract as examples. </p> </p> </div></p> </p> Knicks are run differenly then the Nets, in fact most teams are run differntly. The Knicks will just dump contracts if Houston can play.They've racked up over 50 million in lux taxes already. </p> Rose has $15M left on his contract. You think the Knicks would give him around $13M to go away, just so they could sign a guy who hasn't played in two years and may not last two months? How ridiculous would that be?</p> </p></div> </p>
Sounds like the Knicks are just desperate. <DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>hm...playing with Kidd and VC...or playing with Marbury and the Knicks? tough descion! </DIV>
If Houston joins the Knicks I wouldn't be sad at all. Fred Jones, Dan Dickau, QRich, Nate Robinson would all be a great fit on this team. </p> I'd love to have Demetris Nichols too, although there's less of a team need there.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'>oh, that's right--we forgot about that rule that allows the Knicks to carry 18 players. By my count they have seven guards on the roster as is--Marbury, Mardy Collins, Nate Robinson, Dan Dickau, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Fred Jones. I guess Q could play SF, but Demetris Nichols--who is unsigned I think--can play SG as well as SF, right? They also have Malik Rose, Balkman, and Wilson Chandler who will probably mostly play SF. How can they possibly sign Houston? Only the kids on the roster--the guys presumably they'd want to keep--make less than $2.8 million. Fred Jones makes over $3 million.</div> </p> hopefully, Demetris is getting traded--again. From what i've read, the Knicks made a deal during the Draft with Nichols' agent, and want to keep his rights, and send him overseas for a year or two.</p> Fortunately, Nichols don't dig that, and would rather play in the NBA. So, hopefully, Nichols' rights get traded to a team that could use him...maybe the Nets?</p> still, i'm extremely disappointed he didn't stay with the Blazers. i would've liked to see him playing on court with Oden and Roy, if not this season then the next...</p> i think he could help out the Nets, tho. but i'm unsure about his confidence problems. after seeing what happened to Wright, i'm not sure this would be the team for Nichols. </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nextlevelgame)</div><div class='quotemain'>It's just talk, I bet. Just publicity so that the New York faithful won't get angry at him for joining cross town rivals.</div> I second this notion. His agent is probably just doing all he can to soften the blow of Houston jumping to the Nets or anyone else. Allan prides himself on being a good person and in no way wants to burn any bridges on his way to joining another team and his agent is doing all he can to pacify not only the Knicks but their fans and NY media. There is no question that he is quite fond of New York and the hundreds of millions they gave him but that desire to play again and take one last run at a championship is too great to join a team who is at best a team that will fight for playoff contention when better teams are interested. </p>
Let him go to the Knicks. Would it be interesting to have him in NJ? Yes. Will it hurt us if doesn't come? No. I have a feeling that he's just playing with us, trying to scare us into giving more money.
</p> there's still jumaine jones, devin brown and dahntay jones if houston decides against the nets. they are not the offensive force allan is but they are all younger and play defense.</p>
i think Allan is trying to use his love for the knicks to try and get a guaranteed deal out of us. hes hoping that if we dont give him a guarentee that we will lose him to the knicks, that is my impression. i also do believe he does feel guilty out his stint in NY. collecting all that money while sitting on the bench. i think he wants to have a happy ending in NY by coming back and trying to restore that knicks franchise/team to at least a respectable team/franchise (which he cannot do alone obviously and i think if he is thinking that way he needs to stop the smokin).
The reality is that <u>we</u> simply don't know how good Houston can be this season. Frank and Hill left the New York Athletic Club very enthused about his prospects and persuaded Thorn to make the offer. Stefanski said after Wednesday's workout that he is still a "very very good shooter". He was a 40% career three point shooter and deadlier in his mid level game. I have to assume but again dont know that the issue is whether his knee--and his body overall--can withstand an 82 game season. Conditioning at least in the workouts were not an issue. </p> As for Jumaine Jones, remember he played in only 18 games last year, has not received an offer from any other team...and the Nets decided to wait for a decision by a 36-year-old who hasn't played in two years before offering the 28-year-old Jones a contract.</p> Regarding what it will take for the Nets to sign him, his agent said that he wants a guaranteed deal but that isn't likely. He also said Houston isn't thinking one-and-done...he wants an opportunity to play beyond this season. I wouldn't be surprised if some deal involving a second year--two year vets minimum deal if he makes the team--winds up winning the day. </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kidd)</div><div class='quotemain'>Let him go to the Knicks. Would it be interesting to have him in NJ? Yes. Will it hurt us if doesn't come? No. I have a feeling that he's just playing with us, trying to scare us into giving more money.</div> </p> It COULD hurt us, if Vince struggles in crunch time again, and Houston shows elsewhere that you still can count on him to hit the shot at the end of the game.</p> </p>
