I wonder if Jim Gray would get in trouble for naming players exposed in the expansion draft? I believe this information is not supposed to be made public correct?
The NBA allowed it to go public this year because the list slipped to a newspaper who then published the list. It would be useless to then say that no one can see the list since it was already published around the country.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PupMelo:</div><div class="quote_post">T-Mac to Houston! This is cool, finally T-Mac gets the dominant big man he's wanted for so long. Although he's not Shaq, Yao can soon be close to being dominant. One thing that I notice is how Houston in the past several years always seem to be the one who acquire the stars in the trades (or get the better end of the deal). Here are the trades that make me wonder if the Rockets have been so lucky: 1.) In 1999, they sent Michael Dickerson and Othella Harrington to then Vancouver Grizzlies to get prized rookie Steve Francis. 2.) In 2001, the Rockets sent three first draft picks that include Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins to the Nets for college star Eddie Griffin. Although the deal turned out to be a bummer for the Rockets, Griffin was then an upcoming star from college, and he was even projected to go as high as no. 1 overall pick in the draft. Rudy Tomjanovich was so happy to get the kid, and the whole Net fans were pissed they traded away a huge talent. At the time, the Rockets were the winners of the trade. 3.) And now in 2004, they are sending Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Kelvin Cato, Bostkan Nachbar to get SUPERSTAR Tracy McGrady, journeyman Juwan Howard and Tyrone Lue. While Steve and Cuttino are not exactly chopped liver, Tracy McGrady IMO is a superstar and only needs the right place (like Kobe in LA) to really flourish and be mentioned in the same breath as Kobe Bryant. With a couple of rings, he will soon. If (okay it's better to say it: "when") they do get T-Mac, the Rockets can be said as one of the luckiest franchise in the past five years. Oh, shall I add they also won the lottery pick two years ago that turned out to be Yao Ming? They had less than 10% chance (6%, if I'm not mistaken) to land that pick. Besides defense, luck is also a necessay element to win a championship. Well, I'm not saying luck = fluke, I mean this in a positive way. I think it will be cool to see them win a championship. Go Rockets!</div> i dunno man. carroll dawson joined the rockes as GM way back in 1996. in those 8 years the only great trade he made was to get francis. true he got barkley, but that didn't work out as good as planned, plus they gave away cassell, horry and a few others to get him. and btw, that edie griffen trade turned out to be a horrid trade. look at edie now, and look at jefferson. added to that, the rockets gave away 3 first round picks. that was bad luck for them. signing jim jackson was a good move, but lets not forget who he replaced-- james posey who had an even better year with the grizz. they let him go to get jim. other then drafting mobley, there were no great picks (yao was a given)... i dunno, i'd say he's below average. Jerry West, now that guy is amazing.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jiggax23:</div><div class="quote_post">I wonder if Jim Gray would get in trouble for naming players exposed in the expansion draft? I believe this information is not supposed to be made public correct?</div> wasn't he wrong though? cuz if houston left cat uncovered, theyd be the dumbest team in NBA history. they have a total of 10 players that aren't free agents. steve f. maurice t. kelven cato clarence w. cuttino yao eric p. jim j nockbar a. griffen. of them, they can pick 8... and leave 2 unprotected. choose two. 1. maurice taylor cuz of his huge long term contract. if hes gone, good. 2. clerence weatherspoon. old and way overpaid contract. hell i can then pick adrien griffen, then eric, then nockbar before i even get to cato.. it makes no sence at all. there's no way jim can be right unless i'm missing something.
Jim Gray did not say that the Houston Rockets left Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Kato unprotected. The only player that he mentioned as being unprotected was Juwon Howard. That's it. No one else. That was the only player he mentioned. In fact, he even said word-for-word (well, actually I'm paraphrasing what he said word-for-word) that the Rockets do not have anyone unprotected in this deal that can possible mess things up. Thank you for your time.
I just checked Orlando's list and Howard is not there, so It looks like Jim Gray has somehow got something mixed up or the list is not correct. From the sounds none of the players in this deal are actually unprotected.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sunsfan1357:</div><div class="quote_post">Jim Gray did not say that the Houston Rockets left Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Kato unprotected. The only player that he mentioned as being unprotected was Juwon Howard. That's it. No one else. That was the only player he mentioned. In fact, he even said word-for-word (well, actually I'm paraphrasing what he said word-for-word) that the Rockets do not have anyone unprotected in this deal that can possible mess things up. Thank you for your time.</div> "The trade also includes Juwan Howard to Houston, while Orlando will get Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato in return. Of those five players, McGrady and Francis are protected and cannot be drafted by the Bobcats. If Charlotte passes on Howard, Mobley and Cato, then the deal is done, Gray reports." -from ESPN.com maybe he just said that to confuze us which players were or wern't on the list cuz i haven't seen any official lists floating around. i think he doesn't even know who is and isn't since it isn't public.
juwon howard is protected. the person that the deal is waiting on per the expansion draft is reece gaines who was left unprotected. if the bobcats select him, a contingency plan is in order. however, the bobcats are using the pick as a ploy to force orlando to pick whom the bobcats dictate w/ the first pick...presumably howard, and that will allow the bobcats to get okafor.
Yeah lost Elephant is right Reece Gaines is the only unprotected player in the deal. And I also just heard that the Magic are starting to get cold feet & might back out of the deal. So it may not be such a done deal yet.
From the sounds it appears... Orlando need Charlotte to pass on Reece Gaines for the deal to be offical In return, the Bobcats will demand the Magic to pick Dwight Howard with the 1st pick considering Charlotte badly want Okafor. The last thing the Bobcats want to do is be the reason this deal falls apart. They certainly don't want to have a bad image in their first season in the league. I guess we will find out tonight.
Is Howard really protected? I'm reading different things everywhere. ESPN's Orlando page says: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> If Charlotte passes on Howard, Mobley and Cato, then the deal is done, Gray reports</div> I've also heard that Mobley is protected and Cato is not, and some others even tell me that they are both protected. I believe Howard really is unprotected though, but even that I'm not too sure on anymore. Does anyone have any RELIABLE on who's protected or not?
From the lists that were given out Neither Cato, Mobley or Howard were left unprotected. The reason this deal has not happened is the fact Reece Gaines the filler in this trade was left unprotected which means both teams will have to wait till after the expansion draft for this trade to go down. You can bet the Magic have made a promise to Charlotte If they pass on Gaines.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">From the sounds it appears... Orlando need Charlotte to pass on Reece Gaines for the deal to be offical In return, the Bobcats will demand the Magic to pick Dwight Howard with the 1st pick considering Charlotte badly want Okafor. The last thing the Bobcats want to do is be the reason this deal falls apart. They certainly don't want to have a bad image in their first season in the league. I guess we will find out tonight.</div> Maybe this is the reason why the Magic are starting to get cold feet. Why would the Magic let the bobcats dictate who they take in the draft? it really seems like the magic options might be getting limited now. Steve Francis probably wont stay more than a year. And if they wanted to draft Okafor now they are put into a position they cant, doesnt seem to have a lot of bright spots forthe magic to me. Doesnt Reece Gaines have 3 years left on his contract. So I doubt the bobcats are really interested in him anyway.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Steve Francis probably wont stay more than a year.</div> My understanding is that Francis doesn't want to go there PERIOD. I can't understand why Orlando would take on a player who apparently doesn't want to play for them, in a deal involvinf Tmac, no less.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hagrid:</div><div class="quote_post">My understanding is that Francis doesn't want to go there PERIOD. I can't understand why Orlando would take on a player who apparently doesn't want to play for them, in a deal involvinf Tmac, no less. </div> Well he doesn't want to play in Orlando, but he doesn't have much choice. He has over 75 million left on his contract, so unless he wants to throw all that away and not play for the rest of the year (like John Starks did with Chicago) he has to play for the Magic. They aren't bothered that he doesn't want to play for them because they know in the end he doesn't want to give up the money.
Francis doesn't want to LEAVE Houston, that's his beef, I don't think he's said anything bad about Orlando... He's said he understands the NBA is a business and he will move on if the trade goes through...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Steve Francis must have liked his visit to Orlando on Tuesday, because the Magic and the Rockets have finalized a seven-player trade that's been brewing for a week. Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato were sent to Orlando for Magic superstar Tracy McGrady , Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and Tyronn Lue, sources told ESPN.com Insider. The deal is contingent on players passing physicals. An announcement is expected Wednesday afternoon, the sources told Insider.</div> Link More details can be found on both teams offical web sites.
Well it's official T-Mac is now a Rocket. I don't know about this, but this sha'll give the Rockets a big boost. I mean Juwan Howard , T-Mac and Yao? Wow! This time a real picture lol
