<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"More than anything, I want a chance to be on a playoff-contending team," Van Exel said. "That's my biggest motivation." Van Exel said that his earlier retirement statement came with a qualifications. "I think I've always said that if I could get with a good playoff team, I would play again. But if not, I will retire," Van Exel said. "That's been my thing ever since I first made that statement. If I get stuck with a terrible team, then I'll be done." Van Exel, who has not played since March 5, is earning $11.8 million this season, the final guaranteed year on his contract. The Blazers hold a $12.7 million option for next season, but it's likely they will use Van Exel's contract as trade bait. Van Exel said he would play only for certain teams, one being Houston, which is where he lives during the offseason.</div>Oregon Live The Rockets already have 6 players that can play PG but if anything should happen where we need another Guard should the Rockets go after him in the offseason?
I'm inclined to say "no". If they're using Van Exel in a sign and trade on that last year of his contract, that's $12.7 million dollars toward the cap for an aging trigger happy PG. We could do much better in free agency than that, I believe.
I seriously do not want him here. We already have two guards that play the point fairly nicely in our system and plus Van Exel is even older than Sura I think so it won't help the cause. In addition to that, he's pretty trigger happy so we don't really need that since we've already got our main stars with McGrady and Yao needing the shots. He plain just won't work in Houston's system and roster currently.
Nope. We shouldn't take Van Exel. Not only is he trigger-happy, he is also injury-prone, doesn't offer much defense, and has the potential to be a cancer anytime. That aside, he does have nice outside range and veteran smarts, but I don't see him in Houston, especially if Portland is going to use his expiring contract as a trade bait. blueracer recently mentioned that Leslie Alexander, our owner, is the poorest in the league. Would he want to shell out $12.7 million?
The Rockets might not want to take risk on Van Exel. We don't need his $12M expiring contract. We already have Weatherspoon,Wesley,Baker(player option) and Padgett(player option) whose contract will also expire after next season. Their total alone would exceed $12M that could give us some cap space for the 06-07 season. Besides Wesley,Weatherspoon and Padgett contributes better than Van Excel whose injury-prone career might keep the Rockets in limbo.
He doesn't play much D and is injury-prone so probably not. Now if we still had Mo Taylor then maybe we could have offered up his contract.. I believe Padgett's contract expires after this season (no player option) and I hope we can keep him around. The Rockets also need to keep Jon Barry next season. The only contracts the Rockets are buried with are Weatherpoon's, Vin Baker's and Moochie Norris' and they all expire after next season so the salary cap situation not that big a deal, really. And the Rockets can always use those contracts as trade bait at the deadline next season.
I was actually hoping to get Van Exel for this year last summer. He isn't a great defensive player, and he's injury prone, but I think he's excellent on offense and he just provides a toughness and is also very clutch. He reminds me of Sam Cassell. I don't know what the salary situation is, but if we can get him for cheap I wouldn't mind him being on the team next year.
durvasa: The salary is plastered all over the thread and it's not pretty. $12.7 million for next season.
If he does come to Houston the probable situation would be him retiring, then us signing him prior to the start of the season.
