Boy oh Boy.......The Rockets aint done yet........

[NYCdog]

According to radio reports in Houston and Cleveland (that I picked up via forums), once the expansion draft is done, the Rockets will trade Erick Piatkowski to Cleveland for Kevin Olie.

And as if that aint enough.....reports here in NY say (along with David Aldridge) Derek Fisher will opt out to sign with the Rockets as well.

So there backcourt would go from.........

Francis/ Mike Wilks
Mobley/Nachbar/Piatkowski

To............

D Fisher/ Lue/Wilks....Lakers reunited......
T-Mac/Olie

Ahh the Van Gundy effect........its completely changed the make-up of this team.

[PepperTheMavsFan41]

It wont be long before the Mavs will be wearing SHorts.

[ddh33]

That backcourt just got a lot smarter and more Van Gundy like. Fisher and Ollie are two hard nosed competitors. Van Gundy will love them. And they are good compliments to the two stars there. Much better fits than Francis and Mobley.

[grndmstr_c]

Houston's a well put together team now. They've got one of the top 2 SG's and one of the top 2 C's in the leage, and they've got them surrounded by solid role players in the starting lineup. The bench will be decent with Ollie, Lue, Griffin, Mo Taylor and Weatherspoon, too. Yao's going to have to step it up anther level or two if they're going to be legit contenders - their success will really depend on them being dominant for the 20-30 mpg that Yao and TMac share the floor and just playing smart enough and hard enough on D to not lose leads the rest of the time - but I like the moves they're making (and now, with that ass Franchise gone maybe I can get back to liking the Rockets a little bit, too)

[Poindexter Einstein]

Fisher already opted out last week, but it was a pure money play. He is a free agent now.

[bcrav4]

Houston may be a good team one day. But word to the wise...T-Mac is easier to frustrate and shut down than Kobe. San Antonio, the Mavs and probably the Wolves will still kill the Rockets. TD, KG, and Dirk are big enough to play effectively against Yao or dominate Juwan Howard.

[HexNBA]

Originally posted by: Poindexter Einstein
Fisher already opted out last week, but it was a pure money play. He is a free agent now.

He didn't. He originally was supposed to tell the Lakers what he was gonna do last week, but they gave him until Thursday to make up his mind. Most likely he'll become a free agent though, especially now that Payton has opted to stay with the Lakers.

[mavsfanforever]

Actually Rockets-Magic deal itself is not done yet.

[dalmations202]

McGrady-to-Rockets trade hits snag, report says

Magic balking because Francis has made
it clear he doesn't want to be dealt
Orlando Magic star Tracy McGrady has led the NBA in scoring twice.

NBCSports.com news services
Updated: 12:29 a.m. ET June 23, 2004

A proposed trade that would send Orlando Magic superstar Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato is treading water because Francis has made it clear he doesn't want to play in Orlando, the New York Times reported Tuesday night.

Francis has caused the Magic to reconsider the deal, even though he is under contract for several years and has no veto power over trades, The Times reported.

Magic general manager John Weisbrod has several league executives and player agents baffled because he seemingly is capitulating to Francis.

“John Weisbrod is setting a bad precedent by caving in to this guy," one agent, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Times.

The Magic moved into serious discussions with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night but apparently are not interested in anything the Indiana Pacers have offered.

The Times reported that the Suns have offered All-Star small forward Shawn Marion, potential All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson and their first-round pick Thursday (No. 7 overall) for McGrady. The Magic also have the No. 1 pick overall in the draft.

The Pacers apparently are willing to offer anyone but Jermaine O'Neal, but Pacers president Larry Bird said Tuesday the Magic wasn't interested, even though he believes his package of players is better than what the Rockets offered.

When it is all said and done, however, McGrady probably will end up with the Rockets because he said Houston is the only team he will stay with long-term, The Times reported. The Magic would send Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and possibly Andrew DeClerq to the Rockets.

McGrady, who is able to opt out of his contract after next season, has tremendous leverage because he can threaten to leave any team that trades for him after just one year. If the trade happens, it is believed the Magic might turn around and trade Francis, The Times reported.

Francis clearly is miffed about the possibility of being moved out of Houston.

"I thought we were really building something, something very good in Houston," Francis told the Houston Chronicle on Monday. "Obviously that's not the direction they want to go. I still think we could be a very good team.

"I'm not crying. Like I told you before, I know this is a business. Things like that happen. I'm not mad. I'm not upset. This is what they're trying to do. But like I said, I still think we could be something."

"Steve's preference is to not go to Orlando," Jeff Fried, Francis' agent, told the Chronicle. "Steve's tasted the playoffs. (The Rockets) got a series under their belts. He was looking forward to going further with the same Rockets team but with another year of experience together. This is certainly not his preference. He loves Houston.

"Steve loved the fans and his teammates. He's very friendly with Cuttino, but also pretty friendly with Yao. Many of us thought the beginnings of something there big with a great center and great point guard."

© 2004 NBC Sports.com

[SaltwaterChaffy]

Steve Francis has no say in this deal. I guess Orlando doesn't want to pull the trigger for fear that he'll sit out.

If I were Cuttino, I'd be slapping some sense into that boy's head. He thinks he can play where he wants to. He pulled this when he got drafted a few years ago.

[EricaLubarsky]

Steve is the sissiest basketball player this side of Shaq. Although it makes me happy that the trade is snagged, Franchise needs to shut his f'ing trap and stop crying. The Hou-ORL trade is phenomenal for his team

"Steve loved the fans and his teammates

If you love your team, Steve, you'll let the trade go through

[LRB]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
Steve is the sissiest basketball player this side of Shaq. Although it makes me happy that the trade is snagged, Franchise needs to shut his f'ing trap and stop crying. The Hou-ORL trade is phenomenal for his team

If you love your team, Steve, you'll let the trade go through

Actually it would hurt his team if the trade went through because his team would be the Magic. Franchise is one of the biggest whiners ever, but in this case he is catering to his own best interests to try and shoot down the trade. This would be a terrific trade for Houston but would suck for Orlando and Franchise would be in Orlando if it went through.

[EricaLubarsky]

Getting T-mac and getting rid of the stupidest backcourt in the NBA is going to hurt the Rockets? T-Mac may be a ball hog but Houston certainly won't become another Orlando for two reasons. 1) Yao. 2) JVG

[cheesestar]

houstons gonna be tough...

[FreshJive]

Erica, I think LRB was saying that Francis is thinking of his future team's future by not going there. That he is doing the people of Orlando a favor.