Indazone
03-22-2010, 10:26 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/sports/basketball/21rockets.html?scp=3&sq=rockets&st=cse
Martin, 27, who was acquired from Sacramento last month, has averaged at least 20 points in each of the last four seasons. At his best, he has been compared to Richard Hamilton and Reggie Miller (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/reggie_miller/index.html?inline=nyt-per). He represents the best perimeter complement to Yao since McGrady started breaking down three years ago.
The Rockets showed their belief in Martin when they made him the centerpiece of a three-team deal involving McGrady. Houston could have kept McGrady, let his contract expire and become players in the free-agent bonanza (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-09-10) this summer. But to clear maximum cap room probably would have required dumping Scola, Hayes, Carl Landry and Kyle Lowry.
Instead, Morey sent McGrady to the Knicks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newyorkknicks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) and Landry to Sacramento for Martin, Jordan Hill (the eighth pick in the 2009 draft), Jared Jeffries and the Knicks’ first-round picks in 2011 and 2012.
The deal eliminated the Rockets’ 2010 cap space, but Morey said it was the right move.
“We wanted to get someone who was a very good fit with Yao and someone significant going forward,” Morey said. “Kevin was that. For Kevin, we were willing to take ourselves out of the straight free-agent game.”
In Morey’s view, hoarding cap space to chase LeBron James (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/lebron_james/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and the other marquee free agents was a bad bet, given the crowded field of suitors. But he has not conceded the race entirely. Morey believes that several of the top free agents will ultimately change teams via sign-and-trade deals, and the Rockets with a deep reserve of young talent could be a player.
“We feel like in our situation we can outbid most of the teams out there in those kind of deals,” Morey said. “Whether we want to is a whole other matter. We do feel comfortable with this group and adding Yao Ming (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/y/yao_ming/index.html?inline=nyt-per) next year.”
Yao had his latest checkup about 10 days ago and received a positive report. The Rockets are also drawing optimism from the career path of Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas, another giant with bad feet. Ilgauskas had the same operation earlier in his career but battled back and became an All-Star.
The Rockets became a feel-good story this season because of their selfless play and their largely anonymous lineup. But Morey knows well the limits of that formula.
“The reality is, you need a guy like Yao Ming to win the title,” he said. “We don’t have another way to acquire a guy as good as him. It makes sense no matter what the situation is for us to bet on that.”
Martin, 27, who was acquired from Sacramento last month, has averaged at least 20 points in each of the last four seasons. At his best, he has been compared to Richard Hamilton and Reggie Miller (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/reggie_miller/index.html?inline=nyt-per). He represents the best perimeter complement to Yao since McGrady started breaking down three years ago.
The Rockets showed their belief in Martin when they made him the centerpiece of a three-team deal involving McGrady. Houston could have kept McGrady, let his contract expire and become players in the free-agent bonanza (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-09-10) this summer. But to clear maximum cap room probably would have required dumping Scola, Hayes, Carl Landry and Kyle Lowry.
Instead, Morey sent McGrady to the Knicks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newyorkknicks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) and Landry to Sacramento for Martin, Jordan Hill (the eighth pick in the 2009 draft), Jared Jeffries and the Knicks’ first-round picks in 2011 and 2012.
The deal eliminated the Rockets’ 2010 cap space, but Morey said it was the right move.
“We wanted to get someone who was a very good fit with Yao and someone significant going forward,” Morey said. “Kevin was that. For Kevin, we were willing to take ourselves out of the straight free-agent game.”
In Morey’s view, hoarding cap space to chase LeBron James (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/lebron_james/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and the other marquee free agents was a bad bet, given the crowded field of suitors. But he has not conceded the race entirely. Morey believes that several of the top free agents will ultimately change teams via sign-and-trade deals, and the Rockets with a deep reserve of young talent could be a player.
“We feel like in our situation we can outbid most of the teams out there in those kind of deals,” Morey said. “Whether we want to is a whole other matter. We do feel comfortable with this group and adding Yao Ming (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/y/yao_ming/index.html?inline=nyt-per) next year.”
Yao had his latest checkup about 10 days ago and received a positive report. The Rockets are also drawing optimism from the career path of Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas, another giant with bad feet. Ilgauskas had the same operation earlier in his career but battled back and became an All-Star.
The Rockets became a feel-good story this season because of their selfless play and their largely anonymous lineup. But Morey knows well the limits of that formula.
“The reality is, you need a guy like Yao Ming to win the title,” he said. “We don’t have another way to acquire a guy as good as him. It makes sense no matter what the situation is for us to bet on that.”