Houston just got better?

[slinslin]

Houston trades Glen Rice, a first-round pick and additional draft consideration to Utah for John Amaechi, a 2004 second-round pick and a conditional second-round pick.

Houston also signed Jim Jackson.


So will this improve Houston?

Utah made the deal to meet the minimum salary cap and since Rice is FA next season they aren't losing much while also getting rid of Amaechi's bad contract.

Houston saves some money this season so they could sign Jim Jackson.

So Houston loses Posey, Rice and Tomjanovic and get Van Gundy, Griffen, Piatkowski, Amaechi and Jackson.

 

[dyle_ph1]

IMO, they certainly helped their case at least for the short term. I'm not an expert on trades with draft picks involved but just by judging on the players that they acquired from this trade and signing, they added a decent, albeit, unmotivated backup center/pf and a very good scorer for their bench.

 

[elindholm]

Wow, if Rice can stay healthy, he just became a pretty decent fantasy player. All he has to do is shoot every time he touches the ball.

 

[elindholm]

I think Amaechi is borderline worthless, but I suppose he might keep Cato honest, and there's something to be said for that.

I think Jackson is better than Rice, so that means the Rockets got better. But only a little, since we are talking about role players.

 

[slinslin]

Makes you think if the Suns could have gotten a similiar deal trading Googs expiring contract to the Jazz so they could still use their MLE on someone like Stephen Jackson and/or Vladimir Stepania or whoever is still available.

Anyway there is hoping that next season we will finally use our MLE again. Hopefully on a big body.

Just a quick look: Rebraca, Okur, Foyle, Divac, Ostertag, Ginobili, Jarron Collins, Person, Kukoc, Brent Barry will be unrestricetd FAs next offseason.

Doesn't seem that impressive considering Minnesota might have gotten a steal with Olowokandi for just the the MLE.

Maybe Zarko can lure Divac to the Suns for cheap. Actually if Divac can keep it up for a couple of more seasons he would fit it very very well with Amare.