Your latest installment of pulse-pounding rumors: CBS Sports' Ken Berger reports the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks have discussed a possible trade that would send Bucks center Andrew Bogut to Houston. Here are the goods:
The Rockets and Warriors are discussing ways to acquire center Andrew Bogut from Milwaukee...
Houston's efforts to acquire Bogut would be a less complicated, two-deal deal with Milwaukee in which many scenarios have been discussed. Among them, Milwaukee would get Samuel Dalembert, Courtney Lee and draft picks, sources said. The Rockets also presumably would have to take back Stephen Jackson, who has clashed with Bucks coach Scott Skiles and is owed $10 million next season.
My reaction:
1) The salaries, based on the players listed, would not match. Houston would need to give up any combination of their 2009 draft picks in addition to Hasheem Thabeet to make it even close. Not that I'm worried about losing our 09ers, but how much money do the Rockets want to pay Stephen Jackson, when Houston could instead use that money out on the open market or in a better deal?
2) I like Andrew Bogut. He's a talented player — the stats may not amaze, but he's among the league's best defenders, regardless of position — and he's not too expensive considering the fragile market for big men. But we can't forget the sheer number of games he has missed in his career. Bogut didn't play in 70 games in four of his first six seasons. He may not play more than the twelve games he has logged this year after he sustained a broken ankle. I realize many of Bogut's injuries are what you might consider non-chronic, but at some point along the way in a career full of missed games, a big body becomes injury-prone whether you like it or not.
3) On the plus side, if this is a realistic package for Bogut, Houston keeps its remaning assets in check. Last time I checked, Courtney Lee and Samuel Dalembert were never mentioned in talks to acquire Pau Gasol. To say the least, a Gasol/Bogut frontline would scare many teams. That's also assuming that the dominoes fall in an incredibly fortunate direction.
4) Acquiring Bogut this year kills Houston's playoff hopes for this season. I do realize that many of you would be perfectly fine with this.
5) Draft picks: Which draft picks? The Knicks pick is suddenly looking rather grand, so long as Milwuakee — of all teams — keeps winning ballgames. If that pick is included, do the Rockets still make this trade?
6) At the end of the day, is Bogut a few draft picks-plus-Courtney-Lee-better than Sam Dalembert? Especially if Stephen Jackson's contract comes along too?
This is an intriguing scenario, if only because Houston could acquire a very good starting center for a reasonable price. It would also present a risky approach for a Rockets team looking to think outside the box once the many offseason or in-season roster deadlines present themselves.
UPDATE: WE INTERRUPT THIS TRADE RUMOR TO MURDER IT TO SHREDS:
Within an hour of posting his original story, Berger made a somewhat important edit (hint: it's very important):
The Rockets also had been pursuing Bogut in what would've been a less complicated, two-deal deal with Milwaukee with many scenarios discussed. But a person involved in the discussions told CBSSports.com early Tuesday that Houston has backed away from the Bogut talks to pursue another deal. A second source said that deal did not involve Pau Gasol of the Lakers, whom the Rockets have been eyeing since their three-team trade sending Gasol to Houston and Chris Paul to the Lakers was rejected by commissioner David Stern, acting as owner of the New Orleans Hornets, in December.
I'm glad I spend my time leashed to rumors that disappear. Don't worry, I'm sure the Rockets will be trading and then non-trading for Marcin Gortat tomorrow, approximately sixty-two times.