Main Site | Forum | Rules | Downloads | Wiki | Features | Podcast

NLSC Forum

Like real basketball, as well as basketball video games? Talk about the NBA, NCAA, and other professional and amateur basketball leagues here.
Post a reply

Rockets Trade Juwan Howard To Minny For Mike James

Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:08 pm

Source

ESPN -
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets , who have been discussing a Mike James-for-Juwan Howard swap in one form or another since the February trade deadline, have agreed in principle to finally complete that deal this month, ESPN.com has learned.

An announcement of the trade's completion could be made as early as this week, according to NBA front-office sources.

The holdup stems from the possibility that another player or two could be added to the deal, sources say. The teams, though, have verbally agreed to a straight-up exchange of James for Howard at the very least.


I don't really get this trade, especially for Minnesota. Houston had Mike James at one point and traded him off, now they get him back, they could of gone for another point guard. At least they will have a decent backup point guard now, wether it be James or Alston who will come off the bench (likely Alston). Neither Alston or James are starting level NBA point guards. At least they wont see much of a drop off when either has to substitute.

Makes no sense for Minnesota. They were pretty weak at the point guard spot already with James/Hudson/Jaric, so they trade off their best point guard for a PF who's career is coming to an end and plays the same position as their 06 Draft steal Craig Smith? Unless Randy Foye is going to be the full time PG next season or they draft Mike Conley, this trade doesn't make much sense to me. Jesus, Kevin McHale - do something right for once.

KG must be banging his head on a table right now.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:18 pm

Houston wanted Mike James in the offseason, but Mike James decided on Minnesota. Now the Rockets will get the player they wanted (for some strange reason) and Juwon Howard, I guess, is fair trade.

Mike James is overrated, and he's semi-cancer, so it's a smart move to unload him.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:31 pm

I dont get it...

It makes Houston SOOO weak at PF, and talls in general. They now have Yao, Dikembe and Hayes...unless I'm missing something?

Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:40 pm

There's Tsakalidis and Novak who are 6-10+ too. Plus, rumor has it they are getting Millsap from Utah. I'm sure the team would be more than happy to use Hayes/Mutombo/Novak at PF instead of Juwan Howard being on the floor ever. But to get Millsap AND Mike James...for spare parts?

Everyone else this offseason is now chasing Houston, if they get Millsap.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:05 pm

Ironic how James was traded for Alston back when they were on Toronto and both of them were labelled as shoot-first hot heads and now they'll battle it out on the same team.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:20 pm

Wow, this trade happened in NBA 2K7 once...

Odd, random trade that really helps neither team.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:49 pm

It helps Houston immensely. Mike James shooting all those threes Alston missed would've put us past the Jazz this season. Not to mention how much better he is on defense than Alston.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:07 pm

benji wrote:But to get Millsap AND Mike James...for spare parts? Everyone else this offseason is now chasing Houston, if they get Millsap.


1. Utah is not trading Millsap. 2. They are not trading him for "spare parts"

Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:16 pm

Benji, it's actually Craig Smith not Millsap. I always get those confused. Still a good deal though I think.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:40 pm

Mike James should've never left Houston in the first place... Alston may be a streetball legend, but in the NBA, he's anything but a average PG at best. The Rockets management are stupid to be running around in circles when they could've avoided it in the first place and still have James and Howard in place, since Alston is more or less a useless roster space. Now the Rockets have an excess amount of point guards (Spanoulis, Alston, James, Lucas III)

Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:15 pm

Will they trade away Alston now that they've got so many PG's?

Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:25 pm

If they do, they're back to square one. Square one being no good backups.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:28 pm

Well, having no good backups is the least the Rockets should worry about. They still don't have a good starting PG yet.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:38 pm

Doesn't really help anyone. Minny already has Craig Smith to start at PF, and Rockets have Alston, but Houston will get the better oout of this trade!

Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:39 pm

Laxation wrote:I dont get it...

It makes Houston SOOO weak at PF, and talls in general. They now have Yao, Dikembe and Hayes...unless I'm missing something?


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Chuck Hayes is a great PF to have next to TMac and Yao. Someone who doesn't need to shoot to be effective. he just stays down there and grabs their misses.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:02 pm

Qballer wrote:
Laxation wrote:I dont get it...

It makes Houston SOOO weak at PF, and talls in general. They now have Yao, Dikembe and Hayes...unless I'm missing something?


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Chuck Hayes is a great PF to have next to TMac and Yao. Someone who doesn't need to shoot to be effective. he just stays down there and grabs their misses.

Maybe so, but Yao gets injured ALOT. And now they only have a 3 man rotation.

Benji, I know they have Novak and Jake, but Jake is just crap - hes only worth 6 fouls off the bench.
I dont know about Novak, maybe he's hyped up in Houston, but he never seemed good enough to play the 20-30min he will need to.

lol @ spare parts for millsap...
loller @ half the teams passing him in the 2nd round because he is short...

Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:13 pm

I think Mike James could fit in nicely. T-mac needs the ball in his hand, and when he has it, he can either score or create for Yao. James is a very good 3-point shooter (when he is not taking stupid shots), and it'll be nice for the Rockets to have someone to kick it out to.

Still, Howard isn't important to the team, so it's a no risk trade for them. No idea why the Wolves did it though.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:54 pm

To those who dont see the logic behind trading Mike James: Minny has 100 PG's on their roster.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:41 pm

And Mike James was their best. In return they got an old Juwan Howard who plays the same position as one of their only bright spots, Craig Smith.

Still makes no sense to me.

Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:53 pm

"Their best" was a glorified loudmouth overrated overpaid version of an an already overrated and overpaid Troy Hudson.

Makes a lot of sense to me: trade the guy while they still can, not wait for him to have no trade value at all and difficult to unload like Troy Hudson.

Trading Mike James for juwan Howard is like trading Cancer for polio. You get rid of the cancer while you still can ASAP.

Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:04 am

Getting rid of Mike James was smart, even if it left them worse off with their PG situation (they are probably looking at Conley now anyway). I don't dispute that. What I can't understand is why they decided to go for Juwan Howard. Howard doesn't help this team in any way.

Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:24 am

how can they be worse at the PG position without Mike freakin James?
now that is something that does not make sense to me,

You cant understand why they traded James for Juwan Howard? Houston only team interested in James + Howard's salary matching James + CBA requiring salaries to match = simple logical reason why they decided to accept the deal.

get it?

Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:55 am

How can they not be worse off at the point guard position without Mike James? Mike was their starting point guard and their best point guard. Take away your best point guard, no matter how much of a headcase he is, and your point guard situation on the court gets worse.

I'm sure their were more teams interested. Houston needed a point guard, but they aren't the only ones. Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, Clippers and Lakers could all do with a solid PG right now. Surely one of those teams would of taken James on board.

Trading Mike James, even if it leaves your PG spot even thinner, was a smart move. Mike Conley may be available to replace him in through the draft and they get rid of a guy who didn't have the best of attitudes. However, getting Juwan Howard doesn't help this team in any way. They were better off keeping Mike, despite his attitude.

What does Juwan do for this team? He's a 34 year old power forward. Craig Smith was a big steal in last years draft and shines in the minutes he gets at the PF spot. Kevin Garnett plays at the PF spot. Mark Blount is the starting center. I don't know about you but it looks like Minnesota just traded their starting PG for a soon to be 3rd string PF.

The only reason they should of made this trade is if they are definately drafting Mike Conley (who may go at 3), or Randy Foye will be playing full time PG.

Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:58 am

What about making room for Foye's development? He's not a full time point guard but I guess the Wolves might be hoping that he'll be able to develop into that mold.

I think what Shannon was trying to say was that by getting rid of James they'll open up more opportunities for the future (a move in the right direction since obviously the group of guys that they have right now can't get it done).

Edit: Shannon beat me to it. :?

By the way, Mike James is NOT a point guard. Watching him play in Toronto, he doesn't play the role of a distributor. I wouldn't call him selfish since he was basically the second option for the Raptors, but he's not exactly brimming with notion to setup his teammates. I'm not sure that he's the guard that Houston is looking for since he's basically a slight upgrade over Luther Head in terms of playmaking ability.

Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:10 am

no those other teams were probably not interested. The guy is overpaid. He's not even a point guard, he is a shooting guard in a point guard's body.

so once again, how are they worse at the PG position when in fact they did not even lose a guy capable of running an nba offense?
Post a reply