# [Chron] Mike James wants back



## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3861692.html



> James thinks he's right for Rockets
> 
> *Free agent wants to return to where he now calls home*
> 
> ...


Thoughts?


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

I dont think Houston will sign him

I see him with LA or back with Toronto but not anywhere else


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

i wouldnt mind the guy back in the red and white but itll be tough to pay him with what he wants and what we can supply


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

I love MJ, but with the season he just had, no way we can afford him unless he's willing to sign for 1/2 his market value


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Yao Mania said:


> I love MJ, but with the season he just had, no way we can afford him unless he's willing to sign for 1/2 his market value


Agree, if he really wants to play with Houston, he needs to make some sacrifices too, we cant afford his salary. He really need to find a compromise between money and playing in Houston. Otherwise, he is not going to be on the team.


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## jiangsheng (Feb 11, 2006)

mmm, the first word is DALLAS? Why report from there?


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

jiangsheng said:


> mmm, the first word is DALLAS? Why report from there?


I believe it is just the location of the reporter.


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

Yao Mania said:


> I love MJ, but with the season he just had, no way we can afford him unless he's willing to sign for 1/2 his market value


Sure we can, but we would have to spend the entire MLE.


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## reno2000 (Aug 23, 2005)

if we can sign him for half to 3/4 of the MLE...then i would consider it, but we really need to get some other players with our MLE....i wonder if toronto would be willing to do a sign and trade deal for swift


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## chn353 (Mar 12, 2006)

well if he desperately wants to settle in H-town.. the rockets should use the MLE on james... if his that committed to coming back i think he'd take it


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## TManiAC (Dec 19, 2004)

chn353 said:


> well if he desperately wants to settle in H-town.. the rockets should use the MLE on james... if his that committed to coming back i think he'd take it


Its not wise to use the entire MLE on James if SG is our biggest hole.


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

can we ship rafer out if we can get MJ?


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

^ Rafer's worth keeping, IMO. James can't run the point on this team for a whole season. Well, he can, but he won't do it very well. So if we get James (unlikely), Rafer will probably have to be there as well. Problem is that James, although a good defender, isn't as suited to guarding shooting guards. Though I guess he'd be better than Wesley in that respect...


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Yao Mania said:


> I love MJ, but with the season he just had, no way we can afford him unless he's willing to sign for 1/2 his market value


His market value is the MLE... no team under the cap is going to throw big money at him because he isn't a franchise cornerstone. 

We could also work out a sign and trade. Good news is he won't be able to ignore Yao like he did a year ago... Yao is just too assertive.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

^yup, there is no point to trade out Alston for James, because it would be the same move but reverse. Trade Alston for other better PG is a good idea, but not for James. James is not a Point-Guard, he's a undersized combo guard. Therefore it's only having both MJ and Skip on the team or MJ would need to find other places. sorry to say that. Houston would not spend the entire MLE on James that's for sure.


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

I like the guy, but right now, he is not our biggest concern. As for his training, I don't really see the point in boxing, unless if he intends on riling up some fans like Ron Artest.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Hakeem said:


> ^ Rafer's worth keeping, IMO. *James can't run the point on this team for a whole season. Well, he can, but he won't do it very well.* So if we get James (unlikely), Rafer will probably have to be there as well. Problem is that James, although a good defender, isn't as suited to guarding shooting guards. Though I guess he'd be better than Wesley in that respect...


The same can be said of Rafer.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

^^yup, that's the point of boxing, hitting some people, and hit them hard!!!!
If he will K.O. every player other than rockets on the court, I would say GET HIM NOW even with $100M because we will win a championship. Nobody can match up against us. 
----------------above is nonsense talk, sorry for your time.-------------------


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

I'd sign James in an instant. Obviously the guy wants to play for the Rockets and getting paid a couple million per season doesn't seem like a problem for him. If I were Houston I'd sign him and bring the Euro PG over as well. Then I'd trade Rafer for either a SG or big man depending on what we do or don't get in the draft. James can easily run the point as good as Rafer and he brings an ability to score that Rafer doesn't have.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

reno2000 said:


> if we can sign him for half to 3/4 of the MLE...then i would consider it, but we really need to get some other players with our MLE....i wonder if toronto would be willing to do a sign and trade deal for swift


Its good that he's making his "pitch" to play here again though I don't know how much good it will do? Damon Stoudamire made it clear he also wanted to play here, but that didn't mean anything to the Rockets brass.
I'd like him back, but in $ it just won't happen. He wants too much and we just plain don't have it to give, we also have too many needs. Unless HOU/TOR are both willing to do a S/T for Stromile or Wesley/Sura it's just FA postering. I want to definitely sign Spanoulis, + another PF/C, + draft 2G. If we sign James the result will be the same, 1st playoffs maybe if everyone is healthy then we lose. Its not that he wouldn't help again, its that we have too many needs. Neither Howard or Swift is enough at PF, and Stro isn't a Center (backup 4 Yao). 

Frankly I'll be seriously watching the off-season to see if the Rockets are as *******ed as the Houston Texans?  I am not sure I have faith....


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

jworth said:


> The same can be said of Rafer.


Actually, with Yao and T-Mac both playing, I think Rafer can run the point for an entire season adequately well. A playmaker or a guy to perform considerable ball-handling duties isn't required. Just someone who'll pass and knock down open shots. Sure, Yao's now more assertive, but James wasn't even passing it to McGrady enough before. After the season he's just had, his head's going to be bigger than ever. With a dominant post player you need guys who are dedicated to feeding him. We don't need a starting point guard who looks for his own shot first and foremost. 

Also, I doubt James would accept a couple of million per year even if it is in Houston. And if Rafer is traded, I don't know if a whole lot will be received in return. I mean, what's he getting -- $3 million a year?


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

i like the idea of James and Alston on court at the same time because Rafer will be good to control the point and with yao and t-mac attracting double teams we just kick it out to James who was deadly from the arc last year 44% and then if we need to rest our starters this guy would be able to control our scrubs and be that good 3rd option we need


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Hakeem said:


> Actually, with Yao and T-Mac both playing, I think Rafer can run the point for an entire season adequately well. A playmaker or a guy to perform considerable ball-handling duties isn't required. Just someone who'll pass and knock down open shots. Sure, Yao's now more assertive, but James wasn't even passing it to McGrady enough before. After the season he's just had, his head's going to be bigger than ever. With a dominant post player you need guys who are dedicated to feeding him. We don't need a starting point guard who looks for his own shot first and foremost.
> 
> Also, I doubt James would accept a couple of million per year even if it is in Houston. And if Rafer is traded, I don't know if a whole lot will be received in return. I mean, what's he getting -- $3 million a year?


You're probably right in many ways here, which leads me to believe that CrackerJack's idea


> of James and Alston on court at the same time


 would work. If we are unable to draft Brandon Roy, which is likely considering his rising draft stock, then signing James as a combo/off guard might not be a bad idea. He'd bring outside shooting, double-figure scoring, quickness, and energy to a backcourt that lacked all of those aspects last season. We could then use the draft pick on an athletic SF such as Rodney Carney or Rudy Gay, or we could draft a decent big man. 

And James seems pretty adament on where he wants to play regardless of the money.


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

well if we can get him i would do it..but we better have a "back up" plan

**jworth, I see ya reppin that Ozen kid...lol


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

CbobbyB said:


> **jworth, I see ya reppin that Ozen kid...lol


I guess somebody from his city got to do the duty.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Hakeem said:


> Actually, with Yao and T-Mac both playing, I think Rafer can run the point for an entire season adequately well. A playmaker or a guy to perform considerable ball-handling duties isn't required. Just someone who'll pass and knock down open shots. Sure, Yao's now more assertive, but James wasn't even passing it to McGrady enough before. After the season he's just had, his head's going to be bigger than ever. With a dominant post player you need guys who are dedicated to feeding him. We don't need a starting point guard who looks for his own shot first and foremost.
> 
> Also, I doubt James would accept a couple of million per year even if it is in Houston. And if Rafer is traded, I don't know if a whole lot will be received in return. I mean, what's he getting -- $3 million a year?


if we can convince him to go back to the bench, i wouldnt mind that, because we still need someone to provide more toughness and assertiveness in the back court.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

well JVG wants him back too so looks like he'll be here next year.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

I Start Fires said:


> if we can convince him to go back to the bench, i wouldnt mind that, because we still need someone to provide more toughness and assertiveness in the back court.


Definitely. I mean, like others have said, even at shooting guard he's easily better than anyone we've got there at the moment.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

Hmmmmmm, itd be funny teaming up with Juwan again after he shoved the ball in his mouth :wave:


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

Legend-Like said:


> Hmmmmmm, itd be funny teaming up with Juwan again after he shoved the ball in his mouth :wave:


he was obviously wondering what the ball tasted like, but didnt want to dirty his own mouth


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

Update on Mike James :wink:

http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2006/05/25/1596667-sun.html



> Colangelo has said Bosh deserves to have a say in the team's decision-making process.





> Meanwhile, Bosh took what appeared to be a veiled shot at free-agent-to-be Mike James when he was asked about what the team needs in a point guard in the radio interview.
> 
> "I think it's very important to have a pass-first point guard, somebody who can make plays down the stretch of a game," he said. "When (he says) make plays, I don't mean making shots for themselves because I don't think that makes anybody better."


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

CrackerJack said:


> he was obviously wondering what the ball tasted like, but didnt want to dirty his own mouth


Bet it tasted painful lol


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## edyzbasketball (Nov 16, 2005)

Maybe we can get this guy back, though I'm not sure how we will cover with Rafer. :brokenhea


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

Mike James was on "Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith" just awhile ago..
I caught it in the middle..so i dont know if he mentioned anything about Free Agency.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

CbobbyB said:


> Mike James was on "Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith" just awhile ago..
> I caught it in the middle..so i dont know if he mentioned anything about Free Agency.


He said something like, "I'll sign with Houston for the minimum. Whatever. I don't need money. I just wanna get back home." 

Nah I didn't see it.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I heard Mike James was on the radio earlier today avoiding the question of whether or not he would sign with Houston for a 3 year max MLE.


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## chn353 (Mar 12, 2006)

man ..CD should do the right thing and sign MJ


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## JMES HOME (May 22, 2006)

i would love to see mike james back in houston...


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