Originally published at the Bleacher Report here.
To put it nicely, the Rockets have had a rough January. They blew a crucial opportunity to move up in the standings on their first substantial homestand of the year, losing four of six games and falling back out of the playoff picture for now.
With each day, the Rockets' chances of reaching the playoffs dwindle, as the Western Conference now includes eleven above average teams instead of the usual nine with the success of the Thunder and Grizzlies.
The lion's share of the trade buzz relates to Tracy McGrady and moving his contract players with longer contracts. But the Rockets clearly have not gotten a palatable offer, as they have yet to pull the trigger on a deal for him.
So if the Rockets plan on letting McGrady expire, they will have short of $10 million to work with in the offseason. Certainly a nice amount of money, but if the Rockets want to resign Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry, they will not have enough money to acquire a significant to add to the team.
However, I believe they must go in the opposite direction, and instead of just letting McGrady expire, they must also attempt to move one longer running contract for an expiring deal.
Looking at the Rockets roster, there are really only two such guys that work in a trade like this: Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza. So why trade Battier when he isn't the player who has been jacking up bad shots and traveling every five minutes? For the simple fact that a trade like this would be a move for the future.
As hard as a Battier trade would be, it is clear that he is slowing down. Steven Jackson, Dwayne Wade, Monta Ellis, and others, all dynamite scorers had even more impressive games than usual against the Rockets, despite the fact that Shane used to lock guys like that down.
It is becoming evident that Battier has lost a step or two to age. While Ariza will get better as time goes on, Battier will continue to regress as he goes through the natural aging process. And while Battier is a great leader for the Rockets, it is time that he hand the reins off to players like Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry.
Imagine if the Rockets could rid themselves of the $7+ million owed to Battier. They would instantly become huge contenders in the sweepstakes known as 2010 Free Agency. Instead of looking at guys like Ray Allen, they would be aiming for Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh (no way LeBron comes to Houston).
And while free agency is a crap shoot, they certainly would be better for the 2010-2011 season spending the $7 million extra on a free agent instead of on Battier.
So now I will present a few scenarios that would work for trading Battier. I want to be clear that these trades have neither been offered nor are even being considered by Daryl Morey. I am merely presenting a few trades that would work for both teams regarding Shane Battier.
Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies
Sending Battier back to the Grizzlies would be great for both teams. A trade along the lines of Battier for Hamed Haddadi and Steven Hunter would give the Grizzlies someone who could play defense and not shoot every time he touched the ball. He would be the perfect sage veteran to play along Rudy Gay or OJ Mayo, and the Grizzlies would give up virtually nothing, as Haddadi is stuck as the fourth or fifth big man in a deep front court.
Additionally, the Rockets would get a center capable of growing into a more dependable backup for Yao than David Andersen and save over $5 million next year. The Grizzlies would instantly become scary in the playoffs and the Rockets would gain great flexibility going forward in addition to a serviceable big man.
Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves
This trade is less exciting than the last one, a simple one for one swap of Shane Battier for Brian Cardinal. The reasoning is pretty easy for this one, the Wolves get a solid wing player that they so desperately need, and the Rockets pick up the many times aforementioned cap room next year. Brian Cardinal, however, may be useful as a great cheerleader, challenging Brian Cook for the best on the team.
Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers
In a trade that would end uncertainty on the Blazers and give the Rockets a couple of decent wings with expiring contracts, the Rockets would swap Battier and Joey Dorsey for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw.
Looking at the Blazers, they have a good number of decent candidates for the starting SF position, but no definite candidates. Nicolas Batum is the heir apparent to the position, but putting Battier on that team would give Batum a mentor and improve the Blazers this year and into the future.
Additionally, the Blazers are in quite a logjam at the point. Jerryd Bayless and Andre Miller have been playing better as of late, and moving Blake would maximize those two's minutes, hopefully appeasing the always-fragile Andre Miller.
From the Rockets end it's the same old story, cap room.
As the Rockets transition from the McGrady-Yao era to the Brooks-Landry-etc era, it is important that they do not get stuck in between mediocre period, much like the Suns did last year. Losing Shane Battier would be a tough blow to a city and team that has loved him since he arrived, but his value to the team is dropping as his defense deteriorates.
