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.

Why the fuck would Houston do this? Head Alston James at the 1, Head being able to play a bit of 2. Maybe a trade with the Pistons indeed...

I thought they weren't able to trade until the offseason officially began.

This makes Houston VERY weak at PF...

LOL Juwon made them strong?

LOL


So Mike James gonna be a Piston again or what?

LOL Juwon made them strong?
Well... yeah he did

Thats how weak they were. Now they have Yao, Dikembe and Hayes for their talls. I dont know how Novak is progressing, but he didnt seem to be anything more than a shooter... maybe hes hyped in houston, I dunno...
Jake Tskitisvili is just no...

I thought they weren't able to trade until the offseason officially began.

The trade has been "agreed to in principle", they'll make it official later.

This ensures Houston will take a PF with their pick (I thought they would anyway). It also may open the door for Conley to Minny.

Maybe this opens the door for a Nazr for James trade? I hope so. At least we'd get something for nothing.

Or even the Sheed for Battier deal we've mentioned. Perhaps Battier and James (following timing guidlines for a traded player).

If Houston is serious about wanting to go up-tempo, James is a decent fit and Howard is a terrible fit.

Nice deal for both teams, IMO.

I'll be interested to see if it gets expanded to include some other players.

I read that up tempo thing, but why would they do that? What has Phoenix won? You can't tell me Houston is better suited to play that style with Yao...so why try and play that way? That's stupid. If Houston is smart, they keep James, keep Battier and draft a rebounding/defensive PF to play next to Yao. Stick with the Spurs recipe of defense. post Yao, run pick and rolls with Tmac and the PF...and let Battier and James knock down open threes off double teams.

Justin Reed included as well.


Wolves, Rockets complete trade

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, AP Sports Writer
June 14, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired frontcourt help for Kevin Garnett, sending point guard Mike James and swingman Justin Reed to the Rockets for power forward Juwan Howard on Thursday.

The deal helps the Timberwolves address a glut of guards on the roster.

"Juwan is a veteran low-post player who is a proven scorer and rebounder," Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said in a statement. "He will add needed depth to our front court, and with this move we are balancing out our roster."

James was a disappointment in his lone season in Minnesota. He signed a four-year, $23 million contract with the Wolves after a breakout year for Toronto, serving as Minnesota's lone notable free-agent acquisition last offseason. The Timberwolves hoped his swagger and sharp shooting would fit in well with a team that needed a fourth-quarter scorer and 3-point shooter.

But the team and the player never meshed. James found it difficult to secure consistent playing time on a team with four point guards -- James, rookie Randy Foye, Troy Hudson and Bracey Wright -- and another guy in 6-foot-7 Marko Jaric who fancies himself as one. (lol --G) James averaged 10.1 points a game, less than half of his output the year before in Toronto.

"Mike did not have the type of year that Mike wanted to have," McHale said at a season-ending news conference. "And he didn't fill the role for us that we had hoped that he would fill as far as spreading the court and making those shots."

James' struggles only exacerbated a disastrous season for the Wolves in which coach Dwane Casey was fired and they missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

All the while, Garnett asked for an established leader to take some of the attention away from him in the frontcourt, and help him in the locker room.

Howard would seem to fit that mold. The 13-year veteran averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in just over 26 minutes a game for the Rockets last season, but the Wolves no doubt hope that playing next to Garnett will help the former Fab-Fiver from Michigan get back closer to his career averages of 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.

His departure from Houston was not unexpected, with the Rockets looking for a more athletic, physical frontcourt presence to pair with center Yao Ming.

The trade also brings James back to Houston, where he played 26 games in 2004-05. He loves the area and was planning to build a home in Houston for his family even before the deal was completed.

James' return also calls into question the status of Rafer Alston, who was badly outplayed by Deron Williams in the Rockets' first-round loss to Utah in the playoffs.

I can understand how this works for both teams. Minny gets some help for Garnett, like they desperately need. Houston gets a big 3pt shooter who can play some D (we saw how he played with Hunter). Its really a no-lose situation for both. They're giving up things they didn't want for something that could possibly help. Might as well give it a shot.