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While 2006 has not been the shining season of the careers of Carroll Dawson and Jeff Van Gundy as far as personnel decisions go, we can look back to a recent deal that could net the Rockets something in return this offseason.
On February 24th of last year, the Rockets dealt power forward Maurice Taylor to the Knicks in exchange for Moochie Norris, Vin Baker and a second round draft pick.
From a Rocket standpoint, the move was made for cap purposes. They gave up a player who had better skills, but had a brutal contract (6 years, $49 million expiring in 2007). Neither Moochie, before being traded, nor Vin, before being bought out, saw substantial playing time in Houston.
Those contracts are off the Rocket books this offseason while Taylor is averaging 6 points and 3.3 boards for the Knicks, with his final (and most expensive) season left to go in 2006-07.
However, the potential prize comes to the Rockets this summer. According to the terms of the deal, the Knicks owe the Rockets their 2006 second rounder. New York GM Isiah Thomas has been stockpiling big names and contracts and brought in a championship coach to lead them in Larry Brown, so no one expected them to be this bad.
Yet here are the Knicks at 19-49, close to the worst record in the NBA, with just 14 games to go.
This means the Rockets will come away with one of the top picks in the second round this summer, and if the Knicks can "get off their horse", they may win top billing in the Lottery Race, netting the Rockets the 31st selection overall.
While the pick itself is not likely to land an impact player, there have been several solid to very good players drafted in the top of the second round in recent seasons, including Salim Stoudamire, Anderson Varejao, Dan Gadzuric and Carlos Boozer.
Furthermore, only 1st round draft picks are guaranteed contracts -- so many cap-strapped teams or contending teams loaded with depth would rather have the top pick of the second round than a late first rounder.
This could work to the advantage of a team like the Rockets, who are in sore need of solid, young rotation players to fit around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
As for the Knicks, they also dealt away their first round pick to Chicago in a trade for Eddy Curry (Guinness to Isiah: "BRILLIANT!"). I can only imagine the agony of New York fans, enduring such a season only to know that each loss props up the Bulls and Rockets -- two franchises that caused them so much pain in the 90's.
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