MIKE JAMES Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 190 pounds Age: 32 (for 07-08) Stats: 10.1 points on 42.2% shooting (37.2% from three), 3.6 assists in 25.2 minutes Status: Under contract, likely to be traded

The 6-2, 190-pound James was not selected in any round of the 1998 NBA Draft coming out of Duquesne University, but after a few years of playing in Austria, France and in the CBA, James got a chance in this league and he took full advantage of it.

In three years with Miami, Boston and Detroit, James turned himself into an above-average backup point guard and was a solid role player off the bench for the Pistons during their championship run in 2003-04. After signing with the Milwaukee Bucks the following year, James was later traded to the Rockets and instantly became a key reserve in Tracy McGrady's first year in Houston.

And that's when it all began.

The following offseason, James was traded to Toronto for Rafer Alston, a deal that has been widely debated and criticized among Rockets fans. James exploded as a Raptor in 2005-06, playing the most minutes of his career (37) to average 20.3 points and 5.8 assists and amazingly shot 46.9% from the floor and 44.2% from beyond the arc.

James leveraged his outstanding season in free agency and after flirting hard with a Houston comeback, he opted for a 4-year deal in Minnesota, who had just drafted Randy Foye. James did not fit in with the Timberwolves, saw his numbers drop and lost his starting position for a stretch of games.

James, who will turn 32 later this month, was dangled on the block at last February's trade deadline, and the Rockets pursued him. Speculation is the Timberwolves again will try to trade him.

Rocket Perspective
It's hard to believe Mike James only played 34 games in a Houston Rocket uniform, and that's including 7 in the playoffs. It's also important to remember that the Rockets started rolling that season (2004-05) even before they got James -- but, you can't ignore his contributions when he did play, especially in the playoffs as he was a big part of the Rockets three wins against Dallas (particularly Game 6 when Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and the rest of the starters mailed in the first quarter).

Last year, James would have given the Rockets what they lacked at the position -- toughness, energy, shooting ability, penetrating ability -- and that's why the Rockets twice tried to bring him back over the last 10-11 months.

Will they keep trying? There's a new sheriff in town, and unlike Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Adelman could be looking for a different kind of point. However, the potential upside to acquiring James relative to what he could cost in a trade will be very enticing.

Would James want to be here? Almost certainly, as his wife is from Houston and they make their home here. After a trade to the Rockets did not happen back in February, James told Randy McIlvoy of Channel 2 Sports, "I'm not disappointed, but if I were to be traded the place I'd like to go would of course be Houston. I'll feel that way until I retire."

Conclusion
There are fans who think James is a terrible fit and others who think he is a great fit. I am of the latter -- or atleast I was for Van Gundy's system.

But even under Adelman, James could play a key role as a starter or reserve and give the Rockets the scoring ability in the backcourt that they lack (see Rafer Alston) without being a liability as a point guard (see Luther Head).

If the Rockets are thinking their best option for this season is to tweak rather than overhaul at the position and Skip is still in their plans, a James-Alston point guard-by-committee approach could give Adelman a "Fire and Ice" combo (as anyone who has seen Rafer take a tough floater or pull up from mid-range knows that he fills the "Ice" role quite well).