This was the most realistic of the trade proposals that we have discussed so far (see James' Potential Rocket Profile) and the Rockets are moving forward with it.

It's quite ironic that last offseason the Rockets balked at giving Mike James a trade kicker in the event he got traded, and now will have to take that on in his contract to trade for him.

Just the same, I think this is a very good move for the Rockets that is low-risk and potentially high-reward. Whether as a starter or sixth man off the bench, James could provide a big scoring boost out of the backcourt and while he's not an assist machine, he's never been very turnover-prone.

This is also the first sign that real roster changes will likely occur as the Rockets now have too many point guards and no power forwards at all (Chuck Hayes is a restricted free agent). Obviously landing a four has to be a big priority, but what happens with both Vassilis Spanoulis and Rafer Alston -- or is Luther Head the odd man out in future deals?

(More coming)