Chris Bosh still foremost in Houston Rockets’ sights

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The Rockets’ No. 1 free-agent target? Sources say it’s still Bosh, who earlier this season said the idea of playing in his hometown of Dallas holds limited appeal … but hasn’t said anything to suggest that he wouldn’t play somewhere else in his home state.

If the Raptors and Bosh reach the expected conclusion that it’s time for an amicable divorce, Houston has amassed an enticing cache of sign-and-trade assets. One source, offering one small example, says that the Raptors are intrigued by young forward Jordan Hill, whom the Rockets extracted from the Knicks in the Tracy McGrady three-way deal in February.

As a (reasonably) big-market team — with low-key cornerstones like Martin and Aaron Brooks, and a franchise player in Yao Ming who might not be a franchise player any more after being forced to sit out an entire season — Houston can also offer the stage and go-to guy spotlight Bosh covets.

Yet it’s believed that the Raptors, if Bosh indeed proves willing to join the Rockets via sign-and-trade, will try to foist Hedo Turkoglu on Houston as part of the deal. Would the Rockets be willing to take on Turkoglu’s contract ($43.8 million over the next four years) and surrender, say, Trevor Ariza in return to clinch Bosh’s arrival? The cost of adding Bosh along with Turkoglu would likely be prohibitive for the Rockets, but Toronto certainly figures to try.

via TrueHoop

The above from ESPN’s Marc Stein.

No deal if Turkoglu is included.  The Raptors may try, but they don’t really have much leverage in this situation.  Ultimately it’s Chris’ decision and he holds the cards if he can threaten to sign outright elsewhere (ie: New York, Chicago.)

The Chicago Bulls concern me as a potential destination.  It would require all sorts of semantic discussions to decipher whether Bosh would indeed be ‘the man’ on a team boasting Derrick Rose – let’s spare ourselves the trouble.

And of greater note, I surely cannot be the only one who finds the rumors of Chris’ alleged desire to play in Texas but not in his hometown Dallas (or was it a desire to not play in Dallas and no outright dismissal of the rest of Texas?) a tad bit strange?  What gives on that front?

In any event, where there is smoke, there is fire, and the Houston Rockets, as has been reported by ESPN’ Marc Stein since mid-season, are in the hunt for Toronto Raptors power forward Chris Bosh.  Brace yourselves.