From the FanHouse...

Can Steve Francis return from being a complete afterthought to an impact player (albeit one in a supporting role)? Apparently no less than four teams think he can. Francis' agent told the Sun-Sentinel yesterday that his client is currently deciding between the Heat, Clippers, Rockets and Mavericks. And, after banking $30 million in a buyout from the Blazers, money doesn't figure to be the deciding factor for where he ends up.

With that in mind, let's take a look at each situation and make a guess where he ends up:

Heat: He'd have a chance to team up with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, ostensibly to make one more push for the title before O'Neal is completely grounded. With Wade expected to be injured through training camp and potentially into the year, Francis would see quality minutes from the get-go.

On the flip-side, once Wade returns, he'd be a distant third-option in the offense at best. Wade and O'Neal dominate the ball like crazy, and it was just a couple of years ago that we saw Antoine Walker plummet from semi-star to complete has-been in their shadow.

Clippers: Two words: Cuttino Mobley. Francis and Mobley are notorious for their affection for each other, and it would be a snickering sports fan's dream for the duo to be reunited. Plus, the Clippers could use the backcourt insurance, given Shaun Livingston's injury and Sam Cassell's age.

Rockets: According to at least one report, the Rockets might actually be the favorite. You have to figure that Francis still has connections to the area, having played the first five years of his career there. Plus, there's a chance he could start opposite Tracy McGrady, considering the possibility of Rafer Alston being traded. Working against him is the fact that the Rockets picked up two more guards in the draft, including Aaron Brooks in the first round, but the team might feel pressured into winning now before all of this losing in the first-round forces McGrady into a mental breakdown.

Mavericks: To be honest, I never saw this team coming and I'm a bit surprised his agent included them. They're obviously attractive from a winning standpoint, and if Francis has ties to the Houston area then I'm sure he'd appreciate being in the same state. But if he's worried at all about playing time and scoring opportunities, it doesn't make much sense at all.

Sure, it'd give him a decent chance to piggy-back his way to a title (or at least deep into the playoffs, this year's Golden State debacle notwithstanding), but he'd be no better than the fourth guards behind Jason Terry, Devin Harris and the recently re-signed Jerry Stackhouse. Francis may seem old due to his fall from relevance, but he's only 30 years old -- if anyone is ready to accept such a diminished role with the Mavs, it'd likely be Eddie Jones, who turns 36 before the start of the season.

So who's it going to be? I'm guessing the Clippers -- the chance to play with Mobley again probably had him convinced long ago, with this whole charade of "narrowing down" teams simply a ruse to get people off his back. Or not. But if that's what happens, you heard it here first.

[Edited by - mythfaze on 07-19-2007 09:49 AM]

As much as everybody would like a Mobley/Francis reunion, I think he will either end up in Miami or Houston. Both teams have players than can create in Wade and T-Mac with an opening in the starting lineup. Stevie can just concentrate in scoring rather than trying to run a team.

Clippers or Miami. Those are the two teams where he will likely be guaranteed a significant amount of minutes. I think it will be the Clippers though so that he can be reunited with Mobley.