Our tradable players are better than what we would get in return, IMO. Our best bet is buy 2nd round picks and hope for the next ”Budinger or Parsons types” just Houselike players are all that are needed. Holmes should be signed and push Capela for time. (He was on a next to nothing deal for the Suns). Just want to sign solid players to fair contracts and not chase someone that not coming here.
I posted this suggestion in the CyberX Jimmy Butler thread. Will also post here...... Proposed *3-Team* Jimmy Butler trade *with the assumption he tells Philly to trade him to Houston for a trade package of assets or else he will walk and they get nothing for him.* HOUSTON IN - Butler, Spellman OUT - Capela, Nene WHY: Re-allocate Capela’s salary into a star player in Jimmy Butler. Omari Spellman is a cheap, young range shooting 4/5 that would fit in well off the bench (Rockets get Spellman in a 2nd/follow-up trade using a Trade Exception). Follow up this trade this summer and use MLE on DAJ to be your starting center against most NBA teams. Can flex to Tuckwagon lineup vs GSW etc. Rockets keep Eric Gordon in this scenario but he still is a valuable asset if they need to make another move. Rockets DO NOT give up ANY 1st round picks here. More moves below. ATLANTA IN - Capela, Nene, Simmons OUT - Bazemore, Prince, Spellman WHY: Bazemore and his salary are not in their plans. They wanted to move on from Prince. They get Capela to mesh with Trae Young as a PNR big and play alongside John Collins. He fits the team timeline and is under a good contract. This is Atlanta’s big summer move (instead of FA) and they can focus on the draft and their 2 top 10 picks. PHILLY IN - Bazemore, Prince OUT - Butler, Simmons WHY: Philly did NOT give up a 1st to get Butler. They do NOT get a 1st in trading him away. BUT, they get 2 players that are versatile that fit their system and can shoot. Prince is still young and is the replacement for Covington that they lost. Bazemore gives them some bench depth that is needed. And they give up Simmons as a salary dump since he didn’t work out. ROCKETS PG: CP3 / Rivers / Chiozza SG: Harden / Gordon / Frazier SF: Butler / Shumpert / Green PF: Tucker / House / Clark C: Jordan / Spellman / Hartenstein -Rockets offer MLE to DeAndre Jordan to be the team’s starting center in his hometown. -Rockets can offer a 4yr 8.6M deal to House. That is the most they can offer and NOT use the MLE. I think this is a real possibility. -Rockets can see if Rivers would come back for the Vet Min. If he does, they get *early bird rights* on him next season to pay him more. He liked it here, his role, so maybe he would be willing. -Rockets can sign Gerald Green for the Vet Min. He is fine for regular season bench depth, but not playoff depth. -Rockets could offer (with bird rights) Shumpert something like a 2 year 12M deal. With the 2nd year a *team option.* He gets paid above T-MLE line, and is *tradable salary* after December 12th for aggregation. Having tradable salary on the books is important for flexibility. This lineup gives you at least *7* playoff guys you can count on (CP3, JH, JB, PJ, DAJ, AR, EG). We will see how House/Clark develop (MDA needs to be vigilant next season and develop them). Maybe Shumpert gets moved for a better player and/or a buyout player emerges. Key for the Rockets is getting to *8* playoff guys. DJ has fallen off. But not fallen off a cliff. I think SOME of his fall off is due to him *not giving a damn* over the last 2 years. He will be motivated in Houston. He will be 31 (Harden & Butler will each be 30). He can give the team just about everything Capela brought them. He is durable, more physical and more of a paint presence. And hey, DJ can shoot FTs now! Notable! At the same time, you ADD Butler and everything he brings to the table. Maybe a small downgrade from Capela to DJ but a massive upgrade with the addition of Butler. Rockets can’t wait on Capela and any growth he may achieve. The time is now. In 2017 Morey has an awesome summer. 1-Chris Paul traded to the Rockets. 2-PJ Tucker signed with the MLE. 3-Luc Mbah Moute signed with Vet Min. That is the kind of summer the Rockets need in 2019. Hit on the trade(s), MLE, Vet Min signings. Jimmy Butler and DeAndre Jordan fit that bill. And then we see who might be out there with Vet Mins like re-signing Austin Rivers. Maybe take a look back at Luc?
This is kind of a dream outcome. Rivers signing for the vet minimum (or rather his 1 year raise) seems extremely unlikely. I could see him getting $8-$10 million from someone. Handful of teams are going to have real cap space that won't be in the superstar chase and then the ones who are in that chase and strikeout will need to sign folks. I could see Rivers being one of those guys who either gets a multi year full MLE or better type deal OR a 1 year deal for well north of the MLE. I hope he's back but it's going to be tough to keep him I think. House I think they need to keep to hope for some upside. Shump I think they need to keep since they have bird rights. The rest, just have no clue what to think of potential Butler rumors. Thankfully we'll know before long on him. If we don't have him by the start of free agency we know it's over. That's what's great (and awful) about FA for us. If we get to day 1 of free agency without a deal we know we aren't adding a star.
Could the Rockets get Rivers for the Vet Min? I don't know. What we DO know is he 1) Has come from money 2) Already is coming off a sweet contract 3) LOVES playing in Houston and LOVES MDA's system and role on the team. So, his motivations and priorities might be MORE than just financial. So we'll see.
1) He does come from money, but he certainly wants to carve out his own niche and be a self made man 2) Yeah he had a good contract 3) I don't know this. @The Cat latest podcast had a Chron reporter that said he didn't think this was Rivers dream scenario. It was the first time I thought about it, but he laid out some compelling points I thought for why Rivers might not want to be here.
Haven't gotten a chance to listen to the podcast yet. Maybe it isn't the best situation. All I can go on is what Austin Rivers says to the media and that is that he loves the system and role on the team.
That can be read as a "happy trails" post. It's all past tense. But to clarify, I think both can be true. He could enjoy D'Antoni, enjoy the system, etc. and really have liked his role here considering it was a half season situation AND not want this to be his long term situation because he still thinks he can be a focal point as a guard with a big contract.
Works in trade machine. CP3 + EG + 2020 first round pick (when its tradeable... or 2021) for Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson Not sure why Detroit does this, but you never know ...
The good thing about this is that Reggie is a big expiring, but he can be a problem in the lockeroom, Blake makes a lot of sense on paper, but i'm not sure about how much Paul (especially) and Harden would want him here....even though, they had issues with Rivers in the past, and they didn't have problems with him here. Blake is another guy who doesn't exactly come up big when it matters though, he's on a pretty huge contract, he has a certain injury history... I don't know, the reality is i don't like all these guys like Griffin and Love, but at the same time we're not in a position to be picky.
You can't get Blake without trading Paul - see the proposed trade. This is fishing from the bottom of the barrel type stuff. Want to move CP3? And get something good in return? Then you are taking something back that has warts as well - in this case Blake's contract and his injury history. Healthy all year Blake would be perfect fit though. Would like for him to be a bit better rebounder/defender, but he's solid enough. Reggie Jackson (scoring/defense PG) Harden Tucker Griffin Capela Not sure it's a big step up, but it's a little different at least than classic "run it back". And if Capela/Tucker package could get you something else, and you can find an MLE center, than it might work.
Well we could trade Clint and Gordon for Blake, without involving Reggie and Chris, sign a guy like DeAndre or Dedmon etc to replace Clint but yeah, that would be worse than what you proposed. Personally i really dislike Reggie (plays no D imo) but as a big exiring he would actually become some sort of asset to potentially move in another deal. Regardless, like others said, we're not going to trade Chris Paul (unless he asks for a trade) so, we should focus on deals with Gordon and/or Capela involved. Personally i would like to explore option to get young guys with some potential over aged and semi washed stars, would love to know if Siakam could be had if Kawhi bolts and the Raptors go into a full rebuild, same with Boston for Brown, even though i don't see them giving him up if Irving bolts, and if he stays and they go after Davis, he's probably going to be traded in that package to NOLA so...
If Boston misses out on AD and keeps Kyrie: Capela for Brown/Baynes/Yabusele Allows Horford to move to his natural position and Boston avoids having to pay Jaylen. It’s no secret he wants a larger role. We get a high upside swingman that fits our system perfectly. He gets his feature role; we get a cornerstone player that’s young and hungry. Baynes is a low cost replacement for Capela. A serviceable player that won’t make us feel queasy for benching when we go small given that he only makes $5M/year.
Detroit wouldn't want Clint... without moving Drummond. We could get crazy and suggest CP3/Clint/EG (or Tucker) for Drummond/Blake. It'd be interesting at least, but a gamble. As for not moving CP3... I mean, obviously they won't. We already see them laying the groundwork for run it back, in essence, part 2. They're going to try and mix up part 2 by keeping Harden/CP3/Capela and using every other asset to upgrade.... though assume theyd like to keep Tucker too. But "reality" aside, there's no reputation risk in moving CP3 at this point (if you could). They gave him his mega deal. And yes, everyone would prefer younger guys, lol
I just listened to @The Cat's podcast with Hunter Atkins. And he was TOTALLY PROJECTING on Rivers. I don't agree with Hunter's outlook on the market vis-a-vis Rivers, Faried, House etc. The motivation for Rivers to CHOOSE Houston over other destinations runs counter to Rivers going to a rebuilding team. Hell, Hunter tried to put Rivers back in Phoenix for christ's sake. (Which The Cat pushed back on which was funny. "A whole 2 days!? LOL) Rivers wanted none of that.
