1) Move Fred VanVleet for a bag of chips.....clears about $42.9M. Two years remaining; but second year is team option so basically it can be wrangled as an expiring $40+M contract. Many teams could use that, supposedly. 2) after hearing Ben Dubose interview..... neither Jalen Green nor Sengun get an extension. Because of tenure, extensions would not break the bank when they do get the extensions. 3) spend/flip VanVleet $43M on free agents that fit, such as dead-eye shooters slash defenders. Eye on: Tyus Jones (42% 3P%), Malik Monk (35% 3P%), Malik Beasley (41% 3P%), Jalen Smith (42% 3P%).....?Paul George? * backup to Amen Thompson @ PG, Jalen Green.....Jalen Smith allows spacing to help make Sengun work
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...edule-deadlines-contract-details-all-30-teams Two-way qualifying offers Houston: Nate Hinton, Jermaine Samuels Jr., Nate Williams Team and player options June 29: *Jeff Green (Team) (HOU): $9,600,000 Jae'Sean Tate (Team) (HOU): $7,065,217 *Contract does not become guaranteed if option is exercised. Guarantee dates June 29: Jock Landale (HOU): $0 to $8,000,000 July 11: Jeff Green (HOU): $0 to $8,000,000 Rookie extension eligible Houston: Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun Veteran extension eligible Houston: Jae'Sean Tate (through June 30) and Steven Adams (as of Oct. 1) Note: Players are eligible to extend starting on July 6 unless noted
Playtime is over. I would only pencil in Sengun and Fred as starters next season with Jabari more than likely there as well. Jalen and Dillon need legit competition for their spots if they are still on the team. If they beat out the competition, so be it. But just giving them the starting nod should be over with.
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...-free-agency-guides-every-eliminated-nba-team 2023-24 record: 41-41 Draft picks in June: No. 9 (via BKN) and No. 43/44/45 (via GS) Note: The Rockets will send their own first-round pick to Oklahoma City unless it lands in the top four in the lottery. The position of the pick coming in from Brooklyn will be determined by the lottery. Odds for the No. 1 pick: 6% Free agents: Reggie Bullock Jr., Jeff Green (T), Aaron Holiday, Boban Marjanovic, Jae'Sean Tate (T), Nate Hinton (R), Jermaine Samuels Jr. (R) and Nate Williams (R) State of the roster: The 2024 offseason will be the most challenging for general manager Rafael Stone, because Stone now has the daunting task of taking a competitive roster and transforming it into a play-in and eventual top-six team in the Western Conference. "I do feel like we've obviously made a big jump in terms of being competitive this year. That was kind of goal one. Goal two is to take being competitive to winning more games," Stone said in February. Houston won 41 games this season, an increase of 19 from last season. The Rockets were 17-11 after the All-Star break and ranked in the top 10 in defensive efficiency (last season they were 29th for the entire season). Houston returns 12 players, including the entire starting five, and has a likely top-10 pick courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. Houston made it a priority last offseason to develop winning habits with its young players by signing veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green. Alperen Sengun will get consideration for Most Improved Player and played like an All-Star before he was hurt in March. The Rockets' two first-round picks last year, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, should be in contention for All-Rookie. And finally, after struggling most of the season on offense, Jalen Green averaged 27.7 points on 49% from the field in March. All positive signs for a team stuck in the bottom of the standings since trading James Harden in 2021. Offseason finances: The trade to acquire veteran center Steven Adams all but eliminated the Rockets' plan to have cap space. Houston will enter the offseason with $121.7 million in guaranteed salary but is over the $141 million cap because of $25 million in non-guaranteed contracts (Tate, Jeff Green and Jock Landale). Houston has until June 29 to exercise Tate's $7.5 million team option and guarantee Landale's $8 million contract. Jeff Green's $8 million salary becomes guaranteed on July 11. The Rockets will have access to the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and $4.7 million biannual exception to use in free agency or acquire a player in a trade. The Rockets also have a $4.5 million trade exception. Top front office priority: Besides rookie extensions for Sengun and Jalen Green (more on that below), there has to be collaboration between the front office and coaching staff on evaluating the offense without sacrificing the team's defensive identity. Before the All-Star break, Houston ranked 24th in offensive efficiency, 26th in assists, 29th in 3-point percentage and 25th in 2-point percentage. After March 12 when Amen Thompson was inserted into the starting lineup (a result of the Sengun injury), the Rockets ranked fifth in offensive efficiency. Rockets coach Ime Udoka quickly dismissed the idea that the Rockets' winning streak and Jalen Green's offensive breakout were a result of Sengun's injury. "We wanted to really increase the pace and get the 3s up and all those things don't have anything to do with Alpi," Udoka told "The Matt Thomas Show." "When Jalen was struggling earlier in the year he had the same quality looks and Jalen started to read the game better. I think they can complement each other very well." For the Rockets to go from Phase 2 to 3 of their rebuild, their offense needs to resemble the team in March and not the one before the All-Star break. Extension candidate to watch: Both Sengun and Jalen Green are eligible to sign rookie extensions worth up to $225 million over five years. Will the Rockets need to prioritize one over the other? Sengun averaged career highs in points (21.1), rebounds (9.3), assists (5.0) and steals (1.2). He averaged 14.7 paint points this season, fifth most in the NBA. Sengun doubled his 3-point attempts this season but took a step back with his efficiency. The last time a center signed a rookie max extension was Bam Adebayo in 2020. Before the All-Star break, Green shot 41% from the field and 30.7% on 3-pointers. During the Rockets' 11-game winning streak in March, Green averaged 30.2 points while shooting 50% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers. He was the youngest player to average 30 points over an 11-game winning streak, passing Bob McAdoo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Stone has three years of work to evaluate Green, but during the first two years, Houston was playing out the string of games. Green has improved defensively under Udoka, holding opponents to 0.87 points per chance when defending isolations. That ranked in the top 10 among players to defend at least 175 isolations per Second Spectrum. Last season, opponents had a 1.08 points per chance when running isolations vs. Green. Other extension candidates: Tate and Adams (as of Oct. 1). Team needs: More playmakers. The Rockets ranked 26th this season in assists (24.7). Future draft assets: The Russell Westbrook trade cost Houston its own first this season (unless it jumps into the top four via the lottery), but the Rockets recouped a top-10 pick from Brooklyn from the 2021 James Harden trade. The Nets will also send a 2026 unprotected first and Houston has the right to swap firsts in 2025 and 2027. Because of the Westbrook trade, Houston also owes Oklahoma City a top-four-protected 2026 first. The Thunder also have swap rights in 2025, if Houston's pick falls outside the top 10. The Rockets have five second-round picks available.
I don't think we need Tyus now that we have Fred Only one of those guys I'd be somewhat interested in is Lauri, but I think I might rather just run it back with Bari at the 4, tbh. Maybe if we can get Lauri for Brooks + picks but seems unlikely when dealing with Danny Ainge?
The Dillon Brooks contract should probably be moved. Can someone tell me how we are gonna have enough minutes next year for Tari, Cam, Amen, and Dillon Brooks? I really don’t see it. If Sengun, Bari, Jalen (or alternative), and Fred are locked in as the starters, seriously how do those 4 players all get the minutes they need? Plus you have the fact that Amen needs to be starting. If we don’t pull off a consolidation trade or a star trade, Dillon will have to be moved either this offseason or at the trade deadline. Do others see it this way?
Day one of our offseason and I’m already reading stupid trade proposal that doesn’t really help Houston at all. Every trade always have us giving up the most and getting back the least. I read a trade where the author suggest we trade for Jimmy Butler because the Heat had a bad season and they need to retool. So of course they throw Houston in the mix to bail out or recharge Miami. The author suggested throwing in sengun(or green) plus salary filler and then Butler is in a contract year so we should resign him to a max deal for a small window. Last offseason was terrible with the trade rumors. we have the prized young pieces. We should Be the one with the leverage in these trades, but that’s never the case. I’d rather do that terrible Bridges trade than trade for Butler, who’s on the wrong side of 35 and can’t stay healthy.
I would argue that the Rockets need to reduce Fred’s minutes and sign a quality backup 1 like Tyus. Expectations for next year should be play-in, if not better, with Fred having fresh legs for a playoff run. Tyus may be looking for starter’s minutes and money, so I wouldn’t pencil him in at this point.
The Landale and Adams situation is definitely an interesting one to watch this summer. I really like both guys, but I'm not sure it makes sense to spend nearly $21 million on backup big men. It wouldn't shock me if they kept both as possible future assets, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stone moved one of them this offseason. Unless they think Sengun could play with one or both of those guys together?
I'm puzzled by why you think moving Fred should be their top priority. He was their second best player all year long, and the offense struggled when he was out. I agree they could use shooters, but why move your best 3-point shooter and playmaker to try and solve that problem? That doesn't make sense to me. The only way I'd move Fred a year into that contract is if it's a means to net a legitimate star caliber top 20 player. If you're not getting that in return, I'd keep him at least until the trade deadline. If mid-season next year it looks like they can survive without Fred and there's a chance to get assets for the remainder of his contract and improve the team long-term, I'd consider it then.
I would rather have a backup combo guard than a true point guard like Jones--I'd argue our depth at SG is weaker than our depth at PG where we have Amen. But ideally, sure, a guy who can back up both guard positions. I'd also rather pick up somebody younger who can figure into the rotation long-term. My top two targets would be Cason Wallace and Ayo Dosunmu.
Instead of looking to move Fred, I'd much rather see them considering moving Brooks. He was a little better than I expected him to be this season, and he brings a toughness to the team that I appreciate. But with Amen and Tari already defending at or near an elite level and so many young guys in need of minutes to develop, he feels like the odd man out. Is there a team out there willing to take on that remaining 3 years, $60 million+? And what assets would it take to move him if not?
I’ve never seen Adams as anything other than an extra year of trade eligibility from Olapipo’s contract. Once it was clear a trade deadline splash would not present itself, Stone traded Oladipo’s expiring contract for a similar one with an extra year. I don’t think Adams is here for anything other than facilitating a trade. The guy has averaged double-digit points three times in his career, and double-digit rebounds only twice. And he’s now coming off an injury that’s kept him off the court for a year and a half. Not sure why he’s considered some sort of savior. His biggest contribution should be helping to facilitate a trade for a star player.
I think the young core is good. Amen&sengun are the main core. Watch the rest develop this year. Trade brooks. I think that is a priority for this year. Trade him before his 3rd year for sure. Give Brooks minutes increasingly to Amen, Cam and Tari. Improve on the secondary pieces using Tate, uncle Jeff, bullock and Brooks.
He thinks that because he was vocally opposed to signing FVV and said he sucked. Rather than just admitting he was wrong, he is doubling down and acting like moving the MVP of the team this past season is a priority.
At the time of the trade, Landale was absolutely sucking. He turned it around and now the Rockets have a decision to make. If they don’t need the cap space, I believe they keep them both and let Boban walk. We could use an upgrade to Bullard and Holiday on our bench. Amen needs to start. FVV or Dillon or both would be involved in a blockbuster, but Dillon is the more likely to go and start Amen at SF and let him run the offense when FVV is not on the floor. Both Jalen and Amen showed promise with the ball down the stretch. Green’s passing the last few games was really good. He made 3 great passes to Amen in the Portland game that were fumbled. He has become a much better ball handler and passer. Amen, Sengun, and Jalen all have superstar potential. There would be very few trades of Jabari, Tari, or Cam that I would consider. Hell no to any aging superstar. Tatum, SGA, Giannis aren’t going anywhere. The next tier of younger players all have warts: Trey, Murray, KAT, or Bridges are not worthy of including any of our core 6. I would consider Brooks or FVV and 1 or 2 picks for any of them and not the 25 Nets pick at all.
