Sergio Llull Effect and the Rockets Off-Season

It is as if the way Joey played earlier in the season is so ingrained in people's that no matter how well since then, they really don't care. They already formed their narrative on him. It's really annoying.

 

Subtract -

Patrick Beverley
Josh Smith
Jason Terry
KPap
K.J. McDaniels


Retain -

Brewer

Add -

Lull
$2.3m cap space
$2.8 million Room Exception
two draft picks

I guess it boils down to who you think you can get with the $2.3 & $2.8m values. Are those players along with Llull more effective than retaining Smith , Bev , Terry (trade piece) , KPap (trade piece) & McDaniels for a team who has championship aspirations ?!

I like Smith for the most part but he's a liability in many ways , FT shooting and turnovers which this roster has enough of as it is. A healthy Jones can supply those minutes. Capela should get a lot of minutes next season. That gives you 5 bigs (Howard , DMo , Jones , Dorsey & Capela). Smith is expendable with a healthy stable of bigs.

Terry - If the Rockets keep him its likely on a two year deal with the second totally non-guaranteed so he's a tradable asset who's contract can be used to bring in a larger salary.

Same can be said for KPap , because of his contract he's probably a trade piece sooner in this scenario than later should they stay over the cap.

The scenario you present leaves the possibility of signing McDaniels to one of those $2.3 or $2.8 values. This is interesting.

PatBev - is he healthy ? Theoretically you could keep him & bring in Lull if he's willing to stick around for the $2.8m room exception. Just have to wonder if that's enough or some team offers him a much larger deal. I really cant put a number on his value to teams outside the Rockets. He thrives being next to Harden , I don't see him as effective without that dominant ball handler next to him because he really doesn't have the ability to facilitate the offense as a traditional point.
If Bev wont stick around for that $2.8m exception , who do you look at to fill that backup point spot that will accept that value or are you content to go with Prigioni & Johnson as the backups to Llull ?

Its an interesting proposition , that's for sure. I really felt before reading this that they were much better off operating over the cap from the outset and retaining their FA's with the possibility of in season maneuvering.

Now .... I wonder which option is best. Gamble that Lull is the real last piece or leave yourself with a lot of inseason options & keep the current roster together ??

 

The only way McDaniels resigns is if we have playing time for him. With Harden getting 35+, Ariza getting another 30+ and Brewer eating up the rest of the wing minutes McDaniels is gone. Morey brought him here incase he gets the right offer for Ariza on draft day.

Brewer is coming back mark that down. McHale loves him, he drafted he at Minny, Morey loves him too. So you see it's really clear young players want to play, hell I bet he wants to start, you know his momma wants him to start.

 

Eh, I like Josh, but between Dwight, Jones, Donuts, and maybe even Capela, I think Smith is just not worth a high price to this team. We have enough enough quality bigs.

Maybe a little more than the minimum, but not much... But I guess we'll see what he does in the playoffs.

 

So if Llull gets the MLE we can subtract Papa, Terry, and Bev and go over the cap to resign Brewer and Smith to one year deals.

Then a sign and trade of Capela, DMo, Ariza, and pieces for Durant next deadline.

 

Anyone have Llull's stats for being able to finish around the rim?

 

Close range FG% in the Euroleague:
2015 = 59.3%
2014 = 71.2%
2013 = 50.9%
2012 = 80.0%
2011 = 55.9%
2010 = 63.2%

Career = 61.7%

http://gigabasket.org/index.php?type=logs&league=Euroleague&player=Llull,+Sergio&season=2014

 

What a slamdunk it will be if Rockets can persuade Llull to come over.

 

So, no backup center again?

 

To me its clear. Whoever the Rockets get to replace Prigioni & Terry this Summer they MUST be able to attack the paint and finish on occasion.

Ariza, Terry & co. are just killing the Rockets offensively with the inability to attack when the ball is kicked out to them, and they get run off the 3 point line.

If those Euroleague stats translate at all to the NBA then its pretty obvious that Llull is an upgrade already.

Too bad they couldn't have gotten him with the Papanikolaou contract this past Summer. I love Papa and at the time the 3 was a bigger concern, but now looking back it would be been nice to have him this year. I would have been shocked if you told me the best the Rockets could do in a mid-season trade was Prigioni. I thought they'd be able to steal someone during the season.

 

Capela will be a better than average backup 5 next year I'm sure. He's already looking like he has the talent but doesn't know the sets well enough, and needs a bit more strength. An offseason and training camp will do the trick.

 

where's Bima

 

Is he ready

 

I think cyber said a couple of times that the chances of Llull coming over is unlikely now for some reason. Something happened.

 

The odds are Llull is using us as leverage to get a better deal from Real. I don't think he's serious about coming over.

 

I think a great low-key draft day trade would be for Chalmers.
The guy is 3 & D like Bev, except a more proven spot up shooter. Also the championship experience along with Terry/Brewer/Ariza (assuming they're brought back) would give us great experience for next year's playoffs.

 

If i was sergio I would not come to the rocket team, I would never be able to play my role. And be consider a role player. f that.

 

I disagree if he came over it would be as the starting PG and similar to say Dragic he would be given opportunities to be a playmaker which is where he seems to excel.

 

Maaaan I'm sick of hearing about Sergio Llull. There's just this arrogance in his reluctance to join us like the NBA is garbage or that were garbage....

I would take a kid like Jerian Grant in the draft instead and really give him the reigns at PG playing next to Harden. I think he really could be available at #18 in the draft. I might even say Morey should trade up to get him if he thinks he will be gone before 18.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt3ZN4Q0HwE

We got options..