That's the kind of deal I could get behind …. It doesn't strip you of assets nor bring in an absurd amount of salary - would you have his bird rights if you wanted to retain him assuming things worked out. Its not a game changing move but leaves you with the ability to make that move should it come available. You still have Melo's corpse to throw in as filler.
Boston’s problem is too many rotation players. Houston doesn’t have enough decent basketball players. Seems like they are natural trade partners.
Houston trades Knight/Chriss/1st to Chicago for Holiday/Lopez/Payne We get three rotation worthy players. Improves depth and nets us a possible starting SF. Chicago dumps Lopez and gets something to show for free agent-to-be Holiday.
So Dwight needs surgery...which means the Wiz need a serviceable center. Let's help them: The Wiz get a quality starter in Lopez, and TWO first round picks for parting with Beal Chicago gets a scorer/shooter in Gordon and a big vet in Nene (A good haul for Holiday and expiring Lopez if you ask me) Rox get guard depth, a premium wing and a solid 4 off the bench. Let's go.
Melo for Greg Monroe. After that rade for Shumpert and Zbo by giving up Knight and Chriss along with a top 20 protected first. Svavage the free agent and oversee market for a back up point. Could ges us 6th seed
The Shump for Knight and a future pick (21, 22, 23) is a possibility.....especially if we pulled Mason and McLemore out of that deal too........especially if it would happen in the next week....... Knight, Nene, Chriss, 2021 first for Shump, Kostas, McLemore, Mason......I'd be for that deal.
Here is a really nice article from The Athletic about potential Rockets trade targets. It includes a bunch of names that @Codman has hinted at in the past. And I appreciated the quotes from the league scouts. Check this out. The Prescription: Eight viable trade targets that could help the Rockets In The Athletic’s new series, The Prescription, Jordan Brenner will offer informed solutions to the problems plaguing teams and players around the NBA through interviews with league sources and statistical analysis. Got a topic he should address? Hit him up on Twitter at @jordanbrenner. Almost a quarter of the way into the NBA season, the Houston Rockets sit 14th in the Western Conference at 9-11. Yes, there are caveats to their slow start: They’re 8-4 with both James Harden and Chris Paul on the court, but just 1-7 when at least one misses a game; the brief Carmelo Anthony experiment was an unmitigated disaster; Brandon Knight and Nene have yet to suit up; and defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik only rejoined the coaching staff a week ago. But those issues alone don’t account for the entirety of Houston’s struggles. The Rockets lost forwards Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute as free agents over the summer, and their absence continues to sting. Both were versatile defenders who keyed Houston’s switch-heavy scheme that ranked seventh in defensive efficiency last season (105.6). This year, they’ve fallen to 28th (112.6). On offense, both players excelled in the particular role scripted for forwards in Mike D’Antoni’s system: Lurk on the weak side as Harden and Paul dominate the ball, and when one of them kicks it out, either shoot a three or move the ball quickly. (That’s part of the reason why Melo never fit.) Ariza and Mbah a Moute embraced those limited—but crucial—tasks. “I think it’s a really big difference,” says a Western Conference player personnel director. “Ariza’s long, he can defend, he’s a ball-deflector. He fit the puzzle perfectly. He’s a defensive guy that can make shots. And Luc is the same type of guy.” To compensate, the Rockets have increased P.J. Tucker’s minutes from 27.8 last season to 36.1 this year—the seventh-highest mark in the league. They signed James Ennis, who has knocked down threes (39.1 percent) so far, but doesn’t offer the same level of defense: Last season he ranked 61st among small forwards in defensive Real Plus-Minus (-1.22); this year he’s 60th at -0.48. Behind them is undrafted rookie Gary Clark, who is hitting just 27.7 percent of his threes. It’s no surprise, then, that league sources agree that the Rockets need to do something to bolster their frontcourt. They went hard after Jimmy Butler, but came up short. In truth, though, they don’t have to add another star. They just need a better proxy for Ariza—a starter who could push Ennis into Clark’s role, or a veteran reserve who could replace Clark in the rotation. “We’re always looking to upgrade,” Morey says. “We were involved in some of the big potential trades out there, but it’s not like we’re imminently doing something. I think generally we like to pick someone up in February that can help down the stretch. We’re not in any short-term situation where we need to add someone.” So which players capable of filling Houston’s hole might be available by February? The Athletic‘s Rockets writer Kelly Iko recently assessed the trade market they may need to enter. Part of the calculus will depend on which teams fall out of the playoff race over the next two months. And the Rockets are also handicapped by a lack of young assets beyond draft picks. But conversations with league sources revealed several names who could be reasonable trade targets by the deadline. Marvin Williams, Charlotte Hornets At 6-foot-9, Williams can guard both forward spots and switch onto guards, and while he’s only shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range this season, he connected on 41.3 percent of his triples last season. The fit is obvious—but it’s even better when you dig deeper. Both Ariza and Mbah a Moute embraced the shoot-it-or-move-it mentality of playing on the Rockets’ weak side. According to NBA.com tracking stats, Ariza held the ball just 1.8 seconds per touch last season, which ranked 247thout of 346 players who logged at least 15 minutes per game. Mbah a Moute made decisions almost as quickly, averaging 1.85 seconds per touch. But do you know held the ball for the shortest amount of time (1.2 seconds) per touch in the entire league last season? Yup, Marvin Williams. At first glance, the Hornets are 11-10 and firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff mix, making it unlikely that they’d trade a starter. But Williams is 32, makes $14 million this season and is due another $15 million next year. “I think they would move him,” says the West scout. “They’re young and could move off that contract and get a pick.” Remember: Charlotte is trying to develop a young core. Dealing Williams would open up more minutes for Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and the recently freed-from-exile Frank Kaminsky. Houston would have to send back Brandon Knight’s contract to make a deal work, which is virtually identical in length and value. So trading Williams wouldn’t provide cap relief, but would likely net the Hornets multiple second-round picks, if not a first-rounder, sources believe. For Charlotte, that might be good enough to make a deal and for Houston, Williams could help solve several problems. DeMarre Carroll, Brooklyn Nets The case for Carroll is similar to the one for Williams, right down to birthdays within five weeks of one another. But Carroll’s contract expires after this season, meaning Houston likely would have to make an even sweeter offer to get the Nets to take back the added year of Knight’s salary—that means starting negotiations with a first-round pick. From an on-court perspective, the move makes sense for both teams. The rebuilding Nets have young players ready to absorb Carroll’s minutes, while Carroll offers the defensive versatility and floor-stretching ability the Rockets covet. Carroll is still rounding into form after ankle surgery, but last season he hit 37 percent of his threes, and the Nets were 4.5 points per 100 possessions better defensively when he was in the game. “He would help them enormously, just because of his energy and toughness,” says an Eastern Conference executive. “A lot of that is health-dependent, but he can guard both the 3 and the 4, can make enough threes, and he’s got enough of an IQ where he can make the whole [system] function well.” Justin Holiday, Chicago Bulls Holiday isn’t as big (6-6, 191 pounds) or expensive (his $4.3 million contract expires this summer) as the previous two targets. But like Carroll and Williams, the 29-year-old Bulls swingman offers 3-and-D ability. Holiday is making 40 percent of his catch-and-shoot treys this year, and while his early-season defensive metrics aren’t impressive, the Bulls were better defensively by 5.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court last year, a season in which he ranked 22nd among small forwards in defensive Real Plus-Minus. “I just like his tenacity, his competitiveness,” says the West scout. “He’s long and can defend and he’s a great kid. But he’s more of a 2/3, which is why Marvin would fit better—[Holiday] is too light [to guard power forwards].” The Rockets could match Holiday’s contract by including Marquese Chriss and salary filler. Chriss’ contract is up after this season, but the Bulls might be interested in seeing if the former lottery pick has latent value in their system. If the Rockets are willing to part with the right draft picks, the framework for a deal is there. Says the West scout, “I’d probably take two second-rounders for him.”
Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks The current version of Bazemore is a higher-usage player than anyone else on this list. He’s less of a spot-up threat (only 24 percent of his shots are catch-and-shoot jumpers) and more of an all-around player who creates a healthy portion of Atlanta’s offense and runs a fair number of pick-and-rolls. But, says the East exec, “Before he turned into what he is now, he was more of a defender than anything.” In fact, Bazemore is currently in the midst of his most impactful defensive season—the Hawks are better by 10 points per 100 defensive possessions when he’s on the court. He can also stretch the floor. While Bazemore is only shooting 30 percent from downtown this season, he nailed 42 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season—the shots Harden and Paul routinely create for their teammates. He also might be more attainable than the other targets because of his hefty contract. Bazemore is due to make another $19 million next season should he (wisely) exercise his contract option; swapping him for Knight would save the Hawks nearly $4 million next summer. Throw in a second-round pick and the rebuilding Hawks would have a hard time saying no. Granted, Bazemore is only 6’5”, but he’s strong enough to battle when switching onto bigger players. As the East exec says, “I think he would make them infinitely better than what they’re playing with.” J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers Looking for a low-cost veteran with a championship ring, range on his jumper and defensive versatility? The East exec says he has just the guy for you—as long as you’re willing to take on a side of crazy. “J.R. Smith would help Houston significantly,” he says, “because he can guard enough and make enough threes, and he has deep playoff experience. He reduces their tax bill for next year and he can play. Beggars can’t be choosers.” The Cavs have said that Smith has played his last game as they search for a trade, and Knight is a salary match for the 33-year-old guard. That swap carries an added bonus for Houston: While Knight’s salary is fully guaranteed next season, Smith is only owed $3.9 million if he’s waived by June 30. Smith doesn’t have the size that the Rockets would want in an ideal acquisition, and then there’s the obvious baggage he’d bring with him. But he’s readily available and should come cheap—meaning he might be worth the risk. James Johnson, Miami Heat Johnson offers a different skill set compared to everyone else on the list. He’s not in their class as a weak-side sniper (he’s a 30 percent career three-point shooter), but he’s a bigger, switchable defender who can even log minutes as a small-ball center. The Heat are off to a 7-13 start, and Johnson is in only the second year of a four-year, $60 million contract that he signed in 2017. So even trading him for Knight would save the Heat money, since Johnson would be off their books for 2020-21—an important factor for a franchise that is always a player in free agency. At the very least, Johnson would boost Houston’s defense. And if he can shoot like he did in 2016-17—when he hit 37 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes— he’ll provide enough floor spacing to keep the Rockets’ offense flowing. Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr., Washington Wizards The last option is the most radical. As the Wizards look to find some sort of an answer to their stretched financial books and untenable chemistry, that means considering all options. Trading Porter and his $26 million salary isn’t easy, though. Houston would have to give up both Knight and Eric Gordon just to make the salaries work, and that would just mean sacrificing backcourt depth to shore up the frontcourt. That’s why Oubre has to be included, and why a deal suddenly becomes a lot more interesting. Says a front-office source: “What if they upgrade the length and passing element of Gordon and get younger at the same time? Porter is a much better matchup in a Golden State series for both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. The optionality of Oubre as a 23-year-old restricted free agent at the end of the season is vitally important— important enough that some of picks you were going to put into play in a Butler deal might be better used here.” The source says that if Houston had been willing to send four first-rounders to Minnesota for Butler, he’d consider trading three of them to Washington in this hypothetical deal. Porter is 25, is a knockdown three-point shooter and finished fourth among small forwards in defensive RPM last season (2.05). Oubre isn’t as skilled, but his athleticism would add to Houston’s versatility. And the Wizards would have to strongly consider this kind of a trade, because some of Porter’s talents are wasted playing alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal, and it’s hard to stomach paying the luxury tax when the team is floundering to such a massive degree. The list of targets could grow over the next two months, as fading teams look to unload veterans for draft picks. But as they stare up at almost the entire Western Conference, the Rockets can’t wait forever to strike.
After reading that.. I like Marvin Williams more and more. I don't watch.. like.. any Charlotte games. But can he be a better defending Ryan Anderson?
He looked very good, but can he sustain it? I think Angie won't contact Morey anymore if he continues to play well.
