(The Athletic) Ikosystem: Rockets moving "Heaven and Earth" for Kawhi

Leonard and Harden would be a dream pairing. Won’t happen doe

 

Moving heaven and Earth?

So what does that mean in terms of our offer?

 

1% chance we get Kawhi but I understand them at least checking out the possibility.

 

Kawhi? naaah. seems like clickbait.

 

The Ikosystem: Rockets aggressive in trade talks; Nick Nurse forever a Viper


By Kelly Iko 23m ago
Isaiah Hartenstein and Michael Frazier had a 9:30 workout at Toyota Center Wednesday morning, as they’ve had every day for over a week now.

At some point during a break, Hartenstein checked his phone and muttered “Damn” after reading the Adrian Wojnarowski tweet that the Rockets were making all players and picks available in trade talks.

Another young Rocket, Vince Edwards, was in Ohio when he heard the news.

Both figured everything could be on the table with how the season ended for the Rockets this year, another excruciating playoff ouster by the Golden State Warriors, but seeing it spelled out for all to see was still shocking.

Houston owner Tilman Fertitta had warned of as much minutes after the disappointing Game 6 loss at home to the undermanned Warriors, saying, “They kicked our ass on our home court. They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It’s unacceptable, Okay? We just have to be better. I know that we’re going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. “James (Harden) is 30 years old (this August). … Hakeem (Olajuwon) didn’t win his first championship until (31). I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.”

In the two and a half weeks since that night, there have been four high-profile exits in the coaching staff — top defensive assistant Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coaches Roy Rogers and Mitch Vanya and player development assistant Irv Roland. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has said he wants to come back, and the team stated during the season that it intends to extend him this offseason. Negotiations are believed to be ongoing. But how much more will D’Antoni’s team have changed if he indeed returns?


Adrian Wojnarowski

✔@wojespn


Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.


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11:27 AM - May 29, 2019
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Of the players who could net the most via trade, one is center Clint Capela, who came up small in the series against the Warriors and seems to be a poor match against them in playoff settings. The 25-year-old big man is in the first year of a five-year, $80 million guaranteed deal. That’s an extremely team-friendly contract and a moveable piece.

Capela has improved in every season he’s been a part of the organization and is the prototypical rim-running big man so many teams are dying for these days. Phoenix and Sacramento were high on him a year ago, only to see their lottery luck pan out differently.

Then there’s the case of Chris Paul, whom the Rockets owe $124 million over the next three years. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this month, Paul had tense moments with Harden throughout the Game 6 loss to the Warriors, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room. Sources said the verbal exchange was regarding the ball distribution throughout Game 6. By the time the remainder of the locker room was ready to talk, Paul and Harden had gone their separate ways, with Paul swiftly making his way to the postgame podium. The Rockets dispensed with exit interviews this year, so the media hasn’t been able to ask Paul or Harden about the disappointment.

With the way Houston’s current offense is set up, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they could get drastically better by moving the 34-year-old Paul. If D’Antoni returns and sticks with his staggering scheme, how would the Rockets improve without the All-Star guard’s services? He’s still one of the game’s best floor generals and defenders, even at his age. His scoring might not be what it once was, but it’s hard to pin the Rockets lack of a Western Conference Finals berth on him alone.

One league source said that Houston “would move heaven and earth” if it could acquire someone like Kawhi Leonard, who has shown he can lead a team to the Finals — first with San Antonio and now Toronto. Every other big-name free agent will be on Houston’s radar as well, as GM Daryl Morey looks for an avenue to climb into that elusive championship tier.

As for the coaching changes, perhaps the most surprising was the decision to move on from Roland. There are some within the organization who believe D’Antoni could have tried to prevent Roland’s firing, but contend that he didn’t stand in the way.

The remaining assistants — Jon Lucas, Matt Brase and Brett Gunning — could be safe for now, but there’s a strong sense of uneasiness. Some are looking over their shoulder, unsure of the state of their job security amidst the upheaval. Specifically, the contracts of Gunning and Brase are likely not to be renewed after their current deals expire in 2020.

All of it has the potential to affect the high level of morale and camaraderie the Rockets have enjoyed for so long. You have Coach D’Antoni, insistent on an extension and obsessed with getting over the hump. He was not comfortable without the assurance of long-term security and wants to put pen to paper. There’s Morey, the wheeler and dealer whose feelings on a three-year extension are unclear at this point. There’s even one school of thought that the recent moves were done to discourage D’Antoni from wanting to extend his time in Houston.

 

Kawhi will end up in L.A and with the Clippers imo, but coming here would cement him as the most hated player in the Spurs history, you can hope he hates them that much i guess

 

no **** they would move heaven & earth if they could get kawhi. you need a source for that??

 

Well Kawhi's a FA in a couple weeks, so it means dumping any salary possible to get to a max slot free under the cap, right?

NBA has announced 2019-20 cap is $109M. Rockets are currently at $120.5M in contracts for next year. A max salary slot for a player of Kawhi's experience switching teams is $32.7M. So basically HOU needs to clear $11.5M+$32.7M = $44.2M from current 2019-2020 salary commitments just to be in the game.

There are certainly sign and trade permutations as well, but those make my head hurt.

 

Clickbaittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

 

Thank you @ktex.

Houston would move heaven & earth for a superstar? Well that is a fascinating & groundbreaking development!

Do you have a insider newsletter I can subscribe to?

 

It means the raptor gets to eat clutch AND mini clutch

 

Yeah right. Man I know it's his job and he's got to pay the bills, but sometimes Iko is just so over the top with flimsy click bait.

 

Then pop retires only to come here and be dual head coach with MDA

 

If only we just drafted Kawhi instead of Marcus Morris.

 

I mean, it said Houston WOULD do it if the chance is there.

If Kawhi says "I want to play with Harden." Then I imagine Morey would work without breaks to get under the cap to get that to happen.

Only way I see it happening is if Kawhi and the Raptors get swept with ease and maybe him getting so close to a ring makes him desperate enough to leave the Raptors and forego going to LA to pair with another superstar in his prime like Harden.

 

Too bad Morey is unable to move heaven and earth and is normal just like the rest of us.

 

Yao moved Heaven.....Sky is limit.

Chuckwagon used to move Earth.

 

Iko is wack for that clickbait...he should be better than that

HOU would move heaven and earth if they could get Kawhi? Yeah, no sh*t...

they’d do it for KD too

 

LMAO!!!

Might as well shoot for the stars . .. but I don't think we got a shot

Rocket River

 

You know, I think there is a mentality we have about trading players and coaches and all. Of course there’s an inherent element of “business” in the business but slashing and burning every chance you get and feeling like another slash and burn is what’s needed.... hope is a dangerous thing.

The “drama” of no exit interviews is getting to y’all.