To jayhow: I said can you imagine, meaning what IF! READ! To cod: shortsighted and wrong. Who said the 3 for 1 straight up, I said it would be nice to flip them for one high pick so you can have a 3-team trade, pack Lowry with 2 picks or whatever for a high one. It's not that uncommon.
I still don't see it. With Motiejunas coming over, and with Marcus Morris essentially getting a do-over of his rookie year (with his first summer league, offseason practice sessions and full training camp), I don't think the Rockets want too many other rookies. Either they package picks/players to move up for one good pick, or they otherwise maneuver to improve the roster (without adding multiple 2012 first round picks). In all fairness, I could see the Rockets picking up a second rounder if (like with Taylor, Bud and Parsons) a guy they have graded as a first rounder falls. But I don't see them making moves to add more mid-to late first rounders.
Right now NYK Pick: 15th, would be 13th if NYK out of playoffs HOU Pick: 19th DAL Pick: 17th Rockets would have 1 pick, the 15th if season ended now.
Bima, the Rockets have not used their 3 million dollar cash allowance for the year, right? Is it basically use it or lose it by July 1st?
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Sorry for the lack of updates. Anyhow, as of right now: NYK Pick: 15th or 16th (NYK tied with Philly), belongs to Houston, NYK 2.5 games ahead of 9th place MIL. HOU Pick: 17th or 18th (HOU tied with DEN), belongs to NJN. HOU 1.5 games ahead of 9th place Phoenix. DAL Pick: 19thnd. Dallas currently .5 game behind the fading Orlando for 11th best record in the league, 1 game behind Boston for 10th best record, and 1.5 games behind MEM and ATL. Seems NYK is a lock for playoffs. HOU is sort of in doubt. Dallas pick might fall into 21st-30th, but they have a tough schedule. Seems the team will have at least 1 mid-first rounder from NY. May have 2 or even 3.
If DAL's last game of the year against ATL determines the 10th spot, I just know that Cuban will force the coach to pull the starters at halftime so that they lose the game and get to keep their draft pick. I really hope they have some playoff-related incentive to win that game...
The only thing i can think of is not wanting to play a certain team in the 1st round. I think they want to avoid OKC, but i am not sure.
NYK Pick - (Top 5 protected) -14th in league standings -Belongs to HOU (17th pick) HOU Pick - (Top 14 protected) -17th in league standings -Belongs to HOU (14th pick) Dallas pick - (Top 20 protected) -13th in league standings -Belongs to DAL (18th pick)
It would be nice to trade up but even if that doesn't work, we are doubling our odds of getting a keeper at 14 and 17.
With a couple more of those role players, we could be contending. Look at who we missed out on last year. Faried, Shumpert, Brooks, Leonard, Vucevic.
You can only get a top 3 pick out of "luck" since those are the only picks that are randomly drawn... but the weighting is such that it's extreeeeeemly unlikely the Rockets would get in there at a 13 or 14 position.