[ClutchFans] Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update

Ariza and Bev out with Millsap and Rubio in is step back when Kostas is looking like an NBA starter? Hmmmmm, I see an upgrade.

What I see in Rubio is:

1. Possible availability - Rubio is possibly acquirable at this time. Not every player is available right now. There's no sense in discussing LeBron or Durant or Love or Bosh right now. But guys like Rubio and Rondo could be on the market right now. Rubio isn't the only guy I like. He just happens to possibly be available in trade.

2. Rubio's contract situation fits. Gives us flexibility this next summer and the summer of Durant as well if we get Rubio to sign the qualifying offer.

3. We are going to have to pay Beverley this next summer to keep him. Even if it is only $5 million a year, Bev deal is going to be on the cap along with Ariza's contact if we don't move them.

4. As much as I like Bev, Rubio is a much better player with superstar potential that Bev simply doesn't have. I'm sure some could make the point that Ariza and Bev fit better because they are role players. I understand that. But we already know we need 3 superstars and 4 superstars would be nice. So that means we have to be able to open up cap space not only in 2016 but also 2015 as well. There's no way we are going to put all our eggs into signing Durant in 2016. In my opinion, we have to be able to go after Marc Gasol or Lamarcus Aldridge this summer.

Rubio is not the only guy that I think helps us.He just happens to be the guy that could be available and his contact fits. And what if he were the guy that helped us recruit Marc Gasol?


Rubio - Harden - Kostas - Gasol - Dwight

 

can someone please tell me what Rubio has EVER done in the league to make them think he has superstar potential? Or really any potential at all?

 

Rubio about to show the world he's on Adam Morrison's level

 

I would not say superstar potential, but he has:
Excellent defense
5th in ppg off of his passing.

Two good qualities. Just needs to improve his three point shooting from 33% to about 37% to add spacing as a component to his game.

 

Doesn't he want a max salary?

 

Does it matter? Rockets could likely acquire 3rd star even with his qualifying offer and then re-sign him. Like Parsons, except Rubio's a better player.

 

Rubio is nothing, he is a decent playmaker but is not very good at penetrating and shooting

 

Please let me clarify my opinion.

Rubio is not a star and probably won't be a star. He's better than Ariza who I think is third best Rocket currently. Provided Rockets don't give up much for him, he would be a good addition.

I doubt Rockets will offer enough to get him away from T-Wolves based on what the asking price for Rondo has been. I tend to think there are enough GMs that over-rate guys like Rondo and Rubio that it will make it difficult to acquire them.

 

Thanks. I don't think the Rockets would pause to get a third star if all it required was moving Ariza's contract which seems like it will be easier to move than Lin's.

 

I really hate that term "Third Star", and I'm getting really tired of people here ignorantly throwing around the phrase "The Rockets will have max cap space" & saying ... oh if we just move Ariza and Papanikolaou, and half the rest of the team this year, and assuming every GM in the league thinks the Pelles pick is the Unicorn of all draft picks.

Its all based on broad assumptions.

Last Summer with about 4 true All Stars making themselves or becoming free agents(mostly due to the side effects of Lebron entering free agency), the saying rang true to a certain extent. This Summer, I don't think is the same case, and I don't think the Rockets are viewing targets as "stars", and I certainly do NOT think they will do something stupid like move their current 3rd best player, and best perimeter player in Trevor Ariza this year for an expiring like Amare for the chance at having max cap space this year next year to sign someone who might not even be as good for the Rockets as Ariza is.

And yes... Ariza is going to be pretty damn important to this team. About as important as Chris Bosh would have been.

.........

The Reason the Rockets went after a "third star" last Summer is because they could have done so and STILL KEPT THE CORE PLAYERS IN TACT. Ariza is now part of the core, and Morey sure as hell isn't moving Ariza for hopes and dreams next Summer.

Moving Ariza for another player that might or might not be good for the Rockets would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul but potentially robbing Peter when you don't even know if you will have enough money afterwards to still pay Paul.


These guys currently listed as "targets" aren't Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, or even Chris Bosh. As much as I'd love to get a Paul Millsap or Rajon Rondo, its not the same type of scenario. Gutting the team just for the "chance" at acquiring a player on this level is not smart, and I'm pretty sure Morey isn't going to do something stupid like throw away a season and a core player or players + assets just for the chance at getting one of them next year.

 

Correct. But 2 possibilities exist with Rubio on the books and Ariza and Bev and the other contacts gone.

1. Rubio and Fegans may decide to take the qualifying offer and play for $6+ million next season. That would be the ideal scenario (in my opinion) because it would likely allow us the space to sign another max salary player next summer while holding off on Rubio's deal until 2016. And if we didn't get the max player next summer then we could still go after Durant in 2016 with a cap somewhere around $80 million and Rubio's cap hold only being around $12 million.

or

2. We could recruit the tandem of Rubio and Marc Gasol (or LaMarcus) together by getting Gasol (or LaMarcus) to agree to a max deal while also negotiating Rubio's deal. When Rubio's deal is agreed to, we could squeeze in Gasol's max deal and then sign Rubio to his deal afterward. If the cap goes up to$70 million this next summer, we could create over $18 million of cap space for a near max deal for either Gasol or Aldridge and entice them with the no state income tax, etc.

You can't do this with Rondo. His cap hold is what it is. This is one of the reasons I'm advocating trading for Rubio over other point guards.

 

Rockets can get max cap room with the only assumptions being moving Ariza's contract and not exercising options...not very broad at all. Rockets have flexibility to acquire a third star by trade and by free agency with a very small assumption.

The only problem is getting LMA next season to sign, Durant the following, or a team to trade the Rockets a third star.

Granted, I don't expect Rockets to trade Ariza on a hope.

 

They signed him on hope. They'll trade him on hope if the right deal materializes.

 

Assuming Ariza gets traded (even for a superstar, third star whatever) what kind of message does that tell other players? I would be irate if I chose to sign with a team for the second time, and was promptly traded not even a year into the contract. I know Morey is doing Les' bidding by exploring every option and every opportunity available but how much longer are GM's and other NBA players going to put up with this constant "musical chairs"?

With that being said, I don't see any current super star being traded to the Rockets any time soon. A realistic option is possibly another trade with the Thunder, where we would make a play for Reggie Jackson. Also, I don't think Paps will play well enough to make Ariza expendable enough to trade him. I've noticed over the past few games that for the majority of the game Harden has looked like he's putting more of an effort into guarding his man, but he still shows lapses of focus. I can nearly say he's playing a little below or right at average defense.

 

Yes, that worked swimmingly with Parsons. Not as pipe dreamy as holics ridiculous idea that Fegan and Rubio will play on the QO, but telling another RFA to wait will probably have the same result as it did with Parsons. He'll sign big on the first day and the deck chairs will get to scrambling.

 

On Zach Lowe's most recent podcast, Michele Roberts (new NBAPA president) said the by the NBA proposed smoothed cap number would be a "little higher" than high 70s.

So, assuming no future moves are made, the Rockets would have (close to) max cap space, yes?

 

We aren't trading Ariza just stop with the trading Ariza posts.

 

Was just coming here to post this.

So what year would that "little higher" than high 70s number take place? Next season?

 

I think she meant a little higher than the high 60's for next season. I'm estimating 70-71 million. If I'm wrong on that somebody show me.