This seems like a pretty basic concept to me, but please correct me if I'm mistaken. Any resident capologist or CBA knowledgeable person should be able to confirm this. But yeah, I've come across so many posts since last night stating the Rockets have $5M to spend or $12M to spend because they're dumping Green and Nene's contracts. Aren't the Rockets still over the cap? They're just under the luxury tax now. Any spending is still limited to MLE and trades for larger salaries, which is the same limitation if the CBA prior to the salary dumps. The only difference now is that it's less financially burdensome for Tilman to take on salary. As for the generated TPEs, haven't the Rockets let like the last 10 TPEs expire? Anyways, just wanted to clear that up. Please correct me if mistaken, but the Rockets could still have been just as active in the buyout market pre trades than post trades. Call a spade a spade, dumping salary with another first round pick is 99% about LTS, which is something that the owner has already done in the past without capitalizing on any flexible spending due to the dump (Ryno/Knight/Shump).
This is about expanding the trade. The trade as is, allows approximately $6 Million before hitting the luxury tax threshold. The trade as is, allows approximately $12 Million in extra salary based on the 120% rule. Add in Hartenstein at $1.6 x 1.2 you can get up to approximately $14 Million in extra salary or $7.5 Million in room to wiggle under the tax (Kieff and Holmes please). I think the team will stay below the tax but will hopefully add the $6+ million depending on if we trade more players.
Thanks for adding this info, more people should read this before posting their judgement of the trade, as if that was the only deals being made and we are now done shaping the roster.... But I forget what a instant reaction society we are in now. No patience. I feel more moves are coming by tomorrow and then once the buy out market happens. I think Morey brings in another big and another F via trade using this space we now have. The buy out market is very risky and you dont know who will get the buyouts so you cant rely on that. That is sort of a bonus. I think he makes a move or two to solidify the roster where we need it.
I honestly was that person just last night. I think it's natural to be heated about losing a guy we've watched grow while tossing out more assets. I slept it off and feel much better about everything today.
I could sleep like Rip Van Winkle and would never think it is a good idea to have RW & JH on the same team for $90 mm a year.
But couldn't the Rockets have expanded the Westbrook trade by $10M? I think TheCat did a podcast episode on that issue.
there is a hard deadline to this deal. There wasn't a pending deadline to the other deal. We will know within 28 hours.
Let's see if he is willing to pay some tax for a much better roster that gives us a real chance to win it all (cause we KNOW this roster was not going to win it all)... He did just say he was not confining Morey financially.... so I think that first move was to get us to this point where we have some space to add more talent (the right kind of talent). Getting Covington was a good start and I even like having Bell as a role player to play some F when we need a athlete. So now let's see what else comes in...
I feel you, but what if we are able to put the right pieces around them? Pieces that work well. I think we have a opportunity to do that now so let's see how the roster fills out by tomorrow and during the buy out market.
If we got a player like AB who is gritty, played under BS with the Celtics, I would feel better, but I think the fundamental flaw is that RW and JH just don't compliment each other, they do the very same thing, one is just more efficient than the other. But our losses speak volumes regarding a team that lacks any intangibles, RW is the anti-intangible player - you cannot just look at his stats - he kills momentum, team chemistry, and offensive spacing - and is a compete spaz on defense. If he at least played defense it wouldn't be so bad, I think Harden's defense has fallen off without CP's leadership this year. It is amazing how RW's athleticism has very little value on the defensive side of the ball, he is so uncoordinated on that side of the ball, at times he plays like a "sissy" on defense - but always out of position, far too late on rotations, and the king of dumb fouls - sort of like James Ennis last year. They should trade RW while his value is high, because James Harden's double teams make RW look better than he really is right now, and he will drop off more next year - and his trade value will never be this high again. If the Rockets are serious about winning it all this year, then they need to trade RW in addition to whatever trades they conduct in the next 2 days! In short, the Rockets aren't serious about winning a title, they just want to make it appear that they are competing for a title, and have fans come out and watch our two stat chasing superstars put up 40 point triple doubles - and get knocked out of the playoffs by legitimate contenders for the title. P.S. Did you see James Harden running after that rebound last night at the end of the game, that's the fastest I have seen him run all year from an explosive standpoint.
The deal isn't being expanded. Players are already taking physicals. Every team in a trade has to meet minimum trade requirements with every other team in the trade. All 4 teams either sent or received an asset from the other 3. So if you add a 5th team, you need to rework the entire trade to make sure all teams interact. It would have been much easier with the Westbrook trade.
Yep. And the take on why not is two-fold: 1) The WB trade was 'rushed', and they didn't have time to examine all of the ways they could have added players. LOL. 2) Fertitta is willing to spend into the tax now. So he says. Also LOL. But, they can spend 5.8 million more, and not go over the tax. Which is what I think they'll do. Primarily by expanding the trade now, or doing a supplemental trade, using one of the bench bodies. Moreover, if they still have room below the tax, post-deadline, they can offer a pro-rated vet minimum for any buyout candidates that want to entice here. I think they could go over the tax to do it, but again, LOL. EDIT: and after reading @ch44 s post, it'll have to be another trade. Getting 4 teams to agree on anything must have been nightmarish.
Shieeeeet for 6 mil dollars I'll play... there are so many dirty things I'd do for 6 mil. If we can't get anyone for 6 mil then there is something wrong with this world.