[ClutchFans] Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update: 2012-13 Training Camp Edition

Bima, what percentage of cap do we spend on Guards vs Forwards?

Do you think that room for another MAX player could be used this year?

Do you think the 4 is the position that they will want to fill with another MAX player?

Who do you think we can possible think about considering for the kind of money we have?

 

ok thanks.....regarding cook, i'm understanding what u just said as him simply being waived.....which means we gave up 2 players and get back 2 in return now.....depth chart wise, does this trade clarify which 3 players you think will be cut now?

 

Thanks for answering.

How much better does this trade make Houston as a FA destination?

 

For contract matching purposes, the deal can be done without either Hayward or Aldrich. So I think either OKC is really that eager to dump salary or the Rockets actually see some value in one of these guys.

Perhaps there will still be a market for one of the "throw ins" (or some of the existing potential roster cuts) before the roster cut deadline. Teams may not want to make a trade instead of waiting to pick up one of them off the waiver wire when they are cut, but perhaps they'll trade for them instead of running the risk of a team with cap room snapping their guy off the waiver wire.

Perhaps a contending team will be willing to give up something like a 2nd rounder for Cook. Also guys like Aldrich, Ja1 Johnson and even Hayward might have some value due to their rookie contract status.

 

between douglas, cook, and delfino we could have 3 players in the 3pt shootout come february. why couldn't moary sign up these kinds of players during yao/tmac years??!

 

We had Steve Novak, too bad he wasn't any good yet.

 

he was already the autovak and shemac called him the best shooter he had ever played with. little black bean brooks just refused to share the rock

 

I feel the same way. I'm just not sure any of next years FAs, other than Harden, are worth top money. Everyone is bring up Josh Smith, but you only need one of White/Jones/DMo/Patterson to live up to their potential to make adding Smith irrelevant.

In my mind, the 2, 3, and 4 are locked down. For the money, Parsons is an allstar level player. So your max player will come at PG or Center....and I don't see any of those available. Lin and ?? for Chris Paul. Asik and ?? for Cousins. Other than that, who else is there?

 

If somebody like DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, I'm sure the Rockets will pursue it - but I actually think if Lin and Asik play up to the Rockets expectations for them (and it's worth repeating that the Rockets have said they don't expect Linsanity) then I doubt PG and C will be the position they're looking to improve on.

Sure, if Patterson, Jones or Motiejunas breaks out this will change - but as is, I would think PF is the obvious place we could improve. Ideally, a guy like LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love will become available. But Al Jefferson or Chris Bosh would look pretty fantastic between Asik and Parsons. Even an aging post player like Pau Gasol or Zach Randolph would fill that need.

But more realistically, I'm going to hope one or more of the Rockets young guys achieve their potential sooner than later. If Motiejunas, for example, can become even a Bargnani level player, I'd be thrilled. The same if Terrence Jones could play at a similar level to Josh Smith.

Regardless, I'm very excited. I didn't foresee this move at all and though I've been pro-tanking for years, this off-season has changed everything. Last year, if we made the playoffs the best we could hope for was a first round exit, a mediocre draft pick and no real hope for the immediate future. This year, with a lineup of:

Lin aged 23
Harden aged 23
Parsons aged 23
Patterson aged 22
Asik aged 26

We probably easily boast the youngest starting lineup in the league with playoff potential. If that young team makes the playoffs, they'll be a really hot story and both free agent stars and disgruntled stars under contract will be lining up wanting to sign with/be traded to the Rockets. And even if they don't acquire another star, they'll all still be growing and improving together so there WILL be hope for improvement. That's a radical change from the last few years.

p.s. It's interesting to me that many people on here are talking about James Harden as if he's reached his ceiling and we already know all that he's capable of. If that's the case, why are you guys so excited about the future of Chandler Parsons? Harden is actually younger than Parsons!

 

Bima, I think all you have to do is to look at the Rockets' previous moves to easily see that there's no way in hell that Aldrich's option gets picked up. If the Rockets weren't willing to extend project big men Jordan Hill or Hasheem Thabeet, I don't know why they would do the same for Cole Aldrich, a guy who they won't even be able to look at in practice.

I also doubt that the team will pick up Morris' option; while the organization might have valued him highly, they were quick to cut bait with Terrence Williams, despite the fact that they invested heavily in him. And by the Rockets' calculus, I wouldn't doubt if they'd rather keep Carlos Delfino for an extra $1M in 2013-2014, and have a competent backup for both the 2 and 3 spots.

As for how to use the max-cap room next summer, ironically, this team as currently constructed would really be an excellent landing spot for Pau Gasol; a player who can score from the post and is a threat in the pick-and-pop, paired with a player in Asik who allows him to play the 4 and anchors the defense. Zach Randolph would also be a tremendous get; he'll be 32 after next year, and Memphis may have some luxury tax concerns if they decide to re-sign Tony Allen. Randolph provides many of the same benefits as Gasol, and his defensive deficiencies can be hidden with Asik next to him. Plus, his contract only runs through 2014-2015, expiring the same time as Asik and Lin; if this core does not get it done within that window, you can easily overhaul the team again.

I would not chase Josh Smith at all, simply because he doesn't add the extra dimension necessary to beat the Zombie Sonics or the Miami Heat. Both those teams are at their most effective when they can play James or Durant at the 4 and surround them with 4 shooters. Z-Bo and Pau both are effective enough as to require a true PF to guard them on the low block. Josh Smith makes for a truly awesome defensive front court (Asik-Smith-Parsons), but is too easily guarded, putting all the pressure on Harden and Lin to create, and both guys unarguably crapped the bed against Miami's defense.

 

I'm not sure what they'll do on Aldrich. He'll never be anything special, but is a solid big man to back up Asik.

My gut tells me they waive him to have max potential for next summer. The last thing we want is to lose out on pairing an AS because of $1-2M bucks, which apparently is all it takes to sway these guys.

Morey has to be thinking max offer to someone...just wondering who.

 

The question really is what you think the chances are that Aldrich and Morris will be worth more or less than the $3M or so that each of them is owed in 2013/14.

If you think a guy will be worth more than his $ figure, you pick up the option because he'll be a valuable asset either on court or in a trade (even if his $ does cut into your cap room, he can be easily moved, perhaps as part of a S&T for a FA). If you don't think he'll have a good chance at being worth the $3M or so, then don't pick him up.

 

Bima, with the amount of money availble next summer and space avail now , could houston make a trade for lamarcus alderiage if they wanted to ? He makes 14 mill it seems next season

 

Waive Brockman, Forbes, Cook, Hayward and JJJ.
Keep Aldrich.

 

So if they don't exercise the options on Aldrich, Morris,Johnson and Haywood, we could have as much as 18 mil cap space?

Plus we still have Asik+PPat+CP+JH+Lin+T-Jones+White+Dmo?