Put down the scotch. You initially listed only players on the Thunder. My point was and is that the Rockets were not limited to players on the Thunder. I never stated any specific names.
Of course he is negative value right now. The Rockets could have taken him to spin off at the deadline for a player under longer control that a team is trying to move or they could have attached an asset to Patterson at the deadline and dealt his salary space for a useful player. That is now gone. So if Shumpert isn’t signed and traded (which is less likely), then the Rockets are locked into what they have as far as taking back a larger salary. It is very clear this was done because Tilman does not intend to go into the tax. Even Shumpert is a long shot because a team could have gotten involved with the Westbrook deal and taken back less salary. In short, unless something odd happens, this is it except close to minimum salaries. The Rockets are about a million under the tax level and that isn’t a coincidence.
What do you mean free players? They wouldn't be free, we obviously would trade picks for them. Or it could be a team that just wants to shed salary on an expensive player that isn't really bringing them any use (Kevin Love, for example) without taking major salary back. It doesn't require any kind of Holic-sense or insiderness to realize that this was a golden opportunity for the Rockets to get better, if they were willing to spend. They weren't.
Did you not specifically say that the players “wouldn’t come from OKC”? You are absolutely right. I better put down the scotch, because it appears that I am seeing assertions that apparently do not exist. My scotch is telling me I am seeing a mad backpedal Holic style (I know, low blow). What does your sobriety tell you?
Problem is, maybe those teams and OKC priced us out. You and others are asserting that the Rockets weren’t willing to spend. I am asserting that they might have been willing to, had the price been worth it. When your back is up against the wall to complete a trade, it is not easy to get a fair deal. Other GMs were likely hiking up their prices and Morey didn’t bite. That does not mean we were not willing to spend. It is basic economics.
Look, it's not called the Feigen Fluff Article, the official name for such a piece is called The John Lopez Memorial Alston All Rockets Need at Point Guard Column. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/chron-alston-all-rockets-need-at-point-guard.119786/
It’s over his head. He initially assumed it had to be a player from OKC and then asserted I was claiming specific players. If he cannot understand the topic there isn’t much to say.
I am completely open to the idea, actually. I just don’t understand why you would say definitively that players “wouldn’t come from OKC”.
Ehh...I guess that's possible? There are 29 other teams in the league, the rockets have 10 mil in salary they can take back in without sending any out (this alone is very attractive), they can also add a SnT with Shump, and they also have like 10 g-league level guys making ~1.5mil or so. All together they could basically make any player work from 10mil up to 30mil. I find it VERY hard to believe that there were 0 deals out there to improve the team. But I guess you're right that it is technically possible.
He doesn't write anything but fluff, no matter who is on the team. How about we at least allow some time for things to play out.
I’m not sure why you are obsessed with taking on salary for salary’s sake when we have Shumpert. The 3rd team we are trading with likely doesn’t care as much about salary as they do draft compensation. Memphis didn’t trade Evans two years ago because they didn’t get exactly what they wanted. Memphis or any other team has so urgency to get a trade done right now so it would be very easy to fleece us. We have limit assets as is. We need to wait until the deadline to get a fair deal.
So your position is for the Rockets to sign Shumpert to a large contract (12-13 million) and then deal him at the deadline? Do you believe they will do that currently being 1 million under the tax line?
I believe that this front office has always valued flexibility and no, I don’t think they are going to add salary just for salary’s sake. So if worst case scenario happens and they can’t find a player who makes this team appreciably better I could see us standing pat. End of the day this is a business. Bima said the other day that if you add Iggy it would cost the Rockets 47-53 million in total cost. I like Iggy a lot personally and think he is worth it. Kevin Love would be worth it but the number of players that would be worth that kind of cost is extremely rare so we have to be patient.
So your position is that the Rockets will not sign him to a larger contract to trade him at the deadline? Because once they let that hold on Shumpert go, they close their window to easily go over the cap to add a larger contract. Not coincidently that also makes it very likely the Rockets are magically below the tax line again... as the majority of the MLE magically hasn’t been used yet again. This is the time for a team to go into the tax, this is a Rockets team that has a chance to win a title. When a team is young and improving or just not good enough, you avoid the tax. Instead last year they dealt two first round draft picks to get under the tax and save paying Ryan Anderson this year. They sat on the majority of their MLE as well. This oddly enough the same thing is happening.... I’m sure it is all a coincidence though.
I think this team is willing to pay the tax but not just for anyone. We already have the 5th highest payroll in the league. If Morey can get another star or an elite role player they will do it but it’s for a Jerami Grant type then no. You aren’t going to pay 45 mil extra in salary for a small bump in production.
Can you name a few of the players that we could have taken on where those teams might not have priced us out with pick requests, etc? I guess it is technically possible for you to think of a few. I’m struggling... It seems to me that we are greatly underestimating how gawdamn difficult it is to make a trade in the NBA. This isn’t NBA 2k. GMs aren’t lining up to take Iman Shumpert, or to dump players of value to Daryl Morey without recompense. Again, they likely put too high a price on any player that was worth it.
I wonder how he spins not expanding the WB trade and letting Shumpert's bird rights rot away. Very frustrating. $26m in potential salary wasted. Morey's been handcuffed and shackled.
Dude Iggy at 17 million is not worth it.Having said that the market right now is at the bare minimum and you cant let arguably the greatest one on one scorer of this generation outside of MJ prime go to waste. Tilman has a choice either cash in Hardens once in a couple of decade type prime or just try to penny pinch
