With the Rockets well under the cap this summer....let's look at real possibilities I think the front office should look for in players $30,946,092 - Team Options: Sam Dalembert (w/ Motiejunas coming over no need for The Bert) - will not pick up option Chase Budinger (@ $900,000 and still room to grow) - will pick up option Patrick Patterson (no growth since coming in NBA) - will not pick up option Unrestricted / Restricted: Courtney Lee ( restricted but I'm sure he wants to start) - Team will not match Goran Dragic (looking to start like Lee) - See him walking Free Agents: (I would pursue) Spencer Hawes (@24 y/o still have upside - potential 15ppg 10 RPG guy) 6 yr/ 28-30 million DJ Augustin (perfect back up to Kyle Lowry) - shouldn't command much Jerryd Bayless (can play both PG & SG) - Goran Dragic replacement Landry Fields (emphasizes D w/ being 6'7" can guard 2s & 3s) New York might match Ersan Ilysova (Patterson replacement off the bench) - great rebounder and potential scorer Potential 2012-13 Roster: Lowry Martin Parsons Scola Hawes Reserves: Augustin or Bayless Fields Budinger Ilysova Motiejunas What do you guys think realistically? Who are some of your realistic free agents?
You need to look up BimaThugs posts on the Rockets actual salary cap space. It is not at all obvious to mere mortals like me. LOL
His idea's may not be great .... but let the mods mod .... rather that just padding your post count and cluttering the thread with a worthless reply. More thread Nazi's on this site than every other site I frequent combined. I like the idea of picking up Hawes pending they do nothing at the position in the draft. He isnt a big fat zero on either end of the court , can shoot , rebound and defend and shows up every night. Could be a solid contributor given the right circumstances. Its likely the team picks up the options on both Budinger and Patterson. Much of what happens during the FA period will be determined by who they are able to draft. They pick up any of Leonard , Zeller or Drummond , forget about spending that much on Hawes. More likely they resign Camby on the cheap. Draft a SG , you have to wonder how the team handles C.Lee & Martin - I'd expect Lee to be retained to any reasonable contract and Martin to be moved at some point. PG - Is Lowry moved , does Dragic walk ? Both gone ?! If one or the other is gone , Im not against Augustin or Bayless in the backup role to whoever is left. The nightmare scenario would be moving Lowry then losing Dragic .... ugh. No idea what they do with Scola or Patterson with Motejunas expected to contribute ... do they keep both ?!
Theres no point in trying to improve the roster if we cant land Deron and Dwight. I want Ish Smith, Alonzo Gee and Tevor Booker. Wouldn't mind giving Daniel Orton a look either.
on the player options. i agree with the Bert and Bud ideas, but theres no way we let a lottery pick, as well as a good rotational player, like Patterson walk after only 2 years in the league. Especially on a roster with plenty of cap space to pick up his ~2 mil option. completely disagree on Lee. Morey has stated, Lee's a RFA, he will be a Rocket next year. regardless of wether his future is starting or being a 6th man, he will command about the same amount of money. Same exact situation happened with lowry a few years back. He signed with the Cavs to be their starter, and we match for him to be our back up PG. the player has no say in the matter being RFA, so it doesnt matter if lee wants to start or not. We will match nearly any offer he gets. Hawes would only be a good fit if Scola is gone. not tall enough to b a shot blocking C that scola needs by his side. Illyasova is a great player who has been under the radar for a while. only problem is that he got national attention last year, which means a big increase in his price. will probably be overpaid by someone. and i hope its not us. I absolutely love his game. but again, with scola, seems like a rewardless deal. Besides the obvious trying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, theres an underated star in this league who is also a RFA is eric Gordon. Goiing into the draft lottery i wouldve said there was no way we could pry Gordon away from New Orleans. With Davis joining the hornets, as well as another lottery pick, and with their contracts to Okafor and Ariza, Im not sure if they would like to b tied down financially for the next few years by locking Gordon up to max money. Although he might want to stay and play with Anthony Davis, and their other lottery pick to be, and see if they can make a playoff run. Though all the body language from Gordon last year said he wanted out of New Orleans
Would the Pacers have the cap space to match us on Hibbert if we threw a LARGE amount of cash at him?
