Clearing something up: The Rockets didn't choose Lin over Dragic or Lowry

Lets get something cleared up. Letting Goran walk over a player option was a terrible mistake and gamble by Morey. The worste mistake Morey has ever made. I like Lin and understand he was not gonna be are starting pg but a back up to Goran. Morey ****ed up realy bad though.

 

If it lowers his value, it lowers the rockets' flexibility.

 

Not signing Dragic due to a little player option is pretty stupid on Morey's part

 

That logic doesn't fly even if they did pay Lin more than Dragic. It just meant that they were more desperate after Dragic decided not to sign. Again, people still don't get it. How much a player gets paid is only partially related to how good he is. There are lots of other factors.

If Dragic signed, Morey probably wouldn't have upped the offer for Lin. But yeah, it was totally possible that we could have ended up with both Dragic and Lin if everything happened perfectly in our favor (i.e. NY was dumb enough to not match our first offer to Lin).

 

yup

and even lin thought the knicks are going to match,but somehow morey knew the truth and decided to cut dragic? you guys are amazing.

 

it irritates me greatly... because I recall laughing at the Rockets when they lost both guards...



Dragic being that he wanted that 4th year player option..

and the Rox not giving it too him...

because they wanted to get Howard or go lottery and retool in 3 years time...

its not that hard to see... as Lin and Asiks contracts expire in 3 years time...

while Harden was locked in for this year... and an additional 5 years after that...


if people are going to compare their contracts.... then they should compare the original verbal offer from the Rox...

a four-year, $28.9 million contract

because Morey himself, said he only bumped up the offer to Lin after losing Dragic and Lowery


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Morey also spoke to Sports Illustrated last night, and explained why he upped his offer to Lin right before the end of the free agency moratorium:

"We no longer had Lowry or Dragic, and at that point we thought it made sense to offer him more money and increase our chances of getting him."

Morey added that he didn't think he had "any chance" to sign Lin:

"I still actually thought it was more likely they would match even after that (New York Times) story. I just couldn't conceive that they would give us the shot to have him."

So, to sum it up, Morey gave Lin $25 million because he has tons of potential, and he had make the contract big enough to scare off the Knicks.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/daryl...#ixzz2BJKtFckv

 

Yeah, but a bunch of people are saying that it would destroy the Rockets cap flexibility, because he'd be untradable under his contract, which would mean diminishing their options regarding obtaining a star player. That's not true, he'd be less valuable, but would still be a major net positive and would bring in lots of buyers, if you'd want to make some cap room in your chase for a star. Most likely he'd be a valuable asset in a trade for a star, if you'd choose to use him that way. So it doesn't make any sense to reject that contract. It was a win - win situation for the Rockets.

If the option is the difference between him staying and going, you give it to him. Ultimately it doesn't have any negative effects on you. It's just the difference between a very good contract (without the option) and a good contract (with the option).

 

Nah, they were smart enough not to match it.

 

this was from another poster.... I copied it but I didnt copy the name of the OP...

if the OP recognizes his work just reply to this post... I sure would like to put his name to this passage below

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I thought many old posters are really knowledgeable on Rockets history, especially on events that happened so recently. I was so wrong!

I don’t know who started the rumor that Morey had a choice of signing either Dragic or Lin. The only time Morey had a choice between Dragic and Lin was during training camp last year. I will put events leading up to the signing of Lin in chronological order:

July 5
Negotiations with the Rockets broke off quickly this week. Suns have reached a verbal agreement on a four-year deal worth an estimated $34 million that Dragic has pledged to sign July 11, which is the first day contracts can be signed.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/81...on-4-year-deal
The choices of the best PG’s came down to Jeremy Lin, Raymond Felton and Ramon Sessions.
The Rockets did successfully navigate the difficult first step, reaching an agreement with Lin on Thursday on a four-year, $28.8 million contract.
http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocket...cted-to-match/

July 6
Jeremy Lin has verbally agreed to sign a four-year offer sheet with the Houston Rockets on July 11, according to a source close to the talks.
The four-year deal is worth $28.8 million, with $10.2 million coming in the first two seasons and over $9 million in each of the last two. The fourth season is a team option.
The Knicks repeatedly have said they plan to keep Lin. "They will match any offer on Lin up to 1 billion dollars."

July 14
The Houston Rockets signed a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet with Knicks restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin on Friday.
The Rockets backloaded the deal with 14.9 million due to Lin is in the third season, making it a much greater luxury tax hit for the Knicks if they match, according to The Houston Chronicle.
The Rockets improved Lin's offer in part because of the need at point guard after Goran Dragic's return to Phoenix and the trade of Kyle Lowry to Toronto.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson has said that the Knicks "absolutely" want to match any offer and that Lin would be his starting point guard.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/...t_15580409.htm

July 16
Rockets landed Lin and Morey’s interview with SI.
"I didn't think we'd have any chance [to get Lin] after everything that happened in New York [last season]," Morey said. "I thought the Knicks would hang on to him no matter what at that point.
I still actually thought it was more likely they would match even after that (New York Times) story. I just couldn't conceive that they would give us the shot to have him."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2BIklY59m
Be happy that Rockets have Lin for FREE; Not Lowry, not Dragic, not a single player or future picks were traded!!!

 

you don't think lin played better than dragic last year?

 

It's funny how they don't give player options but will trade for players that do have it in their contracts. Remember Mike James? The Rockets wouldn't give him a P.O so he signed with the Wolves who gave it to him. A year later? Morey traded for him.

 

then you would have TD running the point for you...

but then lets grab a brain long time Rox fans who are suppose to be hardcore basketball junkies...

this team aint going to win a Championship this year...

it was one Harden steal away from being lottery for sure this year...

and im fine if the Rox want to fashion Lin into a shooting guard...

playing totally out of position...we already know he isnt the best shooter around

listening to NY fans talk about how passive Lin has become...

to listening to the Rox haters, Biatch and moan about it

when botom line... Lin is doing it for the team....

and this team aint going no where anyways this year...

 

thats because Rox have a plan to trade for a Big name player in 3 years time...

thats why they have only Harden signed long term...

and Lin and Asik to 3 years...


seriously how hard was that to see????

 

The Rockets had TMac and Yao at that point.

They were less worried about flexibility and more worried about adding the final pieces for a championship run.

 

He can still be a net positive, but the player option is still a huge risk.

Think of it from the perspective of the acquiring team. In 3 years, we may be trying to trade a guy with 1 guaranteed year and 1 player option year. Who wants to take that? If he's good, he's an expiring contract, but there's the risk he gets injured or drops off and exercises the option.

If he sucks, he doesn't become an expiring contract until the 4th year, and even then as a sucky player he won't have much value.

A big part of trades these days is expiring contracts, and the option kinda messes that up.

 

Hard. You don't need 50 mil in cap space to trade for a star player. You do however need some assets that the team you're trading with will like, so it's nice to have some good value contracts on the roster.

 

You guys are only complaining because you have Harden now and have the benefit of hindsight. Before Harden, the strategy was to try and get a superstar and everything Morey did prior to the Harden trade was to maximize the Rockets chances of obtaining one.

He dumped last year's veteran borderline playoff team with no superstar on it for young players with potential with the hopes of either:

1. Using them as trade bait for a superstar player
2. Hoping one of the young players eventually develop into a superstar
3. If all else fails, tank with the young players and take his chances in the lottery to draft a superstar

How does keeping Lowry and Dragic fit into this picture keeping in mind that Harden trade was only possible 2 days before the season started? Both Lowry and Dragic can be used for trades but they were not going to be superstars and they would not help the tanking for a superstar.

 

The "no player options for non-superstars" thing is not "taking a risk". It is team policy. Morey has made that absolutely clear in interviews.

 

Dragic wanted to play for his old or hometown team.
Every NBA players are the same case.

If GSW don't have Curry, they must make a move to get Lin back.
Their owner's son is Lin high school teammate.

 

This. That is why I find it funny that not as many HOU fans are upset at Dragic for forcing Morey's hand like this. It's a team policy & Dragic knows this. Him demanding that player option means that he was more than willing to leave HOU. People blaming Morey are being silly.