[ClutchFans] Podcast: Dwight Howard's a Rocket, is LaMarcus Aldridge next?

I think the rockets should wait and see how tjones and dmo do. Plus we can also play cp25 at the 4 and Garcia at the three for stretches.

I think this team as constructed fits together well on paper. We've moved pieces all over the nba. I think this is a good time to build chemistry. Wait till next year or the all star break and reasses. We have the upper hand.

 

Lin going back to NYK would be interesting, actually it wouldn't I just want him gone

 

LOL! Yeah, $3M is a lot of cap room! And you don't think Lin and Asik are being moved? And Parsons will have to get paid big time or else! Talk to me when Asik is still a rocket after the trade deadline. Lin could be gone too. I have to see it to believe it if Asik+Lin for a MAX player happens.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can trade Lin or Asik straight up with Portland.

 

A lot of people are talking about moving Lin + Asik for LMA. IMO Asik + bev + TJ + pick makes more sense. Portland will improved their defense dramatically and they will strengthening their bench at the same time. Both issues are what we saw in Portland last season. For Houston filling the PF hole with an Allstar without creating another at PG is just great.

PG: Lin/Brooks/Canaan
SG: Harden/Casspi/Young
SF: Parsons/Garcia/R.Williams
PF: LMA/DMO/
C: Dwight/Camby/Smith

 

The Blazers are over the cap(58.7), but under the lux tax(71.7). So they can take on more salary than they send out as long as they are within the CBA (150%) rules.

The Blazers have I believe somewhere between 61 to 63 mil committed to next season.

Trading LaMarcus Aldridge at 14.1 mil for Lin & Asik at 16.8 mil shouldn't be an issue under the CBA rules.

Doesn't mean that Portland would love the deal (especially since they already have Lillard as their PG of the future), but technically it could get done if LaMarcus Aldridge was coming back to Houston.

EDIT: My apologies(its still early) I thought this read Asik & Lin. In case anyone is wanting to know though, yes you can trade BOTH Lin & Asik for LMA.

Joe-Joe is right, you would have to combine a smaller salary like D-Mo or Jones in order to make a Asik OR Lin trade work for LMA under the 150% rule within the CBA.

 

You are right.

Lin or Asik, plus DMo or Jones would make it work though within salary cap rules. It would take more to get Portland to accept.

 

Portland is not dumb. They know Houston wants LMA bad. If I was the GM, I would ask for Asik + (TJones or DMO) + Parsons + picks. Lin's contract is too much of a turnoff plus having Lillard already. Parsons' contract is juicy, any GM would target it.

 

And Morey isn't stupid.

He knows he can flip Asik to Atlanta for Milsap and just bide his time until LMA hits free agency.

 

the portland gm seems to be asking everybody for unrealistic scenarios, so why not us too?

 

Zactly. Millsap and more. Morey is not wanting anybody so bad right now that he's willing to give up the farm except Lebron.

And once again....Chandler Parsons will not be traded short of bringing Lebron here to play with Howard and Harden.

 

I just don't think Portland wants Asik that badly. They want a bigger name and they won't find it.

I think Portland will move only when they realize LMA is going to walk anyway, but that won't be until 2014 at least.

 

I don't think they take Asik after getting R.Lopez. Our only pieces will have to be Parsons along with DMO, G. Smith and a 1st rd. pick. I'd do that trade in a heart beat. With 3 Superstars, we wouldn't be hurting for losing Parsons. The Big 3 will account for 90% of the offense.

However, the package going to Portland still would need to be sweetened. That's why I think it is important we allow Lin to shine up to the trade deadline to build up his stock and flip him to another team for a player the Blazers would want. Bev then becomes the starting PG. Move Garcia to the SF spot and we're set.

Howard
LMA
F.Garcia
J.Harden
Bev.

 

It makes zero sense to trade Asik and Parsons when you know you can get two years from Asik before letting him expire in 2015, sign LMA in free agency, and then re-sign Parsons with his bird rights. Keeping Asik gives us two years to find another quality backup center.

The only way the Rockets do the trade is if they get to keep Parsons.....otherwise it's not worth it.

 

Right. I wasn't advocating trading Asik. I rather Asik stay and Parsons go. Asik is more valuable for his defense than Parsons is for his offense. If we wait til Aldridge is an UFA, he'll most likely go to Chicago.

If he's traded here, he can then like it here enough to resign. That's just my thinking. I know we're on his short list of teams but the Bulls are at the top of that list. It's better we try to get him via trade than having him decide in free-agency.

 

They won't trade Parsons - not after all he has done for the organization.

 

Good point but knowing how Morey operate, I wouldn't bet on it. He said last season that Asik and Lin was the cornerstone pieces of the franchise. Now, just this summer, he was shopping both Asik and Lin. It took Howard to stop that.

It's all business. This is not a family thing.

 

Tough one. You can't trade Lin for good value now but if he plays to or above his contract value, why would we want to trade him then? Don't tell me it's so we be rid of certain fans.

 

Another good point. Question, do you think Lin would re-up with us after his contract is up?

 

If you're Portland, you'd be asking tor Beverley before Lin, 900k a year for a backup whose almost as good that you then get restricted rights on is a much better alternative.