[ESPN Insider] Offseason Blueprint: Accessorizers (Rockets)

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Offseason Blueprint: Accessorizers
These teams can address specific needs through niche free agents or clever trades


By Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine

Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty ImagesTrading for Chris Paul would be risky, but it could be a boon for the guard-needy Bobcats.

ESPN Insider is breaking down what every team in the league could -- and should -- do during the most anticipated offseason in NBA history. Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard have separated the league into six groups based on everything from cap room to organizational philosophy. Next: the accessorizers -- the Bobcats, Rockets, Pacers, Thunder, Grizzlies and Bucks. Follow the whole series here.

Charlotte Bobcats

By Chris Broussard

Objective: Build on last year's promising regular season by upgrading at the point guard spot. Try to keep Tyson Chandler, who can terminate his contract before June 30.

Assets: Minimal cap room at best.

The Plan: With terrific wings in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson and a trio of solid, if not spectacular, bigs (Chandler, Nazr Mohammed and Theo Ratliff), the Bobcats are looking for a point guard. Their own free agent, Raymond Felton, is the best on the market, so they'll have to improve via trade. After the way Felton, who turned down a six-year, $40 million contract, was abused by Orlando's Jameer Nelson in the playoffs, Charlotte feels it needs an upgrade. Around draft time, the Bobcats tried to trade for Kirk Hinrich but lost out to Washington. Their dream would be to land Chris Paul, who's from North Carolina. In an ideal world, they'd also find a big who can play with his back to the basket, but those are few and far between.

Alternative Advice: We certainly advocate going after Paul, but a more realistic scenario may be landing Monta Ellis from Golden State. Sacrifice the second part of the original objective and offer Chandler's expiring contract for Ellis to see if the Warriors will bite.

Houston Rockets

By Ric Bucher

Objective: Acquire an All-Star player.

Assets: $3.1 million trade exception

The Plan: The first objective appears to be landing Chris Bosh, the ideal complement at power forward for Yao Ming, through a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors. Bosh, sources say, is set on leaving Toronto but wants a maximum-salary contract. The Raptors, in turn, want some front-line toughness to complement defensively challenged forwards Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu. The Rockets can offer some combination of Shane Battier, Luis Scola, David Andersen, Chuck Hayes and Jordan Hill, all of whom are arguably tougher than anyone Toronto has at the moment.

Alternative Advice: Acquiring Bosh at the max means their nucleus moving forward is Bosh, Trevor Ariza and Kevin Martin, with Yao's future uncertain because of his foot problems and a contract that expires next summer. That trio won't strike fear in any hearts nor does it possess the markings of a title contender. Neither Martin nor Bosh succeeded in previous stops as team leaders. Scola and Battier, meanwhile, filled those roles exceptionally well last season for a Rockets squad that remained competitive despite the absence of both Yao and Tracy McGrady. Targeting an All-Star is fine, but sacrificing assets and tying their financial wagon to an All-Star who couldn't lead his team to the playoffs is a risky proposition.

Offering some of that toughness and veteran leadership to the Atlanta Hawks for Al Horford, who could be too pricey for Atlanta to keep if it re-signs Joe Johnson, is a less splashy move but could be more fiscally prudent with a new collective bargaining agreement around the corner. Another option is to wait and see if financial pressure forces the Utah Jazz or New Orleans Hornets to sacrifice their All-Star point guards, Deron Williams and Paul, respectively, and then pick one of them off.

The bottom line: The Rockets aren't ready to contend, and their immediate future is wholly unknown until it's clear exactly how much Yao can give them and for how long he can do so. There's nothing gained by committing long term to anything less than a surefire cornerstone -- and Bosh is not one.

Indiana Pacers

By Chris Broussard

Objective: Develop young talent while using a glut of expiring contracts to upgrade their roster or set the team up to have major cap room/flexibility in the summer of 2011.

Assets: None.

The Plan: Seven players (Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster, Jamaal Tinsley, Solomon Jones and Josh McRoberts) have expiring contracts worth more than $45 million combined, meaning the Pacers are set up to have major cap flexibility. They could trade some of those guys this summer or at the February trade deadline.

Whether through trades or exceptions, the Pacers want to upgrade the point guard position and add an athletic power forward to play next to center Roy Hibbert. Selecting the talented Paul George in the draft could make Dunleavy expendable, and Ford is certainly trade bait. Murphy was in demand at last year's deadline, and while he's currently penciled in as the starting power forward, he could also be had at the right price.

Alternative Advice: The Pacers' problem ever since they ran out most everyone affiliated with The Malice in the Palace (Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson) has been their lack of star power. Danny Granger is a fringe All-Star, but not a superstar. So let's make a splash -- or at least try to -- and offer Granger and Dunleavy to the Hornets for Chris Paul and James Posey. Dunleavy's expiring contract would save the Hornets more than $11 million next season, while they'd have an All-Star to build around in Granger. And because Granger is a New Orleans native, he would ease the blow of losing the popular Paul. Meanwhile, Paul would give Indiana its star to build around and would attract free agents next summer when the Pacers have major money. He can opt out of his deal in two years, though, so it could be risky.

Oklahoma City Thunder

By Ric Bucher

Objective: Add size and toughness to the front line and 3-point shooting on the perimeter while staying under the cap.

Assets: $14 million in cap room

The Plan: GM Sam Presti utilized that cap space by taking the 18th pick and Daequan Cook the day before the draft from the cap-room hungry Miami Heat for the 32nd pick. He then dealt their two first-round picks, Nos. 21 and 26, to the Hornets for No. 11 pick Cole Aldrich and veteran swingman Morris Peterson. The two deals took roughly $9 million of cap space, but they netted OKC a coveted, young big man in Aldrich, who's been compared favorably to Joel Przybilla, and added perimeter shooting in Cook and Peterson. Even better, those two contracts expire at season's end.

Alternative Advice: None needed. Presti recognizes that he has his superstar in Kevin Durant and, rather than swing for the fences with his assets, has continued to build a formidable squad, piece by shrewd piece. The Thunder should not only be better next season, but by trading Miami's 18th pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future first-round pick, they ensured they had the means of continuing to improve in the future.

Memphis Grizzlies

By Chris Broussard

Objective: Re-sign restricted free agent Rudy Gay to a reasonable deal and strengthen the point guard position.

Assets: None.

The Plan: The Grizzlies have said they will match any offer Gay receives from another team. While Memphis certainly wants Gay back, don't expect that strategy to hold true in the unlikely event he gets a max offer. Anything around five years, $60 million should keep Gay in a Grizzlies uniform.

Memphis did a solid job in the draft by adding Kansas swingman Xavier Henry to back up Gay (or perhaps replace him) and Maryland point guard Greivis Vasquez to back up Mike Conley. Henry also makes Ronnie Brewer, another restricted free agent, expendable. But after giving up a future first-round pick for him, the Grizzlies are likely to re-sign Brewer.

While the slow-footed Vasquez has promise, the Grizzlies would like to upgrade at the point since Conley has failed to consistently display a starter's ability.

Alternative Advice: Re-sign Gay up to $65 million. Let Brewer walk, since he can be replaced by Henry and Sam Young. Offer Luke Ridnour a multiyear deal worth $5 million per year and see if he can beat out Conley.

Milwaukee Bucks

By Ric Bucher

Objective: Remain a playoff-caliber team without incurring the luxury tax.

Assets: None

The Plan: Dealing Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell to the Golden State Warriors for Corey Maggette protected the Bucks against the potential loss of their other scoring small forward, John Salmons. They dealt a future second-round pick for New Jersey Nets swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts. GM John Hammond is still hopeful of re-signing Salmons, who is opting out of the final year of his contract, and free-agent backup point guard Luke Ridnour. Already being roughly $6 million over the cap, Hammond would have to move Michael Redd and his $18.3 million contract that expires next summer for no more than $9 million in assets for any chance of making it all work.

Assuming All-Star center Andrew Bogut recovers from his horrific elbow and finger injuries suffered at the end of the regular season, Milwaukee has an inside-outside tandem with Bogut and Brandon Jennings surrounded by an array of long, athletic wing players similar to the model Orlando built with Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.

Alternative Advice: Hammond has a lot of confidence in coach Scott Skiles to incorporate Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, two high-maintenance personalities based on sources with their previous teams. On paper, Maggette is a far more dynamic scorer than Salmons, but maintaining that effectiveness playing with Bogut and Jennings will be a challenge. The Bucks were a top-10 defensive team, tying Boston in defensive field-goal percentage during the regular season, and defense never has been a strength of Maggette's. With such a risky move, don't be afraid to scrap it if things aren't working and be prepared to put an unhappy Maggette on the bench for long stretches if necessary.

Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher are senior writers for ESPN The Magazine.