[rQUOTEr]It's still a tricky call for the Hawks, given their longstanding reluctance to take on money and squander the copious salary-cap space they're on course to have this summer, but here's the subsequent scuttle I heard from one interested party: Atlanta wants a quality young center in return in the event it does decide to part with Smith before the deadline.[/rQUOTEr]
Dude... adding Patrick Patterson results in MAYBE one additional win for the Trailblazers. If you can get a first round pick for Patterson, who is most likely not ever going to get any better than he is right now, and who you're almost certainly not planning on re-signing when he hits free agency in 16 months or so, you obviously pull the trigger. Especially if/when you wind up trading for an upgrade at the PF position between now and February 21st, which renders Patterson obsolete, or close to it. Even if you don't acquire a better PF between now and 2/21, you still jump at the opportunity to trade Patterson for a first round pick, because a first round pick has more value than a year and a half worth of Patterson. And then you move Marcus Morris into the starting lineup, and Donatas Motiejunas inherits Morris' rotation spot as the team's backup PF. And you aren't really going to miss a beat if this happens.
sure sentimentally you would like to watch this team grow together But we have to get another player that can play at an All-Star level on the offensive end to take some of the burden off Harden. If you think that can come from this current roster, fine, but it needs to come from somewhere.
It would, but if the Rockets use that first round pick and players to acquire Josh Smith, they are still the better team. Since there is a good chance Portland misses the playoffs, (I'm assuming they have their pick, but I'm not sure) they probably will want more than just Patterson for a lottery pick.
sadly Parsons is going to have to be involved. The guy is so synergistic with out team but I know we are going to have to give him up.
Change in Team Outlook: +12.6 ppg, +7.7 rpg, and -1.0 apg. Incoming Players Omer Asik 26 year old , 7-0, 255 lb C from Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey) 10.4 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 29.9 minutes Cole Aldrich 24 year old , 6-11, 240 lb C from Kansas 1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.2 apg in 6.8 minutes Patrick Patterson 23 year old , 6-9, 235 lb F from Kentucky 11.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 apg in 25.7 minutes Toney Douglas 26 year old , 6-2, 185 lb G from Florida State 8.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.9 apg in 19.0 minutes Marcus Morris 23 year old , 6-9, 235 lb F from Kansas 8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.9 apg in 21.6 minutes Outgoing Players Josh Smith 27 year old , 6-9, 225 lb F from Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) 16.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg in 35.7 minutes in 2012-2013 Zaza Pachulia 28 year old , 6-11, 275 lb C from Alpella B.K. (Turkey) 6.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg in 22.4 minutes in 2012-2013 John Jenkins 21 year old , 6-4, 215 lb SG from Vanderbilt 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.7 apg in 12.4 minutes in 2012-2013 *
If the Spurs sign Al Jefferson in the off season, the Rockets will be able to give Ginobili more money than the Spurs.
I haven't read through the entire thread, so not sure if your point has been answered yet. But if not, I'd like to correct your misconception. If another team wants to max him out in the off-season, holding his bird rights is worthless to the Rockets. He only gets a bird contract (max contract with extra years and bird right raises) if he stays with Houston. Houston can't use his bird rights to give him such a contract in a sign and trade contract to another team. It's not allowed in the new CBA. So, unless you intend to max him and keep him in Houston, holding his bird rights is worthless. You can't trade his bird rights to another team or used them in a sign-and-trade to set him up up with such a contract on another team. Not allowed. Any sign and trade contract will be exactly the same as if you don't have his bird rights. Which means it's the same as a contract that he signs directly with the other team without going through Houston for a sign and trade. It's unlikely you'll be able to recoup any value if he leaves in the off-season because you're not maxing him and another team wants to. Holding his bird rights doesn't help in any way. The other team can't offer a 5yr Bird contract without his Bird Rights. Houston can't help facilitate that in anyway even if they have his bird rights, since Houston loses those Bird Right benefits if they do a S&T. Those Bird Rights benefits only obtain if he re-signs and stays in Houston, not if he does a S&T away from Houston (no 5yr Bird contract allowed in S&T). No financial incentive or reason for him to seek a S&T over just signing directly with the other team that doesn't hold his bird rights, assuming they have cap space to sign him. He's not allowed more money in a S&T, unlike in the old CBA.
Think about these players who the Rockets can't defend, box out, or run the floor with, which there is a high probability they will face in the playoffs: Kevin Durant Serge Ibaka Blake Griffin Kenneth Faried Danilo Galinari Josh Smith is the player who best addresses this weakness, not Marcin Gortat.
Hey if all we have to give up for Smith is Aldrich, Morris and Smith - I say go for it - even if it's a rental. But Hawks are gonna get better offers. And giving Smith a max or near max contract is a mind-blowingly bad idea (unless you can cut out the part of his brain that makes him shoot long 2s). F... I just want Aldridge. Sigh...
You also have to consider what teams have cap space. How many "poorly-managed, desperate, short-sighted" teams could even afford to sign him to a max deal?
Thanks for the correction. I'm obviously still thinking in terms of the old CBA. I'll rep you for clarifying.
1) If a team acquires him, they can sign him to a max deal, whether they technically have cap space or not. 2) All it takes is two teams to get into a bidding war, and, before you know it, the dude has his max or very near-max contract. Again, it is highly unlikely that Houston acquires Josh Smith, either via trade or free agency, for all of the reasons previously cited.
Asik, Aldrich, & Patterson for Josh Smith. Sign Smith to a long-term deal in the hopes of luring Howard to Houston in the off-season. The Rockets would be instant contenders and an elite team defensively.
