I think Greg Monroe would be a better fit for this team. Sure he plays center but he could slide over to PF. Come on Morey, git 'er done.
??? Smith would have a huge cap hold until he either signs or the Rockets would relinquish his rights. The only way Smith doesn't block a max free agent would be for the Rockets to use salaries of players they want to keep like Lin and Asik to match Smith's contract.
As much as you all hate it... I really think this is a real possibility and one that can get us into the top half of the western conference. Asik Gasol Parson (so far the biggest disappointment) Harden Lin (really needs to work on pacing the team and ball control) We would have to trade Terrence Jones or DMO maybe both plus royce white and a first rounder that they could then send to the Magic... We may be even able to swap out any of the three for morris but a two man game of Gasol and Harden or Gasol and Lin with either Lin or Harden as the man waiting to knock the open three would be fun to watch More importantly our interior defense would be superior with two legit 7fts and our rebounding at the 4 spot will no longer be a problem
I'd much rather bide our time and wait for someone better to come available (or see if one of our own develops) than overpay for good but not great players. If we're paying someone near max, they better make us serious title contenders.
I don't know about Monroe, but I expect someone like him is the Rockets top trade target. Young guy on rookie scale that produces well. Use trade assets to get a young guy that could grow into a max player would be great. Someone like MKG who can play in the uptempo offense the Rockets want as well as someone who can take the best wing defensively. I do think the Rockets have high hopes for the Patterson, Morris, Jones, Motiejunas, and White as a whole. The whole acquire every PF possible could just be is shotgun method to get a star PF cheap. I think once acquiring a guy on rookie contract, Rockets will sign one of the max guys in off season. Who, I don't know.
This makes no sense. You can't sign both Smith and CP3 (or Dwight). You'd have to get creative to sign CP3 alone.
He's Detroit's franchise player. He'll stay there for many years. And Drummond they got to pair with him, long term. Monroe's a 4, defensively.
I say Al Jefferson. He can create his own shot and draw double teams, which Josh Smith cannot do. LMA, Love, and Cousins = pipe dreams. Not going to happen. Is Al Jefferson really that big of a dropoff from Bynum, whom CF was drooling over? I would like a Jefferson/DMo/Asik PF-C rotation. I think it makes sense to just invest money in three guys up front rather than four and give them all starters minutes. Is Jefferson that bad with the pick and roll? How is his outside shot? Paul Milsap seems a little undersized. How is he on defense? I know he can't play center. This young Stoudamire fellow you all mention - who is he? I don't know of anyone fitting that description in this reality. I really wish we had just picked up Landry this past offseason. For $4M a year, that guy is a STEAL!!!
I would love to have Cousins so bad! Hopefully it goes downhill for the Kings and they be willing to trade him.
LMA Love Cousins may all be pipe dreams but I would rather wait for a player of there caliber than settle for Paul or Al who won't get us past the second round.
Sorry, just saw this. Your premise is flawed in that you assume the Rockets can (or even would) trade Jeremy Lin AND Omer Asik to a team (or teams) that had sufficient cap room to take on their respective salaries and would not be trading back any salary whatsoever. Also, Josh Smith's CAP HOLD would be the maximum salary, so the Rockets would have to either dump him or commit to him long-term BEFORE being able to fit Dwight Howard or Chris Paul under the cap. Howard and Paul will have already agreed to sign somewhere before the Rockets could negotiate Smith into a reasonable contract. While it is not theoretically IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish what you are talking about, for you to talk about it as if it's a sure-fire approach is rather irrational. No offense.
THIS. People hate on Gasol like it's going out of style. But, from among the players the Rockets have more than a snowball's chance in hell at getting, he's the best. I'd take him 8 days a week over Josh Smith. Sadly, I think if Phil gets hired as the new Lakers coach, the franchise will say "luxury tax be damned" and keep Gasol despite the hefty, hefty cost next season. Here's hoping Jim Buss comes to the rest of the league's rescue (basketball-wise, not financially) and still tries to dump Gasol (and his $19.3 million salary in the final year of his deal, which could cost the Lakers upwards of $90-95 million when the new, more punitive luxury tax kicks in next season).
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Zach Randolph. Memphis has a lot of money tied into Gasol, Gay, and Conley, so Randolph may be the odd man out with Tony Allen hitting free agency.
