What direction do you think Morey should approach this deadline?

I'm really hoping Paul George becomes available. I don't see too many guys out there that could put us over the top, but I think Paul George could be that guy. Harden, George and Gordon is a pretty respectable big three. I have no idea if Bird would be interested in anything we have to offer though.

 

You're proving the case that Cousins is the best bet to acquire. You can easily swing and miss in FA but we have some decent assets to trade and other teams may shy away from Boogie. There just isn't that many opportunities out there to get a young star. Cousins is about it.

 

You understand that saying George would put us over the top is ALMOST like saying Harden would put Indiana over the top?

OF COURSE he would lol. We would instantly become a top 3 team. MDA would put George at the 4 and we would just annihilate people.

Unfortunately, it was just a week ago there was a report that Indiana is saying "HEEEEELLLLLL NOOOOO" to people calling about George, no matter what the offer.

 

There's a big reason why teams will shy away from Cousins- because him on any team will never = a championship or even a coexisting team chemistry .

 

People are assuming that if we have max cap space, the only thing we can do is sign one UFA. That's not true. There are people you can convince to exercise options. There are teams that will be looking to trade players for nothing, particularly players on expiring contracts who will not re-sign with their teams. There are excellent players you can add to the core who are not star players.

You can sign 2 more excellent role players, which we did last summer. Say we add Andre Roberson and Paul Millsap to this roster and only lose KJ, Brewer, Nene, Bobby Brown. That's a significant upgrade.

Say we want to add Chandler? We could probably do Chandler and a first rounder for Brewer and a 2nd rounder. Now you're sitting on 2 first round picks and still have a bit of cap space (we will have lost $5m in cap space with this trade). Now you can trade up for a top 10 pick, you can package your two firsts with Anderson/Ariza for an upgrade via trade, etc.

What I'm saying is, flexibility isn't just about signing one big time FA. It's about... flexibility to do many things, depending on the opportunities that present themselves. Let's not underestimate how important it is given we are lacking in the appropriate talent to contend for several years during Harden's prime.

 

Also, you will have to beat out the Mavericks offer of a top 3 pick in a killer draft. Mavs are tanking for Cousins, it's clear.

 

I think our deadline strategy will somewhat depend on how beat up we are.

 

Before the season, management said when it came to adding players there would be two priorities: shooting and defense. They shored up the shooting. Now, especially with Capela going down and DMo not working out, they should look at defense. Nerlens Noel looks like the right guy to go after, even before Capela's injury. People talk about "potential," but he's already valuable for the Rockets with the skillset he brings. Defense, pick-and-roll, he's young and affordable. When Capela comes back, they'd have the luxury of having both on the roster.

Maybe people are underestimating Capela's role in their success so far this season. Surely, they're going struggle without him.

With Capela, the team was ready to compete now. Waiting, plotting and planning to get that free agent and make a run a year or two from now doesn't seem like the right approach. Who knows who else might get hurt in the meantime.

If that means sacrificing a good pick, so be it. At least it's on a player who you know could help right away, and who is still young and with potential to get better. This is certainly the year to do it.

The stars seem to be aligning for a Noel trade.

 

I really love what this team is doing right now, but I think if the ultimate goal is to win a title, they're still clearly one significant piece away from being a serious contender. I think you go into the trade deadline with the idea of improving without damaging your cap flexibility and then try to acquire a potential No. 2 caliber guy in the offeason via free agency. That being said, if you can add a star player at the deadline without completely destroying chemistry and blowing up half the roster, I'd be all for it.

 

This team is fun to watch, but the team is too reliant on the three ball to go deep in the playoffs with their mediocre defense. I cannot see this team as currently constructed winning a championship, though it's absolutely absurd that we can even have this conversation just 6 months after an embarrassing end to the previous season.

Looking at the starting lineup, PG and PF (like every year) are the positions where we get the least amount of production. I would love to have Anderson and Beverley come off the bench but neither player give us a consistent amount of production. Those would be the positions to pursue.

That said, Cousins should still be the prime target since you'd have to give up Capela to get a superstar.

 

I think we are a center away (Nerlens Noel) and another scorer away (Wilson Chandler) in becoming a serious threat to win it all. Adds more depth and gives us insurance.

 

This trade is horrible

 

Go for a PF, defensive minded who can fully back up Anderson and play some minutes at C. That way Dekker can take all Brew's minutes. Cut Brown, sign a veteran C in case of injuries and see what you can get for Brew, KJ and Ennis. If a really good SF / PF presents himself then I'm ready to trade maybe Anderson or Capela, but he would have to put us over the top.

 

Well, we can't really trade Anderson at this point, man. His contract isn't very trade friendly based on his current production and all. Not sure about trading Capela, either because I think he fits with this team and what we want to do.

You could get a box of peanuts for Brew, KJ, Ennis.

 

Upgrade from Brewer, whether it be Gay or whoever. I'm hesitant to take on 3 years at 13-14 mil per for a 34 year old center all you Chandler lovers. We have Capela playing the same role for less than 2 mil through next year. Upgrading from Ryno to Millsap is ideal, maybe Atlanta would be desperate enough to reunite the old Orlando frontcourt in fear of losing Millsap for nothing. If Noel can be had for a reasonable price, he's a good piece too.

Basically hold onto Harden, Gordon, Capela, Bev, Ariza and Dekker. If we get rid of anyone else make sure it's worth shaking up this excellent chemistry.

Speaking of chemistry, DO WANT BOOGIE! He has a cancerous attitude and doesn't fit our style of play. Capela is better for us than Cousins would be.

 

I agree with you except for this part. The Rockets are ageing? LOL then what do you call CP3? Lebron? Rox are a whole are as young or even younger than GSW, the only player on the team older than 30 is Nene.

 

"What direction do you think Morey should approach this deadline?"

North East

 

Problem with Nerlens Noel is that this offseason he will be a free agent. Some team is gonna overpay him and we won't have the chance to match so we essential would have given up assets for a 1 year rental. I don't think he will even want to remain a Rocket since he would have to compete with Capela for time and he is tired of log jams at center...

 

Not sure what all I would want to change/trade that anyone would want

Rocket River

 

Morey would want to get another star.

Not sure what Les and Dantoni would do. Sign Nick Young?