Sports Illustrated: Rockets offer to Magic was much lower than reported

I mean think about it? Whether with the Rockets or with those other 3 teams involved. They still did not get the best things back within their own deal. They did not get Bynum and did not get Iguodala. They arguably came away with the worst of the 4 teams out of the deal and they were the ones offering Howard. Either way with the Rockets and within their deal it was a huge failure among just the 4 teams mentioned. Leaving the Rockets out of the discussion completely.

 

if you did, you'd notice that post specifically stated that the 2 picks + Lamb offer was good enough. I argued otherwise.

sure, there are other versions to the story. We will never know which is true. The one that seems to be coming from Houston sounds different.
But saying that the 2 picks + Lamb offer is awesome, that's just not true. That's based on a lot of optimism regarding Lamb's future --- and pre Summer League nonetheless.

 

What they got was not what I would want instead of Lamb and the 2 picks. So our point of view is subjective at best.

 

Nash was an unrestricted free agent contemplating spending his final season or two in Canada. The only way the Lakers could sign him was through a sign and trade with Phoenix (who hates the Lakers) but were smart enough to see the value in landing 4 draft picks for Nash as opposed to seeing him walk away for nothing. The Lakers used the TPE they got from Dallas for Lamar Odom to pay Nash for the next two years.

Howard wanted to be in Brooklyn but is settling for the Lakers for the time being at least. The Lakers are rolling the dice that he will stay.

Both deals are wrought with risk and uncertainty but their plan is clear.

To maximize the two or three remaining years left of Kobe. Put the best team around him whatever it costs them now, then rebuild hopefully around Howard if he stays.

It's hard to see what Morey's plan is because the players never last in Houston for more than a season or two.

 

That's actually really encouraging. To know that morey wasn't willing to trade EVERYBODY makes us look less desperate, plus he values the draft picks as much as we do so I doubt we'll see them traded anytime soon

 

I don't really think Howard settled for LA. I think he is happy to be a Laker and I can see him staying on in LA to be honest.

 

it can be very subjective, of course.

maybe it looked even worse for Orlando than I imagine because they love Harkless for some reason, or are skeptical about Lamb.

for you, it may look the opposite because you value Lamb a lot and think he's far and away the best available prospect for Orlando.

I think i'm fairly in the middle of those two extremes. I just don't look at names at all.

that way, this rumored offer is
Houston: late pick (dallas) + probably an early teens pick (Toronto)+ current early teens pick (Lamb) + cap relief (Martin and scraps)
vs.
Lakers: 4 late picks + current mid-round pick (Harkless) + last year's mid round pick who didn't stink (Vucevic) + Afflalo -- but no cap relief (some bad contracts out, Harrington's semi-guaranteed deal and Afflalo in)

On a draft day, you'd never trade the Lakers side for Houston's.
Unless you really wanted to upgrade a few spots and were in love with a certain prospect (Lamb). Or you were desperate for cap relief (which isn't that crucial for a team that's going to rebuild through youth).

 

Well I am not gonna let them off load any blame on the Rockets for their low deal. Rockets still have everything they (Orlando) wanted ultimately. Does not make them sound any smarter for not being able to negotiate it away from Morey.

 

indeed...

 

From the article, it seems that Hennigan was paranoid about "being taken to the woodshed" by a lot of people.

It's my best guess that while he wanted to come off as "unflappable", the deteriotating condition of the offered trades forced him to act otherwise.

Hennigan was cornered from all sides--from Dwight's camp to the worsening trade deals to even his home reputation--and I think that even Martins realized things just weren't going to get better.

 

Top 10 rookie???

I can think of 15 on top of my head that played better than Vucevic.

The Raptors pick is is protected in a way that it will be higher than any of the 3 picks the Magic get.

I like Afflalo, he looked really good last season.

Don't really understand why they got Al Harrington, considering he's 32 and have 3 more years left on his contract at 8 mil per.

What I really don't get is why Orlando didn't want Iggy. They could have just done Iggy + Harkless + Vucevic and took on less money.

BTW Here are the picks Orlando got in the Dwight trade.

 

It is Sigmund actually.
You're off ur game boy.

Eat a hot dog and come back some other time. You moussaka stinking hairy
oat.

 

Exactly. Hilarious how everyone is taking Feigen as gospel here.

It sucks that the team that hitched its wagon to Yao Ming for all those years, and took a gamble on the previously injury-riddled Kevin Martin, somehow missed out on Andrew Bynum. I've yet to hear a reasonable explanation for how anything the Rockets have to offer is better than Bynum. None of the draft picks they currently own are likely to turn out better than Bynum, nor will anyone on their current roster.

 

well, again, we are all biased in the end. I'd say he's probably top 10. I'm sure i'm not alone. I think Thorpe had him in top 10 at the end of the season.

But this isn't exact science.

He's no star, but by no means is he a fail either. about what you'd expect for where he was drafted and who was drafted ahead.

It could still be a pretty crappy pick. Lets say it's #12. Is that great? What's the chance of drafting a star there in what's expected to be a pretty shallow draft?
It's better than a #22.
But is it better than 3 #22s? Is it better than 3 #22s and Vucevic and Afflalo?

I think they'll cut Harrington and save half the cap hit. Which makes Afflalo cheaper in terms of cap.

Not sure why no Iggy. Probably his age. Iggy is almost 3 years older. Maybe they feel they could rebuild within a couple years before he's past his prime.

Even better question - why not Bynum. Health, whatever. He's still the 2nd best center in the league, and very young too. The risk of him not staying seems small-ish. He seems money oriented. I'd take that risk.

Either way, Orlando got screwed.
I wouldn't take either of these two offers. I'd rather risk on Bynum. Or just wait for deadline.
If I had no choice though, this rumored Morey offer looks worse.

 

very well built argument.

 

For a one year rental? Yeah, Morey's offer makes sense. I'm glad we didn't offer them our entire roster. Rocket's management believes in the talent they drafted. I like that.

 

DEATH TO MURRAY!!!

 

I knew this all along. I have been commenting on other threads telling people they weren't willing to give up much and I came close to the real offer although I was saying that lamb wasn't available. Even still I dont think lamb was ever available. I would have offered Patterson, Martin, Morris, and jones along with 2 or 3 picks. Nothing more.

 

This isn't that complicated. The Rockets had tons of assets, and it's fair to assume that if they wanted to, they could have made Orlando an offer they couldn't refuse. The fact that they didn't says a lot. It indicates that Morey wasn't completely confident they could re-sign Howard. He was willing to give up only what was worth the risk.

Knowing this, fans should be very happy that he didn't offer more.

 

But the magic didn't get Bynum....