Sam Amico: Rockets have a "keen eye" on Danny Granger

why on earth is no one on this forum talking about Al Jefferson? I would take Big Al over Josh Smith, Millsap, Gasol, Garnett, and maybe even CP3.

 

I've stated the Al Jefferson case rather extensively. I'm one of the biggest supporters for him, but he is a ZERO on defense. This team has no issues scoring the ball, adding Big Al would give us a few more points, but also have us giving up more as well. His D combined with our backcourt giving up lanes like a runaway train, would not benefit us, and his rebounding would diminish next to Asik. Two-way players > developing talent > one way players asking for lots of money

 

Moreys gonna try to lowball for him. Low risk high reward guy. Having him will secure our sixthman, scoring from bench plus decent defender that can guard guys like Leflop and Durant. Him and Parsons will make a tough defense+ rebounds up.

 

If not Dwight, Garnett should be okay playing for McHale. Even for a year, til we wait for 2014 free agency. Something we actually need, a defensive PF floor spacer. Garnett would be awesome with Rockets. Hell, bring Paul Pierce with him for one year deals.
OR, him and Dwight. Get rid of some assets.

Lin
Harden
Parsons
Garnett
Howard

Bench:
Beverly
Pierce
Delfino or Garcia
TJones
Jermaine Oneal

=
Western Finals

 

Gasol >>>>>>>>>> al jefferson.

 

He is way to ball dominant to be on this team.

 

Whoever said they'd consider taking Al Jeff over CP3, please dude.

 

If the Rockets can add DH12 to the roster, I could very well see them interested in Granger. He, along with Parsons can play as a "stretch 4" on a DH12 centered team. And the fact that Granger is an expiring contract allows the Rockets to roll over that salary cap room for another big move.

Morey has done this time and again with regards to cap flexibility.

 

Right, but what would we be giving the Pacers for Granger? I could see them wanting to keep him around to make a run at the ECF again next season. He was out pretty much the whole yr and the Pacers got that far. They don't need/want Asik. I doubt Lin really gets them excited, and if we did that, we would have Asik literally as an $8.3M backup C...

 

Any team that features James Harden and Al Jefferson in the starting lineup will be pretty terrible defensively.

 

Right, even if that was to address my comment that I don't think Lin gets them excited (reading some articles saying they aren't even keen on a trade of Granger for a deal featuring Bledsoe), you're not explaining how that really leaves us in a great position.

We're stuck w/ a potentially broken player who you yourself said missed nearly all of last yr. We'd lose a PG and young PF prospect just so we can constantly play small ball only and relegate Asik to a constant bench role?? At least Dwight/Asik means they can spend some notable minutes together (maybe), but w/ Granger AND Parsons AND Asik AND Dwight...eh. It just doesn't smart move to me.

Finally, you're assuming they would prefer anything over nothing. This is a problem people are having w/ LAL as well, thinking they definitely would prefer something in a SnT than to let Dwight walk. Not necessarily true at all, esp. under this new cba. We saw it w/ ATL at the trade deadline just this past season (and how quite it was in general then). I am not saying SnTs and these moves WON'T happen; I'm just saying don't assume something new is better than the status quo. I can easily see Pacers' GM going, unless we see a deal we REALLY like, I would rather us give it another go WITH Granger this time, already making our ECF team that much better...and then have $13M come off the books in the summer, whether it works out or not. I'd personally take that over Lin/Motie.

 

Addition by subtraction. The Rockets will be in on the LeBron sweepstakes. Lin will be impossible to move next year.

 

I wouldn't call him ball dominant, at least not in the way players like Chris Paul, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, etc. are.

 

Sure, we'd be one fewer move away from being in the LBJ sweepstakes. If Asik and Dwight don't work well together, Morey could even move Asik at the trade deadline for a decent PF that is an expiring, bringing us one step closer. I guess that is worth something. But we'd only clear $16.6M this way. Next yr's cap goes up a bit, but will mostly be swallowed up by Dwight's and Harden's salary increases. If White was waived and not moved this yr, he'd eat up some cap room too. We could not pick up TJones and DMo, bringing us to $19M, so I guess we'd be in the running then.

LBJ would have to take yet another paycut, but could come play w/ Harden + Parsons + Dwight. I mean, that'd be all our cap money haha, but surrounding that team w/ role players/vets through Morey's prowess should be a walk in the park.

 

Ehhh......

 

Not sure why you would add Granger unless to play him at the 4. Adding Smith as well doesn't make much sense.

 

Probably pursuing both, but would only actually get one of them. If only Granger, I think Parsons would be playing the 4.

If we end up getting Howard, Granger, and Smith, but lose Parsons, I'll gnash my teeth, but In Morey I Trust.

 

Sam Amico isn't known as a reliable source of inside info.