With the the final roster spot looming, it basically comes down to using our MLE to sign Montrezl Harrel to a 3-4 year rookie deal, which will result in hard capping ourselves, or a 2 year deal, and not hard capping ourselves. The hard cap would potentially make any trades much more difficult, as we would likely have to send out equal money as opposed to using the 125% trade rules. There is no right answer. Simple poll, which would you do?
There is a right answer: NO hard cap because of a 2nd round pick! It's not even a question for Morey probably. He is either trying to get Harrel to accept what he wants to give, or looking for a trade. I would be shocked if Morey hard capped the team to sign Harrel.
Avoid the hard cap. He won't get any significant playing time this season, so we can lock him in longer after.
surprisingly enough, I kind of don't mind this option. How often does a rookie with the Rockets get enough on the court action to earn a great contract after a year? It worked out well with Landry, it worked out well with KJ... hmmm... I dunno. I see benefit in going this route honestly.
Tough decision with several options , really depends on how high they are on Harrell. I'd probably avoid the hard cap but this team is pretty much 3 deep at every position and brings back all the contributors from last years WCF squad .... other than Josh Smith. Morey has more than just those two options - 1) Use of MLE to sign Harrell to a 3-4 year deal with team options. 2) Harrell accepts the rookie minimum deal for 2 years 3) Harrell has the option of declining minimum deal and signing with a team in China or the Euro's .... which would leave the Rockets a roster spot & owning his NBA rights without having to commit one way or the other. 4) Morey could also trade Harrell's rights , prior to signing him for a player already under contract that fits into the Shved TPE .... avoiding the use of any more of the MLE which is the trigger for the hard cap.
This. He won't sign for the FULL MLE, but he'll likely be here on rookie minimum 1 or 2 year deal. Unless of course he refuses and Morey trades his rights (or he bolts for Europe). The Rockets will never be hard-capped while Morey is GM.
I agree with the sentiment expressed above that there's no way you hard cap yourself for a 2nd round pick....even if you are high on him. Do the one year deal.
I find it weird people are so focused on the fact he was a second round pick. Clint Capella was drafted 25th, Harrell 32nd. If this scenario was laid out last year with Capella, would you have used the same rationale? Harrell was projected to go middle of the first round.
Lock him up. Who would we realistically get via trade anyway? We need to stick with the roster we have. Locking him up now is a lot cheaper than he'll be next year when the cap explodes.
The only max level player I could see as a realistic option is Horford, and he wouldn't be traded any earlier than the deadline.
According to Jonathan Fegan: "Beverley will give the Rockets 14 players signed to guaranteed contracts. They are expected to sign Chuck Hayes next and then second-round pick Montrezl Harrell. Free agent rookie Christian Wood will also be brought to camp on a partially guaranteed contract, according to an individual with knowledge of the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced." Doesn't sound like the rest of the MLE is being used on Harrell. If so, there wouldn't be room to later add Wood (on a partial guarantee). I'm pretty sure Fegan would've mentioned the real possibility of a hard cap scenario due to Harrell + Wood's coming contracts. Just don't see it being a factor.
They were hard capped last year. The difference is this year it's a real problem. I say sign him to the 4 year deal. Assuming he's a decent player, his value will be enormous after the salary cap jump. I also don't like the idea of all of Harrell, DMo and TJones all being free agents at the same time.
