[Chron] Feigan: Rockets would send wrong message by not matching Lowry offer

the_hustler · Jul 14, 2010

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/07/rockets_would_send_wrong_messa.html

the_hustler · Jul 14, 2010

mods: please integrate this with the other kyle lowry thread if necessary.

Old Man Rock · Jul 14, 2010

Feigan definitely reads this board. On a side note do we have the LLE this year. Anyone. If we do is that enough to lock up Miller. I think not.

Angkor Wat · Jul 14, 2010

Old Man Rock said:

Feigan definitely reads this board. On a side note do we have the LLE this year. Anyone. If we do is that enough to lock up Miller. I think not.
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We do, but even if we don't, we still have MLE money. And who does this Brad guy think he is by stringing us along in his free agency circus? He needs to make a decision!!! SOON!

iconoclastism · Jul 14, 2010

the_hustler said:

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/07/rockets_would_send_wrong_messa.html
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Is it me or it like the free agent market is going nuts. Even 3rd tier players are being coveted like superstars.

Prince · Jul 14, 2010

Old Man Rock said:

Feigan definitely reads this board. On a side note do we have the LLE this year. Anyone. If we do is that enough to lock up Miller. I think not.
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Nobrainer.

FLASH21 · Jul 14, 2010

For the lazies like me:

The Rockets might have indulged in a moment of sticker shock. They should not, however, have been at all surprised with the offer sheet Kyle Lowry received, worth roughly $24 million over four years. But if they wish, they could spend a moment mildly taken aback with the deal.

Then they matched it.

Daryl Morey announced his decision in a tweet:

"Congratulations to Kyle Lowry on signing his new deal. We plan to match the agreement and we are excited he will be returning to the Rockets."

Those that checked the blog in the half hour or so between when the previous version of this entry was posted and the announcement that they had matched the offer know that the argument was made here that the Rockets needed to make this move. The reasons were as numerous as they were clear.

They always said they would, starting March 9 when Lowry came back from his injury. GM Daryl Morey gave his reasons, and they were good reasons then, and they are good reasons now.

Failing to match would have been announcing that they were just posturing, and it would be remembered the next time a restricted free agent is shopping for a deal, with next time scheduled for roughly 10 minutes later when the phone in Luis Scola's agent's pocket starts ringing.

That, however, is not even close to the only reason to match.

The Rockets' season went south when Lowry went out. When teams spoke of all that Rockets grit and toughness, they were describing Lowry. He was not the only one that showed it, but he helped give the Rockets the quality that defined them through the first months of the season.

When Lowry turned his ankle, the Rockets went from a double-digit lead against Philadelphia to a home loss, and including that game, were 5-10 in the games he missed with injuries. Going into a season with Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes and Jared Jeffries in the final season of their deals, the Rockets would have been wrong to take a step backward, and they would have been making a significant step in the wrong direction to reduce their roster to one point guard.

When they made the deal for Kevin Martin, removing the cap room they would have had if they simply let Tracy McGrady walk, they said they did it to grab the sure-thing addition of Martin rather than the long-shot hopes of free agency, but also because they had budgeted the cost of keeping their free agents and had chosen to take on that expense.

Point guards get mid-level money. It must be in the fine print somewhere. The Rockets had to see it coming when owner Leslie Alexander approved the plan, and when Morey said Alexander had instructed him to match the offers his restricted free agents might receive.

Mid-level for a guy with 30 career starts, all because of injuries to the starter, might seem a bit much, but not compared to his importance to the Rockets or the going rate for point guards.

That the Rockets have not made a big free-agent move brings another reason to keep Lowry. It's not about feeling better in a July of inactivity. Even if they are uncomfortable with having the backup earning twice the salary of the starter, keeping Lowry also keeps another asset for the sort of roster move they have not made this month.

The Rockets also were correct to make an exception to their policy of making moves at the deadline. They had a week to match the offer to Lowry, but with Scola also a restricted free agent testing the market, immediately matching the offer to Lowry would send a message that they said they would match and did. And if Lowry felt unloved as the Rockets failed to recruit him, or even send a Bosh-like iPad his way, a quick move would send a message to him, too.

The Rockets did not need to match the offer because it's been such a dull and perhaps disappointing month. They have resisted the urge to overspend for big men, offering at least a hint at what they might be thinking about the offer sheet question at hand.

They have been careful, however, because they like their roster and like their chances. The roster is not complete, but it is solid and deep. But it did need Lowry back. Their first free-agent move was clear. They needed to match the offer.

• • •

There's still nothing new on the Brad Miller front. To quote his agent Mark Bartelstein this morning: "Nothing new."

In a way, there might be. Denver was ready to join the fray, but the signing of Al Harrington likely takes them out of the mix, at least as a team with potential to make an offer he cannot refuse. Boston grabbed Jermaine O'Neal. Miami signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas. A return to Chicago is still possible, but nothing new means the Rockets are still in the hunt.

It's his call. No word on a schedule for "The Decision, Part II."
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Nero · Jul 14, 2010

FLASH21 said:

For the lazies like me:

Then they matched it.

Daryl Morey announced his decision in a tweet:

"Congratulations to Kyle Lowry on signing his new deal. We plan to match the agreement and we are excited he will be returning to the Rockets."

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Hmmmm.... now is this genius in the works?

I know we had a week to match, which is fine. The cut-throat thing to do would be to wait 6 days and 23 hours to match, to most-effectively weaken another NBA team by reducing their ability to make similar offers to other players (kind of like what happened to us a while back when we tried to grab that center, what's-his-name), and thought we had him, only to have the team match at the very last minute.

However, Morey's announcement seems to imply that we are NOT going to wait, we are going to be the nice guys.

Or are we?

It doesn't say WHEN we will do the paperwork of matching, maybe we get the good solid rep points of declaring this early, but it may still 'take a few days' to get it all finalized. And all the while Cleveland is left twisting, their money tied up, and knowing that they still are not getting KL.

Brilliant.

Think of the message THAT sends anyone who was thinking of making a move on Scola..

Are you listening, NJ?? NYET! No Scola for you!

TheFreak · Jul 14, 2010

I bet if Morey had pulled the ole "we're waiting to see the results of tests on his ankle" that he used on Landry, this whole Cleveland offer nonsense could have been avoided. DM is slipping.

DaDakota · Jul 14, 2010

TheFreak said:

I bet if Morey had pulled the ole "we're waiting to see the results of tests on his ankle" that he used on Landry, this whole Cleveland offer nonsense could have been avoided. DM is slipping.
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Heh.....

He had to match, even if they thought it was too much.

Glad he did, love the tea leave readers on Clutchfans trying to discern what that means for Brooks.

DD

ElPigto · Jul 14, 2010

DaDakota said:

Heh.....

He had to match, even if they thought it was too much.

Glad he did, love the tea leave readers on Clutchfans trying to discern what that means for Brooks.

DD
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I love it too. It's silly that this means Brooks is gone. Brooks/Lowry brought a lot to this team and Morey is smart enough to know that they are both important for the Rockets. This also allows for Brooks to play less minutes so he doesn't risk injury.

I love this move and I'm glad the Rockets matched.

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[Chron] Feigan: Rockets would send wrong message by not matching Lowry offer

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[Chron] Feigan: Rockets would send wrong message by not matching Lowry offer

the_hustler Member

the_hustler Member

Old Man Rock Contributing Member

Angkor Wat Member

iconoclastism Member

Prince Member

FLASH21 Heart O' Champs

Nero Member

TheFreak Contributing Member

DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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