I don't have any hate for Jones, I just don't want him playing minutes for the rockets anymore. He's not a rotation player on a contender. I'd rather roll with Montrezl. At least there is hope that he won't disappear in the playoffs (like Jones).
So do you think Morey saying he'll use the MLE to match any offer for McDaniels is just a ploy to get something for him in a sign and trade?
Forgive if this has been answered, but can he be signed and traded? (No Bird rights yet.) Or is it a matter of signing him.....and trading him in December?
I think you are getting KJ and Josh mixed up. The most the Rockets can pay KJ with out using the MLE is 1.045 million. So that is the max salary he could get in a S&T from the Rockets. So there is really no chance that McDaniels gets signed and traded.
This. Everyone take note. For this reason, there is almost NO CHANCE McDaniels will be signed-and-traded.
Morey used the MLE last year on Kostas. I think the hope is that other teams will see KJM as valuable and try to trade us something for him before the trade deadline, just like Kostas, which didn't happen. It's definitely not that KJ will contribute to moving the Rockets from WCF team to champion, which is pretty disconcerting to me. To not use the MLE two years in a row to improve your team's chances of winning a title when it features a maxed out Harden and Howard would really suck IMO. I still hold out hope that Morey will use the MLE to try to build a champion THIS year rather than continuing to pursue flexibility, etc.
Morey functioned the last half of last season within spitting distance ($1M or so) of the tax. He did not have an MLE target last summer so he just splurged it on some Euro named KPap at the last minute that he can cut this summer without cap ramifications. KJ is an interesting player. Morey obtained him in the middle of last season for a single second round pick and McHale just shut him down. Few if any can estimate player performance on a road kill franchise like the Sixers. On terrible teams bad players look average and average players excel. I have no idea to be honest, but my gut feeling is that his $1.045M cap hold may be sufficient. But when reading about every new deal this summer my jaw just drops.
Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA Rockets free agent KJ McDaniels has received a lot of interest from other teams. His restricted status makes an early deal unlikely. Rockets have made it clear they would match offers on McDaniels - so that makes getting an offer sheet tougher as offering team gets tied up. Rockets are notoriously tough when it comes to restricted players. McDaniels camp is not worried about getting an early deal. As things start to settle in there is a sense an offer sheet is likely getting done. There is dialogue between McDaniels and Houston ongoing. Given the numbers on the table now there is a real comfort level with where McDaniels final deal will land - has to wait out moratorium.
So McDaniels likes what Houston has offered and will accept but it waiting to see if a higher offer sheet might come in?
Rockets can match KJ up to the MLE. What teams have cap space above the MLE? And would they be willing to sign KJ to that space. I am dubious.
It would be nice to be able to use the MLE to 1) sign KJ 2) use a small piece to add an extra year onto Harrell's 2nd round contract to give the Rockets more player control 3) use the rest to throw at Josh Smith Then look to add a PG in the trade market.
There are some teams who have mle/capspace and don't even care if their money is locked up for 3 days at this point. Off the top of my head : Portland Orlando Philly Utah. Then there may be some more with full mles to spend as well. I'm not sure if Charlotte and Detroit have full mles. Phoenix since it hasn't made any moves to fill their gaps yet is another candidate.
Other teams can't offer him a K that starts above the MLE, so the Rockets will be able to technically match any offers he gets. They can, however, make the third and fourth year of their offer substantial (Lin/Asik), which would make it tough for Houston to match. That would be an expensive gamble for the other team though.
that's impossible. The only thing that may deter some teams from offering is that he is restricted. As soon as the Rockets sign Josh Smith with a portion of the MLE KJ is a goner immediately. And I doubt anything is left for Harell either. But maybe he can be used as trade asset, in the imminent trade even if he's not signed?
Philly does and may think he's their small forward of the future. Honesty, I love Bima threads because I didn't know you couldn't SnT using an exception. Since you can't SnT, can another team offer the full MLE in an offer sheet or are offer sheets only for cap dollars?
